Open Security System

Introduction

This is a system which I thought of several years ago, in 1999 or so. Nobody's building it yet. The software was available but perhaps a bit expensive, back then (especially things like drivers and video codecs); today, it is probably all available as free/open-source modules which just need to be knitted together in order to do the job.

Summary

The basic idea is to use inexpensive web cams, an inexpensive internet connection, and an inexpensive shared hosting account to provide home security, monitored (as the cheapest option) by friends and family over the internet.

Key Features:

• online storage of all video feeds, accessible by date/time index for as long as the feed is stored
• server-side detection of internet failure, in case a clever thief "cuts the lines" before entering, with escalating alerts if the connection is not restored after a set time -- these should be fully configurable, but here's the general idea:
  • First warning to all users via IM and email
  • Second warnings via automated phone calls to various friendly phone numbers
  • Third warning to emergency neighbor number(s)
  • Fourth warning to local police department
• all software should be free/open-source
• all hardware should be off-the-shelf and (where possible) inexpensive

Details

Software

The basic structure is more or less client-server, with the user's computer providing a data feed to the offsite server. Monitoring of the data received is via the internet. The quick, universally-accessible way to do this would be via web browser; later, maybe a custom app could be written to do more interactive monitoring (e.g. realtime displays of data aside from video feeds)

• Components:
  • End-user (i.e. computer at the site): data collector & streamer -- collects data from whatever feeds are available
  • Server (i.e. somewhere off-site): data receiver, data storage, user interface (either just for data retrieval or
• Feeds -- depends on hardware, but here are the obvious possibilities:
  • Video (web cams) -- the heart of the system, really. You could do something useful without a webcam, but you'd lose most of the advantages of this system
  • Contact sensors -- showing if any doors or windows have been opened (as used in traditional security systems)
  • Sound sensors -- cheap microphones to record any sounds in the room
  • Impact sensors -- (actually a specialized sound sensor) contact microphones capable of sensing a finger touching glass or wood are about $2 at Radio Shack, though a bit of modification is needed (take apart a piezo buzzer; what you find inside is a contact mic). These could be used to detect door or window tampering, footfalls (especially on non-carpeted floor), etc.
  • Motion detectors -- commonly used in traditional security systems; probably computer-linkable units are available using x10 or some such.

Links

• Network Pan/Tilt/Zoom Camera: streams over the internet without a computer, but probably does not record off-site; provides only a single video feed, at a cost of $350 (as of this writing) which would buy you several low-end webcams
• Motorola Home Monitoring and Control review: a similar system, but overpriced
• NerdMan: heavy webcam user. Livia gave me this link; not sure if it's applicable or not. Saving it to look at later.