Managing memory in a surveillance system

• US 8,797,404 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Joseph, Chermarajan, Perumal, Muralitharan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): MIAH, RAZU A
• Application Number:
  US12/172,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,213 Days
• Field of Search: 348143-148, 348150-159
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19667 Details realated to data compression, encryption or encoding, e.g. resolution modes for reducing data volume to lower transmission bandwidth or memory requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system

Abstract

Systems and methods to manage memory in a surveillance system are disclosed. The present invention discloses a rule-based storage clearance system or storage archive. A storage server has a user interface, a logic unit, and a storage device. A plurality of video footage files is continuously being streamed to the storage server and recorded on the storage device. The objective is to help erase or archive stored video footage based on static and dynamic surveillance parameters or rules. The rules can be applied either stream-wise or time-wise. The rule checks for clearing or archiving the storage by tallying various parameters such as: events associated with each stream, user bookmarks, the priority of individual streams, and the age of each stream, etc.

Claims

1. A surveillance system with dynamic memory management, comprising:

a video camera for recording a video clip;

a storage unit;

a plurality of video clips previously stored in the storage unit;

a logic unit that assigns a respective priority to the video clip and to each of the previously stored video clips based on each of a plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters provided by a user, the logic unit stores the video clip from the video camera as a currently stored video clip in the storage unit based on said priority, and dynamically adjusts a priority of each of the plurality of video clips in the storage unit and deletes or archives at least some of the stored plurality of video clips to take effect in real time based upon changes to the plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters made by the user;

wherein the plurality of adjustable surveillance parameter further comprises any combination of source parameters, media parameters, user parameters, and correlation parameters;

wherein source parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on characteristics of the video camera that recorded the video clip, media parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on the content of the video clip, and user parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on user-defined rules; and

wherein deletion or archiving of the video clip is based on the combined weight of the correlation parameters.

2. The surveillance system of claim 1, wherein the logic unit allocates a storage space for the video clip on a storage unit, the storage space being a function of the priority of the video clip.

3. The surveillance system of claim 1, wherein the logic unit allocates a time to store the video clip on a storage unit, the time being a function of the priority of the video clip.

4. The surveillance system of claim 3, wherein the video clip is deleted or archived when the time expires.

5. The surveillance system of claim 4, further comprising:

a user interface on a computer in communication with the video cameras, logic unit, and storage unit, the user interface including the ability to define user parameters and adjust the plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters.

6. The surveillance system of claim 1, wherein the video cameras, logic unit, and storage unit are all in communication over a wired or wireless packet-based network.

7. The surveillance system of claim 1, wherein the video clip is deleted or archived when its priority becomes low relative to the priorities of a plurality of video clips.

8. The surveillance system of claim 7, further comprising:

an archive unit for storing the archived video clip.

9. A method for managing memory in a surveillance system, the method comprising:

a logic unit assigning a respective priority to each of a plurality of video clips recorded over a time period by one or more video cameras, the respective priority being based on a respective plurality of adjustable parameters;

a storage unit storing each of the video clips based on the respective priority of the video clip; and

the logic unit dynamically adjusting a priority of each of the plurality of video clip in the storage unit and deleting or archiving at least some of the plurality of stored video clips to take effect in real time based upon changes to the respective plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters made by a user;

wherein the plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters further comprises any combination of source parameters, media parameters, user parameters, and correlation parameters;

wherein source parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on characteristics of the video camera that recorded the video clip, media parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on the content of the video clip, and user parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on user-defined rules; and

wherein deletion or archiving of the video clip is based on the combined weight of the correlation parameters.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising allocating a respective storage space for the video clip on a storage unit, the storage space being a function of the priority of the video clip.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

deleting or archiving each of the video clips when the priority of the video clip is low relative to the priorities of an additional plurality of video clips.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising archiving each of the video clip on an archive unit.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising allocating a respective time to store the video clip on a storage unit, the time being a function of the respective priority of the video clip.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising deleting or archiving the respective video clip when the respective time expires.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the video camera and any logic units or storage units are in communication via a wired or wireless packet-based network.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing a user interface on a computer in communication with the video camera and any logic units and storage units, the user interface including the ability to define the user parameters and to adjust the plurality of adjustable parameters.