Intelligent Video

PERPETUA

IntelligentVideo User Guide

L INNOVATION

Lenel OnGuard® 2010 IntelligentVideo User Guide, product version 6.4This guide is item number DOC-830, revision 1.019, April 2010

Copyright © 2004-2010 Lenel Systems International, Inc. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Lenel Systems International, Inc.

Non-English versions of Lenel documents are offered as a service to our global audiences. We have attempted to provide an accurate translation of the text, but the official text is the English text, and any differences in the translation are not binding and have no legal effect.

The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement and may only be used in accordance with the terms of that agreement. Lenel and OnGuard are registered trademarks of Lenel Systems International, Inc.

Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server, and Windows Vista are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Integral and FlashPoint are trademarks of Integral Technologies, Inc. Crystal Reports for Windows is a trademark of Crystal Computer Services, Inc. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. Other product names mentioned in this User Guide may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.

Portions of this product were created using LEADTOOLS © 1991-2010 LEAD Technologies, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

OnGuard includes ImageStream® Graphic Filters. Copyright © 1991-2010 Inso Corporation. All rights reserved. ImageStream Graphic Filters and ImageStream are registered trademarks of Inso Corporation.


Table of Contents

Getting Started ..................................................................15

Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................17

Architecture and Flow ................................................................................... 18

Fixed vs. PTZ Cameras .................................................................................................. 18

Flow of Alerts .................................................................................................................. 19

Types of Recording ......................................................................................................... 19

Region of Interest ............................................................................................................ 19

Learning Phase ............................................................................................................... 19

Frame Rate Parameter ................................................................................................... 20

IV Overlay ....................................................................................................................... 21

External Parameter File .................................................................................................. 21

System Requirements ................................................................................... 21

Database Systems Supported ........................................................................................ 22

Optimal Configuration ..................................................................................................... 22

Frame Size ...................................................................................................................... 22

Video Quality ................................................................................................................... 23

Getting Started .............................................................................................. 24

Important Terms ............................................................................................ 24

Chapter 2: Installing the IntelligentVideo Server Software ....27

IntelligentVideo Server Installation ................................................................ 27

IntelligentVideo Server Upgrade ................................................................... 29

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Chapter 3: Configuring IntelligentVideo ..................................31

IntelligentVideo Server Form ......................................................................... 32

Performing a Download to the IntelligentVideo Server ................................................... 33

IntelligentVideo Server Form Procedures ..................................................... 33

Configure an IntelligentVideo Server .............................................................................. 33

IntelligentVideo Events Form ........................................................................ 35

IntelligentVideo Events Form Procedures ..................................................... 37

Add IntelligentVideo Event Settings ................................................................................ 37

Modify IntelligentVideo Settings ...................................................................................... 38

Delete IntelligentVideo Settings ...................................................................................... 38

Copy and Paste Event Settings ...................................................................................... 39

Import Event Settings ...................................................................................................... 39

Export Event Settings ...................................................................................................... 39

Add an IntelligentVideo Solution ..................................................................................... 39

IntelligentVideo Application Form .................................................................. 40

IntelligentAudio Events Form ........................................................................ 41

Audio Level Event ........................................................................................................... 43

IntelligentAudio Events Form Procedures ..................................................... 44

Add IntelligentAudio Event Settings ................................................................................ 44

Modify IntelligentAudio Settings ...................................................................................... 45

Delete IntelligentAudio Settings ...................................................................................... 45

Chapter 4: Event Configuration Dialogs ..................................47

Event Configuration/Search Dialog ............................................................... 47

Event Configuration/Search Dialog Menu Options .......................................................... 49

Event Configuration/Search Dialog Fields ...................................................................... 51

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Event Configuration/Search Dialog Procedures ............................................ 54

Open the Event Configuration/Search Dialog ................................................................. 54

Configure Event Properties ............................................................................................. 55

Set Region of Interest ..................................................................................................... 56

Configure Perspective Correction ................................................................................... 57

Open the Video Channel Configuration Dialog ............................................................... 58

Video Channel Configuration Dialog ............................................................. 59

Video Channel Configuration Dialog Procedures .......................................... 60

Configure Video Channel Parameters ............................................................................ 60

Chapter 5: IntelligentVideo Concepts ......................................61

Background Model ........................................................................................ 61

Examples of Problematic Backgrounds .......................................................................... 62

Background Certainty ...................................................................................................... 64

Foreground Model ......................................................................................... 65

Foreground Model Diagnostics View .............................................................................. 65

Object Appeared as Changed ....................................................................... 65

Object Consistency ....................................................................................... 66

Calibrate Object Consistency and Minimum Length of Motion ....................................... 66

Video Stabilizer ............................................................................................. 67

Color Matching .............................................................................................. 67

Defining the Color ........................................................................................................... 67

Relevant Parameters ...................................................................................................... 67

Objects .......................................................................................................... 68

Foreground vs. Background Objects ............................................................................... 68

Object Properties ............................................................................................................ 68

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Direction and Speed ........................................................................................................ 69

Minimum Objects ............................................................................................................ 70

Object Size .................................................................................................... 70

Perspective Correction for Size ....................................................................................... 71

Setting Minimum Object Size and Maximum Object Size ............................................... 73

Motion Parameters ........................................................................................ 74

Summary of Motion Properties and Parameters ............................................................. 75

Multi-Resolution for Speed .............................................................................................. 75

The Scene ..................................................................................................... 75

Surveillance View ............................................................................................................ 75

Empty Versus Detailed Scenes ....................................................................................... 76

Frame Resolution .......................................................................................... 76

IntelligentVideo Events ....................................................77

Chapter 6: IntelligentVideo Events Overview .........................79

List of IntelligentVideo Events ....................................................................... 79

Chapter 7: Congestion Event ...................................................81

Typical Scenes .............................................................................................. 81

Event Properties ............................................................................................ 81

Event Parameters ......................................................................................... 83

Setting Congestion Pattern ........................................................................... 84

Changing the Density ...................................................................................................... 84

Changing the Height ....................................................................................................... 85

Graphical Output ........................................................................................... 85

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Frame Rate and Video Quality ...................................................................... 85

Chapter 8: Directional Motion Event ........................................87

Typical Scenes .............................................................................................. 87

Eligible Objects ............................................................................................. 87



Calibration Summary ..................................................................................... 91



Chapter 9: Facial Detection Event ............................................93

Typical Scenes .............................................................................................. 93

Video catalog of all the people entered to the facility ...................................................... 93

Integration with Access Control ....................................................................................... 93

Requirements ................................................................................................ 93



Effects of the Parameters ................................................................................................ 95



Chapter 10: Invalid Camera Event ............................................97

Typical Scenes .............................................................................................. 97



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Changing the Frame Rate to Increase Throughput ......................................................... 99

Detect PTZ Out of Home Position ................................................................................... 99

Graphical Output ......................................................................................... 101

Frame Rate and Video Quality .................................................................... 101

Chapter 11: Loitering Event ....................................................103

Typical Scenes ............................................................................................ 103

Event Properties .......................................................................................... 103

Event Parameters ....................................................................................... 104



Chapter 12: Object Crosses a Region Event .........................107

Typical Scenes ............................................................................................ 107

Eligible Objects ........................................................................................... 107



Calibration Summary ..................................................................................................... 110

Direction Accuracy ........................................................................................................ 110



Chapter 13: Object Detection Event .......................................113

Typical Scenes ............................................................................................ 113



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Background Learning Times for Intrusion Scenarios .................................................... 117

Object Detection Type Certainty ................................................................................... 118

Changing the Frame Rate ............................................................................................. 118

Object Differentiation ..................................................................................................... 118

Setting Size for Group of People ................................................................................... 119

Mantrap ......................................................................................................................... 119



Chapter 14: Object Left Behind Event ...................................121

Typical Scenes ............................................................................................ 121

Non-eligible Scenes .................................................................................... 121



Changing the Type Certainty ........................................................................................ 124

Alert on Object Only Once ............................................................................................ 124

Filtration by Orientation ................................................................................................. 125



Chapter 15: Object Lurking Event ..........................................127

Typical Scenes ............................................................................................ 127





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Chapter 16: Object Moves Too Fast Event ............................131

Typical Scenes ............................................................................................ 131

Eligible Objects ........................................................................................... 131

Setting the Speed ........................................................................................ 131

Setting up the Camera ................................................................................ 132





Chapter 17: Object Removed Event .......................................135

Typical Scenes ............................................................................................ 135

Non-eligible Scenes .................................................................................... 135



Changing the Type Certainty ........................................................................................ 138



Chapter 18: Object Starts to Move Event ..............................139

Typical Scenes ............................................................................................ 139

Eligible Scenes ............................................................................................ 139



Setting the Region of Interest ........................................................................................ 140

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Chapter 19: Object Stops Event .............................................143

Typical Scenes ............................................................................................ 143






Chapter 20: People Counting Event .......................................147

Typical Scenes ............................................................................................ 147

Flow ............................................................................................................................... 147

Camera Mounting and Location .................................................................................... 147

Camera Heights and Lenses ......................................................................................... 147

Overhead view .............................................................................................................. 148

Measuring Accuracy ...................................................................................................... 148

Use of Background Map .............................................................................. 149

Overview ....................................................................................................................... 149

Stickers ......................................................................................................................... 149

Installation ..................................................................................................................... 149

Flow ............................................................................................................................... 150

Operation ...................................................................................................................... 150



Calibrating the Person Width parameter ....................................................................... 152

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Correction Factor .......................................................................................................... 152

Sensitivity Threshold ..................................................................................................... 152

Diagnostic Mode ......................................................................................... 153



Chapter 21: Smart Video Motion Detection Event ................155




Setting Sequential Events ............................................................................................. 158

Setting Smart VMD Sensitivity to Change Automatically .............................................. 159



Maintaining Your System ...............................................161

Chapter 22: Diagnostics ..........................................................163

Switch to Diagnostic Mode .......................................................................... 163

Select the Diagnostic Display ...................................................................... 163

Perspective Correction for Size ................................................................... 164

Chapter 23: Logfiles ................................................................165

Message Structure ...................................................................................... 165

Types of Filters ............................................................................................ 166

Monitoring Logfiles for Overload Diagnostics .............................................. 166

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Alarm Logging ............................................................................................. 167

Logfile Output ................................................................................................................ 167

Bitmap Output ............................................................................................................... 167

Chapter 24: Calibration Filters ...............................................171

Chapter 25: IntelligentVideo FAQ ...........................................173

Background Learning .................................................................................. 173

Diagnostic View ........................................................................................... 173

Problematic Scenes .................................................................................... 173

Congestion .................................................................................................. 174

Directional Motion ....................................................................................... 174

Facial Detection .......................................................................................... 175

Loitering ...................................................................................................... 176

Object Crosses a Region ............................................................................ 176

Object Detection .......................................................................................... 176

Object Left Behind ....................................................................................... 177

Object Removed ......................................................................................... 177

People Counting .......................................................................................... 177

Smart VMD .................................................................................................. 178

Applications ................................................................................................. 178

Appendices ......................................................................181

Appendix A: Status Messages ...............................................183

Index ...............................................................................................185

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Getting Started


Chapter 1: Introduction

OnGuard IntelligentVideo is a digital video analysis system with the ability to recognize, analyze, and classify information in both live and recorded video. IntelligentVideo is alert based; events are predefined to suit the environment, and the system generates alarms when those events occur.

Typically the IntelligentVideo Server application is installed on a dedicated machine. This machine is referred to throughout the documentation as the IntelligentVideo Server. On a separate machine, the OnGuard software is installed. IntelligentVideo events are configured in System Administration. The IntelligentVideo Server, like all other downstream devices, receives this configuration information and begins to process video from the video recorders. Events generated by the IntelligentVideo Server are then transmitted to the Security Server for storage in the Security Database, as well as to the Alarm Monitoring clients in real time.

IntelligentVideo is also used for forensic style searching of recorded video. Recorded video is processed on the Alarm Monitoring or VideoViewer client using the defined events. For each event detected, a thumbnail image is created. This enables you to browse through the events easily.

A single license for any IntelligentVideo feature allows that feature to be used for both live and recorded video processing. A single stream of video for live detection can be processed by the IntelligentVideo Server while recorded video is search simultaneously in Alarm Monitoring.

IntelligentVideo events are processed differently in each of the OnGuard applications:

• System Administration - Events are configured in System Administration, and live video is then processed by the IntelligentVideo Server using those configured events. This is the only application the IntelligentVideo Server processes events in. Only live video (not recorded) can be processed in this application.

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• Alarm Monitoring and VideoViewer - Alerts are sent to Alarm Monitoring based on the events configured in System Administration. Alarm Monitoring or VideoViewer can then be used to run algorithms on either live or recorded video. However, no processing is done by the IntelligentVideo Server when these applications are used, and no alarms are sent to Alarm Monitoring.

The process for deployment of OnGuard IntelligentVideo is as follows:

1. Pre-sales questionnaire is completed and sent to headquarters.

2. A list of events and number of servers is compiled by headquarters and used to create a quote.

3. Four video clips are compiled and sent to headquarters for each camera. Each clip is recorded at a different time of day with staged events. Video is in LNR format with a pre-defined frame rate and resolution.

4. Configuration files are prepared at headquarters and sent to the site to be loaded and tested.

IntelligentVideo can only be used for scenes that meet the criteria for each event. Specific scene criteria for each event are described in this user guide. Different events have different scene limitations; be sure to pay close attention to these when setting the event up. The camera must be positioned correctly, as described for each event.

The events can be divided into two groups: background and non-background events. Background events must learn the background of a scene in order to determine when an event occurs. During the initial background learning stage a message displays in the message pane of the Event Configuration/Search dialog and alerts are not sent to Alarm Monitoring.

Architecture and Flow

Fixed vs. PTZ CamerasIntelligentVideo supports fixed cameras and PTZ cameras parked in a fixed position. All events can work on a fixed camera. IntelligentVideo has a mechanism that can be configured to detect if a PTZ camera has been moved from the home location. For more information, refer to Detect PTZ Out of Home Position on page 99.

IntelligentVideo Event Processing in OnGuard

OnGuard application

Recorded video supported?

Live video supported?

IVS processes events?

System Administration

No Yes Yes

Alarm Monitoring Yes Yes No

VideoViewer Yes Yes No

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Flow of AlertsAlerts are sent to Alarm Monitoring when the IntelligentVideo engine detects an event and the last detected event occurred more than eight seconds ago.

When an event occurs, an alert is automatically and immediately issued. The only time an alert is not issued is if the event occurred less than eight seconds ago. For example, if the event occurs less than eight seconds after a previous event, an alert is not issued (with the exception of People Counting). When this situation occurs, the only visual indication for the occurrence of the event is the graphical overlay in the video player pane of the Event Configuration/Search dialog. For more information, refer to Event Configuration/Search Dialog on page 47.

Types of RecordingThe system supports the following inputs of video:

• Live

• Recorded, under continuous recording

• Recorded, under time lapsed recording

Note: In some situations, time lapsed recording might result in degraded results. The longer the gap between continuous segments, the higher the potential for degraded results.

Region of InterestThe Region of Interest (ROI) identifies the area of video to be processed. It is strongly recommended you apply a ROI to every applicable event. If the ROI is not set, the entire frame is considered the region of interest.

The ROI can be one of the following types:

• Whole frame

• Quadrilateral

• General Polygon (in Smart VMD)

• Rectangle (in Object Crosses a Region and People Counting)

For more information, refer to Set Region of Interest on page 56.

Learning PhaseSome IntelligentVideo events, the background events, require a period of time (2 minutes default) for auto-learning. This learning phase usually occurs when the event is initially set up.

The following events require a pre-defined interval of auto-learning:

• Congestion

• Invalid Camera

• Loitering

• Object Left Behind

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• Object Removed

• Object Starts to Move

• Object Stops

• People Counting, in “Background Map” mode

Frame Rate ParameterFor each event there is a recommended default frame rate. for some of the events you may want to change the default frame rate. Consult the specific chapters of the events for more information.

Note: The fps of the camera are specified in System Administration. The actual frame rate of each event is set by the “X Frame Rate” parameter described below.

Refer to the following table for default frame rates for each event.

In addition, there is an option to change the processed frame rate (the number of frames which are actually processed per second). This is done through the Channel Configuration dialog for each event. For more information, refer to Video Channel Configuration Dialog on page 59.

Each event has a processed frame rate parameter. The name of this parameter is “X Frame Rate” where “X” stands for the event name. This parameter controls

Event Default fps

Congestion 1

Directional Motion 9

Facial Detection 4

Invalid Camera 1

Loitering 2

Object Crosses a Region 9

Object Detection 2

Object Left Behind 1

Object Lurking 4

Object Moves Too Fast 15

Object Removed 1

Object Starts to Move 9

Object Stops 9

People Counting 15

Smart VMD 2

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the number of frames processed per second. The value of this parameter determines the minimum gap between two consecutively processed frames.

Note: You should only set the “X Frame Rate” parameter if you need to change the default of the engine.

IV OverlayThe graphical output for an event can optionally be stored for IntelligentVideo alarms. During the IntelligentVideo Server installation, there is an option to enable the storage of processed video metadata. If this feature is enabled, the graphical output of the event is stored to a file that can later be viewed as an overlay with the video associated with the alarm. In the Video Player window, select View > IV Overlay to display the graphical output for the event.

External Parameter FileIf necessary, advanced user and technical support representatives can use an external parameters file for parameters not supported by the Graphical User Interface (GUI). The parameter file is a text file called AVAParams.txt. This file, if active, must reside in the AVA folder (\Program Files\Common Files\Lenel\AVA). Events configured in System Administration must have the file located on the IntelligentVideo Server. To run algorithms from Alarm Monitoring or VideoViewer, the file must be located on the client machine that is running the application.

The file contains a list of parameters in the following format:

/ParameterName = ParameterValue

Each parameter starts at the beginning of a line. The parameter file is loaded after you click [Refresh] on the Event Configuration/Search dialog or after you set a new event.

The AVAParams.txt file is used by all channels located on the machine it resides on. Different AVA.Params.txt files can be used for individual channels by utilizing a naming convention that specifies an individual channel. To use the AVAParams.txt file with a specific channel, append the channel number to the file name in the following format: AVAParams_####.txt, where #### is the zero padded channel number. For example, if you wish to use the AVAParams file with channel 7, the file should be named AVAParams_0007.txt.

System Requirements

For the recommended IntelligentVideo Server PC requirements, refer to the Lenel price book.

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1: Introduction

Database Systems SupportedIntelligentVideo is supported for use with Microsoft SQL Server databases; it is not supported for Oracle databases.

Optimal ConfigurationOptimal configurations include:

• Camera Frame Rate: set to the frame rate required by the IntelligentVideo Engine. For more information, refer to the Frame Rate Parameter table on page 20.

• Resolution: CIF, unless 4CIF is required by the IntelligentVideo engine for detection of small objects.

• Compression: Not greater than 50 in the System Administration scale.

Frame Rate

The frame rate configured for the camera cannot be less than the frame rate required by the IntelligentVideo engine. Ideally, it should be identical. There are two side effects to configurations in which the frame rate of the camera is higher than the frame rate required by the engine:

• With MPEG4 video streams, the IVS decompresses all of the frames, even frames not required for the analysis by the engine. The decompression consumes CPU time on the IVS. In some situations, the CPU-time required for decompressing the full frame rate of the MPEG4 stream is higher than the CPU-time required for the engine analysis.

• The engine might process at a frame rate lower than recommended. For example, if the engine requires 9 fps, and the frame rate of the camera is set to 10 fps, there is no way to down-sample the fps while keeping uniform time gaps between consecutive frames. Therefore the engine can either be set to process the full frame rate (which wastes CPU resources) or work in a frame rate lower than required potentially causing misdetections.

Resolution

By default, the IntelligentVideo engine works on CIF resolution, even if the resolution set on the camera is higher. For more information, refer to Frame Size on page 22.

Compression

The compression configured for the camera in System Administration is the same compression of the video stream received by the IntelligentVideo engine. The more the video stream is compressed, the more difficult it is to detect small objects. Compression should be decreased as much as possible to increase the video quality for accurate detection of objects. It is not recommended to have a compression value greater than 50.

Frame SizeIt is not recommended to work with resolutions higher than CIF. By default, sizes greater than CIF are reduced and processed as CIF.

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In situations that a higher resolution is necessary, the frame should be processed in its original size. This can be accomplished with the following parameter:

Using higher resolution will reduce performance due to an increased computation load. For example, a frame size of 4CIF causes a degradation in processing throughput by a factor of approximately 4.

Frame size can also be scaled down using the Scale-Down Factor advanced parameter. The factor is applied to the CIF size unless the Use Original Frame Size parameter is being used to process 4CIF.

Note: The Use Orignal Frame Size and Scale-Down Factor parameters should not be used with the People Counting event which should always use CIF resolution.

Due to the high computation cost of using high resolution processing, it is recommended to use CIF resolution. When a higher resolution is required, it may be possible to use the Scale-Down Factor parameter in combination with the Use Original Frame Size parameter.

Video QualityThe IntelligentVideo engine is able to detect when the video quality is not eligible for processing. When poor video quality is detected, an alarm is displayed in Alarm Monitoring. There are two cases in which alarms will be generated for video quality:

• Poor video quality due to very low contrast caused, for example, by heavy fog.

Field Type Description

Use Original Frame Size

Advanced Parameter

If enabled, force processing in the original frame size. Otherwise the frame is processed in CIF resolution. The default value is Disabled.

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• Very grainy video, usually caused because of insufficient lighting.

Getting Started

Complete the following to set up an IntelligentVideo system and define events. Steps 1 and 2 can only be completed using System Administration. The remaining steps can be completed using the VideoViewer, Alarm Monitoring, or System Administration application.

1. Install the IntelligentVideo Server application. For more information, refer to Installing the IntelligentVideo Server Software on page 27.

2. Configure video recorders and cameras. For more information, refer to the System Administration User Guide.

3. Configure the IntelligentVideo Server. For more information, refer to Configure an IntelligentVideo Server on page 33.

4. Configure an IntelligentVideo event. For more information, refer to IntelligentVideo Events Form Procedures on page 37.

5. Set the ROI. For more information, refer to Set Region of Interest on page 56.

6. Optionally: Set Event Properties. For more information, refer to Configure Event Properties on page 55.

7. Optionally: Set event Parameters (usually not needed). For more information, refer to Configure Video Channel Parameters on page 60.

8. Get an alert when an event happens.

Important Terms

• 2-D Speed - The two-dimensional speed of an object in terms of pixels per second on the image plane.

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• 3-D Speed - The three-dimensional speed of an object in real-world terms such as miles per hour. Note that the 3D and 2D speeds of the same object may be different because they are measured on different planes.

• Background Model - The scene present in the camera view at the beginning of processing.

• Background Object - An object that is present in the camera view at the beginning of processing or becomes part of the background by remaining in the scene as the Background Model is updated.

• Event - An occurrence that generates an alarm.

• Event engine - The software module that detects a specific event.

• Foreground Model - Everything in the camera view that is not part of the background.

• Foreground Object - An object that was not in the camera view at the beginning of processing or left stationary in the scene long enough to become part of the Background Model as it is updated.

• ROI - The Region of Interest (ROI) is a polygon (usually a quadrangle). Can be the whole frame. Regions which are outside the ROI are ignored.

• ROI Mask - Polygon or set of polygons that define regions that should be ignored by the relevant event engine.

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1: Introduction

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Chapter 2: Installing the IntelligentVideo Server Software

It is recommended that the IntelligentVideo Server be a separate, dedicated computer, although technically it is possible to have OnGuard on the same computer. This chapter describes how to install the IntelligentVideo Server software.

Important: The IntelligentVideo Server and the video recorder must use the same Communication Server.

IntelligentVideo Server Installation

Note: If the computer has OnGuard installed, you must first stop all ‘LS’ and ‘LPS’ services in the Control Panel.

1. In Explorer, navigate to the setup.exe file on the Lenel Network Video Suite.

2. Double-click setup.exe.

3. The Welcome window is displayed, click [Next >].

4. The License Agreement window is displayed.

a. Read the license agreement, and if you agree to the terms, select I accept the terms in the license agreement.

b. Click [Next >].

5. The Custom Setup window is displayed.

a. Select This feature, and all subfeatures, will be installed on local hard drive for the IntelligentVideo Server feature.

b. Verify that all other features are set to This feature will not be available.

c. Select the desired Database Type.

d. Click next.

6. The wizard proceeds, and the Destination Folder window is displayed.

a. Leave the default location path to install the Network Video Suite components to, or click [Change...] and select a new path.

b. Leave the default location where the system’s database will be installed to, or click [Change...] and select a new path.

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Notes: If Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express is already installed, you may need to contact the system administrator for assistance with adding a new database.

The system database location cannot be changed with Oracle Express.

c. Leave the default location where the configuration settings will be installed, or click [Change...] and select a new path.

d. Click [Next >].

7. The wizard proceeds, and indicates that it is ready to begin the installation. Click [Install].

8. The IVS Storage window is displayed. To save processed video metadata, select the Enable storage of processed video metadata check box. For more information, refer to IV Overlay on page 21.

a. From the Available Locations list box, choose the location you wish to use for storage. Choose <User Location...> if you wish to browse for an alternate location.

b. Click [>] to select the location and move it to the Selected Locations list box.

c. Specify the Data Folder Name that you wish to create and store the data in.

d. Specify the Leave Free Space (MB) that you wish to leave free on your system.

9. The Security window is displayed.

Note: It is recommended that only users with knowledge of Windows networking and security configure this step.

a. Select whether to limit access to members of the “IVUsers” group or use anonymous DCOM connections.

b. To change the SQL Server “sa” password if using SQL Express, select the Change “sa” account password check box and set a new password. Or to change the Oracle “SYSTEM” password if using Oracle Express, select the Change “SYSTEM” account password check box and set a new password.

c. Click [Next >].

10. The Identity window is displayed

a. Select how the account will be run.

• If you wish to run IntelligentVideo using the system account, select the Run as SYSTEM account radio button.

• If you wish to run IntelligentVideo using a regular account, select the Run as the following account radio button, and then specify the user name, password, and then type the password again to confirm the password.

b. Click [Finish].

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11. The Security Utility is run. Follow the prompts to apply the changes. For more information, refer to the Installation Guide.

12. The wizard completes. Click [Finish].

13. Restart the system even if you are not prompted to do so.

IntelligentVideo Server Upgrade

The Lenel Network Video Suite is also used to upgrade the IntelligentVideo Server. After the IVS has been upgraded and the new version of OnGuard has been installed, the IntelligentVideo Database Upgrade Utility must be run to upgrade the IntelligentVideo event configurations. This utility is found in the Digital Video folder on the Supplemental Materials disc, and should be run on the OnGuard database server as a final upgrade step.

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2: Installing the IntelligentVideo Server Software

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Chapter 3: Configuring IntelligentVideo

To configure OnGuard IntelligentVideo, you must configure the IntelligentVideo Server (IVS) as well as the events. The IVS is configured on the IntelligentVideo Server form in System Administration. Events are configured on the Event Configuration/Search dialog, which is opened through the IntelligentVideo Event form or the Video Player in System Administration.

In addition to events, you can configure channel parameters for the video channel itself. Channel parameters are configured on the Video Channel Configuration dialog.

The recommended configuration sequence in the OnGuard software is:

1. Configure an IntelligentVideo Server. For more information, refer to Configure an IntelligentVideo Server on page 33.

2. Configure a video recorder. For more information, refer to the System Administration User Guide.

3. Configure cameras. For more information, refer to the System Administration User Guide.

4. Configure IntelligentVideo event settings. For more information, refer to IntelligentVideo Events Form Procedures on page 37.

Toolbar Shortcut The folder contains the following forms: the IntelligentVideo Server form, the IntelligentVideo Events form, the IntelligentVideo Application form, and the IntelligentAudio form.

You can display the IntelligentVideo folder by selecting IntelligentVideo from the Video menu. or by selecting the IntelligentVideo toolbar button.

All of these configuration steps are performed in the System Administration application. To open System Administration, navigate to Start > Programs > OnGuard 2010 > System Administration.

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3: Configuring IntelligentVideo

IntelligentVideo Server Form

The IntelligentVideo Server (IVS) is a server designed to run complex video algorithms for video processing of events. You can configure events from any video recorder to be processed using the IVS. After events are detected and processed, the IVS sends alarms to Alarm Monitoring.

IntelligentVideo Folder - IntelligentVideo Server Form

Form Element Comment

Listing window Lists currently defined IntelligentVideo Servers (IVS) and the total number of events configured on each server.

Name A descriptive name for the IVS server.

Online If selected, the IVS will be online and the Communication Server will attempt to communicate with it.

IntelligentVideo Server Type

Select the server type from the drop-down list.

Workstation The name of the workstation the IVS connects to.

Use IP Address Select this radio button if you want to use the IP address of the IVS. This is the address OnGuard will use to communicate with the IVS.

Use Computer Name

Select this radio button if you want to use the computer name of the IVS. This is the name OnGuard will use to communicate with the IVS.

Browse Click this button to browse for the IVS computer name or workstation.

User Name and Password

Enter the user name and password for the specific Windows account used by OnGuard to connect with the IVS. If you leave these fields blank, OnGuard will use the interactive user Windows account.

Note: It is recommended that only users with knowledge of Windows networking and security configure these fields.

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Performing a Download to the IntelligentVideo ServerA download to the IntelligentVideo Server should be performed after each of the following circumstances has occurred:

• The IVS has been marked offline, and has been brought online again.

• Whenever a new IVS is added to the system.

• Whenever the IVS is upgraded.

• The system has been converted to a segmented system.

• When failover settings have been changed on a camera channel that has IntelligentVideo events configured.

To perform a download, right-click the IVS and select Download.

IntelligentVideo Server Form Procedures

Configure an IntelligentVideo Server

1. From the Video menu, select IntelligentVideo. The IntelligentVideo folder opens.

2. Click the IntelligentVideo Server tab.

3. Click [Add].

4. Enter a name for the IVS.

5. Select IntelligentVideo Server or IntelligentVideo Application Server from the IntelligentVideo Server Type drop-down list.

World Time Zone The world time zone for the geographical location of the IVS. The selections in the drop-down list are sequential and each include:

• The world time zone’s clock time relative to Greenwich Mean Time. (e.g. “GMT +05:00” indicates that the clock time for the selected IVS is 5 hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time.

• The name of one or more countries or cities that are located in that world time zone.

Daylight Savings Select this check box if the IVS is located in a location that utilizes daylight savings.

Add Adds the IVS to the system.

Modify Changes the connection settings or IVS name for the selected servers.

Delete Removes the IVS from the system.

Help Displays online help for this topic.

Close Closes the IntelligentVideo folder.

IntelligentVideo Folder - IntelligentVideo Server Form (Continued)


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6. Identify how the IVS will communicate with the recorder, by entering the workstation, and IP address or computer name of the IVS.

7. Enter the user name and password for the specific Windows account used by OnGuard to connect with the IVS, or use the default values.

8. Select the world time zone for the geographical location of the selected IVS.

9. Select the Daylight Savings check box if you want to properly convert between various time formats for daylight savings.

10. Click [OK].

11. The Monitor Zone Assignments window is displayed. Select the monitor zone(s) you wish to assign the server to and click [OK].

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IntelligentVideo Events Form

The IntelligentVideo Events form applies to cameras configured with any video recorder. This form allows you to configure multiple events or one solution for a camera to be processed on a specified IVS server only. Additional licensing (Maximum Number of IntelligentVideo Streams) is required to use IntelligentVideo processing.

In addition to events, you can configure channel parameters for the video channel itself. The IntelligentVideo form includes a [Channel Configuration] button which allows you to configure channel parameters. For more information, refer to Video Channel Configuration Dialog on page 59.

IntelligentVideo Folder - IntelligentVideo Events Form


Camera listing window

Lists currently defined IP cameras and the recorders they are associated with, as well as the channel, camera type, video standard, camera IP address, camera resolution, and IVS that will process data for specific events.

IntelligentVideo Server

Select the name of the IVS server for the selected camera.

IntelligentVideo Solution

Lists the name of the IVS solution loaded on the camera.

Status Displays the status of the selected IVS.

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Channel Configuration

Click this button to display the Video Channel Configuration dialog. The Video Channel Configuration dialog is used to configure event parameters that apply to the entire video channel and not the individual video processing algorithms.

The [Channel Configuration] button activates when System Administration successfully connects to the selected IVS. Click this button to display the Video Channel Configuration dialog.

Note: You can also display the Video Channel Configuration dialog through a [Channel Configuration] button on the Event Configuration/Search dialog. For more information, refer to Video Channel Configuration Dialog on page 59.

Solution Configuration

Click this button to access the Solution Configuration menu. Use this menu to Add, Modify, Delete, or Convert Separate Events. The Add and Modify menu options launch the Solution Configuration wizard. To stop using a solution while retaining configured events, select the Convert Separate Events menu option. This option allows the user control over parameters that are pre-configured as part of the solution.

Event Type Displays the name of the configured event.

Name A descriptive name for the event that will display in Alarm Monitoring. The name can be 21 characters long. Since OnGuard supports two events of the same type, for the same camera, the name should be descriptive enough for Alarm Monitoring operators to recognize where the event occurred.

Timezone The timezone during which the specified IntelligentVideo setting is active. Timezones are created on the Timezones folder, which is located by selecting Timezone from the Access Control menu.

Recording The type of recording that will be used. Choices include:

• Event - increased frame rate with pre-roll for OnGuard specific events. Event recording settings are configured on the Event Mode sub-tab of the Camera form.

• Normal - continuous or time-lapsed recording. Normal recording settings are configured on the Normal Mode sub-tab of the Camera form.

Alarm Determines whether an alarm displays in Alarm Monitoring.

• On - If the threshold is reached during the selected timezone, an alarm is sent from the recorder to OnGuard and an alarm displays in Alarm Monitoring.

• Off - If the threshold is reached during the selected timezone an alarm will not be active (sent to OnGuard) nor will it display in Alarm Monitoring.

Displays the Event Configuration/Search Dialog where you can configure event-specific parameters. For more information, refer to Event Configuration/Search Dialog on page 47.

Modify Changes the IntelligentVideo settings for the selected camera.

Delete Deletes all configured events for the selected camera. Only the [Delete] button can be used with the Multiple Selection check box.


Multiple Selection Select this check box to select multiple entries in the listing window. Multiple selection only applies to the delete option.

IntelligentVideo Folder - IntelligentVideo Events Form (Continued)


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IntelligentVideo Events Form Procedures

Add IntelligentVideo Event Settings


2. Click the IntelligentVideo Events tab.

3. Select (place a checkmark beside) the appropriate camera.

4. Click [Modify].

5. Select the IVS that will process images for the events.

6. With your cursor in the Event Type column, right-click and select “Add”.

7. Select the event type from the drop-down list.

8. Select the field that displays under the Name column. Enter a descriptive name that will be appended to the alarm description in Alarm Monitoring (when this event occurs).


IntelligentVideo Folder - IntelligentVideo Events Form (Continued)


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9. Select the field in the Timezone column. A drop-down list displays. Select the timezone during which the IntelligentVideo settings apply.

10. Select the field in the Recording column. A drop-down list displays. Select the type of recording settings to use.

11. Select the field in the Alarm column. A drop-down list displays. Select whether an alarm will display in Alarm Monitoring or not.

12. To configure event specific parameters, click the camera icon to the right of the Alarm column.For more information, refer to Event Configuration/Search Dialog on page 47.

13. To configure channel parameters for the video channel itself, click [Channel Configuration]. For more information, refer to Video Channel Configuration Dialog on page 59.

14. Repeat steps 5 through 12 for each new event you want for the specified camera.

15. Click [OK].

Modify IntelligentVideo Settings




4. Click [Modify].

5. Select a field in any of the columns.

6. Change the settings.

7. Click [OK].

Delete IntelligentVideo Settings




4. Click [Delete].

5. Click [OK].

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Copy and Paste Event Settings



3. Right-click the camera with the event settings you wish to copy and select Copy Event(s).

4. Select (place a checkmark beside) the camera you wish to paste the event settings to.

Note: To paste the event settings to multiple cameras, select the Multiple Selection check box, then select the additional cameras.

5. Right-click one of the selected cameras and select Paste Event(s) to paste all of the event settings or Paste Special to choose which events to paste and whether to include the channel configuration.

Import Event Settings



3. Select (place a checkmark beside) the camera you wish to import event settings to.

4. Click [Modify].

5. Select the IntelligentVideo Server from the drop-down list.

6. Right-click in the camera list view and select Import event(s).

7. Browse for the configuration file (*.xml) and click [Open].

Export Event Settings



3. Select (place a checkmark beside) the camera you wish to export event settings from.

4. Right-click the camera in the list view and select Export event(s).

5. Save the configuration file (*.xml).

Add an IntelligentVideo SolutionFor more information, refer to the IntelligentVideo Solutions User Guide.


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4. Click [Modify].

5. Select the IVS that will process images for the solution.

6. Click [Solution Configuration] and select and select Add Solution from the pop-up menu.

7. The Solution Configuration wizard is displayed. Select the desired solution from the IntelligentVideo Solution Type drop-down list and click [Next >].

8. Select the Configuration Type corresponding to the scene from the drop-down list.

9. An instance of the solution is created in the list view. The list view is used to configure a name for the alarm, set the timezone for alarm generation, and optionally configure the Out of Focus or Out of Home Position settings.

10. Click [Finish] to create the IntelligentVideo Solution Configuration.

11. Click [OK] to save the configuration.

IntelligentVideo Application Form

The IntelligentVideo Application Server (IV App Server) is a service whose main purpose is to provide a host environment for individual IntelligentVideo applications. The IV App Server performs the following functions:

• Provides a means to dynamically add and remove IntelligentVideo applications.

• Provides functionality common to all application such as error login, data, and configuration persistence and communications.

• Provides a base on which any number and wide range of applications can be supported in the future.

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Note: Detailed configuration options appear after an application type has been selected from the drop-down list. For more information, refer to the IntelligentVideo Application Server User Guide.

IntelligentAudio Events Form

The IntelligentAudio Events form is used to configure events to trigger alarms in Alarm Monitoring. Currently only the Audio Level event is supported for

IntelligentVideo Application Server Form


Listing window Lists currently defined applications with the type and server name.

Name A descriptive name for the application.

Online If selected, the application will be online and the Communication Server will attempt to communicate with the application.

Server Select the IntelligentVideo Application Server from the drop-down list.

Application Type Select the type of application from the drop-down list.

Add Adds an application to the system.

Modify Changes the configuration of the application.

Delete Removes the application from the system.



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generating alarms. Additional audio events can be used for forensic processing. For more information, refer to the Digital Video Software User Guide.

IntelligentVideo Folder - IntelligentAudio Events Form


Camera listing window

Lists currently defined IP cameras and the recorders they are associated with, as well as the channel, camera type, video standard, camera IP address, camera resolution, and IVS that will process data for specific events.

IntelligentVideo Server

Select the name of the IVS server for the selected camera.

Status Displays the status of the selected IVS.

Event Type Displays the name of the configured event.

Name A descriptive name for the event that will display in Alarm Monitoring. The name can be 21 characters long. Since OnGuard supports two events of the same type, for the same camera, the name should be descriptive enough for Alarm Monitoring operators to recognize where the event occurred.

Timezone The timezone during which the specified event is active. Timezones are created on the Timezones folder, which is located by selecting Timezone from the Access Control menu.

Recording The type of recording that will be used. Choices include:

• Event - increased frame rate with pre-roll for OnGuard specific events. Event recording settings are configured on the Event Mode sub-tab of the Camera form.

• Normal - continuous or time-lapsed recording. Normal recording settings are configured on the Normal Mode sub-tab of the Camera form.

Alarm Determines whether an alarm displays in Alarm Monitoring.

• On - If the threshold is reached during the selected timezone, an alarm is sent from the recorder to OnGuard and an alarm displays in Alarm Monitoring.

• Off - If the threshold is reached during the selected timezone an alarm will not be active (sent to OnGuard) nor will it display in Alarm Monitoring.

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Audio Level EventThe Audio Level event identifies sound events crossing a volume threshold.

Event Properties

The event properties are defined from the Event Configuration/Search dialog which is launched with the camera icon on the IntelligentAudio Events form during event configuration. For more information, refer to Event Configuration/Search Dialog on page 47.

Note: IntelligentAudio events do not have a region of interest or channel parameters.

Displays the Event Configuration/Search Dialog where you can configure event-specific parameters. For more information, refer to Event Configuration/Search Dialog on page 47.

Modify Changes the event settings for the selected camera.

Delete Deletes all configured events for the selected camera. Only the [Delete] button can be used with the Multiple Selection check box.


Multiple Selection Select this check box to select multiple entries in the listing window. Multiple selection only applies to the delete option.


IntelligentVideo Folder - IntelligentAudio Events Form (Continued)


Property Description

Threshold Volume threshold for detection. Use the level displayed on the Event Feedback pane to determine a value appropriate to the scene.

Minimal Duration (seconds)

Length of time that sound should continue before an event is detected. The range of values is 0.010 to 10.000 seconds.

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IntelligentAudio Events Form Procedures

Add IntelligentAudio Event Settings


2. Click the IntelligentAudio Events tab.


4. Click [Modify].

5. Select the IVS that will process images for the events.

6. With your cursor in the Event Type column, right-click and select “Add”.

7. Select the event type from the drop-down list.

8. Select the field that displays under the Name column. Enter a descriptive name that will be appended to the alarm description in Alarm Monitoring (when this event occurs).

9. Select the field in the Timezone column. A drop-down list displays. Select the timezone during which the IntelligentAudio settings apply.

10. Select the field in the Recording column. A drop-down list displays. Select the type of recording settings to use.

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11. Select the field in the Alarm column. A drop-down list displays. Select whether an alarm will display in Alarm Monitoring or not.

12. To configure event specific parameters, click the camera icon to the right of the Alarm column.For more information, refer to Event Configuration/Search Dialog on page 47.

13. Click [OK].

Modify IntelligentAudio Settings




4. Click [Modify].

5. Select a field in any of the columns.

6. Change the settings.

7. Click [OK].

Delete IntelligentAudio Settings




4. Click [Delete].

5. Click [OK].

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Chapter 4: Event Configuration Dialogs

IntelligentVideo utilizes two dialogs for the configuration of events. The Event Configuration/Search dialog is used to configure event properties, and the Video Channel Configuration dialog is used to configure event parameters.

Event Configuration/Search Dialog

The Event Configuration/Search dialog is used to:

• Configure event parameters for real-time video processing and alarm generation. This includes motion detection, blind camera and brightness changes as well as events for IntelligentVideo, and IntelligentAudio processing.

• Display alerts when events occur. Alerts display in three areas of the dialog:

– In the video window, alerts display as a highlighted area.– In the Event Feedback pane, alerts display as a spike in the alert status

graph. – In the alarm history pane, alerts display as thumbnails or text.

• Search LNVR or LDVR recorded/archived video for the occurrence of specific events.

• View search results as a detailed list or thumbnail images.

• Play recorded video search results in the Video Player pane.

• Play live video in the Video Player pane.

The Event Configuration/Search dialog can be used with the following video sources:

• Live video

• Recorded video, accessed through a video recorder

• Exported video files

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4: Event Configuration Dialogs

Note: When playing exported video over a network, the Windows account that the LpsSearchSvc service runs under must have permission to access the files.

Note: Different fields, buttons and event options are available, depending on how you open the Event Configuration/Search dialog.

Configuration

Video player pane

Event

pane

Feedbackpane

AlarmHistorypane

ChannelConfigurationbutton

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Event Configuration/Search Dialog Menu OptionsThe following table describes the menu and sub-menu options available from the Event Configuration/Search dialog.

Event Configuration/Search Dialog - Menus

Menu Name Menu Options

Function

Event Menu Select Event Enables you to select the event for which the current video source will be analyzed.

Note: The Select Event sub-menu option is available only if you open the Event Configuration/Search dialog using the Video Player. In System Administration, you have to select an event before you can open the Event Configuration/Search dialog. Therefore, if you selected an event to open the dialog this the Select Event sub-menu option will not display.

Screen Output Some event feedback and configuration parameters display directly on the video to help you visualize what is being (or what has been) configured. If you wish to enable this output, verify a checkmark displays beside this sub-menu option.

Load/Save Configuration

Allows you to save the current configuration and load it at a later time for the same type of event.

Copy/Paste Configuration

It is possible to copy a configuration from one event and paste it to a different event. In this case, all parameters that apply to the new event will be used.

For example, the configuration for a motion detection event can be copied/pasted to an abandoned object event. In this example, the “Region of interest” parameter exists in both events, so that parameter will be saved. But the abandoned object event does not use “Threshold”, so that parameter will be ignored. Lastly, motion detection did not use the “Duration” parameter, so the original duration value for the abandoned object event will be used.

Show Advanced Configuration

Select this sub-menu item to view additional properties used for troubleshooting and diagnostics. These advanced properties are used for advanced calibration of events and should rarely be used.

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Player Menu Switch to Recorded/Live

Enables you to switch to and from recorded and live video.

Select Start/End Times

Displays a dialog where you can select the start and end times of a recorded video search.

Export Frame Allows you to export the current frame into a picture file. Supported image formats are BMP, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, and PNG.

Play Starts/resumes video playback. This command is not visible when video is playing.

Pause Pauses playback. When video play is resumed, it continues from where it was temporarily stopped. This command is visible only when video is playing.

Stop Stops playback and rewinds the video to the beginning.

Search Fast-forwards through video while continuing to analyze it. This allows you to search through video faster than real-time and look for events of interest, using the Event Output and Event History panes.

Zoom Enables you to set pre-defined (50%, 100%, and 200%) zoom levels for the video player.

Frame Rate Sets the frame rate at which video is fed to the client side. By default, this value is set to 10 frames per second (fps). If the source video is set at a higher fps, video will be analyzed at the higher frame rate, but some frames will not be sent to the client display.

This option is available when the client display is on a computer separate from the video analysis service and the network connection between client and the service is less than ideal. Reducing the frame rate will speed up processing because the server side will not have to wait for the client to consume the video frames it has sent.

Event Configuration/Search Dialog - Menus (Continued)

Menu Name Menu Options

Function

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Event Configuration/Search Dialog FieldsThe following table describes some of the configuration parameters available in the Event Configuration/Search dialog.

Event Configuration/Search Dialog - Fields

Pane Field Description

Video Player Pane Video window Video playback window.

Note: If configuration or event feedback controls have any additional information, you may choose to draw in this window or on top of the video.

Command buttons and Status indicator

Buttons at the bottom of the pane allow you to execute the same commands that are available through the menus. In addition to the menu options, the command buttons allow you to:

• Set an arbitrary zoom level for the entire video search window

• Search video by using the position indicator/seek bar control

• Play, pause, and stop recorded video

• Play the video at an accelerated rate by using the search button

Indicates the current status of the IntelligentVideo engine or video processing engine. If there are problems connecting to the search server component, the status indicator will indicate the connection state and any error values encountered.

Note: In live video mode, most of these controls are absent since live video cannot be paused, stopped, or searched. The only option available with live video is to change the zoom level.

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Configuration Pane

The fields that display in the Configuration pane depend on the event selected. An event must be selected to populate the Configuration pane.

Region of Interest (ROI)

The ROI identifies the area of video to be processed.

Click the Create a Region of Interest button and then click on the video to mark the area you wish to define. The ROI is a general polygon which can consist of a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 10 vertices.

Once the ROI has been created, use the mouse to drag and drop any of the green vertices or the entire ROI if adjustments are necessary.

Click the Delete Region Of Interest button to remove an existing ROI.

Mask The ROI mask identifies an area of video to ignore.

Click on the Create a Mask button and then click on the video to mark the area you wish to ignore.

Once the mask has been created, use the mouse to drag and drop any of the green vertices or the entire mask if adjustments are necessary.

Click the Delete Mask button to remove an existing mask.

Event Configuration/Search Dialog - Fields (Continued)


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Event Feedback Pane

Alert status graph

A color-coded graphical representation of alerts. An alert is created only if the last detected event occurred more than 8 seconds ago.

Note: For recorded video, you can click on any part of the graph to view the corresponding video. The video search must first be stopped.

Time Range Select the duration of time used by the graph.

Level

The current level of change. Levels range from 0 to 100. The first and last frames of an event must have a value greater than or equal to the specified level, to be included in the search results.

Status Message Pane

Displays messages regarding the status of the background. Statuses that can be generated include:

• “Events disabled: engine initializing”: Notifies that the initial background has not been acquired yet, therefore the events that require background are disabled.

• “New Background Image Acquired”: Notifies that a new background model was acquired [the background model is constantly learned, and it is updated every “Background learning” (the parameter) seconds].

History Displays the history of the status messages.



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Event Configuration/Search Dialog Procedures

Open the Event Configuration/Search DialogThe Event Configuration/Search dialog can be opened using the Video Processing form or IntelligentVideo Events form (in System Administration) or using the Video Search menu option (in Video Player).

Using the IntelligentVideo Events form

1. Open System Administration.



4. Select (place a check mark beside) the appropriate camera.

5. Click [Modify].

Alarm History Pane

Event Thumbnail View

Displays a scaled-down image of the video frame for each detected event.

You can double-click a thumbnail to view the recorded video for that event (in the Video Player pane). The video search must first be stopped.

The Event Thumbnail View does not apply to live video.

Event Detail View Displays information (start time, end time and duration) about each event that was detected.

You can double-click an event to view the recorded video for that event (in the Video Player pane). The video search must first be stopped.

The Event Thumbnail View does not apply to live video.

Help Push button Displays online help for this topic.

Close Push button Closes the Event Configuration/Search dialog.

Refresh Push button Once the event configuration is modified, this button will be enabled and allows you to apply configuration changes.



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6. Click the camera icon located in the lower right side of the Event Type listing window. The Event Configuration/Search dialog opens.

Using the Video Player

1. Launch video from a camera using the Video Player.

2. Verify the recorded video is playing.

Toolbar Shortcut 3. Click the Video Search toolbar button or from the Control menu select Video Search. The Event Configuration/Search dialog displays.

Configure Event PropertiesWhen you configure event properties, you define the parameters that make up an event. For example, direction and object size are event properties for the Object Detection event.

Event properties are defined per event, not per channel. Therefore, you can define several unique event properties for the same event on the same video channel.

1. Open the Event Configuration/Search dialog. For more information, refer to Open the Event Configuration/Search Dialog on page 54.

2. If you opened the Event Configuration/Search dialog using the Video Player, select the event type from the Event menu.

3. In the Event Configuration/Search dialog, the Configuration pane displays optional and required event parameters. Some parameters require you to select a check box to enable the parameter and adjust a slider to set the value of the parameter. Other parameters display as a drop-down menu from which you select a parameter. If a button displays in the Configuration pane, then click the button to enable the feature and adjust the values of the parameter in the Video player pane. Advanced properties are displayed by selecting Show Advanced Configuration from the Event menu.

4. Be sure to set the region of interest. For more information, refer to Set Region of Interest on page 56.

5. If necessary, configure event parameters that apply to the video channel itself. For more information, refer to Video Channel Configuration Dialog on page 59.

6. Click [OK].

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Set Region of InterestThe Event Configuration/Search dialog has a region of interest (ROI) button. Although this setting is optional, it is highly recommended that ROI is used whenever possible to reduce computation time and the probability of false alarms. If the ROI is not set, the entire frame is considered the region of interest.

All the events except Object Crosses a Region and People Counting support the use of ROI.

1. Open the Event Configuration/Search dialog. For more information, refer to Event Configuration/Search Dialog on page 47.

2. If you opened the Event Configuration/Search dialog using the Video Player, select the event type from the Event menu.

Toolbar Shortcut 3. Click the Create Region of Interest button.

4. In the Video Player pane left-click to create a starting point for the area you want to highlight. A green dot displays.

5. Click another point in the area you want to highlight. A red line connecting the two points displays.

6. Continue clicking points to expand the highlighted area.

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Note: The ROI is a general polygon which can consist of a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 10 vertices.

7. Use the mouse to drag and drop any of the green vertices or the entire ROI if adjustments are necessary.

Note: If at any time you want to remove a highlighted area, select it and click the Delete Region of Interest toolbar button.

8. Only the highlighted area is recorded or searched.

Configure Perspective CorrectionThe Perspective Correction mechanism is used to adjust the perceived size of an object for the 2-D image plane. It is configured on a per event basis, however once it is configured for an event it must be copied to each event on that channel that enables Perspective Size Correction. It is available for the Object Detection, Object Left Behind, Object Removed, and Loitering events. For more information, refer to Perspective Correction for Size on page 71.

1. Physically place a quadrangle object in the camera view. The quadrangle should have the following properties:

• It must be parallel to the top and bottom of the video frame.

• It should be a rectangle where the top and bottom lines represent the same real-world length.

• It should be as large as possible.

2. Open the Event Configuration/Search dialog for the event.

3. From the Event menu, select Show Advanced Configuration.

4. Click the Perspective Correction for Size button.

5. Using the mouse, right-click each of the four corners of the rectangle located on the image plane. The area selected will be displayed as a green quadrangle.

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Note: When using the object size properties with the Perspective Correction mechanism, the Minimum and Maximum Object Sizes configured reflect the size of the object as it appears in the center of the ROI. If there is no ROI defined, the entire video frame is the ROI.

6. Select “Enable” from the Use Perspective Size Correction drop-down.

Note: Diagnostic modes are available to assist in the configuration of Perspective Correction for Size. For more information, refer to Chapter 22: Diagnostics on page 163.

7. Right-click the Configuration pane and select Copy Configuration.

8. In the Copy Event Configuration window, deselect any other available properties such that Perspective Correction for Size is the only property highlighted.

9. Click [OK].

10. Close the event configuration.

11. If you are configuring additional events on the same channel that will use perspective correction for size:

a. Add the next event in the IntelligentVideo Events form and launch the Event Configuration/Search dialog.

b. Select “Enable” from the Use Perspective Size Correction drop-down.

c. Right-click the Configuration pane and select Paste configuration.

d. Finish configuring the event.

e. Repeat steps a through d for each additional event on the channel.

Open the Video Channel Configuration DialogThe Video Channel Configuration dialog can be opened using the Video Processing and IntelligentVideo Events forms (System Administration) or using the Event Configuration/Search dialog available through the Video Player.

Using the IntelligentVideo Events form

1. Open System Administration.



4. Select (place a check mark beside) the appropriate camera.

5. Click [Modify].

6. Select an IntelligentVideo Server from the drop-down list.

7. Click [Channel Configuration] (located below the camera listing window on the right side). The Video Channel Configuration dialog opens.

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Using the Event Configuration/Search Dialog

1. Open the Event Configuration/Search dialog. For more information, refer to Open the Event Configuration/Search Dialog on page 54.

2. Click [Channel Configuration] (located on the lower right side of the window). The Video Channel Configuration dialog opens.

Video Channel Configuration Dialog

Video channel configuration parameters can be applied to real-time IntelligentVideo processing and to recorded video searches. The Video Channel Configuration dialog is used to configure event parameters that apply to the video channel itself and not the video processing algorithms. For example, if the source video has a lot of motion, background learning time may need to be increases so the video processing engine picks out static scene elements more accurately.

Video Channel Configuration Dialog


Video Channel Configuration listing window

Displays the video channel processing properties and user-configured values. Parameters are sorted into types. Values are modified directly in the listing window. A new value may be entered or selected from the drop-down list. Values that have been modified from the default appear in bold. Click [Explain] to read a detailed description of the selected property.

OK Accepts the video channel configuration changes and closes the dialog.

Cancel Rejects the video channel configuration changes and closes the dialog.

Load Configuration

Displays an Open window from which you can select the “.XML” configuration file you want to load.

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Video Channel Configuration Dialog Procedures

Configure Video Channel ParametersTwo types of parameters are available: basic and advanced. Parameters are defined per channel and for each event there is a unique set of parameters. You can set parameters by pressing the [Channel Configuration] button in the Event Configuration/Search dialog. By default, only basic parameters display. If you want to set an advanced parameter, click the Show Advanced Parameters check box. Advanced parameters should only be set by expert level administrators.

A parameter can be set by entering or selecting a value from the drop-down list in the listing window.

1. Display the Video Configuration dialog. For more information, refer to Open the Video Channel Configuration Dialog on page 58.

2. It is recommended that you select the Show Parameters Only For check box.

3. Select (highlight) a property name.

4. Select or enter the property value.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each property.

6. Click [Save Configuration] if you would like to be able to load these configurations at another time.

Click [OK].

Save Configuration

Saves the set of video channel configuration parameters for reuse.

Reset to Defaults Resets all parameter settings to their original default settings.

Show Parameters Only For

Select this check box to display only parameters which are relevant to the selected event. Only events configured for the current channel are available in the drop-down list.

Show Advanced Parameters

Select this check box to view additional parameters used for troubleshooting and diagnostics. The default setting hides the advanced parameters.

Explain Click this button to read a detailed description of the selected property.

Video Channel Configuration Dialog (Continued)


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Chapter 5: IntelligentVideo Concepts

This section contains important concepts necessary to optimize IntelligentVideo results and is essential information for installation and troubleshooting.

Background Model

A scene is regarded as an eligible background scene if for a given time (X seconds) every part of the background is exposed for at least X/2 seconds. Typically, the X value is anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes.

The duration of background exposure does not have to be continuous (exposure for X/2 consecutive seconds) as long as every part of the background receives X/2 seconds of exposure.

In particular, if there are foreground objects in the scene during the interval (X seconds), the foreground objects must change location from time to time such that the entire background is exposed at least X/2 seconds at every point.

Backgrounds with constant changes in lighting or backgrounds with reflective surfaces are considered unstable backgrounds. Typical scenes that are not eligible background scenes include:

• Scenes with big reflective surfaces (like windows)

• Scenes which are constantly loaded

• Scenes with constantly changing light

Background model is built constantly and updated in a pre-defined period. There are two types of periods:

• Initial period

• Regular period

During the initial period there is no valid background model. When the initial period ends a background is available.

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5: IntelligentVideo Concepts

The default values for Background Learning are 90 seconds. One might need to change these values in the case of scenes that are noisy or have constant change in lighting. For example, for an outside scene with direct sunlight, it might be better to use a learning phase of as low as 15 seconds. In this case, it is important to restrict the object size for detection to the highest value possible. Notice that having the learning stage too short might result in a background model which is not converged properly if the scene is busy, or if foreground objects remain still for more than half the period. Disabling this parameter, especially in scenes involving changes in lighting, can cause the background to become invalid.

Examples of Problematic BackgroundsThe following are three examples of:

1. Scenes with gradual but constant change in background. In these cases the auto-learning background period should be short (2 minutes).

2. Scene in which part of it has a non-eligible background.

3. Scene in which the entire background is non-eligible.

Gradually but constantly changing background. Typical example is outside scene with direct sunlight, as shown in the illustration that follows. The shadows are gradually and continuously changing, therefore the background learning

Background Model Parameters

Parameter Relevant Events Description

Initial Background Learning Congestion

Invalid Camera

Object Left Behind

Object Removed

Loitering

Object Detection

Object Starts to Move

Object Stops

Duration of initial period for auto-learning.

Background Learning Duration of auto-learning period.

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phase should be relatively short (in the range of 15 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on how busy the scene is).

Part of the background is non-eligible. Typical example is a big window or wall of windows, as shown below. In these cases the user should set a ROI that does not contain the windows or immediate neighborhood of the window.

The whole background is non-eligible. Typical example is a crowded scene which contains people standing for very long periods, as shown below. There are many people who stand all over the scene, and there is also a constant motion of people around. In these cases, the auto-learning will be converged to wrong background model.

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How to know for a specific scene if the background is eligible. For most of the cases, one can tell just by the nature of the scene, as we saw in the three examples, but there is a way to actually see the convergence process of the background.

For that, one should do the following:

1. Set the advanced parameter Diagnostics Output Mode to the value 1 (refer to Chapter 22: Diagnostics on page 163).

2. Run the IntelligentVideo GUI (through the “VideoViewer” or from the “IntelligentVideo” form in System Administration).

3. Select an event which requires a background. Events that require a background are:

• “Congestion”, “Invalid Camera”, “Loitering”, “Object Left Behind”, “Object Lurking”, “Object Detection”, “Object Removed”, “Object Starts to Move”, “Object Stops”

4. Select: Event->Screen Output->Diagnostics Video Mode.

Now the video window displays the convergence process of the background. Whenever the background is updated there is a corresponding message in the Status Message pane. The display at the time of the “background acquired” message should be the background itself. If inside the ROI (or the whole frame if ROI is not defined) the display is not the real background then it means that the convergence failed to gain the real background. Every blob/spot/object in the display that is not part of the background can cause mis-detections or false detections in the area it resides.

Background CertaintyThe Background Certainty is an optional mechanism that can be used to filter out potential false alarms in the following events:

• Congestion

• Object Detection


• Object Removed

Regions with false motion, such as moving shadows on a sunny day, tend to generate false objects. These region of potentially unstable background are detected during the Background Learning process.

This mechanism, as with any filtration mechanism, can cause misdetections. It is recommended for use only in response to false alarms in unstable background regions.

False objects can be ignored with the Background Certainty mechanism by setting the Background Certainty parameter to Enabled.

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Foreground Model

Foreground Model is a built-in mechanism which is useful for outside scenes where there are changes in lighting intensity. For example, the area close to a set of windows might generate false objects because of the gradual change in lighting. In these cases, the Foreground Model can be used to eliminate false alarms. The foreground model is not useful for cases in which the false objects have changing patterns caused by light, as opposed to a spot of light or shadow. In outside scenes it is recommended to use this filter in addition to other filters.

The use of Foreground Model is set with the Boolean parameter Verify Object Saliency.

The Foreground Model can be used in the following events:

• Congestion

• Loitering



• Object Removed

The Foreground Model works well with objects under “surveillance view”. When objects are too close to the camera, the use of Foreground Model might cause misdetections. Using the Foreground Model in blurred video (e.g. foggy day, dark day, etc.) when the objects are small may also cause misdetections.

Foreground Model Diagnostics ViewThe Diagnostic View for the foreground is 39. This mode is available only if the parameter Verify Object Saliency is enabled.

This view shows the original video, where every region that is not regarded as part of the background appears in white and every region which is not part of the background model or the foreground appears in red. A foreground object should be indicated by white regions with only small amounts of red pixels.

Object Appeared as Changed

Object Appeared as Changed is an optional mechanism that reduces false alarms in outdoor scenes with sudden changes lighting (for example, the sun coming out of some clouds).

This mechanism can be used with the following events:



• Object Removed

This mechanism, as any filtration mechanism, can cause misdetections. It is recommended for use only if there are false detections caused by changes in lighting. It is efficient for filtering out false objects detected because of a gradual change between the current frame and the background model image. This

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mechanism is not applicable to objects that move very slowly before they become static.

Object Appeared as Changed should be set if the objects you wish to detect are the type of objects that could have been detected using the Smart VMD event.

The Change Detection Mechanism is turned on using the Object Appeared as Changed parameter.

Object Consistency

Object consistency applies only to the Object Detection event. It is a tool that filters out phantom objects or objects that are not of interest to the user.

An object is considered consistent if it appears several times and optionally, if it is moving (in any direction).

Due to different kinds of noise that exist, there is often a flickering of small objects for one frame. However, the probability of a relatively big object (700 pixels or more) flickering is rare. Therefore, the use of the consistency filter is extremely important when trying to detect small objects.

Calibrate Object Consistency and Minimum Length of Motion

The Object Consistency filter is used to filter out noise and is a crucial tool to avoid false alarms. It should be calibrated according to the specific application. Refer to the diagnostics display for Object Detection to calibrate this parameter. Note, setting the value too high might filter out real objects when objects are moving fast, in the 2-D plane.

Minimum Length of Motion is useful when the objects of interest are moving. In this case, set this value to the minimum number of pixels each object will move.

Object Consistency Parameters

Parameter Relevant Events Description

Object Consistency Filter Object Detection Values range from 0 to 5 (1 is the default). Higher values filter out more objects.

Minimum Length of Motion

Minimum distance (in pixels) an object must cover to trigger an event.

The Minimum Length of Motion is very useful when the objects of interest are not static (that is, they are moving). In this case, you should set this value to the minimum number of pixels that you know each object of interest is going to travel in one direction.

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Video Stabilizer

Camera vibrations can be caused by outdoor scenes involving wind, when hooked to a ceiling near a ventilator, or other scenarios. Vibrations can be problematic mainly for Smart VMD and Object Detection.

The Video Stabilizer removes vibrations from the image during the pre-processing stage, before video analysis.

To view stabilized video, switch to Diagnostics View and set the Diagnostics Output Mode parameter to 57.

Color Matching

Color matching applies to the Object Detection and Smart VMD events, where color can be one of the object properties used to detect an object.

Be aware that the appearance of a color can look different in different cameras under different lighting conditions. Therefore, it is highly recommended you set only saturated colors. Discrimination between shades of similar colors is problematic, unless the video quality is stable and there are no significant lighting changes.

Defining the ColorYou can define colors by selecting a color from a standard table of colors. Color is selected based on sight. After you select the color, you can see colors that considered similar to your choice in the current scene. Areas regarded as similar to the selected color are shown in their natural color, while other areas are shown in dark gray color. You should adjust the parameters to optimize the color setting

Relevant ParametersTwo parameters are used for defining color similarity. By the order of significance:

1. Hue

2. Grayness

Parameters should be calibrated by selecting the desired color and then playing with the Hue and Grayness while watching the video player pane. Recall that areas that are regarded as similar to the selected color are shown in their natural color, while other areas are shown in dark gray. Notice that the Hue functions as

Name Type Default Description

Use Video Stabilizer

Boolean Disabled If enabled, stabilizes the video at the pre-processing stage.

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tolerance. The greater the Hue, the higher the tolerance is, and more regions of the view are regarded as matching to the selected color.

The Hue parameter is more significant than the Grayness parameter. The Grayness parameter should be used rarely, only if the results received from adjusting the Hue parameter are not satisfactory. The Hue parameter is “monotonic”. As the value is increased, regions of the image more closely match the selected color. This is not true for the Grayness parameter which is only monotonic for sub intervals of the slider. There may be singular points along the slider where regions that matched the selected color change to mismatches as the value is increased.

Objects

Foreground vs. Background ObjectsThe system has the ability to discriminate between foreground and background objects. For example, the Object Left Behind and Object Detection events detect foreground objects, while the Object Removed detects background objects.

The foreground vs. background is relevant for the following events:

1. Object Detection

2. Object Left Behind

3. Object Removed

There is a parameter that controls the certainty of the classification of an object as foreground or background. The following table describes the relevant parameter for each of the events:

Object PropertiesYou can discriminate between objects using three main objects properties:

Event Parameter Units Default Description

Object Left Behind

Object Left Type Certainty

“signed” percents (-100...100)

0 0 means equal probability for “Left” and “Removed”. Higher positive percent is a higher probability for “Left”.

Object Detection Type Certainty Percentage (0...1) 0.5 0.5 means equal probability for foreground and background. The higher the grade, the higher the probability for foreground

Object Removed Object Removed Type Certainty

“signed” percents (-100...100)

0 0 means equal probability for “Removed” and “Left”. Higher positive percent is a higher probability for “Removed”.

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• Size

• Eccentricity - Describes how elongated the object is. More accurately, it is the ratio between the object’s main axis and secondary axis. The axes of an object are the axes of the best fitting ellipse to the object.

• Orientation - Describes the orientation of the main axis of the object. For humans the orientation is typically vertical and for vehicles it is typically horizontal.

Object properties are (fully or partially) used for the following events:

• Loitering



• Object Removed

The following tables provides a summary of Object Properties that can be set by the user. The right-most column describes if it refers to a Foreground (F) or to Background (B) objects.

Perspective Distortion of Objects

Perspective distortion of objects happens when an object is too close to a camera. It means that the image of the object appears such that the ratio of the dimensions are not as in reality.

Note: Eligible objects are objects with no perspective distortion.

Direction and SpeedThree dimensional (3-D) direction in the physical world is different from two dimensional (2-D) direction in the image plane. For example, consider a 2-D image of a long straight road, (where the camera is looking toward it with wide angle). The angle between two lines on the image plane might be completely different from the real world (and people tend to conceive the image as if it were in 3-D). Another example are parallel lines in the 3-D world that converge in a 2-D image seen in the Minimum Objects section.

Similarly, 3-D speed in the physical world is different from 2-D speed in the image plane. The speed of an object in the 2-D image is defined by the number of

Event Size Eccentricity Orientation Saliency Color Foreground/Background

Loitering Yes No No No No F

Object Detection Yes Yes Yes No Yes F

Object Left Behind Yes Only max No Yes No F

Object Removed Yes Only max No Yes No B

Smart VMD Yes Yes Yes No No F&B

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pixels the object passes in a given time unit. In the physical world, the speed of an object is defined by the distance it travels in a given time unit. Therefore, even though object “A” moves faster than object “B” in the physical world, in the 2-D image plane it can happen that object “B” moves faster than object “A”.

Object speed depends on two factors: the distance of each object from the camera and the direction of each object, relative to the image plane. If an object moves toward the camera, its 2-D speed is zero. On the other hand, if an object moves parallel to the image plane, then the full capacity of its speed is measured.

Maximum 2-Dimensional Speed

The 2-D speed should not exceed 20 pixels between consecutive frames. For motion events, the recommended rate is 9 fps so, the 2-D speed should not exceed 180 pixels per second.

Minimum ObjectsMotion can be detected for objects as small as 75 pixels, but the smaller the objects are the higher the probability for false alarms.

The image below (CIF resolution) is an example of a small object (the car bounded by blue rectangle) with size of about 75 pixels that still can be analyzed.

Object Size

The Object Size mechanism is useful in eliminating potential false alarms. This feature works as a filter and will not cause additional detections. The Object Size mechanism is configured with the following properties:

• Minimum Object Size

• Maximum Object Size

• Perspective Correction for Size

The Perspective Correction for Size mechanism is used to compensate for the size differences of the same object as measured at different places along the camera view. The farther the object, the smaller its size in pixels on the image plane.

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Perspective Correction for SizeDue to the perspective of the image plane related to the main plane in the physical world, the perceived size of a specific object may vary considerably according to its distance from the camera. This is illustrated in the following figure:

The lines on the left are actually parallel in the physical world. Therefore, the distance between corresponding points along the red lines (at the intersection with the black line) are equal in the physical world. In the 2-D image, there is a considerable difference in distances along points close to the camera to points far from the camera.

Since size is a shape property needed for video processing involving objects, it is important to correct this perspective distortion. The Perspective Correction mechanism is available for the following events:



• Object Lurking

• Object Removed

• Loitering

Perspective Correction is applicable to the main plane in the camera view. It is applicable for wide view only, and for only part of the view where:

• Maximum object diameter is less than 1/15th of the screen width

• Object size in pixels must be greater than 200 pixels

• Object is on the main plane of the camera view

Setting Perspective Correction for Size

The Perspective Correction is defined by a set of 4 points that form a trapezoid. The close side and far side should be as parallel as possible. Both sides should represent the same physical length that due to perspective appears on the screen at different lengths.

To set the Perspective Correction for Size, choose two objects of comparable size, one close to the camera and one far from the camera. The far object should be at least 15 pixels wide in the camera view. The width of the near object should be at least three times the width of the far object in the camera view.

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Note: If the depth of field is such that the factor of size of the same object in the closest part of the ROI and the farthest part of the ROI is not greater than 2 there is no need to use the Perspective Correction for Size.

Perspective size correction can also be calibrated by having a person walk a specified number of steps at a distance near and far from the camera. The vertices of the trapezoid must be marked in a clockwise or counter-clockwise order.

1. Click the Perspective Correction for Size icon.

2. Measure the first line by instructing the person to walk 10 steps as near to the camera as possible while still remaining contained in the camera view. Mark the 10 steps by clicking the start and end points on the camera image.

3. Measure the second line by having the person walk a 10 steps at a distance further away from the camera. Again, mark the start and end points on the camera image. The second line must be parallel to the first and at a distance that makes it appear at least 10% higher than the first line in the camera view.

Testing the Perspective Correction for Size

The Perspective Correction for Size can be examined by using Diagnostics Mode. The corrected size will appear near the detected object as the bottom number. The actual size in pixels is displayed as the top number. The current Minimum Object Size and Maximum Object size, if set, are displayed at the top right corner. The default Minimum Object Size (35) is displayed if one has not been set.

1. Turn on Diagnostics Mode.

2. Set the Diagnostics Mode number according to the following table:

Event Diagnostics Mode

Loitering 70

Object Detection 69


Object Lurking 97

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3. The corrected size is the bottom number displayed near the object in the Diagnostics View.

The Diagnostics Mode also displays a red line in the upper part of the video frame. As objects approach the line, the corrected values become less reliable. Reliability also decreases if objects are too close to the camera (more than 5-10% of the frame width).

Setting Minimum Object Size and Maximum Object SizeThe size of the object that can be detected is limited by two values: Minimum Object Size and Maximum Object Size. The object size settings work as filters to reduce the number of false detections. Setting the object size and Perspective Correction for Size can only yield fewer detections, not generate more. If the object size properties are set incorrectly, it may result in failure to detect desired events.

By default, the Minimum Object Size is set to the minimum object size that can be detected according to the specifications set in the specific solution and Maximum Object Size is not limited. Since the Minimum and Maximum Object Size are dependent on the camera view and types of objects, both should be set.

The object size properties should be set with the following method:

1. Set the Perspective Correction for Size.

2. Obtain a recorded or live video that contains the relevant object moving throughout the camera view.

3. Use the diagnostics view to take note of the range of corrected size values.

Object Removed 95

Event Diagnostics Mode

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Note: If the depth of the field of view is not greater than a factor of 2, take note of the actual size of the detected objects in pixels rather than the corrected size.

4. Set the Minimum Object Size and Maximum Object Size according to the set of values noted in the previous step. When setting the values, reduce the Minimum Object Size value by 20% and increase the Maximum Object Size value by 20%.

5. If the Perspective Correction for Size is not needed due to the depth of field, delete it.

Motion Parameters

The motion parameters that are discussed in this section are relevant to the following events:

• Directional Motion

• Object Crosses a Region

• Object Stops

The motion analysis is controlled through the following property and parameters:

Sensitivity. The sensitivity of the motion. The sensitivity is normalized to the range 0 to 100, while 50 is the default, that should be adequate to most of the cases. If motion is not detected then the sensitivity should be decreased. If false alarms are generated the sensitivity should be increased. The Sensitivity is proportional to the size of the moving object, and to the number of “features” the object contains. As a rule of thumb, features are proportional to details. Blank surface contains no features.

Motion Duration. The minimum required “age” of the motion. Objects which are moving for less then this value are not generating alert. The units are seconds. Typical value is 1 second.

Minimum Length of Motion. In order to be able to filter out “phantom” motion, the projected length of the object trajectory (the distance between the starting point to the current point) should exceed this threshold. Used to avoid alarms caused by motion that stopped (such as leaves).

The following motion parameter is relevant only to the Directional Motion and Object Stops events:

Radius of Motion. Defines the maximum radius of motion that is still regarded as the same object. Motion trajectories which are distant by more than this value are regarded as belonging to different objects. The default value is 50 pixels. This parameter can be set for the Directional motion and Object Stops events with the advanced property Radius of Motion.

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Summary of Motion Properties and ParametersThe following table presents the correspondence between the three events to the above property and parameters. Just as a reference to the previous section that dealt with objects, the last column in the table is the “Foreground/Background” attribute of relevant objects. For the three events, both background and foreground objects are detected.

Multi-Resolution for SpeedThe range of speeds that can be detected with a specific frame rate is limited. Slower or faster speeds can be detected by decreasing or increasing the frame rate, respectively. The “resolution for speed” is the range of speeds supported by one frame rate. In some scenes it may be necessary to detect different speeds in the same camera view. This may be caused by a large depth of field where it is necessary to detect speeds near to the camera and further away.

There is an option to define two resolutions for speed for different regions of the frame or to increase the range of speeds that can be detected by a single camera. Defining multiple resolutions for speed increases the computation load by a number proportional to the number of frames per second that are processed. For example, if you use two resolutions for speed for the whole frame, one of 4 fps and one of 8 fps, the overall number of frames that is processed in a second is 12.

Multi-Resolution for Speed is configured with two events, one for each resolution. The ROI for each resolution is configured with the event along with any other relevant properties. One event is configured for “Use High Resolution.” and the other for “Use Low Resolution.” The frame rate for each resolution is configured using the Motion Low-Res Frame Rate parameter for low resolution and Motion Frame Rate parameter for high resolution.

The Scene

Surveillance ViewSurveillance view is the typical view of a surveillance camera, which looks at the scene from a distance and from a relative height. Objects are usually seen without perspective distortion. Ideal Surveillance View has a camera view that looks like a 2-D plane. When an object takes more than 10% of any of the two frame dimensions it is probably not a surveillance view. For more information, refer to Perspective Distortion of Objects on page 69.

Event Direction Sensitivity Age Projected Length

Speed Foreground/Background

Directional Motion Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes F & B

Object Crosses a Region

Yes Yes Yes No Yes F & B

Object Stops No Yes Yes Yes No F & B

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Empty Versus Detailed ScenesEmpty scenes are scenes that contain little detail. For example, a scene of a blank wall in a hallway. Empty scenes are rare in surveillance views.

Frame Resolution

The frame resolution has the following affects:

• Higher resolutions allow smaller the objects to be detected

• Higher resolutions require more computation power. Generally, the CPU percentage consumed for processing is linear proportional to the size of the frame.

There are two commonly used resolutions, CIF and 4CIF. To save on processing load, the video is processed in CIF resolution by default, even if the input frame size is 4CIF. In cases where it is important to detect smaller objects, it is possible to force frame processing to the original input size.

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IntelligentVideo Events


Chapter 6: IntelligentVideo Events Overview

IntelligentVideo events are configurable in OnGuard through Video Search, which is available in System Administration, Alarm Monitoring, and VideoViewer. Events configured in System Administration are saved and used to generate alarms in Alarm Monitoring. For more information, refer to IntelligentVideo Events Form Procedures on page 37. Events configured in Alarm Monitoring and VideoViewer are for temporary use and not saved when the Video Search window is closed. Rather than generating alarms, events configured in Alarm Monitoring and VideoViewer are displayed as thumbnails in the Video Search window.

When configuring events, you can configure event properties and event parameters. Properties are configured per event. Parameters are configured per camera channel. When configured, parameters may affect one or more events located on the same camera channel, while properties are always specific to one configured event. For example, if you set the Diagnostics Output Mode parameter it will affect all events running on the same camera channel. If you set the Duration property for the Object Left Behind event, it will effect only that event on that camera channel. Additional Object Left Behind events or events located on the same channel will not use the same property setting.

• Basic properties - configured through the Event Configuration/Search dialog.

• Advanced properties - configured through the Event Configuration/Search dialog. To display advanced properties you must select Show Advanced Configuration from the Event menu.

• Basic parameters - configured through the Video Channel Configuration dialog.

• Advanced parameters - configured through the Video Channel Configuration dialog. To display advanced parameters you must select the Show Advanced Parameters check box.

Notes: Some properties and parameters require a refresh during configuration. Red flashing text in the [Refresh] button indicates that a refresh is required to reload the changes to the configuration.

Additional licensing (Maximum Number of IntelligentVideo Streams) is required to use IntelligentVideo processing.

List of IntelligentVideo Events

The following is a list of all of the IntelligentVideo events, along with where each is described in detail.

• Congestion Event on page 81

• Directional Motion Event on page 87

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6: IntelligentVideo Events Overview

• Facial Detection Event on page 93

• Invalid Camera Event on page 97

• Loitering Event on page 103

• Object Crosses a Region Event on page 107

• Object Detection Event on page 113

• Object Left Behind Event on page 121

• Object Lurking Event on page 127

• Object Moves Too Fast Event on page 131

• Object Removed Event on page 135

• Object Starts to Move Event on page 139

• Object Stops Event on page 143

• People Counting Event on page 147

• Smart Video Motion Detection Event on page 155

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Chapter 7: Congestion Event

The Congestion event is used for crowd monitoring by analyzing the density and distribution of foreground objects inside regions of interest (ROI). The user can define the required intensity and pattern of congestion.

Typical Scenes

Typical scenes include congestion of people in a lobby or hall, monitoring a line of people, monitoring a line of vehicles, etc.

Notes: Make sure objects are not distorted. For more information, refer to Perspective Distortion of Objects on page 69.

Make sure the background is eligible. For more information, refer to Background Model on page 61.

Event Properties

Properties are configured on the Event Configuration/Search dialog. For more information, refer to Event Configuration/Search Dialog on page 47.

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7: Congestion Event


Region of Interest

ROI Region of Interest (ROI) identifies the area of video to be processed. The ROI is a quadrilateral consisting of 4 vertices. It is strongly recommended you set the ROI for this event. The height of the ROI should be as close as possible to the height of the expected object.

The following is a good example of ROI for two people.


ROI Mask Mask ROI Mask is a polygon shaped area that is ignored within the ROI. ROI Mask should be used whenever there are regions with “noise” motion, such as trees or flags in outdoor scenes, or a receptionist in a lobby in an indoor scene.

Intensity (%) Basic Property Intensity of congestion in percents (0...100), that must be reached before an alarm is generated. The default value is 90.

The Intensity is proportional to the percent of the ROI width that is covered with objects. If the Level displayed in the Event Feedback pane is greater than the Intensity (%) for longer than the specified Duration (seconds), an alarm is generated. For more information, refer to Setting Congestion Pattern on page 84.

Duration (seconds)

Basic Property Minimum time interval (seconds) in which the scene is congested in order to generate an alarm. Default value is 6 seconds.

Density (% of ROI)

Advanced Property

Controls the required density of objects in order to generate a Congestion alarm. Values are in the range of 0...100. Default value is 12. The higher the value, the lower value of Intensity will cause an alarm. This is an advanced property and should rarely be used.

Height (% of ROI)

Advanced Property

Minimum percent of the ROI height that should be covered with foreground objects in order for the scene to be considered congested. The height of the objects must be more than x% of the ROI height to generate an alarm. This is an advanced property and should rarely be used.

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Event Parameters

Parameters are configured on the Video Channel Configuration dialog. For more information, refer to Video Channel Configuration Dialog on page 59.


Background Learning Time

Basic Parameter The duration of the background learning period, in seconds. The default is 90 seconds. Longer durations might be required for busy scenes. Lower durations might be required for outside scenes with quickly changing light.

Channel Number

Advanced Parameter

Assign a unique identifier (integer) to the camera channel for use with log file naming. For example, if you set a Channel Number of 5, the log file generated with have the name AVAlogfile_5.txt. The default value is 0, with a range of 1 to 1000.

Diagnostics Output Mode

Advanced Parameter

Mode of displaying input video with graphical information which can be helpful for diagnostics and parameter calibration. For each event there is a default Diagnostics Output. You can set a specific Diagnostic output by setting this parameter with the Diagnostics Output number. For more information, refer to Chapter 22: Diagnostics on page 163.

Initial Background Learning Time

Basic Parameter The duration of the background learning period during start up or anytime the background becomes invalid. The default value is 90 seconds and should be increased if the scene is busy during the start up period.

Logical AND of Regions

Basic Parameter Logical AND between all defined ROIs. Alert is triggered only if there is a Congestion event in all the defined ROIs.

Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameter

Reduces the frame size processed by the engine to the specified percent of the image in one dimension.

Use ‘Background Certainty’ Filter

Advanced Parameter

Filters out regions in which the background model has not converged properly. Default value is Disabled. For more information, refer to Background Certainty on page 64.

Use Log File Advanced Parameter

If enabled, a log file is generated for all events configured on the camera channel. The default value is Disabled. For more information, refer to Logfiles on page 165.


Advanced Parameter

By default, if the frame size is larger than CIF, it is scaled down for processing to accelerate computation by the IntelligentVideo engine. If enabled, this parameter forces the engine to process video in its original frame size. This parameter only effects how video is processed by the IntelligentVideo engine; it does not affect the frame size of live or recorded video. The default value is Disabled.


Advanced Parameter

If enabled, video is stabilized before processing. This value has no effect on live or recorded video. The default value is Disabled. For more information, refer to Video Stabilizer on page 67.

Verify Object Saliency

Basic Parameter Boolean parameter to filter out false objects caused by changes in lighting or spots of light. The default value is Disabled. For more information, refer to Foreground Model on page 65.

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7: Congestion Event

Setting Congestion Pattern

The Congestion pattern can be controlled by the parameters: Intensity, Density, and Height. While Density and Height should rarely be changed, the Intensity parameter directly controls the intensity of the Congestion. The following is an explanation of the three parameters, and also of the Duration parameter.

We denote a “width-padded” object as an object with w percents (out of the ROI width) of padding to each of its two sides.

We denote a “height-padded” object as an object with h percents (out of the ROI height) of padding to each of its two sides.

An object is called “padded object” if it is “width-padded” and “height-padded”.

A padded object is regarded as a “hit” if it reaches the top and bottom of the ROI.

A scene is regarded as Congested if at least p percents of its width are covered by hit padded-objects.

A Congestion event occurs if the scene is congested for duration of at least d seconds.

The parameters mentioned above, w, h, p and d are configurable. They are the Density, Height, Intensity, and Duration in the Configuration/Search Dialog table.

Notice that as long as the ROI is set to the appropriate height, there is no need to play with the “Height” parameter.

Changing the DensityConsider the following two situations described by the following figure, where each thick line denotes a person:

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Without the Density (width-padding), in both situations, the percents of the width that are covered by objects is the same, although it is a different type of congestion. A Density value of about 10% and Intensity value of about 80%-90% will generate a Congestion alarm for the left situation but not for the right.

Changing the HeightIf the user sets the ROI properly (such that the objects that generate Congestion alarms are not less than 40% of the ROI height), there is no need to set the Height parameter.

Graphical Output

Congestion events display as a red rectangle bounding the ROI.

In case of logical ANDs between several ROIs, a red rectangle appears on each one that the Congestion event occurred in, and if the logical AND is satisfied, a line connecting the ROI is drawn.

Frame Rate and Video Quality

The video source should be at least 1 frame per second and the video compression no greater than 50 (internal units).

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7: Congestion Event

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Chapter 8: Directional Motion Event

The Directional Motion event detects motion of objects in the direction you specify. It is highly recommended you use ROI for these events to increase performance and reduce the probability of false alarms.

Typical Scenes

Typical scenes include people in a terminal or lobby moving in a forbidden direction, vehicles on a road moving in the wrong direction, intruder moving in a specific direction in a pre-defined region, or boat at waterside scenarios.

Eligible Objects

Like in all motion events, there is a trade off between the maximum object speed (speed in the 2-D image plane, not the physical speed), the minimum object size, and the frame rate.

If an object moves more than 20 pixels in two consecutive frames it cannot become a legitimate object by adjusting the following parameters:

• Level of Motion

• Minimum Duration of Motion

• Minimum Length of Motion

If the object 2-D speed is too high, make one of the following adjustments to reduce the speed:

1. Increase the fps. For more information, refer to Frame Rate Parameter on page 20.

Factor Effect

Frame rate Since the maximum allowed speed is 20 pixels per two consecutive frames, maximum 2-D speed in 9 fps is 180 pixels/sec, but in 18 fps it is 360 pixels/sec, and in 4 fps it is 80 pixels/sec.

Object 2-D speed If the object moves slowly, you can lower the frame rate. A lower frame rate reduces computation time and increases the throughput (number of channels that can be processed on a single server). For example, if the 2-D speed of the object is 80 pixels/sec, you can set the frame rate to 4 fps (the distance the object makes between two consecutive frames is 20 pixels, which is acceptable), this increases the throughput by a factor of more than 2.

Object size Larger objects are more easily detected and provide for more reliable motion analysis. For larger objects, 20 pixels per two consecutive frames is acceptable, but it is not recommended to go below that.

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8: Directional Motion Event

2. Zoom out if the object is large enough.

If the object size is too small, the only way to detect using the Directional Motion event is by zooming in (if possible) and making sure that the object under the new zoom is more than the minimum required. For more information, refer to Minimum Objects on page 70.

If the object moves too slowly (e.g. a boat at the waterside, slow moving person from a distance, etc.) the processed frame rate should be decreased using the Motion Frame Rate parameter.

Event Properties



Region of Interest

ROI Region of Interest (ROI) identifies the area of video to be processed. The ROI is a general polygon which can consist of a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 10 vertices. Although optional, it is strongly recommended that ROI be created, especially in outside scenes where there may be unwanted motion (e.g. swaying trees).



Direction (degrees)

Basic Property Identifies the direction of movement. The direction is set by an arrow (vector). Use the slider to change the direction.

Be aware of the difference between 3-D and 2-D direction. For more information, refer to Direction and Speed on page 69.

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Event Parameters


Level of Motion Basic Property Level of Motion determines the degree of response to motion. Numbers range between 0 (highest threshold) and 100 (lowest threshold). The default value (50) should be adequate for most situations.

You should change the default value only when motion is not detected (in which case you should decrease the Level of Motion threshold) or unwanted motion is detected (in which case you should increase Level of Motion threshold).

The Level of Motion property is somewhat proportional to the size of the moving object. When the object is smaller the Level of Motion threshold should be lower. For more information, refer to Motion Parameters on page 74.

Axial Motion Advanced Property

If enabled, motion traveling in both directions is detected. The default value is disabled.

Radius of Motion

Advanced Property

This value approximates the radius of the moving object. Increase the value for larger objects and decrease it for smaller objects. The default value is 50 pixels and is sufficient for most applications.

Direction Tolerance (degrees)

Advanced Property

Defines the amount of deviation allowed from the direction of the arrow in degrees.

Multi-Resolution for Speed

Advanced Property

Multi-Resolution for Speed is configured with two events, one for each resolution. One event is configured for “Use High Resolution” and the other for “Use Low Resolution” The frame rate for each resolution is configured using the Motion Low-Res Frame Rate parameter for low resolution and Motion Frame Rate parameter for high resolution. For more information, refer to Multi-Resolution for Speed on page 75.

Minimum Duration of Motion (seconds)

Advanced Property

Length of time the object should continue moving before triggering an alarm. Default value is 1 second. A higher value reduces the probability for false alarms, but also reduces the sensitivity. For more information, refer to Motion Parameters on page 74.

Minimum Length of Motion (pixels)

Advanced Property

Minimum 2-D distance covered by the object (in pixels) before an alarm is generated. The default value is 20 pixels. For more information, refer to Motion Parameters on page 74.


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Channel Number

Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter


Motion Low-Res Frame Rate

Advanced Parameter

Controls the number of frames that get processed per second for events configured with the Multi-Resolution for Speed property set to “Use Low Resolution.” For more information, refer to Multi-Resolution for Speed on page 75.

Motion Mask Sensitivity

Advanced Parameter

Motion Mask is used to mask out regions of the frame which contain no motion in order to accelerate the computations. The default value of this parameter is 3. The range of values is 1 to 5. In the case of very small objects (50 pixels or less) or faint objects (foggy weather or blurry image), you might need to reduce the value of this parameter to a value of 1. This parameter should rarely be used.

The sensitivity can also be set automatically by setting the value to 0. It is not recommended to use the automatic mechanism because it consumes more CPU power.

Motion Frame Rate

Advanced Parameter

Controls the number of frames that actually get processed per second for motion detection events. For more information, refer to Frame Rate Parameter on page 20.

Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameter





Advanced Parameter

If the frame size is larger than CIF, it is scaled down for processing to accelerate computation by the IntelligentVideo engine. If enabled, this parameter forces the engine to process video in its original frame size. This parameter only effects how video is processed by the IntelligentVideo engine; it does not affect the frame size of live or recorded video. The default value is Disabled.


Advanced Parameter


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Calibration Summary

Graphical Output

When a Directional Motion event occurs, a red arrow displays in the direction of the motion.


It is recommended the video source be 9 frames per second and the video compression be no greater than 50. Lower frame rates can be used when the object speed is low in order to increase the throughput. If the object speed is too

Parameter/Property When to Increase? When to Decrease?

Minimum Duration of Motion False alarms are generated and motion of real objects lasts for more than the current value.

Motion of real objects lasts less than the current value

Minimum Length of Motion False alarms are generated and real objects have distances larger than the current value.

Real objects have distances shorter than the current value.

Motion Mask Sensitivity Never Rarely, when faint objects and/or small objects are not detected.

Level of Motion False alarms are generated and real objects have a level of motion higher than the current threshold.

Real objects generate a level of motion lower than the current threshold.

Motion Frame Rate The object moves too slowly. The object moves too fast.

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fast, the frame rate can be increased. For more information, refer to Eligible Objects on page 87.

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Chapter 9: Facial Detection Event

Facial detection detects the location of a human face in the video. For each video frame the engine looks for a face and if it finds one or more it generates an alarm. It is not Biometrics, that is, not facial recognition. The detected person is not compared to records in the database. Therefore there is no need for enrollment to the system.

Typical Scenes

Video catalog of all the people entered to the facilityIf the Facial Detection event is set and the video is recorded using Event Recording mode, the recorded video will contain only people entering the facility.

Integration with Access ControlThis application requires integration with an Access Control system such that access is granted only if the person is detected by the video camera. This forces every person entering the facility to be recorded. The detection of the person is for recording, and the access is granted only in conjunction to card reading. This integration is not currently available.

Requirements

• Both eyes must be seen in frontal view, face yaw (around the axis which is parallel the person height) angle is 30°.

• Distance between the eyes must be at least 30 pixels (for comparison, the width of CIF resolution is 352 pixels.)

• Face must be viewed to the camera (while both eyes are seen in frontal view) for at least 2 seconds.

• Regular lighting without heavy shadows

• Color camera (color used for accelerating the computations).

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9: Facial Detection Event

• Camera should be installed so that the angle to face is no more than 30°. The zoom of the camera should be set such that the requirements above are fulfilled. See figure below.

There is no theoretical limit on the number of detected faces in a single frame as long as they all comply with the requirements.

Event Properties


Event Parameters



Region of Interest

ROI Region of Interest (ROI) identifies the area of video to be processed. The ROI is a general polygon which can consist of a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 10 vertices. Although optional, it is strongly recommended the ROI be created.



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Effects of the ParametersThe following table summarizes the advantages and drawbacks of each parameter:


Channel Number

Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter


Face Frame Rate

Advanced Parameter

Controls the number of frames that actually get processed per second for Facial Detection events. For more information, refer to Frame Rate Parameter on page 20.

Minimum Number of Occurrences

Advanced Parameter

Minimum number of occurrences for detection of the same person to generate an alarm. Default value is 2. Higher values reduce the probability of false alarms, but also increase the amount of time required for detection.

Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameter




Use Motion Mask

Advanced Parameter

Boolean. The default value is true (enabled). Motion Mask is used for accelerations. If active, a static individual is not detected. The default value of true is recommended for this parameter.


Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter


Parameter Status Advantage Drawback

Face Frame Rate Increase the processed

frame rateaHigher probability of positive detection in second

Lower throughput (channels per server)

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9: Facial Detection Event

Graphical Output

When a Facial Detection event occurs, a red rectangle bounding the detected face displays. When a face is detected but not regarded as an event (because the number of sequential detections did not reach the minimum number), a yellow rectangle bounding the detected face displays.


It is recommended the video source be at least 4 frames per second and the video compression be no greater than 50.

Minimum Number of Face Occurrences

Longer face track Lower probability of false detection

Requires longer delay of person in front of the camera

Use Motion Mask On Higher throughput Requires movement of face

a.provided the video stream supports a higher frame rate

Parameter Status Advantage Drawback

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Chapter 10: Invalid Camera Event

The Invalid Camera event detects whether a camera has been covered, moved, or becomes out of focus. This event contains a built-in “Out of Focus” mechanism whose sensitivity can be set separately.

There are two modes in which the Invalid Camera event can operate:

• Regular mode - detects out of focus, covered, and moved camera.

• Fast mode - only detects out of focus and covered camera. This mode does not require the Background Model. Fast mode is considerably faster than Regular mode.

Typical Scenes

When using Regular mode, any scene satisfying the following:

• Complies with the non-empty requirement (For more information, refer to Empty Versus Detailed Scenes on page 76.)

• At least half of the background should be stable (contrary to constant changing)

The event contains a built-in mechanism that handles dramatic changes in lighting, so it can handle scenes of “non-eligible background”, as long as they comply with the above two requirements.

In Fast mode, the second restriction is not applied.

Event Properties


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10: Invalid Camera Event

Event Parameters



Level of Background Change

Basic Property The amount of difference between the current frame and the learned background. The default value is 85 and the range of values is 0 to 100. The Level of Background Change value that corresponds to the current frame is displayed as the Level in the Event Feedback Pane. Setting the Level of Background Change to this value or less will trigger an alarm if the scene stays in this state for the time interval defined by the Duration property.

Out of Focus Level

Basic Property Out of Focus Level in the range 0...100, where 0 means focused and 100 means the highest level of out of focus. The default is 85.

Support ‘Camera Moved’

Basic Property If enabled, an Invalid Camera alarm is also generated when the camera is moved, in addition to camera covered and out of focus. The default value is Enabled. If Disabled, the engine does not use the Background Learning mechanism, which increases the computation speed.

Duration (seconds)

Advanced Property

Minimum amount of time the camera must be “invalid” before an alarm is generated.




Channel Number

Advanced Parameter


Detect PTZ Out of Home Position

Basic Parameter Detects when a PTZ camera has been moved from its default positioning. Video processing by the engine is paused until the camera has been returned to the home position.


Advanced Parameter


Disable Out of Focus

Advanced Parameter

Turns off the mechanism for detecting that the camera is out of focus.

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Changing the Frame Rate to Increase ThroughputThe default frame rate for the Invalid Camera event engine is 1 fps. This should rarely be changed. There is no reason to increase it, but decreasing it will result in higher throughput (number of channels that can be processed). Notice though that if you decrease the frame rate and leave the Duration without change, the response time remains as it was, but the probability for false alarms increases because there are fewer frames to base the analysis of Invalid Camera on. You can change the frame rate of the Invalid Camera event engine or its out of focus component separately.

Note: It is not recommended to change the default frame rate without full knowledge of the ramifications.

Detect PTZ Out of Home PositionPTZ cameras can be configured with a mechanism that automatically detects when they have been moved from their home position. When the camera is moved, the system detects this change and stops sending alarms. During the time

Enable Poor Quality Warning

Advanced Parameter

Displays a warning in Alarm Monitoring when the camera view of a scene is impaired by glare, fog, etc. Poor visibility could appear at any time the camera view loses features. The Poor Quality Warning Threshold parameter can be used to adjust the sensitivity of the warning.

Enable Video Graininess Warning

Advanced Parameter

Displays a warning in Alarm Monitoring when the video is very noisy (grainy.) The alarm may also be generated in scenes with very fine detail, such as heavy vegetation.



Poor Quality Warning Threshold

Advanced Parameter

Adjusts the sensitivity of the Poor Visibility warning. A lower threshold results in less sensitivity (the scene must become more featureless to generate a warning) and a higher threshold results in greater sensitivity.

Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameter





Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter



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the camera is out of home position, it is assumed that the user is operating the camera and observing video, thus there is no need to perform video analysis on the camera. When the camera is returned to the home position the system resumes processing video and resumes alarm reporting.

The PTZ Out of Home Position feature should not be applied to camera views containing no details, such as a blank wall. At least half of the frame should contain details.

Detect PTZ Out of Home Position is configured in the Video Channel Configuration dialog by setting the boolean parameter Detect PTZ Out of Home Position to “Enable”.

Alarm Customization

When the Invalid Camera event is used for the Detect PTZ Out of Home Position feature, the alarms generated for the camera should be customized with descriptive names for Alarm Monitoring.

1. In System Administration, select Monitoring > Alarms.

2. Click [Add].

3. Select the camera from the Device list.

4. Select “Invalid Camera” from the Event list.

5. In the Name field, enter “PTZ Out of Home Position”.

6. Click [OK].

7. Click [Add].

8. Select the camera from the Device list.

9. Select “Invalid Camera Restored” from the Event list.

10. In the Name field, enter “PTZ Back at Home Position”.

11. Click [OK].

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Graphical Output

Invalid Camera events display a yellow ellipse if the camera is out of focus or covered. If the Support 'Camera Moved' event property is enabled, a red X will be displayed if the camera is moved.


It is recommended the video source be at least 1 frame per second and the video compression be no greater than 50.

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Chapter 11: Loitering Event

The Loitering event detects when an object loiters for more than a pre-defined amount of time (duration). An object is considered to loiter if it appears in the field of view moving slowly or not moving at all, for a pre-defined amount of time. The object should be separated (not part of a crowd) and comply with the same requirements as an object for the Object Detection event. Currently the event is calibrated to be a human. Notice that by definition a sitting person is not regarded as loitering.

Typical Scenes

Typical scenes include a person loitering in a lobby or outside in a small area.

Event Properties


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11: Loitering Event

Event Parameters



Region of Interest




Duration (seconds)

Basic Property The minimum duration of loitering allowed in seconds. Minimum duration values range from 30 seconds to 2 minutes with the default value set at 30 seconds.

Minimum Object Size (pixels)

Basic Property Minimum size of an object. Select the check box and use the slider or the object vertices to increase or decrease the minimum object size. For more information, refer to Minimum Objects on page 70.

Note: If unchecked, the minimum size will not be processed by the engine, the only restriction on object minimum size will be determined by the lowest supported size.

Maximum Object Size (pixels)

Basic Property Maximum size of an object. Select the check box and use the slider or the object vertices to increase or decrease the maximum object size.

Note: If unchecked, the maximum size will not be processed by the engine, there will be no restriction on object maximum size.

Perspective Correction for Size

Advanced Property

Defines the perspective of the camera in order to adapt the size of an object according to its location in the view. For more information, refer to Configure Perspective Correction on page 57.

Filter Out Static Objects

Advanced Property

If enabled, non-moving objects will be ignored and not generate an alarm.




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Channel Number

Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter




Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter





Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter





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11: Loitering Event

Graphical Output

When a Loitering event occurs, an ellipse bounding the loitering person is displayed.



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Chapter 12: Object Crosses a Region Event

The Object Crosses a Region event detects when an object crosses a virtual region that you set. This region should be more or less orthogonal to the direction objects will cross the region. Crossing direction can be the two options of from one side or the other or both directions. The direction is marked with an arrow, and denoted as Direction A, Direction B, or Both Directions.

Multiple regions can be configured to generate an alarm when all of them have been crossed using the Logical AND of Regions parameter.

Typical Scenes

Typical scenes include people in a lobby, vehicles in a parking garage, or objects in a large open area (for intrusion detection).

Eligible Objects

Like in all motion events, there is a trade off between the maximum object speed (speed in the 2-D image plane, not the physical speed), the minimum object size, and the frame rate. For more information, refer to Eligible Objects on page 87.

Event Properties


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12: Object Crosses a Region Event

Event Parameters



Region of Interest

ROI The Region of Interest (ROI) is configured by using the mouse to move the green vertices to the correct positions and adjust the length and angle of the crossing line. The line should be as long as possible and perpendicular to the direction of motion. The ROI is derived automatically from the line.

Object Crosses a Region requires a minimum of one ROI. One ROI is automatically created and cannot be deleted; additional ROIs can be created for the event. To require that each of the configured ROIs has been crossed before generating an alarm, the Logical AND of Regions parameter must also be set.

Crossing Direction

Basic Property Sets the required direction. Can be direction A, direction B, or both directions. A corresponding arrow appears on the region of interest in the video window.





Advanced Property

Length of time the object should continue moving before triggering an alarm. Default value is 0.250 seconds. A higher value reduces the probability for false alarms, but also reduces the sensitivity. For more information, refer to Motion Parameters on page 74.

Direction Tolerance (degrees)

Advanced Property

Defines the amount of deviation allowed from the direction of the arrow in degrees.

Multi-Resolution for Speed

Advanced Property

Multi-Resolution for Speed is configured with two events, one for each resolution. One event is configured for “Use High Resolution.” and the other for “Use Low Resolution.” The frame rate for each resolution is configured using the Motion Low-Res Frame Rate parameter for low resolution and Motion Frame Rate parameter for high resolution. For more information, refer to Multi-Resolution for Speed on page 75.

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Channel Number

Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter



Basic Parameter Defines the time during which the object must cross all defined regions. The default is -1 (disabled).

Logical AND of Regions - Direction

Basic Parameter Determines the order in which each ROI should be crossed to generate an alarm. Directions include Left to Right, Right to Left, Bottom to Top, and Top to Bottom.

This parameter is only used in combination with the Logical AND of Regions parameter.

Motion Low-Res Frame Rate

Advanced Parameter

Controls the number of frames that get processed per second for events configured with the Multi-Resolution for Speed property set to “Use Low Resolution.” For more information, refer to Multi-Resolution for Speed on page 75.


Advanced Parameter



Motion Frame Rate

Advanced Parameter


Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameter





Advanced Parameter


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Calibration Summary

Direction AccuracyBy default there is a tolerance for matching the direction of a moving object to the direction set by the user of up to 1.57 radians (90°). This is considered “loose direction”. When using the Logical AND of Regions parameter for a sequence of multiple regions a more strict direction may be desired. To restrict the direction to a maximum number of degrees, set the following parameter in the AVAParams.txt file:

/OBJCL_max_angle = 0.7

For more information, refer to External Parameter File on page 21.


Advanced Parameter



Parameter/Property When to Increase? When to Decrease?

Minimum Duration of Motion False alarms are generated and motion of real objects lasts for more than the current value.

Motion of real objects lasts less than the current value

Minimum Motion Speed Never Whenever the Motion Frame Rate parameter is increased.

Motion Mask Sensitivity Never Rarely, when faint objects and/or small objects are not detected.

Sensitivity False alarms are generated and real objects have a level of motion higher than the current threshold.

Real objects generate a level of motion lower than the current threshold.

Motion Frame Rate The object moves too slowly. The object moves too fast.

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Graphical Output

When the Object Crosses a Region event occurs, a red arrow points to the region crossed and in the direction the region was crossed.


It is recommended the video source be 9 frames per second and the video compression be no greater than 50. Lower frame rates can be used when the object speed is low in order to increase the throughput. If the object speed is too fast, the frame rate can be increased. For more information, refer to Eligible Objects on page 107.

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Chapter 13: Object Detection Event

The Object Detection event detects the presence of a foreground object in the ROI. Alarms are generated for each frame where a foreground object is detected.

You can set Object Detection events to generate alarms only when objects with certain properties (shape and color) are detected. The user definable shape consists of size, eccentricity, and orientation. Color includes four tolerance values that define a color range.

Typical Scenes

Typical scenes include detecting objects from a distance (perimeter protection), discriminating between humans and small animals and detecting distinctive objects with specific colors (e.g. yellow buses).

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13: Object Detection Event

Event Properties



Region of Interest

ROI Region of Interest (ROI) identifies the area of video to be processed. The ROI is a general polygon which can consist of a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 10 vertices. It is strongly recommended you set the ROI, especially if the scene contains glossy surfaces or areas with constant light changes.




Basic Property Minimum size of an object. Select the check box and use the slider or the object vertices to increase or decrease the minimum object size. The lowest supported size is 50 pixels.


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Eccentricity Basic Property Defines the shape of an object to look for. Select the check box and use the slider or the object vertices to adjust the object shape. The Eccentricity defines how elongated the shape is.

Note: If unchecked, the eccentricity will not be processed by the engine, even if changes are made to the shape in the interface.

Orientation (degrees)

Basic Property Defines how the object is positioned on the screen (horizontally, vertically, or somewhere in between). Select the check box and use the slider or the object vertices to change the position of the object.

Note: If unchecked, the orientation will not be processed by the engine, even if changes are made to the shape in the interface.

Object Color Basic Property Object color defines the color range an object should be for an alarm to be generated. Select the Object Color check box and use the color table to select the closest matching color. During color selection, you can identify which segments of the video frame will correspond to the selected color. For effective color matching, the position of the 2 color sliders (hue and grayness) should be used to tune the parameters so that the background image is gray and the desired color stands out.

Note: Color matching is most effective for saturated colors and may be problematic for unsaturated (grayed) colors.


Advanced Property


Use Perspective Size Correction

Advanced Property

Enable to disable Perspective Size Correction for the camera channel.

Object Consistency Filter

Advanced Property

Filters out undesirable false objects and leaves “consistent” objects. The consistency is determined by the number of detected appearances and by the motion of the detected object. The range of values of this parameter is 0 to 5, where 0 means that the filter is not active. The value is the minimum required number of detections of the object. The default is 2.


Advanced Property

Minimum distance (in pixels) an object must pass to trigger an alarm. Minimum Length of Motion is very useful when the objects of interest are not static (that is, they are moving). The default value is 10. If the Object Consistency Filter is off (value of 0), this property has no effect.

Convex Object Advanced Property

Set to Enabled if the object shape is approximately convex. If set, objects with significant concavities, such as chairs, will be filtered out. The default value is Disabled.

Direction (degrees)

Advanced Property

Optionally identifies the direction of movement. If the Object Consistency Filter is off (value of 0), this property has no effect. The direction is set by an arrow (vector). The set direction is indicated by the arrow. Use the slider to change the direction.


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Event Parameters


Minimum Number of Objects for Alarm

Advanced Property

Minimum number of objects that must simultaneously be detected to generate an alarm. The default value is 1 object.

Group of People Basic Property Mechanism used to detect a group of people. When using this mechanism it is important to set object size properties to avoid false alarms. For more information, refer to Setting Size for Group of People on page 119.

Human Shadow Removal

Advanced Property

Automatically removes shadows from people before determining whether they meet object shape requirements.





Background Frame Rate

Advanced Parameter

Controls the number of frames that actually get processed per second for background events. For more information, refer to Frame Rate Parameter on page 20.

Channel Number

Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter





Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter


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Background Learning Times for Intrusion ScenariosTypical outdoor scenes that are found in Intrusion Detection tend to combine two general characteristics:

• Shadows and changes in lighting throughout the day can complicate the scene.

• Objects tend to occur sporadically.

By reducing the Background Learning Time, false detections due to changes in lighting can be eliminated. Since objects other than intruders are not expected in the scene, the shortened learning time should not cause misdetections. To maximize the performance of the Object Detection event for this scenario, the learning time for both initial and regular background learning can be set to 15 seconds, and the Background Certainty filter should not be used.


Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter

Set to Enabled to filter out false objects caused by graduated changes in the background (such as moving clouds casting shadows). The default value is Disabled. For more information, refer to Object Appeared as Changed on page 65.

Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameter


Type Certainty Basic Parameter Confidence level threshold for foreground (vs. background) object. Values are in the range 0...1, the default value is 0.5.


Advanced Parameter





Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter





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Object Detection Type CertaintyThe Type Certainty is used in order to discriminate between foreground objects and background objects.For more information, refer to Foreground vs. Background Objects on page 68. Object Detection is concerned only with foreground objects (contrary to the Object Removed event).

The value of the Type Certainty can affect both the probability for false detection and misdetection. False objects, like “objects” caused by slow moving shadows are expected to have a low Certainty grade (close to 0.5). Distinct foreground objects are expected to have a high Certainty grade (at least 0.7). Recall that the Object Consistency filters out false objects that are not moving, but if for some reason you do not want to restrict the detections only to moving objects you might need to use the Type Certainty to filter out false detections. Be aware that there is a built-in mechanism (not controlled by user parameters) for Object Saliency. This mechanism filters out part of the false objects which are not prominent enough (like objects that are generated by slowly moving shadows).

Another relevant mechanism is the Foreground model. For more information, refer to Foreground Model on page 65.Both mechanisms reduce the need for the Type Certainty. If the built-in mechanism of Saliency and the Foreground Model are not sufficient enough you should try to use the Type Certainty.

Changing the Frame RateThe default frame rate for the Object Detection event is 2 fps. The frame rate can be reduced using the parameter Background Frame Rate. Reducing the frame rate results in a higher throughput (number of channels that can be processed), but it might increase the probability for misdetection and false alarm.

Recall that the Object consistency mechanism is used in order to discriminate between real and false objects. The Object Consistency mechanism builds a history from the detections of potential objects. If the objects move too fast from frame to frame (if the time passing from frame to frame is too long) the history data is less reliable. Therefore you should consider reducing the frame rate only if the objects of interest move slow enough. It is not recommended to change the frame rate unless the issue of increasing the throughput is crucial.

Object DifferentiationThere may be instances in which it is necessary to distinguish between different types of objects. Typical applications include:

• Detect humans but not small animals or vehicles

• Detect vehicles but not humans

Vehicles can be differentiated from humans or other small objects simply by using the size properties. To distinguish between humans, vehicles, and small animals, it is recommended to use both the size properties and the Eccentricity and Orientation properties. There is also a built-in mechanism called Human Shadow Removal that filters out shadows. This mechanism is configured by adding the following parameter to the AVAParams.txt file:

/OBJROI_remove_human_shadows = 1

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Suggested property values for human detection are:

Setting Size for Group of PeopleAlarms are generated by the Group of People configuration based on the size of the group and not the number of people. The size is proportional to the area occupied by the group.

People are considered to be part of the same group if the distance between them is no more than twice a person width. The Group of People configuration is only for use with a wide view with an edge-to-edge distance of at least 50 feet for CIF resolution.

MantrapObject Detection can be configured to generate alarms when the number of objects detected is greater than or equal to a certain number. By default the minimum number is 1, meaning any detected object will generate an alarm. This value can be increased using the Minimum Number of Objects for Alarm advanced property. This setting can be used to create a “mantrap” scenario in which only one person is allowed in a sterile environment. To use Object Detection for a mantrap scenario, an overhead camera should be used with a checkered mat, similar to the following:

For mantrap implementation, the scenario should meet the following specifications:

• At least 2 people should be distant by more than the diameter of the larger person for at least 2 seconds.

• If someone leaves an object that has a size comparable to a person it may generate a false alarm.

• 2 fps (based on the 3 seconds assumption)

• CIF resolution.

• Focal length of 2.6mm.

• Wide field of view with a camera height of at least 8’.

Property Value

Eccentricity 1.375 to 5.5 (2.75 / 2 to 2 * 2.75)

Orientation 1.57 +/- 0.52 ( /2 +/- 30 degrees)

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Graphical Output

When an Object Detection event occurs, a red ellipse bounding the detected object displays.



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Chapter 14: Object Left Behind Event

The Object Left Behind event detects whenever a foreground object is left static for more than a pre-defined interval of time (at least 10 seconds).

The Object Left Behind event detects objects as small as 40 pixels, but generally for small objects it should be used only in well defined scenarios, with a stable background. A more common use of the Object Left Behind event would be for vehicles or other significant objects.

Typical Scenes

Typical scenes include vehicles (illegally parked), a human lying in a hallway (senior housing), or other significant objects left at a scene.

Non-eligible Scenes

Non-eligible scenes include scenes that are constantly busy, like an airport terminal. Although if it is known that the scene is busy only in bursts and there are periods of time (at least 1 minute) when the left object would be isolated then you might be able to use the Non-Isolated Object filter to make the scene eligible. Any scene with a non-eligible background is a non-eligible scene. For more information, refer to Examples of Problematic Backgrounds on page 62.

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14: Object Left Behind Event

Event Properties



Region of Interest




Duration (seconds)

Basic Property The number of seconds elapsed since the object was left at the scene before an alarm is generated. The minimum value is 10 seconds and the maximum value is 300 seconds (5 minutes). Higher values reduce the probability for false alarms.







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Event Parameters



Advanced Property








Channel Number

Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter




Intermittent Isolated Object

Advanced Parameter

Used for scenes where there are periods of time during which no motion crosses over the object. The default value is FALSE.

Max Eccentricity

Basic Parameter Maximum allowed eccentricity (Recall that eccentricity is the ratio between the two main axes of the best fitting ellipse, which is a measure of how elongated the object is). The default value is 5. Used to filter out false objects which are very elongated and can appear along elongated edge lines.


Advanced Parameter


Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameter


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Changing the Type CertaintyThe Type Certainty is used to discriminate between foreground objects and background objects. For more information, refer to Foreground vs. Background Objects on page 68. The Object Left Behind event is concerned only with foreground objects (contrary to the Object Removed event).

The value of the Object Left Type Certainty can affect the probability for false detection and misdetection. False objects, like “objects” caused by slow moving shadows, are expected to have a low Certainty grade (close to or less than 0). Distinct foreground objects are expected to have a high Certainty grade (at least 40). If you encounter misdetections, reduce the value of the Type Certainty to see if this is the cause. You can start with -100 to see if the misdetection is due to the Type Certainty. If it is, try setting a value close to but less than 0 (-20 or even -10) which may be sufficient. Be aware that alarms can potentially be generated for removed objects as a result of this change.

Alert on Object Only OnceBy default, the Object Left Behind engine sends an alarm as long as the object is detected in the scene. To receive only a single alarm for a specific object set the following parameter in the AVAParams.txt file:

/LEFTO_alert_only_once = 1


Type Certainty Basic Parameter Confidence level threshold for left (vs. removed) object. Range is -100...100, a negative value indicates confidence level for a removed object rather than a left object. Default value is 30.


Advanced Parameter





Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter





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Filtration by OrientationObjects can be filtered out based on their orientation. For example, if you wish to detect left baggage, but occasionally people will stop in the camera view, you can filter out objects which are vertical (humans). There are several options for this filter:

• Filter out vertical objects

• Filter out horizontal objects

• Filter out objects which are not vertical (horizontal objects and objects with no distinct orientation)

• Filter out objects which are not horizontal (vertical objects and objects with no distinct orientation)

This filter can be set with the /LEFTO_orientation_filter parameter in the AVAParams.txt file with one of the following values:

• 0 - Off (default)

• 1 - Filter vertical objects

• 2 - Filter horizontal objects

• 3 - Alert only on vertical objects

• 4 - Alert only on horizontal objects


Graphical Output

When the Object Left Behind event occurs a red rectangle highlights where the object was located.



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Chapter 15: Object Lurking Event

The Object Lurking event is used to detect objects that were moving and then slowed down or stopped for at least 7 seconds. The object can be human, vehicle, or other. The object must move for a length of at least 20 pixels before lurking “begins”.

The path of motion for the object should be horizontal or close to horizontal. If the object moves toward or away from the camera it might be detected as lurking due to the direction of motion even if it moves at a normal pace.

The minimum object size should be 200 pixels and the camera should be wide view.

Typical Scenes

A typical scene might be a street after hours when people are not expected to linger.

Event Properties


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15: Object Lurking Event

Event Parameters



Region of Interest





Basic Property If selected, this value defines the minimum object size in pixels. The default value is 50.



Basic Property If selected, this value defines the maximum object size in pixels.


Eccentricity Basic Property Defines the shape of an object to look for. Select the check box and use the slider or the object vertices to adjust the object shape. The Eccentricity defines how elongated the shape is.

Note: If unchecked, the eccentricity will not be processed by the engine, even if changes are made to the shape in the interface.

Orientation (degrees)

Basic Property Defines how the object is positioned on the screen (horizontally, vertically, or somewhere in between). Select the check box and use the slider or the object vertices to change the position of the object.

Note: If unchecked, the orientation will not be processed by the engine, even if changes are made to the shape in the interface.


Advanced Property


Sensitivity Basic Property Sensitivity of detection. The value is proportional to the maximum speed that still regarded as "lurking". The default value is 5.

Human Shadow Removal

Advanced Property

Filter to remove human shadows. This property should be used when detecting humans. The default value is Disable.

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Graphical Output

When a Loitering event occurs, an ellipse bounding the lurking object is displayed.




Channel Number

Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter




Motion Frame Rate

Advanced Parameter


Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameter





Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter




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15: Object Lurking Event



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Chapter 16: Object Moves Too Fast Event

The Object Moves Too Fast event detects an object that moves faster than a pre-defined threshold. The maximum allowed speed of the object is defined in terms of time interval and a distance. The distance is defined by two lines marked by the user. The object has to move from one line to the other in less than the pre-defined time interval in order to generate an alarm.

Typical Scenes

A typical scene might be used to detect a vehicle speeding or a person running. The practical resolution of the speed is limited and depends on frame rate and the camera position in relation to the object. Ideally, the camera plane should be parallel to the axis of the motion. Objects have to be separated from each other. For example, a crowd of people or very congested traffic would not be ideal scenes. The motion should start at least 25 pixels before the starting line and end at least 25 pixels after the ending line. The lines should not be set at the edge of the frame.

Eligible Objects

Like in all motion events, there is a trade off between the maximum object speed (speed in the 2-D image plane, not the physical speed), the minimum object size, and the frame rate.

If the object moves too fast you might need to increase the fps. If minimum object size is not an issue, you might try to change the camera zoom, reduce the frame size, or move the region to farther away from the immediate area. For more information, refer to Eligible Objects on page 87.

Setting the Speed

In general, speed is distance divided by time. For the Object Moves Too Fast event, you should set the distance (by setting end lines) and the time (in seconds) in order to define the speed threshold. When you set the two lines, make sure there is a significant difference between:

• The time it takes for an object that moves “too fast” to move from one line to the other.

• The time it normally takes an object to move from one line to the other.

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16: Object Moves Too Fast Event

Be aware that the detected speed is just an estimate. Therefore in order to reduce the probability of false alarms it is important to have a significant difference between the two factors above.

The larger the object is, the higher the potential for error. Therefore the ratio between the diameter of the object and the distance of the two lines should be as large as possible, under the constraints defined for this event.

Setting up the Camera

• Set the camera such that the image plane is parallel to the axis of motion. This way the 2-D speed most reliably reflects the real world speed. For more information, refer to Direction and Speed on page 69.

• Set the frame rate as high as possible. The default frame rate is 15 fps.

Event Properties



Region of Interest

ROI The Region of Interest (ROI) is automatically created for this event and cannot be deleted. To configure it, use the mouse to move the green vertices to the correct positions and adjust the length and angle of the crossing line. The line should be as long as possible and perpendicular to the direction of motion. The ROI is derived automatically from the line.


Crossing Direction

Basic Property Determines the direction of motion that will result in an alarm being generated. Can be direction A, direction B, or both directions. A corresponding arrow appears on the region of interest in the video window.

Maximum Crossing Time (seconds)

Basic Property Time interval in seconds, in which the object has to move from line to line in order to generate an alarm. If the object moves from line to line but it takes longer than this threshold it means that the object is not moving too fast, and no alarm is generated.

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Event Parameters


Level of Motion Basic Property Sensitivity determines the level of motion. Number ranges between 0 (lowest) and 100 (highest). The default value (35) should be adequate for most situations. The value should not be greater than the Level displayed in the Event Feedback Pane in order to generate an alarm.



Channel Number

Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter



Motion Frame Rate

Advanced Parameter


Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameter





Advanced Parameter


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16: Object Moves Too Fast Event

Graphical Output

When an Object Moves Too Fast event occurs, a red arrow from the starting line to the ending line is displayed.


It is recommended the video source be 15 frames per second and the video compression be no greater than 50. For a better determination of the level of speed, you might need to increase the frame rate.


Advanced Parameter



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Chapter 17: Object Removed Event

The Object Removed event detects if a background object has been removed. Alarms are generated until the object is placed back into its original position or the engine learns the new background.

Note: The Object Removed event detects objects as small as 40 pixels, but generally for small objects it should be used only in a well defined scenario with a stable background. A more common use of the Object Removed event would be for vehicles or other significant objects.

There is a delay between the time the object is removed and the alarm is generated. The delay is in the range of 10-19 seconds by default. This delay can be reduced (using the AVAParams.txt file), however it is not recommended. A shorter delay increases the probability of alarm.

Typical Scenes

Typical scenes include a vehicle leaving its spot or an object being taken from a room such as art from a museum.

Non-eligible Scenes

Objects that are not distinctive, or objects that are part of a group of similar looking objects are not eligible scenes. For example, a barrel located in a stack of barrels. In addition, if the background is not eligible then the scene is not eligible.

Note: The Object Removed event is not intended to track an object’s location within a scene. If an object is moved from one spot to another within the scene, it is considered as an object removed from one location and another object added to the new location.

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17: Object Removed Event

Event Properties



Region of Interest

ROI Region of Interest (ROI) identifies the area of video to be processed. The ROI is a general polygon which can consist of a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 10 vertices. It is strongly recommended you set the ROI.







Basic Property Maximum size of an object. Select the check box and use the slider or the object vertices to increase or decrease the maximum object size. If unchecked, there is no restriction on object maximum size.



Advanced Property




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Event Parameters





Channel Number

Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter




Maximum Eccentricity

Basic Parameter Maximum allowed eccentricity (Recall that eccentricity is the ratio between the two main axes of the best fitting ellipse, which is a measure of how elongated the object is). The default value is 5. Used to filter out false objects which are very elongated and can appear along elongated edge lines.


Advanced Parameter


Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameter


Type Certainty Basic Parameter Confidence level threshold for removed (vs. left behind) object. Range is -100...100, a negative value indicates confidence level for a left behind object rather than a removed object. Default value is 0.


Advanced Parameter





Advanced Parameter


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17: Object Removed Event

Changing the Type CertaintyThe Type Certainty is used in order to discriminate between a background object and a foreground object. For more information, refer to Foreground vs. Background Objects on page 68. The Object Removed event is concerned only with background objects (contrary to the Object Left behind event).

The value of the Object Removed Type Certainty can affect the probability for false detection and misdirection. False objects, such as “objects” caused by slow moving shadows, are expected to have a low Certainty grade (close to or less than 0). Distinct foreground objects are expected to have a high Certainty grade (at least 40). If you encounter misdetections, reduce the value of the Type Certainty to see if this is the cause. You can start with -100 to see if the misdetection is due to the Type Certainty. If it is, try setting a value close to but less than 0 (-20 or even -10) which may be sufficient. Be aware that alarms can potentially be generated for left objects as a result of this change.

Graphical Output

When the Object Removed event occurs a red rectangle highlights where the object was located.




Advanced Parameter





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Chapter 18: Object Starts to Move Event

The Object Starts to Move event detects a background object that starts to move.

Typical Scenes

Specific vehicle or vessel (using the ROI to identify the specific object) leaving its parking spot for live and forensic mode. Can also be used for the whole frame, but it is strongly recommended for use with a specific object identified by the ROI. This event can also be used as a building block for specific motion patterns.

Eligible Scenes

The scene must comply with the guidelines for eligible scenes (see Background Model on page 61) and must be in Surveillance View (see Surveillance View on page 75). Object motion should comply with the specifications of maximum speed as described in the section Maximum 2-Dimensional Speed on page 70. In this context see also the section Eligible Objects on page 87. Object size should comply with the requirements for Minimum Objects on page 70.

Event Properties



Region of Interest




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18: Object Starts to Move Event

Event Parameters


Setting the Region of InterestThere is no need to bound the whole object. It is sufficient to use the ROI to cover a portion of the object you expect to begin moving. The motion trajectory of the object has to be within the ROI, it is important to leave space of at least 50 pixels for the motion trajectory. The size of the region that starts to move can be as small as 75 pixels, however the larger the object is, the lower the probability for misdetection.




Channel Number

Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter




Motion Frame Rate

Advanced Parameter


Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameters





Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter


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Graphical Output

When an Object Starts to Move event occurs, the object that moved is indicated by a red arrow.



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18: Object Starts to Move Event

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Chapter 19: Object Stops Event

The Object Stops event detects when a distinctive object stops. It is highly recommended that you use the ROI to detect events. Using the ROI improves performance and reduces the potential for false alarms. It is highly recommended to set the camera and the ROI such that there is no visual occlusion of the potential object of interest in the relevant area. Objects making a u-turn might generate false alarms in some situations.

Typical Scenes

Typical scenes include a person or vehicle that moved and then stopped moving. For example, a vehicle that stops at a stop sign, a vehicle that pulled out to the shoulder and stopped, a vehicle that stopped in a tunnel, etc. The motion of the object, before stopping, must be seen inside the ROI.

Event Properties



Region of Interest

ROI Region of Interest (ROI) identifies the area of video to be processed. Although optional, it is strongly recommended the ROI be created. The ROI is a general polygon which can consist of a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 10 vertices. The ROI for the Object Stops event must be larger than the area that the object stops in (e.g. a parking space). The object must be detected as moving first and then stopping within the ROI.


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19: Object Stops Event

Event Parameters






Radius of Motion

Advanced Property

This value approximates the radius of the moving object. Increase the value for larger objects and decrease it for smaller objects. The default value is 50 pixels and is sufficient for most applications.


Advanced Property

Length of time the object should continue moving before triggering an alarm. Default value is 0.500 seconds. A higher value reduces the probability for false alarms, but also reduces the sensitivity. For more information, refer to Motion Parameters on page 74.


Advanced Property

Minimum 2-D distance covered by the object (in pixels) before an alarm is generated. The default value is 20 pixels. For more information, refer to Motion Parameters on page 74.





Channel Number

Advanced Parameter


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Changing the Frame RateThe default frame rate for the Object Stops event is 9 fps. The frame rate can be reduced using the parameter Motion Frame Rate if the relevant objects move slowly (in the image plane). For more information, refer to Eligible Objects on page 87.

Reducing the frame rate results in a higher throughput (number of channels that can be processed on a single server), but it might increase the probability for misdetection and false alarm.


Advanced Parameter




Motion Frame Rate

Advanced Parameter


Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameter





Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter





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19: Object Stops Event

Graphical Output

When an Object Stops event occurs, the object that stopped moving is highlighted with a red circle.



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Chapter 20: People Counting Event

The People Counting event uses an overhead camera to generate alarms when a person enters or exits a doorway. A video search utilizing the Event Configuration/Search dialog allows entry and exit counts to be generated for the session. Counters are reset by clicking the [Refresh] button.

Typical Scenes

Flow• It is assumed that the flow of people is moving (not stopping below the

line).

• Density of people is “regular” (not bursts of attaching people).

• People must cross the rectangular region of interest completely, approximately orthogonally to the rectangle base.

Camera Mounting and Location• Camera is mounted on the ceiling with the image plane parallel to the

floor.

• Camera height can be in the range of 8-12 feet, depending on the field of view of the lens and zoom. See the Camera Heights table that follows. The parameters should be calibrated as described in the Event Parameters section.

• Gate width that is covered by the system depends on the camera type. It is in the range of 4.5 feet to 9 feet. See the Camera Heights table that follows.

• Gate opening should be away from the side in which the camera is installed (the door should not cross the center of the rectangular region of interest when opened).

• Wide angle lens (ideally with the option to play with the zoom during installation).

• “Regular” room lighting (turning the light off can cause false counts).

• Camera can be mounted inside or outside.

• 15 fps.

Camera Heights and LensesThree different types of lenses are used for 1/3” CCD:

• Wide - f=3.5 mm

• Very wide - f=2.8 mm

• Super wide - fish-eye, 170° field of view

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20: People Counting Event

The field of view from a 12’ ceiling height should have a focal length of 4.2 mm with 1/3" CCD. This is comparable to a lens with a focal length of 3.5 mm at a height of 10’. Lenses with a narrower field of view are not recommended. The field of view is inversely proportional to the focal length. A lens with a focal length wider than 4.2 mm has a smaller field of view and requires a greater ceiling height.

The field of view can be calculated for different height and focal length combinations using a “lens calculator” or “CCTV field of view calculator” usually available on the camera manufacturer’s web site. The Person Width parameter can also be used to evaluate alternate camera placements. If the Person Width parameter cannot be calibrated, then the field of view is not adequate.

The following table summarizes the gate width that can be covered by different camera lenses at different camera heights. It also presents the maximum number of people that, under ideal conditions, can walk side by side under the camera and still be discriminated from each other. Lastly, it presents the corresponding values of the Person Width parameter. These values should be set using the calibration map as explained in the section Calibrating the Person Width parameter, values included in the table are estimates.

People counting can be used with a super wide lens for ceiling heights of 7’, however this height should be used only if there are no other options. The table refers to camera heights of 10 feet, 8 feet, and 7 feet. The recommended range is 8-12 feet. For camera heights in the range of 10-12 feet, use the Gate Width that appears in the table for 10 feet.

Overhead view

Measuring AccuracyThe accuracy is measured on the flow of people in and out. GDin is the actual

number of people passing in the “in” direction and GDout is the number of people

Camera Heights

Lens Wide Very Wide Super Wide

Height 10’ 8’ 10’ 8’ 10’ 8’ 7’

Gate Width 6’ 4’-5’ 8’ 5’ 9’ 8’ 6’

Maximum People 2 2 3 2 3 3 2

Person Width 100 60 70 80 45 70 80

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passing in the “out” direction. FPin and FPout are the number of people counted

by the application as passing in the “in” and “out” directions, respectively. The error rate is the value of ER defined by:

Real world scenarios are required to reliably measure accuracy. Generating an artificial flow of people by a small group of individuals might yield different statistics than real flow. For example, a single person going in and out 100 times is not similar to 100 people going in/out once. The height and size of the person may bias the outcome (for good if he/she fits the calibration, or for bad if he/she doesn’t).

Use of Background Map

OverviewSignificant dynamic spots of light and shadows (such as with external windowed doors) may make a scene problematic for counting accuracy. In order to overcome the effects of dramatic lighting, the system supports an option mode of using “background stickers”. The stickers are put on the floor below the camera along the field of view. The user can select between the default “regular” mode and this Background Stickers mode. There is no need to use the Background Stickers mode for internal doors or doors without dynamic spots of light.

StickersStickers should be regular in shape, with a dimension of 9.5” (24 cm) by 2.5” (6 cm). Each sticker is composed of a solid dark color (black) or a bright color (white). The stickers can be part of a mat.

Installation

Note: This installation is in addition to the regular People Counting setup procedures.

Approximately 40 stickers should be evenly distributed in the field of view that corresponds to the recommended height of the People Counting camera. There is

in

ininin GD

FPGDer

out

outoutout GD

FPGDer

inout

outout

inout

inin GDGD

GDer

GDGD

GDerer

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no need for an accurate layout, the stickers are detected automatically by the system when the Use Background Stickers parameter is enabled. This process is done only once, and the stickers must remain in place while the Background Stickers mode is in use.

FlowThe background is automatically learned during a start up learning time of a few seconds to 2 minutes. Once the system has learned the background, the flow continues like the regular mode of People Counting.

OperationConsult Technical Support before choosing to work under Background Stickers mode.

Background Map mode may be set by enabling the Use Background Stickers parameter and setting the following field in AVAParams.txt:

/AVAIflags_UseBackgroundMapForPC


Background Map mode uses the Background Model, which allows you to set the three background parameters. The default values for these parameters should be sufficient. For more information, refer to Background Model on page 61.

Event Properties



Region of Interest

ROI The Region of Interest (ROI) is automatically created for this event and cannot be deleted. To configure it, use the mouse to move the green vertices to the correct positions and adjust the length and angle of the crossing line. The line should be as long as possible and perpendicular to the direction of motion. The ROI is derived automatically from the line.


Crossing Direction

Basic Property Sets the direction of entrance/exit. A corresponding arrow appears on the region of interest in the video player pane.

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Event Parameters



Channel Number

Advanced Parameter


Correction Factor

Basic Parameter Values in the range 0...10, default value is 1. A correction factor to the global count, in case that there is a systematic bias.


Advanced Parameter


Motion Frame Rate

Advanced Parameter


Person Width Basic Parameter Sets the width of an average person. Should be calibrated with a calibration map when you initially configure this parameter. Values range between 20...100, default value is 100.

Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameter

This parameter is not supported with the People Counting event.

Scale Down Frame for Motion

Advanced Parameter

Percentage of the original frame size to scale frames down to for tracking people through the ROI. Enabling this feature decreases the amount of CPU power consumed.

Sensitivity Threshold

Basic Parameter The default value is 30. The value should set as high as possible while still being adequate for the scene. Darker scenes need a lower value for Sensitivity Threshold. For more information, refer to Sensitivity Threshold on page 152.

Use Automatic Sensitivity

Basic Parameter If enabled, a sensitivity threshold is automatically determined. Enabling this feature consumes more CPU processing power.

Use Background Advanced Parameter

If enabled, background learning is used. Enabling this feature consumes more CPU processing power.

Use Background Stickers

Advanced Parameter

Boolean. Used in situations of acute disturbances caused by dynamic light spots, such as in external windowed doors. Default value is FALSE (disabled).



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Calibrating the Person Width parameterComplete the following steps to calibrate the Person Width parameter:

1. Use a square size 36x36 inches (91x91 centimeters), and lay it on the floor below the camera.

2. Set the Diagnostics Output Mode advanced parameter to 43.

3. From the Event menu, select Screen Output > Diagnostics Video Mode.

4. Move the square such that its edges are parallel to the rectangle edges that you see in the video. Change the Person Width parameter such that the square edges unite with the rectangle edges.

Notice that changing the Person Width parameter causes a change in the height of the blue rectangle under the Diagnostics Output Mode 43. The important dimension is the one that is parallel to the area which is used to measure the distance along this direction.

Correction FactorIn some scenarios there might be a systematic bias to the count of the flow. For example, you might notice that the count for In and Out is almost always x% less (or more) than the real number. In this case you can add the correction factor. For example, if the bias is under by at least 2%, the correction factor should be 1.02.

Sensitivity ThresholdThere are five practical values for this parameter: 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35. The default value is 30. The value should set as high as possible while still being adequate for the scene. Darker scenes need a lower value for Sensitivity


Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter



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Threshold. Switch to Diagnostics View and select the maximum value that does not cause the white blobs around the passing person to break into more than one connected component. The figures below illustrate the difference between a low value (left figure) to a value which is too high (right figure) that causes the blob to break into few connected components. Disconnected blobs can cause miscounts.

There is an option to have it selected automatically by setting the Use Automatic Sensitivity parameter to Enable.

Manual setting of the Sensitivity Threshold parameter is preferred, however the automatic mode yields similar results. The error rate on the flow of people is expected to be 1% higher. For more information, refer to External Parameter File on page 21.

Diagnostic Mode

The default Diagnostic Mode for the People Counting event is 8. In this view, a rectangle bounding the ROI is drawn in black, while the passing person is in white. An ellipse is drawn around the person detected as passing.

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Graphical Output

When a People Counting event occurs, a red arrow in the direction of entering person or a blue arrow in the direction of exiting person is displayed.


The video source should be 15 frames per second and the video compression be no greater than 50.

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Chapter 21: Smart Video Motion Detection Event

The Smart Video Motion Detection (Smart VMD) event detects a change in the ROI, while optionally ignoring camera vibrations and areas of constant motion. Smart VMD can ignore snow/hail/rain and other “noise”, using the optional object shape properties. It can also detect sequential events in two or more ROIs. This can be used for defining direction in some limited cases of sparse motion of objects and even “speed” by setting the maximum time interval between events in different ROIs.

Event Properties



Region of Interest

ROI Region of Interest (ROI) identifies the area of video to be processed. The ROI is a general polygon which can consist of a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 10 vertices. It is strongly recommended you set the ROI.

The ROI in the smart VMD can be a general polygon.

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21: Smart Video Motion Detection Event


Level of Change Basic Property Select the amount of change that occurs at the scene.

Level of Change determines the degree of response to motion. Numbers range between 0 (lowest) and 100 (highest). The default value is 80.

You should change the default value only when motion is not detected (decrease the Level of Change) or unwanted motion is detected (increase the Level of Change).

The Level of Change parameter is somewhat proportional to the size of the moving object. An alarm is generated when the Level displayed in the Event Feedback pane rises above the Level of Change.

Noise Filtration Basic Property If enabled, video noise caused by weather or camera vibrations are suppressed at a level specified by the property setting. After changing this value the Level of Change property should be adjusted based on the Level in the Event Feedback Pane.

Auto Sensitivity Basic Property Used to adjust the sensitivity for dark scenes. This parameter consumes more processing resources and should be only used when necessary. Disabled by default.

Note: When Auto Sensitivity is enabled, a 2 second duration will be enforced unless an alternate value is specified in the Duration property.

Duration Basic Property Time in seconds that motion should be detected before it generates an alarm.

Note: When Auto Sensitivity is enabled, a 2 second duration will be enforced unless an alternate value is specified in the Duration property.


Basic Property Minimum size of an object. For more information, refer to Minimum Objects on page 70.



Basic Property Maximum size of an object. If unchecked, there is no restriction on object maximum size.



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Event Parameters


Object Color Basic Property Object color defines the color range an object should be for an alarm to be generated. Select the Object Color check box and use the color table to select the closest matching color. During color selection, you can identify which segments of the video frame will correspond to the selected color. For effective color matching, the position of the 2 color sliders (hue and grayness) should be used to tune the parameters so that the background image is gray and the desired color stands out.

Note: Color matching is most effective for saturated colors and may be problematic for unsaturated (grayed) colors.



Auto Sensitivity Basic Parameter Used to adjust the sensitivity for dark scenes. This parameter consumes more processing resources and should be only used when necessary. Disabled by default.

Channel Number

Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter



Basic Parameter Defines the time during which the object must cross all defined regions. The default is -1 (disabled).

Logical AND of Regions - Direction

Basic Parameter Determines the order in which each ROI should be crossed to generate an alarm. Directions include Left to Right, Right to Left, Bottom to Top, and Top to Bottom.

This parameter is only used in combination with the Logical AND of Regions parameter.

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Changing the Frame RateThe default frame rate processed by the engine is 2 frames per second (fps), but it can be changed using the Smart VMD Frame Rate parameter. You can use a lower frame rate if you are looking for objects which appear clearly in the screen for more than one second. There are two potential reasons for lowering the frame rate:

1. Lower frame rate means higher throughput (number of channels that can be processed).

2. Object shape properties tend to be more accurate.

Setting Sequential EventsTwo or more ROIs can be defined with a specific order and time interval to generate an alarm. This can be used to detect intrusion in a specific direction (determined by the order of the ROIs) and a specific speed (maximum time interval between consecutive Smart VMD events).

The Logical AND of Regions parameter is used to define the maximum allowed time interval between the occurrences in the currently defined ROIs. The Logical AND of Regions - Direction parameter is used to define the order of the Smart VMD event occurrences between the ROIs. This mechanism is useful only for scenarios involving sporadic events. If moving objects exist around the scene then the Logical AND of Regions parameter should not be used.


Advanced Parameter


Scale-Down Factor

Advanced Parameter


Sensitivity Threshold

Basic Parameter This parameter is relevant only for very dark or bright scenes. Lower this value if the lowest Level of Change is not sensitive enough. Range of values is 0...1 (percentage). Default value is 0.1. Use the Level value displayed in the Event Feedback pane to adjust this setting. Should rarely be used.

Smart VMD Frame Rate

Advanced Parameter

Controls the number of frames that actually get processed per second for Smart VMD events. For more information, refer to Frame Rate Parameter on page 20.




Advanced Parameter



Advanced Parameter



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Setting Smart VMD Sensitivity to Change AutomaticallyIn scenes during dusk or dawn, the default value of the Sensitivity parameter might be inadequate and misdetections may occur. There is an option to have it selected automatically by setting the Auto Sensitivity parameter.

If after setting this parameter false alarms are generated, an adjustment can be made to force the alarm only if an object is detected more than once. This can be set with the Duration property.

The Duration property is set with a value in seconds. Setting a value of 1 means that the moving object should be detected for at least 1 second before generating an alarm. Under the default frame rate of Smart VMD, which is 2 fps, this means that the object should be detected in at least two consecutive frames. Setting this value higher (2 seconds), reduces the probability for false alarms but increases the probability for misdetection. You should use this parameter only when the /AVAIflags_UseSVMDAutoThresh parameter generates false alarms. The only relevant values for this parameter are 1 second and 2 seconds.

Graphical Output

When a Smart VMD event occurs, a red rectangle displays, bounding the ROI. In addition, the “current level of change” graph in the Event Configuration/Search dialog displays the history of the level of change. You can also set the level of change property.


It is recommended the video source be 2 frames per second and the video compression be not greater than 50.

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Maintaining Your System


Chapter 22: Diagnostics

Diagnostic display is a mode of displaying input video with information which can be helpful for diagnostics and for parameter calibration.

Switch to Diagnostic Mode

To switch from regular mode to diagnostic mode:

1. Open the Event Configuration/Search dialog.

2. Select Event > Screen Output > Diagnostics Video Mode.

Select the Diagnostic Display

The diagnostic display is useful for installation and troubleshooting. It contains information that helps you to determine if a specific scene is eligible and to understand the reason for unexpected results.

The following is a table of diagnostic displays. Note that the value in the “Number” column is the number that should be set for the Diagnostics Output Mode advanced parameter.

This can be set in the Video Channel Configuration dialog. For example, to set the diagnostic mode to “Video Stabilizer”, you would use the mode number “57”. If the selected display mode is not active for the current event, a black screen displays in the video player pane.

Diagnostic Displays Table

Display Number Description

People Counting Binary Map

8 Candidates for people appear in white and are bounded by an ellipse. The background appears in black. A blue (exit) or red (enter) rectangle indicates each in/out even detection.

People Counting: Calibration of Person

43 Uses a calibration map to set the person size. For more information, refer to Calibrating the Person Width parameter on page 152.

Video Stabilizer 57 Displays the video after stabilization.

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22: Diagnostics


Diagnostic modes are available for calibrating the Perspective Correction for Size.

Diagnostic Modes for Perspective Size Correction Calibration

Event Number Description

Object Detection 69 Each diagnostic mode draws a rectangle bounding detected objects. Below each bounding rectangle, the image size of the object (in pixels) is displayed in white and the corrected size is displayed in green. A horizontal red line that represents the computed horizon line is drawn based on the configured Perspective Correction for Size quadrangle. If configured, the minimum and maximum

corrected object sizes are displayed in the upper right corner of the image.a The minimum object size is 35 by default.

Loitering 70


Object Removed 95

Object Lurking 97

a.The minimum and maximum sizes displayed are internal values. By default, IntelligentVideo processes video at CIF resolution. If the video is larger than CIF resolution and IntelligentVideo has not been explicitly configured to process video at greater than CIF resolution, the video is scaled down internally to CIF resolution. This means that the size values displayed by the diagnostic mode would not be in the same scale as the values that might be configured as minimum and maximum object size values. The configured sizes will be larger than the sizes utilized internally by a factor of (pixels in original resolution) / (pixels in the processed resolution). For example, if the actual video is 4CIF, but the video is processed internall at CIF resolution, then the minimum and maximum object size values must be configured four times larger than those displayed with the diagnostic mode: 4CIF/CIF = 4. If the original video resolution and processed resolution are the same then the diagnostic mode values and the configured values will be equal: CIF/CIF = 1.

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Chapter 23: Logfiles

Logfiles are output to the Logfiles folder under the AVA directory. The AVA directory is located at: \Program Files\Common Files\Lenel\AVA.

Each logfile has a unique alpha-numerical name, starting with “AVAlogfile_”, such as “AVAlogfile_5.txt”. The number after the first underscore is a unique ID configured in the event settings using the Channel Number parameter. The number after the second underscore is just a unique stamp with no special meaning.

A new logfile is generated automatically, when the current file is full and exceeds a pre-defined number of frames. Currently, the number of frames in a logfile is not more than 5400.

Message Structure

The structure of a message (line in the text file) is as follows:

The Virtual Frame number is an internal time stamp. There are 72 virtual frames in a second.

For example: 22342 (11:28:20): 8: 0: _AVAIProcess:Frame Num is = 22342

The messages output to the text logfile can be filtered by the Type field. This can be set using the AVAParams.txt file, using the flag:

/LOGFILE_T_masks


Virtual Frame number Hour:Minute:Second Type Group Function Message

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23: Logfiles

Types of Filters

Important: These filters are bitwise masks, where “1” means mask and “0” unmask.

For example, if you want to mask all types except type #2, you should set the

number (29-1)-22= 507 to the flag /LOGFILE_T_masks. In binary representation this is:

Monitoring Logfiles for Overload Diagnostics

If too many events are defined on a single machine, the CPU might be overloaded and the actual number of frames per second processed by part or all the event-engines might be less than the minimum required. This can lead to misdetection of events.

Although, with proper use, such a thing is not supposed to occur (because you are expected to follow the maximum number of events per a given machine specifications), it can be useful to have a way of detecting overloading.

Types of Filters

Type Description

0 Not in use

1 Cut processing because out of space

2 Flow control

3 Parameters display

4 Properties display

5 Algorithms related

6 Running time measurement

7 Event Message

8 Frame rate monitoring

Frame Rate

Message Time Algorithms Property Param Flow Boundary N/A

Bit #8 Bit #7 Bit #6 Bit #5 Bit #4 Bit #3 Bit #2 Bit #1 Bit #0

1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1

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To use a logfile you must use the AVAParams.txt parameters file. The relevant flags are:

Logfile messages are filtered by the following two flags:

Note: You should set the following value: /LOGFILE_T_masks = 3227 to see the processed frame rate.

Alarm Logging

Alarm logging enables the user to view events on the IVS. It is composed of two parts: logfile output and bitmap output.

Logfile OutputBy default the following information is output to the logfile:

• After the first frame has been processed, the logfile will contain the status report for each of the modeules in the system, including relevant properties and parameters.

• Each subsequent frame will output when alarms are generated and restored. The times that the alarms occur should match the times in Alarm Monitoring. In addition to the event engines, the following alarms may also be generated to the log file: insufficient frame rate, poor visibility, and invalid background.

The logfiles are located at C:\Program Files\Common Files\Lenel\Ava\Logfiles\ and are named with the format:

AVAlogfile_<channel number>_<random number>.txt

Bitmap OutputWhen enabled, alarms will generate a bitmap to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Lenel\Ava\Alarms\. The times that each bitmap is created should match the times that events are generated in Alarm Monitoring. The bitmap is a grayscale image of the current frame processed by the engine, with all graphical output superimposed in red.

Bitmaps are named in the following format:

Flag = value Description

/LOGFILE = 1 Using Logfile

Flag = value Description

/LOGFILE_T_masks Bitwise mask, by Type

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23: Logfiles

<channel number>_<ordinal number>_<tail>.bmp

Configuration for bitmap output is performed using the AVAParams.txt file. For more information, refer to External Parameter File on page 21.

The “tail” portion of the file name is a short code that describes the event that generated the alarm. If more than one event generated the alarm in the frame, the tail is a concatenation of all of the relevant event codes.

Parameter String Description

Use Alarm Logging /AVAI_output_alarms Set to 1 to enable the output of alarm bitmaps.

Maximum Number of Bitmaps

/AlarmOutput_max_bitmaps Maximum number of bitmaps to save per channel. Once this number is reached, no additional bitmaps will be saved. The default value is 10,000.

Number of Dropped Bitmaps

/AlarmOutput_events_to_skip_bitmap Number of alarms to skip between successive bitmap outputs. The default value is 0 (all alarms are output to bitmaps).

String Alarm

3DPC 3-D People Counting

CAMMOVE Camera Moved

CONG Congestion

DIRMTN Directional Motion

FACIAL Facial Detection

INVBACK Invalid Background

INVCAM Invalid Camera

LEFTO Object Left Behind

LOGIC Logic (Boolean and Temporal Logic that caused the alarm)

LTR Loitering

LURK Object Lurking

OBJCL Object Crosses a Region

OBJDTC Object Detection

OMTF Object Moves Too Fast

OOF Out of Focus

OSTP Object Stops

OSTM Object Starts to Move

PC People Counting

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PTZTRK PTZ Tracking

PVISIB Poor Visibility

REMO Object Removed

SVMD Smart VMD

String Alarm

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23: Logfiles

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Chapter 24: Calibration Filters

Filter Relevant Events Description

Use ‘Unstable Background’ Filter

Congestion

Loitering

Object Detection

Object Left Behind

Object Removed

Used in outdoor scenes to filter out false objects caused by changes in lighting.

Background Certainty

Congestion

Object Detection

Object Left Behind

Object Removed

Object Stops

Filters out false objects caused in areas of constant gradual change, such as shadows.

Set in the AVAParams.txt file:

/AVAIflags_UseBackgroundCertainty

Object History Object Left Behind

Object Removed

Filters out false objects caused by areas of change, usually because of the sun coming out of the clouds.


/AVAI_filter_by_cd_hist

Object Consistency

Object Detection Ignores sporadic noisy objects. The object must appear in several frames before an alarm is generated.

Object Type Certainty

Object Detection

Object Left Behind

Object Removed

Discriminates between foreground and background objects, also taking into account the saliency of the object.

Anti-Vibration Object Detection

Smart VMD

Ignores video vibrations caused by camera placement or weather.


/AVAI_vibration_filter_background

Video Stabilizer All Stabilizes the video before processing.


/AVAIflags_FixVibrationsNoBackground

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24: Calibration Filters

Isolated Object Object Left Behind Ignores a crowd in intermittent busy scenes.


/AVAI_use_static_obj_isolation

ROI Mask Most Manually ignores irrelevant regions.

Constant Motion Mask (CMM)

Object Left Behind

Object Removed

Smart VMD

Automatically ignores irrelevant regions. Strongly recommended to use the manual ROI mask whenever possible instead of CMM.

Shape Properties Loitering (limited)

Object Detection

Object Left Behind (limited)

Object Removed (limited)

Smart VMD

Filters out objects by their shape properties.

Motion Trajectories

Directional Motion


Object Stops

Filters out moving objects through a set of parameters such as Motion Duration and Motion Minimum Distance.

Level of Motion Directional Motion


Object Moves Too Fast

Object Stops

Filters out moving objects by their size (or more accurately, by the content features).

Frame Rate Most See relevant chapter for each event.

Background Map People Counting Discriminates between real objects and spots caused by dynamic direct light in external windowed doors.

Filter Relevant Events Description

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Chapter 25: IntelligentVideo FAQ

Background Learning

1. What is the difference between the “Initial Background Learning” and the “Background Learning”.

“Initial Background Learning” is the time required for learning the background during the “start-up” stage. During the initial “start-up” stage there is no valid background. The “Background Learning” is the time required for updating the background. At this stage a valid background already exists.

Diagnostic View

1. What is the “Diagnostic View”?

“Diagnostic View” is video display on the video window which present internal information of the algorithms for diagnostic. For each Event there is a default “Diagnostic View” which can be viewed by setting the appropriate menu command. The User can change the default Diagnostic View using the Diagnostic Output Mode advanced parameter in the Video Channel Configuration dialog.

Problematic Scenes

1. What methods are there for dealing with problematic scenes?

There are various filters available for detailing with problems commonly found in scenes. For more information, refer to Chapter 24: Calibration Filters on page 171.

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25: IntelligentVideo FAQ

Congestion

1. Can I use the “Congestion” to count people (“volumetric Counting”)?

No, only to discriminate between “few” to “many”.

2. Why do I need the Height parameter if I can play with the height of the ROI?

Theoretically it is true. The Height defines the percentage of the height that is covered by foreground objects. Practically, it is more convenient to have this extra degree of freedom.

Directional Motion

1. Why do I need “Directional Motion”? if there is a direction property also in “Object Detection” and to some extent even in the Smart VMD?

The detection of the direction of motion in “Directional Motion” is much more robust than the one used in “Object Detection”, and the context is different. In “Object Detection” the direction can be used only for relatively slow motion of isolated objects. Therefore it can work with the frame rate of 2. In “Directional Motion “, the detected motion can be faster (up to 180 pixels per second if we use 9 frames per second) and the objects are not necessarily isolated.

In “Smart VMD” direction can be used by setting 2 ROIs and setting the “Sequential events” parameter to define direction of motion. This mechanism is limited only to sparse motion, and is meaningless if there is constant change (“motion”) in both ROIs.

2. Why can't I use “Directional Motion” on rectangular ROI instead of “Object Crosses a Region”?

In many cases you can, but the “Object Crosses a Region” sets the appropriate region for you.

3. I tried to demo the “Directional Motion” and failed. What can be the common reasons?

Several common reasons, by the order of significance. Maybe the default value of the “Sensitivity” property (50) is too low. Try to change the value to 100. If it doesn't help, maybe the “age” of the trajectory (the time passed

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since the beginning of the relevant motion till its end) is too short. Try to reduce the default value (1 second) of this parameter. If it doesn't help, maybe the object moves too fast (the limit is 180 pixels per second). Try to move the object slower and see if it helps. If you cannot control the speed of the object, and the object is relatively big, you can use the parameters that scale the frame size.

4. Is the limit of 4 channels per 1-CPU machine can be circumvented?

Yes. First, it directly depends on the size of the ROI. The smaller the ROI is, the more channels can be processed concurrently. Second, it depends on the scene. The higher the level of change is, the slower is the computation. Therefore, if the amount of motion is smaller, the throughput is higher.

Facial Detection

1. Is it a Biometric engine?

No, it does not include the Recognition part. Facial Recognition system usually composed of Facial Detection (detecting the location of face in the frame) and Facial Recognition (extracting features out of the detected face and comparing it to templates in data base. If a matching template exists, the detected person is recognized).

2. Can we use it with surveillance camera?

No. The current version is destined for dedicated camera located at entry point. The distance between the eyes should be at least 30 pixels, both eyes should be seen.

3. What is the Motion filter parameter?

In order to accelerate the processing, only areas with change (motion) are processed. This filter can be set to off, and then even areas with no motion are processed.

4. Is it for cooperative scenarios?

Not necessarily, since for camera located properly, most of the people are captured properly. Ideal use, though, would be by granting access only after detection, forcing the individual to be detected (and recorded).s

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5. In cooperative situation, what is the expected time till detection.

1-2 seconds.

Loitering

1. What is the minimal Loitering time to be detected?

30 seconds, and it's only the minimum. It depends on the frequency of object detection during this time. In some cases it might take more time.


1. I tried to demo the Object Crosses a Region and failed. What are the typical reasons?

Similar to Directional Motion. In some sense, Object Crosses a Region is even more sensitive since all the pre-condition should be satisfied at a specific region, in contrary to “Directional Motion” where even if the conditions were satisfied only in part of the scene the alarm is triggered.

2. Can I use the Object Crosses a Region event to count vehicles?

Not directly, since you receive an alarm with the detection of a vehicle crossing the region, but then another alarm is not generated for 8 seconds, even if another vehicle is crossing the region. Please contact Lenel for more information about using this event for counting.

Object Detection

1. What can the Object Detection does that the Smart VMD cannot?

The Object Detection can detect objects by properties, filter out objects which are not “consistent” and most prominent, can detect the objects even if they are not moving. The Smart VMD extracts only objects that move.

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2. What is the need in “Object Consistency” filter?

It is used in order to filter out false alarms of sporadic phantom objects. It is relevant for small objects.

Object Left Behind

1. Can I use “Object Left Behind” for suspicious objects in airport terminal?

Practically no, since there are too many distractions.

2. What is the minimal object size for “Object Left Behind”?

Theoretically 40 pixels. Practically for almost every reasonable situation which is not “demo” scenario, this will be too small and generate false alarms. It is highly recommended to use it only for significant objects like vehicles or people, unless the background is very stable.

Object Removed

1. Can the “Object Removed” be used for picture on the wall in museum?

We haven't tested it for this specific application, but basically yes.

2. Can the “Object Removed” be used for articles in a warehouse?

Not recommended, unless the articles are distinct (and not in a pile).

People Counting

1. What is the error rate of the People Counting?

+ or - 5%. The error rate is related to the number of incoming plus outgoing people (flow of people).

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2. Can it be used with any position of Camera?

Definitely not. Only overhead cameras where the image plane is parallel to the floor (usually mounted to the ceiling). It requires an initial calibration, which depends on the exact height and zoom of the camera. See the demo files to get a sense of how it works.

3. Can the People Counting engine be used to count vehicles.

We haven't tested it, but with initial calibration and a top camera (image plane parallel to the floor) it should be even more accurate than counting people.

4. Can I use this event for counting people on a bus?

There are two problems with “passenger counting” in a bus.

a. The ceiling height is very low, usually around 7 feet.

b. The flow of people is very dense, and people are touching each other constantly.

Please contact Lenel for more details.

Smart VMD

1. Can the Smart VMD ignore heavy snow?

Yes, using the object properties. The only limitation is that the minimal size of objects trigger an alarm should be greater than the perceived size (as they look at the image) of the snow flakes.

Applications

1. For protecting a perimeter, which events should I use?

Relevant Events are “Smart VMD” (especially in its new version, next release, when it will detect objects by properties), “Object Detection”, “Object Crosses a Region” and “Directional Motion”. It depends on the exact needs.

• “Smart VMD” is the fastest, lightest and cheapest. It can detect any motion, but it does not know the direction, and it cannot discriminate by properties, objects which are small and moving slow. Its main advantage, beside of being light and lean is the fact that it does not

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require Background Learning and therefore it is less sensitive to lighting conditions.

• “Object Crosses a Region” does not depend on the Background either, but its ability to analyze object properties is limited.

• “Object Detection” is best in analyzing object properties but it depends on Background Learning.

• “Directional Motion” is similar to “Object Crosses a Region”. The only difference that it can notify on Object moving in the required direction inside a Region of Interest (and not crossing it).

1 Through the “consistency” Filter

ObjectProperties

Direction Static Objects

Moving Objects

SlowMoving Objects

BackgroundLearning

Foreground/Background

Smart VMD

Yes Limited No Yes No No Both

Object Left Behind

Size No Yes No No Yes Foreground

Object Detection

Yes Limited1 Yes Yes Yes Yes Foreground


“Size” Yes No Yes Yes No Both

Directional Motion

“Size” Yes No Yes Yes No Both

Object Removed

Size No Yes No No Yes Background

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Appendices


Appendix A: Status Messages

This appendix contains a list of status messages that appear in IntelligentVideo events.

Message Description

Learning Background

Background is being learned, engine is disabled during the initial learning period.

Background Acquired

Background model has just been updated.

Auto Invalid Camera

Camera became invalid during background event.

Learning CMM CMM (Constant Motion Mask) is being learned.

CMM Acquired CMM has just been updated.

Insufficient Frame Rate

Current frame rate is not sufficient (too low). This message is available only for live video. It is not displayed for recorded video even if the frame rate in the recorded video is insufficient, since the video might be recorded in time-lapse mode. The frame rate for video can be traced using the logfile.

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A: Status Messages

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Index

A

Advanced parameters definition ......................... 79Advanced properties definition........................... 79Alerts................................................................... 19Audio Level event............................................... 43AVAParams.txt file ............................................ 21

B

Background certainty .......................................... 64Backgrounds

determine if a background is eligible........... 64gradually but constantly changing ............... 62model ........................................................... 61model parameters......................................... 62objects in...................................................... 68part is non-eligible ....................................... 63problem examples........................................ 62whole is non-eligible.................................... 63

Basic parameters definition ................................ 79Basic properties definition .................................. 79

C

CalibrateMinimum length of motion.......................... 66Object Consistency ...................................... 66

Colordefining ........................................................ 67matching ...................................................... 67parameters.................................................... 67

Configurationoptimal ......................................................... 22

Configuremaximum object size ................................... 73minimum object size.................................... 73perspective correction.................................. 57perspective correction for size ..................... 71video channel parameters ............................ 59

Congestion video event....................................... 81

D

Database systems supported ............................... 22Detailed scenes ................................................... 76Diagnostics........................................................ 163

monitoring logfiles for overload................ 166select required display ............................... 163switch to diagnostic mode ......................... 163

Direction ............................................................. 69Directional motion video event........................... 87Distortion ............................................................ 69

E

Empty scenes ...................................................... 76Event Configuration/Search

dialog ........................................................... 47open dialog .................................................. 54procedures.................................................... 54

Event properties .................................................. 55External parameter file........................................ 21

F

Facial detection video event ............................... 93Filter types ........................................................ 166Fixed vs. PTZ cameras........................................ 18Foreground objects ............................................. 68FPS...................................................................... 20Frame rate parameter .......................................... 20Frame size ........................................................... 22

I

Important terms................................................... 24Installing IntelligentVideo software ................... 27IntelligentAudio Events form ............................. 41

procedures.................................................... 44IntelligentVideo

events ........................................................... 79license .......................................................... 79overlay ......................................................... 21software installation..................................... 27software upgrade.......................................... 29

IntelligentVideo eventscongestion.................................................... 81directional motion........................................ 87facial detection............................................. 93invalid camera.............................................. 97loitering...................................................... 103object crosses a region ............................... 107object detection.......................................... 113object left behind ....................................... 121object lurking............................................. 127object moves too fast ................................. 131object removed .......................................... 135object starts to move .................................. 139object stops ................................................ 143people counting.......................................... 147smart video motion detection .................... 155

IntelligentVideo Events formfield table ..................................................... 35procedures.................................................... 37

IntelligentVideo Server form .............................. 32

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Index

field table ..................................................... 32procedures.................................................... 33

Invalid camera video event ................................. 97IV Overlay .......................................................... 21IVS form ............................................................. 32

L

Learning phase .................................................... 19License for IntelligentVideo ............................... 79Logfiles ............................................................. 165

location ...................................................... 165message structure....................................... 165monitoring for overload diagnostics.......... 166

Loitering video event ........................................ 103

M

Matching color .................................................... 67Message structure ............................................. 165Minimum length of motion

calibrate........................................................ 66field definition ........................................... 115

Monitoring logfiles for overload diagnostics.... 166Motion parameters .............................................. 74

O

Object Consistency ............................................. 66calibrate........................................................ 66parameters.................................................... 66

Object crosses a region video event.................. 107Object left behind video event .......................... 121Object Lurking video event .............................. 127Object moves too fast video event .................... 131Object removed video event ............................. 135Object starts to move video event..................... 139Object stops video event ................................... 143Objects

background .................................................. 68foreground.................................................... 68perspective distortion................................... 69properties ..................................................... 68

Optimal configuration......................................... 22

P

ParametersObject Consistency ...................................... 66

People counting video event ............................. 147Perspective Correction

configure ...................................................... 57Perspective Correction for Size .......................... 71Problematic backgrounds.................................... 62PTZ

cameras ........................................................ 18

detect out of home position ......................... 99

R

Recordingtypes............................................................. 19

Region of Interestoverview ...................................................... 19set................................................................. 56

Requirements for system .................................... 21Resolution ........................................................... 22

S

Scenes ................................................................. 75detailed......................................................... 76empty ........................................................... 76

Select required diagnostic display .................... 163Speed................................................................... 69

3-dimensional .............................................. 69maximum 2-dimensional ............................. 70object ........................................................... 70

Static cameras ..................................................... 18Surveillance view................................................ 75Switch to diagnostic mode................................ 163System requirements........................................... 21

T

Terminology........................................................ 24Time lapse recording .......................................... 19

U

Upgrading IntelligentVideo ................................ 29

V

Video Channel Configurationconfigure parameters ................................... 60dialog ........................................................... 59open dialog .................................................. 58procedures.................................................... 60

Video eventscongestion.................................................... 81directional motion........................................ 87facial detection............................................. 93loitering...................................................... 103object crosses a region ............................... 107object left behind ....................................... 121object lurking............................................. 127object moves too fast ................................. 131object removed .......................................... 135object starts to move .................................. 139object stops ................................................ 143people counting.......................................... 147

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Lenel Systems International, Inc.1212 Pittsford-Victor RoadPittsford, New York 14534 USATel 585.248.9720 Fax [email protected]

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