IP CAMERA LEARNING & RESOURCE CENTER

Pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) is a name given to a type of IP camera where the user can control the movement and position of the lens from a remote location using controls on an Internet browser or software application.

Panning refers to horizontal movement of the lens where tilting describes vertical movement. The process of zooming refers to the adjustment of the focal length of the lens to make a subject appear close-up or far away depending on the setting. Although a lot of cameras come with vari-focal lenses with focal length adjustment, a camera described as PTZ will almost certainly have an adjustable optical zoom.

Surveillance cameras with PTZ capability will often also support user defined preset positions which will allow the user to specify a number of positions that they can easily monitor. Preset positions can also be used with alarm triggers, so for example when a camera detects motion it can be directed to move to a specified preset covering an entry/exit point or a valuable object in the room. Some cameras also support guard patrolling and auto panning features which will allow the camera to move automatically between user-defined preset positions providing remote surveillance of a wide area with no user input. In conjunction with motion detection some cameras can even use their pan-tilt functions to follow moving targets.

The benefits of having a pan-tilt-zoom camera in a security application are obvious. Having a camera which can be controlled from a remote location enables a user to cover a much larger area with a single camera. This provides cost savings for any security system as one camera can do the job of many static cameras. Also, with guard patrolling and auto-panning functions the camera can automatically cover a large area when used for security monitoring or recording without any user input, ideal for covering large areas overnight.

PTZ Auto-tracking is camera based software, closely linked to motion detection, which will make a PTZ camera follow a moving object should it move out of frame. The software is largely available on Panasonic’s i-Pro range of PTZ IP cameras such as the WV-NS202.

The auto-tracking system works in the same way as motion detection in that the camera will compare the current image taken with the previous image. If too many of the pixels are different the camera will register motion. In addition to this though, the auto-tracking system will work out which portion of the image is moving and register it as an object. It will then move the camera to keep that object in frame for as long as it can (comparing frames to understand the direction of movement). This means that even if the system is not actively monitored, the camera can follow possible intruders around the area picking up vital evidence where a normal PTZ camera would not. Once the object no longer registers the camera can be set to return to a preset position.

This feature is perfect for security solutions where a single PTZ camera is being used to cover a wide area and where cameras are not often monitored.