Method and Apparatus for Configuring Storage of Video Data from a Plurality of Sources

• US 20090080861A1
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pelco (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Pelco (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: de Klerk, Adrianus A., Medhurst, Kirsten
• Granted Patent: US 8,879,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/223
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/40 Combinations of multiple record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

A method of configuring a storage device for recording video data from a plurality of video sources comprising the steps of providing a list of parameters that control settings of the plurality of video sources that affect the amount of video data that will be provided by a video source from the plurality of video sources, allowing a user to select a parameter from the list, allowing the user to change the selected parameter, determining the effect of changing the selected parameter on the amount of video storage available; and providing the user with feedback concerning the effect of changing the selected parameter.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a storage device for recording video data from a plurality of video sources comprising the steps of:

providing a list of parameters that control settings of the plurality of video sources that affect the amount of video data that will be provided by a video source from the plurality of video sources;

allowing a user to select a parameter from the list;

allowing the user to change the selected parameter;

determining the effect of changing the selected parameter on the amount of video storage available; and

providing the user with feedback concerning the effect of changing the selected parameter.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of determining the effect of changing the selected parameter on the amount of video storage available comprises determining the change in the amount of time that video data can be recorded before the storage device is full.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein said step of providing the user with feedback concerning the affect of changing the selected parameter comprises providing the user with feedback concerning the change in the amount of time that video data can be recorded before the storage device is full.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of enabling a user to make a global change in a parameter that affects all of the plurality of video sources.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 further comprising the step of enabling a user to lock a parameter related to a first video source from the plurality of video sources so that the parameter pertaining to the first video source is not changed when a user makes a global change in a parameter that affects all of the plurality of video sources.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of providing a list of parameters that control settings of the plurality of video sources that affect the amount of video data that will be provided by a video source from the plurality of video sources comprises providing a list comprising frames per second, image size, image quality, and recording schedule.

13. A computer readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

14. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 13 wherein the step of determining the effect of changing the selected parameter on the amount of video storage available comprises determining the change in the amount of time that video data can be recorded before the storage device is full.

15. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 14 wherein said step of providing the user with feedback concerning the affect of changing the selected parameter comprises providing the user with feedback concerning the change in the amount of time that video data can be recorded before the storage device is full.

16. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 13 further comprising the step of enabling a user to make a global change in a parameter that affects all of the plurality of video sources.

17. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 16 further comprising the step of enabling a user to lock a parameter related to a first video source from the plurality of video sources so that the parameter pertaining to the first video source is not changed when a user makes a global change in a parameter that affects all of the plurality of video sources.

18. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 13 wherein said step of providing a list of parameters that control settings of the plurality of video sources that affect the amount of video data that will be provided by a video source from the plurality of video sources comprises providing a list comprising frames per second, image size, image quality, and recording schedule.

7. An apparatus for configuring storage for recording video data from a plurality of video sources comprising:

a processor;

an input adapted to receive video data from a plurality of video sources; and

memory, said processor being adapted generate a signal to provide a list of parameters that control settings of the plurality of video sources connected to said input that affect the amount of video data that will be provided by a video source from the plurality of video sources, allowing a user to select a parameter from the list, allowing the user to change the selected parameter, determining the effect of changing the selected parameter on the amount of storage available in said memory and providing the user with feedback concerning the effect of changing the selected parameter.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said processor is adapted to determine the change in the amount of time that video data can be recorded before said memory is full.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said processor is adapted to provide the user with feedback concerning the change in the amount of time that video data can be recorded before said memory is full.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said processor is adapted to enable a user to make a global change in a parameter that affects all of the plurality of video sources.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein said processor is adapted to enable a user to lock a parameter related to a first video source from the plurality of video sources so that the parameter pertaining to the first video source is not changed when a user makes a global change in a parameter that affects all of the plurality of video sources.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said processor is adapted to provide a list comprising frames per second, image size, image quality, and recording schedule.