Exploration and research on the application of 3G and security video technology

3G can provide security systems with fast-deployable, mobile, and high-speed data transmission services; wireless transmission of video surveillance is an important combination of 3G and security systems. This article discusses the combination of 3G and security video technology and the future development direction.

1. 3G Network and Its Development Status

3G is the third generation of mobile communication (technology) network, which is relative to the first generation of analog mobile communication (analog cellular) and the second generation of digital mobile communication (digital cellular). The first two generations of mobile communication networks can only provide voice services, while 3G can not only provide voice services, but also high-speed data services, which can be easily integrated with Internet services, providing users with convenient mobile, high-bandwidth network information services. For example, China Telecom claims that its uplink bandwidth can reach 3.1Mbps and its downlink bandwidth can reach 1.8Mbps. Therefore, its mobile and high-bandwidth data communication services are the main selling points of the 3G mobile communication network. Previously, China Mobile and China Unicom also launched mobile communication services, such as China Mobile's GPRS and Unicom's CDMA-1X services, but due to the low communication rate, they can only be used as a transition from 2G to 3G services, and are called 2.5G.

Since the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology officially issued 3G operating licenses to major domestic telecom operators on January 7, 2009, each operator has quickly deployed and gradually put into commercial operation. So far, China Telecom's CDMA2000, China Unicom's WCDMA and China Mobile's TD-SCDMA mobile communication networks have been officially put into operation in major cities across the country, marking that China, which accounts for one-fifth of the world's population, has officially entered the 3G era of mobile communications.

2. What are the integration points between 3G and security video technology?

Since the main feature of 3G is that it can provide convenient, mobile, high-speed data communication services, 3G mainly provides security systems with quickly deployable, mobile, high-speed data transmission services. In security systems, only the transmission of image information requires higher bandwidth support. In other words, the combination of 3G and security systems is the wireless transmission of surveillance video.

Before 3G network service, the transmission of long-distance security monitoring system was mainly wired transmission, including optical fiber point-to-point transmission and wired network transmission. In some engineering sites where there are no ready-made network access points and it is impossible to lay wired lines or the cost of laying lines is too high, most of them use point-to-point or point-to-multipoint microwave transmission technology. The transmission distance can reach tens of kilometers, the construction period is long, and the construction cost and later maintenance cost are very high. It is a helpless choice. As for receiving video image information on the move, there is no real practical solution.

The 3G network and its terminal modules solve two transmission problems in the security system: one is the transmission of video information from the image acquisition end to the central station, that is, image "upload", which uses the uplink data channel of the 3G network; the other is the transmission of video information from the central station to the user (client), that is, image "download", which uses the downlink data channel of the 3G network.

3. What are the basic applications of security systems combined with 3G networks?

1. Wireless upload of fixed surveillance images

For some remote monitoring sites, 3G terminal modules can be used directly to transmit the monitoring images of the site to the monitoring center station through the 3G network. The construction investment cost of the transmission system is extremely low (only one 3G terminal module is needed), and there is no need to bear the system maintenance costs. You only need to pay the communication fees during the use period to the operator. If the scale is large, you can also strive for lower communication rate policies from the operator.

If the 1.8Mbps uplink bandwidth claimed by the operator can be achieved, and if the H.264 video encoding protocol is used, a 1.3 million pixel (720P) high-definition surveillance image can be transmitted, and the video frame rate can reach more than 15 frames per second, which can well meet the needs of on-site monitoring. At present, many domestic manufacturers have launched video encoders and network camera products that are embedded in 3G terminal modules and support 3GPP protocols.

2. Wireless upload of mobile surveillance images

Government departments such as the public security and urban management departments, as well as industries such as electricity and petroleum, all have vehicles for on-site disposal and inspection. They need to upload on-site monitoring images to the monitoring center in real time for remote command and dispatch. This demand can be well met through the 3G wireless network. Many manufacturers have launched vehicle-mounted hard disk recorders, which are 3G video surveillance devices that integrate local recording and remote wireless image uploading. Many public security agencies have also equipped them in police command vehicles.

3. Publishing surveillance images to mobile clients

In the monitoring system based on fixed network, users can only view the monitoring images through computers at fixed locations, and cannot monitor at any time and anywhere. With the help of 3G network, users can view the monitoring images at any time through wireless laptops or 3G smart phones.

IV. What innovative products are there by combining 3G with security video technology?

1. Digital video encoding equipment embedded in 3G terminal modules

The 3G terminal module is embedded into DVR/DVS/IPCamera and other devices to form a new product with wireless image mobile uploading function. Through the automatic code stream control technology, the on-site monitoring images can be uploaded to the monitoring center, 3G mobile receiving terminal or streaming media server anytime and anywhere.

For example, the vehicle-mounted mobile monitoring system equipment that is currently widely equipped is a new product developed by embedding the original vehicle-mounted hard disk recorder with a 3G terminal module. It can transmit the monitoring images of the vehicle's location to the monitoring center at any time, providing the most intuitive on-site information for remote command and rapid handling of emergencies.

Network cameras embedded with 3G modules can be very conveniently used for video surveillance in personal shops and homes. They only need to be connected to a power source and can be monitored anytime and anywhere using a computer or a 3G smartphone.

The "on-site law enforcement recorder" embedded with a 3G module can not only record real-time images of the law enforcement scene, but can also transmit the actual situation on the scene to the command center at any time as needed, which can play a better auxiliary role in the on-site law enforcement work of public security, urban management, safety supervision and other management departments.

2. Digital video display devices embedded with 3G modules

The combination of a digital video decoder, an LCD display and a 3G module can form a portable mobile monitoring terminal that can monitor any on-site images anytime and anywhere. It can be equipped in police and command vehicles or in individual soldier equipment.

The combined design of the audio and video head, digital video codec, display and voice module and 3G module can form a single-soldier mobile communication terminal with two-way audio and video transmission and emergency call intercom functions. It can not only upload the images of the scene in real time, allowing the command center to understand the actual situation on the scene in time, but also obtain the necessary images, pictures and text information from the monitoring center, so as to deal with the scene more flexibly and proactively.

3. Digital monitoring equipment supporting 3GPP protocol

By adding the 3GPP protocol to devices such as DVR/DVS/IPCamera, it is possible to directly access and control these devices through mobile phones and monitor real-time video images. Currently, more and more devices are beginning to support the 3GPP protocol.

(IV) 3G mobile phone video surveillance software

It includes network video monitoring platform software and mobile video monitoring client software that can provide mobile phone monitoring services. With the support of these software products, individual users can use 3G smart phones to monitor anytime and anywhere.

5. What new market opportunities will the combination of 3G and security systems bring?

1. Construction of remote monitoring system for oil pipelines/power transmission and distribution lines

The frequent occurrence of oil theft cases against oil pipelines and cable theft cases against power transmission and distribution lines has not only caused huge economic losses to oil and power companies, but also seriously affected the normal economic and social order, causing great harm. However, since the crime sites are mostly in remote areas, human inspections alone cannot effectively curb the occurrence of these illegal and criminal acts, and a few severe crackdowns alone cannot solve the problem. It is necessary to rely on security monitoring systems to conduct real-time monitoring and early warning of key areas. However, due to the large scope and remote location, the image transmission problem cannot be solved, making the monitoring system ineffective. The combination of 3G network and security system can make this security measure possible, which will definitely form a large market.

(II) Construction of on-site handling and mobile command systems for public security/urban management

When the public security/urban management and other departments are enforcing the law on the spot, the on-site law enforcement remote interactive monitoring system based on the 3G network can upload and issue monitoring images and record audio and video. Public officials can save the video records of on-site law enforcement and upload the images to the command center in time, so that the command center can dispatch police forces to control the vicious development of the situation. Therefore, the construction of on-site disposal and mobile command systems will inevitably bring a new market.

(III) Home video surveillance operation services

The combination of 3G and security systems has brought a new turn for the home and store monitoring and operation service market. Home and store monitoring and operation services have always been a market that the industry generally favors. Many years ago, some companies tried it, but it has never been recognized by users, and the market has never been cultivated. The key problem is that it cannot provide users with the monitoring they need anytime and anywhere. It is very inconvenient to use and does not meet users' expectations and core needs. Users who have joined the service network in the early stage have gradually abandoned it.

The operation of 3G network and its combination with security monitoring system has brought hope to the home video monitoring operation service market. Users who join the service can not only receive the alarm information triggered at home through their mobile phones, but also monitor the situation at home anytime and anywhere. After confirming the truth, they can call 110 or notify the security guards of the community to control the scene, which truly solves the problems that users are concerned about. Therefore, the home video monitoring operation service market will have a great development.

6. What technological innovation "vitality" has 3G injected into the development of security video technology?

In terms of hardware equipment, it is just to embed 3G terminal modules into the original hardware equipment, which is not a technical innovation. The technical innovation of security video technology on the 3G platform is mainly reflected in the software level, especially the platform software that supports 3G mobile phone video monitoring.

There are generally two ways to browse surveillance images through 3G smartphones: one is to directly access digital video encoding devices that support the 3GPP protocol through the mobile phone. The client software needs to be installed on the mobile phone, but due to the different device protocols, it is difficult to be compatible with devices from different manufacturers at the same time; the other is to provide services to mobile phone users through the platform. The mobile phone monitors images by accessing the platform server. This requires technical innovation in the development of network video surveillance platforms, shielding the differences between devices from different manufacturers in the system, and providing mobile phone users with unified and standard video surveillance services, mainly including unified encoding services, streaming media forwarding services and unified control services.

7. What are the current problems in the integration of 3G and security video technology?

The main problems in the integration of 3G and security are the coverage, quality and bandwidth of the 3G network. As the 3G network has been in operation for a short time, the network coverage is mainly concentrated in large and medium-sized cities, mainly in central and eastern cities. Some remote areas that need to use the 3G network have not been fully covered, which limits the application in these areas; the system stability is still relatively poor, and network interruptions often occur, which affects user confidence; the network bandwidth is far from reaching the theoretical design indicators, with only hundreds of K bandwidth, which cannot meet the requirements of real-time transmission of high-definition images. Therefore, the combined application of 3G and security systems will take a long time, which mainly depends on the construction progress of the 3G network.

8. Future development trend of security monitoring market under the influence of 3G

Since 3G networks can effectively solve the remote transmission of video images, which is the main problem hindering the construction of security systems, the size of the security monitoring market will have a leapfrog development. The cost of installing and deploying a remote monitoring point will be greatly reduced, and the installation process will become very simple. Monitoring projects that originally required monitoring but could not be implemented due to cost and installation difficulties will be carried out one after another, greatly stimulating the accumulated market demand.