How do the camera detectors work?

Passive infrared motion detector (PIR)
This sensor detects changes of temperature in the watched area. It registers invisible infrared heat emitted by humans, animals or car engine running in colder environment. That is why the sensor will not respond e.g. to a ball thrown into the air or to opening a gate.

This sensor is intended especially for watching indoor areas. Detection range of PIR detector is 9 meters, for more information click here.

The configuration of PIR in the camera must be done depending on the camera location. Improper placement of camera can cause false alarms. That is why the sensor should not be pointing e.g. at space heaters in a building, at places where air is drifting and so on. Use of the sensor outdoor is rather problematic. That is why it should be combined with the Motion-In-Picture detector MIP.

Motion-In-Picture detector (MIP)
The sensor regularly compares snapshots taken by the camera. If the picture changes camera will interpret this as alarm in the monitored area.

You can adjust the sensitivity of detection. The detector will register either only bigger changes in the picture e.g. opening a gate (low sensitivity) or also smaller changes in the picture e.g. a ball flying in the air (high sensitivity).

You can also set which parts of picture will be ignored during detection (e.g. movement of branches of a tree in the picture).

The detector is suitable for outdoor applications – unlike PIR it has no problems with drifting air.

Glass break detector (GBS)
Detector monitors changes of air pressure in a room where windows and doors are closed. It also monitors the subsequent noise of glass breaking. The detector takes into account both of these factors.

This detector works properly only in closed areas with dimensions up to 9 x 9 x 3 m and it detects when glass area of at least 0,4sqm is broken. Functioning of detector can be influenced by obstacles between the glass and the detector such as heavy curtains or blanking boards.

Door opening detector (DOOR)
Detector registers pressure changes and so it notices opening (or closing) of doors and windows in a room. It uses acoustic filtering of noise. Door opening detector can be used only indoors.

Noise detector (NOISE)
Noise detector uses built-in microphone and it compares the current level of sound in the environment with its preset level of detection. If the noise level of the environment exceeds the preset level the detector makes an alarm.

You can adjust sensitivity of the detector. Low sensitivity means detector notices only loud noise (e.g. shouting at the distance of 4m). On the contrary, high sensitivity means that detector will detects also silent noise (e.g. usual conversation at the distance of 4 m).

Detector adjusts its sensitivity on the basis of long-term monitoring of noise level in the environment. Detector will respond also to more silent noises when it is in silent environment. On the contrary, the detector will respond only to louder noise when it is in environment with constant noise (e.g. running air conditioning, fans, machines).

Detector can be used especially as electronic baby-sitter when taking care of children or as additional sensor for watching indoor areas of premises.

Tilt detector (TILT)
This detector can reveal unauthorized manipulation with the camera or an attempt at stealing the camera. Detector uses 3D semiconductor accelerometer.

Please configure and test this detector when camera is attached to a fixed and stable object. If possible, camera should be in the place of its final installation. In no case should the detector be configured when the camera is e.g. freely standing on the table.

If the detector is to work properly, the camera should not be attached to swaying objects such as columns or to plasterboard frames.

Touch detector (TOUCH)
Touch detector is sensitive even to the smallest vibrations of camera body that can be caused by touching the camera by hand or by another object.

Setting of detectors
If a camera detector is ON it can respond to its activation in three ways. It can be either Always active, it can Wake up the camera only or be Active after wake-up.

  • Always active = detector makes alarm when it is activated and camera is in WATCH mode. TILT and TOUCH detectors can also make alarm when camera is in SLEEP mode. This is for the protection of the camera.
  • Wake up the camera only = if detector is activated it wakes up the camera for a chosen time. This time is called wake-up time. Detectors that are Active after wake-up are then woken up.
  • Active after wake-up = detector is active only during the wake-up time. Afterwards the detector returns to the idle state and waits if some other detector will wake it up again. Detector is also woken up automatically after alarm.

Detectors have 5 levels of sensitivity on the scale from -1 to 1.
-1 = very low sensitivity; detector will be activated only by a big change in the environment;
1 = very high sensitivity; detector will be activated by a small change in the environment.

24. 5. 2013 EYE-02 EyeSee