Video system interface kernel

• US 20060225120A1
• Filed: 04/04/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: ActivEye, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramsey, Carolyn Christine, Lin, Yun-Ting, Brodsky, Tomas, Lee, Mi-Suen
• Granted Patent: US 8,316,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4431 characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A video interface kernel with a defined application program interface includes each of a plurality of core functions for interfacing with video equipment and video processing subsystems. The core functions include such functions as video capture and video output, video recording and playback, and event notification. Optional embodiments include video analysis functions and/or interfaces to analysis subsystems, as well as interfaces to point-of-sale terminals, access control systems, and location tracking systems. An intelligent video management module facilitates managing the interactions among the other modules of the kernel, further simplifying the application level interface.

Claims

1. An interface kernel comprising:

a video capture module that is configured to receive images from one or more video sources,

a video recording module that is configured to record images to one or more storage devices,

a video playback module that is configured to playback images from the one or more storage devices,

an event notification module that is configured to provide one or more notifications to an external notification system based on a detection of an event based on one or more of the images, and

an application program interface that is configured to accept commands from an application program to control each of the video capture, video recording, video playback, and event notification modules.

2. The interface kernel of claim 1, including

a video and data transmission module that is configured to transmit video or textual data to one or more destinations;

wherein the application program interface is configured to accept commands from the application program to control the video and data transmission module.

3. The interface kernel of claim 1, including

a camera control module that is configured to control one or more of the video sources;

wherein the application program interface is configured to accept commands from the application program to control the camera control module.

4. The interface kernel of claim 3, including:

a location tracking module that is configured to communicate with one or more location tracking systems, and

a management module that is configured to control interactions among one or more of the modules of the kernel;

wherein;

the application program interface is configured to accept commands from the application program to interact with the location tracking module, and

the management module is configured to control the camera control module, based on a result of the location tracking module.

5. The interface kernel of claim 1, including

a video analysis interface module is configured to interact with one or more video analysis components that are configured to analyze one or more of the images to identify one or more characteristics associated with the one or more images;

wherein the application program interface is configured to accept commands from the application program to receive the one or more characteristic.

6. The interface kernel of claim 5, including

a management module that is configured to control interactions among one or more of the modules of the kernel.

7. The interface kernel of claim 6, including

a transaction terminal module that is configured to communicate with one or more transaction terminals 1;

wherein the management module is configured to control the video analysis interface module based on a result from the video analysis interface module.

8. The interface kernel of claim 6, including

an access control module that is configured to communicate with one or more access control systems;

wherein the management module is configured to control the access control module based on a result from the video analysis interface module.

9. The interface kernel of claim 6, including

a location tracking module that is configured to communicate with one or more location tracking systems;

wherein the management module is configured to control the location tracking module based on a result from the video analysis interface module.

10. The interface kernel of claim 6, wherein:

the event notification module is configured to receive event notifications from one or more external sensors, and

the management module is configured to control the video analysis interface module based on the event notifications.

11. The interface kernel of claim 6, wherein

the mangement module is configured to:

determine an event occurrence based on the one or more characteristics,

enable the event notification module to provide a notification based on the event occurrence.

12. The interface kernel of claim 6, wherein

the management module is configured to:

determine an event occurrence based on the one or more characteristics,

enable the video recording module to record the images based on the event occurrence.

13. The interface kernel of claim 6, wherein

the management module is configured to:

determine an event occurrence based on the one or more characteristics,

control the video recording module to record the images at a frame rate that is based on the event occurrence.

14. The interface kernel of claim 6, including

a camera control module that is configured to control one or more of the video sources;

wherein the management module is configured to;

determine an event occurrence based on the one or more characteristics,

control the camera control module based on the event occurrence.

15. The interface kernel of claim 5, including

a video analysis module that corresponds to at least one of the video analysis components.

16. The interface kernel of claim 1, including

a transaction terminal module that is configured to communicate with one or more transaction terminals;

wherein the application program interface is configured to accept commands from the application program to interact with the transaction terminal module.

17. The interface kernel of claim 1, including

an access control module that is configured to communicate with one or more access control systems;

wherein the application program interface is configured to accept commands from the application program to interact with the access control module.

18. The interface kernel of claim 1, including

a location tracking module that is configured to communicate with one or more location tracking systems;

wherein the application program interface is configured to accept commands from the application program to interact with the location tracking module.

19. The interface kernel of claim 1, including

a management module that is configured to control interactions among one or more of the modules of the kernel.

20. The interface kernel of claim 1, wherein

wherein the video capture module is configured to store the images in a ring buffer that is accessible by one or more of the other modules.

21. The interface kernel of claim 1, wherein

the event notification module is configured to receive event notifications from one or more external sensors.

22. A system comprising:

an application program that is configured to control a target system,

an interface kernel that includes;

a video capture module that is configured to receive images from one or more video sources,

a video recording module that is configured to record images to one or more storage devices,

a video playback module that is configured to playback images from the one or more storage devices,

an event notification module that is configured to provide one or more notifications to an external notification system based on a detection of an event based on one or more of the images, and

an application program interface that is configured to accept commands from the application program to control each of the video capture, video recording, video playback, and event notification modules, and

the target system.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein

the target system includes an access control system.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein

the target system includes a location tracking system.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein

the target system includes a point of sale system.

26. A program that, when executed on a processing system, enables the processing system to

accept commands from an application program to control each of a video capture module, a video recording module, a video playback module, and an event notification module of the program;

wherein;

the video capture module is configured to receive images from one or more video sources,

the video recording module is configured to record images to one or more storage devices,

the video playback module is configured to playback images from the one or more storage devices, and

the event notification module is configured to provide one or more notifications to an external notification system based on a detection of an event based on one or more of the images.

27. The program of claim 26, wherein

the processing system is enabled to accept commands from the application program to control a camera control module of the program, and

the camera control module is configured to control one or more of the video sources.

28. The program of claim 26, wherein

the processing system is enabled to interact with one or more video analysis components that are configured to analyze one or more of the images to identify one or more characteristics associated with the one or more images, and

the processing system is enabled to accept commands from the application program to receive the one or more characteristics.

29. The program of claim 26, wherein

the processing system is enabled to accept commands from the application program to interact with a transaction terminal module of the program, and

the transaction terminal module is configured to communicate with one or more transaction terminals.

30. The program of claim 26, wherein

the processing system is enabled to accept commands from the application program to interact with an access control module of the program, and

the access control module is configured to communicate with one or more access control systems.

31. The program of claim 26, wherein

the processing system is enabled to accept commands from the application program to interact with a location tracking module of the program, and

the location tracking module is configured to communicate with one or more location tracking systems.

32. The program of claim 26, wherein

the processing system is enabled to control interactions among one or more of the modules of the program.

33. The program of claim 26, wherein

the processing system is enabled to receive event notifications from one or more external sensors.