General Advanced Review Software (GARS)

Features

• Supports multiple surveillance systems via Dynamic Link Libraries
• Intuitive, highly flexible and simple to use interface
• Multi-camera feature supports up to 32 cameras per surveillance
• Simultaneous image decompression, motion detection analysis, and image display
• Continues a previous review without recreating a database
• Capability to load scenes from as many as eight different directories
• Persistent zoom for image playback of maximum sized images
• A resize/maximize function for screen resolutions greater than 800 x 600 pixels
• Enhanced DCM-14 support to include review of VACOSS seal data
• Cross-platform application for Windows^® 95/98 and Windows NT^®*
• Capability to specify time and date range of images to be loaded
• Ability to directly read DCM-14 PC cards and stream files
• Supports DCM-14 generated key encryption and authentication
• Expanded report generation now includes scene and surveillance reports

*Windows and NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Description

With versions greater than 6.0, the GEMINI Advanced Review Software becomes the General Advanced Review Software (GARS). While the acronym stays the same, the functionality of GARS changes greatly with the introduction of surveillance plug-in modules implemented via Windows Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs). Currently there are three surveillance systems supported in GARS via the DLLs: The GEMINI and MOS/MUX systems from CANBERRA and the Digital Camera Module 14 (DCM-14) system from Neumann GmbH. Functions handled by the DLLs include the creation of all review files, image decompression, report generation, image authentication, and surveillance preference selection. Help information is also available in separate help files named for the respective systems.

Responsible for performing an efficient review of digital images created on a number of supported systems, the General Advanced Review Software provides motion detection via a rapidly executing motion detection algorithm that analyzes adjacent images to detect potential changes in user-defined areas in the images. The GARS performs image decompression, motion detection analysis, and image display “on-the-fly”, which efficiently combines these processes into a single step/task. Even with the inclusion of motion detection, the overall review process time is approximately half of the total review time of the previous prototypes with their separate steps/tasks. This combined “on-the-fly” approach provides a simple, highly flexible user interface and a more efficient digital image review process.

GARS also offers multi-camera support (up to 32 cameras per surveillance), persistent zoom for image playback of maximum sized images, a resize/maximize function for screen resolutions greater than 800 x 600, and an improved Graphical Overview tool for reviewing scene specific or interval information. GARS also has the ability to load scenes from as many as eight different directories, the ability to specify time and date range of images to be loaded, and can continue reviewing data without having to recreate a database after the program has been exited, then restarted. In addition, GARS offers enhanced DCM-14 support, which now covers review of VACOSS seal data, direct review of DCM-14 PC cards and stream files, and the ability to review DCM-14 generated key encrypted and authenticated images.

Presently, the GARS is a cross-platform application available for the Windows 95/98 and Windows NT platforms. The Review Station incorporates a disk docking port/station into which a Removable Hard Disk (RHD) containing stored digital images is inserted. In addition, the review station contains a CD-ROM reader, enabling review via a CD-ROM containing the compressed surveillance image files and a PC card reader to review images from a DCM-14 PC card.