System and method for digital video management

• US 7,859,571 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2000
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Limited (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell Limited (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, Alexander James, Baburin, Alexander Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Giles; Nicholas G
• Application Number:
  US10/049,449
• Time in Patent Office: 3,788 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.3, 348/211.11, 386/83
• US Class Current: 348/211.3
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• 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 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A digital video management system which provides live digital video signals from a number of cameras to a number of client terminals, via a computer communications network, in real time. The system stores live video signals in response to a video recording trigger which may be either a schedule, an event, or an operator action. The invention is particularly suitable for use in integrated security and process control environments.

Claims

1. A digital video management system for remote live video monitoring of one or more areas or processes of interest, the system including:

a plurality of cameras, each camera having a respective camera streamer configured to packetize the camera output and to provide live first video signals to a computer communications network;

a schedule manager configured to periodically poll a database thereby to cache a list of record requests thereby to determine a schedule;

a plurality of video servers configured for linking to the network, wherein each video server is configured to receive the first video signals from an associated one or more cameras, and configured to be responsive to the determined schedule for storing, according to the determined schedule, on storage media associated with the server at least some of the first video signals from the associated one or more cameras, wherein each server is further configured to selectively access the stored signals and/or the first video signals to provide second video signals;

at least one client computer terminal configured for linking to the network, the client computer terminal being configured for requesting, receiving and displaying to an operator the second video signals received over the computer communications network, including playback of stored video signals for allowing the operator to review past events, and live video signals for allowing the operator to view events live wherein the client computer terminal is additionally configured for providing scheduled record requests; and

wherein, in response to a request from the client computer terminal for live video signals from a selected camera, the video server associated with the selected camera is configured for providing the requested live video signals to the computer communications network, wherein the live video signals are addressed to the client computer terminal which issued the request, wherein providing the requested live video signals includes receiving video frames from the camera streamer and re-broadcasting those video frames independent of those frames being stored on storage media.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the determined schedule includes a plurality of time based trigger points and the server stores the first video signals starting at a first predetermined period prior to each point and a second predetermined period after each point.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the first and the second predetermined periods are configurable based upon one or more of:

on a per camera basis;

on a per area basis;

on an event type basis.

4. A system according to claim 2 wherein the duration of the first and the second predetermined periods are configurable.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein the determined schedule includes a plurality of event based trigger points and the server stores the first video signals starting at a first predetermined period prior to each point and a second predetermined period after each point.

6. A system according to claim 5 including a sensor for providing a third signal to the network, wherein one of the event based trigger points comprises the third signal falling within a predetermined range.

7. A system according to claim 1 including a plurality of client terminals and a controller for controlling the signals that are provided to respective terminals.

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein the terminals provide over the network respective camera control commands to the video server and the video server processes those commands and generates control signals that are sent to the relevant camera via the network.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein the processing of the commands by the video server includes a determination of whether or not the terminal sending the respective command has access rights to the relevant camera.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to receive camera control functionality requests from the terminals and to forward camera control commands to the cameras.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the controller is adapted to deny a control functionality request relating to a camera being controller by another terminal.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein the controller is adapted to grant or deny a control request in dependence upon security level information relating to a user making the request.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first video signals are compressed by the cameras.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein the camera streamers compress the respective first video signals.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein the live video signals are provided encoded to give priority to the video stream over the audio stream to emphasize coherency of the video stream.