1-20. (canceled)
21. A system, comprising:
an analytics module implemented in at least one of a memory or a processor device, the analytics module configured to analyze an image received from an image source associated with a monitored premise to detect an event in a first portion of the image;
an encode module operatively coupled to the analytics module, the encode module configured to
encode the first portion of the image based on a first level of encoding to produce a first encoded image portion,
encode a second portion of the image based on a second level of encoding to produce a second encoded image portion, the second portion of the image being different than the first portion of the image, the second level of encoding being different than the first level of encoding; and
an alert module operatively coupled to the encode module, the alert module configured to send a representation of at least one of the first encoded image portion or the second encoded image portion.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein:
the analytics module is configured to identify an event type associated with the event, the first level of encoding being based at least in part on the event type.
23. The system of claim 21, wherein:
the image is a first image, the analytics module is a first analytics module, the system further comprising:
a second analytics module separate from the first analytics module, the second analytics module configured to analyze a second image received from the image source based on an availability of the first analytics module.
24. The system of claim 21, wherein the analytics module is a first analytics module, the first analytics module configured to analyze the image based on a first degree of image analysis, the system further comprising:
a second analytics module separate from the first analytics module, the second analytics module configured to analyze the first image based on a second degree of image analysis, the second degree of image analysis being different than the first degree of image analysis.
25. The system of claim 21, wherein:
the alert module is collocated with the image source.
26. The system of claim 21, wherein the analytics module is configured to identify an event type associated with the event and the user-defined profile, the first level of encoding being based at least in part on the event type, the system further comprising:
a profile module configured to store a user-defined profile including parameters associated with temporal variance of operation of the alert module based on at least one of a time of a day, a day of a week, a day of a month, or a time period.
27. The system of claim 21, wherein the analytics module is configured to identify an event type associated with the event and the user-defined profile, the first level of encoding being based at least in part on the event type, the system further comprising:
a profile module configured to store a user-defined profile including parameters associated with temporal variance of operation of the alert module based on at least one of a time of a day, a day of a week, a day of a month, or a time period,
the user-defined profile including a user-defined process flow,
the analytics module configured to perform hierarchical analysis of the image data by executing the user-defined process flow to verify an alarm condition associated with the event.
28. The system of claim 21, wherein:
the analytics module is configured to identify an event type associated with the event, and
the alert module is configured to send to a recipient the representation, the alert module configured to select the recipient based on the event type.
29. The system of claim 21, wherein:
the analytics module is configured to identify an event type associated with the event, and
the analytics module is configured to select a degree of image analysis to be performed on the image data based on the event type.
30. The system of claim 21, wherein:
the analytics module is configured to analyze the image to identify a representation of a person in the image.
31. The system of claim 21, wherein:
the alert module is configured to format the representation based on an identity of a recipient of the representation.
32. The system of claim 21, wherein:
the encode module is configured to encode the first portion of the image based on a third level of encoding different from the first level of encoding to produce a third encoded image portion different from the first encoded image portion, and
the alert module is configured to send the representation of the first encoded image portion at a first time, the alert module configured to send a representation of the third encoded image portion at a second time after the first time and based on a user-request.
33. The system of claim 21, wherein:
the alert module is configured to send the representation of the first encoded image portion and not the representation of the second encoded image portion to a storage server to be cached.
34. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to be executed by a processor, the code comprising code to cause the processor to
receive from a sensor an indication of an event at a monitored premise having a predetermined zone;
analyze image data associated with the monitored premise (1) based on a user-defined profile to identify an object associated with the event, and (2) to identify the predetermined zone in which the object is located; and
send to a recipient an indication of an alarm event when the zone from which the object is located does not meet a zone authorization criterion assigned to the identity of the object and defined by the user-defined profile.
35. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34, the code further comprising code to cause the processor to identify a time associated with the event,
the code to cause the processor to send includes code to cause the processor to send to the recipient the indication of the alarm event when the time associated with the event does not meet a time authorization criterion assigned to the identity of the object and defined by the user-defined profile.
36. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the code to cause the processor to analyze the image data includes code to cause the processor to analyze the image data in response to the indication of the event.
37. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the object is a first object, the code further comprising code to cause the processor to send to the recipient the indication of the alarm event when a second object is identified from the image data.
38. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the object is a first object, the indication of the event is associated with a user-request for access to a portion of the monitored premise, the user-request generated during a first time period, the image data is first image data and is generated during the first time period, the code further comprising code to cause the processor to
analyze second image data associated with the monitored premise and generated during a second time period after the first time period, and
send a signal representing approval of the user-request for access when the second image data does not include an indication of a second object.
39. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the object is a person, the user-defined profile includes parameters associated with an authorization level of the person based at least in part on an event type, a schedule associated with an event, a time of a day, a day of a week, a day of a month, or a time period.
40. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the sensor is at least one of a contact sensor, a biometric sensor, a magnetic sensor, an infrared sensor, an image sensor, or an audio sensor.
41. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the indication of the event is generated at the sensor based on a user input,
the code to cause the processor to analyze including code to cause the processor to analyze the image data to match the identity of the object with the user input.
42. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34, the code further comprising code to cause the processor to
send a signal representing instructions to engage or disengage a security mechanism at the monitored premise.
43. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34,
the code further comprising code to cause the processor to
send, at a first time, a signal representing instructions to engage a security mechanism at the monitored premise;
receive at a second time after the first time instructions to disengage the security mechanism at the monitored premise;
send at a third time after the second time a signal representing instructions to disengage the security mechanism at the monitored premise in accordance with the instructions received at the second time.
44. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the sensor is a first sensor and the event is a first event, the code further comprising code to cause the processor to
receive from a second sensor an indication of a second event at the monitored premise;
send to the recipient the indication of the alarm event based on the indication of the first event and the indication of the second event.
45. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34, the code further comprising code to cause the processor to
analyze at least one of (1) the indication of the event, or (2) the image data, based on the user-defined profile, to determine an event type,
the code to cause the processor to analyze the image data includes code to cause the processor to analyze the image data at a first server when the event type matches a first event type,
the code to cause the processor to analyze the image data includes code to cause the processor to analyze the image data at a second server when the event type matches a second event type, the second server being different from the first server.
46. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the sensor is a first sensor, the event is a first event, and the image data is first image data,
the code to cause the processor to analyze includes code to cause the processor to analyze the first image data at a first server, the code further comprising code to cause the processor to
receive from a second sensor an indication of a second event at the monitored premise;
analyze second image data (1) associated with the second sensor and the monitored premise, and (2) at a second server separate from the first server.
47. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34, the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:
send a signal representing an audio message to a device when the predetermined zone in which the object is located does not meet the zone authorization criterion assigned to the identity of the object.
48. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the code to cause the processor to send to the recipient the indication of the alarm event includes code to cause the processor to send to the recipient the indication of the alarm event when the identity of the object does not meet a predefined object authorization criterion.
49. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the alarm event is a first alarm event and the image data is first image data,
the code to cause the processor to analyze the first image data includes code to cause the processor to analyze the first image data at a first time, the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:
analyze, at a second time after the first time, second image data associated with the monitored premise to identify the object and whether the object is located in the predetermined zone; and
send an indication of a second alarm event when according to the second image data the object is not located in the predetermined zone in which the object is located according to the first image data.
50. A system, comprising:
an analytics module implemented in at least one of a memory or a processor device, the analytics module configured to receive from a first sensor an indication of a first event, the first event associated with a predefined first zone at a monitored premise, the analytics module configured to receive from a second sensor an indication of a second event, the second event associated with a predefined second zone at the monitored premise, the second zone being different from the first zone; and
an alert module operatively coupled to the analytics module, the alert module configured to send an indication of an alarm event when the first event occurs before the second event.
51. The system of claim 50, wherein the first sensor is the second sensor, the second sensor being an image capture device.
52. The system of claim 50, wherein the analytics module is configured to analyze first image data associated with the first event to identify a first object, the analytics module configured to analyze second image data different from the first image data and associated with the second event to identify a second object,
the alert module configured to send the indication of the alarm event when the first object matches the second object.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A system for processing and inspecting pellet-shaped articles, comprising:
a conveyer to convey the plurality of pellet-shaped articles along a transport path, wherein each of the pellet-shaped articles includes a first side and a second side, the conveyer having a plurality of article receiving recesses configured to convey the pellet-shaped articles such that either the first side or the second side of the pellet-shaped articles is randomly exposed in the recesses;
a first processing unit configured to perform a first process only on the pellet-shaped articles having the first side exposed;
a transfer unit having a plurality of article receiving recesses that receive the pellet-shaped articles from the first processing unit in such a manner that the exposed side of all of the pellet-shaped articles is reversed; and
a second processing unit downstream from the transfer unit configured to perform a second process only on the pellet-shaped articles with the second side exposed.
2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the conveyer includes a three-drum printer.
3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the conveyer includes a ramp conveyer including an inclined section with a feed hopper and a generally horizontal section where the first processing unit is situated.
4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the transfer unit is a top pick-up unit and the second processing unit is constructed to perform a selected process on the pellet-shaped articles while located on the pick-up unit.
5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second processing units include laser units.
6. A system according to claim 5, wherein neither laser unit includes a mask.
7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second processing units share a common laser unit, or at least a component thereof.
8. A system according to claim 5, wherein each laser unit includes a galvanometer and a laser.
9. A system according to claim 5, further comprising a controller configured to control each laser unit.
10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to change at least one characteristic of the laser unit.
11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the at least one characteristic includes laser printing, laser etching and laser drilled holes.
12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the laser etching andor printing includes logos andor alpha-numerics.
13. A system according to claim 11, wherein the laser drilled holes have a size that is selectively variable.
14. A system according to claim 10, where in the controller is configured to be programmed with machine readable code.
15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the machine readable code is software-based.
16. A system according to claim 10, wherein each of the feed drum, the first processing drum and the second processing drum includes a plurality of rows having a plurality of said recesses provided therein, and the controller is configured to operate the laser unit to simultaneously laser multiple ones of said pellet-shaped articles in a common row.
17. A system according to claim 1, further comprising an ejection unit, downstream of the second processing unit, to receive each of the pellet-shaped articles having acceptable characteristics.
18. A three-drum system for processing and inspecting pellet-shaped articles, comprising:
a feed drum to convey the plurality of pellet-shaped articles along a transport path, wherein each of the pellet-shaped articles includes a first side and a second side, the feed drum having a plurality of article receiving recesses configured to convey the pellet-shaped articles in a manner that either the first side or the second side of the pellet-shaped articles is randomly exposed in the recesses;
a first processing drum, extending tangentially to the feed drum, to receive the pellet-shaped articles from the feed drum, the first processing drum being associated with a first processing unit configured to perform a first process only on the pellet-shaped articles having the first side exposed; and
a second processing drum, extending tangentially to the first processing drum, that receives the pellet-shaped articles from the first processing drum in such a manner that the exposed side of all of the pellet-shaped articles is reversed, the second processing drum having a second processing unit configured to perform a second process only on the pellet-shaped articles with the second side exposed.
19. A system according to claim 18, further comprising an inspection unit to determine whether the first side of each of the pellet-shaped articles is exposed on the first processing drum, wherein the second processing drum is determined to have the first side exposed for each of the pellet-shaped articles whose first side was not exposed on the first processing drum.
20. A system according to claim 18, further comprising a drum inspection unit associated with the feed drum, a first and second inspection units associated with the first processing drum, and a first inspection unit associated with the second processing drum.
21. A system according to claim 20, wherein:
the drum inspection unit is configured to determine whether the first side is exposed,
the first inspection unit of the first processing drum is positioned upstream of the first processing unit and is configured to determine whether the first side is exposed,
the second inspection unit of the first processing drum is positioned downstream of the first processing unit and is configured to confirm accurate processing of the pellet-shaped articles, and
the first inspection unit of the second processing drum is positioned downstream of the second processing unit and configured to confirm accurate processing of the pellet-shaped articles.
22. A system according to claim 18, wherein the first processing drum includes a first laser unit and the second processing drum includes a second laser unit.
23. A system according to claim 18, wherein the first and second processing drums share a common laser unit, or at least a component thereof.
24. A system according to claim 18, wherein each laser unit includes a galvanometer and a laser.
25. A system according to claim 18, further comprising a controller configured to control each laser unit.
26. A system according to claim 25, wherein the controller is configured to change at least one characteristic of the laser unit.
27. A system according to claim 26, wherein the at least one characteristic includes laser printing, laser etching and laser drilled holes.
28. A system according to claim 27, wherein the laser etching andor printing includes logos andor alpha-numerics.
29. A system according to claim 27, wherein the laser drilled holes have a size that is selectively variable.
30. A system according to claim 25, wherein the controller is configured to be programmed with machine readable code.
31. A system according to claim 30, wherein the machine readable code is software-based.
32. A system according to claim 25, wherein each of the feed drum, the first processing drum and the second processing drum includes a plurality of rows having a plurality of said recesses provided therein, and the controller is configured to operate the laser unit to simultaneously laser multiple ones of said pellet-shaped articles in a common row.
33. A system according to claim 18, further comprising an ejection unit, downstream of the second processing unit, to receive each of the pellet-shaped articles having acceptable characteristics.
34. A method for processing and inspecting pellet-shaped articles, comprising:
conveying the plurality of pellet-shaped articles along a transport path, wherein each of the pellet-shaped articles includes a first side and a second side, the conveyer having a plurality of article receiving recesses configured to convey the pellet-shaped articles such that either the first side or the second side of the pellet-shaped articles is randomly exposed in the recesses;
performing a first process only on the pellet-shaped articles having the first side exposed;
manipulating the pellet-shaped articles such that the exposed side of all of the pellet-shaped articles is reversed; and
performing a second process only on the pellet-shaped articles with the second side exposed.
35. A method according to claim 34, wherein at least one of the first and second processes includes laser printing, laser etching andor laser drilling.
36. An system for marking pellet shaped articles, comprising:
a conveyer to convey the plurality of pellet-shaped articles along a transport path;
a laser to generate at least one beam to print or etch information on one or more of the pellet-shaped articles, wherein the information includes at least one of alphabetical characters, numeric characters, andor logos; and
a galvanometer to control x and y or x, y and z coordinates of the beam of the laser relative to the transport path to align the beam with the one or more of the pellet-shaped articles.
37. A system according to claim 36, wherein the conveyer includes a three-drum printer.
38. A system according to claim 36, wherein the conveyer includes a ramp conveyer including an inclined section with a feed hopper and a generally horizontal section where the laser is situated.
39. A system according to claim 36, wherein the conveyer includes a plurality of rows having a plurality of recesses provided therein, and the laser andor galvanometer is configured to simultaneously laser multiple ones of said pellet-shaped articles in a common row.
40. A system according to claim 36, wherein the information comprises a plurality of small holes, adjacent ones of which are at least partially overlapping.
41. A system according to claim 40, wherein at least one of the small holes includes an embedded code.
42. A method for marking pellet shaped articles, comprising:
conveying the plurality of pellet-shaped articles along a transport path;
generating at least one laser beam to print or etch information on one or more of the pellet-shaped articles, wherein the information includes at least one of alphabetical characters, numeric characters, andor logos; and
controlling x and y or x, y and z coordinates of the beam of the laser relative to the transport path to align the beam with the one or more of the pellet-shaped articles.
43. A method according to claim 42, wherein the pellet shaped articles include a coating and two or more layers below the coating, each having a different colorcharacteristictexture and the method comprises controlling the beam depth to expose a portion of each of the layers, thereby defining a composite pattern.
44. A system for marking pellet-shaped articles, comprising:
a conveyer to convey the plurality of pellet-shaped articles along a transport path;
an integrated lasergalvo marking head unit to generate a laser beam to print or etch information on one or more of the pellet-shaped articles, wherein the information includes at least one of alphabetical characters, numeric characters, andor logos; and
a lasergalvo controller to process and communicate information to the lasergalvo
marking head unit to control the x, y or the x,y,z coordinates of the laser beam relative to the transport path to align the beam with the surface of one or more of the pellet-shaped articles.
45. A system according to claim 44, wherein the conveyer includes a ramp conveyer including an inclined section with a feed hopper and a generally horizontal section where the first marking head unit is situated.
46. A system according to claim 44, wherein the conveyer includes a three-drum printer.
47. A system according to claim 44, wherein two or more lasergalvo marking head units are mounted to a movable support whose movement is synchronized with that of the conveyer during the process of laser marking the pellet-shaped articles.
48. The system according to claim 47, wherein the movable support comprises a gantry structured to reciprocate relative to the conveyer.
49. A system according to claim 44, wherein the conveyer includes a plurality of rows having a plurality of recesses provided therein, and the integrated lasergalvo marking unit is configured to simultaneously laser multiple ones of said pellet-shaped articles in a common row.
50. A system according to claim 44, wherein the information comprises a plurality of small holes, adjacent ones of which are at least partially overlapping.
51. An apparatus for marking pellet-shaped articles, comprising:
a conveyer to convey the plurality of pellet-shaped articles along a transport path;
a movable support configured to move parallel to the transport path at the same speed as the pellet-shaped articles as they are processed; and
at least one laser marking unit mounted to the movable support so as to face the pellet-shaped articles, said laser marking unit having a laser beam generator and a 3-axis beam scanner to control output coordinates of at least one laser beam, said laser marking unit being configured to generate the at least one laser beam to print or etch information on one or more of the pellet-shaped articles, wherein the information includes one or more alphabetical characters, numeric characters, andor logos,
wherein said marking unit is structured to control the x and y or the x, y and z coordinates of the laser beam to align the beam with one or more of the pellet-shaped articles.
52. The apparatus according to claim 51, wherein the conveyer comprises an endless belt having a plurality of carrier bars each with a plurality of article receiving recesses.
53. The apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the at least one unit has a laser beam which is configured to mark pellet shaped articles in at least two or more carrier bars in one operation.
54. The apparatus according to claim 51, wherein the at least one laser marking unit includes at least two laser marking units mounted adjacent one another on the movable support.
55. The apparatus according to claim 54, wherein each said laser marking unit comprises an integrated lasergalvo marking unit.
56. The apparatus according to claim 51, wherein the movable support comprises a gantry.
57. The apparatus according to claim 56, further comprising a set of linear bearing rails on which the gantry is configured to reciprocate between starting and stopping positions.
58. The apparatus according to claim 56, further comprising a gantry servo motor with an encoder to precisely position and speed synchronize the gantry relative to the conveyer.
59. The apparatus according to claim 58, further comprising a motion controller set to 1) command the gantry servo motor to drive the gantry in a common forward direction with the conveyer until the gantry forward movement speed is synchronized with the transport speed of the conveyer, at which point the pellet-shaped articles are fit to be lasered, and 2) stop forward motion of the gantry in the stopping position when lasering is complete, and to return the gantry to the starting position.
60. The apparatus according to claim 51, wherein the pellet-shaped articles have a coating layer and one or more layers beneath the coating layer, with each layer displaying or revealing a different color or characteristic depending on the laser depth andor power of the laser unit.
61. The apparatus according to claim 60, wherein the laser marking unit is configured to create a composite image or pattern including multiple colors or characteristics visible on the pellet shaped articles.
62. The apparatus according to claim 61, wherein the multiple color pellet-shaped articles can be created using the same laser unit by altering the depth andor power of the same laser unit on different portions of the same pellet-shaped articles.
63. The apparatus according to claim 51, wherein the laser marking unit has a power of 30 W or less.
64. A method of marking a plurality of edible pellet shaped articles, comprising:
conveying the pellet shaped articles along a transport direction, each of the pellet shaped articles comprising a coating and two or more layers beneath the coating which have different colors andor characteristics; and
lasering the pellet shaped articles with at least one laser beam so as to reveal at least part of each of the two or more layers, so as to create a multi-coloredtextured design on the pellet shaped articles.
65. The method according to claim 64, without a mask for the laser beam.
66. The method according to claim 64, wherein the lasering includes two laser beams.