Video surveillance system and method

• US 7,015,945 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1996
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visilinx Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Visilinx Incorporated
• Inventors: Sullivan, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAO, ANAND SHASHIKANT
• Application Number:
  US08/677,513
• Time in Patent Office: 3,541 Days
• Field of Search: 348143-168, 348 12- 15, 395/187.01, 382/116, 382/118, 382/119, 345/327, 345/329, 345/330
• US Class Current: 348/150
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A video surveillance system (10) includes clients (12) coupled to servers (20) using a network (24). The clients (12) generate digital files (14) that may include data (82), video (72), and audio (74). Using the network (24), the clients (12) communicate the digital files (14) to the servers (20) for monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on the financial transactions occurring at the clients (12). The video surveillance system (10) also supports one-way or two-way audio/video conferencing between the clients (12) and the servers (20) using the network (24).

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a client operable to perform a financial transaction, the client further operable to generate data from the financial transaction, the client having a camera operable to generate video of the financial transaction, the client operable to store the data and the video in a digital file; and

a server coupled to the client using a communications network, the server operable to receive the digital file from the client such that the data and the video are associated at the client and may be received at the server as associated with a particular financial transaction;

the server operable to store the digital file in a first database;

the server having a graphical interface operable to retrieve data and video from the digital file stored in the first database for presentation; and

wherein the data and the video are transmitted between the client and the server using a single communication path.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the client comprises a point-of-sale device and the financial transaction comprises the sale of an item.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the client comprises an automated teller machine and the financial transaction comprises a cash withdrawal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the client comprises a microphone operable to generate audio of the financial transaction, the client operable to store data, video, and audio in the digital file.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital file comprises a single multimedia digital file.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the graphical interface at the server presents data as an entry in a table having a plurality of entries associated with a plurality of financial transactions; and

the graphical interface at the server presents video in response to a selection of the entry in the table.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical interface at the server presents data as an entry in a table having a plurality of entries from a plurality of financial transactions, at least one entry highlighted to indicate the existence of video associated with the entry.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the client comprises a microphone, a speaker, and a display;

the server comprises a camera, a microphone, a speaker, and a display; and

the client and the server are further operable to conduct two-way audio/video conferencing.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the client has a first mode and a second mode of operation, the client in the first mode includes data in the digital file, the client in the second mode includes data and video in the digital file, the second mode associated with an exception condition of the financial transaction.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the server transmits information to the client to define the exception condition.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is located remotely from the client.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the client further comprises a second database for storing the digital file.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote server coupled with the client using the communications network and operable to receive the digital file of the financial transaction for remote monitoring of the financial transaction.

11. A method, comprising:

generating data from a financial transaction;

generating video of the financial transaction;

associating the data and the video at the client;

storing the data and the video in a digital file at a client;

receiving the digital file at a server using a communications network, such that the data and the video are transmitted to the server over a single communication path, and the server may associate the digital file with a particular financial transaction;

storing the digital file at the server; and

presenting data and video in the digital file using a graphical interface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the client comprises a point-of-sale device and the financial transaction comprises the sale of an item.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the client comprises an automated teller machine and the financial transaction comprises a cash withdrawal.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

generating audio of the financial transaction; and

storing the audio in the digital file at the client.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the digital file comprises a single multimedia digital file.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of presenting comprises:

presenting data as an entry in a table having a plurality of entries from a plurality of financial transactions;

receiving a selection of the entry in the table; and

presenting video of the data in response to the selection of the entry in the table.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of presenting comprises:

presenting data as an entry in a table having a plurality of entries from a plurality of financial transactions;

highlighting the entry to indicate the existence of video of the data; and

presenting video of the data in response to the selection of the highlighted entry.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of storing data and video at the client comprises:

storing data in a first mode; and

storing data and video in a second mode associated with an exception condition of the financial transaction.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of communicating information from the server to the client to define the exception condition of the financial transaction.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the client comprises a point-of-sale device and the financial transaction comprises the sale of an item; and

the exception condition comprises the activation of one of a selected no sale and void keys on the point-of-sale device.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the server is located remotely from the client.

25. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the digital file at a remote server for remote monitoring of the financial transaction.