Multi-camera surveillance system and method for using the same

• US 20060159164A1
• Filed: 02/10/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales Avionics Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Thales Avionics Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Grich, Richard, Bengoechea, Xavier, Finizio, Francesco
• Granted Patent: US 7,792,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.10
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0053 using visual equipment, e.g. cameras
• 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 13/1965 the vehicle being an aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/66 for reducing bandwidth of signals; for improving efficiency of transmission H04B1/68 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An improved multi-camera surveillance system for use on a vehicle such as an aircraft, and a method for implementing the same. The multi-camera surveillance system is capable of displaying a user-selected image from any camera or user-selected images from multiple cameras at multiple viewing stations by flight and cabin crew, as well as recording and maintaining the images at storage locations on the aircraft and making the images available for viewing and recording at locations external to the aircraft by gate personnel, security officers, and incident investigators.

Claims

1. A multi-camera surveillance system for use on a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of cameras, each adapted for deployment at respective locations in the vehicle;

at least one viewing panel, adapted for deployment at a respective location in the vehicle; and

a network, coupling the plurality of cameras and the at least one viewing panel to each other, to enable each viewing panel to selectably view an image captured by any of the cameras or to selectably view a plurality of images captured by a plurality of the cameras simultaneously.

2. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of said viewing panels.

3. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network comprises:

at least one digital server unit (DSU), each adapted to store at least one image captured by at least one of the cameras.

4. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the network comprises a plurality of DSUs.

5. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the cameras provide their images to the at least one DSU using real time protocols (RTP).

6. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network comprises:

at least one offload interface, adapted to provide images from the cameras to a destination apart from the network.

7. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the destination is remote from the vehicle.

8. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the network comprises:

a plurality of offload interfaces, comprising at least one of an RJ45 Ethernet port and a USB port.

9. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the camera encodes the images into at least one of MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4 or Motion JPEG formats.

10. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network comprises:

a Power-Over Ethernet (PoE) power supply, adapted to supply power to the cameras.

11. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle is an aircraft.

12. A method for deploying a multi-camera surveillance system in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

deploying a plurality of cameras at respective locations in the vehicle;

deploying at least one viewing panel at a respective location in the vehicle;

deploying a network in the vehicle, and coupling the plurality of cameras and the at least one viewing panel to each other via the network;

operating the network to enable each viewing panel to selectably view an image captured by any of the cameras or to selectably view a plurality of images captured by a plurality of the cameras simultaneously.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the viewing panel displaying step comprises:

deploying a plurality of said viewing panels in the vehicle.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

deploying at least one digital server unit (DSU) in the vehicle and coupling each DSU to the network; and

operating the network to enable each DSU to store at least one image captured by at least one of the cameras.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the DSU deploying step comprises:

deploying a plurality of DSUs in the vehicle.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the operating step includes:

operating the network to enable the cameras to provide their images to the at least one DSU using real time protocols (RTP).

17. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

deploying at least one offload interface in the vehicle; and

operating the network to provide images from the cameras to a destination apart from the network via the offload interface.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the destination is remote from the vehicle.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the offload interface deploying step comprises:

deploying a plurality of offload interfaces, comprising at least one of an RJ45 Ethernet port and a USB port, in the vehicle.

20. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein operating step comprises:

operating the camera to encode the images into at least one of MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4 or Motion JPEG formats.