Integrated Monitoring Module for security systems
Integrated monitoring systems are a unique tool for centralized command and control suited even for low-bandwidth conditions. These systems allow real-time monitoring of hardware health as well as getting and processing alarms and video fragments from different protected sites. This allows responding to alarms more quickly and fixing system errors without delay. The special monitoring interface allows overseeing a security system of unlimited size with a minimum number of human operators required.
The Integrated Monitoring Module is designed to accomplish the following tasks:
- Effective surveillance over many sites from a centralized workstation
- Viewing of video captured at any site (still frames and video fragments)
- Automation of routine work performed by employees of maintenance companies at distant system sites
- Analysis of past alarms and hardware failures using various report types
- Quality control of work by security operators
Module functions
The Integrated Monitoring Module receives, records, and visualizes messages about the state of security system components, based on the following key parameters:
- Camera operability
- Network functioning
- Operability of video subsystem software
- Amount of recorded video
- Hard disk operability
- Operability of fire/security and access control systems
- UPS signals
In addition, filtering options allow fine-grained selection of the system events that will be recorded and visualized by the system. This means that administrators can select key alarms for sites that, when activated, will be immediately received by operators.
The built-in statistics and analysis reporting system allows generating various general and detailed reports on functioning of the distributed security system:
- Report on hardware failures
- Report on alarms
- Video report
- Various statistical reports, including alarms and hardware failures
Module interface
The specially designed interface of the Integrated Monitoring Module displays the protected sites as sections with pictograms that demonstrate the status of key system components and alarms. Each site is labeled with a rectangle: the upper part contains the site name and the lower part contains a configurable number of alarm indicators grouped by source type.
In case of an alarm or failure in a system component, or if monitored parameters are outside of the allowable range, the operator is immediately informed via a red pictogram. If display of video or still frames has been configured as the response to the alarm, the video/still frames are visualized on screen. By clicking the badge, the operator can get detailed information on the alarm event, take necessary actions, and leave text comments. The time of alarm classification is recorded by the system, which allows monitoring operator activity.
The interface also allows easily viewing video from protected sites, generating various types of reports, searching video in local site surveillance systems, and requesting video fragments or still frames from these systems. The monitoring module can adapt to low-bandwidth conditions if they prevent receiving video from sites in real time.
Benefits of the Integrated Monitoring Module
- More efficient control of distributed systems thanks to the specially designed interface
- Transmission of alarms and individual video frames to the video monitoring board via low-bandwidth channels
- Reduced number of false-alarm calls requiring attention by service/maintenance companies.
- Remote queries to video archives based on following parameters: date, time, camera number, sensor activation, etc.
- Improved system failure-to-recovery time.