Mesh communication wireless camera system and method

• US 7,840,130 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Kucharyson, Richard P.
• Primary Examiner(s): LaBalle; Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith; Linda B
• Application Number:
  US11/729,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20080240696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 396/56, 396/427, 396/428, 396/279, 348/211.5, 348/211.6, 725/12, 725/19, 725/120
• US Class Current: 396/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A system includes a camera and a monitoring system that are capable of wireless communication. The camera is operable to send a message to the monitoring system via a plurality of wireless communication paths. The message includes information relating to an operational status of the camera. The camera may generate and analyze a video signal and the message may include information relating to the analysis of the video signal. The camera may be one of a plurality of cameras capable of generating video signals. The system may further include an intermediate node capable of wireless communication with the cameras and the monitoring system. The intermediate node may multiplex the video signals from the cameras to the monitoring system.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

multiple cameras, each operable to generate a video signal;

an intermediate node operable to communicate wirelessly with at least some of the cameras;

a monitoring system; and

multiple gateway nodes each operable to communicate with the monitoring system over a wired network and to communicate with at least some of the cameras;

wherein;

the cameras and the gateway nodes are operable to communicate wirelessly;

each of the cameras is operable to send a message to the monitoring system via a plurality of wireless communication paths and at least one of the gateway nodes;

a first subset of the cameras and gateway nodes operate in a first wireless subnetwork and a second subset of the cameras and gateway nodes operate in a second wireless subnetwork;

the monitoring system comprises a process controller;

the messages comprise alarm messages; and

the intermediate node is operable to multiplex the video signals from the cameras to the monitoring system by sending the video signal from only one camera at a time to the monitoring system, wherein the multiplexing is based at least upon an alarm signal issued by one of the cameras.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cameras and the gateway nodes are further operable to exchange wireless messages to determine the plurality of wireless communication paths.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the cameras is operable to analyze its video signal, and wherein the messages comprise information relating to the analysis of the video signals.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the messages comprise information relating to an operational status of the cameras.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the cameras are separated into the subnetworks by frequency allocation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cameras and the gateway nodes are operable to communicate wirelessly via a mesh communication wireless system.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein each of the cameras is powered by a battery, and the information relating to the operational status of one of the cameras comprises information relating to a charge level of the battery powering that camera.

8. A camera, comprising:

a controller; and

a wireless interface;

wherein;

the controller is operable to send a video signal and a first message via the wireless interface to a monitoring system via a plurality of wireless communication paths including at least one intermediate node that is operable to multiplex video signals from a plurality of cameras to the monitoring system by sending the video signal from only one camera at a time to the monitoring system;

the wireless interface is operable to communicate within a first wireless subnetwork that includes a first gateway node operable to communicate with the monitoring system over a wired network, the first wireless subnetwork separate from a second wireless subnetwork in which another camera communicates a second message to the monitoring system via a second gateway node;

the monitoring system comprises a process controller; and

the first message comprises an alarm message configured to cause the intermediate node to multiplex video signals based upon the alarm signal.

9. The camera of claim 8, wherein the controller is further operable to exchange wireless messages via the wireless interface to determine the plurality of wireless communication paths.

10. The camera of claim 8, wherein the controller is operable to send the first message to the monitoring system via a plurality of intermediate nodes.

11. The camera of claim 8, wherein:

the controller is operable to analyze the video signal; and

the first message comprises information relating to the analysis of the video signal.

12. The camera of claim 8, wherein the first message comprises information relating to an operational status of the camera.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of wireless communication paths comprises a mesh communication wireless system.

14. The camera of claim 12, wherein the camera is powered by a battery, and the information relating to the operational status of the camera comprises information relating to a charge level of the battery.

15. A method, comprising:

providing a camera capable of wireless communication, wherein the camera is one of a plurality of cameras;

sending a first message from the camera via a plurality of wireless communication paths in a first wireless subnetwork to a first gateway node operable to communicate with a monitoring system over a wired network, the first wireless subnetwork separate from a second wireless subnetwork in which another camera communicates a second message to the monitoring system via a second gateway node, wherein the monitoring system comprises a process controller and the first message comprises an alarm message;

generating video signals in the plurality of cameras;

sending the video signals from the plurality of cameras to the monitoring system via an intermediate node capable of communicating wirelessly with the monitoring system and the plurality of cameras; and

multiplexing the video signals from the plurality of cameras to the monitoring system in the intermediate node by sending the video signal from only one camera at a time to the monitoring system, wherein the multiplexing is based at least upon an alarm signal issued by one of the cameras.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising exchanging wireless messages to determine the plurality of wireless communication paths.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

analyzing the video signal in the camera;

wherein the first message comprises information relating to the analysis of the video signal.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first message comprises information relating to an operational status of the camera.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of wireless communication paths in the first wireless subnetwork comprises a mesh communication wireless system.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the camera is powered by a battery, and the information relating to the operational status of the camera comprises information relating to a charge level of the battery.