Intel enables new era in Digital Security Surveillance

BANGALORE, INDIA: In an age where terror attacks have become more frequent, governments and private industries all the world over are consistently looking for ways to improve security. The general public is also spending huge amounts of money to ensure the safety of their loved ones and possessions. 

Simple security systems with cameras and a security guard to monitor them do not live up to current demands. Effective security surveillance requires functionality that goes far beyond the capabilities of traditional systems.

Recognizing the need for sophisticated surveillance solutions to meet today’s requirement, Intel together with its ecosystem providers have made available a spectrum of hardware and software platforms known as Intel® Digital Security Surveillance (DSS) Platform Technology.

The DSS platform serves as a reference design for system integrators to build a compelling surveillance system with support up to 16 cameras and state of the art image processing technologies. For instance security checkpoints at airports at the United States and Japan have adopted biometrics procedures like fingerprint and facial recognition systems as part of a routine check.

This is seen as an emerging trend, which would be implemented in airports all over the world in the near future. Digital surveillance systems with software intelligence now have the capability to perform huge number crunching applications like image comparison and motion detection.

Strategically placed monitoring cameras around places of importance like national monuments paired with software intelligence are able to signal an alert if baggage is left unattended over period of time. The DSS captures real time images, performs the required algorithm, identifies objects that are out of place and triggers an alarm based on predefined states.

Terror attacks in India could possibly be pre-empted in the future once digital surveillance system comes into mainstream usage.

The ingredients that make up the DSS platform comprise Intel dual core processors, software optimization tools and platform RASUM capabilities.

The Intel dual core processor which is a combination of two independent cores and caches on a single die boosts multitasking performance. Hyper-threading technology incorporated into the architecture of this processor greatly enhances the throughput of multithreaded applications. 

The capability of dealing with huge chunks of data for multi-channel high resolution image processing coupled with the lower power consumption and smaller physical footprint of the Intel dual core processor makes it the ideal choice for a DSS system compared to traditional dual-processor platforms. Furthermore, Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology (EM64T) offers software programmers up to 1 terabyte of addressable memory space to play with while creating memory intensive applications.

Intel DSS system also provides PCI Express peripheral component interconnect to meet the high bandwidth demands on the I/O subsystem. This allows the platform to support an increased number of video channels with higher frame rates and resolution (D1 resolution).

Nevertheless older capture cards (with less bandwidth requirement) can still be used as the platform also supports PCI interconnect. The ability to service the DSS system and maintain it remotely is another important requirement and this fits perfectly with the Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) which has revolutionized the way IT support is structured.

With AMT in place a DSS solution can be deployed at any location and maintenance such as software upgrades can be performed from a central location without the need to send personnel on-site regardless of the power state of the DSS system.

As all security surveillance systems are bound by privacy concerns Intel has developed LaGrande Technology to help protect critical information by utilizing domain separation, which allows for secure confidential user data storage and to shield from software based attacks on the system.

In addition, Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) based Intel Matrix Storage Technology allows for high storage capacity and data protection. Furthermore, as a support for software application writers, pre-built Intel Integrated Performance Primitives (IPP) functions are enabled on the DSS platform, thus allowing developers to incorporate multimedia capabilities into their software.

The Intel DSS solution is capable of handling artificial intelligence which analyzes moving objects against backdrops. Because of this feature movements which the human eye may not detect can now easily captured.

Furthermore the platform has the complete building blocks for a stand alone solution, which translates to a cost effective solution. Today’s surveillance solutions must provide greater intelligence for image processing, higher bandwidth for data networking, system redundancy for seamless fail-over implementation, easier data backup for storage, and remote maintenance in addition to scalability for future growth.

As a package the Intel DSS solution meets all these requirements, thus making it the platform of choice for solution providers to help create a safe and secure India.

Author is Technical Marketing Engineer, Embedded Communications Group (ECG) at Intel Corporation