Surveillance apparatus and method for wireless mesh network

• US 8,711,197 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AgileMesh, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AgileMesh, Inc.
• Inventors: Dickerson, James W., Cromwell, Mark C., Smith, Dennis K., Satinsky, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Xu, Xiaolan
• Application Number:
  US11/470,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20070076094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,791 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14, 348/143
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• 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 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• 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: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Provided are video nodes for wireless networks and methods thereof that wirelessly extend a wired surveillance system. A wireless interface device services wireless communications between a wired video surveillance network and a wireless viewing node. According to another aspect, a wireless interface device transmits an alert over the wireless network upon a triggering event. In yet another aspect, a technique for viewing an image source from a surveillance system includes displaying available surveillance systems for a user to select according to a display criteria and responsive to selection of an available surveillance system, enabling wireless access to the surveillance system.

Claims

1. A wireless interface device that services wireless communications between a wired video surveillance network and a wireless viewing node, the wireless interface device comprising:

a wireless interface unit that wirelessly interfaces with the wireless viewing node;

an encryption unit operable to encrypt the wireless communications, wherein the wireless communications traverse a wireless mesh network connection; and

an access unit operable to allow an authorized party at the wireless viewing node access to a tiling of surveillance images representative of content captures by cameras in the wired video surveillance network, the tiling of surveillance images adaptively provided to the authorized party based on the relative locations of the cameras.

2. A wireless interface device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication channel selector for selecting a communications channel, wherein the communications channel is associated with a predetermined parameter.

3. A wireless interface device according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined parameter comprises at least one of a channel number, an encryption key, and a Service Set Identifier (SSID).

4. A wireless interface device according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined parameter comprises a channel number associated with an IEEE 802.11 standard frequency.

5. A wireless interface device according to claim 1, wherein the access unit is configurable over a network connection.

6. A wireless interface device according to claim 1, further comprising an alert unit.

7. A wireless interface device according to claim 6, wherein the alert unit is operable to transmit an alert signal comprising at least one of a video source to view, a triggering event source, an access key, an IP address of a video source to view, a physical address of an alert location, a contact name, a contact phone number, a map of the alert location, a location map of hazards, and a photograph of at least one authorized person.

8. A wireless interface device according to claim 6, wherein an alert is triggered by one of a fire alarm, a smoke detector, a gas detector, a break glass detector, a panic button, and a motion detector.

9. A wireless interface device according to claim 6, wherein the alert unit is further operable to transmit an alert signal until at least one of the following events occur:

manual deactivation of the alert, a predetermined alert time is reached, and the alert is acknowledged by a predetermined number of viewers.

10. A wireless interface device according to claim 1, wherein adaptively providing the tiling of surveillance images to the authorized party comprises displaying only surveillance images within a specified relative distance.

11. A wireless interface device according to claim 1, wherein adaptively providing the tiling of surveillance images to the authorized party comprises providing a listing of surveillance images from which individual surveillance images may be selected for viewing.

12. A wireless interface device according to claim 1, wherein adaptively providing the tiling of surveillance images to the authorized party comprises changing the tiling of surveillance images based on changes in a relative location of the access unit.

13. A wireless interface device according to claim 1, wherein adaptively providing the tiling of surveillance images to the authorized party comprises determining a subset of a total number of video sources that is practical to view.

14. A wireless interface device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a management console, wherein the management console is operable to provide control and command of wireless communications;

wherein the access unit is operable to provide and receive content, through the wireless interface unit and under the direction of an external management console;

wherein the access unit is operable to provide, under the direction of the management console, surveillance images representative of content captured by a first camera associated with the wireless viewing node; and

wherein the access unit is operable to receive, under the direction of the management console, surveillance images representative of content captured by a second camera associated with another wireless viewing node, wherein the surveillance images representative of the content captured by at least the first and second cameras are tiled and wherein the tiling of the surveillance images is done adaptively based on the relative locations of the cameras.

15. A method for viewing an image source from a surveillance system, the method comprising:

providing a wireless interface unit;

providing a wireless viewing node;

wirelessly interfacing the wireless interface unit with the wireless viewing node;

providing an access unit;

allowing, via the access unit, an authorized party at the wireless viewing node access to a tiling of surveillance images representative of content captured by cameras in the surveillance system via wireless communications that traverse a wireless mesh network connection, the tiling of surveillance images adaptively provided to the authorized party based on the relative locations of the cameras;

displaying, at the wireless viewing node, available surveillance systems for a user to select according to a display criteria; and

responsive to selection of an available surveillance system, enabling wireless access to the surveillance system.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein enabling wireless access to the surveillance system comprises establishing a connection with the wireless interface device.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein establishing the connection comprises accessing a store for storing at least one access key.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the access key comprises at least one of a channel number, an encryption key, and a Service Set Identifier (SSID).

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein the display criteria is a geographic area.

20. A method according to claim 15, wherein the display criteria is a geographic loci from a viewer location.

21. A method according to claim 15, wherein the display criteria is a geographic loci from a selected geographic location.

22. A method according to claim 15, wherein the display criteria is a communication range.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the communication range is determined by a number of hops.

24. A method according to claim 15, wherein the display criteria is an alert.

25. A method according to claim 15, wherein the alert is triggered by an E911 call.

26. A method according to claim 15, wherein the display criteria is at least a part of a name associated with the surveillance system.

27. A method according to claim 15, wherein the displaying available surveillance systems comprises displaying a textual list of available surveillance systems.

28. A method according to claim 15, wherein the displaying available surveillance systems comprises displaying a map of available surveillance systems.

29. A method according to claim 15, wherein adaptively providing the tiling of surveillance images to the authorized party comprises displaying only surveillance images within a specified relative distance.

30. A method according to claim 15, wherein adaptively providing the tiling of surveillance images to the authorized party comprises providing a listing of surveillance images from which individual surveillance images may be selected for viewing.

31. A method according to claim 15, wherein adaptively providing the tiling of surveillance images to the authorized party comprises changing the tiling of surveillance images based on changes in a relative location of the access unit.

32. A method according to claim 15, wherein adaptively providing the tiling of surveillance images to the authorized party comprises determining a subset of a total number of video sources that is practical to view.

33. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

a management console, wherein the management console is operable to provide control and command of wireless communications;

wherein the access unit is operable to provide and receive content, through the wireless interface unit and under the direction of an external management console;

wherein the access unit is operable to provide, under the direction of the management console, surveillance images representative of content captured by a first camera associated with the wireless viewing node; and

wherein the access unit is operable to receive, under the direction of the management console, surveillance images representative of content captured by a second camera associated with another wireless viewing node.

34. A wireless interface device that services wireless communications between an associated wireless viewing node and a video surveillance network, the wireless interface device comprising:

a wireless interface unit that wirelessly communicates with other wireless nodes through the wireless communications, wherein the wireless communications traverse a wireless mesh network connection;

an access unit in communication with the wireless interface unit, the access unit operable to provide and receive content, through the wireless interface unit and under the direction of an external management console;

wherein the access unit is operable to provide, under the direction of the management console, a tiling of surveillance images representative of content captured by a first camera associated with the wireless viewing node; and

wherein the access unit is operable to receive, under the direction of the management console, surveillance images representative of content captured by a second camera associated with another wireless viewing node, wherein the surveillance images representative of the content captured by at least the first and second cameras are tiled and wherein the tiling of the surveillance images is done adaptively based on the relative locations of the cameras.

35. A wireless interface device according to claim 34, wherein the surveillance images representative of content captured by at least one of the first and the second cameras are viewable using a display.

36. A wireless network that wirelessly extends a surveillance system, the wireless network comprising:

wireless communications, wherein the wireless communications traverse a wireless mesh network connection;

a first wireless interface device associated with a first wireless viewing node, the first wireless interface device in communication with a first camera;

a second wireless interface device associated with a second wireless viewing node, the second wireless interface device in communication with a second camera;

a management console, the management console operable to provide control and command of the wireless communications;

wherein the management console is operable to coordinate access of content captured by the first and second cameras to the first and second wireless interface devices;

wherein the first wireless interface device is operable to provide, under the direction of the management console, surveillance images representative of content captured by the first camera;

wherein the first wireless interface device is operable to receive, under the direction of the management console, surveillance images representative of content captured by the second camera; and

wherein at least one of the first and second wireless interface devices are operable to provide the surveillance images in a tiled manner, the tiling of the surveillance images adaptively provided according to the locations of the cameras.

37. A wireless interface device according to claim 36, wherein the surveillance images representative of content captured by at least one of the first and the second cameras are viewable using a display.