Method for Incorporating Facial Recognition Technology in a Multimedia Surveillance System

Abstract

Embodiments provide a surveillance system having at least one camera adapted to produce an IP signal, the at least one camera having an image collection device configured for collecting image data, the at least one camera having at least one facial processor configured to execute with digital format image data at least one facial recognition algorithm, execution of the at least one facial recognition algorithm with the digital format image data detecting faces when present in the digital format image data, execution of the at least one facial recognition algorithm providing for each detected face at least one set of unique facial image data.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
   
   
       19 . A surveillance system having at least one camera adapted to produce an IP signal, the IP signal being transmitted over an IP network, the system comprising:
 the at least one camera having an image collection device configured to collect image data;   the at least one camera having at least one facial processor configured to receive digital image data, the digital image data corresponding to collected image data, the at least one facial processor being configured to execute with digital image data at least one facial recognition algorithm, execution of the at least one facial recognition algorithm with digital image data providing for detected facial image data at least one set of unique facial image data, each set of unique facial image data corresponding to a respective detected facial image present in the digital image data;   the at least one camera being configured to provide to the IP network at least both of the following:
 digital image data; and 
 at least one of the following:
 correlation indicia relating to whether at least one set of unique facial image data is correlated with at least one compared facial signature record, and 
 each set of unique facial image data for communication over the IP network to at least one facial signature processor remote from the at least one camera, the at least one facial signature processor being configured to provide correlation indicia relating to whether at least one set of unique facial image data is correlated with at least one compared facial signature record. 
 
   
   
   
       20 . A surveillance system according to  claim 19  and further comprising:
 the at least one camera being configured to compare the at least one set of unique facial image data with at least one facial signature record, the at least one camera being configured to provide the correlation indicia.   
   
   
       21 . A surveillance system according to  claim 19  and further comprising:
 the at least one camera being configured to compare the at least one set of unique facial image data with a plurality of facial signature records, the plurality of facial signature records being contained in at least one facial signature database, the at least one camera being configured to provide the correlation indicia.   
   
   
       22 . A surveillance system according to  claim 19  and further comprising:
 each set of unique facial image data being provided from the at least one camera to the IP network, such that each set of unique facial image data is received by the at least one facial signature processor to be compared with at least one facial signature database without preceding transmission of digital image data from the at least one camera over the IP network.   
   
   
       23 . A surveillance system according to  claim 19  and further comprising:
 the camera being configured to provide to the IP network the digital image data in a compressed format.   
   
   
       24 . A surveillance system according to  claim 22  and further comprising:
 a server in communication with the IP network, the server being remote from the at least one camera, the server being configured to receive each set of unique facial image data.   
   
   
       25 . A surveillance system according to  claim 24  and further comprising:
 the server being in communication with the at least one facial signature database, the server being in communication with the at least one facial signature processor, the at least one facial signature processor being configured to compare each set of facial image data with the at least one facial image database.   
   
   
       26 . A surveillance system according to  claim 19  and further comprising:
 the at least one facial recognition algorithm including at least one facial separation algorithm, the at least one facial separation algorithm when executed producing at least one set of facial separation data, the at least one set of facial image data including the at least one set of facial separation data.   
   
   
       27 . A surveillance system according to  claim 19  and further comprising:
 a plurality of cameras in communication with the IP network for collecting image data at distributed locations.   
   
   
       28 . A surveillance system according to  claim 25  and further comprising:
 the server being in communication with a third party database for at least one of the following:   sending facial image data to a third party,   receiving facial image data from a third party, and   both sending facial image data to a third party and receiving facial image data from a third party.   
   
   
       29 . A surveillance system according to  claim 19  and further comprising:
 a remote station in communication with the IP network, the remote station receiving the digital image data, the remote station being configured to display the digital image data.   
   
   
       30 . A surveillance system according to  claim 29  and further comprising:
 the remote station being configured to display a result relating to correlation indicia.   
   
   
       31 . A surveillance system according to  claim 19  and further comprising:
 a tracking utility for communicating with a plurality of cameras to track movements of an individual, the individual having a correlated facial signature, the correlated facial signature having been correlated with a set of unique facial image data.   
   
   
       32 . A surveillance system according to  claim 31  and further comprising:
 at least one of the correlated facial signature and a set of unique facial image data correlated with the facial signature being communicated across the IP network by operation of the tracking utility.   
   
   
       33 . A surveillance system according to  claim 31  and further comprising:
 the tracking utility being operable to track movement of the individual as the individual moves from a field of view of a camera to a field of view of a subsequent camera.   
   
   
       34 . A surveillance system according to  claim 19  and further comprising:
 a storage device in communication with the IP network for archiving archival data, the archival data including least one of:   at least one set of unique facial image data and the at least one set of digital image data.