Video-monitor/recording/playback system

• US 8,117,252 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2003
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glen D. Schaff
• Original Assignee: Glen D. Schaff
• Inventors: Schaff, Glen D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): MADAMBA, GLENFORD J
• Application Number:
  US10/746,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20040136388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,974 Days
• Field of Search: 382/118, 382/100, 709/203, 709/205
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• 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 15/001 Concealed systems, e.g. disguised alarm systems to make covert systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2404 Monitoring of server processing errors or hardware failure error or fault detection G06F11/07; monitoring in general G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The invention relates to a stand-alone video recording, playback and Monitoring system. It has network switches, non-volatile storage devices, IP cameras, video servers, and NTSC cameras. The system uses communication channels that are WAN/LAN based and can be hard-wired or wireless.

Claims

1. A stand-alone, WAN/LAN IP based video-monitoring/recording/playback system comprising:

a centralized server machine having an internal web server engine, a user account management system, and a built-in network video recorder (NVR);

a non-volatile storage device for archival of digital video frames;

a network switch/access point and/or router for interconnecting the components including at least the server and IP devices including at least IP cameras or IP video servers;

an architecture such that viewing and management consoles, external hard drives, and cameras reside locally on the internal subnet of the system, or on any remote network connected to the system using the WAN or internet;

a set of HTML pages that are exported to a connecting browser for viewing, playback, and system management whereby all remote access is effected using standard browsers without remote client software, further comprising means for overlapping recording files so that any two time sequential files contain the same replicated video at the end of the first file that exists at the beginning of the second file.

2. A stand-alone, WAN/LAN IP based video-monitoring/recording/playback system comprising:

a centralized server machine having an internal web server engine, a user account management system, and a built-in network video recorder (NVR);

a non-volatile storage device for archival of digital video frames;

a network switch/access point and/or router for interconnecting the components including at least the server and IP devices including at least IP cameras or IP video servers;

an architecture such that viewing and management consoles, external hard drives, and cameras reside locally on the internal subnet of the system, or on any remote network connected to the system using the WAN or internet;

a set of HTML pages that are exported to a connecting browser for viewing, playback, and system management whereby all remote access is effected using standard browsers without remote client software;

wherein the system is fully incorporated into a suitcase supporting three to nine IP cameras, that can be instantaneously deployed.

3. A stand-alone, WAN/LAN IP based video-monitoring/recording/playback system comprising:

a centralized server machine having an internal web server engine, a user account management system, and a built-in network video recorder (NVR);

a non-volatile storage device for archival of digital video frames;

a network switch/access point and/or router for interconnecting the components including at least the server and IP devices including at least IP cameras or IP video servers;

an architecture such that viewing and management consoles, external hard drives, and cameras reside locally on the internal subnet of the system, or on any remote network connected to the system using the WAN or internet;

a set of HTML pages that are exported to a connecting browser for viewing, playback, and system management whereby all remote access is effected using standard browsers without remote client software; and

an array of independent hardware i/o devices whose inputs and outputs can be received and driven from the server to function as if in a “

wired OR”

, “

wired EXCLUSIVE OR”

, “

wired AND”

, or any other logical assignment as configured in the centralized server.

4. The system according to claim 3 further comprising hardware I/Os that can be driven to cause an event triggering mechanism based on logical relationships between the I/Os, time/date, and sequence of occurrence of events.

5. The system according to claim 4 further comprising a mechanism to implement a guard duty detection circuit, and via software and hardware monitor and report guard duty activity.

6. A stand-alone, WAN/LAN IP based video-monitoring/recording/playback system comprising:

a centralized server machine having an internal web server engine, a user account management system, and a built-in network video recorder (NVR);

a non-volatile storage device for archival of digital video frames;

a network switch/access point and/or router for interconnecting the components including at least the server and IP devices including at least IP cameras or IP video servers;

an architecture such that viewing and management consoles, external hard drives, and cameras reside locally on the internal subnet of the system, or on any remote network connected to the system using the WAN or internet;

a set of HTML pages that are exported to a connecting browser for viewing, playback, and system management whereby all remote access is effected using standard browsers without remote client software;

an enterprise class, distributed, relational database server that is integrated as part of the overall system enabling complex functionality, scalability, and maintainability; and

an array of independent i/o devices whose inputs and outputs can be received and driven from the server to function as if in a “

wired OR”

, “

wired EXCLUSIVE OR”

, “

wired AND”

, or any other logical assignment from a single point setup and managed by the database.

7. The system according to claim 6 further comprising hardware I/Os that can be driven to cause an event triggering mechanism based on logical relationships between the I/Os, time/date, and sequence of occurrence of events all of which are setup via the database.

8. The system according to claim 7 further comprising a mechanism to implement a guard duty detection circuit, and via software and hardware monitor and report guard duty activity.

9. A stand-alone, WAN/LAN IP based video-monitoring/recording/playback system comprising:

a centralized server machine having an internal web server engine, a user account management system, and a built-in network video recorder (NVR);

a non-volatile storage device for archival of digital video frames;

a network switch/access point and/or router for interconnecting the components including at least the server and IP devices including at least IP cameras or IP video servers;

an architecture such that viewing and management consoles, external hard drives, and cameras reside locally on the internal subnet of the system, or on any remote network connected to the system using the WAN or internet;

a set of HTML pages that are exported to a connecting browser for viewing, playback, and system management whereby all remote access is effected using standard browsers without remote client software;

a wireless access point for connecting wireless video servers and wireless IP cameras;

wherein the system is fully incorporated into a suitcase supporting three to nine IP cameras, that can be instantaneously deployed.