Site control unit for video security system

• US 6,097,429 A
• Filed: 08/01/1997
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comtrak Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: ADT Security Services SA (Apollo Global Management, Inc.), ESCO Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Seeley, John E., Dunn, Randal L., Hobson, Gregory L., Vogt, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BRITTON, HOWARD W
• Application Number:
  US08/904,510
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 348/152, 348/153, 348/154, 348/155, 348/159
• US Class Current: 348/154
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19606 Discriminating between target movement or movement in an area of interest and other non-signicative movements, e.g. target movements induced by camera shake or movements of pets, falling leaves, rotating fan
• 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 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A site control unit (12) located at a premises (F) processing video images obtained from a plurality of cameras (22) located about the premises and relaying the presence of a real intrusion to a central station (CS). The site control unit has an image acquisition module (24) receiving video images from the cameras. An image processor (30) processes the images to eliminate possible causes of false alarms of an intrusion and reliably detecting actual intrusions. The processor includes video masking (32) to filter known motion present within a scene, detection (34) detecting movement in unmasked portions of the scene, and recognition (36) classifying the cause of the movement. An indication of an intrusion is given only if the cause is one of a class of predetermined causes representing an intruder on the premises, or an unknown cause. A video recorder (38) records images of the actual intrusion and supplies recorded images to a security system operator (O) who informs authorities of in intrusion. The video recorder produces snapshots (X1-Xn) of a scene viewed by the camera detecting the intrusion detected, authenticates (42) the snapshots, and transmits (46) the snapshots for viewing by the operator.

Claims

1. In a security system for monitoring a premises to detect intrusions onto the premises, a site control unit (SCU) comprising:

means acquiring an image of a scene on the premises; and

,

a processor processing said image to detect motion within the scene, to classify the source of the motion as human or non-human, and to provide an indication of said motion as a possible intrusion of the premises only if the source is classified as being human.

2. The SCU of claim 1 further including a video recorder recording said image if said processor provides said indication.

3. The SCU of claim 1 further including an imaging means for obtaining said image.

4. The SCU of claim 3 wherein said image is a video image and said imaging means comprises a plurality of cameras each of which obtains a video image of a different portion of the premise, said processor processing the video images from each camera.

5. The SCU of claim 4 wherein said imaging means comprises an infrared camera.

6. The SCU of claim 4 wherein said imaging means comprises an ultraviolet camera.

7. The SCU of claim 3 wherein said imaging means comprises an acoustic sensor.

8. The SCU of claim 3 wherein said imaging means comprises a radar.

9. The SCU of claim 4 wherein said cameras are analog television cameras.

10. The SCU of claim 4 wherein said cameras are digital television cameras.

11. The SCU of claim 4 wherein said cameras are black and white television cameras.

12. The SCU of claim 4 wherein said cameras are color television cameras.

13. The SCU of claim 4 further including a controller separately controlling each camera, said controller individually turning each camera "on" and "off", and controlling pan, tilt, and zoom functions of each camera.

14. The SCU of claim 13 wherein said controller further controls said processor to selectively activate and deactivate said processor for each individual camera.

15. The SCU of claim 13 wherein said controller further controls a frame rate at which each camera obtains a video image of the scene observed by that camera.

16. The SCU of claim 2 wherein said video recorder produces snapshots of any scene viewed by a camera, said snapshots being produced for every predetermined number of frames of video obtained by a camera.

17. The SCU of claim 16 further including a buffer for storing said snapshots.

18. The SCU of claim 16 further including transmission means transmitting video including said snapshots to a central station of said alarm system.

19. The SCU of claim 18 wherein said snapshots represent uncompressed video images of a scene and said transmission means provides lossless transmission of said snapshots.

20. The SCU of claim 18 wherein said video recorder includes means authenticating a snapshot prior to the snapshots transmission to the central station.

21. The SCU of claim 18 further including at least one audio receiver located about said premise for acquiring audio, said video processor processing audio received by said receiver, and said transmission means transmitting said audio together with said video.

22. The SCU of claim 21 further including at least one audio speaker located about said premise for broadcasting audio to the premise, said transmission means transmitting audio to said premise for broadcast through said speaker.

23. The SCU of claim 2 wherein said video recorder produces compressed video images from said cameras.

24. The SCU of claim 23 wherein said transmission means further transmits said compressed video images to said central station.

25. The SCU of claim 23 wherein said video recorder further includes a buffer for storing said compressed images.

26. The SCU of claim 25 wherein said transmission means further transmits said buffered, compressed video images to said central station.

27. The SCU of claim 13 wherein said controller is accessible from said central station for an operator thereat to remotely control said cameras and said processor through said controller to perform a walk about of the premise.

28. The SCU of claim 1 wherein said processor includes video masking means filtering known motion present within a scene observed by said imaging means, detection means detecting motion in unmasked portions of the scene, and recognition means classifying the cause of said motion as human or non-human whereby giving an indication only when the cause of motion is classified as human prevents false alarms and unwanted alarms being given.

31. The SCU of claim 23 further including a plurality of cameras operating in the visible portion of the light spectrum.

32. The SCU of claim 31 wherein said cameras are color television cameras.

33. The SCU of claim 31 wherein said cameras are black and white television cameras.

34. The SCU of claim 31 further including a controller separately controlling each camera, said controller individually turning each camera "on" and "off", and controlling pan, tilt, and zoom functions of each camera.

35. The SCU of claim 34 wherein said controller further controls said processor to selectively activate and deactivate said processor for each individual camera.

36. The SCU of claim 34 wherein said controller further controls a frame rate at which each camera obtains a video image of the scene observed by that camera.

29. A site control unit (SCU) for a premises monitored by a video security system comprising:

means acquiring video images of scenes of the premises;

a processor performing intelligent image processing on said video images to provide an indication of a possible intrusion of the premises, said processor eliminating possible causes of false and unwanted alarms and providing said indication only when motion within a scene is detected by said processor and classified as being human motion, or motion from an unknown cause; and

,

a recorder recording said image if said processor provides said indication, said recorder producing a snapshot of the scene in which the motion is detected, and the site control unit authenticating the snapshot for evidentiary purposes.

30. The SCU of claim 29 wherein said processor includes video masking means filtering known motion present within a scene observed by said imaging means, detection means detecting movement in unmasked portions of the scene, and recognition means classifying the cause of said movement, an alarm being given only if said cause is classified as a human representing an intruder on the premises, or unknown and therefore requiring further investigation.

37. The SCU of claim 29 wherein said recorder produces snapshots of any scene viewed by a camera, said snapshots being produced for every predetermined number of frames of video obtained by a camera.

38. The SCU of claim 37 wherein said recorder further produces compressed video images from said cameras.

39. The SCU of claim 38 wherein said recorder further includes buffers storing said snapshots and said compressed video images.

40. The SCU of claim 39 further including means transmitting said snapshots and said compressed video images.

41. The SCU of claim 40 wherein said recorder includes means authenticating transmitted snapshots.

42. The SCU of claim 29 further including audio speakers and receivers located at said premises, said recorder recording audio signals in addition to said video images for transmission of said audio signals with said video images, and said site control unit receiving and broadcasting audio transmitted to said premise over said speakers.

43. A site control unit (SCU) located at a premises being monitored by a video security system comprising:

means acquiring video images of scenes about the premises;

an image processor processing said video images to eliminate possible causes of false and unwanted alarms of an intrusion of the premises and reliably detecting actual intrusions, said processor including video masking means filtering known motion present within a scene observed by said imaging means, detection means detecting movement in unmasked portions of the scene, and recognition means classifying the cause of said movement as being either human or non-human, an indication being given only if said cause is classified as as being a human intruder on the premises, or an unknown cause; and

,

a video recorder recording images of actual intrusions and supplying said recorded images to a security system operator for said operator to inform authorities of an intrusion, said video recorder producing snapshots of a scene in which an intrusion is detected, authenticating said snapshots, and transmitting said snapshots for viewing by said operator.

44. The SCU of claim 43 wherein said snapshots are produced for every predetermined number of frames of video acquired by said imaging means.

45. The SCU of claim 44 wherein said video recorder further produces compressed video images from said cameras, said compressed video also being transmitted to said operator.

46. A method of monitoring a premises to detect an intrusion of the premises comprising:

observing the premises with an imaging means and obtaining images of scenes about the premises observed by said imaging means;

processing said images to eliminate possible causes of false and unwanted alarms of an intrusion of the premises including distinguishing between human and non-human motion, detecting an actual intrusion resulting from human motion, and providing an indication when an intrusion is detected; and

,

recording an image of said intrusion and supplying said recorded image to a security system operator for said operator to inform authorities of said intrusion, recording said image includes producing snapshots of the scene in which said intrusion is detected, authenticating said snapshot, and transmitting said snapshot for viewing by said operator.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein said processing includes filtering known motion present within a scene observed by said imaging means, detecting movement in unmasked portions of the scene, and classifying the cause of said movement with an indication being given only if said cause is classified as one of a class of predetermined causes representing an intruder on the premise.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein said processing is performed by an image processor and the method further includes remotely programming said image processor.

49. The method of claim 46 wherein said recording is performed by a video recorder and said method further includes remotely programming said video recorder.