A taxonomy of visual surveillance systems

The increased security risk in society and the availability of low cost sensors and processors has expedited the research in surveillance systems. Visual surveillance systems provide real time monitoring of the environment. Designing an optimized surveillance system for a given application is a challenging task. Moreover, the choice of components for a given surveillance application out of a wide spectrum of available products is not an easy job. In this report, we formulate a taxonomy to ease the design and classification of surveillance systems by combining their main features. The taxonomy is based on three main models: behavioral model, implementation model, and actuation model. The behavioral model helps to understand the behavior of a surveillance problem. The model is a set of functions such as detection, positioning, identification, tracking, and content handling. The behavioral model can be used to pinpoint the functions which are necessary for a particular situation. The implementation model structures the decisions which are necessary to implement the surveillance functions, recognized by the behavioral model. It is a set of constructs such as sensor type, node connectivity and node fixture. The actuation model is responsible for taking precautionary measures when a surveillance system detects some abnormal situation. A number of surveillance systems are investigated and analyzed on the basis of developed taxonomy. The taxonomy is general enough to handle a vast range of surveillance systems. It has organized the core features of surveillance systems at one place. It may be considered an important tool when designing surveillance systems. The designers can use this tool to design surveillance systems with reduced effort, cost, and time.