SELF-HEALING VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

• US 20140270682A1
• Filed: 11/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Click-It Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Click-It Incorporated
• Inventors: Carey, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,571,800 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A self-healing video surveillance system is described. The self-healing video surveillance system includes one or more surveillance cameras that are configured to store configuration data of a network video recorder in operable communication with the surveillance cameras. The network video recorder includes configuration data, and a module configured to store the configuration data on the surveillance cameras and/or retrieve configuration data stored on the surveillance cameras. A new network video recorder introduced into the network retrieves the stored configuration data to self-configure with minimal or no human interaction. In embodiments, configuration data is distributed among a plurality of surveillance cameras, and may be stored in encrypted format.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a computing device in a network of at least one remote device, comprising:

storing, in a remote device, a configuration data archive relating to an existing computing device;

determining, by a computing device to be configured, whether the remote device has stored therein a configuration data archive; and

in response to a determination that the remote device has stored therein a configuration data archive, transferring data from the configuration data archive to the computing device to be configured.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the storing step is performed in accordance with a schedule.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the storing step is performed in response to an event.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the event is selected from the group consisting of an intrusion alert, a hack-in detection, a virus detection, a malware detection, a premises burglary alarm, a malfunction detection, a software crash, a hardware error, and a power failure.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the configuration data is stored on the remote device in an encrypted format.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the computing device to be configured includes a network video recorder.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of placing the computing device to be configured into operable communication with the network of at least one remote device.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of configuring the computing device to be configured with data from the configuration data archive.

9. A method of configuring a computing device in a network of remote devices, comprising:

transferring the configuration data of an existing computing device to a plurality of remote devices, wherein the configuration data is apportioned among at least two of the plurality of remote devices such that each of the at least two of the plurality of remote devices stores a portion of the configuration data that is less than all of the configuration data;

identifying, by a computing device to be configured, which of the at least two of the plurality of remote devices has stored therein configuration data; and

transferring the stored configuration data portions from each of the identified remote devices to the computing device to be configured.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising the step of reassembling the configuration data from the configuration data portions.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10, wherein reassembling the configuration data from the configuration data portions includes confirming that the configuration data is complete.

12. The method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising the step of configuring the computing device to be configured using the configuration data.

13. The method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the configuration data is stored on the remote device in an encrypted format.

14. The method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the transferring step is performed in accordance with a schedule.

15. The method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the computing device to be configured includes a network video recorder.

16. The method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising the step of placing the computing device to be configured into operable communication with the network of remote devices.

17. A self-healing video surveillance system, comprising:

at least one surveillance camera configured to store configuration data of a network video recorder, the network video recorder in operable communication with the at least one surveillance camera, the network video recorder including;

configuration data; and

a module configured to perform at least one of storing the configuration data on the at least one surveillance camera and retrieving configuration data stored in the at least one surveillance camera.

18. The self-healing video surveillance system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the at least one surveillance camera includes an IP-based video camera.

19. The self-healing video surveillance system in accordance with claim 17, further comprising a plurality of surveillance cameras configured to store configuration data of the network video recorder, wherein the module is configured to store the configuration data among at least two of the plurality surveillance cameras such that each of the at least two surveillance cameras stores a portion of the configuration data that is less than all of the configuration data.

20. The self-healing video surveillance system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the configuration data stored in the at least one surveillance camera is encrypted.

21. The self-healing video surveillance system in accordance with claim 17, further comprising a plurality of surveillance cameras configured to store configuration data of the network video recorder, wherein the module is configured to store redundant configuration data among a subset of the plurality surveillance cameras such that the subset of the plurality surveillance cameras stores the entirety of configuration data of the network video recorder.