Peer to peer surveillance architecture

• US 20090289788A1
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leverage Information Systems
• Original Assignee: Leverage Information Systems
• Inventors: Leblond, Raymond G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,035,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A peer to peer surveillance architecture comprising a plurality of independent nodes for capturing, analyzing, storing, and viewing surveillance information is disclosed. The surveillance architecture has no central controller or single point of failure because of the peer to peer or independent relationship between its nodes. Generally, surveillance information of various types is captured by one or more capture nodes and transmitted to or one or more viewing, content storage, or server nodes for display, analysis, storage, or a combination thereof. Server nodes may provide authentication services to validate user or device credentials prior to granting access to surveillance information. In one or more embodiments, specialized video compression hardware is provided to allow high quality video surveillance information to be transmitted across low bandwidth connections. Compression may also be performed on other types of surveillance information.

Claims

1. A peer to peer surveillance architecture comprising:

a plurality of peer to peer nodes, the plurality of peer to peer nodes comprising;

one or more capture nodes having one or more capture devices configured to capture surveillance information;

one or more server nodes, the one or more server nodes configured to authenticate access to surveillance information; and

one or more viewing nodes having at least one screen configured to view surveillance information;

wherein surveillance information is communicated between one or more of the plurality of peer to peer nodes through one or more communication links.

2. The surveillance architecture of claim 1 wherein the plurality of peer to peer nodes further at least one content storage node.

3. The surveillance architecture of claim 1 wherein one or more of the one or more capture nodes or the one or more server nodes is configured to analyze surveillance information to detect one or more events and transmit one or more notifications if the one or more events is detected.

4. The surveillance architecture of claim 1 wherein the surveillance information is communicated by unicast, multicast, or broadcast between one or more of the plurality of peer to peer nodes through a virtual matrix switch.

5. The surveillance architecture of claim 1 wherein the plurality of peer to peer nodes are configured to communicate surveillance information via IP through the one or more communication links.

6. The surveillance architecture of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more capture nodes has a camera as one or more of its one or more capture devices.

7. The surveillance architecture of claim 1 wherein surveillance information is compressed by one or more of the one or more capture nodes.

8. The surveillance architecture of claim 1 wherein one or more of the plurality of peer to peer nodes further comprise a cellular transceiver.

9. A peer to peer surveillance node comprising:

one or more components, the one or more components comprising;

one or more processors;

a memory; and

one or more transceivers, each of the one or more transceivers configured to communicate surveillance information through one or more communication links to at least one other peer to peer surveillance node;

an enclosure, the enclosure having a continuous rigid structure supporting each of the one or more components of the peer to peer surveillance node;

wherein the surveillance information is communicated with other peer to peer surveillance nodes without use of a central control device.

10. The surveillance node of claim 9 wherein the one or more transceivers communicate surveillance information via IP through one or more communication links.

11. The surveillance node of claim 9 wherein at least one of the one or more transceivers is a cellular transceiver or a satellite transceiver.

12. The surveillance node of claim 9 wherein the surveillance information is compressed, decompressed, or both by the one or more processors.

13. The surveillance node of claim 9 wherein the one or more components further comprises one or more storage devices, the one or more storage devices configured to store surveillance information.

14. The surveillance node of claim 9 wherein the one or more components further comprises one or more capture devices, each of the one or more capture devices configured to capture one or more types of surveillance information.

15. The surveillance node of claim 14 wherein at least one of the one or more capture devices is a camera.

16. The surveillance node of claim 9 further comprising one or more screens wherein the one or more screens displays surveillance information.

17. The surveillance node of claim 16 wherein the one or more screens is not supported by the enclosure.

18. The surveillance node of claim 9 further comprising one or more control interfaces wherein signals from the operation of the one or more control interfaces controls the display of surveillance information on the one or more screens.

19. The surveillance node of claim 18 wherein the one or more control interfaces is not supported by the enclosure.

20. The surveillance node of claim 9 wherein the one or more components further comprises one or more power sources.

21. The surveillance node of claim 20 wherein the one or more power sources are rechargeable, refuelable, or both.

22. A method of collecting surveillance information comprising:

arranging a plurality of peer to peer nodes to collect one or more types of surveillance information from at least one target area, the plurality of peer to peer nodes comprising one or more processors, a memory, and one or more transceivers, with at least one of the plurality of peer to peer nodes further comprising one or more capture devices, and with at least another of the plurality of peer to peer nodes configured to authenticate access to the surveillance information;

collecting the one or more types of surveillance information through the one or more capture devices;

communicating the one or more types of surveillance information between at least two of the plurality of peer to peer surveillance nodes; and

viewing, storing, and analyzing the one or more types of surveillance information on one or more of the plurality of peer to peer nodes.

23. The method of collecting surveillance information of claim 22 wherein arranging the plurality of peer to peer surveillance nodes further comprises configuring one or more of the one or more transceivers to communicate through at least two independent communication links.

24. The method of collecting surveillance information of claim 22 wherein arranging the plurality of peer to peer surveillance nodes further comprises deploying at least two of the plurality of peer to peer nodes to collect surveillance information from the same at least one target area.

25. The method of collecting surveillance information of claim 22 wherein at least one of the one or more transceivers is a cellular transceiver, a satellite transceiver, or both.

26. The method of collecting surveillance information of claim 22 wherein communicating the one or more types of surveillance information occurs via IP.

27. The method of collecting surveillance information of claim 22 wherein at least one of the one or more capture devices is a camera.

28. The method of collecting surveillance information of claim 22 further comprising compressing the one or more types of surveillance information to form one or more types of compressed surveillance information.

29. The method of collecting surveillance information of claim 28 wherein the one or more types of compressed surveillance information is communicated between one or more of the plurality of peer to peer nodes.

30. The method of collecting surveillance information of claim 28 wherein the one or more types of compressed surveillance information is decompressed prior to the step of viewing, storing, and analyzing the one or more types of surveillance information.

31. The method of collecting surveillance information of claim 22 wherein analyzing the one or more types of surveillance information further comprises detecting one or more events and communicating one or more notifications if the one or more events is detected.

32. The method of collecting surveillance information of claim 22 wherein one or more of the plurality of peer to peer nodes further comprises one or more power sources.