ZoneMinder Forums

Hello,
i am dealing with the legal decisions (in Germany) which are important when installing cameras an saving the data.

In our case, i can not avoid that my cameras record parts of a public street, too. The german law tells me that people have to be informed before they are in the camera's spot to give them the possibility to go not in there.

My idea is to define a new zone type "cover" which does not recognize motion but blurrs or greyes out a defined area. This could free me from the duty to install signs.

What do you think about it?

Regards,
Simon

good isea. We use things like this already on ptz domes, but they block completly, is useful for the sun! Im not sure how it stans but by the sounds of it id prefer to record everything and apply this filter on playback. I cant see the use of recording fully blurred images

good isea. We use things like this already on ptz domes, but they block completly, is useful for the sun! Im not sure how it stans but by the sounds of it id prefer to record everything and apply this filter on playback. I cant see the use of recording fully blurred images

Hi James,
the point is that the legal decision (at least in germany) doesn't allow saving the recordings of persons who are not informed about they are entereing a surveillanced area. Applying the filter on playback would be one step too late because the raw data contain the public area.

Regards,
Simon[/i]

Hi Simon

What about making your zones around the area in public so you end up with a zone free area in the picture where no motion detection will be done, lets say that it is the top of the area you are covering with the cam, then make you zone to just not cover that area.

I think that would work unless i missunderstand the workings of the zone setting.

This feature is already on the 'to do' list (which I must get around to putting on the Wiki). This would be a 'mask' zone type.

Adding a 'mask' zone type is a bit different than the other zones as ordinarily zones are used by the analysis daemons only, a mask zone would need to be applied by the capture daemon in my implementation. This is because I was envisaging mmaskking out the whole region even from viewing. However if what you are suggesting is just preventing that region from being saved then that is much easier to do.

Phil i think a more flexible solution would be to record everything and apply the mask during viewing or playback. That way most users would only see the allowed parts of the images, but admin could see the whole. Im not sure if this is allowed in germany but i have had issues where privacy zones have blocked usefull official footage and id wished that they wernt there. To be fair privacy zones are used to prevent 'guard/user' viewing/zooming into places they shouldnt. I know this would be damn hard to impliment currently but if zms streamed only certain pixel dimensions it would be easier (lol)
on a simple note blurring can be achieved with selotape on the housing, not that i have ever done such a bodge myself..ahem!

James

Because i am using only indoor cams i solved my problem:

I took some stripes of foil and sticked it on the window, so that the unintersting / public parts of the cam view are covered.

Not clean, but it works

Greets,
Simon