# US 2025/0097571 A1 · System and method for controlling surveillance cameras > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0097571 A1 - Document ID: US20250097571A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/967,434 - Filed: 2024-12-03 - Published: 2025-03-20 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-22 - Assignees: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH - Applicants: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH - Inventors: Anthony BURKE; Piero Madar; Scott Humphreys - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250097571A1 ## CPC - H04N 23/661: Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet - H04L 65/1069: Session establishment or de-establishment - H04L 65/1083: In-session procedures - H04L 65/612: for unicast - H04L 65/613: for the control of the source by the destination (control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637) - H04N 7/181: {for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources} - G08B 13/196: using television cameras - G08B 13/19665: {Details related to the storage of video surveillance data (television signal recording H04N5/76)} - G08B 13/19669: {Event triggers storage or change of storage policy} - G08B 13/19684: {Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS ## Abstract A system and method for controlling surveillance cameras is enclosed. In the system, a surveillance camera system includes surveillance cameras configured as VoIP server endpoints. The surveillance cameras receive messages from client devices such as mobile user devices and computer workstations functioning as VoIP client endpoints. The client devices establish a voice communications channel with the surveillance cameras for receiving and controlling one or more streams of image data sent by the surveillance camera over the voice communications channel to the client device. In a preferred embodiment, the voice communications channel includes a control session based on Session Information Protocol (SIP) and a data channel that is based on Real time transfer protocol (RTP) The data channel preferably operates in half duplex mode, which limits the potential for collisions on the data channel when the surveillance cameras are transmitting their image data to the client devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system delivering image data, comprising: a surveillance camera; and a client device that establishes a communications channel for receiving one or more streams of image data generated by the surveillance camera; wherein the surveillance camera includes: a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) layer implementing SIP for establishing a control session of the communications channel, wherein the SIP layer automatically answers a call from the client device based on the client device being authenticated and the control session controls the one or more streams of image data sent by the surveillance camera to the client device in response to the call. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the client device controls the one or more streams of image data via the control session. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the control session authenticates the client device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the control session is terminated in response to a SIP request. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the client device configures receiving of the one or more streams of image data via a control message transmitted via the control session. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the image data of the one or more streams of image data are stored within the surveillance camera. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the surveillance camera includes another layer utilizes a communication protocol for establishing a data channel for the communications channel for sending the one or more streams of image data to the client device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the data channel is a half-duplex channel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the another layer is a Real-Time Protocol (RTP) layer utilizes RTP for sending the one or more streams of the image data to the client device. ### Claim 10 A method for receiving image data from a surveillance camera, the method comprising: establishing, with the surveillance camera, a communications channel for receiving one or more streams of image data generated by the surveillance camera; establishing, via a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) layer of the surveillance camera, a control session of the communications channel in response to a call automatically answered by the SIP layer, wherein the control session controls the one or more streams of image data received from the surveillance camera; and receiving the one or more streams of image data originating from the surveillance camera over the communications channel using the SIP layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising controlling the one or more streams of image data via the control session. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising authenticating via the control session. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting a SIP request to terminate the control session. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting, to the surveillance camera via the control session, a control message for configuring the one or more streams of image data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the image data of the one or more streams of image data are stored within the surveillance camera. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein receiving the one or more streams of image data comprises receiving, via a half duplex data channel of the communications channel, the one or more streams of image data originating from the surveillance camera. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer-readable device having instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising: establishing, with a surveillance camera, a communications channel for receiving one or more streams of image data generated by the surveillance camera; establishing, via a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) layer of the surveillance camera, a control session of the communications channel in response to a call automatically answered by the SIP layer, wherein the control session controls the one or more streams of image data received from the surveillance camera; and receiving the one or more streams of image data originating from the surveillance camera over the communications channel using the SIP layer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a SIP request to terminate the control session. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting, to the surveillance camera via the control session, a control message for configuring the one or more streams of image data. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 17, wherein receiving the one or more streams of image data comprises receiving, via a half-duplex data channel of the communications channel, the one or more streams of image data originating from the surveillance camera.