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Toolbox: ObjectVideo, Pyramid Vision Technologies, Anixter

Three steps forward for video surveillance

March 01, 2003 — CSO — Visitors to the United Kingdom often comment on the prevalence of surveillance cameras "over there." The United States is playing catch-up in that area, which of course has privacy wonks in a lather. For those charged with catching (or deterring) crime through picture-taking, a number of new products advance the state of the art.Cleaner CablingSimpler is always better, right? Traditional closed-circuit video cameras require three cables: one for power, one for the video, and one for the controls that move and aim the camera. Anixter has now created Closed-Circuit Twisted Pair (CCTP) video, which runs all three over a single high-performance cable. The resulting system is not only simpler but also compatible with standard IP-based networks, which means it's easier to connect the surveillance system to existing corporate networks, if need be.

Anixter is quick to point out that the product is Underwriter Laboratories-certified, so that running power over the network won't blow it up or start a firewhich is one mark of a good system in our book.

For more information, go to www.anixter.com.

-Derek SlaterSmarter VideoSpeaking of IP-based surveillance, ObjectVideo is hoping to help such systems smarten up. The company's product, Video Early Warning, attempts to remove the single greatest headache that motion detection video has produced: false positives.

The company does that by using object-based technology to create thresholds on a reasonably static surveillance image. For example, if there's a door in the frame, the user can create a rule that tells the system to ignore motion unless it crosses the threshold of the door. A camera fixed on an outdoor perimeter will ignore birds that fly through the frame but pick up on a lingering boat. The software also picks up on a change of state. A bag that suddenly becomes stationary at an airport, for example, could sound an alarm. Or a piece of art that never moves suddenly moves, and the alarms go off.

CSOs, though, will likely embrace the post-event capabilities more than anything. Archived, highly compressed video is stored in a database, making retrieval of relevant frames a basic database query.

As smart as that sounds, ObjectVideo says the technology is evolving so rapidly, it will get even smarter soon. At any rate, it appears the days of a drowsy security guard lording over tiny black-and-white closed-circuit TVs are fading, fast.

-Scott BerinatoFrame EnhancementVideoDetective, made by Pyramid Vision Technologies, is a briefcase-size unit that can be used to enhance low-quality video images by culling and compositing details from several different frames. Sample usage: Convenience-store holdups are frequently recorded on security cameras, but over-used VCR tapes, poor lighting and obstructed views often make the video virtually useless in identifying the thief. With VideoDetective, which can plug into a squad car cigarette lighter, police on the scene can immediately review the tape and select the frames with the best view of the perp; the unit can then automatically clarify those images with additional details from surrounding film frames, then print color copies for distribution to possible witnesses or other local law enforcement.