surveillance system remotely and view video. Or, the system can be set up so
that when an event is detected on a camera an image is transmitted to a local
or remote device for specific security personnel.
In addition, as the technology systems in a building are integrated and con-
verged, separate control rooms, such as those for security or data network
control can be integrated into a more comprehensive network operations
center where all smart building systems are monitored and administered. This
convergence of organizations mirrors the convergence of system technologies.
Operation centers that monitor multiple systems or buildings have proved to
be very effective in reducing operating costs.
Analytics
Video analytics involves monitoring and analyzing digital video for specific
objects, facial recognition, behavior, occupancy and so on. Although the soft-
ware technique is not 100% accurate and may give false alarms, it is very use-
ful in garnering additional data from the video. Video analytics are used to
identify occupancy, license plates, faces, and the density of people or cars.
People-counting systems, previously discussed in Chapter 6, can use video
analytics to count people. In this case a camera is pointed down to an area and
identifies which way people are moving. Some airport security systems use some-
thing similar in identifying counter flow, that is, objects or persons moving
against the flow. Another application is for security staff to “draw” a line on a
fixed video image, such as an area where people or vehicles are prohibited, and
then receive an alarm when motion is detected in the prohibited area.
A video analytics software application can be a separate standalone system
from the primary video surveillance management software or integrated into
the software as a module with the integrated approach being a preferred
method. In addition, analytics can occur at the network camera or at the cen-
tral management software. Analytics on live video should occur at the camera
since it has a dedicated processor and uses network bandwidth.
Analytics on archived or recorded video is best accomplished at the central
server where video can be searched for different actions or objects. Analytics
help security staff locate events in the video, a task that takes considerably
longer when manually performed by the security staff.
IP-Based Video Surveillance Systems
Digital video surveillance systems using standard structured cable and IP and
Ethernet protocols allow the system to easily become part of a smart building.
Video Surveillance Systems 89