Architecture Design of a Peer-to-peer Mobile Video Surveillance Service on Wireless Network

Abstract

Video surveillance system has been widely used to protect personal and public security. With the IP-based networking and IP-based video surveillance environments emerging, new video surveillance applications are inspired. In recent years, the peer-to-peer (P2P) network and wireless communication technologies have also been mature for file sharing and video stream sharing services. The combinations of these technologies push through the possibility of mobile video surveillance application.

Motivated by these technological advancements, we explore new and innovative video surveillance services that exploit the integration of IP, mobile, wireless and P2P network technologies. For example, we can apply P2P searching technology to discover peers which are near desired position. Then we can utilize mobile video surveillance (e.g. notebook PC mounted webcam, camera mobile phone, in-car video surveillance) to do video image capturing in a desired position. Finally, we use the advanced wireless transmission technology to transmit the video stream. In this research we shall focus on the desired position video stream capturing and transmission service. We shall overlay P2P layer on the existing IEEE 802.11- based wireless network to do peer-to-peer mobile video surveillance network (P2P MVSN) service.
In order to provide the service, there are challenges as follows:
1. How to overlay P2P layer on IEEE 802.11 WLAN.
2. How to do peer location positioning and send the position information to neighbor peer through wireless communication.
3. How to do specific peer searching service and construct routing path between requester and destination.
In view of the challenges of P2P MVSN service, we propose a new and innovative architecture design. In our architecture design, we overlay P2P layer on the existing IEEE 802.11- based wireless network. To solve the challenges mentioned above, we design three basic services and three auxiliary functions in P2P layer.
a. Connect and upload service:
The service let a peer connect to other peer and provide his position information and sharing port in order to retrieve the same information from connected peer.
b. Exchange service :
The service let a peer to receive video stream among webcam from other peer in specific port and send his video stream to other peer in specific port.
c. Lookup service :
In order to do specific position video stream capturing service, we design “Lookup service” to find a peer near desired position and record the routing path. The shortest path method is proposed to do peer searching.
d. Awareness function: to sense the existence of neighbor peer.
e. Routing function: to record the path from source peer to destination peer.
By utilizing “Connect and upload service” and “Awareness function”, we solve the challenge 1 and challenge 2. And we exploit “Lookup service,” “Routing function,” and “Exchange service” to solve challenge 3.

Finally, we implement a system prototype including Connect and position upload service, Exchange service, Lookup service, and awareness function. We use the Visual C# TM to develop ASP web service, and use VB.NET TM to develop user interface panel in the implementation. In addition, we build SQL TM database to store neighbor peer’s IP address, position, and sharing port.