Multi-camera surveillance system and method for using the same

• US 7,792,189 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2005
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales Avionics Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Thales Avionics Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Grich, Richard, Bengoechea, Xavier, Finizio, Francesco
• Primary Examiner(s): Philippe; Gims S
• Application Number:
  US11/054,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20060159164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,035 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240.01, 725/105, 370/401, 709/246, 348/143, 348/148
• US Class Current: 375/240.01
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0053 using visual equipment, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1965 the vehicle being an aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/66 for reducing bandwidth of signals; for improving efficiency of transmission H04B1/68 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An improved multi-camera surveillance system for use on a vehicle such as an aircraft, and a method for implementing the same. The multi-camera surveillance system is capable of displaying a user-selected image from any camera or user-selected images from multiple cameras at multiple viewing stations by flight and cabin crew, as well as recording and maintaining the images at storage locations on the aircraft and making the images available for viewing and recording at locations external to the aircraft by gate personnel, security officers, and incident investigators.

Claims

1. A multi-camera surveillance system for use on a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of cameras, each operating as a Real Time Protocol (RTP) server for providing multiple image streams, and each being configured for deployment at respective locations in the vehicle;

at least one viewing panel, adapted for deployment at a respective location in the vehicle that is connectable to each of the plurality of cameras using an associated Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) to establish an RTP session with a respective said camera;

at least one digital server unit (DSU) that is connectable to each of the plurality of cameras using an associated Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) to establish an RTP session with a respective said camera, each adapted to store at least one image captured by at least one of the cameras; and

a network, deployed in the vehicle, coupling the plurality of cameras and the at least one viewing panel to each other, and operating to receive the multiple image streams from each of the plurality of cameras operating as an RTP server, to enable each viewing panel to selectably view an image captured by any of the cameras or to selectably view a plurality of images captured by a plurality of the cameras simultaneously.

2. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of said viewing panels.

3. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network comprises a plurality of DSUs.

4. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

each of the cameras operating as an RTP server provides images to the at least one DSU using real time protocols (RTP).

5. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network comprises:

at least one offload interface, adapted to provide images from the cameras to a destination apart from the network.

6. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the destination is remote from the vehicle.

7. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the network comprises:

a plurality of offload interfaces, comprising at least one of an RJ45 Ethernet port and a USB port.

8. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the camera encodes the images into at least one of MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4 or Motion JPEG formats.

9. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network comprises:

a Power-Over Ethernet (PoE) power supply, adapted to supply power to the cameras.

10. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle is an aircraft.

21. A multi-camera surveillance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

at least one of the plurality of cameras provides its multiple image streams directly to at least one said viewing panel via the network without providing the multiple image streams to a server external to said at least one of the plurality of cameras.

11. A method for deploying a multi-camera surveillance system in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

deploying a plurality of cameras at respective locations in the vehicle, with each of the cameras being a Real Time Protocol (RTP) server for providing multiple image streams;

deploying at least one viewing panel at a respective location in the vehicle;

deploying a network in the vehicle, and coupling the plurality of cameras and the at least one viewing panel to each other via the network;

initiating an RTP session by the at least one viewing panel to at least one of the cameras using a Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP);

operating each of the cameras to provide the multiple image streams via camera RTP sessions;

deploying at least one digital server unit (DSU) in the vehicle and coupling each DSU to the network;

initiating an RTP session by the at least one DSU at least one of the cameras using a Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP);

operating the network to enable each DSU to store at least one image captured by at least one of the cameras via the DSU RTP session;

operating the network to receive the multiple image streams from each of the plurality of cameras operating as an RTP server to enable each viewing panel to selectably view an image captured by any of the cameras or to selectably view a plurality of images captured by a plurality of the cameras simultaneously.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the viewing panel displaying step comprises:

deploying a plurality of said viewing panels in the vehicle.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the DSU deploying step comprises:

deploying a plurality of DSUs in the vehicle.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the operating step includes:

operating the cameras as the RTP servers to provide their images to the at least one DSU using real time protocols (RTP).

15. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

deploying at least one offload interface in the vehicle; and

operating the network to provide images from the cameras to a destination apart from the network via the offload interface.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the destination is remote from the vehicle.

17. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the offload interface deploying step comprises:

deploying a plurality of offload interfaces, comprising at least one of an RJ45 Ethernet port and a USB port, in the vehicle.

18. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein operating step comprises:

operating the camera to encode the images into at least one of MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4 or Motion JPEG formats.

19. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

deploying a Power-Over Ethernet (PoE) power supply, and operating the PoE to supply power to the cameras.

20. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the vehicle is an aircraft.

22. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein

the step of operating the network comprises providing the multiple image streams from at least one of the plurality of cameras directly to at least one said viewing panel without providing the multiple image streams to a server external to said at least one of the plurality of cameras.