Emergency Video Stream Access via Privacy-Aware Intermediary Server
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video security systems face challenges in enabling seamless sharing of video streams across disparate networks while maintaining privacy and control over access, particularly for emergency services and private camera owners, as they lack a standardized method to share views across jurisdictional boundaries without compromising security and privacy.
Innovation Solution
A method that allows emergency service agencies to request and access transformed video streams from privately owned cameras, using a time-bound API and privacy settings, while ensuring that camera owners maintain control over their feeds, with features like pixel block coefficient masking for privacy protection and dynamic access controls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If emergency service agencies access video streams from multiple camera networks, then situational awareness is improved, but privacy and security control are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between camera networks and emergency service agencies. This server acts as a controlled access point that transforms and manages video stream distribution, allowing emergency services to access multiple camera networks while maintaining privacy and security controls through centralized management and transformation of video data
2Productivity
If camera owners share video streams across networks, then emergency response capability is improved, but control over access is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring privacy settings and access controls on the camera owner's side before any emergency access occurs. The system transforms video streams with embedded control mechanisms in advance, allowing rapid emergency access while maintaining owner control without requiring real-time negotiation during emergencies
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as an intermediary that enforces access controls and transformation rules, allowing camera owners to maintain control over their video streams while enabling emergency services to access them when needed. The server manages the complexity of access control, shielding camera owners from the operational burden of managing cross-network access permissions
3Area of stationary object
If disparate video camera networks are integrated, then coverage area is improved, but system complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by creating a standardized server platform that can integrate multiple disparate camera networks through common protocols and interfaces. This universal server architecture provides multi-functional capabilities including video transformation, access control, and emergency service integration, reducing the complexity that would otherwise arise from custom integrations for each network
Data Source
AI summary
A system provides a transformed video stream from, a publicly or privately owned and operated camera bearing on an in-scope location vicinity, to, a responding emergency service agency (ESA). A request from an emergency services agent's display terminal includes location indicia and elicits a map of cameras bearing on the location vicinity as well as other display terminals in the area. Upon request, an application programming interface enables a video stream to comply with the privacy and access settings of the camera owner/operators. A plurality of private and public security surveillance cameras is coupled to a server. Exterior/street view video images are streamed to the server which may contact an owner for emergency access. An emergency agency vehicle at a location has a display for a selected gallery of obfuscated exterior/street views from cooperative networks of public and private security cameras bearing on the vicinity of an incident.