Closed-Circuit Television and Imaging System - Literature review Example

CCTV and Imaging System: Student’s Name: Institution’s Name: Introduction According to APTA (2011) before setting up a CCTV in any site, one needs to draw a site plan where the concerned areas are marked. At this stage the designer should maximize on details. The details will assist in positioning of cameras and lights, particularly with respect to view site as well as potential surrounding problems for instance foliage and sun (Nij, 2003). The second step involves focusing on analyzing the nature of threat or problem that initiates the installation of CCTV security. In the mine case, the problem statement is to protect Gold and information assets which according to the accounting information analysis, there are some evidence that the assets had been compromised. Therefore the management would like to monitor all exists and entrance as well as interior parts that hold vital information. Site Evaluation and Analysis While choosing the CCTV to use in solving the evaluated problem, the management needs to know the actual thing they want to monitor or see. In most cases, CCTV systems are intended to monitor human activity (Cohen et al., 2009). However, the application can vary from public safety or crowd control where mass movement requires to be watched over an extensive area, to control of access where image of high quality in an enclosed area is needed in order to enhance identification of individuals. Therefore the CCTV camera’s particular choices will rely on the kind of the action to be monitored. In the mine case, the CCTV specification should fit that of an enclosed section for high image quality. The cameras to be applied in the mine should be able to capture a large and clear image, so as to be able to identify the image without any error. Another aspect to be considered while selecting a camera is the speed targeted. In most cases, time-lapse mode is used in systems of CCTV recording, where a few frames are stored per second (Squires, 2010). A camera with small frame rate such as 1 fps can be enough for monitoring areas where there is minimal activities taking place such as a corridor. On the other hand, an elevated frame rate of above 5 fps will be appropriate while monitoring doorway or any other busy area where people’s movement is a bit high (Cohen et al., 2009). Another aspect to be considered while setting up a CCTV system is the kind of monitoring that should be done. A large installation of CCTV will require a control room where activities will be monitored and a person in charge. Small installations are basically designed for video recording that is reviewed in case of any incident. According to Saad and Hussain, (2010) for effective monitoring of activities, a CCTV system need to be integrated with other security protective equipment for instance a system or intruder detection that would detect an activity such as door opening and initiate the CCTV. On the other hand, a more advanced CCTV with an in-built capability of video motion detection (VMD) or one that contains a capability for video based detection system (VBDS) can be used (Fung & Jerrat, 2000). The management should decide on the activities that would initiate an alert as well as the action that should be taken when an alert is given. Lighting of CCTV For CCTV system to perform to its best level possible, the designer needs to consider the scene contrast, lighting levels and lighting sources. The minimum level of light needed will be determined by the kind of monitored activity. Several cameras can work at a level as low as Lux mark 3 which is considered as the least for security enhancement. As experience by human being, at minimal light, system becomes weaker in perceiving details and colors. This becomes worse as the level of light drops. Where there is no enough light, artificial light should be applied in order to maintain a visibility level that is effective (Israel, n.d.). Additionally, a very bright light approximately 1000, 000 lux that is mostly experience in sunny day should not be allowed to fall directly into the lens in order to avoid lens damage. For systems which contain sensitivity of light that is above human vision, a near infrared light should be used to supplement the vision. Scene Contrast of the Monitored Site A good contrast is ensured by maintaining an even lighting level in a scene. Extreme levels combinations results into a very high contrast, yielding to a deprived image (Yang et al., 2011). Normally, it is advisable that the minimum ratio to illumination average should not go beyond 3:1 in a scene lit by artificial light. When extremely low as well as high levels of light meet at the same place the degree of contrast if frequently very high to be effectively handled by a camera, an aspect that can yield to silhouette effect (Mirion, n.d.). This situation is commonly experienced by cameras position at dark corridors, near big windows or at the entrance where positioned facing out. According to Tanikella et al. (2004) there various type of CCTV cameras in the market. Although they may appear different, they all have two chief components which are sensor element and a lens. The two components are what determine the capability of a camera. This capability is measured by camera’s performance at minimum level of light, the field of view (FoV) as well as resolution of the image. Additionally, position of the camera as well as its maintenance level determines camera performance as well. With invention of wireless as well as IP technologies, the means used by a camera in images transmission to the system core is now considered while evaluating factors affecting CCTV performance. Field of View of a CCTV Camera FoV is an aspect used to measure the extensiveness of a scene a camera can capture. The extensiveness of the captured scene is always determined by three elements which include the position of the camera relative to the given scene, the camera sensor element as well as the lens. Normally, a big FoV makes the targeted object small as compared to a tiny FoV. According to Bosch (n.d.) FoV is reliant on focal length of the lens as well as optical size format of the camera. The height and the width of FoV may be evaluated as follows; In this equation, format represent optical format which is the horizontal breadth of the image sensor of a camera. Bocsh (n.d.) illustrate the FoV calculation using the diagram below; Where W stands for object’s width, H is the object’s height. On the other hand, w represent the the format’s width of image sensor, h stands for format’s height, L is equivalent with object’s distance and f stands for focal length. Display and recording of CCTV output In most cases, the ratio of cameras to display monitor is mostly depends on the size of the display as well as the activity to be monitored or detected. A single display can be divided to exhibit output of a number of cameras. Though economical, the division will lower the effectiveness of the targeted screen height. Additionally, it will lower the display resolution and it may be unsuitable for complex scenes or where the display contains specific importance. A screen of standard size should display four cameras’ output at most. Alternatively, a single screen can display several cameras’ output in an ordinary sequence (Cohen et al., 2009). The measure of image fine details is what is termed as resolution. In an analog system resolution is typically evaluate by television lines where a high resolution is characterized by pictures clarity. In digital system, resolution relate directly to the pixels’ number on the sensor of CCD image. Resolution evaluates the numeric value of a horizontal line used by a camera for image production (Badaoui & Al-Jamaily, 2010). Horizontal resolution evaluates the numerical value of elements creating every horizontal line. In most cases, horizontal and vertical resolution result to a ratio relation of 4:3. Usually, the resolution of CCTV camera ranges between 380 TVL to 540 TVL. Camera’s high resolution gives clear image while cameras with low resolution give pictures which are less detailed. Recording is a technology embraced by a number of CCTV systems. In this technology, the captured video is written in the hard disk. This hard disk contains a limited space and thus the recorded clips can only be retained at specific constant time interval before they are overwritten. Normally, most CCTVs retain each recorded clip for approximately one month in order to give the authority an ample time to retrieve a clip if need be (Yang et al., 2009). The video stored in a CCTV hard disk are always compressed so as to minimize on the used space. This compression in most cases lowers the quality of the recorded video. Thus while purchasing a new CCTV system; it is important to scrutinize the recorded output in comparison to the live view so as to choose a system with minimal variation (Glatt, 1995). CCTV System Design and Specification A system of CCTV can be structured in various ways to make use of either digital or analog cameras. One essential point to put into consideration before settling into any of available systems design is that IP-based or digital camera will fill the network of CCTV with huge digital data from every available camera (Mackintosh, 1992Thus a system that requires images of high resolution should apply analog camera integrated with digital algorithms for compression or a hub located codec which is in digital recorder. The above configuration is similar with arrangement of a hub-and-spoke with every camera situated at spoke end (Dabrowski et al., 2011). The card of digital conversation, which translates the camera’s analog signal into a digital compressed format, is position in the hub. H.264 as well as MPEG-4 is MPEG typical formats of compression that are more commonly used (Colling & Yolk, 2010). The IP digital cameras have a codec positioned in the camera’s actual body and therefore it can link straightforwardly into a digital network, an aspect that provides them with a high network degree of installation flexibility. More care should be taken while dealing with cameras based on IP over cameras which link to a codec. This is because, IP based cameras are frequently optimized for system load instead of frame or image rate quality (Glatt, 1995). It is recommended that operators should consolidate an SRS which draws a CCTV system to attain security, operational, and safety transit agency requirements. Additionally, they should ensure that memory as well as camera compression systems are structured to attain the requirements. The above is chosen over commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) low quality cameras which might compromise requirements for system environment as well as system design. Moreover, surrounding requirements for apparatus to be employed on rail vehicles, buses, shelters and platforms need to be considered, since the apparatus will basically require extra protection (APTA, 2011). Above all, rail operators need to be sensitive to acceleration and shock requirements. In addition, operators need to be sensitive to electrical and environmental status for storage as well as operations while writing apparatus specifications. Mainly, unique static protection is required by the memory system. Moreover, supplies of floating power, high AC and DC currents as well as voltages will as well need the unique requirements for electromagnetic interface and electromagnetic compatibility be observed. This will be separate and distinct from the requirements of general vehicles (Apata, 2011). Mine CCTV system Design model As evaluate from the mine design, the processing area and the workshop are surrounded by a cyclone mesh fence which has one major entrance that extent from the car park. After entering into the main gate, there are three more entrances which lead to three different buildings. The one facing directly to the main gate leads to the workshop, from the main gate turning left at 45 degrees the entrance found leads to processing area and lastly, from the main entrance a few meters on the right there is a gate that leads to main office. The site has no foliage that can obstruct the CCTV view to any part of the mine. The sections of the mine that need security monitoring include the car park were unknown individual can access the mine or where an assault can attack the mine’s workers. Another sector that requires close monitoring is the Gold processing building which also contains gold storage and an office. This section holds one of the most precious assets of the mine; Gold which can easily be stolen before and after it is processed. Additionally, the inner office which presumably keeps records of the activities that takes place in that sector could be a great attraction site for internal theft through data compromise. The entrance to the workshop should also be monitored for any unusual activities. The main entrance should also be monitored to keep record of those entering and leaving the mine. Lastly the main office block entrance and its interior especially where data is stored and the whole system is controlled should always be scrutinized to avoid any form of theft and especially any data concerned theft. The mine requires to be covered by CCTV security system that would protect any theft of the mine assets. The new management has already detected that the accounting information has been compromised, a situation that management connect to gold theft. Thus the system is created to protect the mine from more data compromise and theft. To achieve this, the mine will require a CCTV system that will be able to capture quality images at the enclosed region. The CCTV cameras will be positioned; on the roof of the car park facing down at an oblique angle to capture the activities in the park. On the workshop entrance facing the main entrance to monitor exits and entrances at the main gate and also the main office block entrance. Also at the main gate tilted at the oblique angle to monitor workshop entrance. The last external CCTV will be placed at the center of the left side of the fence facing the processing area entrance. There will be more CCTV in the main office block one monitoring reception activities, as well as the two doors connected from the reception. Therefore they will be two cameras one at the door top watching the reception and one at the top facing the door to monitor entrance and exit. Additionally, the control room and the main office should have one CCTV each. The processing area, gold store and the office in the processing building should have a camera each position in a tilt in order to capture the activities taking place in these sections. Lastly, the workshop should have a CCTV in the office and one in the main working area. The five external cameras should have higher resolution with a medium FoV also, they should offer about 50% monitoring capability so as to display an image that can be recognized. The inner CCTV should also have a high resolution so as to give clear images, small FoV and should be able to identify an individual by offering approximately 120% monitoring capability. Additionally, the inner CCTV will also contain in-built infra-red light so as to be able to function accordingly even in absence of lights. The whole system which will be comprised of thirteen CCTV will have an inbuilt motion detection system that will be used to recognize any unusual activity and raise an alarm that will be received in the control room and responded to by the security men in the mine. The thirteen CCTVs will be connected to four monitoring LCD screens of high resolution which will be displaying an average of four CCTVs output in four split screen each. Additionally, the clips in all the CCTVs will be recorded for reference purposes in case of unusual occurrence. Where a CCTV has recorded unusual activity, the record will be archived before it is overwritten; before end of 31 days so as to keep the evidence. The CCTVs system connection will employ IP technology where the CCTVs will be integrated with a local network that already exist in the mine. The application can be wireless or wired since the two are already being used in the mine. This will ensure cost reduction in the system implementation. Additionally it will give operational advantages where device adjustment, control, and telemetry will be attained remotely. Conclusion Before setting up a CCTV in any site, one needs to draw a site plan where the concerned areas are marked. At this stage the designer should maximize on details. In most cases, CCTV systems are intended to monitor human activity. Therefore the cameras to be applied in the mine should be able to capture a large and clear image, in order to be able to identify the image without any error. Another aspect to be considered while setting up a CCTV system is the kind of monitoring that need to be done. In effective monitoring of activities, a CCTV system need to be integrated with other security protective equipment for instance a system or intruder detection that would detect an activity such as door opening ant initiate the CCTV. For CCTV system to perform to its best level possible, the designer needs to consider scene contrast, lighting levels and sources. A good contrast is ensured by maintaining an even lighting level in a scene. Extreme levels combinations results into a very high contrast, yielding to a deprived image. There are two components that determine the capability of a camera which is measured by camera’s performance at minimum level of light, the field of view (FoV) as well as resolution of the image. FoV is an aspect used to measure the extensiveness of a scene that a camera can capture. The ratio of cameras to display monitor is mostly depends on the size of the display as well as the activity to be monitored or detected. The captured image can be recorded in a hard disk for a period of 31 days before it is overwritten. Recording is a technology embraced by a number of CCTV systems. References APTA, (2011). Selection of cameras, digitals recording systems, digital high-speed networks and trainlines for use in transit-related CCTV systems. 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