When motion is detected on a camera attached to a Quark VMD, the system will generate an alarm. The alarm response can be one or more of several options, usually an alarm sound to alert the security personnel or a switch to turn on a VCR to record the alarm pictures. The Quark VMDs are programmed from on-screen menus, just like a home VCR.

Any video system with more than a few cameras will benefit from video motion detection. Automating the scanning of the video cameras allows a person to do other tasks without having to constantly watch video screens. When there is activity on a camera the person is notified and can then watch to see if the activity warrants further action. Other applications are for off-site monitoring where there is no personnel on site, using the VMD to trigger telephone transmission equipment to alert police or a security service.

The VMDs are available in 8, 12 and 18 camera versions and offer many features such as on-screen menus, programmable alarming times and camera malfunction detection. All products are mountable in industry standard 1.75" x 19" security housings. Our VMDs are designed with proprietary technology and software, making them safe from competitor’s possible attempts at reverse engineering.

In a typical installation we would have 30 cameras connected to two 'dual rack' sequential switchers each with 2 monitors. With a dwell time of 2 seconds/camera the security officer has 2 seconds/camera/minute to see any activity and determine if further viewing is required, usually by selecting a hold picture for that camera. Unfortunately, the security officer usually must perform many other tasks such as qualifying guests, logging reports and dealing with other security equipment and cannot continuously watch the C.C.T.V. system. This dramatically reduces the 2 seconds/camera/minute mentioned above, making the C.C.T.V. system valuable mainly as a deterrent to crime and rather ineffective in actually viewing any criminal activity.

Two Quark Q18VM4 switchers will operate identically to normal sequential switchers until motion is detected on any of the cameras. That camera would then be displayed on the 'sequence' monitor until another camera with motion is detected or for a preset time. If several cameras have motion the Q18VM4 will sequentially switch between only those cameras that have active motion. If only 3 cameras have something to watch on them the effective viewing time becomes 20 seconds/camera/minute. Additionally, with the warning/alarming capabilities of the Q18VM4 the officer need not look at the C.C.T.V. system until alerted by the VMD that something is there to watch.

The officer must also know where this camera is in the building as there is rarely any camera identification available. Tracking movements throughout a building in this manner requires a very intimate knowledge of the premises. The Q18VM4 provides a camera number and on screen camera location to identify the scene and will automatically track movement which activated the system, displaying each new motion scene on the sequence monitor.

An alternate recorder mode is available for VCR and unattended operation. This mode allows automatic resetting of activity alarms and camera malfunction alarms, disabling of the alert tone and more efficient identification of the sequence cameras. The Q18VM4 could be setup to trigger the recorder to real-time mode when motion is detected.