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Video verified intrusion alarms are becoming more practical with declining costs of CCTV and video systems making video an increasingly viable solution for enhanced security. Law enforcement's willingness to give video verified alarms priority dispatch is also changing security.
Routine response for routine alarms and increasing false alarm fines generate new interest in video in residential and small business applications. Recent technology advances have made a new generation of totally wireless video verification possible—using battery-powered cameras/sensors and GPRS radio communication with the central monitoring station.
GPRS TECHNOLOGY
Security risks such as construction sites, storage trailers, and foreclosure properties can now be equipped with portable video verified intrusion alarms that report more than just the alarm; they send a video clip of what caused the alarm. Wireless operation means that integrated camera/sensors can be optimally positioned without regard for power or communication wiring. Integrated cameras/sensors have a range of over 1/3 of a mile "line of sight" enabling a single system to cover a significant facility.
A key advance is that the panel itself (which also operates on batteries) is totally wireless and communicates with the central station over GPRS radio using cell phone/tower infrastructure. GPRS is the digital data network of the digital cellular phone system. It is fast, efficient and has a network footprint covering the population centers of the United States.
GPRS is similar to legacy radio networks such as AES-IntelliNet, but with higher speed and data capacity. GPRS service is purchased by the dealer from a network provider such as Cingular or Uplink along with the SIM module that is inserted into the panel, similar to a cell phone. Service plans typically run from under $10 per month depending on the duration of the contract.
The SIM module is inserted into the panel and the service is activated; alarms and videos are delivered via radio to the central station. While GPRS can handle larger files, transmission of large streaming video files is too costly for most applications. A breakthrough solution consists of creating a compressed 10 second video clip and transmitting it as a small 200K MPEG file. With short video clips of what caused the alarm, wireless video verification becomes viable and the optimum solution for remote or temporary security risks.
SECURING CONSTRUCTION SITES AND PRECIOUS CARGO
These new technology improvements will enable video to be deployed on construction sites where vandalism, theft of copper/building materials, or protecting equipment is a growing priority. The integrated camera/sensors can be repositioned at the end of each day to hinder the "inside job."
A related security risk is new home construction where "near completed" homes are targeted for appliance theft and vandalism and often the phone or Internet has not been activated. The GPRS system can be immediately deployed and moved as needed.
Remote infrastructures such as telephone switching stations, water pumping stations, and radio towers have always presented security risks. Video provides important verification to determine whether an intrusion is an animal, kids or something more serious. Many of these sites lack network connections and video has been cost-prohibitive, but the GPRS system has changed this.
GPRS video intrusion alarms are a key resource for mobile security risks and high value cargo such as Playstations or large screen monitors. They can be placed directly in the container or semi-trailer. If the container is opened, an alarm with video is immediately received at the central station. The integrated cameras/sensors can also be placed inside of crates or boxes and trigger an alarm only when specific boxes are opened or tampered with.
Quad-band GPRS can be used across the entire world. Portable GPRS video intrusion alarms can provide security for traveling executives or VIPs and are a "force multiplier" for personal security guards, A system placed in a hotel room keeps an eye on important documents and files — notifying the station in the event of any breach. While the more expensive corporate jets are all equipped with sophisticated integrated video and security systems, this solution provides smaller corporate and private aircraft these same capabilities. Portable sensors/cameras can be placed to secure baggage compartments or a perimeter "safe zone" in an aircraft hanger.
The small video clip can be e-mailed from the station to the customer. Clips can also be sent to cell phones as an MMS message that can be immediately viewed by the consumer from anywhere in the world. The video can also be sent to law enforcement or response teams for improved situational awareness and faster dispatch.
DENNIS DOP is Vice President, North American Sales, RSIalarm, Inc., makers of Videofied, a wireless video security system built around battery powered P-Cams (integrated cameras and motion detectors with night vision). Go to www.videofied.com for more information or call 877-206-5800.
author: By Dennis Dop