Sensor-Camera FOV Mapping for Accurate Alarm Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing security systems face challenges in automatically associating security sensors with video cameras, leading to manual data entry errors and dependency on user skill, especially when determining which camera should be used to confirm or disprove sensor indications.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a controller to define sensor and camera fields of view (FOVs) relative to a facility map, determine overlap, and automatically associate sensors with cameras, displaying relevant video streams on an operator console when an alarm condition is detected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual data entry is used to associate sensors with cameras, then the association can be established, but errors increase and accuracy depends on user skill
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-configuration by automatically determining sensor-camera associations through FOV overlap analysis. The controller autonomously processes floor plan data, sensor characteristics, and camera characteristics to establish associations without requiring manual user input, thereby eliminating human error while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of manual data entry with an automated computational system. The controller uses algorithmic processing of spatial data and FOV parameters to automatically establish associations, substituting human manual operations with automated electronic computation and data processing
2Productivity
If manual association is performed for hundreds or thousands of sensors and cameras, then associations can be established, but substantial time and effort are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically configures associations for all sensors and cameras without requiring proportional manual effort. The controller processes the entire facility's sensor and camera data through automated FOV overlap calculations, establishing all associations in a single automated operation rather than requiring individual manual configuration of each device
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary automated analysis of sensor and camera characteristics along with floor plan data before final association is needed. By pre-processing spatial relationships and FOV parameters during system setup, the associations are established automatically without requiring time-consuming manual intervention during operation or troubleshooting
3Reliability
If automatic sensor-camera association is implemented, then manual errors are reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs multiple functions including processing floor plan data, analyzing sensor characteristics, evaluating camera characteristics, calculating FOV overlaps, and establishing associations. This multi-functional approach consolidates complex automated configuration tasks into a single universal controller, managing system complexity through functional integration rather than requiring separate specialized components
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary that processes spatial and operational parameters to automatically determine sensor-camera associations. By introducing this intermediate processing layer that analyzes FOV overlap and spatial relationships, the system achieves accurate automatic configuration without requiring direct complex interactions between numerous sensors and cameras
Data Source
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Figure 3A
AI summary
A controller (14) defines a sensor Field Of View, FOV, for each sensor (12a-12c) based on sensor characteristics and a camera Field Of View, FOV, for each camera (16a-16c) based on camera characteristics. The controller determines a degree of overlap between each sensor FOV and each camera FOV and automatically determines a sensor-camera association between each sensor and one or more cameras and stores the sensor-camera association. In response to a particular sensor detecting an alarm condition in the facility, the security system (10) references the sensor-camera association to identify one or more cameras that are associated with the particular sensor, and automatically displays a video stream captured by one or more of the cameras that are associated with the particular sensor on an operator console (22) of the security system.