Wireless smart camera system and method

• US 20070009104A1
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Renkis, Martin
• Application Number:
  US11/520,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20070009104A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19615 wherein said pattern is defined by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19621 Portable camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19663 Surveillance related processing done local to the camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19691 Signalling events for better perception by user, e.g. indicating alarms by making display brighter, adding text, creating a sound
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A smart mesh network surveillance system and method for providing communication between a base system having at least one wireless input capture device ICD(s) and other ICD(s), wherein the ICD(s) are capable of smart cross-communication with each other and remote access to their inputs via a server computer, including the steps of providing this base system; at least one user accessing the ICDs and inputs remotely via a user interface through a remote server computer and/or electronic device communicating with it, wherein the captured data is represented visually on a user interface or screen views for the user, the screen views showing 2-dimensional data and corresponding 3-dimensional data of the same input capture with coordinate overlay to provide a geographic context for the captured data.

Claims

1. A method for providing networked communication in a base system including at least one wireless input capture device ICD(s) and a corresponding digital input recorder (DIR) or another ICD forming a base system wherein the ICD(s) are capable of smart cross-communication with each other and wherein a user is provided access to the ICD inputs via a remote server computer having a display with a user interface, comprising the steps of:

providing the base system;

at least one user accessing the DIR or ICD(s) via the remote server computer;

the ICD(s) being operable to process the inputs based upon predetermined settings stored in a memory of the ICD and to communicate with each other to transmit input data to the RSC;

wherein data by the ICDs is represented visually on a user interface for the user, the user interface including views showing 2-dimensional data and corresponding 3-dimensional data of the same input capture, wherein the 3-dimensional data comprises a coordinate overlay for providing a geospatial context for the 2-dimensional data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the 2-dimensional data is an image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the image is a still frame of a video image.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the image is a digital photographic image.

5. A method for providing networked communication between at least two wireless input capture devices (ICDs) capable of wireless cross-communication, data processing, and communication with a remote server computer (RSC), the ICDs forming a base system, comprising the steps of:

providing the base system;

at least one user accessing the at least one ICD through the RSC via a user interface;

the ICD(s) establishing smart cross-communication with each other independent of the RSC to provide a secure wireless surveillance system for a target environment;

providing a visual representation of the captured data on the user interface in an image format;

and contextualizing the image format with a coordinate system to provide a geospatial context for the captured data.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the base system further includes a wireless digital input recorder (DIR) operable for wireless communication with the ICDs.

7. The method according to claim 5, further including the step of locking the communication between the ICD(s) for securing transmission between selected and/or all ICDs.

8. The method according to claim 5, further including the step of the ICDs transmitting inputs from one ICD to other ICDs configured and operable to communicate with each other to provide a maximum extended range of a surveillance area.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the user is capable of accessing the ICDs via a user interface either directly or remotely through the RSC.

10. A surveillance system for wireless communication between components comprising:

a base system including at least two wireless input capture devices (ICDs) and a remote server computer (RSC) having a display with a user interface,

the RSC being operable to transmit and receive information with the ICDs,

the ICDs having at least one sensor and at least one input component for detecting and recording inputs, a microprocessor, a memory, a transmitter/receiver, all ICD components being constructed and configured in electronic connection;

wherein the ICDs are operable for wireless cross-communication with each other independent of the RSC for forming a mesh network of ICDs operable to provide secure surveillance of a target environment;

the user interface providing a visual representation of captured data in an image format and a contextualized image format comprising the visual representation of captured data and coordinated spatial representation of the image format.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the coordinated spatial representation of the image format comprises a coordinate system to provide a geospatial context for the captured data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the coordinate system is an overlay for the visual representation of the captured data.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the coordinate system provides a 3-dimensional geospatial view of the captured data.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the visual representation of the captured data is presented as a 2-dimensional view.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the cross-communication of ICDs includes data exchange, wherein the data exchange includes information about the surveillance environment, settings, inputs, and combinations thereof.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the ICDs are operable to transmit inputs from one ICD to other ICDs, which are configured and operable to communicate with each other to provide a maximum extended range of a surveillance area.

20. The system according to claim 10, wherein the ICDs are operable to compare inputs to reference data for labeling a sensed object for further identification by the system.

15. The system of claim 15, wherein the 2-dimensional view is an image.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the image is a still frame of a video image.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the image is a digital photographic image.