Method and apparatus for surveillance using an image server
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of viewing image data from a plurality of cameras comprising:
- at said cameras, capturing data sets representing images;
at said cameras, periodically transmitting said data sets to a plurality of camera coordinators, a plurality of said camera coordinators each receiving data sets from multiple cameras;
at said camera coordinators, determining whether one or more of said data sets is of interest;
transmitting data sets of interest from said camera coordinators over a network to an image server, said image server not local to one or more of said cameras; and
providing said data sets from said image server for viewing by a user.and further wherein;
said coordinators include an incident and history database from which their connected cameras can playback stored incidents;
said coordinators can connect multiple incidents, triggered at multiple cameras, into an incident sequence;
said coordinators have positional and view information about each camera and information about overlapping regions of cameras;
said coordinators perform time-stamping for data sets and/or incidents;
providing a management interface allowing a user to perform various management functions, including setting time parameters for whether incidents from particular cameras will be of interest, establishing other rules definitions;
specifying alerts regarding cameras that have not reported;
installing new software and other maintenance functions;
said coordinators performing advanced image processing tasks including image recognition or tracking a person or object identified in an image or determining that an object is coming toward or moving away from one or more of its connected cameras.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for an image server surveillance system provide for as control and coordination of cameras that may be widely deployed, analyzing data from multiple cameras, making data available in such a way that it can be efficiently transmitted over a network and can be easily displayed to potentially a large number of users, and displaying and controlling image data by existing client software.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of viewing image data from a plurality of cameras comprising:
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at said cameras, capturing data sets representing images; at said cameras, periodically transmitting said data sets to a plurality of camera coordinators, a plurality of said camera coordinators each receiving data sets from multiple cameras; at said camera coordinators, determining whether one or more of said data sets is of interest; transmitting data sets of interest from said camera coordinators over a network to an image server, said image server not local to one or more of said cameras; and providing said data sets from said image server for viewing by a user. and further wherein; said coordinators include an incident and history database from which their connected cameras can playback stored incidents; said coordinators can connect multiple incidents, triggered at multiple cameras, into an incident sequence; said coordinators have positional and view information about each camera and information about overlapping regions of cameras; said coordinators perform time-stamping for data sets and/or incidents; providing a management interface allowing a user to perform various management functions, including setting time parameters for whether incidents from particular cameras will be of interest, establishing other rules definitions;
specifying alerts regarding cameras that have not reported;
installing new software and other maintenance functions;said coordinators performing advanced image processing tasks including image recognition or tracking a person or object identified in an image or determining that an object is coming toward or moving away from one or more of its connected cameras. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A surveillance system comprising:
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a plurality of cameras able to capture data sets representing images; said cameras periodically transmitting said data sets to a plurality of camera coordinators, a plurality of said camera coordinators each receiving data sets from multiple cameras; said camera coordinators including logic modules able to determine whether one or more of said data sets is of interest based on analysis of said data sets representing images; an image server not local to one or more of said cameras able to receive data sets of interest from said camera coordinators over a network and able to provide said data sets for viewing by a user; data storage operationally connected to said image server for holding multiple data sets of interest for viewing by a user; further wherein; said system includes an incident and history database from which to playback stored incidents; said coordinators can connect multiple incidents, triggered at multiple cameras, into an incident sequence; said coordinators have positional and view information about each camera and information about overlapping regions of cameras; said coordinators perform time-stamping for data sets and/or incidents; said coordinators performing advanced image processing tasks including image recognition or tracking a person or object identified in an image or determining that an object is coming toward or moving away from one or more of its connected cameras; and a management interface allowing a user to perform various management functions, including setting time parameters for whether incidents from particular cameras will be of interest, establishing other rules definitions;
specifying alerts regarding cameras that have not reported;
installing new software and other maintenance functions. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification