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Friday, September 23, 2016

Auto-tracking PTZ for Perimeter surveillance

Auto-tracking PTZ for Perimeter surveillance

Auto tracking is an advanced image processing algorithm to track the moving objects with respect to the speed and direction of the movement. Based on the requirement and application it has several advantages to reduce the number of cameras and increase the coverage area, reduce human intervention and manpower costs. A single PTZ camera to cover a large area and to automatically detect, follow and record video of moving objects such as humans or vehicles.

The auto-tracking system works in the same way as motion detection in that the camera will compare the current image taken with the previous image. If too many of the pixels are different the camera will register motion. In addition to this though, the auto-tracking system will work out which portion of the image is moving and register it as an object. It will then move the camera to keep that object in frame for as long as it can (comparing frames to understand the direction of movement). This means that even if the system is not actively monitored, the camera can follow possible intruders around the area picking up vital evidence where a normal PTZ camera would not. Once the object no longer registers the camera can be set to return to a preset position.

Conventional Speed Dome cameras have a wide detection range, they have to be manually controlled to adjust the camera to track the moving objects, which is inconvenient and less of reliability. Besides, if there are multiple cameras installed, it’s not so possible to control all of them simultaneously when some particular accidents happen. Meanwhile, detecting the moving object and tracking the movement can be critical even for movements with low frequency. For example, the museums after closing and the parking lots at night can be very quiet with barely no movement occurred. Normally, thieves breaking into a museum after closing may have minimal movements, however it’s extremely important to capture these movements for the security teams.

Infinova Auto-tracking is the feature built into to the camera to automatically track the moving objects with auto zoom in/out and auto-focus parallelly. The camera has its how intelligent logic to understand the moving objects speed and direction and tries to track them when crossed any Intrusion area selected by the User or triggered by means of any external alarms such as Alarm input contacts. Auto tracking can also trigger for a PTZ from VMS Software and the trigger options are numerous.

Advanced Auto tracking involves alarm-based trigger which may use the self-camera alarms like motion detection, Intrusion detection etc or from other cameras alarms by using raw trigger method or Software based trigger. Once the alarm has been triggered the PTZ camera will Auto track the moving object within the specified scene available and then track the objects. User can also configure a Home position and can opt for Move to Home position when alarm triggered and then Auto track. These are typical usage applications for Auto tracking. According to user requirement and application auto tracking can be configured in several forms as below
1. Self-analysis and Track
2. Other camera Alarms linked to track (SW/HW)
3. I/O based alarm linked to track
4. Software based Alarms linked to track

Infinova Auto tracking PTZ camera is approved by IS 13252(PART 1):2010/ IEC 60950-1: 2005

Below are the images to showcase the Perimeter Auto tracking
Fig 1: Auto tracking image
Below sequence of images are derived from live demonstration of Auto tracking from Hyderabad City Police demo
Instance : 1
Advantages:
·        Minimize Human intervention and requirement
·        Automatically tracks the moving object with respect to the speed and direction
·        Evidence for every movement within the scene specified
·        High chances of intruder tracking
·        Can cover larger areas with minimum number of cameras
·        Cost effective and efficient
Disadvantages:
·        Accuracy levels depends on configuration and system setup at field level
·        Limitations while multiple moving objects on the scene at the same time
·        Heavy usage of Hardware and components while PTZ in Auto tracking mode.
 
Infinova has deployed the Auto tracking PTZ and successfully demonstrated for the below projects

1. SHAR (Satish Dhawan Space Centre) - Perimeter surveillance

2. Indian Oil corporation - Perimeter Surveillance

3. Bharat Petroleum Corporation - Perimeter Surveillance

4. City surveillance projects - General surveillance

5. Airports perimeter - General and Perimeter Surveillance

“Utilizing the Pan/Tilt/Zoom to focus on, follow and track the moving objects automatically, Infinova PTZ cameras with auto-tracking function will no doubt to be more competitive beyond other products in the market. We design Supply & Commissioning of such project” says Arindam Bhadra (Director SSA Integrate).

Conventional others Auto Tracking PTZ May give you below scenario.
Illustration demonstrating how the larger object will be targeted by the Auto-Tracking Camera
Before acting on such assumptions, here are a few considerations to keep in mind with some scenarios where just one auto-tracking camera could work.


Friday, September 9, 2016

Safe & Secure India – Building & Home Security

Safe & Secure India – Building & Home Security

Technology is the driving force behind the transformation we can see all around us. Every day, elements of our personal and business lives are touched by smart solutions in some shape or form and innovators are constantly pioneering new ideas to improve the way we live. Today we have smartphones, smart TVs, smart meters, smart cars and now smart cities.

Technology has become an integral part of big infrastructure projects as it can play a pivotal role in addressing many issues.
What exactly is a smart city? It means some body can put less effort to do more. Today the Aadhaar usage is expanding and the police force is spending a lot time in identifying people when a crime is committed. Since the government is the biggest agency, it has everything including your birth certificate, educational certificates and all other relevant data which can be put in one place to identify criminals. Today, government departments are spending crores of rupees in data collection. If we can integrate all of it, we can do a lot more.

Smart Services, such as intelligent transportation, connected health care, public safety and security, emergency services, waste management and smart grid metering can be connected to drive efficiency and real-time intelligence.

Smart cities should have projects like integration of public sector & Pvt Sector buildings, Hospitals, School & University, and Molls etc. Install cameras in individual houses, these are ways to ensure public safety.

Building Security

The design and construction of secure buildings (minimal danger or risk of harm) continues to be the primary goal for owners, architects, engineers, project managers, and other stakeholders. 
Automated building security solutions protect public buildings, industrial facilities, critical infrastructures, private homes or material assets from vandalism, theft, terrorism, intrusion, or where necessary, unlawful escape. Yet, the protection offered by mechanical measures and guards is often not sufficient. SICK electronic sensor-based protective devices complement these measures and are suitable for stationary, portable, or mobile applications. In order to extend response times, protection is provided in a concentric manner: from perimeter protection and monitoring of the building exterior and interior, as well as object monitoring.

Security in-charge & Facilities Managers have an incredibly tough job of ensuring that their company’s facility and any buildings or spaces comply with local legislation and regulations. Building indicate Commercial / Residential, Private home, critical infrastructures, University’s or Schools, Hospital, Multiplex, Molls etc.

Here are some Common Layered in building Security Concept to consider to maintain a secure building:
Outer Protection Layer – e.g., natural or man-made barriers at property line
Middle Protection Layer – e.g., exterior of building
Inner Protection Layer – e.g., doors / Entry exit point within building

The protective measures in the security building design are intended to provide one or more of these basic functions:
Deter (access or attack by an active threat) e.g. CCTV, Security, Access Control, Intrusion sensor
Detect (presence of hazard or threat) e.g. CCTV, Security, Access Control
Prevent (hazard condition or attempt by threat) e.g., CCTV, Security
Delay (access or attack action) e.g. Security, Access or Entrance Control
Assess (situation) e.g. Security, Access Control
Respond (by denying access, defending or protecting assets) e.g. Central Station Monitoring / Integration
Now we discussed about indicative pin point system:

Video Surveillance
As a security expert I observed maximum place of building has very poor condition in security component. Dirty CCTV Camera with NVR/DVR, cable exposed of camera. The system transmits video signals within a closed loop by means of fiber-optic or coaxial cable, or by microwave wireless, forming a complete and independent system, from camera to image display and to the recording unit. Because security monitoring is typically implemented in harsh environments, you need to protect against damage from adverse events, such as surges and short-circuit faults in the power supply. That component is not under Planned Maintenance scheme.  BSIA Form 120 Code of practice for the maintenance of CCTV systems. BS EN 50132-7 states that “CCTV systems should be maintained in accordance with the schedule supplied by the system designer or supplier”. But no doughs some of place already used 4K camera. Video analytics maximum issue / theft has been solve.

Access Control
An access system comprises an access controller, card reader, electric control lock, transmission components and other parts. The access system you design is meant to secure the safety of personnel and property and should, therefore, be highly reliable and able to withstand electromagnetic interference (EMI), lightning, and other events that can harm the system. Someone maintain NSI Code of Practice for Design, Installation and Maintenance of Access Control Systems - NCP 109. NCP 109, comply with BS EN 50133-1:1997 and BS EN 50133-7:1999. However BS EN 50133 has not been adopted widely due to lack of available equipment. Road blocker, Bollard, Tyer killer need to be used during Entry of building.

Parking Management
Parking Security is Essentials for a building. If a parking area is dirty, has a poor layout, or looks unsafe, clients and visitors develop a negative image for that business. A poorly maintained lot or garage suggests it will be easier to commit a crime because no one from management will catch unwanted activity. In garages, glass elements, stairwell rails, signage, cleaning for lighting fixtures and elevator interiors should receive periodic cleanings as well.
Use an surveillance eye to monitor parking spaces, entrances, and narrow areas such as stairwells and corridors. Not only can surveillance catch a crime in progress, but documentation of a vehicle accident, assault, or even a slip-and-fall incident can be valuable. Some Easy-to-use App for both iPhone and Android devices that enables drivers to easily locate vacant parking spaces in real time. Happier drivers, better traffic flow, less congestion & pollution and maximum use of parking spaces.
In addition to cameras placed within the garage footprint for safety, several 360-degree pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) units were installed on the top of the exterior stair towers. Not only does parking management have access to the feeds at will, but the external video feed is shared with the police department. Smart Parking’s RFID solutions enable you to manage permit parking easily.  Permit holders are happier as more space becomes available through improved enforcement and fact-based planning.  A flexible system for changing needs.
Access control in parking areas addresses two goals – the safe and efficient flow of vehicle traffic and generating a record of parking users. Use passive security measures like fences, bollards, and road blocker to outline the parking area and direct users to the proper entrances.

Elevator Security
Elevators take people to and from every floor in a high-rise building. Owners and managers used to station security officers in lobbies to sign visitors in and out. After 9/11, many buildings elected to monitor elevator access for all building occupants. Technology like optical turnstiles, proximity cards, and video surveillance can ensure only authorized individuals board your elevators. Visitors must card in too. Most Class-A high rise buildings are moving to online / Offline visitor management systems.

Lighting Control
It is quite often now, that you hear LED bulbs are much more efficient than other technologies. According to a study by Ministry of Environment and Forest in India, lighting constitutes of roughly 30 % of the total electricity bill. Let us understand the different type of bulbs that are used and how we can reduce the total energy consumption. Basically, LEDs are just tiny light bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit.  They are illuminated solely by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material, and they last just as long as a standard transistor.  Although the initial cost of LED is usually higher, they give more of a return during their lifetime because of how energy efficient they are. As of 2016, LEDs use only about 10% of the energy an incandescent lamp requires. EN 15232 is Energy performance of buildings – Impact of Building Automation, Controls and Building Management standard. BS EN 15232-2012 is just one of many regulations, laws and directives that impact upon buildings. The global aims of reducing energy usage are set out in the Kyoto agreement. Others include The Buildings Act 1984; The Building Regulations and its reviews (2006, 2010, 2013 and 2016); The Approved Documents of the Building Regulations (Part L – Conservation of Fuel 2010, Part F – Ventilation 2010, Part G – Sanitation/Hot Water 2010, Part J – Combustion Appliance 2010)

Occupant Emergency Plan
Occupant emergency plans are an integral part of an emergency management program. Occupant Emergency Plans should be developed for building Operations staff and occupants to be able to respond to all forms of attacks and threats. Properly developed plans can reduce the risk to personnel, property, and other assets while minimizing work disruption during and immediately following an emergency.

BMS & Integration
In a intelligent building its required for Reduce Operational Costs, Reduce Maintenance Costs    and   Increase Operational Efficiency and Create a Safe and Quality Building Environment. All security equipment controlling from this BMS room. Some qualitative returns of BMS are
1.      Extended equipment Life & minimum Downtime
2.      Effective Use of manpower for other tasks
3.      Faster and Better responsiveness to Occupant needs and trouble conditions
4.     Better management of the building facilities through use of reports, history data and alarm management functions, etc.
5.      Streamlined operations
6.      Flexibility of easily meeting future changing needs of the building; size, layout, etc.
All the sensors and devices are designated routing rules & map integrated and represented by fully functional workflows that the icons on the map. The can be applied in various system will gather, categorize emergency situations and display the alarms in real time Analyze React Along with the processes, the Based on the scenario and event log module will register workflow set, the system will every task performed by the propose a response and the operator to form an audit trail field force can execute it.

Building Information Modeling
Building Information Modeling (BIM) can be a useful tool for building security. For example, intelligent objects in 3D provide better understanding of vulnerabilities and better correlation with other design aspects like building and site access, location and types of doors and windows, and structural design characteristics for seismic versus blast design.

Security guards
Security guards do have many advantages, but there are also some disadvantages. Guards cannot see everywhere at once — if they are in one location, they cannot see other places on your site. They can also be attacked by a thief or criminal who enters your site, leaving them unable to alert authorities.
Many businesses will choose to utilize both a guard service and a video surveillance solution. This popular approach has many benefits:
1.      Significant savings vs. employing a full guard force at all times
2.      Cameras can record at night in low light situations, giving you a better view than a guard
3.      Cameras can see further/wider than a guard
4.      Guards to monitor cameras live to see all entrances to a building
5.      Remote monitoring services to supplement when a guard isn't available



Home Security
If you have a own home, then make it as smart Home. Home owner can design his/her hsmart home in below manner. Make your smart phone/devices to make your home ‘sweet home’ with safety, security, savings and convenience at your finger touch. Control your home from anywhere in the world through internet. Doesn’t require any Static IP to do this, we have our specialized cloud servers to support you this with the best of the performance and experience for the remote controlling and monitoring.
The best part of the Smart Home is about its intelligence to behave like human, think like a human based on the specific situation or scenario. Various kinds of sensors are available for Lighting ON/OFF or to run a prescheduled Scene or to alert you. Remote Access through SMS & Telephone and Separate multiple Lines LCD Remote Key Pad.

Video Surveillance
Intelligent Video Surveillance need to be install which is operate from his/her Smart Phone apps. Many of camera OEM already have this facility, Owner / Authorized person need to use this feather. If you own an Android smartphone and want to enjoy the benefits of mobile security camera monitoring, you’ve come to the right place. Many of today’s most trusted manufacturers of IP security cameras, NVRs, and video management software offer Android IP camera apps for safe and reliable monitoring. VideoSurveillance.com has provided a list of Android security camera apps offered by manufacturers, and the high-end features available on each. Many IP camera and NVR manufacturers have unveiled top-of-the-line mobile monitoring apps compatible with the iPhone and iPad.

Intrusion Alarm
Many of Intrusion OEM already have this facility, Owner / Authorized person need to use this feather. The security measures include Sensors like Door/Window Sensors, Glass Break detection Sensors are for safety reasons like Intrusion Alarm and detection system. Other Safety sensors include Smoke Sensors, Gas Leakage Sensors, Flood Sensors, Shock Sensors, Vibration Sensors, Water Sensors, PIR or Motion Sensors can be used for safety or convenience reason. Special reason Sensors include Co2 – Carbon Dioxide Sensors and Temperature Sensors, Remote Monitoring and creating an Alert zone for a safe and secure home. BS 8473:2006 is Code of Practice for intruder and hold-up alarms – Management of false alarms.

Single Smart Room Automation
Automation need to be experienced for you to get that WOW feeling. In a single room we can provide the Automation experience that include Controlling Lights, Lights Dimming, Fan or A/C Control, TV, Audio & Video, Curtain Control and many more as your need basis, we shall offer the sensors to make the Automation more meaningful. Same as multiroom thought.

Smart Living Room
Living Room is where the family come together. Having a good ambience based on the scenes shall add the beauty as you deserve. Controlling Lighting, Dimming features, TV, Audio & Video, Curtain Control all makes your Living Room a smart room.

Smart Kitchen
Nowadays Kitchen has become the beautiful place in most of the homes… this is not just because of the food, it is because the Home Maker spends most of her/his time. Smart kitchen gives you all the automation features integrated that include Lighting, Dimming, Fan or A/C Control, TV Integration, Audio or Video Integration, Video Door Phone Monitor, and many more.

Smart Bath Room 
Home Automation features a bathroom which shall give you a different ambience every time you get in there. OEM provide controller for LEDs or bulbs which can be pre-programmed. Scenes for Bathroom can be created based on your needs with music & video integration. The smart bathroom doesn’t need switch nor does you to tell it turn ON the lights when you are IN, it happen just with your presence.

Smart Lighting
Automation is all about giving the ambience of your home to suit your mood. This is possible with the lighting dimming option. This shall not only give you the required ambience in the room but also saves the energy by using the lighting as required basis.

Smart Curtain Control
Imagine the curtain slightly goes up or slides side by early morning at 6:30 am or as scheduled by you, to allow the sun rays to enter your bed room, all this is to wake you up for an another happy day!. Curtain control through is the best of Smart Home feature to give you all the convenience that you look for. Curtain control operates on various scenarios like day light harvesting, to suit the lighting scene that you have created for Movie Time or Brighter day.

Motorization Smart Home
Motorization of various types include Swing Gate Automation, Sliding Gate Automation, Rolling Door Automation, Garage Door Automation, Boom Barriers Automation and Retractable Gates Automation.
This motorization can be operated through various ways that include Smart Phone Devices, On an Handheld Remote, GPS based and based on various sensors. Also the motorization can be scheduled needs.

Smart energy management.
The vision for the solar-powered smart home is compelling. By combining rooftop PV with learning thermostats, web-connected appliances, energy monitoring software and battery storage, homeowners will soon have unprecedented control over their energy use.
Smart meters provide the Smart Grid interface between you and your energy provider. Installed in place of your old, mechanical meter, these meters operate digitally, and allow for automated and complex transfers of information between your home and your energy provider. For instance, smart meters will deliver signals from your energy provider that can help you cut your energy costs. Smart meters also provide utilities with greater information about how much electricity is being used throughout their service areas.

Solar app can help you monitor your photovoltaic solar system no matter the size – whether solar panels are on your home’s roof or powering your entire building. You can see all the data live, if you’re sitting in your living room or even if you’re escaping winter snow on a sunny beach halfway across the world. Not only do you get to access this info from your phone or tablet.

Smart Emergency Response
A medical alarm system is a way to get help at the touch of a button. Our system will allow you to continue to lead a safe and independent lifestyle in your home.
By pushing the personal emergency response system button, or the emergency button on the Care Gard unit, the system causes the unit to dial out on the telephone line and make voice-to-voice contact with our monitoring station personnel. The monitoring staff will ask if everything is okay. If you can’t answer or answer that you are not okay they will dispatch a friend or next-door neighbor who you have listed as a willing responder. If they are unable to reach any of your responders, an ambulance will be called.

Smartwatch for Kids
There are a number of GPS trackers on the market that would allow parents to keep an eye on the whereabouts of their children. Paired with the clean user interface of the Android and iOS app, we can see this appealing to concerned parents. 
India is on its way to develop its first ‘100 Smart Cities’. The ambitious project has been under the spotlight ever since
the Narendra Modi government announced its vision of developing smart cities for India, and investing $1.2 billion to create them. The need to recast the urban landscape via smart cities arose with the increasing pace of migration that India witnessed in the past few years.
IFSY 2016 at Kolkata
IFSY 2016 at Kolkata

Friday, September 2, 2016

Smartphone innovation will increase with 5G

Smartphone innovation will increase with 5G

Innovation in cellular and other supporting technologies as well as in applications will sustain the rate of smartphone improvements.
Press and industry analyst response to the recent announcement of the iPhone 7 has been lukewarm. For example, The Economist notes the “main novelty” is it no longer has a conventional jack for headphones. That newspaper reckons “after almost 10 heady years, dating from the release of the first iPhone in mid-2007, both growth and pace of innovation have slowed markedly in recent months.” I doubt the pace of innovation is really slowing or that this could ever be reliably determined over months rather than years. However, in conclusion, The Economist also wisely rejects “talk of an end to the smartphone era.”
Improvements under the hood
Whereas some smartphone innovations are very overt and revolutionary; others are not so apparent to consumers and are more evolutionary, but are at least as significant. The multitouch capabilities included in the first iPhone were literally very tangible and enabled access to regular web pages, as opposed to the repurposed content hitherto required for small displays with WAP browsers. The iPhone transformed browsing on a small device connected to the internet via Wi-Fi, but remained hobbled as a truly mobile device – six years after the introduction of the first 3G networks – with only 2G cellular connectivity and a maximum downlink speed of only around 150 kilobits per second achievable. Uplink speeds were much slower still.
Performance has improved enormously over the last nine years. LTE data rates are 1,000-times faster – at hundreds of megabits per second in the downlink, tens of megabits per second in the uplink, and latencies have reduced from several hundred milliseconds to tens of milliseconds. Ever-higher maximum cellular data rates achievable in the uplink and the downlink on the succession of iPhone models illustrates the gradual yet relentless improvements in cellular technology. For consistency over many years, the following chart includes fastest downlink data rates in device testing on commercial networks or considered likely following announcement of each new iPhone model, as indicated in contemporaneous analyst and press reports. Maximum speeds depend on latest technologies in devices and in network upgrades, which can take a year or so to roll out. Actual speeds are also affected by a user’s location and radio interference with other users nearby. For example, AT&T Mobility’s customers in New York and San Francisco suffered with slow speeds and poor availability following the introduction of the iPhone 3GS in 2009. Such problems are rarely so severe these days.

Exponential growth in downlink speedsOther fundamental device improvements include the number of cellular standards and frequency bands supported. The first iPhone was a single-mode GSM/GPRS/EDGE device. Over the years, CDMA, TD-SCDMA, LTE-FDD and LTE-TDD have been added to make iPhones multimode devices. Multiple frequency bands are also employed with each standard. In particular, large and increasing numbers of bands are required for LTE. Since the introduction of the iPhone 5 in 2012, with support for LTE in up to five bands, the number of LTE bands supported has increased to 23 bands in the iPhone 7. Squeezing more and more modes, bands and other cellular functions into smartphones and getting higher and higher levels of radio performance out of them is no mean feat. It requires major innovative efforts and accomplishments in various ways.

A lot of inspiration and perspiration
Cellular technology developments have included some relatively large step-changes, for example, with new air interfaces; but developments mainly arise in a series of many incremental improvements. Even generational upgrades can take years to deploy across networks before benefits can be fully enjoyed. Until at least the turn of the millennium, cellular technology improvements were overwhelmingly in supporting voice and the most basic data capability imaginable with a maximum of 140 characters per text message. Since then, innovations have been focused on exponentially increasing speeds and network capacity for data. Numerous new technologies have been developed and introduced in the last decade. Terminology for these includes dual carrier, carrier aggregation, inter cell interference coordination, coordinated multipoint and heterogeneous networks among many others which have collectively boosted spectral efficiency, increased end-user data rates, increased network capacity and lowered latency.

The development of these standard-essential technologies is a massive coordinated endeavor involving numerous companies. According to analysis by Signals Research Group on 262,773 submissions to five 3GPP working groups from 1999 through December 2014, 43,917 documents were approved for inclusion in standards. The approved documents include 3G only, LTE only, and 3G and LTE documents as well as submissions that fall outside all of these three categories – documents pertaining to GSM/GERAN or IP multimedia subsystems are examples. More than an estimated 1 million man-hours is spent actually in 3GPP working group meetings each year. However, working group activity is merely the tip of the iceberg. Mobile communications sector research and development investment is estimated at up to $100 billion per year. Much of that is in development of standard-essential technologies including 4G recently, and now also in 5G.
‘You ain’t seen nothing yet!’

Each successive new generation of cellular technology has been driven by increasing technology developments, innovation and adoption by wireless carriers and consumers. Following the rather disappointing data rates and lackluster adoption of 3G W-CDMA between 2001 and 2005, the pace of all the above increased with the introduction of HSDPA from around 2006, and then increased again with the introduction of LTE from around 2010. Industry enthusiasm for 5G is also great and so we should expect the rate of innovation to be maintained, not diminish, with the expected introduction of 5G toward the end of the decade.


Whereas demand for 5G will be dependent on new applications such as those in artificial intelligence and augmented reality, some of those applications will only be possible by the improved performance such as ultra-low latency and ultra-high availability, as well as higher data rates that 5G communications promises. Many innovations and improvements will be required for new types of devices and services such as with the “internet of things,” but smartphones will also be in the frontline.