Video controlled virtual talk groups

• US 20080108339A1
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STA Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zanone, Dean, Shaffer, Shmuel, Talukder, Shah, Nagesh, Kittur V.
• Granted Patent: US 9,041,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2093 Push to talk
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

In one particular embodiment, surveillance information is determined from a surveillance system. The surveillance information provides information on an event being monitored by the surveillance system. It is determined if a virtual talk group should be created for the event. If so, the virtual talk group is created such that a plurality of users in the virtual talk group can communicate with each other in the virtual talk group.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining surveillance information from a surveillance system, the surveillance information providing information on an event being monitored by the surveillance system;

automatically determining that a virtual talk group should be created for the event; and

automatically creating the virtual talk group such that a plurality of users in the virtual talk group can communicate with each other in the virtual talk group.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional surveillance information from a surveillance system, the surveillance information providing additional information on the event being monitored by the surveillance system;

determining a user to add to a virtual talk group for the event based on the surveillance information; and

adding the user to the virtual talk group, wherein the user is able to communicate with other users of the virtual talk group.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising facilitating sending an announcement to the added user, the announcement based on the surveillance information.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

creating a second virtual talk group for sending the announcement to the added user; and

disconnecting the added user from the second virtual talk group after the announcement.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein determining a user to add to a virtual talk group comprises:

determining user information for a plurality of users associated with a plurality of end devices; and

determining the user to add based on a pre-programmed policy using the user information and the surveillance information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user information comprises location information determined for each of the plurality of end devices,

wherein the surveillance information includes location information for the object.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the user information comprises a profile of one or more users.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional surveillance information from a surveillance system, the surveillance information providing additional information on the event being monitored by the surveillance system;

determining the virtual talk group that had been already created for the event; and

determining any existing members to remove from the virtual talk group based on the surveillance information.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a surveillance information determiner configured to determine surveillance information from a surveillance system, the surveillance information providing information on an event being monitored by the surveillance system;

a virtual talk group set-up determiner configured to automatically determine that a virtual talk group should be created for the event and automatically create the virtual talk group such that a plurality of users in the virtual talk group can communicate with each other in the virtual talk group.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the virtual talk group set-up determiner is configured to:

receive additional surveillance information from a surveillance system, the surveillance information providing additional information on the event being monitored by the surveillance system;

determine a user to add to a virtual talk group for the event based on the surveillance information; and

add the user to the virtual talk group, wherein the user is able to communicate with other users of the virtual talk group.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the virtual talk group set-up determiner is configured to facilitate sending an announcement to the added user, the announcement based on the surveillance information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the virtual talk group set-up determiner is configured to:

create a second virtual talk group for sending the announcement to the added user; and

disconnect the added user from the second virtual talk group after the announcement.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the virtual talk group set-up determiner is configured to:

determine user information for a plurality of users associated with a plurality of end devices; and

determine the user to add based on a pre-programmed policy using the user information and the surveillance information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the user information comprises location information determined for each of the plurality of end devices,

wherein the surveillance information includes location information for the object.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the user information comprises a profile of one or more users.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the virtual talk group set-up determiner is configured to:

receive additional surveillance information from a surveillance system, the surveillance information providing additional information on the event being monitored by the surveillance system;

determine the virtual talk group that had been already created for the event; and

determine any existing members to remove from the virtual talk group based on the surveillance information.

17. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining surveillance information from a surveillance system, the surveillance information providing information on an event being monitored by the surveillance system;

means for automatically determining that a virtual talk group should be created for the event; and

means for automatically creating the virtual talk group such that a plurality of users in the virtual talk group can communicate with each other in the virtual talk group.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for receiving additional surveillance information from a surveillance system, the surveillance information providing additional information on the event being monitored by the surveillance system;

means for determining a user to add to a virtual talk group for the event based on the surveillance information; and

means for adding the user to the virtual talk group, wherein the user is able to communicate with other users of the virtual talk group.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for facilitating sending an announcement to the added user, the announcement based on the surveillance information.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

means for creating a second virtual talk group for sending the announcement to the added user; and

means for disconnecting the added user from the second virtual talk group after the announcement.