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NOTE If the export method is not appropriate there is a risk that if the police require video evidence they may need to remove the system, for example if 1 terabyte of data is required it is not practical to export this via a CD writer.

A number of methods exist for exporting images in native format from a system, for example:

• images are copied to removable digital media such as a floppy disk, DAT tape, flash card, CD-R or DVD, etc.;

• the removable hard disk, which holds the images, is physically removed from the system;

• images are exported via a port, such as USB, SCSI, SATA, FireWire or networking;

• documentation should be supplied to the user regarding both the retention period of the system and the approximate times to export each of the following;

• up to 15 min of recorded data per camera;

• up to 24 h of recorded data per camera;

• all of the data on the system;

• the system should display an estimated time to complete the export of the requested data. Export scenarios should be defined and documented which are proportional to the size of the export as above;

• the software application needed to replay the exported images should be included on the media used for export, otherwise viewing by authorized third parties can be hindered.

If the export format meets a common non-proprietary standard then a proprietary export player may not be necessary. If the manufacturer chooses to produce proprietary replay software then the exported images should be capable of being replayed on a computer via the exported software. This software should:

• have variable speed control including real time play, stop, pause, fast forward, rewind, and frame-by- frame forward and reverse viewing,

• display single and multiple cameras and maintain aspect ratio i.e. the same relative height and width,

• display a single camera at the maximum recorded resolution,

• permit the recordings from each camera to be searched by time and date,

• allow printing and/or saving (e.g. bitmap or JPEG) of still images with time and date of recording,

• allow for time synchronized multi-screen replay,

• allow for time synchronized switching between cameras upon replay,

allow replay of associated audio and other metadata, be able to export the image sequences in a standard format at an equivalent quality to the original and still displaying time and date information (e.g. MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264 or MJPEG) with no significant increase in file size,

clearly show the time and date, and any other information associated with each displayed image, without obscuring the image,

if removable hard drives are used as a primary export option (dependent on download scale) then the drive should be replayable using a standard computer, for example, on a Windows based operating system; this functionality is also desirable for any hard drive used in a CCTV system where this is not the primary means of export.

9. CCTV control room configuration

   1. Control rooms

If the CCTV system has a requirement for live viewing, camera control, system management, or any other human intensive tasks, a control room should be specified to house these functions. The 'control room' could be a single workstation, or a large operations centre.

For the presentation of camera images to the operator either analogue or digital video displays may be used. Here the term display refers to both possible technical solutions.

In a control room environment

1. the operator shall be presented with a suitable number of CCTV feeds (e.g. is the operator able to suitably view 8 cameras and perform the viewing tasks related to all of those camera views, and their anticipated levels of activity), and

2. the camera view shall be presented to the operator at a size sufficient to allow them to undertake the viewing tasks as above, (e.g. is the operator being presented with views intended for identification tasks, but displayed as part of a quad view, at a lower resolution, reducing the amount of information available to the operator),

3. the operator shall be positioned so that they are able to view the information on the display correctly (e.g. is the operator using a display that is too far away to be able to observe relevant details).

Displays that are used for close inspection of CCTV images are commonly called incident or spot displays and positioned on the workstation. They allow for close inspection of images displayed and offer the greatest likelihood of an operator receiving accurate and timely information. Spot displays should be positioned directly in front of the operator at between approximately 0,5 m to 1,5 m and of a sufficient size. They should also be placed so that the operator can easily turn their sitting position to face the displays.

It can be advantageous to site two, three or four incident displays on the work desk so that the operator can view CCTV images on a primary display, and use the adjacent displays to show other images or other system details.

CCTV displays can also be positioned off the workstation in a bank or array called video wall. This can be beneficial as a greater number of images can be presented. Displays in a bank shall be positioned at a greater distance from the operator and typically be larger in size, CCTV images displayed in banks are useful for providing a general overview of the camera scenes rather than for picking out details.

Depending on the viewing distance every display or workstation screen may show multiple cameras, e.g. 4 camera images in a Quad display on an analogue display, 9 or 16 in a split view or any other workstation screen layout depending on the capabilities of the system.

For the selection of the screen size the distance between the display and user is the primary factor. In general rule should be that the viewing distance is between 3 to 5 times the screen diagonal size. The exact number shall be determined based on the purpose of the camera view, and the viewing tasks the operator should be able to perform.

Following table lists common image display sizes:

Table 8 — Common image display sizes

The number of camera views presented to a CCTV operator shall be decided in the system design phase. There should be the capability to manage the number of camera views presented to the operator. Factors to consider when agreeing the number of camera views to be presented to an operator may include:

• the risk associated with an event occurring and not being detected,

• the purpose of the observation,

• the type of activity and targets within the image,

• the expected frequency of incidents,

• how long an operator is likely to view an event for,

• other tasks carried out by the operator,

• and the competence of the operator.

To ensure the CCTV cameras are being suitably viewed, and the operator is able to perform the viewing task for each view according to the operational requirement, performance evaluations should be periodically undertaken or when there is any significant change to the viewing task or control room setup.

The operational requirement should determine the number of workstations and associated equipment within the control room.

The analysis to determine the number of workstations required shall be undertaken based on the anticipated peak activity. The four main considerations shall be:

• expected number of alarms/events during the observed location(s) peak periods,

• required response time from an event occurring and the operator taking some action,

• expected time for an operator to return to normal viewing following an event response,

• number of cameras/locations to be monitored.

The time that an operator takes to manage an alarm is dependent on two factors:

1. the nature of the alarm/event, for example does the operator need an extended period to guide a guard to the incident or can the operator dismiss the alarm rapidly having viewed the location;

2. agreed standard operating procedure for an alarm notification, for example is a CCTV tour of the entire site required following a perimeter alarm notification.

The CCTV system shall be designed such that at peak time the operators are able to manage alarms more quickly than new events arise. If this does not occur, then a backlog occurs and response time increases.

There should be sufficient operator capacity within the control centre to ensure that all alarms/events can be met with an appropriate and agreed response. Failure to achieve this, especially at peak times, will result in alarms/events being missed, compromising the purpose of the CCTV system.

When designing the system display layout that an operator will use, consideration should be given to the logical grouping of camera views to allow rapid and intuitive view switching. This should be based on either the purpose of the camera or the location of the camera.

The following criteria should be used for equipment siting:

• the control desk should be ergonomically designed with particular attention being paid to siting of video displays in order to avoid reflections from extraneous light sources on the display screens;

• video storage equipment and storage media should be installed in protected areas, preferably inaccessible to unauthorised persons;

• workstations shall be suitably protected from unauthorised use, either by access control or software permissions.

Consideration should be given to the provision of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and/or backup power generator based upon the risk assessment.

Where defined in the OR there should be backup power supply provision for cameras.

Where a UPS is to be installed the power consumption of the equipment shall be calculated for the purposes of determining the required specification of the UPS.

The system design should consider maintenance of suitable operating temperature and environment.

NOTE Poor environmental conditions caused by external sources or the system components may impact on operators and the life of equipment.

Where there is a risk of electrical interference / lightning strike, suitable protection should be provided as required. Suitable equipment earth points should also be provided as required. The system should be compliant to the EN 50174 series, EN 50310, EN 62305-3 and EN 62305-4.

13. Define test plan

    1. Purpose of test plan

The test should be written to ensure that any expected functions and features of a CCTV system can be assessed. This assessment shall cover any specific requirements identified during the design phase. The test plan shall have two main purposes:

1. to support the acceptance of installed CCTV capability;

2. to support periodic system/function validation.

This testing shall cover two areas, user acceptance and technical acceptance.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is the process where an appropriate operator assesses the user interfaces and controls to ensure that specification has been correctly delivered by the installer. The UAT should include all specified features within the operators control, including image quality acceptance assessments, device control e g. PTZ and camera response, camera view selection and event/alarm response. The UAT shall be written in conjunction with the operational requirement to ensure that every specification made in the OR has an appropriate reciprocal acceptance test.

Where a particular resolution, frame rate or other image quality level is defined in the OR it should be determined, using a suitable image quality test, that this is being maintained consistently throughout the imaging chain, from camera to display device to video recording device.

The OR shall define for each camera the required image performance and quality. The OR shall then be used as a checklist to verify all image performance and quality requirements.

The quality of the image shall be verified using a test image or test scenario. Annex C contains test images for contrast, resolution, and colour reproduction. Annex C also contains test images for facial and number plate identification. The quality of the image shall be measured on the presentation device(s) on which images will be viewed in normal operation of the CCTV system. Where there is a requirement pertaining to export of the data the exported images should be tested to ensure they meet the OR. The system design proposal shall stipulate the conditions under which the test image(s) shall be used. E.g. If the system will be used in both day and night conditions then separate tests shall be performed for the different light conditions.

NOTE Other suitable test procedures may be used or be necessary. For example, the test image in Annex C is not suitable for evaluating images in the infrared range.

The test image of Annex C contains two quality levels for contrast:

• 11 grey steps; and

• 3 grey steps.

The Operational requirement shall define which of these levels is to be achieved. The system will pass the test only if all grey steps are distinguishable on the specified scale.

Refer to Annex A for details of the test procedure.

The resolution shall be checked with reference to the target sizes (see 6.7) using the test target in Annex C.

The test image contains 6 colour blocks at two different luminance levels. If the OR requires the system to reproduce colour then the appearance of the top line of blocks on the presentation device shall be a representative reproduction of their colour on the test image under the prescribed lighting conditions.

Refer to Annex C for details of the test procedure.

If the OR requires the system to be capable of producing images suitable for identifying faces then Annex В shall be used.

The test consists of 9 human faces. It is designed to assess a CCTV system’s ability to identify faces. A random selection is presented towards the camera at a prescribed person percentage screen height or distance from camera. An operator attempts to match the presented face to a reference list, the results of which are recorded and evaluated. The OR will specify the percentage screen height at which a pass shall be achieved.

Refer to Annex В for details of the test procedure.

If the OR requires the system to be capable of achieving the inspection category then the target should be reproduced at no lower resolution than 1 mm per pixel and the target should represent a screen height of 400 % PAL or equivalent identified in Table 3.

If the OR requires the system to be capable of achieving the recognition category then the target should be reproduced at no lower resolution than 8 mm per pixel and the target should represent a screen height of 50 % PAL or equivalent identified in Table 3.

If the OR requires the system to be capable of achieving the observation category then the target should be reproduced at no lower resolution than 16 mm per pixel and the target should represent a screen height of 25 % PAL or equivalent identified in Table 3. The system should be tested to ensure that some characteristic details of individuals can be identified, such as distinctive clothing. Individuals should be able to be clearly distinguished from each other, i.e. it should be possible to determine with a high level of confidence how many people are in the field of view.

If the OR requires the system to be capable of producing images suitable for detecting the presence of an intruder then Annex E shall be used. The target should be displayed at a minimum of 10 % screen height as specified in Table 3 and no lower resolution than 40 mm per pixel.

The test methodology sets out how the OR should define the criteria against which the system should be tested to determine whether an intruder could be detected within an acceptable time period following an alarm.

If the OR requires the system to be capable of producing images for crowd control or monitoring then the target should be reproduced at no lower resolution than 80 mm per pixel and no less than 5 % screen height as specified in Table 3.

If the OR requires the system to be capable of producing images suitable for identifying number plates then Annex В shall be used.

The test consists of 9 groups of letters.

A random selection of letters is presented and the operator shall record the letters they see. This test requires 100 % accuracy for a pass to be achieved. The OR will specify the location in the frame at which a pass shall be achieved.

Refer to Annex В for details of the test procedure.

13. Summary of documentation - Pre-installation

    1. General

At this stage in the development of a CCTV system the following documentation should have been produced to assist and enable the needs of the end user to be met. These documents should be archived in a secure way so that they can be used as a reference guide to the system details.

See 4.2, the threat to the premises should have been analysed to determine the risks. The CCTV system shall then be designed to mitigate the risks identified.

See Clause 5 of this document encapsulating the purpose or purposes of the CCTV system, which incorporates the issues identified in the risk assessment, forms the benchmark against which the system performance can be measured.

See chapter System Design.

See Chapter System Design and Site Survey.

See Clause 13 System Testing.

13. System installation and commissioning

    1. Factory Acceptance Testing

A Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) is an important method for assuring quality, where the vendor demonstrates that the system design meets the contract and specifications. A FAT may be conducted if any major modification or customisation of standard products - software or hardware - is necessary. It is scheduled at the fabrication plant in which a representative sample of all purchased equipment will be demonstrated. After the conclusion of the design phase, the testing depth and conditions especially for the unique features of the installation should be agreed upon according to the Operational Requirements. The FAT includes a representative sample of all equipment being supplied by the vendor. A FAT procedure is recommended to be presented to the customer beforehand. With the FAT the particulars, completeness and functionality are assured, before the actual delivery to the site.

The degree of completion and the assured functionality should be documented. All discrepancies and non conformities of the system are to be registered on a Non-Conformities List, including an agreement for the “time to complete’’. Items incomplete, or not available for inspection or FAT are to be included on the Non Conformities List. In case of defects or open issues, these can be taken into consideration and implemented at manufacturer, integrator or installer site - before final delivery.