System and method for remote control of surveillance devices

• US 6,698,021 B1
• Filed: 10/12/1999
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Secure Cam, LLC
• Original Assignee: Vigilos, Inc.
• Inventors: Backlund, Gary, Amini, Shaun S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parsons, Charles E
• Application Number:
  US09/417,162
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 348/15, 348/211, 348/143, 348/151, 348/153, 345/1, 725/105, 709/203, 709/218, 709/219, 709/244, 709/245, 709/247, 709/249, 382/104
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19676 Temporary storage, e.g. cyclic memory, buffer storage on pre-alarm
• 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: G08B 13/19689 Remote control of cameras, e.g. remote orientation or image zooming control for a PTZ camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A system and method for enabling real-time off-site video image storage is disclosed. An off-site storage site is coupled to camera servers at client sites via a private network. Each camera server is further coupled to one or more surveillance cameras. Video images captured by cameras located at the client sites are forwarded to an off-site server via a camera server. Video images received by the off-site server are produced for live viewing and/or archived in an image database. Users can retrieve live or archived video images through a client workstation that communicates with the off-site server over the public Internet. Retrieval of video images is based on a web-browser interface. Live viewing of video images is supplemented by real-time camera control functions that alter the pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) position of the camera producing the live images. Commands for controlling the PTZ camera are encoded by the client workstation and transmitted to the off-site server. The off-site server converts the camera control codes into control strings that are recognizable by the particular camera.

Claims

1. A video surveillance and monitoring system, comprising:

a private network that enables communication with surveillance cameras corresponding to geographic sites;

wherein at least two surveillance cameras correspond to geographically distinct sites; and

a centralized off-site control site, including at least one server, said at least one server being coupled to said private network and to a public network, said at least one server being operative to initialize communications between the surveillance cameras and at least one off-site client workstation coupled to said public network, to coordinate the retrieval of video images from all said surveillance cameras, to produce said retrieved video images as live images to the at least one off-site client workstation, and to enable off-site client workstations to effect real-control over selected surveillance cameras, wherein the off-site client workstation cannot initialize communication with the surveillance cameras.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said private network is a virtual private network configured over a public network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said private network is coupled to a camera server, and said camera server is coupled to one or more surveillance cameras.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said one or more surveillance cameras produce composite NTSC video signals, and wherein the camera server is operable to capture the NTSC video signals and convert the captured NTSC video signals.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one of said surveillance cameras comprises a self-contained web server and network camera.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said public network is a public Internet network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one server is operative to repeatedly store live video image data to a file that is retrievable by a client workstation.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said at least one server is operative to write live video image data to a temporary file, and to rename said temporary file to said file that is retrievable by a client workstation.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one server is operative to receive and process a camera command control code that identifies a user'"'"'s desired type of camera adjustment.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said camera control code identifies an absolute pan-tilt-zoom control.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said camera control code identifies a relative pan-tilt-zoom control.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said at least one server is operative to receive and process an encoded Internet Protocol address of a camera server.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said at least one server is operative to convert a received camera control code to a binary-coded command string and to forward said binary-coded command string to an identified surveillance camera.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said binary-coded command string is forwarded to a camera server, which in turn forwards said binary-coded command string to a surveillance camera.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said binary-coded command string is forwarded to a self-contained web server and network camera.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said binary-coded command string is forwarded to a separately addressable device that is solely responsible for receiving cameral control commands.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further operative to generate a camera control code instructing one or more of the surveillance cameras to move to a pre-defined position.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the server is further operative to generate a series of camera control codes instructing one or more of the surveillance cameras to move to a series of pre-defined positions.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further operative to generate an interface for displaying real-time video image data from a plurality of client sites.

31. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein the interface is a Web-based interface.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the Web-based interface includes a calendar interface, wherein the calendar interface includes a number of hyperlinks, the hyperlinks corresponding to defined periods of time and operable to generate additional screen interfaces corresponding to a time selection.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the hyperlinks correspond to months and a year, and wherein the hyperlinks are operative to generate additional screen interfaces presenting a user with a selection of a particular time to control surveillance camera.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further operable to extract real-time video data from at least one surveillance camera utilizing a dynamic data block management schema.

41. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one off-site client workstation cannot directly access the surveillance cameras to retrieve video images or control selected surveillance cameras without an initialization by the centralized off-site control site.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the centralized off-site control site coordinates all communications between the at least one off-site client workstation and the surveillance cameras.

17. In an environment including at least one centralized control site coupled to a private network that enables communication with surveillance cameras at a plurality of geographically distinct client sites and to a public network that enables communication with a client workstation remote from the surveillance camera, a video surveillance and monitoring method, comprising:

(a) receiving a communication from a client workstation coupled to the public network, said communication including a first camera control command code representative of a surveillance camera control instruction;

(b) converting said received first camera control command to a first binary-coded command string;

(c) sending said first binary-coded command string to an identified address on said private network, said identified address being associated with a first identified surveillance camera;

(d) receiving a communication from a client workstation coupled to the public network, said communication including a second camera control command code representative of a user'"'"'s desired type of camera control;

(e) converting said received second camera control command to a second binary-coded command string;

(f) sending said second binary-coded command string to an identified address on said private network, said identified address being associated with a first identified surveillance camera;

wherein the first and second identified surveillance cameras are geographically distinct; and

wherein the client workstation cannot directly access the first and second surveillance cameras without an initialization by the centralized off-site control site.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein step (a) comprises the step of receiving a camera control code that identifies an absolute pan-tilt-zoom control.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein step (a) comprises the step of receiving a camera control code that identifies a relative pan-tilt-zoom control.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein step (a) comprises the step of receiving as part of said communication an address on said private network to which said binary-coded command string should be sent.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein step (a) comprises the step of receiving as part of said communication an Internet Protocol address.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein step (a) comprises the step of receiving as part of said communication an encoded Internet Protocol address.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein step (a) comprises the step of receiving as part of said communication a surveillance camera number.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) comprises the step of sending said binary-coded command string to a camera server.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) comprises the step of sending said binary-coded command string to a self-contained web server and network camera.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) comprises the step of sending said binary-coded command string to a separately addressable device that is solely responsible for receiving cameral control commands.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the server is further operative to generate the camera control code after a designated period of time.

35. The method of claim 17, wherein the binary-coded command string instructs one or more surveillance cameras to move to a pre-defined location.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the binary-coded command string instructs a surveillance camera to move to a series of pre-defined locations.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the sending of said binary-coded command string is accomplished after a designated time period has expired.

38. The method of claim 17, wherein the user interface is a Web-based user interface.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the Web-based interface includes a calendar interface, wherein the calendar interface includes a number of hyperlinks, the at hyperlinks corresponding to defined periods of time and operable to generate additional screen interfaces corresponding to a time selection.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the hyperlinks correspond to months and a year, and wherein the hyperlinks are operable to generate additional screen interfaces presenting a user with a selection of a particular time to control the surveillance cameras.

43. A video surveillance and monitoring system, the system comprising:

a plurality of video monitoring devices, each monitoring device generating video monitoring data corresponding to a geographic area, wherein the plurality of video monitoring devices generate live video data and receive control instructions corresponding to a position of the video monitoring device and wherein at least two video monitoring devices of the plurality of video monitoring devices correspond to geographically distinct sites;

a centralized control site in communication with the plurality of video monitoring devices via a private communication, wherein the centralized control site retrieves live video data from the plurality of video monitoring devices; and

at least one client workstation remote from the plurality of video monitoring devices and in communication with the centralized control site via public communication network, wherein the client workstation requests monitoring device data from at least one geographic area and wherein the client workstation initiates video monitoring control instructions;

wherein the centralized control site associates at least one of the plurality of video monitoring devices to the client workstation requests and initializes communications between the at least one client workstation and the associated video monitoring device, wherein the client workstation cannot directly access the associated video monitoring device without an initialization by the centralized control site.

44. The system as recited in claim 43, wherein the private network is a virtual private network configured over a public network.

45. The system as recited in claim 43 further comprising a camera server corresponding to a geographic area and coupled to at least one video monitoring device corresponding to the geographic area, wherein the camera server is further coupled to the private network to facilitate communications with the, centralized control site.

46. The system as recited in claim 45, wherein the plurality of video monitoring devices produce composite NTSC video signals, and wherein the camera servers are operable to capture the NTSC video signals and convert the captured NTSC video signals.

47. The system as recited in claim 43, wherein the plurality of video monitoring devices include at least one self-contained Web server and network camera.

48. The system as recited in claim 43, wherein the centralized control site writes live video image data from the plurality of the video monitoring devices to a temporary file, wherein the temporary file is retrievable by a client workstation.

49. The system as recited in claim 43, wherein the at least one client workstation video monitoring control instructions included an identification of an absolute pan-tilt-zoom control.

50. The system as recited in claim 43, wherein the client workstation video monitoring control instructions include identification of a relative pan-tilt-zoom control.

51. The system as recited in claim 43, wherein the centralized control site converts a client workstation video monitoring control instruction into a binary-coded command string and forwards the binary-coded command string to a selected video monitoring device.

52. The system as recited in claim 43, wherein the centralized control site generates camera control codes instructing one or more of the plurality of video monitoring devices to move to predefined positions.

53. The system as recited in claim 52, wherein the centralized control site generates a series of camera control instructions instructing at least one of the plurality of video monitoring devices to move to a series of predefined positions.