SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLABLY VIEWING DIGITAL VIDEO STREAMS CAPTURED BY SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS

• US 20120075465A1
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wengrovitz, Michael S., Kumar, Senthil
• Granted Patent: US 9,179,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A digital video management device enables controllably viewing digital video streams captured by remote surveillance cameras on a display device, such as a mobile display device. The device is coupled to a packet-switched network to receive a digital video stream captured by a remote surveillance camera. The device buffers packets of the digital video stream and then controls a packet output flow rate of the buffer between a zero output rate and a faster-than-real-time output rate. For example, the packet output flow rate can be set to the zero output rate at a first time and the faster-than-real-time output rate at a second time subsequent to the first time.

Claims

1. A digital video management device for controllably viewing digital video streams, comprising:

an input interface coupled to a packet-switched network to receive a digital video stream captured by a remote surveillance camera;

a buffer for receiving and storing packets of the digital video stream;

a processor for controlling a packet output flow rate of the buffer between a zero output rate and a faster-than-real-time output rate, the processor setting the packet output flow rate to the zero output rate at a first time and the faster-than-real-time output rate at a second time subsequent to the first time; and

an output interface for providing the digital video stream to a display device for display thereon at the faster-than-real-time output rate at the second time.

2. The digital video management device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to set the packet output flow rate to a real-time output rate at a third time subsequent to the second time.

3. The digital video management device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further operable to set the packet output flow rate to a variable output rate between the second time and the third time.

4. The digital video management device of claim 3, wherein the variable output rate is equal to the faster-than-real-time output rate at the second time and smoothly approaches the real-time output rate between the second time and the third time.

5. The digital video management device of claim 3, wherein the processor determines the variable output rate based on a current depth of the buffer at the second time.

6. The digital video management device of claim 3, wherein the processor uses video analytics to determine the variable output rate.

7. The digital video management device of claim 1, wherein the input interface is further coupled to receive at least one additional digital video stream captured by at least one additional remote video surveillance system, and further comprising:

at least one additional buffer for receiving and storing packets of the at least one additional digital video stream, the processor controlling the packet output flow rate of the at least one additional buffer to enable selected digital video streams of the digital video stream and the at least one additional digital video stream to be rendered on the display device.

8. The digital video management device of claim 7, wherein the processor further pauses non-selected digital video streams of the digital video stream and the at least one additional digital video stream by setting the packet output flow rate of the non-selected digital video streams to the zero output rate.

9. The digital video management device of claim 7, wherein the processor uses one or more of a predetermined policy, video analytics and user input of a user of the display device to determine the selected digital video streams and the respective packet output flow rates of the selected digital video streams.

10. The digital video management device of claim 9, wherein the processor further adjusts a spatial resolution of the selected digital video streams to display one or more regions of interest within the selected digital video streams on the display device.

11. The digital video management device of claim 10, wherein the processor adjusts the spatial resolution by zooming in on the one or more regions of interest, increasing the resolution of the one or more regions of interest using a super-resolution technique or resizing the one or more regions of interest.

12. The digital video management device of claim 10, wherein the processor further adds a textual video overlay to the one or more regions of interest.

13. The digital video management device of claim 1, wherein the digital video management device includes one or more of a server within the packet-switched network and a mobile device having the display device thereon.

14. A method for controllably viewing digital video streams, comprising:

receiving a digital video stream captured by a remote surveillance camera;

buffering packets of the digital video stream within a buffer;

controlling a packet output flow rate of the buffer between a zero output rate and a faster-than-real-time output rate by setting the packet output flow rate to the zero output rate at a first time and the faster-than-real-time output rate at a second time subsequent to the first time; and

providing the digital video stream to a display device for display thereon at the faster-than-real-time output rate at the second time.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling the packet output flow rate further includes:

setting the packet output flow rate to a real-time output rate at a third time subsequent to the second time.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the controlling the packet output flow rate further includes:

setting the packet output flow rate to a variable output rate between the second time and the third time.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving at least one additional digital video stream captured by at least one additional remote video surveillance system;

storing packets of the at least one additional digital video stream within at least one additional buffer; and

controlling the packet output flow rate of the at least one additional buffer to enable selected digital video streams of the digital video stream and the at least one additional digital video stream to be rendered on the display device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

pausing non-selected digital video streams of the digital video stream and the at least one additional digital video stream by setting the packet output flow rate of the non-selected digital video streams to the zero output rate.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the controlling the packet output flow rate further includes:

determining the selected digital video streams and the respective packet output flow rates of the selected digital video streams using one or more of a predetermined policy, video analytics and user input of a user of the display device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

adjusting a spatial resolution of the selected digital video streams to display one or more regions of interest within the selected digital video streams on the display device.