Cloud-based surveillance with intelligent tamper protection

• US 9,614,871 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2014
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Scanzano, Francis X., Wonderly, Kyle S.
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Michael S
• Application Number:
  US14/471,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20160065615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 726 34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

In one embodiment, a security system includes a central communication unit and a first surveillance device. The central communication unit is communicatively connected over a network to cloud storage, by way of a first transmission channel and a second transmission channel. The second transmission channel is redundant with the first transmission channel. The first surveillance device configured to record first surveillance data, and is communicatively connected to the central communication unit by way of a third transmission channel and a fourth transmission channel. The fourth transmission channel is redundant with the third transmission channel. The first surveillance device is configured to transmit the first surveillance data to the central communication unit, and the central communication unit is configured to transmit the first surveillance data to the cloud storage.

Claims

1. A security system comprising:

a central communication unit communicatively connected over a network to a cloud storage in a remote location from the central communication unit, wherein the communicative connection is by way of a first transmission channel and a second transmission channel, wherein the second transmission channel is redundant with the first transmission channel; and

a first surveillance device configured to record first surveillance data on the premises of the central communication unit, and being communicatively connected to the central communication unit by way of a third transmission channel and a fourth transmission channel, wherein the fourth transmission channel is redundant with the third transmission channel;

wherein the first surveillance device is configured to transmit the first surveillance data to the central communication unit;

wherein the central communication unit is configured to transmit the first surveillance data to the cloud storage by way of a plurality of transmission channels, including the first transmission channel and the second transmission channel, and wherein the central communication unit is configured to select, for transmitting the first surveillance data to the cloud storage, a verifiable transmission channel with highest priority from among the plurality of transmission channels; and

wherein the first surveillance device is configured to begin recording the first surveillance data based on a determination that fewer than a critical threshold number of the plurality of transmission channels are verifiable.

2. The security system of claim 1, wherein the central communication unit is configured to use the first transmission channel to transmit the first surveillance data to the cloud storage if the first transmission channel is verifiable as useable, and wherein the central communication unit is configured to use the second transmission channel to transmit the first surveillance data to the cloud storage if the first transmission channel is not verifiable as useable.

3. The security system of claim 1, wherein the central communication unit further comprises a first power source and a second power source, wherein the second power source is redundant with the first power source.

4. The security system of claim 1, wherein the first surveillance device is configured to use the third transmission channel to transmit the first surveillance data to the central communication unit if the third transmission channel is verifiable as useable, and wherein the first surveillance device is configured to use the fourth transmission channel to transmit the first surveillance data to the central communication unit if the third transmission channel is not verifiable as useable.

5. The security system of claim 1, wherein the central communication unit further comprises:

a buffering unit configured to perform preparations on the first surveillance data prior to the central communication unit transmitting the first surveillance data to the cloud storage;

wherein the preparations performed by the buffering unit are dependent on a current state of the security system.

6. The security system of claim 5, wherein the preparations performed by the buffering unit are dependent on whether the first transmission channel is currently being used to transmit the first surveillance data from the central communication unit to the cloud storage.

7. The security system of claim 5, wherein the central communication unit further comprises a first power source and a second power source, wherein the second power source is redundant with the first power source, and wherein the preparations performed by the buffering unit are dependent on whether the first power source is currently being used.

8. The security system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second surveillance device configured to record second surveillance data on the premises of the central communication unit, and being communicatively connected to the central communication unit;

wherein the second surveillance device is configured to transmit the second surveillance data to the central communication unit, and wherein the central communication unit is further configured to transmit the second surveillance data to the cloud storage; and

wherein the central communication unit is further configured to select an order in which to transmit the first surveillance data and the second surveillance data to the cloud storage, and wherein the selected order is based on a round robin technique.

9. A computer program product for implementing a security system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a signal, the program instructions readable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to perform a method comprising:

receiving, at a central communication unit from a first surveillance device, a recording of first surveillance data captured by the first surveillance device, wherein the first surveillance data is received by way of at least one of a first transmission channel and a second transmission channel between the first surveillance device and the central communication unit, wherein the second transmission channel is redundant with the first transmission channel; and

transmitting the first surveillance data, from the central communication unit to a cloud storage, wherein the first surveillance data is transmitted by way of at least one of a third transmission channel and a fourth transmission channel between the first surveillance device and the central communication unit, wherein the fourth transmission channel is redundant with the third transmission channel;

wherein the central communication unit is enabled to transmit the first surveillance data to the cloud storage by way of a plurality of transmission channels, including the third transmission channel and the fourth transmission channel;

wherein the central communication unit is configured to select, for transmitting the first surveillance data to the cloud storage, a verifiable transmission channel with highest priority from among the plurality of transmission channels; and

wherein the first surveillance device is configured to begin recording the first surveillance data based on a determination that fewer than a critical threshold number of the plurality of transmission channels are verifiable.