Patent ID: 7623753

Claim:
A system for viewing and controlling a plurality of digital video recorders (DVRs), comprising: a video matrix switch comprising a plurality of inputs and outputs arranged as a matrix; a plurality of cameras and a plurality of DVRs having ports in communication with the plurality of inputs of the video matrix switch; a plurality of monitors attached to the plurality of outputs of the video matrix switch; a controller that is adapted for communication with at least one port of each of the DVRs, wherein the controller also communicates with the video matrix switch and provides a mapping function between the DVRs and video matrix switch inputs and outputs; and a keyboard that is adapted to provide a matrix mode and a DVR mode, where the matrix mode is for matrix system control, and the DVR mode provides full control over a DVR connected to the system; wherein: the controller includes a computer that communicates with the plurality of DVRs via an Ethernet Switch, and the computer includes a plurality of modes including a matrix mode for viewing on a particular monitor the live image captured by a particular camera and a DVR mode for viewing recorded images and controlling a DVR, and a softkey for changing between the modes, the computer communicates DVR commands to an appropriate DVR of the plurality of DVRs, the computer responds to loss of communication/failure messages of the DVRs and automatically re-maps route DVR commands to allocated DVR backup units, the re-mapping function includes designating logical camera numbers for operator or automatic selection, and designating physical camera numbers which the logical camera numbers are converted to so as to facilitate switching and control between the matrix and DVR and playback modes, a keyboard communicates with the computer, the keyboard being adapted for initiating a display of a virtual DVR front panel on a particular monitor to facilitate review of recorded video from a camera, and pressing the softkey causes the computer to identify the DVR associated with a particular camera and monitor, and to call up the recorded video from an earlier time from the particular camera that was being displayed on the monitor, so that a camera displayed on the monitor is the same as the particular camera but now with recorded video instead of live video.