SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING LIVE VIDEO DATA

• US 20100026811A1
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Palmer, Sally-Anne
• Granted Patent: US 9,172,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/159
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2025 using centralised failover control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2033 switching over of hardware resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods for managing live video data. These include the likes of video management systems, camera servers, methods for providing access to video data, methods of operating camera servers, and software for allowing the implementation of such methods in a computer system. In overview, a video management system is configured such that, upon the failure of a camera server, cameras assigned to that server are automatically reassigned to a backup camera server.

Claims

1. A video management system including:

a first camera for providing first live video data;

a first camera server initially configured to make the first video data available in real time to one or more clients;

a second camera server initially assigned as a backup for the first camera server; and

a monitoring module for assessing input indicative of one or more operational characteristics of the first camera server and, in the case that one or more of the operational characteristics meet predefined criteria, configuring the second camera server to make the first video data available in real time to the one or more clients.

2. A system according to claim 1 including:

a plurality of cameras, including the first camera, for providing respective live video data;

one or more primary camera servers, including the first camera server, each initially configured to make video data from an assigned one or more of the cameras available in real time to one or more clients; and

one or more secondary camera servers, including the second camera server, each initially assigned as a backup for one or more of the primary camera servers.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the monitoring module assesses input indicative of one or more operational characteristics of each of the primary camera servers and, in the case that one or more of the operational characteristics for a given primary camera server meet predefined criteria, configures the secondary camera server assigned as a backup for that primary camera server to make available to the one or more clients the video data which the relevant primary camera server was initially configured to make available.

4. A system according to claim 2 wherein a plurality of monitoring modules assess input indicative of one or more operational characteristics of one or more of the primary camera servers and, in the case that one or more of the operational characteristics for a given primary camera server meet predefined criteria, configures the secondary camera server assigned as a backup for that primary camera server to make available to the one or more clients the video data which the relevant primary camera server was initially configured to make available.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein the monitoring module runs on the second camera server.

6. A system according to claim 1 wherein the monitoring module runs on an administration server.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein the monitoring module passively receives the input indicative of one or more operational characteristics of the first camera server.

8. A system according to claim 1 wherein the monitoring module actively obtains the input indicative of one or more operational characteristics of the first camera server.

9. A system according to claim 1 wherein the first video data is made available over a network.

10. A system according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined conditions are met in the case that the first camera server is inferred to be failing to make the first video data available to the one or more clients.

11. A system according to claim 1 wherein the one or more operational characteristics include one or more of the following:

the status of the connection between the first camera server and the network;

the operational status of the first camera sever;

the execution status of one or more services configured to run on the first camera server.

12. A method for providing one or more clients with real time access to first live video data captured at a first camera, the method including the steps of:

(a) configuring a first camera server to make the first video data available in real time to the one or more clients;

(b) configuring a second camera server to be a backup for the first camera server;

(c) assessing input indicative of one or more operational characteristics of the first camera server and, in the case that one or more of the operational characteristics meet predefined criteria, configuring the second camera server to make the first video data available in real time to the one or more clients.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the one or more operational characteristics are assessed to determine whether the first camera server is functioning to obtain the first video data and to make the first video data available to one or more clients.

14. A method for operating a secondary camera server, the method including the steps of:

(a) configuring the secondary camera server to be a backup for a selection of the primary camera servers the primary camera servers initially being configured to make available in real time to one or more clients live video data from one or more cameras;

(b) assessing input indicative of one or more operational characteristics of the selection of primary camera servers and, in the case that one or more of the operational characteristics meet predefined criteria for a given one of the camera servers, configuring the secondary camera server to make available in real time to the one or more clients the video data initially made available by that given one of the primary camera servers.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the selection includes one, a plurality, or all of the primary camera servers.

16. A computer-readable carrier medium carrying a set of instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform a method of operating a secondary camera server, the method including the steps of:

(a) configuring the secondary camera server to be a backup for one or more primary camera servers, the primary camera servers initially being configured to make available in real time to one or more clients live video data from one or more cameras;

(b) assessing input indicative of one or more operational characteristics of the selection of primary camera servers and, in the case that one or more of the operational characteristics meet predefined criteria for a given one of the camera servers, configuring the secondary camera server to make available in real time to the one or more clients the video data initially made available by that given one of the primary camera servers.

17. A computer-readable carrier medium carrying a set of instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform a method of operating a secondary camera server, the method including the steps of:

(a) assessing input indicative of one or more operational characteristics of one or more primary camera servers;

(b) determining whether for a given one of the camera servers, the operational characteristics meet predefined criteria;

(c) in the case that one or more of the operational characteristics meet predefined criteria for the given one of the camera servers, configuring a secondary camera server to make available in real time to the one or more clients the video data initially made available by that given one of the primary camera servers.

18. A backup camera server including:

an interface for selectively obtaining live video data from one or more cameras;

a processing unit;

a memory module containing carrying a set of instructions that when executed by the processing unit cause the processing unit to assess input indicative of one or more operational characteristics of one or more primary camera servers and, in the case that one or more of the operational characteristics meet predefined criteria for a given one of the camera servers, configuring the backup camera server to make available in real time to the one or more clients the video data initially made available by that given one of the primary camera servers.