Local verification systems and methods for security monitoring

• US 20070182540A1
• Filed: 02/06/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GE Security Incorporated (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Marman, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,504,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/95 structured as a network, e.g. client-server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19686 Interfaces masking personal details for privacy, e.g. blurring faces, vehicle license plates
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system

Abstract

A security monitoring system for reducing the number of false alarms through verification comprises a remote system at a first location remote from a second location and a local system located at the second location. The remote system comprises a remote database. The local system is electronically linked with the remote system to provide indication of alarm events to the remote system and comprises at least one camera operable to capture at least one image of a local object in view of the camera, a local database operable to electronically store at least one template corresponding to an authorized object, and an image processing system operable to perform a visual verification. The visual verification comprises comparing the at least one image of the local object with the at least one template corresponding to the authorized object and, if a matching result occurs from the visual verification, suppressing indication of an alarm event to the remote system.

Claims

1. A security monitoring system for reducing false alarms through visual verification, comprising:

a remote system at a first location remote from a second location, the remote system comprising a remote system database; and

a local system located at the second location and electronically linked with the remote system to provide indication of alarm events occurring at the second location to the remote system, the local system comprising;

at least one camera operable to capture at least one image of a local object in view of the at least one camera;

a local database operable to store at least one template corresponding to an authorized object; and

an image processing system operable to perform a visual verification, the visual verification comprising a comparison of the at least one image of the local object with the at least one template corresponding to the authorized object and, if a matching result occurs from the visual verification, to suppress indication of an alarm event to the remote system.

2. The security monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the image processing system is further operable, if a matching result occurs from the visual verification, to suppress transmission of the at least one image of the local object from the local system to the remote system.

3. The security monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the local object is a human being.

4. The security monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the indication of an alarm event to the remote system is a provisional determination subject to validation by the remote system.

5. The security monitoring system of claim 4, wherein the validation by the remote system comprises review of alarm event conditions by a human operator.

6. The security monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the at least one image of the local object is transmitted from the local system to the remote system, and wherein the validation by the remote system comprises review of the at least one image by a human operator at the second location.

7. The security monitoring system of claim 1, wherein, if the local object cannot be compared, the local system indicates a potential alarm event to the remote system.

8. The security monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the image processing system performs object recognition and background/foreground analysis on the at least one image.

9. The security monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the visual verification is performed in response to a determination that the local object is a foreground object.

10. The security monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the remote system database is operable to electronically store at least one image corresponding to the authorized object.

11. The security monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the image processing system is further operable, if a non-matching result occurs from the visual verification, to indicate an alarm event to the remote system.

12. The security monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the image processing system is further operable, if a non-matching result occurs from the visual verification, to transmit an image clip comprising multiple images of the local object along with a prioritization level to the remote system

13. The security monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the multiple images comprise a series of images taken in a defined interval.

14. The security monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the multiple images comprise a series of sequential images.

15. The security monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the multiple images show a scene before an alarm event.

16. The security monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the multiple images further show the scene during the alarm event, and after the alarm event.

17. The security monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the prioritization level is determined by the image processing system based on at least one predetermined criterion.

18. The security monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the prioritization level comprises a representation of a degree of difference between the at least one image of the local object and the at least one template corresponding to the authorized object.

19. The security monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the image processing system is further operable, if a non-matching result occurs from the comparison, to transmit at least one possible match for the local object based at least in part on results from the comparison.

20. The security monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the local database is operable to electronically store at least one voice template corresponding to an authorized subject, and wherein the local system further comprises a voice verification system comprising:

a device operable to capture a recording of a subject'"'"'s voice;

a voice processing system operable to perform an audio verification comprising an audio comparison of the recording of the subject'"'"'s voice with the at least one voice template corresponding to the authorized subject and, if a matching result occurs, suppress transmission of the captured recording to the remote system.

21. The security monitoring system of claim 20, wherein the audio comparison is performed in real-time.

22. The security monitoring system of claim 20, wherein the voice processing system is further operable, if a non-matching result occurs, to transmit information resulting from the audio comparison to the remote system.

23. The security monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera comprises a plurality of cameras mounted inside a building, wherein the at least one camera has a visual range directed toward a doorway providing access to the building.

24. The security monitoring system of claim 23, wherein the image processing system is further operable to determine whether the object is entering or leaving the building through the doorway.

25. The security monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera comprises a plurality of cameras mounted outside a building, wherein the at least one camera has a visual range directed away from a doorway providing access to the building

26. The security monitoring system of claim 25, wherein the image processing system is further operable to determine whether the object is entering or leaving the building through the doorway.

27. The security monitoring system of claim 1, wherein a non-matching result comprises a difference outside a predetermined range between the at least one image of the local object and the at least one template corresponding to the authorized object.

28. The security monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the local system comprises at least one sensor operable to trigger the image processing system to perform the visual verification.

29. The security monitoring system of claim 28, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a motion sensor operable to detect a moving object.

30. The security monitoring system of claim 23, wherein the at least one template corresponding to the authorized object comprises biometric features of the human being.

31. The security monitoring system of claim 23, wherein the image processing system is further operable to maintain a count of how many objects pass in or out the doorway during a given interval of time.

32. The security monitoring system of claim 23, wherein the image processing system is further operable, if the object is determined to be re-entering the building within a predetermined time after leaving the building, to suppress transmission of the alarm signal to the remote system.

33. The security monitoring system of claim 25, wherein the at least one template corresponding to the authorized object comprises biometric features of the human being.

34. The security monitoring system of claim 25, wherein the image processing system is further operable to maintain a count of how many objects pass in or out the doorway during a given interval of time.

35. The security monitoring system of claim 25, wherein the image processing system is further operable, if the object is determined to be re-entering the building within a predetermined time after leaving the building, to suppress transmission of the alarm signal to the remote system.

36. In a security monitoring system having at least one monitored first location with a communications link to a central monitoring system at a second location remote from the first location, a method of reducing false alarms comprising:

detecting a conditional alarm-generating event based on presence of an object at a premises associated with the first location;

capturing image data corresponding to the object;

determining at the first location whether the object is authorized, wherein the determining comprises performing a comparison at the first location of the captured image data to electronically stored templates; and

if a positive match results from the performing of the comparison, suppressing an alarm event notification to a remote system.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein a positive match comprises a reasonable match between the captured image data and at least one of the electronically stored templates.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein if a positive match does not result, further comprising transmitting a video clip of the object to the remote system.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein if a positive match does not result, further comprising transmitting a list of possible matches resulting from the performing of the comparison to the remote system along with a video clip of the object.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein if a positive match does not result, transmitting an indication of an alarm event to the remote system.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising transmitting a prioritization level along with the video clip of the object, wherein the prioritization level is based at least in part upon a predetermined criterion.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the remote system comprises a central security monitoring facility.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising reviewing of the video clip of the object by a security advisor at the central security monitoring facility.

44. The method of claim 36, wherein capturing image data comprises capturing video image data.

45. A verification module of a local component of a security system configured to communicate with a remote component, the verification module comprising an electronic circuit with a processor operable to perform a verification based on a comparison of at least one image of a monitored local scene and stored reference data, the verification module determining autonomously whether to indicate an alarm event, wherein, based on the comparison results, if the at least one image is determined not to match the reference data, an alarm event is recognized and the local component communicates the alarm event to the remote component, and if the at least one image is determined to match the reference data, an alarm event is not recognized and no alarm event communication to the remote component occurs.

46. The security system of claim 45, wherein valid verification of an intruder being an authorized owner/operator of the local system can provide the intruder with access to owner programming features.

47. The security system of claim 45, wherein the reference data comprises a plurality of image templates.

48. The security system of claim 45, wherein the at least one image is a video image.