Abstract: A security camera with an adjustable lens aiming mechanism comprises a base with a camera seat, an eyeball camera, a cover, and a fastener for fastening the cover to the base. The eyeball camera comprises a lens and is movably seated on the camera seat. The cover covers the eyeball camera and comprises a bottom opening for engaging the base, a circular contact ring with a diameter smaller than the camera diameter and defining an opening through which the lens and a portion of the camera protrudes; and a fastener removably fastening the cover to the base such that when fully fastened, the contact ring makes contact with the camera and applies a sufficient pressure to fix the camera in place, and when partially or completely unfastened, the pressure is reduced such that the camera is movable and the lens is movable within the contact ring.

Abstract: A removable hinge for connecting a plate to a bracket. The bracket has a hook slot which has an open end and a retaining end. A hook on the plate fits into the open end of the hook slot and slides along the hook slot to the retaining end. When the plate is in a hanging position, the hook is at the retaining end of the hook slot. The plate is removable from the bracket by sliding the hook from the hook slot out of the open end. The removable hinge may be advantageously use in coupling a camera assembly, such as a bullet camera, to a bracket mounted on a wall or ceiling.

Abstract: A swivel joint for an articulating arm comprising a section having a bore with an annular groove where the bore is sized for a stud, with another annular groove, of a plate to slide into the bore. A retaining ring seats in the annular grooves to swivelly couple the section with the plate. The arm may be advantageously used in a camera assembly, such as a bullet camera, to point the camera once mounted on a wall or ceiling.

Abstract: A system and method for playing back video feeds includes determining from the video feeds a subset of currently available video feeds, determining a playback layout based on the number of currently available video feeds and playing back the subset of currently available video feeds within the playback layout. The system and method further includes determining at least one change in availability in a given video feed of the plurality of video feeds, updating the subset of currently available video feeds based on the at least one change, updating the playback layout based on the updated subset of currently available video feeds and playing back the updated subset of currently available video feeds within the updated playback layout.

Abstract: A camera device has a dome bubble member and an imaging unit housed within the camera chamber. A heat-emitting element, such as a film, may be arranged about the lens unit and is adapted to radiate heat for heating the dome bubble member. The camera device may include a sealing member adapted to sealingly engage a portion of the dome bubble member, whereby the heat radiated from the heat-emitting element is substantially contained within the sealed sub-chamber. The imaging unit may be rotatable about a first axis and a second axis in which the second axis is offset from the center of the dome bubble member and is displaceable in at least one direction transverse to itself. The camera device may have a shroud member that is pivotal about a third axis. The camera device may also have a shroud member that is transmissive to infra-red light.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for image capture, analysis and transmission are provided. A link aggregation method involves identifying controller network ports to a source connected to the same subnetwork; producing packets associating corresponding controller network ports selected by the source CPU for substantially uniform selection; and transmitting the packets to their corresponding network ports. An image analysis method involves producing by a camera an indication whether a region of an image differs by a threshold extent from a corresponding region of a reference image; transmitting the indication and image data to a controller via a communications network; and storing at the controller the image data and the indication in association therewith. The controller may perform operations according to positive indications.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for image capture, analysis and transmission are provided. A link aggregation method involves identifying controller network ports to a source connected to the same subnetwork; producing packets associating corresponding controller network ports selected by the source CPU for substantially uniform selection; and transmitting the packets to their corresponding network ports. An image analysis method involves producing by a camera an indication whether a region of an image differs by a threshold extent from a corresponding region of a reference image; transmitting the indication and image data to a controller via a communications network; and storing at the controller the image data and the indication in association therewith. The controller may perform operations according to positive indications.

Abstract: A camera includes a camera housing with a housing wall demarcating the interior of the camera housing, an optical aperture and a lenslet aperture extending through the housing wall, and an opaque blocking wall adjoined to and extending inwardly from the housing wall and circumscribing the lenslet aperture; a lenslet in the lenslet aperture aligned with an on-camera light source; a lens contained within the camera housing and aligned with the optical aperture to receive light entering the camera housing through the optical aperture; an imager within the camera housing and aligned with the lens to capture light passing through the lens; and circuitry contained within the camera housing communicative with the imager and operable to operate the camera. The circuitry includes a printed circuit board that abuts the opaque blocking wall and on which is mounted a light source positioned to be circumscribed by the opaque blocking wall.

Abstract: A mounting housing for a camera includes a surface contacting member and a sliding member that is slidable within an interior conduit within the surface contacting member. The surface contacting member has a back end that is located behind a mounting surface when the mounting housing is mounted and a front end, connected to the back end, that is located in front of the mounting surface when the mounting housing is mounted. A spring is pivotably coupled to and extends outwardly from the back end, and the spring is pivotable to apply force on to a back side of the mounting surface when the mounting housing is mounted. The sliding member is slidable along the interior conduit between mounted and un-mounted positions. The sliding member is lockable in the mounted position to bias the spring against the mounting surface when the mounting housing is mounted.

Abstract: A security camera with an adjustable lens aiming mechanism comprises a base with a camera seat, an eyeball camera, a cover, and a fastener for fastening the cover to the base. The eyeball camera comprises a lens and is movably seated on the camera seat. The cover covers the eyeball camera and comprises a bottom opening for engaging the base, a circular contact ring with a diameter smaller than the camera diameter and defining an opening through which the lens and a portion of the camera protrudes; and a fastener removably fastening the cover to the base such that when fully fastened, the contact ring makes contact with the camera, and applies a sufficient pressure to fix the camera in place, and when partially or completely unfastened, the pressure is reduced such that the camera is movable and the lens is movable within the contact ring.

Abstract: A video surveillance system and methods for operating that sets the timeline for multiple views of video data from different cameras to playback separately from one another or to be linked so as to synchronize their playback. Placement and selection of a playback cursor to a particular point in a timeline of master view will cause linked views to automatically move to and synchronize to the same point in their associated timelines, and when the video data is being transmitted from multiple cameras to cause the cameras displaying the linked views to update so that the video data associated with each camera is updated to the selected point in time from the linked master view. Timeline resolutions for linked views are not affected by linking or unlinking views.

Abstract: A method adjusts an auto exposure target in an auto-exposure operation on a sequence of images, such as a sequence of infrared images. The method comprises: obtaining a histogram of at least one of the images; applying a weighted histogram table to the histogram to obtain weighted histogram bins wherein at least some bins in the histogram containing saturated pixels are assigned a higher weighting value and at least some bins in the histogram containing unsaturated pixels are assigned a lower weighting value, and summing the weighted histogram bins to obtain a saturation score and decreasing an auto exposure target for an auto exposure operation when the saturation score exceeds a first threshold value, and increasing the auto-exposure target when the saturation score is below the first threshold value and the image is underexposed.

Abstract: A physical security system having multiple server nodes may be built as a distributed network. To send data between the nodes in the network, a first node may access a node identifier identifying a second node, with both the first and second nodes forming at least part of a server cluster, and the first node may then send the data to the second node. The node identifier forms at least part of cluster membership information identifying all and accessible by all server nodes in that server cluster. Functionality such as the ability to share views between system users and the ability for those users to control an unattended display may be implemented on a distributed network, a federated network, or another type of network.

Abstract: A camera system is provided that provides a smooth and centered zoom, even at high levels of magnification. The camera system corrects for misalignment between the optical axis of a lens and center of an image sensor. As a result of the misalignment, the center of an image will move during a zoom movement. The current camera system corrects for the misalignment as the zoom movement occurs. The correction is matched to the speed of the zoom in order to provide a fluid zoom movement.

Abstract: A method adjusts an auto exposure target in an auto-exposure operation on a sequence of images, such as a sequence of infrared images. The method comprises: obtaining a histogram of at least one of the images; applying a weighted histogram table to the histogram to obtain weighted histogram bins wherein at least some bins in the histogram containing saturated pixels are assigned a higher weighting value and at least some bins in the histogram containing unsaturated pixels are assigned a lower weighting value, and summing the weighted histogram bins to obtain a saturation score and decreasing an auto exposure target for an auto exposure operation when the saturation score exceeds a first threshold value, and increasing the auto-exposure target when the saturation score is below the first threshold value and the image is underexposed.