May 5, 2015 at 14:39Event video surveillance via the Internet for apartment buildings and private houses. Virtual concierge
Cloud-based video surveillance services, for example, iVideon and the Moscow government, have become truly consumer-friendly. Given the low monthly fee, the service was to become widespread for a long time and gain users in every entrance and country house. What holds back its development?
The ability to easily broadcast video is often not enough for paid use of the service. The excitement of HD video in the browser and on the phone quickly passes, and the user wonders why he needs a live broadcast or a monthly video archive. Watch uninteresting and once. 99% of the archive is not needed, but the transfer and storage of data in this case have to be paid.
Note: the article is provided with links to the corresponding pages of our site for those who like details.
Speaking about the main monitoring function of any residential facility, the user does not have enough event monitoring, when the system using video analytics , audio analytics and a human operator clearly processes all suspicious situations, for example, a scream in the stairwell, people at night on the stairs, smoke from the garbage container loitering in the parking lot.
In the private sector (in a country house), it is important for the landlord to receive notification of a possible incident as soon as possible, for example, if strangers appeared on the site.
In accessible video surveillance systems via the Internet, the user does not have enough search tools for content in the archive. How to immediately see all the events of the day without tiring to watch and rewind the video? Has the child returned home from school? What did the gardener do in the country? Who scratched the car in the parking lot?
Some of these search functions are available today in video management systems (VMS), for example, ITV and Milestone, but their use is limited to professional security service users. Their architecture, web interface and mobile applications do not reveal the potential of video analytics for the mass consumer - residents of apartments or country houses.
With these thoughts in mind, we began to work out two solutions for the “intellectualization" of video surveillance in apartment buildings and in cottage settlements .
Remote home video monitoring based on the Kipod cloud service
As shown in the figure, the solution is based on the Kipod remote monitoring web service . The recorder and analytics ( Kipod Server ) is located directly on the object, in an apartment building or private house. Network cameras and, optionally, a concierge / guard workstation and a loudspeaker are connected to the device. The analog cameras of the intercom and elevator can be connected via the convert (IP-encoder).
An important advantage of a distributed solution is the minimum load on the communication channel and the possibility of autonomous operation of each object in a situation where the communication channel is overloaded or not available. After the restoration of the channel, the events are automatically synchronized with the cloud service. Thus, a distributed architecture solution will work with dozens of cameras even on a 3G wireless channel.
An alternative approach is a fully centralized architecture, when all processing and storage are implemented in a data center of a service provider based on a cluster video analytics server . The benefits of a centralized approach are ease of implementation and lower equipment maintenance costs. Disadvantages - higher requirements for channel bandwidth and, as a result, a limitation on the number of cameras and video recording quality.
We have prepared several videos illustrating the operation of the system.
The task of the virtual concierge is to work around the clock with disturbing events arising from the work of video analytics and audio analytics Kipod. Virtual concierge operators are located in the Sinesis dispatch center or work remotely. If the operator confirms a criminal act or violation of order, then he then performs a series of prescribed actions according to the regulations (he calls the police, contacts the residents, transmits a voice message via loud-speaking communication). We plan to launch the virtual concierge service later, at an additional cost.
For residents of country houses, a convenient function is provided for arming and disarming an object through the Kipod Mobile mobile application (Android, iOS). The operator receives alarm events and access to cameras only if the object is guarded. PUSH alerts for alerts come to residents on mobile devices.
We invite you to take part in testing the beta version of the event video surveillance service for multi-apartment and private houses.
The test participant provides the service for free for 1 year from the date of purchase. After the expiration of the free testing period, the cloud service can be obtained on a commercial basis at a price of 500 ₽ per month or you can use the device through a local web interface without a cloud service and without a monthly fee. Comparison of paid and free versions is presented in the table below.
The ability to easily broadcast video is often not enough for paid use of the service. The excitement of HD video in the browser and on the phone quickly passes, and the user wonders why he needs a live broadcast or a monthly video archive. Watch uninteresting and once. 99% of the archive is not needed, but the transfer and storage of data in this case have to be paid.
Note: the article is provided with links to the corresponding pages of our site for those who like details.
Speaking about the main monitoring function of any residential facility, the user does not have enough event monitoring, when the system using video analytics , audio analytics and a human operator clearly processes all suspicious situations, for example, a scream in the stairwell, people at night on the stairs, smoke from the garbage container loitering in the parking lot.
In the private sector (in a country house), it is important for the landlord to receive notification of a possible incident as soon as possible, for example, if strangers appeared on the site.
In accessible video surveillance systems via the Internet, the user does not have enough search tools for content in the archive. How to immediately see all the events of the day without tiring to watch and rewind the video? Has the child returned home from school? What did the gardener do in the country? Who scratched the car in the parking lot?
Some of these search functions are available today in video management systems (VMS), for example, ITV and Milestone, but their use is limited to professional security service users. Their architecture, web interface and mobile applications do not reveal the potential of video analytics for the mass consumer - residents of apartments or country houses.
From video surveillance to video analytics
With these thoughts in mind, we began to work out two solutions for the “intellectualization" of video surveillance in apartment buildings and in cottage settlements .
Remote home video monitoring based on the Kipod cloud service
Distributed architecture
As shown in the figure, the solution is based on the Kipod remote monitoring web service . The recorder and analytics ( Kipod Server ) is located directly on the object, in an apartment building or private house. Network cameras and, optionally, a concierge / guard workstation and a loudspeaker are connected to the device. The analog cameras of the intercom and elevator can be connected via the convert (IP-encoder).
An important advantage of a distributed solution is the minimum load on the communication channel and the possibility of autonomous operation of each object in a situation where the communication channel is overloaded or not available. After the restoration of the channel, the events are automatically synchronized with the cloud service. Thus, a distributed architecture solution will work with dozens of cameras even on a 3G wireless channel.
Centralized architecture
An alternative approach is a fully centralized architecture, when all processing and storage are implemented in a data center of a service provider based on a cluster video analytics server . The benefits of a centralized approach are ease of implementation and lower equipment maintenance costs. Disadvantages - higher requirements for channel bandwidth and, as a result, a limitation on the number of cameras and video recording quality.
Video Transmission Solution
We have prepared several videos illustrating the operation of the system.
1. Web user interface
- Watch HD video through a browser
- Find events in the photo album
- Send link to neighbors
2. Simple setup of audio and video detectors:
- Perimeter guards
- The noise, scream and sound of broken glass
- Human and machine
- Fire and smoke
- Camera breakdown
3. Mobile application
- Arming and disarming
- Event videos and frames
- PUSH video incident notification
4. Virtual concierge
The task of the virtual concierge is to work around the clock with disturbing events arising from the work of video analytics and audio analytics Kipod. Virtual concierge operators are located in the Sinesis dispatch center or work remotely. If the operator confirms a criminal act or violation of order, then he then performs a series of prescribed actions according to the regulations (he calls the police, contacts the residents, transmits a voice message via loud-speaking communication). We plan to launch the virtual concierge service later, at an additional cost.
For residents of country houses, a convenient function is provided for arming and disarming an object through the Kipod Mobile mobile application (Android, iOS). The operator receives alarm events and access to cameras only if the object is guarded. PUSH alerts for alerts come to residents on mobile devices.
5. Connection via any communication channel
- 3G / 4G modem from 1 Mbps
- Event transfer of frames and videos
Beta testing
We invite you to take part in testing the beta version of the event video surveillance service for multi-apartment and private houses.
How to test?
- Via the browser at station.kipod.ru (login / password demo@kipod.ru/demo)
- Via the Kipod Mobile mobile app ( Android , iOS version 8.0 and higher)
- Buy a video analytics device for $ 29,400 (network cameras and basic system administrator skills are required for configuration).
- Order software for free to install on your equipment (requires a computer with an Intel Core i3 processor or higher, 4+ GB RAM, 128+ GB permanent memory, network cameras). Attention: after installing the software, all data on the system disk of the computer will be lost.
The test participant provides the service for free for 1 year from the date of purchase. After the expiration of the free testing period, the cloud service can be obtained on a commercial basis at a price of 500 ₽ per month or you can use the device through a local web interface without a cloud service and without a monthly fee. Comparison of paid and free versions is presented in the table below.
Comparison of paid and free versions after 12 months
| With monthly fee | No monthly fee | |
| Video analytics and audio analytics | there is | there is |
| Access via app for Windows or Ubuntu | there is | there is |
| Web Access | there is | there is |
| Access via Android / iOS mobile device | there is | Not |
| PUSH notifications to the device | there is | Not |
| Record a video on site | there is | there is |
| Cloud event recording | there is | Not |
| Remote access to a device on a home network without configuring NAT | there is | Not |
| Cost | 500 ₽ per month | Is free |