a&s video verification product exploration article

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Product Exploration

Integration has become an unstop-pable force in security, affecting video to alarm systems. Video

and intrusion detection alone have their faults, with video requiring storage and detectors being prone to high false alarm rates. However, c o m b i n i n g t h e t w o p r o v i d e s a w i n n i n g

security solution.Video monitoring uses alarms to

detect events, with most solutions alerting cameras to switch on only when an event is occurring. This allows operators to verify in real time whether the event requires further attention, such as a human intruder, and saves operators a trip to the alarm's site. As the video checks if the alarm is legitimate, video monitoring is also referred to as video verification.

An efficient solution such as video verification makes it the

fastest growing market in remote monitoring, which revenue expected to grow nearly 20 percent annually over the next five years in Europe and North America, according to IMS Research.

“ I n t e g r a t o r s i n t h e U n i t e d Kingdom and Benelux have warmly embraced remote video monitoring,” said IMS Research Analyst Niall Jenkins in a prepared statement.

As integration bring video and alarms together, video verification overcomes the weaknesses of each system alone. When properly done, it relieves human operators from physically verifying whether every alarm was a real intrusion. BY LING-MEI WONG

Video VerificationCuts Cost and Time

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“In mainland Europe, integrators in France and Germany are expected to follow suit as their rigorous video surveillance regulations are relaxed, to combat the modern threats to public and private properties.”

More services for remote video m a k e i t s o u t l o o k a p o s i t i v e one. “Intrusion-activated video monitoring remains popular,” the IMS Research report said. “However, there is increasing use of services such as remote guard tours; where the video monitor operates at set times of the day. Remote monitoring for staff protection and bodyguard systems are also showing signs of acceptance in the European market.”

DemanDVideo monitoring solutions are

most in demand for remote sites, which are difficult to access. “One

of our opportunities is the copper theft,” said Jeanne-Marie Ferre, Marketing Manager for RSI Video Technologies. “Skyrocketing prices for metals, especially copper, have made what was once a minor nuisance into a major problem costing more than US$1 billion per year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.”

Copper thieves target out-of-the-way or diff icult to secure locations, such as construction sites, communication towers and electrical substations, Ferre said. “In addition, the collateral damage done ripping pipes and wires out of walls far exceeds the actual cost of the copper stolen.”

TrenDsAlarms and video add to security

and peace of mind. “These days, alarm owners are looking to upgrade their property, as cr ime r ises dramatically,” said Eli Keren, Export Manager, Av-Gad Systems. “As soon as owners see the benefits, they are willing to invest more in protection.”

More accurate alarms are part of a growing trend. “In outdoor sensors, we see a trend away from active-beam sensors and toward high-performance PIR sensors,” said Eric Micko, Director of R&D, Suren Systems.

Along with better detection, more networking is a trend. “The

c u r r e n t t r e n d i s full integration

o f v i d e o components into alarm systems, as well as using more and more network and


Internet solutions for sending video and alarm information,” said Uri Engelsman, VP Sales and Marketing, Pima Electronic Systems.

Networked solutions are leading to more management of alarms. “Users are asking for an integrated alarm monitoring and video recording system that lets them view live images from cameras associated with alarm events, control PTZ functions, and view live video,” said Gary D'Aries, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies, Vice President, Schlage Software and Controllers. “They want to search stored video clips by time and date with established parameters for pre- and post- alarm event recording.”

Video analytics are also expected to aid alarms more and more, as more efficient video compression make them a reality. “H.264 is expected to be the video standard of choice in the coming years,” said Gerard Otterspeer, Product Marketing Manager for EMEA, Bosch Security Systems. “Furthermore, the ongoing development of video content analysis will significantly improve the effectiveness of video surveil-lance systems.”

TechnologyInTegraTIon

Combining several systems suits remote monitoring needs, such as power line transmission sending alarm and video over the same cables. Some alarm cables now support video, saving cabling costs significantly.

Other solutions have video built right into some alarm systems. “In Av-Gad alarm panels, a dedicated output is activating the video camera, so the user or installer can program this feature to activate

automatically or manually,” Keren said. “The user or central station can remotely activate the video verification by simple command from mobile or office phone. The command is done by DTMF dial with password protection, a unique feature that does not exist in other panels.”

Alarm support can be seen in video servers as well, demonstrating that integration is alive and well. “The VVR (Video Alarm Verification Reporter) is an IP video server specially designed for the security market to be integrated with intruder control panels,” Engelsman said. “The VVR helps verify and distinguish between a real alarm

situation and a false one by sending a real-time video clip of the event via MMS messages to a FTP server and then onward to a CMS or user's mobile phone.”

Also on the product level are PIR cameras, combining a PIR detector with a camera. “The portable battery-powered P-cam (PIR motion sensor with integrated camera and illumi-nators) can be installed anywhere, often mounted on portable stands that can be picked up and moved around as the situation demands — no trenching, no wires,” Ferre said. “The integrated PIR motion sensor detects intruders in storms and blizzards, ignoring the rain or snow.”

Other vendors integrate video

Product Exploration

▲ Video monitoring solutions are most in demand for remote sites, which are difficult to access.


and alarms at the management software level. “Visonic offers a fully integrated broadband based surveillance and control solution,” said Oren Kotlicki, Head of Product Management, Visonic. “The solution is targeted at mass market service providers wishing to offer video alarm verification solution with the ability to grow to a full-grade Web-based remote control, surveil-lance and messaging service offered to end users.”

VIDeo VerIfIcaTIonIntegration is intended to give

human operators a better idea of what's going on, with video verifi-cation presenting information in a timely fashion. Thus, real-time alerts for operators are vital.

Systems can be configured for cameras to start rolling when alarms or other devices are triggered. “If the access system or alarm sensor detects unwanted activity, the video recorder can be programmed to increase the recorded pictures per second,” D'Aries said. “In addition, security guards, managers, administrators, business owners and even law enforcement can be notified upon an alarm. They immediately know the location and nature of the alarm so they can remedy the problem immediately.”

This text information on alarm location gives users a better idea of how serious the alarm is, such as one at a highly restricted area. “They don't need to waste time by first checking the video system for such details,” D'Aries said. “Without having to physically verify what is happening on their surveillance system, they can immediately respond to the alarm and take action.”

Law enforcement can use real-time images to respond appropriately. “Police treat video verified alarms as a 'crime in progress' and respond faster than for a routine alarm,” Ferre said. “Video verification makes law enforcement more efficient and provides greater security to the property owner.”

The networked response has advantages over analog video, which is more for forensic purposes rather than real-time alerts. “In contrast, property owners use traditional CCTV systems and DVRs to review what happened after an incident occurs and identify the intruder,” Ferre said. “More often than not, identification is impossible because of poor lighting and intruders wearing masks or hoods.”

reDucIng false alarmsSeveral solutions are deployed to

keep false alarms down. As it can be costly to respond to every triggered alarm, smarter detection is a boon for integrated video and alarm solutions.

Integration with mobile devices can determine whether an event is an actual or false alarm. “The VVR helps reduce false alarms by capturing real-time alarm situations and transmitting them directly to the end user's mobile phone in a video clip MMS format,” Engelsman said. “This allows the end user to view the alarm scene immediately and evaluate the situation — whether it is a real alarm situation or a false one created by an animal passing by or a window broken from a windy weather.”

Remotely verifying alarms by video will provide operators with more information and may not necessarily reduce false alarms. “Video verification does not reduce false alarms but provides the central station with the ability to recognize that the alarm is false,” Kotlicki said. “The combination of PIR detectors with a camera compared to a video motion detection (VMD) based camera as a stand-alone solution provides dramatic reduction in false alarms as alarms are triggered by PIR detectors.”

A P-cam can be an affordable way to reduce false alarms. “The PIR detector and camera solution is in

▲ Jeanne-Marie Ferre, Marketing Manager for RSI Video Technologies

▲ Eli Keren, Export Manager, Av-Gad Systems

▲ Uri Engelsman, VP Sales and Marketing, Pima Electronic Systems

▲ Gar y D’Aries, Ingersoll Rand S e c u r i t y Te c h n o l o g i e s, Vi ce President, Schlage Software and Controllers

▲ G e r a rd O t te r s p e e r, P ro d u c t Marketing Manager for EMEA, Bosch Security Systems


many times more cost-effective, as high-end VMD cameras are quite expensive, while low-end VMD cameras are not reliable in terms of video motion detection and can provide lots of false alarms,” Kotlicki said.

O t h e r s o l u t i o n s f o c u s o n fine-tuning the alarms themselves, ensuring they are not triggered for non-events. “Suren's DFIR (dual-frequency infrared) technology inherently rejects all non-moving temperature-changing objects and limited-motion objects — the biggest sources of false alarms,” Micko said. “Of course, video verification can help, but that requires an operator's time. Suren's thinking is to avoid alerting the operator unless there is actually a person moving in the sensor's monitored area.”

If users already have cameras and can support analytics, they can set rules to minimize false alarms, such as rain or snow. “To help ensure alarms are only triggered for real events, features such as camera calibration and perspective c o r r e c t i o n g r e a t l y e n h a n c e intelligent video analysis accuracy and reliability,” Otterspeer said. “Also, special filters for size, speed, direction and aspect ratio minimize false alarm rates.”

cosT-saVIng feaTuresThe goal of video and alarm

integrat ion i s to save human operating expenses, which translates into a range of functions.

Some are designed for the alarms themselves to be more discrimi-nating. “Suren's solution will provide maximum false-alarm rejection, including animals, so as to reduce costs of operators responding to false alarms,” Micko said. “Suren's

wireless solutions also will help to reduce installation costs.”

Networked solutions also incur fewer costs. “Pima's VVR offers an alternative low-cost solution for video verification by using the Internet instead of paying the high costs of cellular MMS charges,” Engelsman said. The remote video solution “saves time, traveling and loss of property.”

Considering the amounts of data required for video alarm verification, Internet transmission drives the overall cost lower. “The solution empowers the broadband connec-tivity channel,” Kotlicki said. “While PSTN communications and GPRS are charged by communication or by the amount of data sent, which get quite expensive when video has to be sent, broadband communication has a fixed price to it.”

Too many false alarms can result in fees. “In many countries, the police or the central station charges the end user a fine in case that the alarm is a false alarm,” Kotlicki said. The Visonic solution also cuts energy costs, by integrating with home

automation devices to switch them off when left on, such as lights or air conditioners.

hIgh-enD crITerIa Several pointers should be kept in

mind for a quality video and alarm integration solution. They include reliability, cost, compatibility and interoperability.

“When installers choose an alarm system, the two major elements to consider are the products reliability a n d c o s t s , ” E n g e l s m a n s a i d . “Professional intruder installers are mostly looking for products that are easy, fast and friendly to install, and have friendly setting and programming.”

Solutions should mesh seamlessly with existing technology. “To assure compatibility and ease of use, the integrated systems must operate in multiple server environments, including Windows NT, 2000, 2003 and XP, and be OBDC and MDAC compliant,” D'Aries said. “The controllers should provide multiple communications options and be able to make decisions at the local level in

Product Exploration

Integration is intended to give human operators a better idea of what's going on, with video verification presenting information in a timely fashion.


the event that communication with the host is severed.”

Products should conform to accepted standards as well. “All industry standard technologies in addition to wireless access and hardwired devices should be supported ,” D 'Ar ies sa id . “Purchasers want to assure that an unlimited number of controllers and downstream devices may be used. Add video analytics to the mix and you've got a system with the opportunity to be high-end, if the application warrants it.”

Standardization is sometimes mandated, making it a key criterion. “The alarm industry is protected by strict certifications,” Kotlicki said. “When selecting an alarm system, looking at the certifications it has is a

smart thing to do.”

challengesThe integration of video and

alarms requires the makers of video and alarm solutions to branch out of their respective niches. This is easier said than done, as convergence present a challenge.

Keeping up with technology means providers need to do their homework. “The challenge to stay on top of market needs is to create more products and solutions in the video area, and the connection of the video to other media through network and cellular,” Engelsman said.

The rise of integration means vendors must make their products play nicely with other solutions. “We can say that we're watching wireless

protocols, such as ZigBee, to evaluate their progress regarding interoper-ability,” Micko said. “However, even if such standard platforms achieve excellent 'plug-n-play' interoper-ability, some companies will still elect to use proprietary protocols in an effort to keep customers f rom creat ing mul t i - suppl ier systems made up of interoperable components.”

Some providers believe the time has arrived for truly integrated solutions. “We're very prepared to meet the challenges of these applica-tions,” D'Aries said. “The hardware and software is available, the market is asking for such solutions, and we provide the interoperability standards.”

a&s video verification product exploration article

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