System and Method for Management of Surveillance Devices and Surveillance Footage

Abstract

A system or method of transmitting and receiving surveillance video and/or alarm data and converting proprietary video formats into a single, standardized format for viewing on a multiplicity of devices at the surveillance location by authorized emergency responders.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing surveillance video to responders, the method steps comprising:
 a. providing a surveillance system, the system including at least one remote viewer running on a computer and a multiplicity of different format DVRs creating multiple video types for providing surveillance to a surveillance area, a storage device for storing video, and at least one central server; the remote viewer, DVRs, storage device and server connected via a network;   b. streaming live surveillance video from a surveillance area to the network;   c. converting the live streaming surveillance video to a format suitable for display on a multiplicity of different remote viewers and for transport over a network media;   d. streaming the live converted surveillance video to the responders through the at least one remote viewer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the surveillance video is automatically converted to the video format by the DVR. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the surveillance video is automatically converted to the video format by the remote server. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the format suitable for transport over a network media is an Internet browser video format selected from the group consisting of .flv, .mp4, .l4v, .avi, .ogv, mjpeg, VP8, WebM, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the step of capturing pre-alarm video by buffering still images. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing of video images includes image cropping. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further including graphical mapping of the broadcasting DVRs in the vicinity of the alarm DVR. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further including on-demand requesting for immediate viewing of converted surveillance video by responders. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further providing access by volunteers or other local personnel to pull images and video for community policing. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the DVR is part of a mesh network and the video processing is performed by the mesh network. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the DVR is part of a mesh network and the converted surveillance video is distributed to the mesh network and made available to responders. 
     
     
         12 . A system of providing video surveillance, the system comprising:
 a. a multiplicity of different format DVRs creating multiple video types for providing surveillance to a surveillance area;   b. at least one remote viewer running on a computer;   c. the at least one remote viewer and DVRs connected via a network;   d. the DVRs operable to capture live video;   e. the DVRs operable to convert the live video to a format suitable for display on a multiplicity of different remote viewers and for transport over the network media;   f. the DVRs operable to stream the live surveillance video during conversion to the at least one remote viewer.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein each DVR is operable for broadcasting a graphical mapping of other broadcasting DVRs in the vicinity of the DVR. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one remote viewer includes remote viewers by volunteers or other local personnel operable to pull images and video for community policing. 
     
     
         15 . A system of providing video surveillance, the system comprising:
 a. a multiplicity of different format DVRs operable to create multiple video types for providing surveillance video of an surveillance area;   b. a server operable to convert the surveillance video to a format suitable for display on a multiplicity of different remote viewers and for transport over the network media;   c. at least one remote viewer running on a computer;   d. the remote viewer, server and DVRs connected via a network;   e. the DVRs operable to stream the captured video to the server;   f. the server operable to immediately convert and immediately stream the surveillance video to the at least one remote viewer.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein each DVR is operable for broadcasting a graphical mapping of other broadcasting DVRs in the vicinity of the DVR. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one remote viewer includes remote viewers by volunteers or other local personnel operable to pull images and video for community policing.