Integrated security system and method

• US 7,768,546 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2000
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Axcess International, Inc. (Amphion Innovations PLC)
• Original Assignee: Axcess International, Inc. (Amphion Innovations PLC)
• Inventors: Boehringer, Roger A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philippe; Gims S
• Application Number:
  US09/569,523
• Time in Patent Office: 3,735 Days
• Field of Search: 348143-144, 348151-156, 348/159, 348/161, 348/169, 348/715, 348/148, 348/196, 382/103, 340541-540, 709/201, 386/107
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An integrated security system includes a video camera operable to collect real-time video information and an identification reader operable to collect real-time character-based information corresponding to the video information. The character-based information is received from an identifier unit proximate to the identification reader. The system also includes an integrator operable to integrate the video information and the character-based information.

Claims

1. A method for providing integrated security at a control point, comprising:

receiving real-time video information from a video camera;

receiving real-time character-based information from an identifier unit in a field of view of the video camera and proximate to an identification reader;

integrating the video information and the character-based information; and

activating the identification reader in response to an activity associated with the video information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating the video camera in response to an activity associated with the character-based information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating the video camera after receiving the character-based information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising instructing the video camera to alter its field of view.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the video information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the character-based information comprises radio frequency identification information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the identifier unit comprises a radio frequency identification tag; and

the identification reader comprises a radio frequency identification reader operable to communicate with the radio frequency identification tag.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating the identification reader after receiving the video information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the character-based information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier unit is mobile.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein integrating the character-based information and the video information comprises generating one or more data messages containing the character-based information, the video information, and a header identifying characteristics of the video and character-based information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each data message is operable to contain one frame of video information and the character-based information corresponding to the frame of video information.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising communicating the data message to a remote client.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing the data message.

15. An integrated security system comprising:

a video camera operable to collect real-time video information;

an identification reader operable to collect real-time character-based information corresponding to the video information from an identifier unit in a field of view of the video camera and proximate the identification reader, wherein the identification reader is activated in response to an activity associated with the video information; and

an integrator operable to integrate the video information and the character-based information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the video camera comprises a digit video camera.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the video camera is activated after the character-based information is collected by the identification reader.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the video camera is operable to alter its field of view.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the identifier unit comprises a radio frequency identification tag; and

the identification reader comprises a radio frequency identification reader operable to communicate with the radio frequency identification tag.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the identification reader is activated after the video information is collected by the video camera.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the identifier unit is mobile.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the integrator comprises a processor operable to generate one or more data messages containing the character-based information, the video information, and a header identifying characteristics of the video and character-based information.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein each data message is operable to contain one frame of video information and the character-based information corresponding to the frame of video information.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the integrator further comprises:

a data compressor coupling the identification reader and the processor, the data compressor operable to compress the character-based information collected by the identification reader; and

a video compressor coupling the video camera and the processor, the video compressor operable to compress the video information collected by the video camera.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the video camera comprises an analog video camera, and wherein the integrator further comprises a decoder coupling the video camera and the video compressor, the decoder operable to digitize analog signals from the video camera.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the video camera further comprises a computer storage coupled to the processor and operable to store the data message.

27. The system of claim 15, further comprising a remote client operable to receive the video information and the character-based information from the integrator.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the remote client comprises a processor operable to extract the video information and the character-based information from one or more data messages received from the integrator.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the processor is further operable to decompress the video information and the character-based information.

30. An integrated security system comprising:

a digital video camera operable to collect real-time video information;

an identification reader operable to collect real-time character-based information corresponding to the video information from an identifier unit in a field of view of the video camera and proximate the identification reader, wherein the identification reader is activated in response to an activity associated with the video information; and

wherein the digital video camera is further operable to integrate the real-time video information and the character-based information.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein:

the identifier unit comprises a radio frequency identification tag; and

the identification reader comprises a radio frequency identification reader operable to communicate with the radio frequency identification tag.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the identification reader is activated after the video information is collected by the video camera.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the video camera is activated after the character-based information by the identification reader.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the video camera is operable to alter its field of view.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein the identifier unit is mobile.

36. The system of claim 30, wherein the video camera comprises a processor operable to generate one or more data messages containing the character-based information, the video information, and a header identifying characteristics of the video and character-based information.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein each data message is operable to contain one frame of video information and the character-based information corresponding to the frame of video information.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the video camera further comprises:

a data compressor coupling the identification reader and the processor, the data compressor operable to compress the character-based information collected by the identification reader; and

a video compressor coupled to the processor and operable to compress the video information collected by the video camera.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the video camera further comprises a computer storage coupled to the processor and operable to store the data message.

40. The system of claim 30, further comprising a remote client operable to receive the video information and the character-based information from the video camera.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the remote client comprises a processor operable to extract the video information and the character-based information from one or more data messages received from the video camera.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the processor is further operable to decompress the video information and the character-based information.

43. A system for providing integrated security at a control point, comprising:

logic stored on at east one computer processable medium; and

the logic operable to;

receive real-time video information from a video camera;

receive real-time character-based information corresponding to the video information from an identifier unit in a field of view of the video of the video camera and proximate to an identification reader;

integrate the video information and the character-based information; and

activate the identification reader in response to an activity associated with the video information.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the logic is further operable to activate the video camera in response to an activity associated with the character-based information.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the logic is further operable to activate the video camera after receiving the character-based information.

46. The system of claim 43, wherein the logic is further operable to instruct the video camera to alter its field of view.

47. The system of claim 43, wherein the logic is further operable to receive compressed video information.

48. The system of claim 43, wherein the character-based information comprises radio frequency identification information.

49. The system of claim 43, wherein:

the identifier unit comprises a radio frequency identification tag; and

the identification reader comprises a radio frequency identification reader operable to communicate with the radio frequency identification tag.

50. The system of claim 43, wherein the logic is further operable to activate the identification reader after receiving the video information.

51. The system of claim 43, wherein the logic is operable to receive compressed character-based information.

52. The system of claim 43, wherein the identifier unit is mobile.

53. The system of claim 43, wherein integrating the character-based information and the video information comprises generating one or more data messages containing the character-based information, the video information, and a header identifying characteristics of the video and character-based information.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein each data message is operable to contain one frame of video information and the character-based information corresponding to the frame of video information.

55. The system of claim 53, wherein the logic is further operable to communicate the data message to a remote client.

56. A security signal for an integrated security system comprising:

a transmission medium; and

a message carried on the transmission medium, the message comprising;

real-time video information collected by a video camera;

real-time character-based information corresponding to the video information from an identifier unit in a field of view of the video camera and proximate to an identification reader, wherein the identification reader is activated in response to an activity associated with the video information; and

a header identifying characteristics of the video and character-based information.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the transmission medium comprises a wireless medium.

58. The system of claim 56, wherein the transmission medium comprises a wireline medium.

59. The system of claim 56, wherein the video information is compressed.

60. The system of claim 56, wherein the character-based information comprises radio frequency identification information.

61. The system of claim 56, wherein the character-based information is compressed.

62. The system of claim 56, wherein the identifier unit is mobile.

63. The system of claim 56, wherein:

the identifier unit comprises a radio frequency identification tag; and

the identification reader comprises a radio frequency identification reader operable to communicate with the radio frequency identification tag.

64. The system of claim 56, wherein the header comprises:

a type field operable to identify a message type; and

a size field operable to identify a size of at least a portion of the message.

65. The system of claim 64, wherein the size field is operable to identify an amount of character-based information in the message.

66. The system of claim 64, wherein the header further comprises one or more additional fields defined by the type field.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein the additional fields comprise a video frame identification filed operable to identify a characteristic of the video information.