Image surveillance and reporting technology

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9386281-B2
Application number	US-201313842258-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Oct 2, 2009
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

Image surveillance and reporting technology, in which an event that is indicative of potential physical activity within an area corresponding to a location of a camera unit is detected. In response to detection of the event, the camera unit is controlled to capture one or more images of the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit. The one or more images captured by the camera unit are analyzed to determine whether the one or more images include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit. The one or more images are handled based on the determination of whether the one or more images include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensor comprising:
a camera configured to capture images of an area corresponding to a location of the image sensor;
a passive infrared motion sensor configured to sense motion in the location of the image sensor;
an analog filter that is configured to filter noise from the output of the passive infrared motion sensor and generate a trigger based on the output of the passive infrared motion sensor being indicative of motion other than noise;
an analog-to-digital convertor configured to digitize the output of the passive infrared motion sensor, the analog-to-digital convertor being configured to receive the output of the passive infrared motion sensor directly from the passive infrared motion sensor without passing through the analog filter;
a digital filter that is configured to receive the generated trigger from the analog filter and wake up to a processing mode from a sleep mode based on receipt of the generated trigger, the digital filter being configured to, in the processing mode, process the digitized output of the passive infrared motion sensor to determine whether the motion other than noise detected by the analog filter relates to real motion and being configured to, in the sleep mode, monitor for a trigger from the analog filter without processing the digitized output of the passive infrared motion sensor;
at least one processor configured to control the camera to capture an image based on the digital filter determining that the motion other than noise detected by the analog filter relates to real motion; and
a rules engine configured to enable remote configuration of the image sensor using interpreted scripts defined by a remote monitoring server,
wherein the digital filter is programmable based on digital filtering scripts received from the remote monitoring server and executed by the rules engine, and
wherein the image sensor is configured to reprogram the digital filter by:
receiving a new digital filtering script from the remote monitoring server, the new digital filtering script including instructions that, when executed by the rules engine, define new operations performed by the digital filter in processing signals from the analog-to-digital convertor, the new operations being different than operations performed by the digital filter in processing signals from the analog-to-digital convertor prior to receipt of the new digital filtering script,
associating the new digital filtering script with the trigger generated by the analog filter, and
using the rules engine to execute the new digital filtering script in response to receipt of the trigger generated by the analog filter.

2. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to ignore the motion other than noise detected by the analog filter based on the digital filter determining that the motion other than noise detected by the analog filter does not relate to real motion.

3. The image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a communication device configured to receive an interpreted script from a monitoring server that is located remote from the image sensor; and
an interpreter configured to:
receive a signal from a sensor related to a function associated with the image sensor,
compare the received signal to a trigger that causes performance of the interpreted script,
determine that the trigger defined by the interpreted script has been met based on comparison results,
initiate performance of the interpreted script to evaluate a monitoring rule in accordance with one or more parameters based on the determination that the trigger has been met, and
based on the evaluation of the monitoring rule revealing that the monitoring rule has been satisfied, cause performance of an action associated with the interpreted monitoring script.

4. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform operations comprising:
accessing one or more security system rules that control whether one or more images captured by the camera are transmitted to a remote monitoring server based on one or more events sensed by a security system that monitors a property associated with the area corresponding to the location of the image sensor, the security system including sensors that are separate from the camera and that are configured to sense events related to security of the monitored property;
monitoring for events sensed by the sensors included in the security system that monitors the property associated with the area corresponding to the location of the image sensor;
based on the monitoring, comparing one or more events sensed by the sensors included in the security system to the one or more security system rules;
determining whether to transmit the one or more images captured by the camera to the remote monitoring server based on the comparison of the one or more events sensed by the sensors included in the security system to the one or more security system rules; and
based on a determination to transmit the one or more images captured by the camera from the gateway to the remote monitoring server, transmitting, from the gateway to the remote monitoring server, the one or more images captured by the camera.

5. The image sensor of claim 4 , wherein accessing one or more security system rules that control whether the one or more images captured by the camera are transmitted to the remote monitoring server based on one or more events sensed by the security system that monitors the property associated with the area corresponding to the location of the camera comprises accessing a security system rule that controls the one or more images captured by the camera to be transmitted to the remote monitoring server based on the security system detecting an alarm event that results in a notification to a central monitoring station and that controls the one or more images captured by the camera to be withheld from the remote monitoring server based on the security system detecting an absence of the alarm event that results in the notification to the central monitoring station.

6. The image sensor of claim 4 , wherein accessing one or more security system rules that control whether the one or more images captured by the camera are transmitted to the remote monitoring server based on one or more events sensed by the security system that monitors the property associated with the area corresponding to the location of the camera comprises accessing a security system rule that controls whether the one or more images captured by the camera are transmitted to the remote monitoring server based on activity detected within the monitored property by the sensors included in the security system.

7. The image sensor of claim 6 , wherein accessing the security system rule that controls whether the one or more images captured by the camera are transmitted to the remote monitoring server based on activity detected within the monitored property by the sensors included in the security system comprises accessing a security system rule that controls whether the one or more images captured by the camera are transmitted to the remote monitoring server based on activity detected within the monitored property by the sensors included in the security system after the one or more images were captured by the camera.

8. The image sensor of claim 6 , wherein accessing the security system rule that controls whether the one or more images captured by the camera are transmitted to the remote monitoring server based on activity detected within the monitored property by the sensors included in the security system comprises accessing a security system rule that controls whether the one or more images captured by the camera are transmitted to the r

Assignees

• Alarm Com Inc

Inventors

• Trundle Stephen Scott
• Mccarthy Jr Robert J
• Martin Jean-Paul
• Slavin Alison Jane
• Hutz David

Classifications

• G08B13/19695

  Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves · CPC title

• G08B13/19602 Primary

  Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction · CPC title

• G08B25/008

  Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system · CPC title

• G08B13/1966

  Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera · CPC title

• G08B29/046

  prevention of tampering with detection circuits · CPC title