Multimedia surveillance and monitoring system including network configuration

• US 6,970,183 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2000
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: e-Watch, Inc. (Cision Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: e-Watch, Inc. (Cision Ltd.)
• Inventors: Monroe, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Application Number:
  US09/594,041
• Time in Patent Office: 1,994 Days
• Field of Search: 348143-160, 725102-110
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19621 Portable camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19658 Telephone systems used to communicate with a camera, e.g. PSTN, GSM, POTS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• 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: G08B 13/19689 Remote control of cameras, e.g. remote orientation or image zooming control for a PTZ camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19691 Signalling events for better perception by user, e.g. indicating alarms by making display brighter, adding text, creating a sound
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/12 Manually actuated calamity alarm transmitting arrangements emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm, activators, e.g. details of alarm push buttons mounted on an infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/062 indicating emergency exits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A comprehensive, wireless multimedia surveillance and monitoring system provides a combination of megapixel digital camera capability with full motion video surveillance with a network, including network components and appliances such as wiring, workstations, and servers with the option of geographical distribution with various wide area carriers. The full service, multi-media surveillance system is capable of a wide range of monitoring techniques utilizing digital network architecture and is adapted for transmitting event data, video and/or image monitoring information, audio signals and other sensor and detector data over significant distances using digital data transmission over a LAN, wireless LAN, Intranet or Internet for automatic assessment and response including dispatch of response personnel. Both wired and wireless appliance and sensor systems may be employed. GPS dispatching is used to locate and alert personnel as well as to indicate the location of an event. Automatic mapping and dispatch permits rapid response. The wireless LAN connectivity permits local distribution of audio, video and image data over a relatively high bandwidth without requirement of a license and without relying on a common carrier and the fees associated therewith. The surveillance system may be interfaced with a WAN (wide area Network) or the Internet for providing a worldwide, low cost surveillance system with virtually unlimited geographic application. Centralized monitoring stations have access to all of the surveillance data from various remote locations via the Internet or the WAN. A server provides a centralized location for data collection, alarm detection and processing, access control, dispatch processing, logging functions and other specialized functions. The server may be inserted virtually anywhere in the Intranet/Internet network. The topology of the network will be established by the geographic situation of the installation. Appropriate firewalls may be set up as desired. The server based system permits a security provider to have access to the appliance and sensor and surveillance data or to configure or reconfigure the system for any station on the network.

Claims

1. A comprehensive, IP network compatible, multimedia surveillance and security system comprising a plurality of sensor appliances adapted to connected to a network based server for monitoring, logging, and transmitting data to the server in order to permit comprehensive surveillance of a predetermined area, the system comprising:

a. a conventional security sensor which is activated by the occurrence of an activating event and upon activation generates a signal;

b. a convertor for converting the conventional sensor signal into a network compatible signal and adapted for sending the converted signal via the network to the server;

c. a surveillance sensor appliance controlled by the server for monitoring an area and generating a signal indicating a condition in the monitored area in a programmed response mode controlled by the server, whereby the server receives and logs data transmitted by both the conventional sensor and the sensor appliance.

2. The system of claim 1, the sensor appliance comprising:

a. a monitoring device for monitoring an area;

b. an activation mechanism for activating the sensor appliance to generate a monitoring signal;

c. a transmitter for ending the monitoring signal to the server.

3. The system of claim 2, the sensor appliance further comprising:

a. an on-board memory for collecting and storing monitoring signal data as it is generated;

b. a transmission control device for selectively transmitting the collected and stored transmission data to the server.

4. The system of claim 3, the transmission control device adapted for responding to a send signal generated by the server.

5. The system of claim 3, the transmission control device adapted for responding to a preselected event within the zone monitored by the sensor appliance.

6. The system of claim 3, the transmission control device adapted for transmitting data to the server upon the occurrence of an event.

7. The system of claim 6, the transmission control device adapted for transmitting both pre-event and post-event data upon the occurrence of an event.

8. The system of claim 1, the sensor appliance comprising an imaging sensor for collecting and generating an image signal.

9. The system of claim 8, the sensor appliance adapted for generating full motion video images.

10. The system of claim 8, the sensor appliance adapted for generating still frame images.

11. The system of claim 8, the sensor appliance adapted for generating both full motion video and still frame images.

12. The system of claim 1, the sensor appliance comprising an audio sensor for collecting and generating an audio signal in the zone of operation of the sensor appliance.

13. The system of claim 1, the sensor appliance comprising an environmental condition sensor for collecting and generating and environmental condition signal in the zone of operation of the sensor appliance.

14. The system of claim 13, the sensor appliance comprising a heat sensor.

15. The system of claim 13, the sensor appliance comprising a smoke detector.

16. The system of claim 13, the sensor appliance comprising a fire detector.

17. The system of claim 13, the sensor appliance comprising a chemical detector.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor appliance includes a wireless transmitter and said server includes a wireless receiver, whereby data transmission is over a wireless system.

18. A comprehensive, IP network compatible, multimedia surveillance and security system comprising a plurality of sensor appliances adapted to connected to a network based server for monitoring, logging, and transmitting data to the server in order to permit comprehensive surveillance of a predetermined area, the system comprising:

a. a multi-function image sensor appliance adapted for generating an image signal representing the visual condition of a monitored zone of operation, the image signal comprising both still frame image data and motion video image data;

b. a transmitter for sending image data to the server.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the multi-function image sensor appliance is responsive to an event in order to begin transmitting image data to the server.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the multi-function image sensor appliance is responsive to a signal generated by the server in order to begin transmitting image data to the server.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the multifunction image sensor appliance is responsive to a signal generating and transmission activation signal for transmitting both pre-event and post-event data to the server.

22. The system of claim 18, the server is adapted for mining the image data stored in the sensor memory.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the sensor appliance further includes a receiver for receiving control signals from the server for activating the sensor, initiating and terminating transmission of data to the server and for managing control functions.

25. A comprehensive, IP network compatible, multimedia surveillance and security system comprising a plurality of sensor appliances adapted to connected to a network based server for monitoring, logging, and transmitting data to the server in order to permit comprehensive surveillance of a predetermined area, the system comprising:

a. a plurality surveillance sensor appliances controlled by the server for monitoring an area and generating a data signal indicating a condition in the monitored area controlled by the server, whereby the server receives and logs signal data;

b. each sensor appliance adapted for transmitting the generated signal;

c. a network for communicating the plurality of sensor appliances with a central server;

d. the central server adapted for collecting and managing the data transmitted by the plurality of sensor appliances.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the data from each of the various sensor appliances is transmitted to the server as it is created, wherein there is further included a monitor associated with the server for displaying the data, the server adapted for showing image data in a step video format.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein a plurality of the plurality of sensor appliances are image data generators and wherein the sensor is adapted for managing the simultaneous receipt of data from a plurality of sensors.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the data generated by each of the sensor appliances is stored in memory at each appliance and is transmitted to the server upon occurrence of an event within the zone of operation of each sensor.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the event is created by the server.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the event is an action occurring at the location of the sensor appliance.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein each sensor is adapted for transmitting both pre-event and post-event data.

32. The system of claim 25, the system further including a dispatch generator whereby the occurrence of a specified event generates a dispatch signal to a predetermined response team.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein the sensor appliance includes a location identifier component in the data signal.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the system further includes a dispatch generator, whereby the occurrence of a specified event generates a dispatch signal to a predetermined response team based on location of the response team.