Wireless video surveillance system and method for self-configuring network

• US 8,457,314 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2006
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Smartvue Corp. (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Renkis, Martin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arani, Taghi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Mohammad L
• Application Number:
  US11/520,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20070064109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,457 Days
• Field of Search: 726/22, 200/203, 380/270
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19615 wherein said pattern is defined by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19621 Portable camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19663 Surveillance related processing done local to the camera
• 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 13/19691 Signalling events for better perception by user, e.g. indicating alarms by making display brighter, adding text, creating a sound
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A mesh network surveillance system and method for providing communication between a base system having at least one wireless input capture device ICD(s) and other ICD(s), wherein the ICD(s) are operable to provide a self-configuring network with each other, including the steps of providing this base system; at least one user accessing the ICDs and inputs remotely via a user interface through a remote server computer and/or electronic device communicating with it, for providing a secure surveillance system with extended inputs range and wireless self-configured networking for smart cross-communication for monitoring a target environment.

Claims

1. A method for providing networked communication in a surveillance system, comprising the steps of:

providing a base surveillance system for surveilling an environment, the base surveillance system including at least one input capture device (ICD) and a corresponding input recorder;

wherein the input recorder can be a dedicated digital input recorder (DIR) or another ICD recording input, including video input, wherein the ICD(s) are capable of direct smart cross-communication with each other for data exchange and ICD control, the data exchange including input data relating to the environment under surveillance, settings, and inputs captured by the ICD(s);

the direct smart cross-communication further including data management and data exchange of content data relating to the environment under surveillance; and

wherein a user is provided access to the ICD inputs via a remote server computer; and

wherein the content data is automatically generated by the ICD(s) from the input data based on rules;

the ICD(s) automatically establishing a self-configuring network including the ICD(s), and the input recorder;

the ICD(s) transmit data to pass down the line to the receiver, extending the range by the number of cameras;

the DIR locking the ICD(s) to send data exclusively to the DIR and the DIR locking itself for exclusive communication with the locked ICD(s) wherein the locking comprises digital signing or encrypting the transmission and the encryption method is selected from the group consisting of stream cipher encryption, block cipher encryption, public key encryption and hardware based encryption;

the DIR not accepting signals from ICD(s) that are not locked to the DIR;

and

the ICD(s) configured to analyze the input data, including the video input data, based upon the rules stored in a memory of the ICD, the ICD(s) deciding based upon the rules if an event rule has been triggered and relevant content should be forwarded to the DIR or a remote server computer (RSC) or other ICD(s), thereby providing a secure, remote access surveillance system for a target environment.

16. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of the ICD(s) managing data transmission based on rules to ensure the most important data is successfully transmitted.

2. A method for providing networked communication between at least two input capture devices (ICDs) capable of cross-communication, data and issue processing, and communication with a remote server computer (RSC), the ICDs forming a base system, comprising the steps of:

providing the base system;

providing user access to the at least one ICD through the RSC via a user interface

for selecting ICD(s) to be included in a self-configuring network including the selected ICDs;

the ICDs establishing the self-configuring network with each other,

the ICDs locking themselves for exclusive communication one another wherein the locking comprises digital signing or encrypting the transmission and the encryption method is selected from the group consisting of stream cipher encryption, block cipher encryption, public key encryption and hardware based encryption;

the ICDs not accepting signals from capture devices that are not locked;

wherein the ICDs are capable of direct smart cross-communication with each other for data exchange and ICD control, the data exchange including input data relating to an environment under surveillance, settings, and inputs captured by the ICDs;

the direct smart cross-communication further including data management and data exchange of content data relating to the environment under surveillance; and

wherein the content data is automatically generated by the ICDs from the input data based on rules; and

wherein a user is provided access to the ICD inputs via a remote server computer;

the ICDs processing issues and deciding when an issue should be sent to the DIR, thereby providing a secure surveillance system for a target environment.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of providing a digital input recorder (DIR) in communication with the ICDs.

4. The method according to claim 2, further including the step of the ICDs transmitting inputs from one ICD to other ICDs configured to communicate with each other to provide a maximum extended range of a surveillance area.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the user is capable of accessing the ICDs via a user interface either directly or remotely through the RSC.

17. The method according to claim 2, further including the step of the ICDs managing data transmission based on rules to ensure the most important data is successfully transmitted.

6. A surveillance system for communication between components comprising:

a base system including at least two input capture devices (ICDs) and a remote server computer (RSC) configured to transmit and receive information with the ICDs, the ICDs having at least one sensor and at least one input component for detecting and recording inputs, a microprocessor, a memory, a transmitter/receiver, all constructed and configured in electronic connection;

wherein the ICDs lock data transmission to exclusively send data between themselves, wherein the locking comprises digital signing or encrypting the transmission and the encryption method is selected from the group consisting of stream cipher encryption, block cipher encryption, public key encryption and hardware based encryption;

wherein the ICDs are configured to analyze input data based upon rules stored in a memory of the ICD and deciding based upon the rules if an event rule has been triggered and relevant content should be forwarded to the remote server computer (RSC) or other ICDs;

and the ICDs are configured to establish a self-configuring network with direct cross-communication, including data exchange of input data relating to an environment under surveillance, settings, inputs captured by the ICDs, content data and combinations thereof and issue processing to provide secure surveillance of a target environment; and

wherein the content data is automatically generated by the ICDs from the input data based on the rules.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the ICDs are configured to transmit inputs from one ICD to other ICDs, which are configured and configured to communicate with each other to provide a maximum extended range of a surveillance area.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the range is between about 100 to about 3000 meters.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the ICDs are configured to compare inputs to reference data for labeling a sensed object for further identification by the system.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein the ICDs further include a cellular phone transmitter or wide band cellular card for providing cellular transmission by each ICD, to provide each ICD with standalone capability to cross-communicate with each other to extend the effective surveillance area and/or to communicate with each other to transmit and receive information that is further transmitted via the Internet to the RSC.

11. The system according to claim 6, wherein the self-configuring network of ICDs is automatically established by the ICDs within the system.

12. The system according to claim 6, wherein the user selects ICDs that are included in the self-configuring network of ICDs.

13. The system according to claim 6, wherein the network is wireless.

14. The system according to claim 6, wherein the network is wired.

15. The system according to claim 6, wherein the network includes some wireless and some wired connectivity for components in the system.

18. The system according to claim 6, wherein the ICDs manage data transmission based on rules to ensure the most important data is successfully transmitted.