Drone-Supported Video Surveillance for Coverage Gap Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video surveillance systems often have gaps in coverage due to obstacles or temporary camera outages, leading to potential incidents going unnoticed or inadequately monitored.
Innovation Solution
Integration of mobile video cameras on drones with fixed video cameras to supplement surveillance, enabling dynamic coverage and incident detection, with drones receiving instructions to fly to incidents, capture video, and communicate with fixed cameras to enhance monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed video cameras are installed at fixed locations to provide surveillance coverage, then surveillance coverage is provided, but gaps in coverage occur due to obstacles, temporary outages, or limited field of view
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces mobile video cameras mounted on movable platforms (vehicles, drones, handheld devices) that can dynamically reposition themselves to fill coverage gaps. This transforms the static surveillance system into a dynamic one where cameras can move to optimal positions to maintain continuous coverage despite obstacles or failures of fixed cameras.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a controller that acts as an intermediary between fixed and mobile video cameras. The controller receives feedback from fixed cameras about coverage gaps and automatically deploys mobile cameras to supplement coverage, creating a coordinated multi-component surveillance system that overcomes the limitations of either approach alone.
2Adaptability or versatility
If mobile video cameras on drones are deployed to fill coverage gaps, then adaptability and coverage flexibility improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile video cameras are equipped with autonomous capabilities including self-navigation, self-positioning, and automatic incident detection. They can independently travel to locations where coverage is needed and automatically begin recording incidents, reducing the operational complexity that would otherwise be required to manually deploy and manage mobile cameras.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where the controller continuously monitors coverage quality from fixed cameras and automatically adjusts mobile camera deployment. This closed-loop control automates the complex coordination between different camera types, managing system complexity through intelligent algorithms rather than manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
A surveillance system includes fixed video cameras and mobile security devices. Each mobile security device includes a mobile video camera, a memory, a transceiver and a controller that is configured to receive instructions from a surveillance system controller to fly to a particular location at which an incident is believed to be occurring and to instruct the mobile video camera to capture video of the incident. In some cases, the controller of the mobile security device is configured to solicit and receive one or more video streams from fixed video cameras that are determined to meet predetermined criteria with respect to the incident, and store the one or more received video streams in the memory. The controller of the mobile security device may subsequently transmit the collected video streams to the surveillance system controller.