Method and apparatus for representing, managing and problem reporting in surveillance networks

• US 20060167672A1
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Goldman, Jerry Y., Florissi, Patricia, Artzi, Amanuel Ronen, Schriesheim, Jeffrey A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,519,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/13
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A method, system and computer product for performing a system analysis of a surveillance network containing a plurality of components are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of representing selected ones of the plurality of components, providing a mapping between a plurality of observable events and a plurality of causing events occurring in components, wherein the observable events are at least associated with each of the at least one components, and determining at least one likely causing event based on at least one of the plurality of observable events by determining a measure between each of a plurality of values associated with the plurality of observable events and the plurality of causing events. In one aspect of the invention, selected ones of the plurality of components are represented in a plurality of domains, wherein for each domain, at least one of the plurality of components is associated with at least two of the domains, providing a mapping between a plurality observable events and a plurality of causing events occurring in components in each of the domains, wherein selected ones of the observable events are associated with each of the at least one component associated with at least two of the domains, determining at least one likely causing event based on at least one of the plurality of observable events by determining a measure between each of a plurality of values associated with the plurality of observable events and the plurality of causing events in selected domains; and determining a likely causing event by correlating the likely causing events associated with each of the domains.

Claims

1. A method for performing a system analysis of a surveillance system including a plurality of audio and/or video components, said method comprising the steps of:

representing selected ones of the plurality of components and relations among the representations of the selected components,

providing a mapping between a plurality of observable events and a plurality of causing events occurring in the selected components; and

determining at least one likely causing event based on at least one of the plurality of observable events by determining a measure between each of a plurality of values associated with the plurality of observable events and the plurality of causing events.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of representing said plurality of components comprises the steps of:

creating configuration non-specific representation of the selected components, wherein the non-specific representations are selected from the group consisting of;

Analog Video Camera, Network Video Camera, Sensor/Camera Group, Video Server, Surveillance Application, RFID Tag, Reader, Wireless Router, Storage, Storage Area Network

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of providing a mapping comprises the steps of:

creating at least one configuration non-specific representation of relations along which the causing events propagate among the selected components, wherein the representations of relations are selected from the group consisting of;

composed of, a member of, sends data to, receives data from, communicates with, manages, and managed by.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

representing selected ones of the plurality of components, and associated relations, with each of a plurality of domains, wherein at least one of the plurality of components is associated with at least two of the domains;

providing a mapping between a plurality of observable events and a plurality of causing events occurring in components in each of the domains, wherein selected ones of the observable events and causing events are associated with each of the at least one component associated with at least two of the domains;

determining at least one likely causing event based on at least one of the plurality of observable events by determining a measure between each of a plurality of values associated with the plurality of observable events and the plurality of causing events in each domain; and

determining a likely causing event by correlating the likely causing events associated with each of the domains.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the components associated with the at least two domains are selected from the group consist of:

Surveillance Application and Surveillance Sensors.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the system analysis is selected from the group consisting of:

fault detection, fault monitoring, performance, congestion, connectivity, interface failure, node failure, link failure, routing protocol error, routing control errors, and root-cause analysis.

6. An apparatus for performing a system analysis of a surveillance system including a plurality of components, the apparatus comprising:

a processor in communication with a memory, the processor executing computer code for executing the steps of;

representing selected ones of the plurality of components and relations among the representations of the selected components;

providing a mapping between a plurality of observable events and a plurality of causing events occurring in the selected components; and

determining at least one likely causing event based on at least one of the plurality of observable events by determining a measure between each of a plurality of values associated with the plurality of observable events and the plurality of causing events.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the step of representing the plurality of components comprises the processor executing code for executing the steps of:

creating configuration non-specific representation of the selected components, wherein the non-specific representations are selected from the group consisting of;

Analog Video Camera, Network Video Camera, Sensor/Camera Group, Video Server, Surveillance Application, RFID Tag, Reader, Wireless Router, Storage and Storage Area Network.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the step of providing a mapping comprises the processor executing code for executing the steps of:

creating at least one configuration non-specific representation of relations along which the causing events propagate amongst the selected components, wherein the representations of relations are selected from the group consisting of;

is composed of, is a member of, sends data to, receives data from, communicates with, manages, is managed by.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the processor further executing code for executing the steps of:

representing selected ones of the plurality of components, and associated relations, which each of a plurality of domains, wherein at least one of the plurality of components is associated with at least two of the domains;

providing a mapping between a plurality observable events and a plurality of causing events occurring in components in each of the domains, wherein selected ones of the observable events are associated with each of the at least one component associated with at least two of the domains;

determining at least one likely causing event based on at least one of the plurality of observable events by determining a measure between each of a plurality of values associated with the plurality of observable events and the plurality of causing events in each domain; and

determining a likely causing event by correlating the likely causing events associated with each of the domains.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the components associated with the at least two domains are selected from the group consist of:

Surveillance Application and Surveillance Sensors.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

an input/output device in communication with the processor.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the system analysis is selected from the group consisting of:

fault detection, fault monitoring, performance, congestion, connectivity, interface failure, node failure, link failure, routing protocol error, routing control errors, and root-cause analysis.

12. A computer program product for performing a system analysis of a surveillance system including a plurality of components by providing instruction to a processor enabling the processor to execute the steps of:

representing selected ones of the plurality of components and relations among the representations of the selected components,

providing a mapping between a plurality of observable events and a plurality of causing events occurring in the selected components; and

determining at least one likely causing event based on at least one of the plurality of observable events by determining a measure between each of a plurality of values associated with the plurality of observable events and the plurality of causing events.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, further providing instruction for enabling the processor to execute the step of:

creating a configuration no-specific representation of the selected components, wherein the non-specific representations are selected from the group consisting of;

Analog Video Camera, Network Video Camera, Sensor Group, Camera Group, Video Server, Surveillance Application, RFID Tag, Reader, Wireless Router, Storage, Storage Area Network.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, further providing instruction for enabling the processor to execute the step of:

creating at least one configuration non-specification representation of relations along which the causing events propagate amongst the selected components, wherein the representations of relations are selected from the group consisting of;

is composed of, is a member of, sends data to, receives data from, communicates with, manages, is managed by.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, further providing instruction for enabling the processor to execute the steps of:

representing selected ones of the plurality of components, and associated relations, with each of a plurality of domains, wherein at least one of the plurality of components is associated with at least two of the domains;

providing a mapping between a plurality of observable events and a plurality of causing events occurring in components in each of the domains, wherein selected ones of the observable events and causing events are associated with each of the at least one component associated with at least two of the domains;

determining at least one likely causing event based on at least one of the plurality of observable events by determining a measure between each of a plurality of values associated with the plurality of observable events and the plurality of causing events in each domain; and

determining a likely causing event by correlating the likely causing events associated with each of the domains.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the components associated with the at least two domains are selected from the group consist of:

Surveillance Application and Surveillance Sensors.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein the instruction are provided by a medium selected from the group consisting of:

magnetic, optical, semiconductor and electronic transfer over a network.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein the system analysis is selected from the group consisting of:

fault detection, fault monitoring, performance, congestion, connectivity, interface failure, node failure, link failure, routing protocol error, routing control errors, and root-cause analysis.