System and method for configuring surveillance cameras using mobile computing devices

• US 20170278365A1
• Filed: 03/22/2016
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco International Management Company, LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Madar, Piero, Burke, Anthony, Humphreys, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,475,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1092 sensing by means of TV-scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A method and system for configuring surveillance cameras can be used to leverage emerging trends in surveillance camera systems, while also enabling the configuration of cameras to operate in such systems. The method comprises displaying configuration images on mobile computing devices and enabling the cameras to view and capture those images within image data. The configuration images are then derived from image data from the surveillance cameras using integrated or separate analytics systems. Then, configuration information from the mobile device can be paired with corresponding surveillance cameras by reference to the configuration images. In one example, cloud image data storage is allocated as part of this setup and configuration process.

Claims

1. A method for configuring surveillance cameras, comprising:

displaying configuration images on user devices;

deriving the configuration images from image data from the surveillance cameras; and

pairing configuration information from the user devices with corresponding surveillance cameras by reference to the configuration images.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying the configuration images comprises displaying QR codes.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the image data from the surveillance cameras is sent to a registration server that derives the configuration images from the image data and pairs the configuration information from the user devices with the surveillance cameras.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the user device configuration information includes location information for the surveillance cameras.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the user device configuration information includes user account information for owners of the surveillance cameras.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the configuration images are derived from image data from the surveillance cameras using a remote analytics system or an analytics system integrated within the surveillance cameras.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the camera configuration information includes camera type information.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising unregistered surveillance cameras periodically sending image data to a registration server, which is used to pair the configuration information from the user device with the corresponding sur surveillance cameras.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing image data from the surveillance cameras to a cloud storage system after registration of the surveillance cameras.

20. The system according to claim 1.0, wherein the configuration images are test patterns.

10. A surveillance camera system, comprising:

user devices on which configuration images are displayed;

surveillance cameras for generating image data of the user devices on which the configuration images are displayed; and

a registration server that pairs configuration information from the user devices with corresponding surveillance cameras by reference to the configuration images.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the configuration images are QR codes.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the registration server receives the image data from the surveillance cameras and pairs the configuration information from the user devices with the surveillance cameras using the configuration images.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the user device configuration information includes location information for the surveillance cameras.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the user device configuration information includes user account information for owners of the surveillance cameras.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the camera configuration information includes camera type information.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the surveillance cameras periodically send image data to the registration server, which is used to pair the configuration information from the mobile device with the corresponding surveillance cameras.

17. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a cloud storage system for storing image data from the surveillance cameras after registration of the surveillance cameras.

18. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a remote analytics system that derives the configuration images from the image data from the surveillance cameras.

19. The system according to claim 10, further comprising an analytics system integrated within the surveillance cameras that derives the configuration images from the image data.