Page 44 - CE_Industral_Journal_2014

live images directly over an IP network. This enables camera has been compromised; and loitering to determine
authorized users to remotely view, store and manage video if people stay too long near a restricted area. Video
over a standard IP-based network. An IP camera does analytics are also increasingly being used for substation
not need to be directly connected to a DVR, as it operates automation as a feedback into an operational control or
independently and can be placed wherever an IP network monitoring function.
connection exists. An IP camera is fully bi-directional, and
can communicate with several applications in parallel F. Storage
to perform various tasks, such as detecting motion or
sending different streams of video. Video monitoring systems that record all the activities that
occur through a camera require a significant amount of

Cameras can come in a fixed format, where the position storage space, especially if long term video archiving is
and field of view is fixed, or as a PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom), which required. Video storage systems need to be reliable and
enables an operator to move the camera viewpoint around scalable and with solutions using a combination of local
a wide area. storage on a DVR as well as network attached storage
where additional storage can be added as required and
expanded to very large terabytes storage systems.
D. Video Management Software
Video management software is used in combination with As the deployment of video monitoring solutions is
video cameras (IP or analog) to provide real-time and implemented across the system, it is important that an
historical video monitoring, video recording, and event appropriate strategy surrounding storage be executed.
management. Multiple cameras over multiple locations Considering for example, 5 cameras per substation, each
can be accessed via the software. In addition, the recording at 1Mb/s and with 24/7 recording, over 4 GB of
software typically includes additional functionality such data per day will be generated. Depending on the number
as installation and management tools for network video of substations in a system, the data that is generated can
products, image enhancement capability, scheduling be significant.
functions and archive management.
G. Auxiliary Components
Video management software also handles the tasks of
automatic notification of alarms or events through email or Video monitoring systems sometimes employ additional
communication protocols. Automatic detection of events components to enhance or add new capabilities to
that occur within the video is made by using video analytic existing operations. Functionality such as access control
algorithms. and motion detection is designed in conjunction with
video monitoring systems in order to provide a completely
integrated physical security solution.
E. Video Analytics
In a typical monitoring application, a human operator has to In addition, given the networked nature of today’s video
constantly monitor a large array of video feeds for security monitoring solutions, cyber security concerns also need
threats or operational issue. As the number of cameras to be addressed and may require dedicated devices for
increases, information overload makes manual monitoring cyber security intrusion detection systems and network
increasingly difficult, adding to other confounding factors firewalls. These are sometimes integrated with video
like human fatigue and boredom. Intelligent video monitoring solutions.
monitoring automates the monitoring and event detection
components, alerting the operator only when unusual DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR ELECTRIC UTILITIES
behavior or other events of interest are detected.
In solving issues or improving utility operations, especially
Video Analytics is a technology that is used to analyze within a substation, it is imperative that the utility selects
video for specific events, alarms, conditions or objects. It is the right technology for the application. The following
comprised of software algorithms to analyze the contents provides high level design guidelines when considering
of video to extract information about the content of that video monitoring solutions for use in any number of
video. Examples of video analytics applications include: applications within an electric utility. This section does
motion detection which automatically detects motion in a not provide answers and is only meant to highlight the
field of view; perimeter violation (or “virtual tripwire”) which parameters and options that must be considered when
can monitor a fence line for any intrusion (eg. someone designing the overall solution.
jumping a fence); camera tampering to determine if a

INDUSTRY JOURNAL 42