Digital video recorder providing separate pipelining for odd and even fields from a single camera

• US 6,041,361 A
• Filed: 04/29/1998
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Winter, Gerhard Josef, MacCormack, David Ross, Wilson, Charles Park
• Primary Examiner(s): Peeso, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US09/067,991
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 709/261, 709/266, 709/268, 709/277
• US Class Current: 709/253
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19604 involving reference image or background adaptation with time to compensate for changing conditions, e.g. reference image update on detection of light level change
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19634 Electrical details of the system, e.g. component blocks for carrying out specific functions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19667 Details realated to data compression, encryption or encoding, e.g. resolution modes for reducing data volume to lower transmission bandwidth or memory requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9205 the additional signal being at least another television signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A video data recording unit receives input video signal streams from up to 16 cameras. The signal streams are selectively converted into digital video signals and are stored on a data storage device such as a hard disk. The apparatus is controlled so that both odd and even signal fields generated by at least one camera are recorded, whereas only odd fields or only even fields generated by the other cameras are recorded. Odd and even signal field streams may be derived from a single stream of demodulated video signals, or from respective demodulation streams.

Claims

1. Apparatus for storing video signals, comprising:

a first video camera;

a second video camera;

conversion means, connected to said video cameras, for selectively converting video signals generated by said video cameras into digital video signals;

storage means, connected to said conversion means, for storing said digital video signals; and

control means, connected to said conversion means and said storage means, for controlling said conversion means and said storage means;

wherein;

said video cameras each generate video signals according to an interlaced video signal standard in which said cameras each alternately generate odd signal fields and even signal fields, said odd signal fields corresponding to odd-numbered horizontal scan lines of an image plane and said even signal fields corresponding to even-numbered horizontal scan lines of said image plane; and

said control means controls said conversion means and said storage means so that said storage means stores digital video signals representing both odd and even signal fields generated by said first video camera, and also stores only one of;

(a) digital video signals representing exclusively odd signal fields generated by said second video camera; and

(b) digital video signals representing exclusively even signal fields generated by said second video camera.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third video camera connected to said conversion means and a fourth video camera connected to said conversion means, said third and fourth video cameras each generating video signals according to said interlaced video signal standard;

and wherein said control means controls said conversion means and said storage means so that;

said storage means stores only one of;

(a) digital video signals representing exclusively odd signal fields generated by said third video camera; and

(b) digital video signals representing exclusively even signal fields generated by said third video camera; and

said storage means stores only one of;

(a) digital video signals representing exclusively odd signal fields generated by said fourth video camera; and

(b) digital video signals representing exclusively even signal fields generated by said fourth video camera.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage means includes a hard disk.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes a microprocessor mounted on a motherboard and connected to transmit control signals to said conversion means and to said storage means.

5. A method of operating a digital video signal storage device, said device being connected to a plurality of video cameras, each of said cameras generating video signals according to an interlaced video signal standard in which said cameras each alternately generate odd signal fields and even signal fields, said odd signal fields corresponding to odd-numbered horizontal scan lines of an image plane and said even signal fields corresponding to even-numbered horizontal scan lines of said image plane, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in said storage device digital signals corresponding to both odd signal fields and even signal fields generated by a first one of said plurality of video cameras; and

storing in said storage device only one of;

(a) digital signals corresponding to odd signal fields generated by a second one of said plurality of video cameras; and

(b) digital signals corresponding to even signal fields generated by said second one of said plurality of video cameras.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said storage device is a hard disk.

7. A method of operating a digital video signal storage device, said device being connected to a plurality of video cameras, said cameras each generating video signals corresponding to an image plane, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in said storage device first digital signals representing video signals generated by a first one of said video cameras, said first digital signals providing a vertical resolution for said image plane corresponding to a first number of horizontal scan lines;

storing in said storage device second digital signals representing video signals generated by a second one of said video cameras, said second digital signals providing a vertical resolution for said image plane corresponding to a second number of horizontal scan lines that is substantially one-half of said first number of scan lines; and

refraining from storing in said storage device any digital signal corresponding to video signals generated by said second one of said video cameras, other than said second digital signals.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein all of said video cameras generate respective video signals in accordance with the NTSC video signal standard.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein said first number of horizontal scan lines is substantially 480 lines, and said second number of horizontal scan lines is substantially 240 lines.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein all of said video cameras generate respective video signals in accordance with the PAL video signal standard.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein all of said video cameras generate respective video signals in accordance with the SECAM video signal standard.

12. A method according to claim 7, wherein said storing steps include storing both said first digital signals and said second digital signals on the same hard disk.

13. Apparatus for storing video signals, comprising:

a plurality of video cameras, including at least four video cameras;

first, second and third video decoding circuits each for receiving a field of video signals generated by a respective one of said video cameras connected to the video decoding circuit and for extracting luminance, chrominance and reference signal components from the received video signal;

means for selectively connecting each of said video decoding circuits to every one of said plurality of video cameras;

first and second signal conversion circuits, each for converting into digital form the luminance and chrominance signal components extracted by a respective one of said video decoding circuits currently connected to the signal conversion circuit;

means for selectively connecting each of said signal conversion circuits to every one of said first, second and third video decoding circuits;

first storage means connected to said first signal conversion circuit for sequentially storing fields of said luminance and chrominance signal components converted into digital form by said first conversion circuit; and

second storage means connected to said second signal conversion circuit for sequentially storing fields of said luminance and chrominance signal components converted into digital form by said second conversion circuit;

said apparatus being selectively operable in either one of a first mode and a second mode, wherein;

in said first mode, one of said video decoding circuits receives two consecutive fields generated by one of said video cameras, said two consecutive fields consisting of a field corresponding to odd-numbered horizontal scan lines in an image plane and a field corresponding to even-numbered scan lines in the image plane; and

in said second mode, said one of said video decoding circuits receives a sequence of fields generated by said video cameras such that no two consecutive fields of said sequence are generated by a single one of said video cameras.

14. A digital video recorder connected to a plurality of video cameras and including a storage device, wherein first and second streams of digital video signals are stored in said storage devices, said first and second streams being stored and indexed separately from each other, said first and second streams both corresponding to video signals generated by a single one of said video cameras, said first stream corresponding to video signal fields which represent odd-numbered horizontal scan lines in an image plane and said second stream corresponding to video signal fields which represent even-numbered horizontal scan lines in said image plane.

15. A digital video recorder according to claim 14, wherein said storage device is a hard disk.

16. A digital video recorder according to claim 14, further comprising display means for selectively displaying a sequence of images corresponding to at least one of said stored first and second streams of digital video signals;

said recorder being selectively operable in a first mode in which said sequence of images is formed by interpolating only one of said stored first and second streams, and a second mode in which said sequence of images is formed by interlacing respective images from said stored first and second streams.

17. A digital video recorder according to claim 16, wherein said recorder operates in said second mode for displaying in a paused playback mode a stored image generated by said one of said video cameras.

18. A digital video recorder according to claim 17, wherein said recorder operates in said first mode for displaying one of said stored streams of images in a forward- or reverse-direction playback mode.