The Internet spawns a security revolution

Sending security camera footage to a central control centre using Internet technology is increasingly important for transport operators. Bosch has installed two comprehensive systems in Germany and Portugal.

The ready availability of Local Area Network (LAN) connectivity based on the new universal Internet Protocol (IP) is creating something of a revolution in security and surveillance. One of the major contributors to this revolution is Video Communications Systems (VCS), part of the Bosch Security Systems Division.

Benefits of IP to the security world include easy installation and scalability, wide-area connectivity and cost-effectiveness, thanks to the use of simple LAN infrastructures and global IP standards.

Two flagship examples graphically illustrating these benefits are the new CCTV systems recently installed on lines in the Aachen area of the German Rail (DB) network and the Lisbon Metro in Portugal.

Security and surveillance systems are crucially important for rail networks - not just as a deface against terrorism and crime, but also to ensure maximum passenger safety and comfort, and smooth, efficient operation of the network. A continuous record of events is also important from the legal perspective, since it can provide a defense in law if an event (such as an accident) occurs for which a rail authority may be held liable.

Security systems must include CCTV surveillance cameras, public announcement and alarm systems, and public information and help points. With the legacy of past developments, these systems mostly operate on separate networks and are based on different technologies, resulting in decentralization and inefficiency. They are also often difficult and expensive to install and expand as a rail network grows. This is changing with the growing use of IP-based security systems. Here CCTV cameras, information points, alarm and announcement systems are integrated into a LAN, each with its own IP address and all overseen and managed from a central control room. Once the network is established, plug-and-play functionality means that IP-enabled units can easily be added or removed.

With around 5600 stations throughout the country, Germany`s rail network is the largest in Europe. As a first step on the route to a fully-integrated IP security system throughout the entire network, DB started a pilot project on 90 km of lines radiating from Aachen in 2003. This includes Aachen Central station and 22 regional stations handling about 100,000 passengers daily.

One of the prime requirements was for around-the-clock surveillance at every station and along the track on the Aachen network. This was provided by 150 CCTV cameras each connected to a Bosch VideoJet 1000 single-channel digital video recorder/transceiver unit. Eight cameras were installed in Aachen Central, one each at the 22 regional stations, and the rest were located along the track, the VideoJet 1000 units providing IP connectivity to the control room at Aachen Central Station via an existing optical fiber LAN.

The units also feature a new codec developed by Bosch with the unique capability of offering both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 video compression. This allows DVD-quality video to be transmitted live via the IP network to the control room while simultaneously recording the video using the less space-hungry MPEG-4 compression. The codec also introduces a delay of just 100 milliseconds to the video transmission. This is exceptionally low compared with the delays of around 500 to 1000 milliseconds introduced by competitor codecs and allows for easy zooming to follow events in real-time captured on camera.

Stringent electromagnetic safety requirements near railway tracks forbid the use of any equipment with moving parts, which includes hard-disk storage media. To accommodate this, a tailored solution was developed in which the Video Jet units record locally onto 128 MB internal memory, providing about 15 minutes of recording time.

The entire network was implemented and integrated into DB`s own software environment using Bosch`s software development kit (SDK). Written as a Microsoft Windows ActiveX library, this provides easy access to Bosch networked video, allowing customers to control, record and view video from within their own programs.

Portuguese Experiment. Prompted by the summer's 2005 European football championship in Portugal, Lisbon Metro decided to install a new IP-based CCTV surveillance system to monitor the movement of football fans travelling to and from the stadium. The company responsible for implementing the new system, ENT-Grupo Efacec, Portugal, chose Bosch as system provider.

The system was based around the new Video Jet 8000 digital video recorder/transmitter unit. This is capable of processing eight independent, non-multiplexed MPEG-2 video streams simultaneously over gigabit Ethernet (Ethernet supporting data rates up to1 gigabit/s). Moreover, with a maximum data rate of 480 fully-interlaced DVD-quality fields per second, the unit provides superb video with best use of bandwidth.

Lisbon Metro uses 45 Video Jet 8000 units located in stations, each receiving streaming video from eight CCTV cameras. The video is transmitted via LAN to the control room where it is monitored live on a bank of four split-screen monitors each displaying the video from four cameras.

The screens continuously switch between stations to allow for constant real-time monitoring. With integrated hard disk storage, each Video Jet 8000 also simultaneously makes a continuous three to five day recording. This is backed up at the control room on a high-capacity network video recorder that provides storage for all 45 units for more than 30 days.

For extra security, the system also features a salvo function in which all 16 pictures displayed on the monitors automatically switch from station to station as a train passes along the line.

Besides these two examples, Bosch has also been chosen for many others such as the Munich U-Bahn with 600 cameras, a line in Italy with 200 codecs and the light railways of Strasbourg and Valenciennes in France, scheduled to be installed with more than 50 and 300 cameras respectively.

 

Exercise 1. Study the following words and word-expressions:

1. surveillance - нагляд

2. scalability – пристосованість до високих вимог

3. flagship - головний

4. crucial – вирішальний, критичний

5. alarm system – система оповіщення

6. pilot project – експериментальний проект

7. around-the-clock surveillance – цілодобове спостереження

8. digital - цифровий

9. codec – електронне приладдя, що перетворює відео сигнал в цифровий

10.delay - затримка

11.optical fiber – оптичне волокно

12.zooming - масштабування

13.stringent – суворий, точний, обов`язковий

14.to forbid - забороняти

15.a tailored solution – відповідне рішення

16.hard-disk – жорсткий диск

17.Ethernet – локальна мережа, Еthernet

18.superb – чудовий, грандіозний

19.bandwidth – діапазон радіочастот

20.to spawn - викликати, породжувати

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions according to the text:

1. What are the major contributors to a revolution in security and surveillance in transport industry?

2. Which benefits of Internet Protocol are there?

3. Why are security and surveillance systems crucially important for rail networks?

4. Which components must security systems include?

5. When and where did the pilot project of a fully-integrated IP security system start?

6. What does safety requirement forbid to use?

7. When did the Lisbon`s Metro authorities decide to install a new IP-based CCTV surveillance system? Why was it used for?

8. What main features of this new system do you know?

Exercise 3. Translate the following word-expressions from English into Ukrainian.

Central control center, video communication system, security systems division, cost-effectiveness, maximum passenger safety, IP-based security system, fully-integrated IP security system, stringent electromagnetic safety requirements, constant real-time monitoring, integrated hard disk storage.