Data processing apparatus to generate an alarm

Abstract

A method of operating a data processing apparatus is provided. The method includes receiving video data; receiving a virtual test signal representative of a location of a virtual object; setting data representing the horizontal and vertical size of the virtual object dependent upon the location of the virtual object; overlaying the received video data with an image of the virtual object at locations determined from the virtual test signal to generate virtual test video data; and analysing the virtual test video data and generating an alarm signal based on an output signal generated by said analysis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of testing an operation of a data processing apparatus configured for operation in a normal mode for generating an alarm signal as a result of analysis of video data signals derived from a real scene and in a testing mode, the method comprising operating the apparatus in the testing mode by:
 simulating one or more conditions in a scene by:
 receiving video data representing the scene; 
 receiving a virtual test signal representative of one or more locations of a virtual object in said scene; 
 setting data representing a horizontal size and a vertical size of the virtual object dependent upon said one or more locations of the virtual object in said scene; and 
 overlaying the received video data with an image of the virtual object at said one or more locations determined from the virtual test signal to generate virtual test video data; and 
   analysing the virtual test video data and generating an alarm signal based on an output signal generated by said analysis.   
     
     
         2 . Data processing apparatus, which is configured for operation in a normal mode for generating an alarm signal as a result of analysis of video data signals derived from a real scene and for operation in a testing mode, comprising:
 (a) a video data receiver configured to receive video data;   (b) a module for operating said apparatus in said testing mode by simulating one or more conditions in a scene, said module comprising:
 (i) a virtual test signal receiver configured to receive a virtual test signal representative of one or more locations of a virtual object in said scene; and 
 (ii) a video overlay engine configured to overlay the received video data with the virtual object at said one or more locations determined from the virtual test signal to generate virtual test video data, wherein the video overlay engine is configured to set data representative of a horizontal size and a vertical size of the virtual object dependent upon the location of the virtual object; and 
   (c) an alarm engine configured to analyse the virtual test video data and generate an alarm signal based on an output signal generated by said analysis.   
     
     
         3 . A non-transitory carrier carrying a computer program comprising non-transitory processor-implementable instructions for configuring a data processing apparatus for operation in a normal mode for generating an alarm as a result of analysis of video data signals derived from a real scene and in a testing mode, said instruction being executable to cause the data processing apparatus to perform, in the testing mode, the steps of:
 receiving video data representing a scene;   receiving a virtual test signal representative of one or more locations of a virtual object in said scene;   setting data representing a horizontal size and a vertical size of the virtual object dependent upon said one or more locations of the virtual object in said scene;   overlaying the received video data with an image of the virtual object at said one or more locations determined from the virtual test signal to generate virtual test video data; and   analysing the virtual test video data and generating an alarm signal based on an output signal generated by said analysis.