Abstract:
Systems and methods for representing and controlling a plurality of cameras in a monitoring station are provided. Some methods can include a monitoring station receiving data streams from cameras monitoring secured areas, each of the data streams including metadata appended thereto, the metadata appended to each of the data streams identifying attributes related to a respective data stream, and a graphical user interface of the monitoring station displaying visual representations of the data streams based on a default display layout associated with each of the data streams and received user input identifying a user-defined display layout for the data streams. The user input can include an identification of a user-selected attribute and responsive thereto, a logic unit of the monitoring station can identify data streams that include metadata identifying the user-selected attribute for displaying on the graphical user interface.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to surveillance systems. Specifically, the present invention relates to displaying and controlling a plurality of analog and digital video monitor layouts via a monitoring station. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Security and alarm systems are commonly used in secure areas to protect against intruders and other alarm events. Various conventional centralized security and alarm systems are known that provide surveillance features and options to protect the secure areas. A plurality of sensors detects abnormal conditions, and reports the conditions to a local monitoring station or to a central monitoring station. For instance, a plurality of digital Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras may monitor different areas of a secure building such as a museum and generate a data stream comprising the video feed along with other information. 
         [0003]    The data stream generated by a sensor is typically transmitted to a control panel, whereupon it may be monitored by an operator, or reported to a monitoring station. In the CCTV example, a video stream may be transmitted to one or more monitors at a local monitoring station, with an operator reviewing the footage for irregularities. In another example, multiple video streams are streamed to a plurality of monitors arranged in a grid-like fashion. This may be termed a “monitor wall” or “display layout.” The operator views the display layout and may have the ability to configure which feed is delivered to which monitor. 
         [0004]    With the advent of digital cameras and sensors that are able communicate across wired and wireless packet-based networks such as the Internet, there is potential for tremendous advancements in the ability to monitor and control several secure areas and security systems from a remote location. However, this functionality is not being utilized to its maximum potential. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention describes systems and methods to represent a plurality of security monitors on a control monitor. In one embodiment, the present invention is a security system comprising a plurality of sensors, a plurality of security monitors in remote locations to receive a plurality of data streams from the plurality of sensors, and a control monitor. The plurality of security monitors receives data streams from one or more of the plurality of security sensors monitoring one or more secure areas. The plurality of security monitors transmits these data streams to the control monitor. Each data stream includes tags or metadata information describing specific attributes of the data stream, such as source, feed type, priority, etc. 
         [0006]    An operator of the control monitor is provided with an interface representing the plurality of security monitors in user-definable configurations. The operator may group the data streams or security monitors based on the attributes of the data stream, as well as other attributes defined in real-time or in the user-definable configurations. The operator further has the ability to focus on and expand one or more security monitors, and display these alongside other security monitors, all within one portion of the display on the control monitor. The operator further has the ability to control the features of the remote security monitors and security sensors, said ability to control being provided by the user interface on the control monitor. Thus, control of security systems in a plurality of remote locations is provided by a central control station. 
         [0007]    In another embodiment, the present invention is a method for controlling the operation of a plurality of security systems, wherein a security system comprises a plurality of sensors providing data streams to a plurality of cameras to monitor a secure area, said cameras being arranged in one or more layouts, and being controlled by a local control panel. The plurality of sensors and/or the plurality of cameras provide the data streams to a centralized control station. The method further comprises tagging each data stream with a plurality of attributes such as source, date, time, priority, etc. The data streams are arranged on a user interface on a monitor that is coupled to the centralized control station. The method provides an operator with the ability to expand on any one of the plurality of security systems, and arrange the data streams in a grid-like display based on the attributes of the data stream. The operator can further define attributes to create user-defined layouts of data streams. The operator can further control features of the security systems (such as camera features and monitor features) that would typically be controlled by the local control panel. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  shows a monitoring station within a surveillance system, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  shows screenshots of the recursive functionality, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0010]    According to the present invention, a secure area may be monitored by security cameras, said security cameras providing their video or still images to one or more monitoring stations, locally or remotely. Local monitoring stations receiving the data streams may be configured in a specific layout or combination. For instance, video streams from 8 cameras may be individually fed to 8 monitors arranged in a 2×4 grid. The layout may further comprise one or more security monitor walls. The cameras themselves may further be controlled locally by an operator of the security monitors via a local control panel. Alternatively, according to an aspect of the present invention, the security cameras monitoring a secure area may further transmit their data streams to the monitoring station described herein. These data streams may be arranged in a grid-like fashion on a Graphical User Interface (GUI) on the monitoring station. Each set of data streams is arranged in a display layout, depending on the surveillance mode being used. For instance, 3×3, 4×4, 1×5 grids are different display types within a surveillance mode for one set of data streams. Another example is a single analog monitor with single view or quad view. A third example is a physical representation of a large video display wall. The GUI provides an operator with the ability to recursively represent these different monitor layout combinations. Specifically, the operator can recursively get deeper into the system and start operating on the virtual monitors. All interactive operations on the regular monitor will be supported. Features include drag/drop cameras, digital zoom, flip, correction, live Pan, Tilt, and Zoom (PTZ), alarm call-up, pre-shots, tour, and scan sequence. 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a monitoring station within a surveillance system, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Two secure areas  110  and  120  are monitored by a plurality of sensors. In the present embodiment, cameras  112 ,  114 , and  116  monitor secure area  110 , and cameras  122 ,  124 , and  126  monitor secure area  120 . Secure areas  110  and  120  may be in the vicinity of each other, or may be remote from each other. A logic unit  101  is in communication with camera  112 , and logic unit  103  is in communication with camera  126 . In one embodiment, all cameras have logic units that are not shown here. The purpose of said logic units is, inter alia, to generate metadata for each data stream generated by the camera. Data streams are represented by curved lines  105 . 
         [0012]    Alternatively, logic units  101  and  103  may be in communication with a control panel, represented by dotted box  107 . According to one embodiment of the present invention, the control panel  107  may receive data streams  105  from the cameras, add metadata via logic unit  101 , and transmit the data streams to monitoring station  130 . However, this need not be the case, and the cameras may be equipped with logic to generate metadata for a data stream and transmit the data stream to monitoring station  130 , via their own transceivers (not shown). Network communication capabilities are discussed further below. 
         [0013]    Monitoring station  130  comprises logic  131 , database  133 , and Graphical User Interface (GUI)  135 . As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , GUI  135  is arranged in a grid-like fashion, with visual representations of the data streams generated by the cameras displayed in windows  136 , a selection area  138 , and commands  139 . 
         [0014]    According to the present embodiment, the cameras record event data and transmit the data stream to monitoring station  130 . The cameras may be any type of visual recording device known in the art, including but not limited to CCTV and/or still cameras. The cameras may be equipped with transceivers to communicate over a wired or wireless network. The cameras may have motion-sensing capabilities, as well as image recognition either onboard the camera itself or as separate logic in communication with the camera, such as logic unit  103 . Logic unit  103 , externally or within the cameras, appends the data stream  105  with a header or metadata. 
         [0015]    The metadata includes various attributes related to the data stream. For instance, metadata may include the following information: a) data stream configuration settings such as resolution, flames per second (for video), compression, and network settings, b) type of data stream such as network streaming feed, or composite feed via coaxial cable, c) connection details including storage paths, and d) user preferences on video display settings, layouts, display modes, etc. Metadata also include events access, privilege, and permission details for the data stream, rules and actions related with the data stream, date and time of recording, and events and alarms associated with the data stream (for instance, whether or not the data stream was recorded in response to an event or simply a normally scheduled recording, and so on). Recording in response to an event includes motion-activated recording, in which case the metadata includes that the data dream was generated in response to motion. The metadata is incorporated into the data stream in the form of a header, and is transmitted to the monitoring station  130 . 
         [0016]    Communication between elements takes place over fixed or wireless networks, such as a local, wide-area, or Internet network. For instance, cameras  112 ,  114  and  116  may be in communication with logic  101  (or their own respective logic units) as well as control panel  107  over a local area network, including the potential for wireless communication over wi-fi or Bluetooth. Control panel  107  would be capable of communicating over a wide-area network or ubiquitous packet-based network such as the Internet. Alternatively, cameras may be internet-capable and would communicate their data streams directly to monitoring station  130 . Each camera, control panel, and monitoring station and sub-elements thereof would have their own unique address on the Internet. In one embodiment, every element is equipped with a transceiver (not shown) and has a unique Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or Internet Protocol (IP) address. 
         [0017]    Data streams  105  may traverse one or more network elements (not shown) before arriving at monitoring station  130 . Logic  131  within monitoring station  130  recognizes incoming data streams and parses the metadata contained within the header of data streams  105 . Referring to a database  133 , logic  131  retrieves default display layouts or “monitor walls” for each incoming data stream. These may be listed as display options in GUI  135 , for instance in the selection area  138 . Alternatively, selection area  138  may display a list of cameras/sources, and an operator is able to select which source he wants displayed. An operator or an administrator of the system may create user-defined layouts that replicate the prior-art monitor walls, but are represented on one window of the grid  136 . 
         [0018]    For instance, the present embodiment shows cameras  112 ,  114 , and  116  arranged in the top-left quadrant of grid  136 , This may be a default layout for the sensors in secure area  110 . Further, data streams from cameras  122 ,  124 , and  126  are represented on the right half of grid  136 . This configuration may be default, or arranged by the operator. For instance, the operator may drag and drop additional data streams from the list  138  into the grid  136  and the video feed for the data stream would show up in the respective window. This provides flexibility in dragging and dropping icons to represent data streams in various configurations. 
         [0019]    The operator may also group the data streams based on the attributes within the metadata of the data stream. For instance, an operator may choose to display all data streams from only motion-sensing cameras within one window of grid  136 . The operator may save this display layout in database  133 . Default display layouts or monitor walls may also be stored in database  133 . Administrator-defined display layouts may be remotely provisioned into database  133  for access by the local operator. The operator further has the ability to focus on and expand one or more data streams within a display layout, and represent these alongside other data streams from separate display layouts, all within one portion of the grid  136 . 
         [0020]    The recursive functionality, according to the present embodiment, is described in  FIG. 2 . Arrow  201  shows a sequence of operations, starting with screenshot  240 . Screenshot  240  shows an identical representation as in  FIG. 1 . On the left side are provided source selections  138 , and the selected data streams are represented in grid  136 . Cameras  112 ,  114 , and  116  from secure area  110  are displayed with a layout in the top left quadrant of grid  136 . Cameras  122 ,  124 , and  126  from secure area  120  are displayed with a layout in the top right quadrant. The layouts may be default layouts pre-programmed into the system by an operator or an administrator. 
         [0021]    A zoom operation  242  is initiated by the operator, to expand data streams  116  and  126 . A simple point-and-click operation would allow the operator to represent data stream  116  in the bottom left quadrant, and data stream  126  in the bottom right. This is shown in screenshot  250 . It should be noted that the lower two quadrants may themselves be saved as layouts, with each layout comprising one data stream. Alternatively, all four quadrants together may comprise one layout, with the ability to store the layout and recall it for later use. Thus, it should be noted that although four sections are shown in grid  136 , the present invention encompasses more varied configurations. 
         [0022]    The operator may want to free up one of the quadrants for some reason, for instance to display an additional data stream. Drag-n-drop operation  244  allows the operator to move data stream  126  over to the left, alongside data stream  116 . Screenshot  260  shows the result. The two data streams are automatically resized to fit the lower left quadrant, leaving the lower right quadrant free for additional display layouts. 
         [0023]    To emphasize the recursive aspect of these operations, a method for saving existing display layouts is also provided. For instance, operation  246  leading to screenshot  270  show what would happen if the grid  136  in screenshot  260  were to be saved as its own layout. Screenshot  270  shows the existing layout as in screenshot  260 , with the addition of the entire layout of screenshot  260  condensed into the lower right quadrant. Zooming out and saving the layout of screenshot  260  and loading it separately allows for infinite combinations and display layouts. Multiple data streams are represented piecewise based on operator preferences, or based on their attributes. For instance, in step  242 , the operator may have elected to zoom into all motion-sensing devices. Cameras  116  and  126  may be motion sensing devices, thus screenshot  250  shows them represented in separate quadrants. Alternatively the operator may drag and drop motion sensing devices into one section of grid  136 , from the selection list  138 . 
         [0024]    The operator further has the ability to control the features of the remote security monitors and security sensors, said ability to control being provided by commands  139  in GUI  135 . For example, a camera may be mounted such it can change its field of view by zooming in or pivoting, via a motor control. Other commands may include focusing, open/close iris, washout, wipe, etc. In this case, such movements can be controlled remotely using an appropriate control and communication scheme, provided via GUI  135 . Pan, Tilt, Zoom (PTZ) features also may be performed without physically affecting the camera, hence the term Digital PTZ. It is also possible to change the frame rate and resolution at which the camera provides still frames, or switching from a still frame mode to a motion picture mode, or switching from a visible light mode to an infrared light mode, and so forth. These are adjustable parameters of the camera. Thus, control of security systems in a plurality of remote locations is provided by the monitoring station. 
         [0025]    While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.