Systems and methods for presenting digital video management system information via a user-customizable hierarchical tree interface

• US 9,894,261 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2012
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Flannery, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burwell, Joseph R
• Application Number:
  US14/129,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20140125808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods for presenting DVM system information. In overview, a hierarchical tree structure is used to display DVM system elements (such as cameras). The tree structure is defined by a plurality of nodes arranged in hierarchical levels. Each level in the tree structure corresponds to an element characteristic. The nodes for each level correspond to element characteristic values. For example, one level might correspond to “camera status”, and the nodes at that level each define camera status values (e.g. operational or non-operational). A tree customization module allows a user to customize the tree structure by designating element characteristics for levels in the tree structure.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for presenting Digital Video Management (DVM) system information for a DVM system, the method including:

providing an interface for displaying DVM system elements in a hierarchical tree structure, wherein the DVM system elements include hardware devices that enable the collection of surveillance footage in a DVM system wherein the hardware devices include cameras and camera servers, wherein the hierarchical tree structure includes a plurality of nodes arranged in a plurality of levels, each node corresponding to a DVM element characteristic value, such that DVM system elements having that DVM element characteristic value are grouped under that node, wherein for a given one of the DVM system elements defined by a hardware device, the DVM element characteristic value is representative of one or more of;

(a) a hardware physical location;

(b) a hardware physical operational status;

or (c) hardware security settings;

providing a tree customization module configured to receive instructions from a user indicative of;

(i) a user designated DVM element characteristic for a level in the hierarchical tree structure, wherein the user selects the user designated DVM element characteristic from a list including the following selectable characteristic types;

(a) a hardware physical location;

(b) a hardware physical operational status and (c) hardware security settings; and

(ii) a user designated location in the hierarchical tree structure for that level;

in response to the instructions from the user, defining nodes for that level, wherein each node corresponds to a value for the user designated DVM element characteristic;

updating the hierarchical tree structure with the defined nodes;

providing an interactive checkbox for each node and element in the hierarchical tree structure wherein checking the checkbox causes selection of the associated element or in the case of a node causes selection of the associated node and all of the nodes and elements underlying the checked node in the hierarchical tree structure and wherein un-checking the checkbox causes deselection of the associated element or in the case of a node causes deselection of the associated node and all of the nodes and elements underlying the unchecked node in the hierarchical tree structure;

providing a user-selectable functionality whereby nodes and elements selected using the interactive checkbox remain selected as the hierarchical tree structure is updated by the user through the tree customization module, such that, in use;

when the hierarchical tree structure is presented in a first configuration, a user selects a first subset of the nodes and elements using the interactive checkboxes;

subsequently, the user provides instructions to the tree customization module to update the hierarchical tree structure to a second configuration, wherein the second configuration presents a different configuration of hierarchical tree structure elements compared with the first configuration, with relationships between a subset of the nodes and elements altered; and

when the hierarchical tree structure is presented in the second configuration, the user selects a second subset of the nodes and elements using the interactive checkboxes, wherein the first subset of the nodes remains persistent selected in spite of transition from the first configuration to the second configuration, such that both the first subset of the nodes and the second subset of the nodes become simultaneously selected.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the DVM element characteristics available for designation include characteristics corresponding to table fields defined in a DVM database for the DVM system.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the DVM element characteristics available for designation include characteristics corresponding to runtime statuses defined for the DVM system.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein, for at least a selection of the nodes displayed in the hierarchical tree structure, a count is displayed, the count indicating a number of DVM system elements grouped under that node.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the tree customization module allows for an unrestricted depth of nodes in the hierarchical tree structure.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the DVM system elements include any one or more of capture devices, streaming devices, integrated capture and streaming devices, camera servers, analytics servers, and storage mediums.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the tree customization module is configured to display a characteristic selection object, which organises characteristics available for designation into characteristic categories.

8. A Digital Video Management (DVM) system comprising:

an interface module for displaying at one or more client terminals DVM system elements in a hierarchical tree structure, wherein the DVM system elements include hardware devices that enable the collection of surveillance footage in a DVM system wherein the hardware devices include cameras and camera servers, and wherein the hierarchical tree structure includes a plurality of nodes arranged in a plurality of levels, each node corresponding to a DVM element characteristic value, such that DVM system elements having that DVM element characteristic value are grouped under that node, and wherein for a given one of the DVM system elements defined by a hardware device, the DVM element characteristic value is representative of one or more of;

(a) a hardware physical location;

(b) a hardware physical operational status;

or (c) hardware security settings;

a tree customization module configured to receive instructions from a user via an input device indicative of;

(i) a user designated DVM element characteristic for a level in the hierarchical tree structure, wherein the user selects the user designated DVM element characteristic from a list including the following selectable characteristic types;

(a) a hardware physical location;

(b) a hardware physical operational status and (c) hardware security settings; and

(ii) a user designated location in the hierarchical tree structure for that level;

a structure definition module for, in response to the instructions from the user, defining nodes for that level, wherein each node corresponds to a value for the user designated DVM element characteristic;

an updating module for updating the hierarchical tree structure with the defined nodes;

providing an interactive checkbox for each node and element in the hierarchical tree structure wherein checking the checkbox causes selection of the associated element or in the case of a node causes selection of the associated node and all of the nodes and elements underlying the checked node in the hierarchical tree structure and wherein un-checking the checkbox causes deselection of the associated element or in the case of a node causes deselection of the associated node and all of the nodes and elements underlying the unchecked node in the hierarchical tree structure;

providing a user-selectable functionality whereby nodes and elements selected using the interactive checkbox remain selected as the hierarchical tree structure is updated by the user through the tree customization module, such that, in use;

when the hierarchical tree structure is presented in a first configuration, a user selects a first subset of the nodes and elements using the interactive checkboxes;

subsequently, the user provides instructions to the tree customization module to update the hierarchical tree structure to a second configuration, wherein the second configuration presents a different configuration of hierarchical tree structure elements compared with the first configuration, with relationships between a subset of the nodes and elements altered; and

when the hierarchical tree structure is presented in the second configuration, the user selects a second subset of the nodes and elements using the interactive checkboxes, wherein the first subset of the nodes remains persistent selected in spite of transition from the first configuration to the second configuration, such that both the first subset of the nodes and the second subset of the nodes become simultaneously.

9. A Digital Video Management (DVM) system comprising:

a DVM server including one or more processors communicatively coupled to a plurality of DVM system elements, the DVM system elements including a plurality of cameras and a plurality of camera servers;

a module, provided by the server, configured to enable rendering at one or more client terminals of a graphical interface that displays DVM system elements in a hierarchical tree structure, wherein the hierarchical tree structure includes a plurality of nodes arranged in a plurality of levels, each node corresponding to a DVM element characteristic value, such that DVM system elements, which include a plurality of cameras and a plurality of camera servers, having that DVM element characteristic value are grouped under that node, wherein for a given one of the DVM system elements defined by a hardware device, the DVM element characteristic value is representative of one or more of;

(a) a hardware physical location;

(b) a hardware physical operational status;

or (c) hardware security settings;

a module, provided by the server, configured to enable rendering at one or more client terminals of a tree customization interface configured to receive instructions from a user indicative of;

(i) a user designated DVM element characteristic for a level in the hierarchical tree structure, wherein the user selects the user designated DVM element characteristic from a list including the following selectable characteristic types;

(a) a hardware physical location;

(b) a hardware physical operational status and (c) hardware security settings; and

(ii) a user designated location in the hierarchical tree structure for that level;

a module configured to, in response to the instructions from the user, define nodes for that level, wherein each node corresponds to a value for the user designated DVM element characteristic;

an updating module, provided by the server, configured to update the hierarchical tree structure with the defined nodes;

providing an interactive checkbox for each node and element in the hierarchical tree structure wherein checking the checkbox causes selection of the associated element or in the case of a node causes selection of the associated node and all of the nodes and elements underlying the checked node in the hierarchical tree structure and wherein un-checking the checkbox causes deselection of the associated element or in the case of a node causes deselection of the associated node and all of the nodes and elements underlying the unchecked node in the hierarchical tree structure;

providing a user-selectable functionality whereby nodes and elements selected using the interactive checkbox remain selected as the hierarchical tree structure is updated by the user through the tree customization module, such that, in use;

when the hierarchical tree structure is presented in a first configuration, a user selects a first subset of the nodes and elements using the interactive checkboxes;

subsequently, the user provides instructions to the tree customization module to update the hierarchical tree structure to a second configuration, wherein the second configuration presents a different configuration of hierarchical tree structure elements compared with the first configuration, with relationships between a subset of the nodes and elements altered; and

when the hierarchical tree structure is presented in the second configuration, the user selects a second subset of the nodes and elements using the interactive checkboxes, wherein the first subset of the nodes remains persistent selected in spite of transition from the first configuration to the second configuration, such that both the first subset of the nodes and the second subset of the nodes become simultaneously selected.

10. A DVM system according to claim 9 wherein the DVM element characteristics available for designation include characteristics corresponding to table fields defined in a DVM database for the DVM system.

11. A DVM system according to claim 9 wherein the DVM element characteristics available for designation include characteristics corresponding to runtime statuses defined for the DVM system.

12. A DVM system according to claim 9 wherein, for at least a selection of the nodes displayed in the hierarchical tree structure, a count is displayed, the count indicating a number of DVM system elements grouped under that node.

13. A DVM system according to claim 9 wherein the structure definition module allows for an unrestricted depth of nodes in the hierarchical tree structure.

14. A DVM system according to claim 9 wherein the DVM system elements include any one or more of capture devices, streaming devices, integrated capture and streaming devices, camera servers, analytics servers, and storage mediums.

15. A DVM system according to claim 9 wherein the tree customization interface is configured to display a characteristic selection object, which organizes characteristics available for designation into characteristic categories.