# US 11,115,619 B2 · Adaptive storage between multiple cameras in a video recording system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,619 B2 - Document ID: US11115619B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/717,916 - Filed: 2019-12-17 - Published: 2020-06-25 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-21 - Assignees: Axis AB - Applicants: Axis AB - Inventors: Sebastian Hultqvist; Bjorn Berglund - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115619B2 ## CPC - H04N 5/76: Television signal recording - H04N 5/77: between a recording apparatus and a television camera - G06F 17/18: for evaluating statistical data {, e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis (forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04)} - G06T 1/0007: {Image acquisition} - G08B 13/19643: {wherein the cameras play different roles, e.g. different resolution, different camera type, different control type} - G08B 13/19645: {Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over} - G11B 27/36: Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing {(for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06)} - H04N 7/181: {for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources} - H04N 9/8042: {involving data reduction} - H04N 21/23113: {involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions (storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90)} - H04N 21/2343: involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements {(video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762)} - H04N 21/4223: Cameras (H04N23/00 takes precedence) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract A method and apparatus for storing video data includes three or more cameras and a storage space. The storage space is partitioned into an initial set of allotted portions for storing video data captured by the video cameras. A video quality value is set for encoding video by each camera, and it is periodically determined whether maintaining the video quality value would cause the camera to exceed the allotted portion of storage space. If it is determined that the amount of video data for a camera exceeds its allotment of space, the video quality is reduced. If it is determined that the video quality from a camera falls below a quality threshold, the storage space is re-partitioned into which increased storage space is allotted to the camera having a video quality that falls below the threshold value, and decreased storage space is allotted to at least one other camera. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for storing video data in a surveillance system including three or more cameras and a storage service comprising a storage space, the method comprising: partitioning the storage space into an initial set of allotted portions for storing video data captured over a time period from each of the three or more video cameras, wherein each allotted portion in the initial set of allotted portions is configured to store video data from one camera of the three or more cameras; for each camera, setting a video quality value for encoding video captured by the camera; determining, for each camera and at discrete time intervals, whether maintaining the video quality value would cause the camera to output an expected amount of video data that would exceed the allotted portion of storage space for the camera over the time period; in response to determining for at least one camera that the expected amount of video data would exceed the allotted portion of storage space, adjusting the video quality value to a video quality value representing a reduced video quality relative to the video quality represented by the current video quality value; and in response to determining that the reduced video quality value from a camera represents a video quality that falls below a video quality represented by a video quality threshold value, re-partitioning the storage space into a new set of allotted portions, wherein increased storage space is allotted to the camera having a video quality that falls below the video quality represented by a video quality threshold value and decreased storage space is allotted to at least one other camera. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the allotted portions in the initial set of allotted portions have the same size. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein partitioning the storage space into an initial set of allotted portions is done based on a statistical estimation relating to one or more of features of the video data: resolution, coding, initial quality parameters and frame rate, and retention time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the video quality value is represented by a quantization parameter value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the video quality value is individually set and adjusted for each camera. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the time period is defined by a moving time window representing at least one day. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the discrete time intervals range from approximately seconds to approximately hours. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each camera has an associated retention time for storing the video data captured by the camera. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the initial video quality value is set manually by a system administrator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the initial video quality value is set automatically by the camera, based on the specific surveillance scene captured by the camera. ### Claim 11 A storage controller for controlling storing of video data in a surveillance system including three or more cameras and a storage service comprising a storage space, the storage controller comprising: a storage partitioning module arranged to partition the storage space into an initial set of allotted portions for storing video data captured over a time period from each of the three or more video cameras, wherein each allotted portion in the initial set of allotted portions is configured to store video data from one camera of the three or more cameras; a quality value setting module arranged to set, for each camera, a video quality value for encoding video captured by the camera; a determining module, arranged to: for each camera and at discrete time intervals, determine whether maintaining the video quality value would cause the camera to output an expected amount of video data that would exceed the allotted portion of storage space for the camera over the time period; in response to determining for at least one camera that the expected amount of video data would exceed the allotted portion of storage space, adjust the video quality value to a video quality value representing a reduced video quality relative to the video quality represented by the current video quality value; and in response to determining that the reduced video quality value from a camera represents a video quality that falls below a video quality represented by a video quality threshold value, re-partition the storage space into a new set of allotted portions, wherein increased storage space is allotted to the camera having a video quality that falls below the video quality represented by a video quality threshold value and decreased storage space is allotted to at least one other camera. ### Claim 12 A computer program product for storing video data in a surveillance system including three or more cameras and a storage service comprising a storage space, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions being executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising: partitioning the storage space into an initial set of allotted portions for storing video data captured over a time period from each of the three or more video cameras; for each camera, setting a video quality value for encoding video captured by the camera, wherein each allotted portion in the initial set of allotted portions is configured to store video data from one camera of the three or more cameras; determining, for each camera and at discrete time intervals, whether maintaining the video quality value would cause the camera to output an expected amount of video data that would exceed the allotted portion of storage space for the camera over the time period; in response to determining for at least one camera that the expected amount of video data would exceed the allotted portion of storage space, adjusting the video quality value to a video quality value representing a reduced video quality relative to the video quality represented by the current video quality value; and in response to determining that the reduced video quality value from a camera represents a video quality that falls below a video quality represented by a video quality threshold value, re-partitioning the storage space into a new set of allotted portions, wherein increased storage space is allotted to the camera having a video quality that falls below the video quality represented by a video quality threshold value and decreased storage space is allotted to at least one other camera. ### Claim 13 A camera comprising a storage controller for controlling storing of video data in a surveillance system including three or more cameras and a storage service comprising a storage space, the storage controller comprising: a storage partitioning module arranged to partition the storage space into an initial set of allotted portions for storing video data captured over a time period from each of the three or more video cameras, wherein each allotted portion in the initial set of allotted portions is configured to store video data from one camera of the three or more cameras; a quality value setting module arranged to set, for each camera, a video quality value for encoding video captured by the camera; a determining module, arranged to: for each camera and at discrete time intervals, determine whether maintaining the video quality value would cause the camera to output an expected amount of video data that would exceed the allotted portion of storage space for the camera over the time period; in response to determining for at least one camera that the expected amount of video data would exceed the allotted portion of storage space, adjust the video quality value to a video quality value representing a reduced video quality relative to the video quality represented by the current video quality value; and in response to determining that the reduced video quality value from a camera represents a video quality that falls below a video quality represented by a video quality threshold value, re-partition the storage space into a new set of allotted portions, wherein increased storage space is allotted to the camera having a video quality that falls below the video quality represented by a video quality threshold value and decreased storage space is allotted to at least one other camera. ### Claim 14 A network video recorder comprising a storage controller for controlling storing of video data in a surveillance system including three or more cameras and a storage service comprising a storage space, the storage controller comprising: a storage partitioning module arranged to partition the storage space into an initial set of allotted portions for storing video data captured over a time period from each of the three or more video cameras, wherein each allotted portion in the initial set of allotted portions is configured to store video data from one camera of the three or more cameras; a quality value setting module arranged to set, for each camera, a video quality value for encoding video captured by the camera; a determining module, arranged to: for each camera and at discrete time intervals, determine whether maintaining the video quality value would cause the camera to output an expected amount of video data that would exceed the allotted portion of storage space for the camera over the time period; in response to determining for at least one camera that the expected amount of video data would exceed the allotted portion of storage space, adjust the video quality value to a video quality value representing a reduced video quality relative to the video quality represented by the current video quality value; and in response to determining that the reduced video quality value from a camera represents a video quality that falls below a video quality represented by a video quality threshold value, re-partition the storage space into a new set of allotted portions, wherein increased storage space is allotted to the camera having a video quality that falls below the video quality represented by a video quality threshold value and decreased storage space is allotted to at least one other camera.