My Bosch rep came by the other day and introduced the new version of the B series panel (as of right now they only have residential panels, Commercial ETA is Q1 2015). And showed us their new integration with Bosch IP cameras. They have bold claims on what their embedded video analytics can do.
Are they saying that IVA is going to integrate with their intrusion panels somehow?
Their claims are bold, but no more bold than most analytics you'll see. We tested their IVA and found it was pretty accurate during the day, but range dropped significantly in low light. We also tested their object filters in a color analytics test and found they were of limited use simply because accurately selecting colors was extremely difficult.
This is from the brochure he gave me. He said programing would be done through RPS, just like we program door contacts, motions...etc.
"Bosch offers a unique level of intrusion detection by directly integrating Bosch IP cameras and their Intelligent Video Analysis (IVA) alerts to standard detection points to Bosch's B Series intrusion control panels. Each IVA enabled Bosch IP camera supports up to 8 built-in IVA alerts and can assign them to 8 unique detection points on the B Series intrusion panels. IVA points are supervised, programmable, respond on the keypad and communicate to the monitoring station like any other intrusion detection point.
The B Series control panel can even control each Bosch IP camera to start recording, control PTZ functions, and transmit images or video for professional or personal monitoring.
Each IP camera's IVA analyzes each image and then triggers the B Series intrusion points based on rules that are stored in the camera - no additional hardware or costs are needed.
B Series intrusion control panels support multiple Bosch IP cameras and each IP camera support up to 8 IVA alerts. Each camera’s IVA is assigned to a unique detection point and is programmed like any other intrusion point. The Bosch B Series control panel also supports 4 outputs per IP camera that can trigger the IP camera to perform functions such as PTZ controls, recording profiles, or any other IP camera function. "
Here's a link to that brochure.
It's certainly interesting and I don't know of anyone else doing this. My main concern would be accuracy. Bosch IVA in our tests generally didn't suffer from false alarms, but missed activations in low light were common, if infrequent.
Ethan,
There is at least 1 other platform doing this, in almost the same way. The alarm and access control are unified on a single platform and the video analytics is performed on the integrated VMS platform (Exacq or Milestone, for example). The analytics generates alarms in the VMS which is in turn sent over IP (high-level integation between alarm/access platform and VMS) to the alarm/access platform.
The alarm/access platform sees the VMS alarms as "virtual alarm zones" and processes them exactly as if they were motion detectors or door contacts. The alarm process is varied: alarms can be sent to a monitoring station via IP (CID Over IP)/dialer (CID or SIA)/ GSM (CID); alarms can be treated in the access/alarm software; alarms can be sent via e-mail or SMS; alarms can trigger a local reaction (sirens, strobes, whatever) and more.
You could also do this in a lower level way:
Use a VMS that integrates a good quality video analytics and have the analytics rules activate a relay connected on the NVR. Have a different relay activated for each rule you set up.
Then wire these relays into zone inputs of an alarm or access panel. You can then treat these zone inputs as if they were actual motion detectors or door contacts and have them report to a monitoring station.
If your alalytics platform is of a good quality, this will work quite well. I have seen this used quite often with car dealerships where the alarms are sent to a monitoring station and then the station connects to the site to do video alarm verification.
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