Patent ID: 7428004

Claim:
A standalone device connectible to a CCTV network, comprising: an analog video input connector that collects input image signals corresponding to views from outside the standalone device; a compression circuit that outputs digital image signal data corresponding to the input image signals; a plurality of input/output terminals, forming a physical interface for at least one alarm trigger input; a network connection capable of connecting to an internet-protocol network; a microcontroller operatively connected to the analog video input connector, the compression circuit, the input/output terminals, and the network connection; a transport control protocol that packetizes the digital image signal data and controls addressing of the packetized digital image signal data for the internet-protocol network; an address setting routine executable by the microcontroller, that sets an internet-protocol address for the standalone device itself, permitting connection to the internet-protocol network; a self-initiating transmission initiating routine that self-initiates a connection with the internet-protocol network via said transport control protocol and said network connection in response to a triggering signal on said at least one alarm trigger input; an E-mail message assembling routine executable by the microcontroller that assembles E-mail messages including report information related to the triggering signal and digital image signal data corresponding to the views from outside the standalone device; and an E-mail transmission routine executable by the microcontroller that transmits the assembled E-mail messages to an E-mail address via the transport control protocol, the network connection, and the internet-protocol network.