AUTO-LEARNING SMART TOURS FOR VIDEO SURVEILLANCE

• US 20140267706A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pelco Incorporated (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pelco Incorporated (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Springer, Derek G.
• Granted Patent: US 10,931,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1963 Arrangements allowing camera rotation to change view, e.g. pivoting camera, pan-tilt and zoom [PTZ]
• 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 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

Traditional approaches to automated monitoring using a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) video security system involve the use of programmed patterns/preset tours. Systems and methods described herein provide for configuring a camera tour based on operation of a surveillance system during a period of active operation by a user. The configuration accounts for frequency of given views and other measures to provide an automated tour. The automated tour is displayed when the system is not under active control, and can be updated during further periods of active control.

Claims

1. A method of operating a video surveillance system, comprising:

detecting a period of active control of a video surveillance system by an operator;

monitoring a plurality of operations performed by the operator during the period of active control;

configuring a tour based on at least a subset of the plurality of operations; and

conducting the tour outside the period of active control.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the period of active control includes detecting a minimum threshold of activity by the operator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the tour includes configuring at least one of a sequence of camera views, coordinates of a camera view, and a display time for each camera view.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the coordinates of a camera view indicate at least one of a pan, tilt, and zoom of a camera.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the coordinates of a camera view correspond to a camera view monitored during the period of active control.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the display time for each camera view corresponds to a relative priority of each camera view based on the plurality of operations.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising controlling a camera to obtain a camera view of the sequence of camera views.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein controlling the camera includes controlling at least one of a pan, tilt, and zoom of the camera.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the plurality of operations includes selecting only the subset of the plurality of operations and configuring the tour based on the subset.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting at least the subset is based on a display time of a camera view.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting at least the subset is based on a zoom level of a camera view.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising excluding operations from at least the subset based on thresholds of at least one of a minimum display time, minimum camera zoom, and maximum camera zoom.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of operations include at least one of coordinates of a camera view and display time of a camera view.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the coordinates of a camera view indicate at least one of a pan, tilt, and zoom of a camera controlled by the operator.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the tour is repeated continuously outside the period of active control.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising terminating the tour in response to detecting activity by the operator.

17. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when read by a computer controlling a video surveillance system, cause the computer to:

detect a period of active control of a video surveillance system by an operator;

monitor a plurality of operations performed by the operator during the period of active control;

configure a tour based on at least a subset of the plurality of operations; and

initiate the tour outside the period of active control.

18. A surveillance system comprising:

a plurality of video cameras; and

a workstation configured to control the plurality of video cameras and receive respective views from the plurality of video cameras, the workstation comprising;

a user input device configured to enable user control of the plurality of video cameras,

a display configured to display the respective views from the plurality of video cameras, and

a processor configured to configure a tour based on operation of the user input device and cause at least one camera among the plurality of video cameras to conduct the tour outside a period of active user control.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to detect the period of active user control based on operation of the user input device.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to monitor the operation of the user input device.