Cloud-based video monitoring
One embodiment of the present invention provides a cloud-based video monitoring system comprising a camera and a network video recorder (NVR). During operation, the camera stores in a buffer last predetermined temporal segment of a video. The camera also stores a first video file in a local storage corresponding to an event detected by the camera. This first video file is non-overlapping with a second video file corresponding to the event and this second video file is stored in the NVR. The camera generates a third video file by pre-pending last predetermined temporal segment of a video prior to the event to the first video file and sends the third video file to the NVR.
1. A method for a digital video camera in a cloud-based video monitoring system, comprising:
storing, in a rolling buffer by of the digital video camera, a last predetermined temporal segment of a video stream;
in response to detecting a triggering event, initiating a local video recording in a local storage device of the digital video camera and streaming a video feed of the digital video camera to a network video recorder (NVR);
identifying a first frame of the video feed recorded by the NVR from a control message from the NVR;
generating, from the local video recording in the local storage device, a local video segment from an initial frame of the local video recording to a frame immediately before the identified first frame;
generating, by the digital video camera, a video file comprising the last temporal segment of the video stream prior to the triggering event and the local video segment; and
sending the generated video file to the NVR.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the video file further includes:
pre-pending the last temporal segment of the video stream prior to the event to the local video segment, wherein the video file is non-overlapping with the first frame of the video feed recorded by the NVR.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the first frame of the video feed recorded by the NVR includes:
obtaining, from the control message from the NVR, metadata associated with the first frame.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting an end of the triggering event; and
terminating the streaming of the video feed of the digital video camera to the NVR.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the NVR is coupled to a backup NVR, and wherein the backup NVR includes one or more of:
an NVR at a remote local area network;
a remote computer cluster comprising one or more distributed NVRs; and
a peer digital video camera.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to detecting unavailability of the NVR, searching for a nearby peer digital video camera via a wireless communication interface; and
in response to detecting a peer digital video camera:
establishing a wireless connection with the peer digital video camera over the wireless communication interface; and
streaming the video feed to the peer digital video camera over the wireless connection.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital video camera is paired with a wall input outlet, and wherein the method further comprises:
detecting a user of the wall input outlet; and
controlling operation of the wall input outlet in response to detecting the user of the wall input outlet.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the local video recording in the local storage device at a granularity of individual video segments of the local video recording.