Method and apparatus for surveillance using an image server

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for an image server surveillance system provide for as control and coordination of cameras that may be widely deployed, analyzing data from multiple cameras, making data available in such a way that it can be efficiently transmitted over a network and can be easily displayed to potentially a large number of users, and displaying and controlling image data by existing client software.

1 - 20 . (canceled)  
   
   
       21 . A method of viewing image data from one or more cameras comprising: 
 capturing image data at a plurality of cameras, said plurality of cameras each associated with at least one digital information processing device able to store digital data representing images;    generating, from said image data, digital image data sets representing visually perceptible images comprising data that can be transmitted over a digital communications channel;    transmitting said digital image data sets over a first communication network connection to an image server;    said image server not local to at least one of said cameras;    said image server not local to one or more client viewing locations;    storing said sequence at said image server;    from said image server, in response to a request from a plurality of remote clients, transmitting said image sequence data over a second network connection to one or more clients for viewing, such that said clients do not directly connect over said first network connection to said plurality of cameras; and    wherein said image server allows a plurality of users to view said image data sets.    
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 21  wherein said sequence stored at said image server is stored in a format designed for display on a client browser.  
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 21  wherein said clients comprise off-the-shelf internet browser software.  
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 21  wherein said image server includes a network interface with a high bandwidth capacity.  
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 24  wherein said clients comprise off-the-shelf internet browser software.  
   
   
       26 .- 27 . (canceled)  
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 21  wherein digital image data sets are generated using one or more hardware assisted image data compression techniques  
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 21  wherein digital image data sets are generated using one or more software image data compression techniques  
   
   
       30 . The method according to  claim 21  further comprising: 
 computing of differential images;    computing differential scores for a current image;    filtering of gradual ambient light changes; and    adjusting of camera characteristics.    
   
   
       31 . The method according to  claim 21  further wherein said camera server performs one or more of the following: 
 providing an interface to one or more client viewers;    receiving requests from one or more client viewers for selecting, panning, or scanning a view of an image;    launching windows in the client viewer when incidents occur at one or more cameras; and    updating open windows with differential frames and full frames.    
   
   
       32 . A system comprising: 
 a plurality of frame grabbers, wherein at least some of the frame grabbers are operable to capture images and determine a differential image score based on at least some of the images;    a plurality of frame coordinators, wherein each frame coordinator is in communication with at least some of the plurality of frame grabbers, wherein each frame coordinator is able to detect incidents based on the differential image score, and wherein each frame coordinator is remote of the frame grabbers;    a server in communication with at least some of the frame coordinators, wherein the server is able to receive data sets representative of images from at least some of the plurality of frame grabbers, and wherein the server is able communicate at least some of these data sets to at least one display in response to a detected incident for reproduction of images at the display based on detected incident.    
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the differential image score is determined by comparing a current frame to a reference frame.  
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein at least some of the frame coordinators are operable to employ the differential image score in a rules-based engine to detect incidents.  
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein at least some of the frame coordinators are able to store an incident history, and wherein these frame coordinators are able to playback images based on the incident history.  
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein at least some of the frame coordinators are able to compare at least one of time information, location information and differential image score information of at least two of the plurality of frame grabbers, and wherein those frame coordinators are capable of determining whether at least two detected incidents are related based on at least one of the time information, the location information and the differential image score information.  
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein at least some of the frame coordinators are able to playback images from the at least two frame grabbers based on the detected incidents to reproduce an incident sequence.  
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the server is remote of the plurality of frame grabbers, and wherein the server is able to create at least one image viewing window in response to a detected incident.  
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the server is able to create a plurality of image viewing windows, and wherein the server is able to direct data representing the images from multiple detected incidents to corresponding ones of the plurality of image viewing windows.  
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein: 
 each of the plurality of frame grabbers includes: (i) a camera able to capture images and (ii) a controller for calculating differential image scores, wherein each controller is able to periodically transmit the differential image scores to at least one of the plurality of frame coordinators; and    the frame coordinators include a logic module able to detect incidents based on the differential image score, wherein the frame coordinators perform time-stamping for at least one of data sets and detected incidents; and wherein the frame coordinators are able to perform at least one of image recognition and object tracking relating to an image; and    the server includes data storage that is able hold multiple data sets of interest for viewing by a user;    wherein the system further includes: 
 a management interface in communication with the frame grabbers, wherein the management interfaces is able to allow a user to complete at least one maintenance activity, wherein the at least one maintenance activity includes one of setting time parameters relating to whether incidents from particular frame grabbers will be of interest, establishing rules definitions; specifying alerts regarding frame grabbers that have not reported, and installing new software.