Immix incorporates support for the leading video analytic devices currently on the market and provides a simple and cost effective way of utilising analytics to offer new revenue streams or increase operator efficiency.

False alarms are a common problem for all video alarm monitoring companies and represent a significant drain on operator resources. False activations are caused when detectors are triggered by non-human activity such as environmental, wildlife or foliage. Most external detection is particularly prone to false alarms as detection needs to be sensitive in order to ensure activation. It is estimated that over 90% of all alarms from external sources turn out to be false alerts. Alarms from these sources can be pre-filtered through a video analytics system to look for a human like object in the field of view before raising the event to the agent. This can significantly reduce the alarm count and improve the overall security of the site by focusing the operator attention on real events.

A new benefit of introducing video analytics to a customer site can be that new types of events can be automatically monitored that previously would have required an operator to be continuously watching a camera. Alarm events can be triggered by actions such as a person loitering, someone leaving a bag behind or picking up an object and walking away etc. Video analytics systems can also train a camera to zoom in on the area triggering the alert and draw bounding boxes around the key areas of concern. This can offer a new source of revenue for the alarm monitoring companies or offer scalability and cost savings to CCTV monitoring suites that otherwise would have operators watching screens 24/7.

Different problems have spawned different solutions within the video analytics industry and there are various approaches that video analytics companies have taken to offer the best solution to any given problem. Factors to be taken into account include whether the system is to be retro-fitted to an existing installation or a new-install, if analogue or IP cameras are used on site or if there is a new analytics compatible DVR on site. Sureview Systems have ensured that whatever the site setup, there is a ready made solution available that is already compatible with Immix.

Systems such as the Integral / Pelco Active Alert have the video analytics algorithms and processing capable of being uploaded directly into their DVRs. This way, if a compatible DVR is deployed on site, no extra hardware needs to be installed and much of the configuration, setup and training can be performed remotely. Once this is set up, the DVR will send an alarm event into Immix only when the video analytics components built into the onsite device have detected an event. Operators viewing cameras through this DVR are shown bounding boxes placed automatically by the analytics engine highlighting the area under observation. This provides a cost effective means of false alarm reduction and also enables new events to be defined and forwarded into Immix.

Another type of video analytics system supported by Immix is a standalone system such as that manufactured by Video IQ. This takes the form of a small box that can be either specified as part of the install or fitted to an existing installation. The camera connection is wired through this device usually on its way to a DVR. The device then analyses all video and looks for matches against pre-configured criteria. Once a match is found it sends a notification to the Immix at the remote monitoring station and forwards a loop of the cause of the alarm activation into Immix. Bounding boxes are automatically placed around the live cameras as they are viewed by the remote agents showing the area the analytics engine is actively monitoring.

A further variety of analytics system supported by Immix is that offered by Agent VI. This provides a hybrid solution where a small firmware upgrade is uploaded onto a compatible IP camera and the analytics software is installed and run from a server at the remote monitoring station. A small amount of data (about 20Kbps) is then sent permanently from each analytics enabled IP camera back to the monitoring station server which analyses the video for predefined unusual events centrally. This solution offers a very easy, quick and cost effective way of introducing video analytics to a pre-installed site. Configuration, installation and setup can be performed wholly at the monitoring station without requiring a site visit. As each camera continues to send data to the central server for analytics even when not in alarm, large scale scalability of this system on a remote monitoring facility may be limited by the volume of traffic generated by many simultaneously connected cameras. However, this can be overcome by assigning dedicated

Regardless of the type of video analytics system chosen and deployed on site, the Immix operator is kept away from the workings and intricacies of the analytics system and instead always shown the alarm in an easy to use and efficient manner. For example, an intelligent alarm of type “Object left behind” will be labelled as such when passed to the operator. The alarm loop displayed to the operator when handling the event will contain a video image of a person leaving the object behind and where possible a bounding box will be placed around the object itself and its owner walking away. Generally the live image viewed by the operator will contain a bounding box around the left behind object, even if it is partially obscured. In summary the inclusion of video analytics offers a new dimension for remote CCTV alarm event monitoring. Sureview is committed to maintaining its lead at the forefront of this exciting technology and Immix will continue to provide an easy to implement, operator friendly solution for analytics as the field continues to grow and mature.

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