A flame detector system (10) includes a flame detector (10) and a plurality of targets (22). The flame detector includes a housing (30), a flame sensor (32), an imaging device (34) having an optical view (70) that correlates to the field of view (50), and a controller (24) in communication with the imaging device. The plurality of targets are disposed within the optical view. The controller is programmed to operate the imaging device to capture a first image of an external environment (26) containing the plurality of targets and store the first image and a location of the plurality of targets within the first image.

The disclosure is related to adaptive encoding of video streams from a camera. A camera system includes a camera and a base station connected to each other in a first communication network, which can be a wireless network. When a user requests to view a video from the camera, the base station obtains an encoded video stream from the camera and transmits the encoded video stream to a user device. The base station monitors multiple environmental parameters, such as network parameters, camera parameters, and system parameters of the base station, and instructs the camera to adjust the encoding of the video stream, in an event one or more environmental parameters change.

One variation of a method for detecting a fire includes: during a first time period: detecting an increase in ambient light intensity and detecting an increase in ambient humidity; responsive to the increase in ambient light intensity and the increase in ambient humidity, detecting a fire event; during a second time period: correlating a decrease in ambient light intensity with an increase in visual obscuration; detecting an increase in ambient air temperature; in response to a magnitude of the increase in visual obscuration remaining below a high obscuration threshold and a magnitude of the increase in ambient temperature remaining below a high temperature threshold, classifying the fire as an incipient fire; and, in response to the magnitude of the increase in visual obscuration exceeding the high obscuration threshold and the magnitude of the increase in ambient temperature exceeding the high temperature threshold, classifying the fire as a developed fire.

A method for detecting an event occurring during operation of a vehicle includes receiving indications of a plurality of variables from an installed device communicatively coupled to the mobile device via an internal communication link. The method further includes analyzing the received indications of the plurality of variables to detect the event occurring during the operation of the vehicle. Still further, the method includes, upon detecting the event, initiating: (i) a first communication session between the mobile device and an entity outside of the vehicle, and (ii) a second communication session between the mobile device and the installed device, wherein the mobile device forwards content communicated via the first communication session to the installed device via the second communication session such that the installed device presents the content to the vehicle operator. In one aspect, air pressure wave sensor and accelerometer data may trigger automatic crash notifications to emergency responders.

An integrated fire alarm method includes receiving a preliminary detection signal from a preliminary detector, and comparing the preliminary detection signal with a predetermined corresponding threshold; controlling a notification device to issue an early-warning notification if the preliminary detection signal is greater than the corresponding threshold; receiving a primary detection signal from a primary detector after issuing the early-warning notification, and comparing the primary detection signal with predetermined corresponding threshold; and controlling the notification device to issue a formal notification if the primary detection signal is greater than the corresponding threshold.

A method and system for detecting sulfur fires that comprises a remote infrared or microwave sensor to detect sulfur dioxide gas and provide an unsupervised remote daytime and nighttime sulfur fire-watch, hot spot detection, early sulfur fire prevention, sulfur fire detection, or sulfur fire control of unattended combustible sulfur blocks, sulfur stockpiles, sulfur plants, or equipment using remote sensing devices that includes detection, measurement and analysis of electromagnetic radiation to determine the presence of sulfur dioxide gas.

The disclosure is related to adaptive transcoding of video streams from a camera. A camera system includes a camera and a base station connected to each other in a first communication network, which can be a wireless network. When a user requests to view a video from the camera, the base station obtains a video stream from the camera, transcodes the video stream, based on one or more input parameters, to generate a transcoded video stream, and transmits the transcoded video stream to a user device. The base station can transcode the video stream locally, e.g., within the base station, or in a cloud network based on transcoding location factors. Further, the camera system can also determine whether to stream the video to the user directly from the base station or from the cloud network based on streaming location factors.

A flame detector system (10) includes a flame detector (10) and a plurality of targets (22). The flame detector includes a housing (30), a flame sensor (32), an imaging device (34) having an optical view (70) that correlates to the field of view (50), and a controller (24) in communication with the imaging device. The plurality of targets are disposed within the optical view. The controller is programmed to operate the imaging device to capture a first image of an external environment (26) containing the plurality of targets and store the first image and a location of the plurality of targets within the first image.

A method for detecting events occurring during operation of a vehicle includes monitoring a plurality of variables during operation of the vehicle via an installed device fixedly attached to the vehicle. The method further includes receiving indications of the plurality of variables from the installed device at a mobile device and analyzing the received indications of the plurality of variables to detect if an accident involving the vehicle has occurred. Still further, the method includes, upon detecting the event, transmitting an indication that the accident has occurred and at least some of the indications of the plurality of variables to an entity outside the vehicle and receiving an insurance claim associated with the accident from the entity outside the vehicle.

Determining a sequence for providing a notification regarding activity recorded by a camera is described. In one aspect, a priority sequence for can be determined based on a variety of characteristics of the available devices registered with the home security system of the camera.