Building control device with health monitor

Abstract

The invention relates to a building control device with a health monitor. A building control device includes a controller configured to receive one or more sensed parameters from one or more sensors, generate an output based at least in part on the sensed parameters, and transmit the output to a network via a network interface, and execute a health algorithm. The health algorithm is configured to monitor a plurality of health parameters associated with operation of the building control device, wherein the health parameters include a health parameter indicative of a health of the hardware component and a health parameter indicative of a health of the software component. The health algorithm is configured to send an alarm to the network via the network interface when one or more of the plurality of health parameters are found to exceed a corresponding threshold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to building control equipment, and more particularly to building control equipment with health monitoring. Background Art

[0002] A building control system includes several building control devices. Over time, the performance of the building control devices may degrade for a variety of different reasons. Because a building may include a large number of building control devices, it may be difficult for one to track the performance of each of these building control devices in order to determine when a particular building control device may need maintenance in order to keep that particular building control device healthy and operating according to specifications. A camera is an example of a building control device, and a single camera may have multiple software processes running on that single camera. One or more of these processes may stop working (e.g., a video analytics process), meaning that, for example, a camera may be generating a video stream but not performing any video analytics on the video stream. As a result, potential events may not be identified by the video analytics and may not be reported. What would be desirable are improved methods and systems for monitoring the health of building control devices such as cameras, fire panels, security panels, and HVAC panels. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to building control devices, and more particularly to building control devices having health algorithms. One example may be found in a camera. The illustrative camera includes a memory, a network interface for communicating over a network, an image capture sensor for capturing a video stream, a housing, and a controller operatively coupled to the memory, the network interface, and the image capture sensor. The controller is configured to receive the video stream from the image capture sensor, generate an output based at least in part on the video stream, send the output to the network via the network interface, and execute a health algorithm. The health algorithm is configured to monitor each of a plurality of health parameters associated with the operation of the camera, wherein the plurality of health parameters include one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more hardware components of the camera and one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of the camera. The health algorithm is configured to send an alert to the network via the network interface when one or more of the plurality of health parameters is found to exceed a corresponding threshold.

[0004] Another example may reside in a building control device. The building control device includes a memory, a network interface for communicating with a building control system via a network, one or more sensors for sensing one or more sensed parameters, and a controller operatively coupled to the memory, the network interface, and the one or more sensors. The controller is configured to receive the one or more sensed parameters from the one or more sensors, generate an output based at least in part on the one or more sensed parameters, send the output to the network via the network interface, and execute a health algorithm. The health algorithm is configured to monitor each of a plurality of health parameters associated with the operation of the building control device, wherein the plurality of health parameters include one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more hardware components of the building control device and one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of the building control device. The health algorithm is configured to send an alert to the network via the network interface when one or more of the plurality of health parameters is found to exceed a corresponding threshold.

[0005] Another example may exist in a video surveillance system (VMS). The video surveillance system includes a VMS server, a plurality of cameras each for generating a video stream, and a network, wherein the plurality of cameras are operatively coupled to the VMS server via the network. One or more of the cameras are configured to: monitor each of a plurality of health parameters associated with the operation of the corresponding camera, wherein the plurality of health parameters include one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more hardware components of the corresponding camera and one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of the corresponding camera; and send a maintenance alert to the VMS server when one or more of the plurality of health parameters is found to exceed a corresponding threshold. One or more of the plurality of cameras are not configured to monitor each of a plurality of health parameters associated with the operation of the corresponding camera, wherein the plurality of health parameters include one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more hardware components of the corresponding camera and one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of the corresponding camera. For these cameras, the VMS server is configured to perform one or more of the following: pixel analysis of the video stream received from the corresponding camera to determine when the pixel change over time falls below a threshold, and issuing a maintenance alarm for the corresponding camera when the pixel change over time falls below the threshold; requesting process identification (PID) information from the corresponding camera over time and monitoring changes in the PIDs over time, and issuing a maintenance alarm for the corresponding camera when one or more of these PIDs are absent for at least a threshold time; and requesting memory utilization and / or CPU utilization over time and storing historical memory utilization and / or CPU utilization, and issuing a maintenance alarm for the corresponding camera when the memory utilization and / or CPU utilization becomes higher than a threshold based at least in part on the stored historical memory utilization and / or CPU utilization.

[0006] The above summary is provided to facilitate understanding of some innovative features unique to the present disclosure, and is not intended to be a complete description. A comprehensive understanding of the present disclosure can be obtained by viewing the entire specification, claims, drawings and abstract as a whole. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The present disclosure may be more fully understood upon consideration of the following description of various examples in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0008] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an exemplary building control device;

[0009] Figure 2is a schematic block diagram illustrating an exemplary camera;

[0010] Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an exemplary PTZ camera;

[0011] Figure 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary PTZ camera;

[0012] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary video surveillance system;

[0013] Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method;

[0014] Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method;

[0015] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method;

[0016] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram; and

[0017] Figure 10 is an illustrative screenshot of the monitoring tool.

[0018] Although the present disclosure is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, details thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. However, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the particular examples described. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0019] The following description should be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar elements in different drawings are numbered in the same manner. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and depict examples that are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Although examples of various elements are illustrated, those skilled in the art will recognize that many of the examples provided have suitable alternatives that can be utilized.

[0020] It is assumed herein that all numbers are modified by the term "about" unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers subsumed within that range (e.g., 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.80, 4, and 5).

[0021] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "or" is generally employed in its sense including "and / or" unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

[0022] It should be noted that references in the specification to "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "other embodiments," etc., indicate that the described embodiments may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment may include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with one embodiment, it is contemplated that the feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with one embodiment, and it is contemplated that the feature, structure, or characteristic may apply to other embodiments regardless of whether explicitly described, unless otherwise indicated.

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an exemplary building control device 10 that is part of, or can communicate with, a building control system 12. The building control device 10 can be any of a variety of different types of building control devices. For example, the building control device 10 can represent a camera, such as a PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) camera capable of adjusting any of its pan, tilt, and zoom. As another example, the building control system 12 can include an access control system, and the building control device 10 can be an access control panel of the access control system. For example, the building control system 12 can be a fire protection system, and the building control device 10 can be a fire protection panel of the fire protection system. As another example, the building control system 12 can be an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system, and the building control device 10 can be an HVAC panel of the HVAC system. These are merely example building control devices.

[0024] The building control device 10 includes a memory 14. The building control device 10 includes a network interface 16 configured to communicate with the building control system 12 via a network 18. For example, the network 18 can be a wired or wireless network. The building control device 10 includes one or more sensors 20 for sensing one or more parameters. It should be understood that the one or more sensors 20 can be any of a variety of different types of sensors, depending on the type of building control system 12 (and therefore the building control device 10). When the building control system 12 is an access control system, the one or more sensors 20 may include, for example, an access card reader, or perhaps an access control system camera. When the building control system 12 is a fire protection system, the one or more sensors 20 may include a smoke detector. When the building control system 12 is an HVAC system, the one or more sensors 20 may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an air quality sensor. These are merely examples.

[0025] The controller 22 is operatively coupled to the memory 14, the network interface 16, and one or more sensors 20. The controller 22 is configured to receive one or more sensed parameters from the one or more sensors 20 and generate an output based at least in part on the one or more sensed parameters. The controller 22 is configured to send the output to the network 18 via the network interface 16. The controller 22 is also configured to execute a health algorithm. In some examples, the health algorithm is configured to monitor each of a plurality of health parameters associated with the operation of the building control device 10, wherein the plurality of health parameters include one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more hardware components of the building control device 10 and one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of the building control device 10. The health algorithm is configured to send an alert to the network 18 via the network interface 16 when one or more of the plurality of health parameters is found to exceed a corresponding threshold. The alert may include one or more values ​​of the plurality of health parameters that have exceeded the corresponding threshold. The alert may include an indication of how far one or more of the plurality of health parameters are out of range. The alert may include a descriptor or color indicating the severity of the alert. The descriptors may include, for example, "Warning" for a less serious problem or "Major Warning" for a more serious problem. For example, the colors may include yellow for a less serious problem or red for a more serious problem.

[0026] Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an exemplary camera 24. In some cases, the exemplary camera 24 can be a fixed camera, meaning that its field of view is fixed. In some cases, the camera 24 can be a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera capable of adjusting its field of view. The camera 24 includes a memory 14 and a network interface 16 configured to communicate over a network 18. For example, the network 18 can be a wired or wireless network. The camera 24 includes an image capture sensor 26 for capturing a video stream. The controller 22 is operatively coupled to the memory 14, the network interface 16, and the one or more sensors 20. The controller 22 is configured to receive a video stream from the image capture sensor 26 and generate an output based at least in part on the video stream. The output may include the video stream and / or one or more alarms based on the video stream. The controller 22 is configured to send the output to the network 18 via the network interface 16.

[0027] The controller 22 is further configured to execute a health algorithm. In some examples, the health algorithm is configured to monitor each of a plurality of health parameters associated with the operation of the camera 24, wherein the plurality of health parameters includes one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more hardware components of the camera 24 and one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of the camera 24. The health algorithm is configured to send an alert to the network 18 via the network interface 16 when one or more of the plurality of health parameters is found to exceed a corresponding threshold. The term "exceed" can be interpreted as temporarily exceeding (e.g., exceeding) the corresponding threshold, exceeding for at least a period of time (e.g., exceeding for at least one minute), or otherwise satisfying a predefined threshold criterion.

[0028] In some cases, an alert may include one or more values ​​of multiple health parameters that have exceeded corresponding thresholds. The alert may include an indication of how far one or more of the multiple health parameters are out of range. The alert may include a descriptor or color that indicates the severity of the problem. The descriptor may include "Warning" for a less serious problem or "Major Warning" for a more serious problem. For example, the color may include yellow for a less serious problem or red for a more serious problem.

[0029] In some examples, the plurality of health parameters indicative of the health of one or more hardware components of camera 24 may include one or more of the sensed light intensity of one or more pixels of one or more frames of a video stream captured by the camera and the sensed image clarity of one or more image frames of the video stream. When the sensed light intensity of one or more pixels of one or more frames of the video stream (e.g., an average of the pixels of one or more frames) is found to exceed a corresponding threshold, controller 22 may be configured to send an alarm to network 18 via network interface 16, indicating that the transparent dome of camera 24 may be dirty and require maintenance and / or that the infrared light source of camera 24 used to illuminate the scene requires maintenance. In some cases, the plurality of health parameters indicative of the health of one or more hardware components of camera 24 may include a packet loss parameter indicating a packet loss rate during communication through the network via the network interface, and when the packet loss parameter is found to exceed a corresponding threshold, controller 22 may be configured to send an alarm to network 18 via network interface 16, indicating that the connection via network 18 requires maintenance (e.g., there is a problem with the network cable connector).

[0030] In some cases, the plurality of health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of camera 24 may include a health parameter associated with the number of times camera 24 has been rebooted within a predetermined time period. In some instances, the plurality of health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of camera 24 may include a health parameter indicating whether the firmware of camera 24 is up to date.

[0031] In some cases, the controller 22 executes multiple software processes, each with a corresponding process identifier (PID), wherein the multiple health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of the camera 24 may include a health parameter associated with each of the multiple software processes. Each health parameter may include a normal health condition and a suspended health condition. In some cases, when the PID for a particular process terminates and another PID for the same process appears, this may indicate that the particular process is crashing and restarting. In some cases, when the PID for a particular process has CPU and / or memory usage exceeding certain thresholds, the particular process may be suspended. Example camera services, each having one or more processes, may include, but are not limited to, a system service, a log manager, a digital signal processing (DSP) service, an input / output (IO) control service, an audio-visual (AV) service, a communicator service, a PTZ service, a network manager, a user manager, a firmware upgrade service, a media service, an RTSP service, a disk manager service, an event manager service, an HTTP streaming service, an Onvif service, a video analytics service, a health monitoring service, and a Bonjour service.

[0032] Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an exemplary PTZ camera 28. PTZ camera 28 includes memory 14 and a network interface 16 configured to communicate over a network 18. For example, network 18 can be a wired or wireless network. PTZ camera 24 includes an image capture sensor 26 for capturing a video stream. Controller 22 is operatively coupled to memory 14, network interface 16, and one or more sensors 20. Controller 22 is configured to receive the video stream from image capture sensor 26 and generate an output based at least in part on the video stream. Controller 22 is configured to send the output to network 18 via network interface 16. In some cases, the output includes the video stream and / or one or more alarms based on the video stream.

[0033] PTZ camera 28 includes a focus drive mechanism 30 configured to mechanically change the focus of PTZ camera 28 and a PTZ drive mechanism 32 configured to mechanically change the PTZ position of the PTZ camera. In some examples, controller 22 is operatively coupled to focus drive mechanism 30 and PTZ drive mechanism 32, enabling controller 22 to control the focus, pan, tilt, and zoom of PTZ camera 28 and, therefore, the field of view of PTZ camera 28.

[0034] Controller 22 is configured to execute a health algorithm. In some examples, the health algorithm is configured to monitor each of a plurality of health parameters associated with the operation of PTZ camera 28, wherein the plurality of health parameters includes one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more hardware components of PTZ camera 28 and one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of PTZ camera 28. The health algorithm is configured to send an alert to network 18 via network interface 16 when one or more of the plurality of health parameters is found to exceed corresponding thresholds. The alert may include one or more values ​​of the plurality of health parameters that have exceeded corresponding thresholds. The alert may include an indication of how far one or more of the plurality of health parameters are out of range. The alert may include a descriptor or color indicating the severity of the problem. The descriptor may include "Warning" for a less severe problem or "Major Warning" for a more severe problem. For example, the color may include yellow for a less severe problem or red for a more severe problem.

[0035] In some examples, the plurality of health parameters indicative of the health of one or more hardware components of PTZ camera 28 may include one or more of a sensed hardware degradation of the performance of focus drive mechanism 30 and / or a sensed hardware degradation of the performance of PTZ drive mechanism 32. In some cases, the plurality of health parameters indicative of the health of one or more hardware components of PTZ camera 28 may include one or more of a sensed light intensity of one or more pixels of one or more frames of a video stream (e.g., an average of the sensed light intensities of the pixels in the one or more frames) and a sensed image clarity of one or more image frames of the video stream.

[0036] When the sensed light intensity of one or more pixels of one or more frames of the video stream (e.g., the average of the pixels of one or more frames) is found to exceed a corresponding threshold, controller 22 may be configured to send an alarm to network 18 via network interface 16, indicating that the transparent dome of camera 24 may be dirty and requires maintenance and / or that the infrared light source of camera 24 used to illuminate the scene requires maintenance. When the sensed image clarity of one or more frames of the video stream is found to exceed a corresponding threshold, controller 22 may be configured to send an alarm to network 18 via network interface 16, indicating that one or more of: the transparent dome of PTZ camera 28 requires maintenance; and the focus drive mechanism 30 of PTZ camera 28 requires maintenance. In some cases, the plurality of health parameters indicating the health of one or more hardware components of camera 24 may include a packet loss parameter indicating a packet loss rate during communication through the network via the network interface, and when the packet loss parameter is found to exceed a corresponding threshold, controller 22 may be configured to send an alarm to network 18 via network interface 16, indicating that the connection via network 18 requires maintenance (e.g., there is a problem with the network cable connector).

[0037] In some cases, the plurality of health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of PTZ camera 28 may include a health parameter associated with the number of times PTZ camera 28 has been restarted within a predetermined time period. In some instances, the plurality of health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of PTZ camera 28 may include a health parameter indicating whether the firmware of PTZ camera 28 is up to date.

[0038] In some cases, the controller 22 executes multiple software processes, each with a corresponding process identifier (PID), wherein the multiple health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of the camera 24 may include a health parameter associated with each of the multiple software processes. Each health parameter may include a normal health condition and a suspended health condition. In some cases, when the PID for a particular process terminates and another PID for the same process appears, this may indicate that the particular process is crashing and restarting. In some cases, when the PID for a particular process has CPU and / or memory usage exceeding certain thresholds, the particular process may be suspended. Example camera services, each having one or more processes, may include, but are not limited to, a system service, a log manager, a digital signal processing (DSP) service, an input / output (IO) control service, an audio-visual (AV) service, a communicator service, a PTZ service, a network manager, a user manager, a firmware upgrade service, a media service, an RTSP service, a disk manager service, an event manager service, an HTTP streaming service, an Onvif service, a video analytics service, a health monitoring service, and a Bonjour service.

[0039] Figure 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary PTZ camera 28. The PTZ camera 28 includes a housing 34 that may include mounting features 36. Although threaded mounting features 36 are shown, this is merely exemplary, as the housing 34 can be configured to be mounted in place in any of a variety of different ways, such as to a mounting bracket. The exemplary PTZ camera 28 includes a sphere 38 that extends downwardly (in the illustrated orientation) beyond the housing 34. In some examples, the sphere 38 can be formed of a transparent or at least substantially transparent material, enabling the camera lens and image capture sensor 26 disposed within the sphere 38 to view scenes and events outside of the PTZ camera 28. The sphere 38 can help protect the camera components inside the housing 34 from the outside environment and damage.

[0040] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an exemplary video surveillance system 40. The exemplary video surveillance system 40 includes a VMS (video management system) server 42 operatively coupled to a network 18. The video surveillance system 40 also includes several cameras 24, labeled 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d. While a total of four cameras 24 are shown, this is merely illustrative, as any number of cameras 24 may be included. Each of the cameras 24 is configured to generate a video stream. Each of the cameras 24 is operatively coupled to the network 18, and therefore, each of the cameras 24 is capable of sharing a video stream with the VMS server 42 via the network 18.

[0041] Some of the cameras 24 may have capabilities that are not present in other cameras 24. In some cases, one or more of the cameras 24 are configured to monitor each of a plurality of health parameters associated with the operation of the corresponding camera 24, wherein the plurality of health parameters include one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more hardware components of the corresponding camera 24 and one or more health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of the corresponding camera 24. One or more of the cameras 24 may also be configured to send a maintenance alert to the VMS server when one or more of the plurality of health parameters is found to exceed corresponding thresholds.

[0042] In some cases, one or more of cameras 24 may be configured to perform pixel analysis on the video stream captured by the corresponding camera to determine when a particular pixel in the video stream does not change over time (e.g., the pixel change over time falls below a threshold). When the pixel change for each of the one or more pixels falls below the threshold, camera 24 may issue a maintenance alarm for the corresponding camera.

[0043] One or more of the cameras 24 may be configured to identify process identification (PID) information of the corresponding camera over time and monitor changes in the PIDs over time. Upon detecting that one or more of the PIDs are absent for at least a threshold time, the corresponding camera 24 may issue a maintenance alarm for the corresponding camera 24. One or more of the cameras 24 may be configured to identify memory utilization and / or CPU utilization of the corresponding camera 24 over time and store historical memory utilization and / or CPU utilization. When the memory utilization and / or CPU utilization of the corresponding camera 24 exceeds a threshold utilization based at least in part on the stored memory utilization and / or CPU utilization, the corresponding camera 24 may issue a maintenance alarm for the corresponding camera 24.

[0044] In some cases, the VMS server 42 may be configured to perform pixel analysis on the video stream received from the corresponding camera to determine when a particular pixel in the video stream does not change over time (e.g., the pixel change over time falls below a threshold). When the pixel change for each of one or more pixels falls below the threshold, the VMS server may issue a maintenance alert for the corresponding camera.

[0045] In some cases, the VMS server 42 may be configured to request process identification (PID) information for each of the cameras over time and monitor changes in the PIDs over time. Upon detecting that one or more of the PIDs are absent for at least a threshold time, the VMS server may issue a maintenance alert for the corresponding camera 24. The VMS server 42 may be configured to request memory utilization and / or CPU utilization for each of the cameras over time and store the historical memory utilization and / or CPU utilization. When the memory utilization and / or CPU utilization exceeds a threshold value based at least in part on the stored historical memory utilization and / or CPU utilization, the VMS server 42 may issue a maintenance alert for the corresponding camera 24.

[0046] In some examples, the VMS server 42 may be configured to automatically issue one or more commands to the corresponding camera 24 in response to receiving a maintenance alert for the camera 24. In some cases, the one or more commands may be selected based on the content of the maintenance alert.

[0047] In some cases, a camera may be streaming live normally, but the video analytics process may be stopped. In this instance, an operator at the central monitoring station may see the live stream from the camera, but will be unaware that the video analytics process in the camera is not running and will not identify and report alarms identified by the video analytics process. In this instance, the camera's health algorithm will identify that the video analytics process is not operating properly and will report to the operator at the central monitoring station that the video analytics process requires attention. In some cases, the health algorithm will automatically restart the video analytics process.

[0048] The health algorithm can be used to identify damage to the camera's outer dome 38. The damage may include cracks, or the outer dome 38 may be wet, foggy, or unclear. The health algorithm can use one or more internal temperature sensors to identify whether the camera fan and / or heater requires maintenance.

[0049] A health algorithm can be used to identify when the focus motor and / or PTZ mechanism is not functioning properly. In some cases, the health algorithm may monitor the voltage, current, speed, and / or range of motion of the focus and / or PTZ mechanism during active focus and / or pan / tilt / zoom operations. The health algorithm may issue an alarm if the voltage, current, speed, and / or range of motion of the focus motor and / or PTZ mechanism falls outside of a predefined range. Alternatively or additionally, the health algorithm may monitor the video stream during active focus and / or pan / tilt / zoom operations and issue an alarm if one or more characteristics of the video stream fall outside of a predefined range. For example, if the video frames of the video stream do not change during active focus and / or pan / tilt / zoom operations, the focus motor and / or PTZ mechanism may be determined to be inoperable.

[0050] The health algorithm can be scheduled to run automatically, such as once or twice daily. Between runs, the health algorithm can terminate or remain in a background or sleep state so as not to consume camera resources. In some cases, the health algorithm can run continuously to monitor health parameters associated with the camera's operation in real time or near real time.

[0051] Figure 6 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method 44 for operating a camera. The method 44 includes executing a predictive maintenance algorithm on the camera, as indicated at block 46. A temperature value detected by a temperature sensor inside the camera housing is read, as indicated at block 48. In some cases, if the sensed temperature rises above a threshold, a heater or fan serving the camera may not be operating properly, as indicated at block 50. In some cases, this may indicate that the heater or fan is not operating, and an alarm may be sounded, as indicated at block 52.

[0052] Check the camera's focus value, as indicated at box 54. Check the camera's autofocus, as indicated at box 56. In some cases, this may generate a focus motor or outer dome maintenance request, as indicated at box 58. Check the PTZ position, as indicated at box 60. In some cases, this may generate a PTZ alarm, as indicated at box 62. Check the camera data, as indicated at box 64. In some cases, this may generate a firmware alarm, as indicated at box 66. Check the camera's uptime, as indicated at box 68. In some cases, this may generate a firmware update alarm, as indicated at box 70. Check the warranty information, as indicated at box 72. This may generate a warranty alarm, as indicated at box 74.

[0053] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary method 76. A camera is installed, as indicated at block 78. The health of the camera is monitored, as indicated at block 80. A determination is made as to whether any camera service is unresponsive or has hung for longer than a predefined threshold limit, as indicated at decision block 82. Example camera services, each having one or more processes, may include, but are not limited to, a system service, a log manager, a digital signal processing (DSP) service, an input / output (IO) control service, an audio-visual (AV) service, a communicator service, a PTZ service, a network manager, a user manager, a firmware upgrade service, a media service, an RTSP service, a disk manager service, an event manager service, an HTTP streaming service, an Onvif service, a video analytics service, a health monitoring service, and a bonjour service. If no, control returns to block 80. If yes, control proceeds to block 84 and a significant event alert is issued. Human operators may then review and potentially take action, as indicated at block 86.

[0054] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary method 88. A camera is installed, as indicated at block 90. ​​The camera video stream is monitored, as indicated at block 92. A determination is made as to whether there have been no camera pixel changes (e.g., whether a particular pixel has changed) for a period of time (e.g., within two or more video frames), as indicated at decision block 94. If there have been camera pixel changes, control returns to block 92. If there have been no camera pixel changes for the period of time, control passes to block 96 and a camera stream error is raised, as indicated at block 96. A camera stream error may indicate that the video stream from the camera is the same, unchanged frame. An operator will then review and possibly take action, as indicated at block 98.

[0055] Figure 91 is a schematic block diagram 100. The BMS controller sends a heartbeat signal to all panels, as indicated at block 102. The sensor receives the heartbeat signal and performs integrity checks, as indicated at block 104. The integrity check includes determining whether the power is stable, as indicated at block 106. The integrity check includes determining whether the internal temperature of the panel is within range, as indicated at block 108. The integrity check includes determining whether the logic level of the output (e.g., the logic level of the door open / closed output of the access control door panel) is correct, as indicated at block 110. An alarm is issued when one or more of these integrity checks detects an operating condition outside a predefined range.

[0056] Figure 10 is a screen capture showing an exemplary screen 112 that may be displayed. In this example, screen 112 includes the IP address 114 of a specific camera. In some cases, this may include a drop-down menu allowing the user to select any specific camera of the building control system. Screen 112 includes a current status section 116 that displays parameter values ​​for the selected camera, such as CPU usage, memory usage, shared memory usage, free memory usage, and buffer cache percentage. Screen 112 includes an uptime section 118, a swap usage section 120, and a load average section 122. Screen 112 also includes an additional data section 124 that provides additional data. The additional data may identify various processes running in the specific camera and various parameters associated with each of the running processes, such as CPU usage, memory usage, and process uptime. The system may automatically issue an alarm if one or more of these parameters falls outside of a predefined range. The predefined "range" may be a one-sided range (eg, defining a lower range limit but not an upper range limit) or a two-sided range (eg, defining a lower range limit and an upper range limit).

[0057] Although several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in this manner, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that other embodiments may be made and used within the scope of the claims appended hereto. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is in many respects merely illustrative. Details (especially those relating to shape, size, arrangement of parts, and exclusion and order of steps) may be changed without exceeding the scope of the present disclosure. Of course, the scope of the present disclosure is defined in the language of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A camera, comprising: Memory; a network interface, the network interface being used for communicating via a network; an image capture sensor for capturing a video stream; case; a controller operatively coupled to the memory, the network interface, and the image capture sensor, the controller configured to: receiving the video stream from the image capture sensor; generating an output based at least in part on the video stream; sending the output onto the network via the network interface; Executing a health algorithm, wherein the health algorithm is configured to: monitoring each health parameter of a plurality of health parameters associated with operation of the camera, wherein the plurality of health parameters includes one or more health parameters indicative of a health of one or more hardware components of the camera and one or more health parameters indicative of a health of one or more software components of the camera; as well as When one or more health parameters among the plurality of health parameters are found to exceed corresponding thresholds, an alarm is sent to the network via the network interface.

2. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the camera is a pan / tilt / zoom (PTZ) camera, the PTZ camera comprising: a focus driving mechanism, the focus driving mechanism being used to mechanically change the focus of the PTZ camera; a PTZ drive mechanism, the PTZ drive mechanism being used to mechanically change the PTZ position of the PTZ camera; a transparent dome for protecting the image capture sensor; and wherein the controller is further operatively coupled to the focus drive mechanism and the PTZ drive mechanism.

3. The camera of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of health parameters indicative of the health of one or more hardware components of the PTZ camera include one or more of a sensed hardware degradation of performance of the focus drive mechanism and a sensed hardware degradation of performance of the PTZ drive mechanism.

4. The camera of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of health parameters indicating the health of one or more hardware components of the PTZ camera include one or more of the sensed light intensity of one or more pixels of one or more frames of the video stream and the sensed image clarity of one or more image frames of the video stream, and wherein when the sensed image clarity of one or more frames of the video stream is found to exceed a corresponding threshold, the controller is configured to send an alarm to the network via the network interface, the alarm indicating one or more of the following: the transparent dome of the camera requires maintenance; and the focus drive mechanism of the PTZ camera requires maintenance.

5. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of health parameters indicative of the health of one or more hardware components of the camera include one or more of a sensed light intensity of one or more pixels of one or more frames of the video stream and a sensed image clarity of one or more image frames of the video stream.

6. The camera of claim 5 , wherein when it is found that the sensed light intensity of one or more pixels of one or more frames of the video stream exceeds a corresponding threshold, the controller is configured to send an alarm to the network via the network interface, the alarm indicating one or more of the following: the transparent dome of the camera requires maintenance; and the infrared light source of the camera used to illuminate the scene requires maintenance.

7. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of health parameters indicating the health of one or more hardware components of the camera include a packet loss parameter indicating a packet loss rate during communication through the network via the network interface, and when the packet loss parameter is found to exceed a corresponding threshold, the controller is configured to send an alarm to the network via the network interface, the alarm indicating that the connection via the network requires maintenance.

8. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the controller of the camera executes a plurality of software processes each having a corresponding process identifier (PID), wherein the plurality of health parameters indicating the health of one or more software components of the camera include a health parameter associated with each of the plurality of software processes, wherein each health parameter includes a normal health condition and a suspended health condition.

9. The camera of claim 8, wherein the plurality of software processes includes a video analytics software process that executes a video analytics algorithm on the video stream.

10. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of health parameters indicative of the health of one or more software components of the camera comprises one or more of: a health parameter associated with a number of times the camera has been restarted within a predetermined time period; and A health parameter indicating whether the camera's firmware is up to date.

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