Transcoding mixing and distribution system and method for a video security system

Abstract

A system and method for transcoding and mixing of video data in a security video distribution system for a video security system in response to selection of video data. User devices such as mobile user devices can select displayed video data streams sent from the video security system and create new views of the selected video data streams without the prior steps of configuring and pushing new views from a server within the system. At the time of selection, user devices can specify operations to perform on the selected video data, such as zoom and combine. In a preferred embodiment, transcoding and mixing of video data streams within the security video distribution system utilizes shared memory between processes. This has advantages not only in equipment cost savings and efficiency, but also provides for real-time collaboration and sharing of video content in a video security system using mobile user devices, a benefit for law enforcement and first responders.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A security video distribution system for a video security system, comprising:
 an image processing system that performs transcoding and mixing of video data from security cameras, and   an application support system that streams the mixed video data to user devices, wherein the application support system enables selection of the streaming video data at the user devices, the image processing system changing the mixing of the mixed video data in response to the selection.   
     
     
         2 . The security video distribution system of  claim 1 , wherein the image processing system further performs transcoding and mixing of image data. 
     
     
         3 . The security video distribution system of  claim 1 , wherein a network video recorder receives the video data from the security cameras and provides the video data to the image processing system. 
     
     
         4 . The security video distribution system of  claim 1 , wherein image processing system mixes separate video data streams from multiple video cameras into the mixed video data which is a single stream such that frames multiple video cameras are combined into a single composite frame of the mixed video data. 
     
     
         5 . The security video distribution system of  claim 1 , wherein the image processing system comprises:
 a video decoder subsystem that decodes security camera video data from the security cameras; and   a video mixer subsystem that mixes the decoded video data into the mixed video data that includes video data from one or more of the security cameras.   
     
     
         6 . The security video distribution system of  claim 5 , wherein the application support system enables selection of the streaming video data at the user devices, the video mixer subsystem of the image processing system mixing decoded video data from different security cameras in response to the selection. 
     
     
         7 . The security video distribution system of  claim 5 , wherein the image processing system further comprises a video encoder subsystem that encodes the mixed video data into encoded mixed video data for streaming to the user devices. 
     
     
         8 . The security video distribution system of  claim 6 , wherein the application support system comprises:
 a web services component that receives messages from the user devices from the selection of the streaming video data at the user devices and an operation to perform on the selected video data; and   a video streaming server that receives encoded mixed video data from the video encoder subsystem for streaming to the user devices.   
     
     
         9 . The security video distribution system of  claim 8 , wherein the operation to perform on the selected video data is zoom. 
     
     
         10 . The security video distribution system of  claim 8 , wherein the operation to perform on the selected video data is combine. 
     
     
         11 . A security video distribution method for a video security system, comprising:
 transcoding and mixing video data from security cameras; and   streaming the mixed video data to user devices.   
     
     
         12 . The security video distribution method of  claim 11 , further comprising transcoding and mixing image data and streaming the mixed image data to user devices. 
     
     
         13 . The security video distribution method of  claim 11 , further comprising
 changing the mixing of the mixed video data in response to selection by users on the user devices.   
     
     
         14 . The security video distribution method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 decoding security camera video data from the security cameras into decoded video data; and   mixing the decoded video data. into the mixed video data. that includes video data from one or more of the security cameras.   
     
     
         15 . The security video distribution method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 enabling selection of streaming video data at the user devices; and   mixing the decoded video data from different security cameras in response to the selection.   
     
     
         16 . The security video distribution method of  claim 15 , further comprising encoding the mixed video data into encoded mixed video data for streaming to the user devices. 
     
     
         17 . The security video distribution method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving messages from the user devices from the selection of the streaming video data at the user devices and an operation to perform on the selected video data; and   receiving encoded mixed video data for streaming to the user devices.   
     
     
         18 . The security video distribution method of  claim 17 , further comprising performing a zoom operation on the selected video data. 
     
     
         19 . The security video distribution method of  claim 17 , further comprising performing a combine operation on the selected video data. 
     
     
         20 . A transcode and mixing server for a security video distribution system, comprising:
 a video decoder subsystem that decodes security camera video data from security cameras into decoded video data;   a video mixer subsystem that mixes the decoded video data into mixed video data; and   a video encoder subsystem that encodes the mixed video data into encoded mixed video data for streaming to user devices.   
     
     
         21 . The transcode and mixing server of  claim 20 , wherein a network video recorder receives the video data from the security cameras and provides the video data to the video decoder subsystem. 
     
     
         22 . The transcode and mixing server of  claim 20 , wherein the video mixer subsystem accepts image data. 
     
     
         23 . The transcode and mixing server of  claim 20 , wherein the video mixer subsystem receives messages from the user devices from the selection of the streaming video data at the user devices and an operation to perform on the selected video data. 
     
     
         24 . The transcode and mixing server of  claim 20 , further comprising a decoder mixer shared memory subsystem for buffering the decoded video data from the video decoder subsystem for the video mixer subsystem. 
     
     
         25 . The transcode and mixing server of  claim 20 , further comprising a mixer encoder shared memory subsystem for buffering the mixed video data from the video mixer subsystem for the video encoder subsystem. 
     
     
         26 . The transcode and mixing server of  claim 20 , further comprising a video transfer switch for copying decoded video data for multiple user devices. 
     
     
         27 . The transcode and mixing server of  claim 24 , further comprising a video transfer switch for copying one instance of buffered decoded video data from the decoder mixer shared memory subsystem to another instance of buffered decoded video data. 
     
     
         28 . The transcode and mixing server of  claim 25 , further comprising a video transfer switch for copying one instance of buffered mixed video data from the mixer encoder shared memory subsystem to another instance of buffered mixed video data. 
     
     
         29 . A transcode and mixing method for a security video distribution system, comprising:
 decoding security camera video data from security cameras into decoded video data;   mixing the decoded video data into mixed video data; and encoding the mixed video data into encoded mixed video data for streaming to user devices.   
     
     
         30 . The transcode and mixing method of  claim 29 , further comprising receiving the video data from the security cameras and providing the video data for decoding. 
     
     
         31 . The transcode and mixing method of  claim 29 , further comprising accepting image data. 
     
     
         32 . The transcode and mixing method of  claim 29 , further comprising receiving messages from the user devices from the selection of the mixed video data at the user devices and an operation to perform on the selected video data. 
     
     
         33 . The transcode and mixing method of  claim 29 , further comprising buffering the decoded video data prior to mixing. 
     
     
         34 . The transcode and mixing method of  claim 29 , further comprising buffering the mixed video data prior to encoding. 
     
     
         35 . The transcode and mixing method of  claim 29 , further comprising mixing video data for different user devices.