How Does Surveillance Of Cameras Work

Surveillance cameras are video cameras used for the

purpose of observing an area. They are often connected
to a recording device, IP network, and/or watched by a
security guard/law enforcement officer. Cameras and
recording equipment used to be relatively expensive and
required human personnel to monitor camera footage.
Now with cheaper production techniques, it is simple and
inexpensive enough to be used in home security
systems, and for everyday surveillance. Analysis of
footage is made easier by automated software that
organizes digital video footage into a searchable
database, and by automated video analysis software
(such as VIRAT and HumanID) . The amount of footage is
also drastically reduced by motion sensors which only
record when motion is detected.

Surveillance cameras such as these are installed by the

millions in many countries, and are nowadays monitored
by automated computer programs instead of humans.
The use of surveillance cameras by governments and
businesses has dramatically increased over the last 10
years. In the U.K., for example, there are about 4.2
million surveillance cameras—1 camera for every 14
people.[29]
In the United States, the Department of Homeland
Security gives billions of dollars per year in Homeland
Security grants for local, state, and federal agencies to
install modern video surveillance equipment. For
example, the city of Chicago, IL recently used a $5.1
million Homeland Security grant to install an additional
250 surveillance cameras, and connect them to a
centralized monitoring center, along with its preexisting
network of over 2000 cameras in a program known as
Operation Virtual Shield. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley
stated that Chicago will have a surveillance camera on
every street corner by the year 2016.[30][31]
As part of China's Golden Shield Project, several U.S.
corporations such as IBM, General Electric, and
Honeywell have been working closely with the Chinese
government to install millions of surveillance cameras
throughout China, along with advanced video analytics
and facial recognition software, which will identify and
track individuals everywhere they go. They will be
connected to a centralized database and monitoring
station, which will, upon completion of the project,
contain a picture of the face of every person in China:
over 1.3 billion people.[32] Lin Jiang Huai, the head of
China's "Information Security Technology" office (which
is in charge of the project), credits the surveillance
systems in the United States and the U.K. as the
inspiration for what he is doing with the Golden Shield
project.[32]
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) is funding a research project called Combat
Zones That See that will link up cameras across a city to
a centralized monitoring station, identify and track
individuals and vehicles as they move through the city,
and report "suspicious" activity (such as waving arms,
looking side-to-side, standing in a group, etc).[33]
At Super Bowl XXXV in January 2001, police in Tampa
Bay, Florida, used Identix’s facial recognition software,
FaceIt, to scan the crowd for potential criminals and
terrorists in attendance at the event.[34] (it found 19
people with pending arrest warrants)[35]
Governments often initially claim that cameras are
meant to be used for traffic control, but many of them
end up using them for general surveillance. For example,
Washington, D.C. had 5000 "traffic" cameras installed
under this premise, and then after they were all in place,
networked them all together and then granted access to
the Metropolitan Police Department, so that they could
perform "day-to-day monitoring".[36]
The development of centralized networks of CCTV
cameras watching public areas—linked to computer
databases of people's pictures and identity (biometric
data), able to track peoples' movements throughout the
city, and identify who they have been with—has been
argued by some to present a risk to civil liberties.[37]

A surveillance camera can be placed in strategic

locations throughout a home or business, and depending
on its size, can remain anonymous. Mountable
surveillance cameras can be placed in ceilings and on
walls, while stand-alones offer more flexibility and can
rest on shelves or even bookcases. Ideally, several
surveillance cameras, placed independently in various
locations, can work together to capture video. Connected
to a central system, the surveillance cameras send
footage back to a monitor that displays what the
cameras see. Unlike traditional television broadcasting,
CCTV sends a closed signal to the receiving monitor,
allowing viewing to be strictly observed by the connected
equipment, only. Surveillance cameras are capable of
wide range viewing, so placing them in a corner area of
the room will enable them to view a good portion of the
room that is unobstructed. Picture quality has become
quite impressive, with the monitors receiving video in
high resolution, from the surveillance camera's eye.
VCR's can also be connected to permanently record the
transmitted material for future reference. Commonly,
coaxial cable ties all of the relevant hardware together,
but higher-end systems have incorporated wireless
technology that eliminates the need to hide or bury
wiring in walls, floors, and ceilings.
While surveillance camera equipment is readily available
for purchase online and in electronic stores, those that
are unfamiliar with the technology may find it
burdensome and difficult to install. Alarm companies that
offer home monitoring systems have recognized a need
for video surveillance in the home and have risen to the
occasion. Most of these companies will provide
surveillance camera equipment, and monitoring for a fee
that involves installation and an explanation of how the
system works.
But for those that would prefer a quick and easy solution
to video surveillance, and are looking to simply get a
bird's eye view of what is happening inside a particular
room of their home, a webcam may suffice. Easily
connected to a home computer, a video webcam can
take on the role of a surveillance camera and record
footage directly onto the computer's hard drive, with the
help of a simple software program.
Owning a surveillance camera opens the user up to
issues that may interfere with another individual's right
to privacy. And while owning surveillance camera has its
benefits, those who utilize one without the best
intentions in mind cause society to cast a dark shadow
over the ones who do. It is your right to obtain a
surveillance camera to monitor activity on your
premises, but it is also a good idea to make others aware
that you are watching them. Although this may seem as
if it defeats the purpose,
it can be a deterrent. Of course, there are exceptions to
every rule, but It is less likely that a person will commit a
criminal act if she knows she is being watched.
Security camera systems work via closed-circuit
television (CCTV). This CCTV differs from broadcast
television because all of the components of the cameras
and televisions are linked with cables or alternate direct
means. CCTV can be viewed in real-time, and there is no
need to broadcast a signal.
CCTV can be found in many places, including airports,
casinos, banks, and the streets. Cameras can be placed
in inconspicuous or obvious places. There is usually a
security room that has individual televisions that are
directly connected to a specific security camera. The
amount of security personnel needed to monitor the
cameras varies with respect to the amount of cameras
needed. In casinos, there can be hundreds of cameras.
CCTV has been used extensively in the United Kingdom.
Authorities place cameras in car parks and on the
streets. These camera placements have significantly
reduced car crimes. Authorities in the United Kingdom
have been pushing for the introduction of even more
cameras. CCTV is very good for crime detection and
prosecution.
One draw back of security cameras is that many claim
that they are an invasion of privacy. Another argument is
that CCTV displaces crime instead of reducing it. CCTV
has been accused of being an invasion of civil liberties.
The history of CCTV dates back to when the cameras
used in public places were very simple and low quality.
Today’s cameras have high definition digital rendering
and can even track object movement. When cameras are
positioned correctly and synched, they can trace an
objects movement over a long period of time. Cameras
can also have the potential ability to have facial
recognition. Currently, high-definition cameras are
unable to distinguish faces completely which leads to a
plethora of false positives. Critics of facial recognition
technology site the potentiality for mass surveillance and
the further loss of civil liberties.
Current CCTV technology being developed in the UK and
the US aims at creating a computerized monitoring
system that would allow security guards and CCTV
operators to not have to look at all of the screens. This
would allow an operator to run many more CCTV
cameras, which could reduce security costs. This type of
system does not look at people directly, but rather
recognizes certain types of questionable behavior. A
drawback of this could be that computers cannot
distinguish between normal behavior, such as waiting for
someone on a busy street, and suspicious behavior, such
as loitering around a car.
Security cameras are very effective for crime conviction
and identification, but not as effective for crime
prevention. The idea is that security cameras help
prevent crime because people are less willing to commit
infractions if a camera is in plain sight. The down side to
this is that some security cameras are hidden, so
criminals have no deterrent. Security camera technology
is constantly becoming more advanced, and so security
cameras should be able to find criminals, and hopefully
prevent more crimes in the future.

Wireless video transition is made possible with use of

video transmitters and receivers. Most wireless cameras
come with a built in video transmitter and a separate
video receiver. Once installed the video signal is sent
wirelessly thru a specific frequency to the receiver which
is connected directly to a security monitor, timelapse
recorder or the other components of the security camera
system in more complex systems. Should we use
wireless cameras? This is one of the most frequently
asked questions that comes up while designing a
security camera system. The answer to this question is
not as simple as it may seem. After all wireless cameras
seem like the easiest solution, no cables to run means
less labor involved. Not so fast, before you make that
decision there are a few things you need to know about
wireless systems. A wireless security camera is not
totally wireless. That’s right, their name is slightly
deceiving because it only refers to the video signal. Even
though no video cable is needed for the wireless camera,
it still requires power, which means another cable from
the camera to the closest outlet. And if there are no
power outlets located near by than a power cable will
have to be installed all the way back to the nearest
outlet. The limited number of frequencies available is
another disadvantage when designing a system using
wireless cameras. Most wireless camera are limited to 4
different frequencies. This means that you are limited to
using four cameras at one location per frequencies
range. Thankfully there are a couple of frequency ranges,
900MHz and 2.4 Ghz. A combination of cameras from
both frequency ranges could expand the number of
cameras per location to eight. Just like with many other
wireless equipment that you might be familiar with,
various objects located between the transmitter and
receiver could pose reception problems. One of the
worse material to go thru would be metal and clear line
of sight is preferred for optimum range and reception. So
when designing a wireless system, please keep in mind
to keep the number of walls or objects between the
wireless security camera and its receiver to a minimum
for best reception. Now that you have a better
undersanding of wireless security cameras you should be
able to decide wether wireless camera are the right
choice for you. And if they are, than there are numerous
application where you can use them. They can be used
almost anywhere but the most common ones are; covert
video surveillance, baby sitter camera, lobby camera,
museum or monitoring of high value objects because it
makes it hard for intruders to destroy the recording
media by locating the recording device.

King Khalid University

Faculty Of Computer Science

234 CS – Computer Vision

Assignment

How Does Surveillance Of Cameras Work

Name : Hesham Moh'd Hummadi

ID : 427820378