Method and apparatus for dynamically controlling a video surveillance system

1. A method of dynamically enabling the use of a video analysis program in a video surveillance system having a plurality of video sources connected to a network, said method comprising:

enabling a video analysis program, installed in a plurality of video sources in the video surveillance system and stored in an encoder associated with each of the plurality of video sources, to be used with a predetermined number of video sources at one time, the predetermined number being fewer than the plurality;

enabling the use of the video analysis program to be transferred from one of the plurality of video sources to another of the plurality of video sources provided that the total number of video sources using the video analysis program at one time is fewer than the predetermined number of video sources; and

enabling a configuration of the video analysis program on at least one of the plurality of video sources using the video analysis program, the configuration enabled via a user interface control received from the at least one of the plurality of video sources using the video analysis program.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the installed video analysis program is stored in memory associated with each of the plurality of video sources, the memory being accessible to the encoder corresponding thereto.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling the use of the video analysis program to be transferred from one of the plurality of video sources to another of the plurality of video sources comprises:

receiving a request for using the video analysis program with one of the plurality of video sources;

determining the number of video sources using the video analysis program;

comparing the number of video sources using the video analysis program to the predetermined number of video sources; and

reassigning the use of the video analysis program from a video source in the plurality of video sources to the video source in the request received if the determined number of video sources using the video analysis program is equal to the predetermined number of video sources.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality is a first plurality and enabling the use of the video analysis program to be transferred comprises scheduling the use of the video analysis program on a second plurality of video sources at predetermined times.

5. A computer readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

enable a video analysis program, installed in a plurality of video sources in a video surveillance system and stored in an encoder associated with each of the plurality of video sources, to be used with a predetermined number of video sources at one time, the predetermined number being fewer than the plurality;

enable the use of the video analysis program to be transferred from one of the plurality of video sources to another of the plurality of video sources provided that the total number of video sources using the video analysis program at one time is fewer than the predetermined number of video sources; and

enable a configuration of the video analysis program on at least one of the plurality of video sources using the video analysis program, the configuration enabled via a user interface control received from the at least one of the plurality of video sources using the video analysis program.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 5 wherein the plurality is a first plurality and enabling the use of the video analysis program to be transferred comprises scheduling the use of the video analysis program on a second plurality of video sources at predetermined times.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 5 wherein the installed video analysis program is stored in memory associated with each of the plurality of video sources, the memory being accessible to the encoder corresponding thereto.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 5 wherein the instructions that enable the use of the video analysis program to be transferred from one of the plurality of video sources to another of the plurality of video source, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a request for using the video analysis program with one of the plurality of video sources;

determine the number of video sources using the video analysis program;

compare the number of video sources using the video analysis program to the predetermined number of video sources; and

reassign the use of the video analysis program from a video source in the plurality of video sources to the video source in the request received if the determined number of video sources using the video analysis program is equal to the predetermined number of video sources.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 5 wherein the user interface control is received as an XML file.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface control is received as an XML file.

11. A computer system for dynamically enabling the use of a video analysis program in a video surveillance system having a plurality of video sources connected to a network, the computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory with computer code instructions stored thereon, the processor and the memory, with the computer code instructions, being configured to cause the system to:

enable a video analysis program, installed in a plurality of video sources in the video surveillance system and stored in an encoder associated with each of the plurality of video sources, to be used with a predetermined number of video sources at one time, the predetermined number being fewer than the plurality;

enable the use of the video analysis program to be transferred from one of the plurality of video sources to another of the plurality of video sources provided that the total number of video sources using the video analysis program at one time is fewer than the predetermined number of video sources; and

enable a configuration of the video analysis program on at least one of the plurality of video sources using the video analysis program, the configuration enabled via a user interface control received from the at least one of the plurality of video sources using the video analysis program.

12. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the installed video analysis program is stored in memory associated with each of the plurality of video sources, the memory being accessible to the encoder corresponding thereto.

13. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein, in enabling the use of the video analysis program to be transferred from one of the plurality of video sources to another of the plurality of video sources, the processor and the memory, with the computer code instructions, are further configured to cause the system to:

receive a request for using the video analysis program with one of the plurality of video sources;

determine the number of video sources using the video analysis program;

compare the number of video sources using the video analysis program to the predetermined number of video sources; and

reassign the use of the video analysis program from a video source in the plurality of video sources to the video source in the request received if the determined number of video sources using the video analysis program is equal to the predetermined number of video sources.

14. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the plurality is a first plurality and wherein enabling the use of the video analysis program to be transferred comprises scheduling the use of the video analysis program on a second plurality of video sources at predetermined times.

15. The computer system of claim 11 where the user interface control is received as an XML file.