High-quality, reduced data rate streaming video production and monitoring system

Abstract

Video signals are received from multiple sources, including remote sources, and are collected at a central location for viewing and/or storage. The signals are transmitted to a central site as compressed, progressively-scanned streaming video signals, employing data rates in the range of 2-4 Mbps. 24 fps or less is used, and the frame rate may be variable or fixed. The source signal frame rate and image size may be different for each source signal, and the frame rate and image size of the source signal in the format stored may be different from the frame rate and image size in the format displayed. In formats utilizing less than 24 fps progressive scan multi-format, direct streaming is made possible from HDTV (16:9) data, enabling applications utilizing these higher levels of resolution. Application of these formats adjusts streams, enabling a video surveillance system to transmit streams to a remote viewing device.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method for providing remote access to a video surveillance system, comprising:
 receiving, at a video distribution system, a stream of video content captured by a digital video camera of the video surveillance system and transmitted over a network to the video distribution system, the stream of video content using a first progressive video format;   contemporaneously storing the stream of video content in a storage device at the video distribution system;   converting the stream of video content from the first progressive video format to a second progressive video format that has a frame rate of 20 frames per second or less; and   streaming the stream of video content in the second progressive video format from the video distribution system to a remote viewing device via the Internet.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stream of video content is streamed from the digital video camera to the video distribution system using a first bit rate, and is streamed from the video distribution system to the remote viewing device using a second bit rate lower than the first bit rate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stream of video content is live streamed to the remote viewing device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second progressive video format has a resolution that is lower than the first progressive video format. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stream of video content is streamed to the remote viewing device using a bit rate from 4-6 Megabits per second (Mbps). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stream of video content is streamed to the remote viewing device using a bit rate from 2-4 Megabits per second (Mbps). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stream of video content is contemporaneously stored in the first progressive video format. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the video content streamed from the video distribution system to the remote viewing device has a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first progressive video format is an MPEG-4 format. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first progressive video format has an aspect ratio of 16:9. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first progressive video format is a progressive HDTV format. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a video distribution system, a stream of video content captured by a digital video camera and transmitted over a network to the video distribution system using a progressive MPEG-4 video format having a 16:9 aspect ratio;   contemporaneously storing the stream of video content in a storage device at the video distribution system;   converting the stream of video content from a first progressive video format to a second progressive video format that has a frame rate of 20 frames per second or less; and   streaming the stream of video content in the second progressive video format from the video distribution system to a remote viewing device via the Internet.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the stream of video content is live streamed to the remote viewing device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the stream of video content is contemporaneously stored in the progressive MPEG-4 video format. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the video content streamed from the video distribution system to the remote viewing device has a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the progressive video format is an HDTV format. 
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 a plurality of digital video cameras; and   a video distribution and storage system,   wherein the plurality of digital video cameras capture video images and stream respective streams of video content derived from the captured video images using a progressive MPEG-4 format having an aspect ratio 16:9 over a network to the video distribution system, and wherein the video distribution and storage system contemporaneously stores respective streams of video content received from the plurality of digital video cameras, converts the respective streams of video content from the progressive MPEG-4 format to another progressive video format that has a frame rate of 20 frames per second or less, and streams at least one of the respective video streams of video content in the other progressive video format to respective remote viewing devices for display on the remote viewing devices via the Internet.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein at least a portion of the respective streams of video content are live streamed to the respective remote viewing devices. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein a portion of the respective streams of video content received from the plurality of digital video cameras are streamed to the video distribution and storage system using a first bit rate, and wherein the portion of respective streams of video content are streamed from the video distribution and storage system to the respective remote viewing devices using a second bit rate lower than the first bit rate. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein each of the video distribution and storage system streams the respective video streams of video content in the other progressive video format to respective remote viewing devices.