Transmission and storage of continuous video streams during CCTV surveillance puts considerable strain on both bandwidth and storage capacity as well as on the security personnel who have to monitor scenes in which, for the majority of the time, nothing happens. By introducing a more event-based surveillance regime, IVMD ensures that only scenes in which important changes occur are captured, transmitted and stored. Utilizing the increased processing power and intelligence inherent in today's IP network video products, Bosch's IVMD essentially makes a series of basic pre-decisions governing scene capture based on parameters set by the user during system configuration.

Bosch's current IP network video products based on firmware release 1.5, which comprises the VIP X1, VIP X2 and Dinion IP cameras, already include sophisticated motion and tamper detection as standard functions. These products will be supplied with firmware version 2.0 which will also include a licensable option to enable IVMD. All newly introduced products, like the VIP X1600, also support IVMD.

The IVMD function includes an advanced background learning algorithm developed by Bosch's own research group that saves computational power by suppressing unwanted notification from, for example, moving trees, branches, leaves, clouds, shadows and falling rain and snow. The algorithm is also capable of adapting to changes in background. Alarms are triggered only in real alarm situations, the parameters of which are set by the user.

Up to 16 independent detector fields can be set up for alarm generation. These can be freely arranged over the video image as polygons with up to 16 vertices. Even completely overlapping or identical shapes with different trigger parameters can be set. Moreover, alarm parameters such as size, speed and direction discrimination can be set up independently for each of the detector fields. With this function a single camera can, for example, monitor the individual activity through several doors in a hallway whilst suppressing general activity within the hallway itself.

The IVMD function also features camera calibration for metric or imperial measurements. This is done via a graphical user interface using a 3D grid to allow objects to be distinguished by their real size, including the addition of perspective relations necessary for reliable size and speed discrimination in all directions. With this function, it is possible to trigger alarms only on objects below or above a specified size, for example just for trucks or cyclists. Or to trigger alarms just for objects travelling below a specified speed, say pedestrians walking on a highway.

Owners of Bosch's current IP network video products will also be able to benefit from IVMD functionality by upgrading their products' firmware to version 2.0 (which is freely downloadable from the Bosch web site) and purchasing a license to activate the new functionality.