Surveillance system and method

A surveillance system comprising:

• receiving means for receiving image data from a plurality of cameras;
• image storage means for storing the received image data identifying each camera from which the image data originated;
• management means for enabling each of a plurality of camera users who own or operate respective cameras to assign a said camera owned or operated by the camera user to at least one said set of cameras and to authorise selected users of the system to access image data from said at least one set of cameras, wherein said users of the system can include camera users and/or users not owning or operating any cameras, wherein said management means is adapted to enable users owning or operating respective cameras to enter camera location data as part of said user data;
• map means for displaying a map showing the locations of said cameras on said map to said users in dependence upon said camera set data and using said user data, wherein said map means is adapted to indicate if there is new image data for each camera at each location, where new image data is image data that has not yet been output by said image interface means;
• information storage means responsive to said management means for storing camera set data identifying the assigned camera as belonging to said set of cameras, and for storing user data identifying the users authorised to access image data from said set of cameras;
• and
• image interface means for outputting image data to users dependent upon said camera set data and said user data in said information storage means.

A surveillance system comprising:

• receiving means for receiving image data from a plurality of cameras;
• image storage means for storing the received image data identifying each camera from which the image data originated;
• management means for enabling each of a plurality of camera users who own or operate respective cameras to assign a said camera owned or operated by the camera user to at least one said set of cameras and to authorise selected users of the system to access image data from said at least one set of cameras, wherein said users of the system can include camera users and/or users not owning or operating any cameras, wherein said management means is adapted to enable users owning or operating respective cameras to enter camera location data as part of said user data;
• map means for displaying a map showing the locations of said cameras on said map to said users in dependence upon said camera set data and using said user data, wherein said map means is adapted to display a plurality of said camera locations as a single camera cluster location if the locations of said plurality of cameras are within a threshold;
• information storage means responsive to said management means for storing camera set data identifying the assigned camera as belonging to said set of cameras, and for storing user data identifying the users authorised to access image data from said set of cameras;
• and
• image interface means for outputting image data to users dependent upon said camera set data and said user data in said information storage means.

A surveillance method comprising:

• receiving image data from a plurality of cameras, wherein said image data comprises at least one image the capture of which was triggered by an event;
• storing the received image data identifying each camera from which the image data originated;
• enabling each of a plurality of camera users who own or operate respective cameras to assign a said camera owned or operated by the camera user to at least one said set of cameras and to authorise selected users of the system to access image data from said at least one set of cameras, wherein said users of the system can include camera users and/or users not owning or operating any cameras;
• storing camera set data identifying the assigned camera as belonging to said set of cameras;
• storing user data identifying the users authorised to access image data from said set of cameras;
• outputting image data to users dependent upon said camera set data and said user data;
• processing the image data for said at least one image to identify if said at least one image relates to a previous event,
• if said at least one image relates to a previous event, linking said image data to said previous event and to image data identified to belong to the previous event, and
• if said at least one image is not identified as relating to a previous event, linking the image data to a new event, wherein said image data is output to said users on an event by event basis.

A surveillance method comprising:

• receiving image data from a plurality of cameras;
• storing the received image data identifying each camera from which the image data originated;
• enabling each of a plurality of camera users who own or operate respective cameras to assign a said camera owned or operated by the camera user to at least one said set of cameras and to authorise selected users of the system to access image data from said at least one set of cameras, wherein said users of the system can include camera users and/or users not owning or operating any cameras;
• storing camera set data identifying the assigned camera as belonging to said set of cameras;
• storing user data identifying the users authorised to access image data from said set of cameras;
• outputting image data to users dependent upon said camera set data and said user data receiving camera location data from users owning or operating respective cameras as part of said user data;
• displaying a map showing the locations of said cameras on said map to said users in dependence upon said camera set data and using said user data;
• and
• indicating if there is new image data for each camera at each location, where new image data is image data that has not yet been output.

A surveillance method comprising:

• receiving image data from a plurality of cameras;
• storing the received image data identifying each camera from which the image data originated;
• enabling each of a plurality of camera users who own or operate respective cameras to assign a said camera owned or operated by the camera user to at least one said set of cameras and to authorise selected users of the system to access image data from said at least one set of cameras, wherein said users of the system can include camera users and/or users not owning or operating any cameras;
• storing camera set data identifying the assigned camera as belonging to said set of cameras;
• storing user data identifying the users authorised to access image data from said set of cameras;
• outputting image data to users dependent upon said camera set data and said user data;
• receiving camera location data from users owning or operating respective cameras as part of said user data;
• displaying a map showing the locations of said cameras on said map to said users in dependence upon said camera set data and using said user data;
• and
• displaying a plurality of said camera locations as a single camera cluster location if the locations of said plurality of cameras are within a threshold.