IMAGE SURVEILLANCE AND REPORTING TECHNOLOGY

• US 20110102588A1
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slavin, Alison Jane, McCarthy, Robert J. JR., Hutz, David James, Trundle, Stephen Scott, Martin, Jean-Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,675,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19634 Electrical details of the system, e.g. component blocks for carrying out specific functions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19639 Details of the system layout
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/046 prevention of tampering with detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

Image surveillance and reporting technology, in which an event that is indicative of potential physical activity within an area corresponding to a location of a camera unit is detected. In response to detection of the event, the camera unit is controlled to capture one or more images of the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit. The one or more images captured by the camera unit are analyzed to determine whether the one or more images include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit. The one or more images are handled based on the determination of whether the one or more images include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

a camera unit configured to capture images of an area corresponding to a location of the camera unit;

a remote monitoring server that is located remote from the camera unit and that is configured to process image data captured by camera units associated with multiple, different customers of a monitoring company;

a gateway that is configured to communicate with the camera unit using a short range wireless protocol and that is configured to communicate, over a network, with the remote monitoring server; and

at least one processor configured to perform operations comprising;

detecting an event that is indicative of potential physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit;

in response to detection of the event that is indicative of potential physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit, controlling the camera unit to capture one or more images of the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit;

analyzing the one or more images captured by the camera unit to determine whether the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit; and

handling the one or more images captured by the camera unit based on the determination of whether the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor includes a processor embedded in the camera unit and the processor embedded in the camera unit is configured to perform the detecting, the controlling, the analyzing, and the handling.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1:

wherein the camera unit includes a motion sensor that is configured to detect motion in the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit; and

wherein detecting the event that is indicative of potential physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit comprises detecting motion in the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit based on output from the motion sensor included in the camera unit.

4. The monitoring system of claim 3:

wherein the motion sensor that is configured to detect motion in the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit comprises a passive InfraRed sensor that is configured to measure InfraRed light radiating from objects in the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit; and

wherein detecting motion in the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit based on output from the motion sensor included in the camera unit comprises detecting motion in the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit based on output from the passive InfraRed sensor.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the gateway is included in a security system control panel, the at least one processor includes a processor included in the security system control panel, and the processor included in the security system control panel is configured to perform the detecting, the controlling, the analyzing, and the handling.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1:

wherein the camera unit is located within a property monitored by a security system that includes a security system control panel and security system sensors that are configured to sense events related to security of the monitored property;

wherein the remote monitoring server is located remote from the monitored property;

wherein the gateway is included in the security system control panel that communicates with the security system sensors that are configured to sense events related to security of the monitored property; and

wherein detecting the event that is indicative of potential physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit comprises detecting activity in the monitored property based on one or more events sensed by the security system sensors.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein analyzing the one or more images captured by the camera unit to determine whether the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit comprises:

extracting a subset of image data from each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit;

comparing the extracted subset of image data from each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit to image data from a reference image captured by the camera unit;

detecting portions of each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit that have a threshold difference from a corresponding portion of the reference image; and

determining whether each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit includes image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit based on the detected portions of each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit that have a threshold difference from a corresponding portion of the reference image.

8. The monitoring system of claim 7:

wherein extracting the subset of image data from each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit comprises extracting luminance data from each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit; and

wherein comparing the extracted subset of image data from each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit to image data from a reference image captured by the camera unit comprises comparing the extracted luminance data from each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit to luminance data from a reference image captured by the camera unit.

9. The monitoring system of claim 7:

wherein detecting portions of each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit that have a threshold difference from a corresponding portion of the reference image comprises detecting pixels within each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit that have a threshold difference from a corresponding pixel within the reference image; and

wherein determining whether each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit based on the detected portions of each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit that have a threshold difference from a corresponding portion of the reference image comprises;

determining a number of pixels within each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit detected as having a threshold difference from a corresponding pixel within the reference image, and

determining whether each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit based on the determined number of pixels within each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit detected as having a threshold difference from a corresponding pixel within the reference image.

10. The monitoring system of claim 7:

wherein detecting portions of each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit that have a threshold difference from a corresponding portion of the reference image comprises detecting pixels within each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit that have a threshold difference from a corresponding pixel within the reference image; and

wherein determining whether each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit based on the detected portions of each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit that have a threshold difference from a corresponding portion of the reference image comprises;

analyzing a shape of the pixels within each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit detected as having a threshold difference from a corresponding pixel within the reference image; and

determining whether each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit based on the analysis of the shape of the pixels within each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit detected as having a threshold difference from a corresponding pixel within the reference image.

11. The monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the camera unit includes an illumination sensor that is configured to sense a level of light in the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit and wherein the operations further comprise determining whether to control the camera unit to capture a new reference image based on the level of light in the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit sensed by the illumination sensor.

12. The monitoring system of claim 7, wherein comparing the extracted subset of image data from each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit to image data from the reference image captured by the camera unit comprises:

determining a time of day corresponding to capture of the one or more images captured by the camera unit;

selecting, from among multiple, different reference images that each correspond to a particular time of day, a particular reference image that corresponds to the determined time of day; and

comparing the extracted subset of image data from each of the one or more images captured by the camera unit to image data from the particular reference image that corresponds to the determined time of day.

13. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein handling the one or more images captured by the camera unit based on the determination of whether the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit comprises discarding the one or more images captured by the camera unit based on a determination that the one or more images captured by the camera unit do not include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit.

14. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein handling the one or more images captured by the camera unit based on the determination of whether the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit comprises transmitting, from the camera unit to the gateway, the one or more images captured by the camera unit based on a determination that the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit.

15. The monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on a determination that the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit, accessing one or more rules that control whether the one or more images captured by the camera unit are transmitted from the gateway to the remote monitoring server; and

determining whether to transmit the one or more images captured by the camera unit from the gateway to the remote monitoring server based on application of the accessed one or more rules; and

based on a determination to transmit the one or more images captured by the camera unit from the gateway to the remote monitoring server, transmitting, from the gateway to the remote monitoring server, the one or more images captured by the camera unit.

16. The monitoring system of claim 15:

wherein accessing one or more rules that control whether the one or more images captured by the camera unit are transmitted from the gateway to the remote monitoring server comprises accessing one or more security system rules that control whether the one or more images captured by the camera unit are transmitted from the gateway to the remote monitoring server based on one or more events detected by a security system that monitors a property associated with the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit; and

wherein determining whether to transmit the one or more images captured by the camera unit from the gateway to the remote monitoring server based on application of the accessed one or more rules comprises;

monitoring for events detected by the security system that monitors the property associated with the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit;

based on the monitoring, comparing events detected by the security system to the one or more security system rules; and

determining whether to transmit the one or more images captured by the camera unit from the gateway to the remote monitoring server based on the comparison of the events detected by the security system to the one or more security system rules.

17. The monitoring system of claim 15:

wherein accessing one or more rules that control whether the one or more images captured by the camera unit are transmitted from the gateway to the remote monitoring server comprises accessing one or more user-defined rules that control whether the one or more images captured by the camera unit are transmitted from the gateway to the remote monitoring server based on a number of images that have been transmitted from the gateway to the remote monitoring server within a particular period of time; and

wherein determining whether to transmit the one or more images captured by the camera unit from the gateway to the remote monitoring server based on application of the accessed one or more rules comprises;

determining the number of images that have been transmitted from the gateway to the remote monitoring server within the particular period of time;

comparing the determined number of images that have been transmitted from the gateway to the remote monitoring server within the particular period of time to the one or more user-defined rules; and

determining whether to transmit the one or more images captured by the camera unit from the gateway to the remote monitoring server based on the comparison of the determined number of images that have been transmitted from the gateway to the remote monitoring server within the particular period of time to the one or more user-defined rules.

18. The monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on a determination not to transmit the one or more images captured by the camera unit from the gateway to the remote monitoring server, determining whether to discard the one or more images captured by the camera unit based on application of the accessed one or more rules;

in response to a determination to discard the one or more images captured by the camera unit based on application of the accessed one or more rules, discarding, at the gateway, the one or more images captured by the camera unit without transmitting the one or more images captured by the camera unit to the remote monitoring server; and

in response to a determination not to discard the one or more images captured by the camera unit based on application of the accessed one or more rules, maintaining, in memory associated with the gateway, the one or more images captured by the camera unit and continuing to monitor for events that impact application of the accessed one or more rules.

19. A method comprising:

detecting an event that is indicative of potential physical activity within an area corresponding to a location of a camera unit configured to capture images of the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit;

in response to detection of the event that is indicative of potential physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit, controlling the camera unit to capture one or more images of the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit;

analyzing the one or more images captured by the camera unit to determine whether the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit; and

handling the one or more images captured by the camera unit based on the determination of whether the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit.

20. At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting an event that is indicative of potential physical activity within an area corresponding to a location of a camera unit configured to capture images of the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit;

in response to detection of the event that is indicative of potential physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit, controlling the camera unit to capture one or more images of the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit;

analyzing the one or more images captured by the camera unit to determine whether the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit; and

handling the one or more images captured by the camera unit based on the determination of whether the one or more images captured by the camera unit include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit.