Abstract:
A method and system for configuring surveillance cameras can be used to leverage emerging trends in surveillance camera systems, while also enabling the configuration of cameras to operate in such systems. The method comprises displaying configuration images on mobile computing devices and enabling the cameras to view and capture those images within image data. The configuration images are then derived from image data from the surveillance cameras using integrated or separate analytics systems. Then, configuration information from the mobile device can be paired with corresponding surveillance cameras by reference to the configuration images. In one example, cloud image data storage is allocated as part of this setup and configuration process.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is related to: 
         [0002]    U.S. application Ser. No. ______ filed on an even date herewith, entitled “Method and system for surveillance camera arbitration of uplink consumption,” attorney docket number 0340.0001US1, now U.S. Patent Publication No. ______; 
         [0003]    U.S. application Ser. No. ______ filed on an even date herewith, entitled “Method and system for pooled local storage by surveillance cameras,” attorney docket number 0340.0002US1, now U.S. Patent Publication No. ______; 
         [0004]    U.S. application Ser. No. ______ filed on an even date herewith, entitled “System and method for designating surveillance camera regions of interest,” attorney docket number 0340.0003US1, now U.S. Patent Publication No. ______; 
         [0005]    U.S. application Ser. No. ______ filed on an even date herewith, entitled “System and method for deadzone detection in surveillance camera network,” attorney docket number 0340.0004US1, now U.S. Patent Publication No. ______; 
         [0006]    U.S. application Ser. No. ______ filed on an even date herewith, entitled “System and method for overlap detection in surveillance camera network,” attorney docket number 0340.0005US1, now U.S. Patent Publication No. ______; 
         [0007]    U.S. application Ser. No. ______ filed on an even date herewith, entitled “System and method for retail customer tracking in surveillance camera network,” attorney docket number 0340.0006US1, now U.S. Patent Publication No. ______; 
         [0008]    U.S. application Ser. No. ______ filed on an even date herewith, entitled “Method and system for modeling image of interest to users,” attorney docket number 0340.0007US1, now U.S. Patent Publication No. ______; 
         [0009]    U.S. application Ser. No. ______ filed on an even date herewith, entitled “System and method for using mobile device of zone and correlated motion detection,” attorney docket number 0340.0008US1, now U.S. Patent Publication No. ______; 
         [0010]    U.S. application Ser. No. ______ filed on an even date herewith, entitled “Method and system for conveying data from monitored scene via surveillance cameras,” attorney docket number 0340.0009US1, now U.S. Patent Publication No. ______; 
         [0011]    and 
         [0012]    U.S. application Ser. No. ______ filed on an even date herewith, entitled “System and method for controlling surveillance cameras,” attorney docket number 0340.0011US1, now U.S. Patent Publication No. ______. 
         [0013]    All of the afore-mentioned applications are incorporated herein by this reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Video surveillance systems are often deployed in schools, government buildings, small businesses, retail stores and corporate offices, and even many residences. These surveillance systems are typically comprised of surveillance cameras that capture image data, image data storage systems that store the image data along with possibly metadata, and increasingly analytics systems that analyze the image data and possibly generate the metadata. 
         [0015]    The installation of surveillance systems is often complex and time consuming. First, an installer has to identify and select locations throughout the building, for example, to install the surveillance cameras. Next, the installer has to physically mount the surveillance cameras in the building and supply them with power. Data connections between the surveillance cameras and the image data storage systems and possibly the analytics systems must then be established. In many cases, this requires running data cables from data transmission devices (e.g., routers, switches, and hubs) to all of the devices, although wireless systems are becoming increasingly common. 
         [0016]    After the physical installation, the installer must then configure the systems. Generally, configuration of the surveillance camera systems is tedious, requiring the installer to repeatedly enter configuration information such as device names, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, media access control (MAC) addresses, device locations, and/or port settings for devices. In many cases, the installer has to travel between different locations throughout the building to configure the various components, the network, and any monitoring station. 
         [0017]    Recently, the surveillance camera systems have begun using open standards. Among other advantages, this enables users to more easily access the image data from the surveillance cameras. On user devices such as computer workstations and mobile computing devices such as tablets, smart phones and laptop computers, users can access and select image data from specific surveillance cameras for real-time viewing upon and downloading to the user devices. In addition, the users on the user devices can also access previously recorded image data stored on the image data storage systems. 
         [0018]    Another trend concerns the analytics systems, which are becoming increasingly powerful. Often, the analytics systems will track moving objects against fixed background models. More sophisticated functions include object detection to determine the presence of an object or classify the type of object or event. The analytics systems generate video primitives or metadata for the detected objects and events, which the analytics systems can further process or send over the data networks to other systems for storage and incorporation into the image data as metadata, for example. 
         [0019]    While analytics systems have historically been separate systems apart from the surveillance cameras, the surveillance cameras themselves are increasingly providing this functionality. Integrating the analytics functionality within the cameras themselves has advantages. It eliminates the cost and maintenance associated with deploying a separate analytics system to accomplish the same objective, and enables more efficient analysis by eliminating the messaging overhead associated with sending the image data over the data network for analysis by the separate analytics systems, in examples. 
         [0020]    Similar trends have emerged in the case of image data storage systems. Surveillance cameras are being offered that include image data storage on the camera itself. Such surveillance cameras are especially attractive to smaller organizations such as stores, small companies, and local offices that want to reduce installation and maintenance expenses. Each camera can function as a stand-alone unit, and as a result there is no need to have a specialized image data storage system. With the advent of improved image compression on one hand, and the decreasing costs of data storage on the other hand, each surveillance camera is often able to store substantially larger amounts of image data than it generates. 
         [0021]    At the same time, remote cloud image data storage systems are also available. These systems can offer a number of advantages over local image data storage systems. The organizations have fewer components to buy and install, which lowers both purchase and depreciation cost. Organizations can also pay on a per usage basis for infrequently used value-added services. Finally, the service providers of the cloud storage systems bear the responsibility of maintaining and upgrading the storage systems and their capabilities, the cost of which the service providers can share across their managed clients. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    The present invention concerns a method and system for configuring surveillance cameras. It can be used to leverage many of the previously discussed trends, while also enabling the configuration of cameras to operate in such systems. 
         [0023]    In general, according to one aspect, the invention features a method for configuring surveillance cameras. The method comprises displaying configuration images on user devices, deriving the configuration images from image data from the surveillance cameras, and pairing configuration information from the user devices with corresponding surveillance cameras by reference to the configuration images. 
         [0024]    The step of displaying the configuration images could comprise displaying QR codes, for example. 
         [0025]    Typically, image data from the surveillance cameras is sent to a registration server that derives the configuration images from the image data and pairs the configuration information from the user devices with the surveillance cameras. In examples, the user device configuration information includes location information for the surveillance cameras or user account information for owners of the surveillance cameras. The configuration images are derived from image data from the surveillance cameras using a remote analytics system or an analytics system integrated within the surveillance cameras. 
         [0026]    In another example, the camera configuration information includes camera type information. Moreover, unregistered surveillance cameras can periodically sending image data to a registration server, which is used to pair the configuration information from the user device with the corresponding surveillance cameras. The method can also additionally store image data from the surveillance cameras to a cloud storage system after registration of the surveillance cameras. 
         [0027]    In general, according to another aspect, the invention features a surveillance camera system. The surveillance camera system includes user devices on which configuration images are displayed, surveillance cameras, and a registration server. The surveillance cameras generate image data of the user devices on which the configuration images are displayed, and the registration server pairs configuration information from the user devices with corresponding surveillance cameras by reference to the configuration images. In one example, the configuration images are test patterns. 
         [0028]    The above and other features of the invention including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, and other advantages, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular method and device embodying the invention are shown by way of illustration and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0029]    In the accompanying drawings, reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; emphasis has instead been placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Of the drawings: 
           [0030]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing surveillance cameras along with a technician with a mobile computing device in a registration process in which a registration server supplies configuration images to the mobile computing device and analyzes the image data from the surveillance cameras; 
           [0031]      FIG. 2  is a sequence diagram showing a process for registering a surveillance camera by deriving the configuration images from the image data to pair the surveillance camera with configuration information entered via mobile computing devices; and 
           [0032]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating the organization of information in the registration database. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0033]    The invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
         [0034]    As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Further, the singular forms including the articles “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms: includes, comprises, including and/or comprising, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Further, it will be understood that when an element, including component or subsystem, is referred to and/or shown as being connected or coupled to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. 
         [0035]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary surveillance camera and image data storage system  10  to which the present invention is applicable. 
         [0036]    The system  10  includes surveillance cameras  103  along with possibly other security devices installed at a premises  52  of an organization. The surveillance cameras  103  generate image data  250  and communicate with each other and with other security devices over a local (enterprise) network  210  which may be wired, wireless, or a hybrid of wired and wireless links. 
         [0037]    A number of approaches may be employed in the alternative or in a hybrid fashion to store the image data  250  generated by the surveillance cameras  103 - 1 ,  103 - 2 ,  103 - 3 . A local image data storage system  212  is shown, deployed on the local network  210 . In other examples, each or some of the cameras  103  includes a camera image data storage system  174 . Further, streams of image data  250  can be transferred over a network cloud  50  to a cloud or remote image data storage system  310 . 
         [0038]    The image data  250  can then be accessed over the network cloud  50  by user mobile computing devices  400  such as smartphones, tablet computing devices, laptop computer running operating systems such as Windows, Android, Linux, or IOS, in examples. User mobile computing devices  400  are also referred to as user devices. Each user device  400  includes a display screen or touch screen  402  and one or more applications  412 , or “apps.” The apps  412  execute upon the operating systems of the user devices  400 . 
         [0039]    A specific example showing how the cameras might be deployed is illustrated. Within the premises  52 , cameral  103 - 1  focuses upon person  60  located within an aisle. Camera 2   103 - 2  detects motion of individuals  60  near a door  62  providing entry to or exit from the premises  52 . Finally, camera 3   103 - 3  detects motion near a safe  64 . 
         [0040]    Other components of the system  10  are the video analytics systems. A cloud video analytics system is shown  312  that receives the image data from the surveillance cameras  103  via the network cloud  50 . Here, the cloud video analytics system  312  might be managed by a third party hosting company and is presented to the enterprise local network  210  as a single virtual entity, in one example. In other examples, the analytics system is installed on the local network  210  and may be owned by the same business entity as the surveillance camera system  10 . Further, an optional camera analytics system  176  integrated within one or more of the surveillance cameras  103  is another option. 
         [0041]    Also shown is a registration server  314  and a registration database  316  on the network  318  of the cloud system. In one example, the registration server  314  is used to maintain user accounts for organizations that own surveillance camera systems  10 . As a result, this registration server  314  is used, in one example, as part of a service that enables access to dedicated storage in the cloud image data storage system  310  for various organizations that subscribe to the service. In one embodiment, the registration server  314  includes a web server. 
         [0042]    The registration server  314  could further be used to provide access to other services. It could provide subscribing organizations with remote analytics of the image data generated by the surveillance cameras  103  in the cloud video analytics system  312 . In still other examples, the registration server  314  would use the cloud system to distribute image data  250  from the surveillance cameras  103  such as to user devices  400 , 
         [0043]    As part of a registration process, as the surveillance cameras  103  are installed by an installer  60 , for example, it is necessary to associate those surveillance cameras  103  with configuration information such as the account for the organization owning the premises  52  and/or subscribing to services available on the cloud network  318 . Further, configuration information such as where are the surveillance cameras are installed, names for each of the surveillance cameras, the type and model of surveillance cameras  103  should also be stored to the registration database  316  in various examples. Still further, device data such as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, media access control (MAC) addresses is also typically stored in connection with each of the surveillance cameras  103  and in connection with the account of the organization that owns or manages the surveillance cameras  103 . 
         [0044]    In the illustrated example, the pairing between the surveillance cameras  103  and the configuration information is achieved by using a user device  400  typically operated by the installer  60 . 
         [0045]    In more detail, the installer  60  places the user device  400  such that the surveillance camera is able to capture an image of the display  402  of the user device. That is, the display  402  of the user device  400  is placed within the field of view  105  of the surveillance camera  103 - 1  by the installer  60 . 
         [0046]    Displayed on display  402  is a configuration image  410 . In one example, this configuration image is a Quick Response (QR) code. Moreover, this configuration image  410  is preferably supplied by the registration server  314 . In one example, the registration server  314  downloads the image when the installer  60  invokes a camera registration web page supplied by the registration server  314 . In other examples, the configuration image  410  is included in or accessed by or generated by an app  412  that is installed on the user device  400 . 
         [0047]    The image data  250  collected by the surveillance camera  103 - 1  is then processed on an analytics system. This could be the integrated analytic system  176 , a local analytics system  212  installed on the local network  210  or the cloud video analytics system  312 . 
         [0048]    Wherever the image data is processed, the configuration image  410  is extracted and passed to the registration server  314  or otherwise compared to the configuration image  410  provided to the user device. This allows the registration server  314  to pair configuration information entered, for example, at the user device  400  with the specific surveillance camera  103 - 1  that captured the configuration image displayed by the user device  400 . 
         [0049]      FIG. 2  shows the process for pairing a surveillance camera with configuration information entered at a user device  400 , for example. 
         [0050]    In more detail, upon startup, the surveillance camera  103 - 1  sends a request to the registration server  314  for an IP address in step  608 . In one example, the request references a preconfigured Universal Resource Locator (URL) of the registration server  314  for this purpose. After receiving an IP address  264  (in the example, “10.10.10.1”) from the registration server  314 , the process transitions to step  610 . 
         [0051]    During normal operation, the surveillance camera  103 - 1  stores image data to image data storage in step  610 . In one example, a discrete local image data storage system  212  is used. In other examples, integrated image data storage  174  located on the surveillance camera. receives the image data  250 . In still other examples, the image data could be stored in the cloud image data storage system  310 . 
         [0052]    The surveillance camera  103 - 1  begins sending image data  250  to the registration server  314  in step  612 . In one example, the surveillance camera  103 - 1  sends the image data periodically, such as once a minute or when the surveillance camera is triggered to enter into a configuration mode. The surveillance camera can be triggered to enter the configuration mode in response to an installer pressing an associated button on the surveillance camera, in response to the installer selecting a configuration mode setting within the app  412  executing on the user device  400 , or when the surveillance camera  103 - 1  is first powered-on and has never been configured before, in examples. 
         [0053]    At the same time or in a generally contemporaneous fashion, the app  412  installed on the user device  400  is controlled by the installer  60  to send a “request to register” message to the registration server  314  in step  614 . 
         [0054]    In one example, a configuration image  410  is then sent by the registration server  314  to the app  412  executing on the user device  400  in step  616 . The app could also generate this image and send it to the server  314 . In one example, the configuration image  410  is a QR code. The image type, however, is not critical. The configuration image might be any random or predefined image or pattern, such as a test pattern. 
         [0055]    The app  412  displays the configuration image  410  on the display  402  of the user device  400 . In this way, in step  618 , the configuration image is presented to the surveillance camera  103 - 1  so that the surveillance camera  103 - 1  can include the configuration image  410  within image data  250 - 1  of the scene that the surveillance camera  103 - 1  captures. 
         [0056]    In this process, the user device  400  and specifically the app  412  executing on the user device sends configuration information to the registration server  314  in step  620 . As discussed previously, this configuration information includes possibly a user account for the owner of the surveillance camera  103 . Additional information, such as where the surveillance camera  103 - 1  is installed is also sometimes entered at the user device  400  and sent to the registration server  314 . Other information such as a name for the surveillance camera, the type and model of surveillance camera  103  should also be passed to the registration server  314  and stored to the registration database  316 , in various examples. 
         [0057]    In step  622 , the configuration image is sent to the registration server  314  by the surveillance camera  103 - 1  in conjunction with surveillance camera information obtained from the surveillance camera  103 - 1 . In one example, the configuration image  410  is included in image data  250 - 1  captured by the surveillance camera  103 - 1 . 
         [0058]    Configuration information can include information such as the assigned Internet Protocol (IP) address  264 , media access control (MAC) address, camera type and serial number, in examples. The configuration information can then be sent to the registration server  314  and stored in connection with the surveillance camera  103 - 1  and in connection with the account of the organization that owns or manages the surveillance cameras  103  in the registration database  316 . 
         [0059]    In step  624 , the registration server  314  extracts the configuration image  410  (e.g. QR code) sent by the surveillance camera  103  in step  622 . In this case, the registration server  314  derives the configuration image  410  from the image data  250 - 1  sent by the surveillance camera  103 - 1 . To accomplish this, the registration server  314  sends the image data  250 - 1  to the cloud video analytics system  312 , which then extracts the configuration image from the image data  250 - 1 . In other examples, the configuration image  410  is extracted from the image data  250 - 1  using the local analytics system or an integrated analytic system  176  of the surveillance camera. In any event, the registration server  314  extracts and matches the configuration image  410  (e.g. QR code) with the user device  400  and probably with configuration information such as the user account that was typically entered at the user device  400 . 
         [0060]    In step  626 , the registration server  314  associates the surveillance camera  103 - 1  with the user account and any other configuration information added at the user device  400  by the installer  60 , for example, and/or provided by the surveillance camera  103 - 1 . This information is stored in the registration database  316 , in one example. 
         [0061]    In one specific example, the registration database  316  or the registration server  314  allocates cloud storage in step  628  for the surveillance camera  103 - 1 . Then, the registration server  314  sends path information for the cloud image data storage system to the local image data storage  212  in step  630 . As a result, in step  632 , image data  250 - 2  can now be stored to the cloud image data storage system  310  either directly by the surveillance camera  103 - 1  or by the local image data storage  212 . In other examples, other services could be made available to the surveillance camera  103 - 1  such as image analytics provided by the cloud video analytics system  312 . 
         [0062]      FIG. 3  schematically illustrates exemplary content of the registration database  316 . Specifically, the registration database holds many user accounts  330 , account # 1   330 - 1  . . . account #n, account #(n+1). For each of the accounts  330 , configuration information  332 - 1 ,  332 - 2  is stored for each of the surveillance cameras  103  that have been associated with that account  330 - 1 . This configuration information might include the location where each surveillance camera  103  is installed, the type of surveillance camera, and any image data storage profile information, such as the location within the cloud image data storage system  310  where the image data  250  from each surveillance camera is stored. 
         [0063]    While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.