Patent Grant
8558889
n/a
n/a
The present invention relates generally to a method and system for video surveillance and in particular to a method and system for detecting tampering of a camera in a video surveillance system.
Video surveillance is prevalent in society. Whether to protect inventory, property or people, society generally accepts video surveillance as a way to provide security. However, as video surveillance systems become more sophisticated so too do the efforts of wrongdoers who seek to circumvent and/or neutralize these systems. The result is a never ending game of cat and mouse where surveillance system developers add features and functions, which wrongdoers then try to circumvent and/or defeat.
Common methods wrongdoers use to avoid detection in a monitored area is to cover, re-orient or blind the camera through the use of extreme light or otherwise change the scene a security system camera is monitoring. For example, a wrongdoer may move the camera to point it away from the monitored area or even place an image of a “fake” scene in front of the camera lens. If monitoring personnel, e.g., a security guard, is monitoring many cameras, the personnel may not notice the change in scenes and therefore not be alerted that suspicious activity is occurring. While methods are known that address these problems, such methods result in significant false positives and potentially slow response times. For example, a false alarm may be generated if an outdoor camera scene changes due to blowing leaves, car headlights, etc., even though no actual tampering has occurred. False positives are extremely counter-productive and the resulting alarms will likely be ignored by the monitoring personnel. It is therefore desirable to have a method and system that reliably informs the security guard or other monitoring personnel if an alarm event is happening in a manner that reduces, if not eliminates, false positives.
The present invention advantageously provides a method and system for detecting tampering of a security system component such as a camera. The method and system analyze video analytics indicating potential tampering and sensor data to determine whether the potential tampering is actual tampering. In the case where actual tampering is determined, the method and system generate a qualified alarm which can be sent to a monitoring station or other security system component for further processing.
In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a method in which an analytic alarm indicative of potential tampering with a security system component is received. Data from at least one sensor is received. A computing device is used to analyze the analytic alarm and the data from the at least one sensor to determine whether tampering of the security system component has occurred. A qualified alarm signal is generated when the analysis of the analytic alarm and the data from the at least one sensor is indicative of tampering.
In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides a system for detecting tampering of a security system component, in which there is at least one sensor. A video analytic module generates an analytic alarm indicating potential tampering with the security system component. A tampering monitor is in communication with the at least one sensor and the video analytic module. The tampering monitor receives data from the at least one sensor, analyzes the analytic alarm and the data from the at least one sensor to determine whether tampering of the security system component has occurred, and generates a qualified alarm signal when the analysis of the analytic alarm and the data from the at least one sensor is indicative of tampering.
In accordance with still another aspect, the present invention provides a security system video de-noising method in which noise reduction motion vectors are determined. Data from at least one sensor is received. A computing device is used to correlate the noise reduction motion vectors with the data received from at least one of the at least one sensor to determine noise pixels within the video. The video is de-noised by removing the noise pixels from the video.
A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Before describing in detail exemplary embodiments that are in accordance with the present invention, it is noted that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of apparatus components and processing steps related to implementing a system and method that uses video analytics in combination with sensor readings to qualify security monitoring system alarms. Accordingly, the system and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
As used herein, relational terms, such as “first” and “second,” “top” and “bottom,” and the like, may be used solely to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element without necessarily requiring or implying any physical or logical relationship or order between such entities or elements.
Referring now to the drawing figures in which like reference designators refer to like elements, there is shown in
Further, although
Referring now to
The transceiver 26 may include a transmitter 34 and a receiver 36. Transmitter 34 and receiver 36 can communicate via a wired or wireless communication link with video analytic module 14, light sensor 16 and accelerometer 18.
The memory 28 may include a tampering module 42 for determining whether an alarm is a qualified alarm. Operation of the tampering module 42 is described in greater detail below. The tampering module 42 may determine whether to generate and cause communication interface 30 to transmit a qualified alarm signal by analyzing output information received from one or more of the video analytic module 14, light sensor 16 and accelerometer 18. Of note, although
The controller 22 may also be electrically coupled to a real-time clock (“RTC”) 38 which monitors the passage of time. The RTC 38 may act as a timer to determine whether actuation of events, such as receipt of data from video analytic module 14, light sensor 16 and/or accelerometer 18, occurs within a predetermined time frame. The RTC 38 may also be used to generate a time stamp such that the time of a qualified alarm may be logged and such that sensor data can be correlated with video analytic data.
An exemplary tamper detection and alarm qualification process is described with reference to
Tampering monitor 20 analyzes the analytic alarm and the data received from the appropriate sensor(s) (step S106) to determine whether tampering of the security system component has occurred (step S108). Tampering monitor 20 generates a qualified alarm signal when the analysis of the analytic alarm and the data from the sensor(s) is indicative of tampering (step S110). In the case where a qualified alarm signal is generated, further processing of the alarm can be performed. Such examples might include transmitting the qualified alarm signal to a security system monitoring facility, sounding an audible alarm, illuminating a visual alarm, and the like.
A number of specific use cases are contemplated and provided by the present invention. These use cases are representative of methods by which wrongdoers may attempt to defeat the security system, such as by altering the operation of security system camera 12. As an example of one use case, video analytic module 14 may execute a reorientation analytic to determine whether the camera has been physically moved, e.g., pointing the camera 12 away from the scene being monitored.
In such case, sensor data from accelerometer 18 and light sensor 16 can be used to determine whether the reorientation is the basis of tampering in order to generate the qualified alarm signal. Tampering monitor 20 evaluates the sensor data received from accelerometer 18 to determine whether a predetermined acceleration threshold has been met, for example, at approximately the same time as the video analytic module detects the physical movement. If the predetermined acceleration threshold has been met, the determination that tampering has occurred is made and the qualified alarm signal generated. The reorientation analysis can be further enhanced by also analyzing the light sensor data to determine whether a change in lighting occurred at approximately the same time as the reorientation of the camera.
Another use case occurs where a wrongdoer attempts to defocus the camera lens in order to obscure the camera's view of the monitored scene. In such case, accelerometer 18 and light sensor 16 can be used to determine whether the lens of camera 12 has been tampered with. Video analytic module 14 reports to tampering monitor 20 the potential tampering by defocusing of the lens on camera 12. Tampering monitor 20 analyzes the data from accelerometer 18 and light sensor 16 to determine whether a predetermined acceleration threshold has been met at approximately the same time as the change in lighting of the scene monitored by camera 12 and the defocusing of the lens of camera 12.
Another tampering use case occurs when a wrongdoer covers the camera lens in an attempt to completely block out any video capture by camera 12. In this case, video analytic module 14 alerts tampering monitor 20 of the potential covering of the lens of camera 12. Data from light sensor 16 and accelerometer 18 can be used to verify that the lens of camera 12 has indeed been covered. In such case, analysis of the sensor data from accelerometer 18 and light sensor 16 includes determining whether a predetermined acceleration threshold has been met at approximately the same time as a change in lighting of the scene monitored by the lens of camera 12 and the potential covering of the camera lens as recorded by video analytic module 14. In this case, accelerometer 18 would report a vibration of camera 12 at approximately the same time as light sensor 16 reports an unnatural change in lighting.
Wrongdoers may attempt to “blind” camera 12 by making a sudden change in light intensity within the monitored scene. For example, a wrongdoer may point a floodlight at camera 12 or render an associated luminary such as a floodlight or infrared illuminator inoperative, thereby making the monitored scene too dark. In such cases, video analytic module 14 will report the potential tampering by indicating that the scene has suddenly become too bright or too dark. Tampering monitor 20 can evaluate the data taken by light sensor 16 at approximately the time that video analytic module 14 detected the change in scene to report that an unnatural change in lighting occurred at approximately the same time as the potential tampering with the monitored scene.
It is also contemplated that camera 12 may perform a video stabilization process in order to provide a stabilized video picture to display monitors within the monitoring station. In such case, data from accelerometer 18 can be used to aid the stabilization process. For example, real time outputs from accelerometer 18 can be factored into the video stabilization method to provide a more robust stabilization than those methods that do not employ the use of accelerometers. For example, if the motion of camera 12 is detected as being only in one plane, the stabilization process can be simplified to operate only in that plane at the time the motion was detected. In such case, tampering monitor 20 or some other computing device can be used to perform the video stabilization process.
The present invention also provides a security system video de-noising method using system 10. For example, real time data acquired from accelerometer 18 and light sensor 16 can be factored into the de-noising method to enhance accuracy and provide a comprehensive de-noising arrangement. Such an arrangement and process is described with reference to
Optionally, and in addition to or in lieu of using the accelerometer data for correlation, the method of the present invention also provides for the use of data from light sensor 16 to provide enhanced de-noising. In this case, scaled light intensity data from the light sensor is received and a histogram of the light intensity is formed (step S120). In such case, the computing device, such as tampering monitor 20, uses the histogram to determine noise pixels within the video (step S116).
Of note, although the accelerometer correlation step is discussed and shown in
The present invention can be realized in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Any kind of computing system, or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein, is suited to perform the functions described herein.
A typical combination of hardware and software could be a specialized or general purpose computer system having one or more processing elements and a computer program stored on a storage medium that, when loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein. The present invention can also be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein, and which, when loaded in a computing system is able to carry out these methods. Storage medium refers to any volatile or non-volatile storage device.
Computer program or application in the present context means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following a) conversion to another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different material form.
In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. Significantly, this invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and accordingly, reference should be had to the following claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention.
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