Video monitoring and security system
DCFirst Claim
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.
3 Assignments
Litigations
1 Petition
Accused Products
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.
706 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A video monitoring system, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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.
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16. The video monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further operative to display status information relating to each video camera.
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17. The video monitoring system of claim 1, further including an output operative to control an external device in response to an event trigger.
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18. The video monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the device is an alarm system, a visual indicator, or an audible indicator.
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19. The video monitoring system of claim 1, further including an output operative to control an external device through an AC power line.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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:
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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.
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26. A video monitoring system especially suitable to monitor the security of a facility against an intrusion, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (27)
a pager output configured to alert a user upon detection of motion; and
an external output configured to activate a local alarm device; and
whereinthe 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
whereinthe video signal comprises a single frame.
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28. A method of monitoring a facility, comprising the steps of:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification