Patent Publication Number: US-2015081638-A1

Title: Video Storage System

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a video storage system and, more particularly, to a video storage system based on cloud computing. 
     2. Related Prior Art 
     Service based on cloud computing is developing as computers and the Internet are developing. Storage based on cloud computing allows a user to store data on servers via the Internet. There is no need for bulky centralized storage devices. Moreover, the availability of the data is improved. Hence, storage based on cloud computing is used for documents, video data and audio data on the Internet. 
     IP cameras may be used for surveillance at intersections, schools, malls, homes, and resultant video data may be stored in a storage device via a server. Generally, a large corporate owns a large centralized storage device for storing the video data of its customers. However, it is too expensive and difficult for a small company to own a large centralized storage device in addition to the IP cameras, and the problem with the high cost of a large centralized storage device only gets worse since the demand for the capacity of the storage of the video data gets higher because the quantity of the video data increases as the IP cameras continue to produce video data. 
     Therefore, the present invention is intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a video storage system based on cloud computing. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the video storage system includes a CVR manager including a software program of management run therein, at least two IP cameras connected to the CVR manager via the Internet; and at least two CVR units connected to the CVR manager via the Internet. The CVR manager assigns each of the CVR units to store a file of video data produced by a corresponding one of the IP cameras. Thus, the CVR manager distributes the video data produced by the cameras to the CVR units. Hence, the video storage system is inexpensive and highly expansible. 
     Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a video storage system based on cloud computing according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2  via  5  are other block diagrams of the storage system shown in  FIG. 1  for showing how to assign tasks of producing video data to various IP cameras; 
         FIGS. 6 to 7  are block diagrams of the storage system shown in  FIG. 1  for showing how to assign tasks of storing the video data to various storage devices; and 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram of the storage system shown in  FIG. 1  for showing how to inquire the video data. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is a video storage system according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The video storage system includes a camera video recorder (“CVR”) manager  10  and CVR units  20 . The CVR units  20  are connected to the CVR manager  10  via the Internet. IP cameras  30  are also connected to the CVR manager  10  via the Internet. The IP cameras  30  take video footages and accordingly produce video data. The CVR manager  10  assigns the CVR units  20  to record the video data produced by the IP cameras  30 . That is, the CVR manager  10  distributes the video data produced by the IP cameras  30  to the CVR units  20 . Users  40  can use various devices to access the CVR manager  10  via the Internet. The users  40  can access the video data produced by the IP cameras  30  and stored in the CVR units  20  via the CVR manager  10 . 
     A software program is run in the CVR manager  10  to manage commands, demands, assignments and backup files. The CVR manager  10  includes a database  15  for storing detailed information about the video data under the control of the software program. The detailed information about the video data includes the identification (“ID”) of the IP camera  30 , the IP address, the identification of the CVR unit  20  and the time when a video footage is taken. 
     The CVR units  20  store the video data under the control of the CVR manager  10 . Each of the CVR units  20  can be used as a backup unit for another CVR unit  20 . 
     As discussed above, the video storage system of the present invention is inexpensive and highly expansible. The operation of the video storage system includes three tasks. At first, the CVR manager  10  assigns the CVR units  20  to store the video data produced by the IP cameras  30 . Secondly, the CVR manager  10  manages and distributes the video produced by the IP cameras  30  to the CVR units  20 . Thirdly, the CVR manager  10  allows the users  40  to access the video data. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2  via  5 , how the CVR manager  10  assigns the CVR units  20  to store the video data produced by the IP cameras  30  will be described. At first, referring to  FIG. 2 , all of the CVR units  20  periodically report to the CVR manager  10  after they are lugged on the Internet. Each of the CVR units  20  reports its ID to the CVR manager  10  or the CVR manager  10  assigns an ID to each of the CVR units  20 . Thus, the CVR manager  10  knows the ID and location of each of the CVR units  20  and stores them in the database  15 . 
     Secondly, referring to  FIG. 3 , when there is a demand for taking a video footage, the CVR manager  10  searches the database  15  for a CVR unit  20  (the “prime CVR unit  20 ”) and provides the prime CVR unit  20  with details of the task of taking a video footage. The details include the location, ID and code of a corresponding IP camera  30 . Thus, the prime CVR unit  20  stores video data based on the video footage taken by the corresponding IP camera  30  and produces a file for the video data. 
     Thirdly, referring to  FIG. 4 , the prime CVR unit  20  periodically reports its status to the CVR manager  10  during the task of storing the video data. Thus, the CVR manager  10  determines whether the prime CVR unit  20  executes the task of storing the video data normally. Moreover, the CVR manager  10  instructs the prime CVR unit  20  to continue or stop the task of storing the video data. 
     Fourthly, referring to  FIG. 5 , the CVR manager  10  continues to monitor the prime CVR unit  20  until the task of storing the video data is completed. In case of failure of the prime CVR unit  20 , the CVR manager  10  stops the task for the prime CVR unit  20  and returns the operation of the video storage system to the second step to assign another CVR unit  20  to store the video data. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , how the CVR manager  10  manages and distributes the video produced by the IP cameras  30  to the CVR units  20  will be described. Referring to  FIG. 6 , a user  40  operates to the CVR manager  10  to access to the prime CVR unit  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , all of the CVR units  20  report their statuses to the CVR manager  10 . The CVR manager  10  knows that the prime CVR stores a copy of the video data. 
     Then, the CVR manager  10  stores the information about the statuses of the CVR units  20  in the database  15 . 
     Then, the CVR manager  10  instructs the prime CVR units  20  to provide two copies of the video data in two backup CVR units  20 . 
     How the user  40  accesses to the video data will be described referring to  FIG. 8 . At first, the user  40  demands the CVR manager  10  for the video data produced by the prime IP camera  30 . 
     Then, the CVR manager  10  searches the database  15  for the information about the video data. The CVR manager  10  locates the prime CVR unit  20  and the backup CVR units  20  based on the information about the video data. 
     Then, the user  40  operates the CVR manager  10  to access to at least one of the prime CVR unit  20  and the backup CVR units  20  and get at least one copy of the video data. 
     In the video storage system of the present invention, the CVR manager  10  assigns the CVR units  20  to store video data produced by the IP cameras  30 . Hence, the video data produced by each of the IP cameras  30  are stored in at least a corresponding one of the CVR units  20 . The information about the video data produced by each of the IP cameras  30  and the at least one corresponding CVR unit  20  is stored in the database  15 . Thus, the users  40  can access to the video data. The CVR units  20  can be provided at any number on demand. The initial cost for the construction of the video storage system is therefore low. Existing CVR units  20  will not be affected when additional CVR units  20  are installed. 
     The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.