Method for video monitoring objects by means of a mobile communication system

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DESCRIPTION

Procedure for video surveillance of objects using a mobile communication system.

The invention relates to a method for video surveillance of objects using a mobile communication system according to the preamble of claim 1.

There are different technologies for the most diverse surveillance tasks. All technologies have in common that signals, such as image and sound data, are first recorded in a transmitter unit by means of a microphone, camera, sensors, etc. then being transmitted to a remote receiving station. These reception stations can be realized, for example, as surveillance monitors in security centers, babyphone receivers, etc.

The technologies used for data transmission can be classified, first of all, into short-range technologies and long-range technologies.

In the case of short-range action, in most cases a distance between the transmitter and the receiver of less than 300 m, the data is transmitted via a direct cable connection or also via radio transmission. In the case of radio transmission, systems are used that use a direct radio connection between the transmitter and the receiver. This has the drawback that the receiving station must be arranged very close to the object or area to be monitored. An example for such a video surveillance system is described in EP 1124355 A2. Here, a camera records the video data and a wireless telephone installation is used for the transmission of the video data. The video image can be viewed on the display device of the cordless phone.

In the case of long-range action, an automatic communication is established between the sender and the receiver if necessary via a public communication network. The establishment of automatic communication can be carried out as a function of a triggering event, which is driven for example by motion sensors or at regular time intervals. It is also known to make video broadcasts of WebCams calls over the Internet. Such a remote transmission of video signals via an ISDN network or a mobile telephone network C is known from DE 4126105 A1.

Document WO 0201531 A1 discloses an alarm system, in which various sensors are arranged on an object to be monitored, inter alia also surveillance cameras, the signals of which are transmitted to an automatic evaluation device. When the sensors and the evaluation device detect extraordinary activities, an alarm signal is triggered and indicated to a central alarm device. From there, the alarm signal can be transmitted to the user of the alarm system and to other predetermined stations. The user, for example, has access to the central alarm device via an Internet portal or his mobile phone and can consult information about his personal alarm system there and can make settings. Access to the central alarm system is ensured by an identification by username and password.

Document WO 02054677 A1 discloses a method for providing telecommunication services in a mobile communication system, allowing a data transmission between a mobile station of the mobile communication system and a terminal of another wireless network, eg WLAN, GSMLAN.

Document WO 0103402 A1 refers to a method for authenticating a subscriber of a first communication network in a second communication network, the subscriber in the second communication network being assigned an address, the address being linked to the identity of the existing subscriber in the first communication system and authenticating the subscriber with the help of this identity in the second communication network. WO 0131925 A1 discloses a method and a system for video surveillance, in which the video signal is recorded by a video camera and transmitted via a mobile communication network to a receiver, eg. a mobile phone capable of video. No special authorization check of the recipient is planned.

However, in all transmission procedures it must be ensured that only an authorized receiver can receive the video data from the sender. In the case of automatic communication, this can be done eg by querying a user name in combination with a password and on the Internet using known encryption methods (eg certificates).

In these cases, both the sender and the receiver have to guarantee a secure transmission procedure, although this is difficult to do for inexperienced technicians.

The aim of the invention is to indicate a method for video surveillance of objects through the use of a mobile communication system, in which a user can carry out a secure video transmission through the system in a simple way and without technical knowledge. of mobile communication.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1.

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The invention is based on the fact that before or during the establishment of the communication it is checked by a device of the mobile communication system whether the receiver is authorized to receive video data from the transmitter.

Advantageous configurations and variants of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims.

Compared with the state of the art, the invention has the following advantages:

- The procedure allows maximum mobility possible thanks to mobile surveillance terminals.

- No need for a line connection, eg via a fixed public network.

- A transmission of the video data with long-range action is possible without further ado, being limited only by the range of the mobile communication system.

- An existing mobile phone infrastructure can be used eg (GSM / UMTS) for the transmission of the video data.

- The established identification procedure belonging to the mobile communication system can be used, eg by means of a SIM card, for the identification by the communication network or mutual of the sender and receiver.

- Transmitter and receiver can be customized according to state specifications (eg G10 in Germany).

The aim of the invention is to offer the user a transmission method and a suitable pair of equipment for it, which comes completely preconfigured. The pair of equipment is made up of a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter comprises a video camera, a microphone, if necessary other sensors, eg motion detectors and a GSM / UMTS radio unit. All these units are preferably integrated into a compact unit. However, they can also be realized as separate units and can be connected to each other via connection cables or a wireless interface, eg infrared or Bluetooth. The receiver is a GSM / UMTS terminal, which is capable of reproducing moving images and audio signals. In order to be able to select and control more than one transmitter, it may be provided that the terminal on the receiving side has a kind of "browser", eg. based on WAP or (X) HTM technology, with which you can select the transmitter you are receiving respectively. The establishment of a communication between the sender and the receiver is preferably done by dialing the mobile subscriber telephone number MSISDN. Both the sender and the receiver can therefore initiate a communication establishment.

Another possibility of establishing communication is in the dialing of an assigned temporary IP address, which is assigned to the sender and the receiver.

According to the invention, both the transmitter and the receiver can be equipped with a video camera, so that the transmitter can be used as a receiver and the receiver as a transmitter.

The applications of this procedure can be varied.

E.g. It can be used as a kind of babyphone with video control. In addition, surveillance of remote locations is possible, eg surveillance against theft of one's own home, holiday home or factory and industrial buildings. Another application is the monitoring of works or traffic monitoring. Furthermore, mobile monitoring of patients is conceivable. A kind of mobile WAP-CAM can also be realized.

In all these applications there is the advantage that only an authorized receiver can receive the video data from the sender.

An example of a possible embodiment of the invention will be explained below with the aid of the figure in the drawing.

On the sender side, the system consists of a video camera 1, which has a communication with a GSM / UMTS mobile communication terminal 2. Ideally, the video camera 1 can comprise a GSM / UMTS module or a GSM / UMTS terminal 2 can be equipped with a video camera 1.

When the video camera 1 and the GSM / UMTS terminal 2 are provided as separate units, a data connection can be made wirelessly between the video camera 1 and the GSM / UMTS terminal 2, eg via Bluetooth.

The video camera unit 1 and GSM / UMTS terminal 2 is capable of encoding the video signal recorded by the video camera 1 in such a way that it can be transmitted via the standard GSM / UMTS transmission channels, eg GPRS, HSCSD, UMTS Ideo Bearer via mobile communication network 3.

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On the receiver side, at least one GSM / UMTS terminal 4 is available, which can process the video and audio information transmitted by the sender side and can display or reproduce them on a screen of the terminal 4.

Furthermore, a subscriber identification module 5 or 6 is required for each sending unit 2 and each receiving unit 4, eg in the form of a SIM card. The operator 11 of the mobile communication network 3 assigns the SIM cards 5 or 6 of the sender 2 or the sender and receiver 4 to a common subscriber relationship. For this, a database 7 is provided on the mobile communication network side, in which subscriber data 8 or 9, eg, are stored. IMSI and / or MSISDN of sender 2 and receiver 4 and are assigned to each other. When the subscriber now tries to establish communication with a transmitter 2 with his receiver 4, a verification device 10 of the network operator 11 first checks whether there is a corresponding authorization from the receiver 4 to receive the video data from the transmitter 2. From In this way it can be ensured that transmissions are only allowed within these particular subscriber relationships. Transmissions to other receivers are only possible when the sending unit 2 grants express permission to these external receivers (outside the subscriber relationship). This permission is deposited with the operator 11 of the mobile communication system.

Since the resources in GSM / UMTS networks are very limited and in most cases a permanent data transmission is not necessary either, a transmission is preferably carried out only when it has been triggered by a trigger, that is, a triggering event. A trigger can be made both from emitter 2 and from receiver 4.

Triggers can be triggered:

- At periodic intervals of time

- At the express request of the sender or receiver

- By means of external signals and parameters recorded by the transmitter or receiver, eg when threshold values ​​are exceeded, with the help of a recorded volume, with the aid of motion detection, with the aid of clarity, etc.

When the transmitter 2 works with an accumulator or a battery it is reasonable to provide measures to save current consumption. For example, video data can only be processed when it is also to be transmitted. Furthermore, the transmitter 2 can be operated in a standby mode , which after being canceled by a trigger can be activated again.

Used terminals 2 and 4 can be used in different modes. For example, in a surveillance mode with video transmission or in a "normal" mobile phone service without security query of the reception authorization of the receiver.

For one use of the method, it is necessary for the user (subscriber) to purchase a transmitter unit formed by a video camera 1 and a GSM / UMTS terminal 2 and / or a receiver unit formed by a GSM / UMTS terminal 4 with a video screen. In addition, the subscriber must buy corresponding SIM cards 5, 6 for sender 2 and receiver 4. The operator 11 of the mobile communication system 3 records the IMSI / MSISDN numbers of the sender 2 and the receiver 4 assigned to the subscriber relationships in a database 7 and thus links the two subscriber relationships 8, 9 with each other.

Furthermore, the mobile communication system operator 11 can register special routing rules for IP addresses of certain address ranges in corresponding routers / firewalls of the mobile communication system. The routing rules may be that in addition to one IP address in the address range, only one more defined IP address can be accessed.

The establishment of a communication is carried out, for example, as follows:

Sender 2 and receiver 4 are registered in a GSM / UMTS 3 communication network. This requires the subscriber data stored on the SIM cards 5, 6. The subscriber data, eg IMSI and / or MSISDN They are stored in database 10. Sender 2 is assigned a dynamic public IP address from a special address range which is stored in database 7. Receiver 4 is also assigned a dynamic public IP address. The receiver 4 can now search or select a specific transmitter 2 with the aid of the data in the database 7. The checking device 10 checks with the aid of the data in the database 7 whether the receiver 4 is authorized to receive the data. emitter 2 selected. If receiver 4 is authorized to receive transmitter 2, it can go directly to the transmitter, eg. by establishing a connection with the temporary IP address or by dialing the telephone number of the mobile subscriber of sender 2. After the desired communication with sender 2 has been established, the latter transmits the desired video and sound information through the mobile communication 3 to receiver 4.

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List of reference signs

Video camera

Mobile communication terminal (sender)

Mobile communication network

Mobile communication terminal (receiver)

SIM

SIM

Database

Subscriber data

Subscriber data

Checking device

Operator