Objectives

Our goal is to design and implement a new video monitoring system that solves the problems of existing commercial systems. Our system will also provide additional features not found in existing systems. The main function of our system will be to monitor a scene with a stationary camera and analyze the images to detect motion within the scene. We will enhance this basic functionality by providing additional features such as variable motion-detection threshold levels, vibration compensation, and area masking for ignoring portions of a scene. We will also provide a simple, intuitive user interface to the system via a monitoring station that communicates with the camera unit over an RF link. The monitoring station will be used for displaying images sent from the camera and will also be used for entering configuration commands.

Benefits

We are specifically designing it to be better alternative to the existing systems on the market. Our system will provide the same features as these systems, as well as additional features found only in our product. For example, our system will provide remote access to the monitoring station via the Internet. We will also design our system architecture to allow easy expansion in the future. This will allow other types of sensors to be developed that would easily integrate with the existing system. Finally, our system will be easy to set-up and use. It will feature RF communication links, making installation easier than wired systems. The user interface will simplify system configuration tasks and will be designed so that even non-technical users can quickly put the system to use.

Implementation and Division of Labor

Our system is easily broken down into functional components, each of which can be developed independently of the others. Initially, we will work closely to specify the interfaces between the components of the system. We will then work independently and in parallel on specific system components. Once the individual components are completed and tested, we will work more closely on integration of the components to form the final system. The specific details for the implementation of each functional component are as follows:

Data Acquisition With The Camera

It will be necessary to fully understand the capabilities and operation of the camera we will be using. The camera will be the source of the image data we will be analyzing in order to detect motion. We will have to properly initialize and use the camera to collect meaningful data.

Motion Detection

There will be a motion detection system running in the embedded system firmware that will analyze the camera data for signs of motion. This system will have to support basic, reliable motion detection. It should also support additional features such as variable motion detection thresholds, screening of arbitrary image areas, repetitive motion elimination, and so on.

Data Compression

In order to minimize the time it takes to transmit image data from the embedded system to the base PC, the image data needs to be compressed. A firmware system will be responsible for obtaining appropriate image data from the controller, compressing it, and providing the RF communication system with the compressed data stream.

RF Communications

The embedded system will communicate to the base PC via an RF link. The implementation of the actual connection is straight-forward, but there needs to be a protocol for handling transfer of compressed image data. This communications block will also receive configuration data from the monitoring station and present it to the controller.

Monitoring Station

There will be a program running on a local PC that will be used to configure the embedded system and to display images transmitted by the system. Configuration commands will be sent to the camera system via the RF link.

Design Issues

There are certain elements of our design that we are still investigating. These issues primarily have to do with specific technical details and do not affect the feasibility of the project.

Embedded System Hardware

We are currently investigating the hardware we will use for the embedded control system in the remote camera unit. Ideally, the smaller, cheaper 8051 micro-controllers would be suitable, but they may not provide the necessary performance required for image data processing. One alternative is the more expensive, but more capable XSV-300 system board.

Amount of Memory Required

Again, image processing places extra demands on hardware. Each image will likely consist of approximately 40,000 pixels. Storing multiple images for processing can quickly consume hardware resources. Using the more advanced (and expensive) XSV-300 boards would resolve this problem, but we would like a more cost effective solution.

Speed and Responsiveness of the System

The system should be reasonably fast and responsive. We will have to decide on the specific hardware we will be using before we can evaluate how quickly our proposed system will operate. We are confident that in the end we will be have a fast system, but we are prepared to address performance issues as they arise during implementation.

Algorithms

The algorithms used for motion detection and data compression are still being researched. We would like to make use of an off-the-shelf motion detection process that we could custom tailor to the constraints of our system. We are currently exploring our options. The data compression algorithm choice will be largely influenced by the nature of the image data we will be dealing with. Once we determine the format and distribution of the data comprising an image, the choice of an appropriate data compression algorithm should become clear.

Resources

The resources required for our system are in stock in the hardware laboratory, so there will be no additional cost for special parts. Table 1 lists the part we will be using in our project.

Table1 Parts List

Summary

Our video monitoring system will provide an attractive alternative to existing video monitoring systems on the market. It will provide a rich set of features, it will be easy to set-up and use and it will provide a stable platform for future expansion. Overall, the features of our system will make it the clear choice for consumers.