Automatic Location Based Camera Control

By John Honovich, Published Apr 24, 2013, 12:00am EDT (Info+)

This is a very neat idea; One that we have not seen any IP camera / VMS provider offer before.

Having a network / surveillance camera at home raises two common issues:

  • ******** *************: **** ***** ******, ******* them ***** **** *** ** ******* and, *****, * ********.
  • *******: **** ****** ** *** **** cameras ** ** ** **** **** are ****. ***** *** ** ** need **** **** *** ** ********* about ******** ********** ***** ******** / shared.

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*******, *** ******* ******* ****** ******* camera *******, *** ******** * *** feature, "******** ***** ****** *******" **** ****** ************* ******* ** and *** ****** ********* ****** ** detecting ***** ***'* ****** ** (***** the ***** ** ***).

**** *** **** ****** * ******** ** **** iPhone (**** *****, ****, ***.) ***, when *********, **** ******* ****** ****** *********/******** as **** ** ** ******* **** your ***** *** ***** **** **** the ********. **** *****, **** ** detects **** ***** ** **** ** the ********, *********/******** ** ************* ********.

*** *********** ** **** ***'* ***** is ******* ** *** *****, *** if ** **** **** ** **** the ******. **** ** * ****** safe *********** *** ****** ****** *** may ****** ****** ** ******** ****** are ** **** (*.*., ****** ** really **** ** / *** ** some ****** *** ***** ****).

***** **** ******* **** *** ***** these ****** *** *** *********, ** is ** ********** *** ** ******** mobile ********** **** ****** **** **** customers *** ************* ** ******* ******* IP ****** *********.

Comments (8)

Undisclosed

04/30/13 07:41am

I believe you mean to say that the presumption is that one's *phone* is carried at all times.

It does seem as if to be widely useful, you'd have to be able to specify multiple family members, so that the location-based settings would apply when everybody is away (or somebody is home, etc.).

John Honovich

IPVM | 04/30/13 07:48am

Michael, thanks, fixed that.

Brian Mooney

IPVMU Certified | 05/02/13 12:33pm

While this is neat, it is not without concern. My concern would be the phone being stolen or found by an unsavory person who uses the phone to navigate to "Home", which causes the camera system to stop recording just in time to not capture the offender(s).

Now, it should be simple to have a site to log in and quickly ignore the lost phone's location, but that will rely on you knowing quickly that something is amiss...

It is an awesome innovation to my mind. The hope is that the potential contingencies have been thought through.

Ronald Tetrault

05/02/13 05:26pm

As a person who installs burglary alarm systems, hooking up the cameras to a relay powered by the alarm system would be foolproof. Only when the system is away armed should the relay turn on to allow certain cameras to turn ON. I know for sure it would work with most DSC and Elk systems, but I bet all other brands can be set up to do the same thing.

John Honovich

IPVM | 05/02/13 05:28pm

Ron, that makes sense. Dropcam can't do this because it's a stand-alone consumer offering but that is a good idea for integrated video / alarm systems.

Ronald Tetrault

05/02/13 05:36pm

Actually, it doesn't have to be an integrated system. Any stand-alone alarm system without domotics would do. Just need to cut one of the camera wires and have the two cut ends connect to a relay.

John Honovich

IPVM | 05/02/13 05:38pm

Dropcam is a wifi / usb camera so I am not sure what wires you will cut that can make it work.

Ronald Tetrault

05/02/13 05:50pm

Oh, I see. But that would work well with wired cameras. <s>

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