Re: text from serial port + IP camera + Debian for loss prevention?
On Tue, 09 Apr 2013 20:28:00 -0400
Doug <dmcgarrett@optonline.net> wrote:
> On 04/09/2013 07:55 PM, Nick Lidakis wrote:
> > Forgive me if I'm not using the proper terminology or not explaining
> > this properly. This aspect of running a small business is foreign
> > to me.
> >
> > My wife and I run a small independent coffee shop and I'm the geek
> > in charge. I've got m0n0wall running great with the customer wifi
> > on DMZ and all our machines on a private LAN. We've got a recycled
> > Pentium 4 running Debian stable for our Music Player Daemon server.
> > Motherboard is a Tyan with real serial ports.
> >
> > We have a mid-line Casio cash register setup that has 2 serial
> > ports. 1 is dedicated to the credit card machine. The other can be
> > connected to a serial pole display. I understand that this second
> > serial port outputs formatted text of all buttons pressed and
> > transactions processed.
> >
> > This is also useful for overlaying this text with a CCTV camera
> > connected to a DVR. Though, this setup limits how you can search
> > for mistakes or theft, having to sift through hours of video.
> >
> > I'd like to do the following with Debian: Use the text from the
> > serial port in conjunction with an IP network camera connected to
> > our server. I'd like to be able to search the text for particular
> > triggers, e.g., look at video whenever someone hits the NS (no
> > sale) key to open the drawer.
> >
> > I think I can connect the Casio to one of the serial ports on the
> > server and capture data through tty(?).
> >
> > The text would not necessarily need to be overlayed but must sync
> > with the video. The Casio has a pretty accurate clock, running on
> > 60Hz; the IP camera can sync via NTP on our m0n0wall router.
> >
> > I've Googled a few commercial solutions but they are very expensive
> > and are proprietary. One is this:
> > http://www.geovision.com.tw/english/Prod_GVDataV3E.asp
> >
> > I'm thinking something like this must have been done with Linux for
> > other fields, e.g., scientific sensors outputting text on a live
> > stream.
> >
> > Any ideas or suggestions?
> >
> You mention going thru hours of videos. Perhaps the "no-sale key"
> trigger is not so hot, unless you set up the system to record a few
> minutes before that key press. Also, you can take a tip from the
> pros, and run the video at about 8 frames per second, which is still
> sufficient to identify persons and record their actions, but reduces
> the total amount of recorded video. Finally, it would be a good
> idea, if possible, to keep real-time copies of the video off site, in
> case miscreants steal your computer or otherwise trash or burn
> the premises. This should be possible using a short-range radio
> link to some other nearby site. (I think you need something better
> than a nanny-cam.) Probably a radio-linked network is the ideal
> solution here. There are RF solutions that will work over a range
> of a couple hundred feet to several miles, the latter requiring
> outdoor directional antennas with a clear line-of-sight path.
>
> You name yourself as the local geek, but if you're not sure you're
> up to it, it would probably be worth your while to hire a programmer
> to handle some of these ideas. Make sure the programmer can
> handle Linux, if you want to use a Linux system--which I think is
> a good idea, since it is _relatively_ immune to hacking.
>
> --doug
>
I know there is a program that records audio. It records several
seconds/minutes to memory and writes the interval to disk when a
button is hit.
I forgot it's name :-(
You need something similar, but for video.
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