Video monitoring and security system

• US 6,476,858 B1
• Filed: 08/12/1999
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canatelo, LLC
• Original Assignee: Innovation Institute
• Inventors: Ramirez Diaz, Luis G., Cruz Burgos, Pedro L., Rodriquez, Dan F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US09/372,944
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 348/159, 348/152, 348/153, 348/154, 348/155, 348/143, 340/541, 382/204, 382/256, 382/257, 382/258, 382/259, 382/103, 382/111, 382/104
• US Class Current: 348/159
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1961 Movement detection not involving frame subtraction, e.g. motion detection on the basis of luminance changes in the image
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19686 Interfaces masking personal details for privacy, e.g. blurring faces, vehicle license plates
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A computer-based system employing video capture, video motion detection, digital I/O and communications technology is applied to monitoring and security applications. Video information from one or more analog or digital cameras, is independently converted into digital form, optionally displayed in computer monitor on separate resizable windows, analyzed for motion and/or transmitted via the Internet or other networks. Motion detection or event triggers may be derived from a plurality of sources including analysis of digitized camera video signals, motion detector devices, signals from alarm systems, X10 motion sensors or cameras with built-in motion detection. Once a trigger event occurs, software compresses the digitized camera image, stores it in a local database, converts it to an Internet mail binary file format, and sends the file to the address of a recipient. Alternatively, a beeper or direct phone call may be sent in response to alarm condition. A remote monitoring feature allows the system user to monitor either database or live video images from a plurality of remote locations.

Claims

1. A video monitoring system, comprising:

a plurality of video cameras, each outputting a video image;

a personal computer interfaced to each camera, a display device, video digitization circuitry and an event trigger, the computer being operative to perform the following functions;

a) receive and digitize the video images from each video cameras,

b) display the video images in separate windows on the display device, and

c) perform a predetermined function in response to the event trigger, wherein the event trigger is generated by;

applying a map having a plurality of masking cells to a new video image and to an old video image so that the new video image and the old video image each include a plurality of unmasked cells completely surrounding the masked cells, wherein the map has the same dimensions as the new video image and the old video image, and wherein the masked cells inactivate a fixed area within the new video image and the old video image,

comparing the plurality of unmasked cells of the new video image with the plurality of unmasked cells of the old video image to detect any changed cells in the new video image, and

applying a filter to the changed cells that eliminates any changed cells in the new video image that are not surrounded by other changed cells in the new video image, and

wherein the event trigger is generated when at least one changed cell remains after applying the filter.

2. The video monitoring system of claim 1, further including an alarm system or motion sensor operative to generate the event trigger.

3. The video monitoring system of claim 1, further including video storage means, and wherein the predetermined function includes digitally compressing and storing the video images from at least one of the cameras.

4. The video monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the computer is further operative under user control to display the video information recorded in the video storage means.

5. The video monitoring system of claim 1, further including a network interface, and wherein the predetermined function includes digitally compressing and communicating the video images from at least one of the cameras to a remote location.

6. The video monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the network interface includes an Internet connection.

7. The video monitoring system of claim 6, wherein a user is operative to view the video images at a remote location in separate windows using a web browser.

8. The video monitoring system of claim 5, further including a second personal computer interfaced to a second display device at the remote location, and wherein a user at the second location is operative to view the video images in separate windows on the second display device.

9. The video monitoring system of claim 1, further including an interface to a pager, and wherein the predetermined function includes alerting a user equipped with the pager.

10. The video monitoring system of claim 1, further including an interface to a telecommunications network, and wherein the predetermined function includes alerting a user through a telephone call.

11. The video monitoring system of claim 1, including a non-volatile memory encoding an encrypted license to prevent software piracy.

12. The video monitoring system of claim 1, further including means to monitor audio from a local or remote location.

13. The video monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the video digitization circuitry is operative to independently capture, process and display video information received from each camera.

14. The video monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further operative to display multiple independent views from each camera, and wherein each view may be resized or moved under user control.

15. The video monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further operative to independently configure each video cameras by performing one or both of the following functions:

a) displaying one or more icons enabling a user to capture a single frame from the video camera, and

b) displaying one or more icons enabling a user to control video sensitivity and image area.

16. The video monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further operative to display status information relating to each video camera.

17. The video monitoring system of claim 1, further including an output operative to control an external device in response to an event trigger.

18. The video monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the device is an alarm system, a visual indicator, or an audible indicator.

19. The video monitoring system of claim 1, further including an output operative to control an external device through an AC power line.

20. The video monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to receive a signal from an external alarm sensor and to generate the event trigger based upon a signal from the alarm sensor or when the at least one changed cell remains after applying the filter.

21. The video monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined function comprises initiating compression and recording of a digitized video image from a video camera associated with the event trigger.

22. The video monitoring system of claim 21, wherein the compression comprises compression according to a standard Internet format, and wherein predetermined function further comprises transmitting the compressed video image as part of an electronic message.

23. The video monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the filter is further configured to eliminate any changed cells that are not surrounded by changed cells.

24. The video monitoring system of claim 23, wherein the event trigger is generated when the number of changed cells remaining after applying the filter exceeds a threshold.

25. The video monitoring system of claim 24, further comprising a video capture card connected between the plurality of video cameras and the personal computer, wherein the video capture card comprises:

a plurality of analog inputs configured to receive a video signal representing the video image;

a digitizer operationally coupled with the plurality of analog inputs and configured to generate a digital signal based upon the video signal;

a bus controller operationally coupled with the digitizer and configured to provide the digital signal to the computer;

an input-output controller operationally coupled with the bus controller and configured to receive commands from the computer, and wherein the commands provide output signals for controlling external devices in response to the event trigger, and further configured to receive at least one signal from an external device and to direct the computer to generate the event trigger based upon the at least one signal.

26. A video monitoring system especially suitable to monitor the security of a facility against an intrusion, comprising:

at least one video camera that generates a video signal;

a computer operationally coupled with the at least one video camera and configured to receive the video signal, wherein the video signal includes a plurality of frames each having a plurality of cells, and wherein the computer is configured to perform the following functions;

detect motion as between a first and a second frame of the video signal by comparing a plurality of the cells of the first frame to a plurality of the cells of the second frame, wherein the plurality of cells of the first and second frames exclude a user-defined insensitive area, which is completely surrounded by an active area containing the plurality of the cells of the first and second frames;

automatically transmit an electronic message upon detection of the motion wherein the electronic message includes a recorded and compressed copy of the video

signal beginning approximately coincident with the detection of motion; and

automatically transmit an alarm message separate from the electronic message that alerts a user of the electronic message.

27. The video monitoring system of claim 26, further comprising:

a pager output configured to alert a user upon detection of motion; and

an external output configured to activate a local alarm device; and

wherein

the computer is further configured to apply a cluster filter to the comparison between the cells of the first and the second frame that eliminates any changed cells that are not adjacent to other changed cells, and to determine whether the number of changed cells remaining after the cluster filter exceeds a threshold; and

wherein

the video signal comprises a single frame.

28. A method of monitoring a facility, comprising the steps of:

receiving a video signal from a first video camera positioned to monitor a specific area, wherein the video signal is divided into a plurality of sequential frames each having a plurality of cells;

applying a mask having active and inactive cells to the sequential frames of the video signal, wherein the inactive cells are surrounded by the active cells, and wherein the mask has the same number of cells as the video signal;

comparing the active cells of a new frame to the active cells of a previous frame to detect changed cells, wherein an alarm event is generated based upon the detection of changed cells;

recording the video signal as a file stored in a computer memory based upon the alarm event;

automatically transmitting the recorded video signal based upon the alarm event as a part of an electronic message to an electronic mail server, where the recorded video signal is then stored; and

transmitting an alarm message separate from the electronic message that alerts a user of the alarm event.

29. The method of monitoring a facility of claim 28, wherein the step of receiving the video signal further comprises receiving a plurality of video signals from a plurality of video cameras each positioned to monitor a plurality of specific areas.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of apply a mask having active and inactive cells to the sequential frames of the video signal further comprises applying a plurality of masks, each associated with one of the plurality of video cameras, to the video signal.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein step of comparing the active cells of the new frame to the active cells of the previous frame to detect changed cells, further comprises applying a cluster filter to eliminate changed cells that are not adjacent to other changed cells, and wherein the alarm event is generated based upon the detection of changed cells remaining after application of the cluster filter.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of recording the video signal as the file stored in the computer memory based upon the alarm event is initiated by the alarm event.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of transmitting the recorded video signal as a part of an electronic message to an electronic mail server, further comprises compressing the recorded video signal in accordance with a standard Internet format.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of transmitting the recorded video signal as part of an electronic message further comprises transmitting the electronic message to a network server, wherein the network server is configured to provide the recorded video signal at a global network address.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of transmitting the separate alarm message that alerts the user of the alarm event comprises transmitting a beeper message.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of accessing the recorded video signal through a browser from a physical location that does not have a dedicated connection to a computer system associated with the video cameras.

37. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of receiving commands from a user that define the boundaries between the active and inactive cells of the mask so that the user may render a portion of the video signal insensitive to motion.