Audio-video tip analysis, storage, and alerting system for safety, security, and business productivity

• US 7,999,847 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SecureNet Solutions Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: KD Secure LLC
• Inventors: Donovan, John J., Hussain, Daniar
• Primary Examiner(s): CZEKAJ, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US12/207,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20090002157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 348143-169
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An audio surveillance, storage, and alerting system, including the following components: One or more audio sensory devices capture audio data having attribute data representing importance of the audio sensory devices. One or more audio analytics devices process the audio data to detect audio events. A network management module monitors network status of the audio sensory devices and generates network events reflective of the network status of all subsystems. A correlation engine correlates two or more events weighted by the attribute data of the device used to capture the data. Finally, an alerting engine generates one or more alerts and performs one or more actions based on the correlation performed by the correlation engine. This invention may be used to help fight crime and help ensure safety procedures are followed.

Claims

1. A module for receiving media tips, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a media tip from an external source;

a processor comprising program code for extracting meta-data from the media tip and for determining one or more weights for the media tip based at least on three weights including a weight corresponding to a reliability of the external source of the media tip, a weight corresponding to a time the media tip was received, and a weight corresponding to a frequency that the media tip was received; and

a storage unit for storing the media tip received from the external source and the extracted meta-data,

wherein the media tip is a tip selected from the group consisting of a still-image tip, a video tip, an audio tip, and an audiovideo tip.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein the meta-data is selected from the group consisting of email address, phone number, location, IP address, date, time, and comments from the external source.

3. The module of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises program code for:

determining a reliability of the external source.

4. The module of claim 3, wherein the processor further comprises program code for:

determining a weight for the media tip based on the reliability of the external source.

5. The module of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises:

determining a time when the media tip is received.

6. The module of claim 5, wherein the processor further comprises program code for:

determining a weight for the media tip based on the time when the media tip is received.

7. The module of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises program code for:

determining a frequency the media tip is received.

8. The module of claim 7, wherein the processor further comprises program code for:

determining a weight for the media tip based on the frequency the media tip is received.

9. The module of claim 1, wherein the receiver receives the media tip via multimedia messaging service (mms).

10. The module of claim 1, wherein the receiver receives the media tip via email communications.

11. The module of claim 1, wherein the receiver receives the media tip via internet communications.

12. The module of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises program code for:

extracting attribute data from the media tip,

wherein the attribute data is selected from the group consisting of identity of the external source, quality of the media tip, and reliability of the external source.

13. The module of claim 1, further comprising:

a correlation engine for correlating two or more media tips.

14. The module of claim 13, wherein media tips are weighted by meta-data of the media tips by the correlation engine.

15. The module of claim 13, further comprising:

an alerting engine for generating one or more alerts based on the correlation performed by the correlation engine.

16. The module of claim 1, further comprising:

a hierarchy of two or more data storage devices for storing the media tips, the hierarchy of data storage devices connected to the receiver via a network.

17. The module of claim 16, further comprising:

a hierarchical storage manager for managing storage and cascade of the media tips in the hierarchy of data storage devices.

18. The module of claim 16, wherein the hierarchy of data storage devices includes at least a first-tier device and a second-tier device, the first-tier device having a higher data access performance and a lower storage capacity than the second-tier device.

19. A method for receiving media tips, comprising:

receiving a media tip from an external source;

extracting meta-data from the media tip via a computer processor;

determining via a computer processor one or more weights for the media tip based at least on three weights including a weight corresponding to a reliability of the external source of the media tip, a weight corresponding to a time the media tip was received, and a weight corresponding to a frequency that the media tip was received; and

storing the media tip received from the external source and the extracted meta-data in a data storage area,

wherein the media tip is a tip selected from the group consisting of a still-image tip, a video tip, an audio tip, and an audiovideo tip.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the meta-data is selected from the group consisting of email address, phone number, location, IP address, date, time, and comments from the external source.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a reliability of the external source.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a weight for the media tip based on the reliability of the external source.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a time when the media tip is received.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining a weight for the media tip based on the time when the media tip is received.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a frequency the media tip is received.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining a weight for the media tip based on the frequency the media tip is received.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the media tip is received via multimedia messaging service (mms).

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the media tip is received via email communications.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the media tip is received via internet communications.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

extracting attribute data from the media tip,

wherein the attribute data is selected from the group consisting of identity of the external source, quality of the media tip, and reliability of the external source.

31. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

correlating two or more media tips.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the media tips are weighted by meta-data of the media tips in the correlating step.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

generating one or more alerts based on the correlation performed in the correlating step.

34. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

storing the media tips in a hierarchy of two or more data storage devices.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

managing storage and cascade of the media tips in the hierarchy of data storage devices.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the hierarchy of data storage devices includes at least a first-tier device and a second-tier device, the first-tier device having a higher data access performance and a lower storage capacity than the second-tier device.

37. An apparatus for receiving media tips, comprising:

means for receiving a media tip from an external source;

means for extracting meta-data from the media tip;

means for determining one or more weights for the media tip based at least on three weights including a weight corresponding to a reliability of the external source of the media tip, a weight corresponding to a time the media tip was received, and a weight corresponding to a frequency that the media tip was received; and

means for storing the media tip received from the external source and the extracted meta-data,

wherein the media tip is a tip selected from the group consisting of a still-image tip, a video tip, an audio tip, and an audiovideo tip.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the meta-data is selected from the group consisting of email address, phone number, location, IP address, date, time, and comments from the external source.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

means for determining a reliability of the external source.

40. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

means for determining a weight for the media tip based on the reliability of the external source.

41. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

means for extracting attribute data from the media tip,

wherein the attribute data is selected from the group consisting of identity of the external source, quality of the media tip, and reliability of the external source.

42. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

means for storing the media tips in a hierarchy of two or more data storage devices,

wherein the hierarchy of data storage devices includes at least a first-tier device and a second-tier device, the first-tier device having a higher data access performance and a lower storage capacity than the second-tier device.