All You Wanted
To Know About…
Network Client 2.2
But didn’t know
what to ask.
By: Paul Broome
Date: 11/07/01
Contents:
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Live Video/Remote Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4
Retrieved Video/Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Getting Connected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Remote Set-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Getting Video In And Out Of Network Client. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Enhancement Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
JPEG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Network Client Evolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
What Options Are Available On Intellex?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18
General:
Network Client 2.2 functionality is an improvement over the pervious version. New features include Remote SmartSearch, remote alarm generation, bandwidth limiting and improved instrument lists. When used in conjunction with Intellex, you have past, present and future control. You can download images from the Intellex hard drives (past,) view live video (present,) and set-up the Intellex to record differently in the (future).
What is it? Network Client software allows a standard PC to communicate with Intellex on a network (LAN/WAN) or through a dial-up connection. It enables you to review Intellex video on a less expensive device. Network Client will work with WIN98, WIN NT and WIN 2000 operating systems. The purpose of the product is to allow a user to communicate with Intellex. The communication between the two is either through a network, or, a dial-up connection. A PC could be connected directly to an Intellex with a “crossover” network cable for local operation. So, Network Client is your window to Intellex. It is not a stand-alone product.
The product consists of a CDROM and a manual. You will need to enter a Software License Key number to activate the program (this is how we protect the software). You get the license key number from the sensormatic.com website. A hardware key is no longer necessary. The PC used for Network Client is typically not a stand- alone unit. It could be a desktop computer in an office, or, a laptop where Network Client is just one of many applications being run.
We have provided three versions of Network Client software. Version 1.0 was the first step. This required a hardware key and provided basic retrieval functions. It works only with Intellex 1.X. Version 2.0 provides live video and remote set-up. Basic functions were available without a hardware key. Live video requires a key. This version works with Intellex 2.0 and 2.1. Network Client 2.2 (there is no version 2.1,) provides improved features. 2.0 and 2.1 Intellex can be upgraded to work with this latest Network Client version. Confused? See the Network Client Evolution page for an easy to understand compatibility chart.
How to use this book:
This document is the latest in a series of practical product guides designed to provide real-world insight into product value. This manual is separated into categories. It is not necessarily intended to be read from front to back cover, although you are encouraged to do so as a general overview of the product. This is a basic reference manual for Network Client 2.2. Although sprinkled with technical information, it is a practical overview of features that could be valuable information during the sales and application process. Each category starts with a definition of the category. The content provides practical information on each facet of Network Client 2.2. Typically asked questions are included. The intent is to explore each category in a direct manner in as few words as possible. It indicates the good, the bad and the ugly. After reading this document, you will likely agree that there is much good, little bad, and only a rare ugly. Although “bad” and “ugly” are not historically good things to discuss with sales prospects, this information is important to know and may keep you from selling the product into the wrong application. The “good” information may help provide alternate solutions to the customer’s application.
If you find that something in this document is untrue, obscure, or, inaccurate; or if you would like to see other topics added to the text, please contact me at 800 854-2057 ex. 2153, or email me at (pbroome@sensormatic.com).
What else do you need to know? You won’t find everything in this book. You will be exposed to the general features and application of Network Client 2.2. You will retain the technical information for as long as you keep this paper handy. The general concepts should stay with you and be available for casual conversation. In order to gain in-depth operation knowledge of Intellex and Network Client, you have to work with the products on a regular basis. The operation of these products is a hands-on experience. So grab a mouse and explore every menu item. Be a player, not just a fan.
Live Video: Remote Monitoring
Live Video: With Network Client, live video is provided from Intellex, through a network, or, dial-up connection. There are no cameras connected to the Network Client PC. Live video is displayed directly on the monitor from video sources connected to the camera inputs of the remote Intellex. This can be directly from cameras, looped through other devices in the CCTV system, or, from any standard video source.
When you first connect to an Intellex site, you must click and drag the video to the display screen. Select the “instrument” (the Intellex you want to see) and drag it to the display area. This puts the Intellex video into the display format selected (2x2, 3x3, 4x4). You could select individual cameras and drag them to the cameos you select. This may seem awkward at first. The intent is to build the camera format you want, and then save it to the configuration list. You could select cameras from different sites and save them in a single format. For instance: Select the 4x4 screen format, then insert four cameras from an Intellex in San Diego into the first four cameos, four from New York in the second, four from Boca and four from Mons. Once selected, give this grouping a name and save it as a configuration. You will now have a 4x4 format with the prime cameras from four locations displayed simultaneously.
In typical use, several scenarios will be saved as an initial set-up. Each is later selected directly from a pull down list. What seems slightly cumbersome to set up initially will be a breeze to select in normal operation. In a typical application, live monitoring will consist of selecting these pre-selected formats from a single pull down configuration menu.
Image update speed will be limited by the connection method. See the “Getting Connected” section for more detail. The basic concept is that a LAN connection is best because it provides more bandwidth. WAN connections are limited by the speed of the network telephone connection. Dial-up is limited by the modem speed.
Q. I know that the 1.0 version of Network Client would only allow one connection to an Intellex at a time. 2.0 allowed more. Has this been improved in the new version?
A. In version 2.2, we have limited the number of Network Client live connections to five in the DV16000 and two in the DV8000. The good news is that you can see live video in five Network Client locations at the same time. The bad news is that the image update speed decreases as additional connections are made. The available image update speed is shared among the Network Client connections. Remember that Intellex is performing multiple functions at the same time (live video, playback, search, archive, record and handle Network Client connections). At some point processing speed can’t handle it all. The live connection limit ensures that the record speed won’t slow down.
Q. Can I record the live video from Intellex directly to the hard drive on the Network Client computer?
A. No. The live video is for remote monitoring in an attended application. Entering images into the Network Client database is accomplished by downloading a selected video clip, then saving the clip.
Q. You say that Network Client can communicate with Intellex by LAN/WAN and dial-up. Can I use both connection methods at the same time?
A. Yes. You can connect to Intellex via Ethernet and dial-up to another location at the same time
Q. How many different sites could I view at the same time?
A. The limit is the number of cameos available. You can view one camera from each of 16 different sites at the same time (4x4 mode). You can save any number of configurations, so, the total number of sites that you can access is not an issue.
Retrieved
Video/Database:
Retrieved Video: Retrieved video is the video that is downloaded to the Network Client PC from an Intellex hard drive and displayed on the Network Client PC monitor. The video can be reviewed and discarded, or, it could be saved to the Network Client database.
How much data can you save? You build the database to meet your archive requirements. The Network Client PC drive space availability may be the limit of the database size, or, you could redirect the data to a network server. The application will drive how much space is needed. Once the data is stored as a file, it can be moved to other locations later. For instance: You are “checking in” from the road with your laptop and see an event you want to keep. You can download the video clip to your laptop as temporary storage, then move the file to a network server when you are back at the office.
The user’s application will drive the data storage requirement. If most video download is for the purposes of immediate review, there may be a minimal need for storage. You review the event, see that it is not relevant for keeping, and then discard it. The rare event that is a keeper is saved to the database. The other extreme is the application where lots of data is saved on the off chance that it will be needed later. In this instance you are saving large amounts of data to the database. There will likely be a trade off between the data archived at the Intellex and data that is routinely downloaded to Network Client.
The Network Client database is a simple tool to categorize and store data. There is no magic here. You make a folder, and then save the video clip as a file within that folder. Later you can view the files and open any of them to review the information. This is easy at first, because there isn’t much video data to work with. As more Intellex are added to the system and more video is stored, you could suffer from information overload. Part of the application should address the length of time the video is to be maintained.
What about that immediate review situation? If you know that an event took place during a particular time frame, you select a span of time, then start your download. While you are viewing the incoming clip, you see the event you want. You know that you had selected a large clip that will take some time to finish downloading. At this point, you can interrupt the download. The portion of the clip that has already been downloaded is available for saving. You don’t have to wait for the entire download to finish.
New in Network Client 2.2: You can perform SmartSearch on Intellex remotely from Network Client. Once you have found the images you want, you can download them to Network Client.
How about routinely downloading and storing large amounts of data? This is more of a maintenance operation. An operator must select and download the relevant information on a routine basis. If you want to archive lots of video from lots of Intellex at a central location, it may make sense to explore the use of Video Viewer software. This will allow the DAT tapes from all the Intellex to be reviewed on a PC at the central location. The review PC does have to be equipped with a DAT drive. If you also have a DVD drive, you will be able to review information recorded on Integra, as well.
The recurring answer to the logistics of any situation is “It depends on the application.” You have to think through each individual requirement and address the particular needs of “that” customer in “that” application. This gives you the opportunity to add value in providing solutions, rather than just offer products.
Getting Connected:
The preferred connection between Network Client and Intellex is through a network. A LAN connection is best because it provides the most bandwidth to work with. A corporate WAN application using a company’s T1 direct connection, or through the Internet, is the next most desirable link. Dial-up is least attractive due to the slow modem speeds available, and you are limited to a single connection through a single phone line.
The last paragraph listed the following terms: LAN, WAN, T1, Internet, bandwidth and dial-up. You can bet that Ethernet, TCP/IP and CAT5 will be mentioned soon. If you are not familiar with these network buzz terms, you are at a disadvantage in promoting Network Client. You will be able to talk a good game if you have a copy of “All you wanted to know about Basic Networking.” To get an electronic copy of this document, email me at pbroome@sensormatic.com. This and other documents are also available on “eroom” for those who have access.
If you were to build a network today, you would most likely use Ethernet topology with TCP/IP as the protocol. 100Mbps (megabits per second) network interface cards are inexpensive and readily available. TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is the protocol for communication through the Internet. With 100Mbps of bandwidth available, you will have a share of that transmission “pipe” for your purposes. Within a LAN you have plenty of speed to work with. Faster connections mean faster image updates. You are at the mercy of the weakest link in the end-to-end connection. You may have the latest and greatest, highest speed gizmo going, yet, the connection at the other end may have network access through a standard modem. Even that modem speed is limited by the transmission speed allowed by the local phone lines.
LAN 100Mbps is ten times as fast as LAN 10Mbps.
LAN (100Mbps) LAN (10Mbps) T1
(1.544Mbps).. ISDN (128K) PSTN (56K-28.8K)
Getting Video In and Out of Network Client:
Picture Portability: This is the process of sharing the video information in Intellex and Network Client with others. The others can be other Intellex, other Network Clients, individuals, the police, courts, etc.
1. Download to Network Client: A PC running Network Client software can retrieve recorded video from any Intellex connected to the network.
2. Live feed to Network Client: Network Client can retrieve live video from Intellex, either through a network, or, as a dial-up connection. This video can be from a single site, or, you can combine camera images from several different sites on the same multi-screen view. You can combine network connections and dial-up connections on the same screen.
3. Save to a standard 3.5” floppy diskette: From the tools menu, you can select a single image to be saved on a diskette. This is saved as a bit-map file that can be restored in any Intellex, or, on any PC using paintbrush or similar program. This is great for emailing anywhere over the Internet, or, showing the picture of the bad guy to the police. This feature is available on both Intellex and Network Client.
4. Print to a printer: From the tools menu, you can select a single image to be printed on a printer. This can be a high-end color laser printer, or, a low-end ink jet model. All you need is the printer driver to install the printer. This allows that single image of the smoking gun to be shown in low-tech fashion. This feature is available on both Intellex and Network Client.
5. Download video to a VHS tape: If you
have a composite video output from your PC (Intellex does) you can use this
output to record directly to a VCR, allowing you to record the information
viewed on the VGA screen to a VHS tape. This is great for converting our high
tech digital information into a form that is more generic. This is often the
first thing the police ask for when a significant event takes place.
6. Review video directly from the hard drive: Not to overlook the obvious, you can review stored information directly at the Intellex and/or Network Client PC. The Network Client database could be made available to other Network Clients on the network either through file sharing, or, server based storage.
7. Archive to DAT tape: Recorded information on Intellex can be archived to DAT tape. This archived information can be reviewed at the Intellex, or, you could review it at another location with “Video Viewer.” Video Viewer is a program designed to allow Intellex DAT tapes (and Integra DVD media) to be reviewed in a PC.
8. Export from Intellex to CD/RW: You can export Intellex video clips to the optional CD writer. Intellex player software is included on the CD allowing the video to be played back in any PC, including the one used for Network Client.
9. Export Network Client images to a standard avi file: Images from the Network Client database can be exported as avi files. These images can then be played back with standard media player software. You can change the size of the exported images (some people like the clearer look of a smaller image) changing the file size and download time of the video clip. To do this from the Network Client database, right click on a file icon and select export.
Q. Can I do a SmartSearch on the video downloaded from Intellex?
A. Remote SmartSearch is available on the Network Client 2.2. The search is done in the Intellex, directed from the Network Client. If you want to save the video on Network Client just download the camera and timeframe for inclusion in the database. The Intellex being searched must have Smart Pack and Remote Pack installed (DV16000 only).
Q. How much video can I store on the Network Client PC?
A. This is a question you need to think about in the presale application process. The answer can’t be all of it. Remember that each Intellex can have as much as 400gig of hard drive to work with (1.04 terabytes with two ESM320s). If you are connecting to ten of them, you will be hard pressed to find a place to put this much information. Work through the application with the customer. How much do they want to store? How long do they want to store it?
You may find that Network Client is best used to: 1) View live video. 2) Download and review “time sensitive” video. The Network Client database can be maintained to meet customer needs. 1) Make a folder for each connected Intellex. 2) Make subfolders to match the customer requirements (front lot/back lot, day crew/night crew, event types, etc.). You can periodically move, or, delete files so the Network Client PC doesn’t get overloaded.
Enhancement Tools:
Enhancement Tools: This is the ability of Network Client to enlarge and modify single images selected from the database. This is the same enhancement capability resident in Intellex. The GUI (graphic user interface) is the same in both products.
Enhancement tools aren’t perfect. You can’t create information. You can only enlarge and modify the existing information. JPEG is great for compressing images, allowing more video to fit in a smaller space. Because of the compression methods used, there is a limit to the amount of enhancement that can be done.
You can convince yourself of the usefulness and effectiveness of the Intellex enhancement tools by performing the following exercise.
Connect a camera to the Intellex. Take two, one hundred dollar bills out of your wallet (singles will do). Hold one up close to the camera. Hold the other further away. Play back the video clip and select an appropriate image to enhance. You should be looking at one bill filling about 25% of the image and the other covering five percent, or, so. Put the cursor over the larger of Ben’s (or, George’s) noses and select “zoom in.” Do this a couple of times and bask in the results. Return to full size and select the smaller nose. Repeat the zoom in exercise. What did you learn? The big nose was better! Not because it is bigger, because it has more pixels to work with and you don’t have to enhance it as much as you do with the smaller image to see what you need to see.
Q. What is the best way to enhance a video image?
A. Don’t have to enhance it in the first place. This is old news by the time you get around to downloading the video to Network Client. You have to address this issue where the cameras are, at the Intellex. Ideally, this is done in the system design stage.
This is an instance where the basics are more important than the electronics. Select the right camera position and lens to capture what you are looking for. Keep the main focus of the picture in the 25% center portion of the image. Don’t depend on the enhancement tools to compensate for a single camera with a wide-angle lens covering a shopping center parking lot. If you can barely identify the make of automobile in the full size shot, you won’t be able to enlarge the license plate enough to read it.
That being said, Intellex enhancement tools are as good, or, better than any used in general security applications. With a slight enlargement, adjustment of brightness and contrast and other minor adjustments, you can get a clearer view of the image.
Q. Why can I get a more effective enhancement of a photograph using an inexpensive scanner and software on my PC, than I can get with Intellex?
A. The quality of the enhanced image is primarily dependent on the quality of the original image. That scanned photograph is saved as a bit map file. Most bit-mapped images are in the 900K+-size range. The largest key frame on Intellex is 64K, with most in the 20-24K range. Delta images (see JPEG) are in the 3-8K range. The enlarged bit map still has considerable detail. The JPEG image has less detail.
Q. So, why not use all bit map images on Intellex?
A. At about one Meg per image, that’s 1,000 images per gigabyte. At 60 images per second record rate, that’s about 16 seconds of recording per gigabyte. Our method is closer to two hours per gigabyte. With all bit map images our 60-gig system would be about a 15-minute recorder. They are pretty pictures, to be sure, yet not practical for a security application.
JPEG:
JPEG: JPEG is an acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group. This is the name of the original group that devised the JPEG standard for compressing video images. The original intent was to compress video in order to reduce file size for faster transfer of data.
The JPEG compression is accomplished within the Intellex. Because this recorded video is the same video that is retrieved by Network Client, it is important to have a basic idea of what the compression is all about. Our proprietary, modified JPEG, delta compression scheme has these three major advantages:
1. We can store more video information than other methods on the same drive space.
2. Conditional refresh provides built in motion detection.
3. Conditional refresh provides the basic search engine for retrieving information from an existing database (SmartSearch).
Compressing video is a big subject that can occupy technical types in conversation for hours on end. There are several types of JPEG and a multitude of ways to compress each. What is presented here is a thumbnail sketch of the process. In fact, video programmers would probably read this, then run screaming into the night. Most of this is true. It is meant to get the idea across to anyone with no technical experience.
JPEG separates the video image into 2400 “tiles.” There are 80 tiles horizontally and 30 vertically. Each tile contains 64 pixels in an 8x8 grid. (You can see a representation of these tiles in the motion set-up screen in Intellex. Press select-all to enable the entire screen. The pink grid shows all 2400 tiles.) With this general format, you can vary the degree of compression in software. A 2 Meg file containing 24 bit per pixel (16 million colors) with 20:1 compression yields a 100K file. You can compress as much as 100:1; however, so much information is lost that the decompressed and viewed image is pretty fuzzy looking. You have probably seen this type of image as the first update from “progressive JPEG” when downloading images from Internet Websites. The picture is progressively displayed, building an increasingly clear image, as compared to the display the image in a series of strips, top to bottom method. The first image is barely discernable. The image continues to update in stages until the final viewable image is presented. This is good for giving you something to watch that approximates the final view while you wait for your 28.8 modem to download the rest. JPEG was originally envisioned as a solution for transporting a single image. It didn’t take long for someone to put single images together to produce motion video. Wouldn’t it be great if someone could take all this variability, compress it far enough to provide adequate storage for a digital recorder, then decompress it into something that provides a useable image for the security industry?
Enter our proprietary delta compression technology…
If you are using standard JPEG, you compress the image to a known size and store it. Since all images are compressed to the same size, you know how many images will fit on a certain size hard drive. Remember that you can only compress so much before you render the original image unusable. Our proprietary compression does a number of things well. (The great thing about a “proprietary” item is that if someone presses you for details, you can tell them “That’s proprietary,” rather than say, “I don’t know.”)
We compress the image while maintaining the essence of the content. You are hard pressed to tell the difference in the image before and after compression. With data analysis equipment, you would see the difference, however, the human eye is very forgiving. This type of compression (pleasing to the eye, difference with analysis equipment) is referred to as “lossy.” This means that some of the original information is lost in the process of compression and decompression. Some compression methods are “lossless” meaning that all the original information is retained. The downside to these is that they don’t compress enough to be practical in our application. In JPEG, the degree of lossyness is varied with the degree of compression. The trick is to compress as much as possible to lower the file size, while retaining image quality. Our conditional JPEG compression algorithm does wonders in this area.
We further enhance the compression capabilities by only updating the tiles (remember those 2400 tiles?) that have changed since the last time the image was sampled. For instance: If you are looking at an image of the road in front of a building, there is some natural motion, trees moving, flags waving, etc. The rest of the image remains essentially the same unless there is a car driving by. The imagery of the road, sky buildings and other stationery objects remains the same, so there is no need to update this information on every image. Since the delta images (conditional on movement,) are physically smaller and contain less information (fewer tiles) than the complete picture, we can store more images in a given size memory. How many tiles are in each delta image? It depends on the amount of motion in the image. With no cars and no wind, the deltas are small. With heavy traffic on a windy day, they will be much larger.
We start with a full image (key frame) as a reference. The next 31 consecutive images of that camera consist of delta images (delta like the Greek letter signifying change). These partial updates consist of the tiles that have changed since the last image. All are referenced back to the last key frame and built from there. The 32nd image is another key frame and we start the delta process over again. Why record a full image every 32nd update? The number is arbitrary. It could have been 16, or, 64. We need to reset the reference every so often to assure picture accuracy.
With delta compression, the bad news is that I can’t tell you how long the system will record before filling the hard drive. There are lots of variables like movement, quality setting, sensitivity setting, the number of cameras, camera adjustments, etc. The good news is that I can tell you it will record longer than anyone else can. (See the “How long will Intellex Record” section for further information.)
Q. So what does JPEG mean?
A. OK, so the explanation above is hard to follow. Suffice to say that JPEG is a video compression standard. Our proprietary JPEG allows us to compress even further. Additional benefits of our compression technique are motion detection and SmartSearch.
Q. Do we really have to mention JPEG to potential customers?
A. No. It’s like driving a car. You don’t have to know how an internal combustion engine works to drive one. If someone asks you how the engine works you can smile and say, “Who cares? Smell those leather seats.” If the Intellex customer is a technical type, he will probably sniff out that you are not. The more you know, the better prepared you are.
Q. Why does a live image look better than a playback image on Intellex?
A. Live images are processed for display prior to compression and recording. The recorded image is compressed with JPEG, which has a 640x240-pixel array. Even with this restriction, later software versions have made significant improvements in video quality.
Pluses: - Our proprietary compression method allows substantial video storage.
- Effective motion detection.
- Enables SmartSearch.
Minus: - Blocky pictures.
- Limited expansion capabilities.
Application:
Application: This is how the product is actually used. This is how the end user uses the product to solve the problem at hand. Application is the use of product features to meet customer needs.
Applications are often confused with vertical markets. Some examples of vertical markets are hospitals, retail stores, warehouses, casinos, etc. These are actually places where you would attempt to sell products. An application, on the other hand, is the manner in which the product is being used. For instance:
A large retail chain is expanding to a new market. The new territory will be used as a test model for changing operations in an effort to better serve customers and reduce losses. The test territory consists of six retail outlets and a distribution center with corporate offices. The intent is to closely monitor store operations, observing trends and using the information to improve operations at other stores. The customer is looking for solutions, not just security products.
The distribution warehouse has 16 cameras installed, using an Intellex as the display and recording device. There are 12 cameras and an Intellex at each of the retail outlets. Future plans are to install additional cameras at appropriate locations within the store. Part of the test scenario is to determine a typical camera placement scheme to be used at store locations chain-wide. All facilities in the test territory are connected via a corporate network. Close monitoring of all stores is essential in an effort to uncover trends in internal theft. Lessons learned at one location will be immediately compensated for at the other stores.
There is an attended Network Client system at the corporate office. The manager of each store has Network Client on his desktop PC. Each store manager, and the corporate office, has the ability to monitor live video at all store locations.
Live video: During the test period, all Intellex locations will be attended systems. The attendant will monitor the store floor cameras to observe cashiers and customer traffic. Assistance can be directed to customers in apparent need. This surprises customers when the help arrives “out of nowhere.” Backroom cameras are viewed to observe employee traffic. The receiving door and rear access door cameras are of primary concern.
Playback video: A manager at another store wants to review a recent event that he just saw during live observation. He asks the store attendant to playback the last five minutes of recorded video for camera six. He also asks that the incident be recorded to VHS tape (all stores have a VCR attached to the Intellex composite duplicate of the VGA monitor). While the attendant is dubbing the tape for shipment to the district office, he reminds the manager that he can download the same clip to his Network Client database.
Video Exported to a CD: Intellex 2.2 (DV8000 and DV16000) can export selected video clips to a CD/RW. Intellex Player software is provided along with the video allowing for review on a standard PC. This is an excellent way to provide archive storage of important events and allow them to be reviewed at any location.
Live Remote Video: The district manager has the ability to view and compare activities at all stores in the district. From a single pull down menu, she selects a multi-screen format showing the same aisles in multiple stores. Differences in shelf stock, cleanliness, customer activity and employee activities are evident. Imagine how this information provides the power to encourage continuous improvement.
Instant replay: In Intellex, this feature allows immediate review of recent events. The attendant thinks she saw a shoplifter in action. The instant replay feature allows for close review of the event. This “feature” can be accomplished with Network Client, albeit with more work. After viewing an event live with Network Client, the event can be replayed by selecting the appropriate camera for download, indicating the appropriate download timeframe.
Smart Search: Observing cashier activity that was seen and corrected about the same time the previous day, the attendant quickly reviews the video from the same time period from the previous day, to see if the same cashier was on duty in that department. The “Goto” slider in playback is an effective tool for this purpose. Later, a “traffic search” is made by drawing a grid near that new product display rack. You can perform SmartSearch at an appropriately optioned Intellex, or from Network Client.
Remote Smart Search: You can perform SmartSearch on Intellex from Network Client. The Intellex must have Remote Pack and Smart Pack installed (DV16000 only). Once you find the event you’re looking for, you can download it to Network Client and save it to the database.
Motion detection: A truck approaching the receiving door alerts the attendant to send assistance to receiving. A customer seeking help alerts the attendant to a low traffic area. The customer is still wondering how that sales person appeared out of nowhere.
Alarm handling: The Intellex global alarm output alerts the attendant to important events. An employee trying to gain entry to the locked electronic storage area triggers an alarm that activates the appropriate manager’s pager. A manually generated alarm earmarks an important event for easy later review from the alarm list.
Record/archive options: The system is set to circular record mode. It is archiving in the background. The DAT tape is changed every morning at 6AM. Tapes are kept for seven days and then reused. The cleaning tape is run in the system every day. All cameras are recorded at 30ips. After a learning curve time, the recording of some cameras will likely be modified with the custom schedule.
Getting video in/out: DAT tapes provide an archived record. Single images are often saved to floppy diskette for transfer to a PC and email to the district office. Single images are sometimes printed to accompany a written report. Managers at other stores and the attendant at the distribution center view live video at will. They download clips of important video for local storage in the Network Client database. This is turning out to be a great training tool for the store staff. They get to view the other store departments and react before “big brother” at the corporate office calls to tell them about a discrepancy. The competition is raising expectations and reducing shrink.
Enhancement tools: This feature is used sparingly to make minor enhancements to images. Cameras that do not lend themselves to enhancement indicate that camera placement, or, lens changes are in order.
This shows how the general categories of features of Intellex and Network Client would relate to this particular application. We have hardly scratched the surface of possible options. This exercise is intended to get you to think through the customer’s application step by step and show how Intellex and Network Client can be of value, often in previously unsuspected ways. Much additional functionality may be possible by adding a few switches and wires.
There are a couple of additional features that have not been mentioned. An ADTT16 (VM16) is used as a remote keyboard to control the dome cameras on the store floor. This also allows one operator to concentrate on the live portion of the application while another could handle the image review portion. We could eliminate the need for DAT archive by adding an extended external storage module (ESM320).
Often other functions can be combined within the system. The guards at all the company’s distribution centers have been carrying a camcorder with them on rounds. The purpose is to provide a tape of any unusual incidents (few cameras are available in existing systems). That camcorder video can be run into Intellex as a camera input. This could be viewed from another location with Network Client as a “live “ event and/or downloaded to Network Client database. A single image can be saved, or, printed.
Q. That’s a lot of stuff to think about. How would we know all this information?
A. Ask the customer. What procedure are you using now? How would you like to change the procedure? What are your biggest headaches? Side benefits are often uncovered.
Q. Is there a checklist of application information to consider?
A. There are a number of forms I’ve seen with the tile “Site Survey.” These usually start with number of cameras, types of lenses, etc. Concentrating on Intellex and Network Client, we need to address these general categories.
1. Live Video: How will the operator view live video?
Is this an attended or, unattended system?
Will a live display be required while images are reviewed?
What special considerations are there concerning current video?
2. Record and Archive Method: What will be recorded and what are the archive requirements?
Will all cameras be recorded all the time?
Will the custom camera schedule be used?
What are the archive requirements?
3. Alarm Options: How will devices and events affect system interaction?
What visual and sound indications are required?
Will motion alarms be used to initiate recording? Pre alarm requirements?
Will alarms take precedence over the current live display?
4. Video In and Out: How will the customer use the information that has been processed?
Define success for image review. All video? Events only?
Level of identification. Someone there? What is someone doing? Facial identification?
Q. Once I have a copy of the Network Client software, what prevents me from making multiple copies and using it in several locations?
A. Other than your basic honesty and gnawing conscience, Network Client software requires a software license key to enable operation. Previous versions require a hardware key. The software license key is obtained at the time of installation from the sensormatic.com website.
Q. Can I have the Intellex operator load a DAT tape then retrieve that video information with Network Client?
A. No. Network Client will only retrieve video information from the current database of an Intellex. Once the database information has been deleted, or, written over, it is no longer available to Network Client. Images restored from a DAT archive are not loaded into the normal storage area of Intellex.
Network Client
Evolution:
Network Client 2.2 is the third generation of Intellex remote access software. It is improved over the previous versions. The following chart indicates the feature differences in the three software versions.
|
Feature: |
Version 1.0 |
Version 2.0 |
Version 2.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Database video storage. |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Download recorded video from Intellex. |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
View live video from Intellex. |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Remote Intellex “set-up.” |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Multi-site live viewing. |
No |
Yes |