Video analytics glossary
AI video analyticsAlarm receiving centreAlarm verificationANPR / LPR (number plate recognition)Biometric identificationData processing agreementDPIA (data protection impact assessment)Edge analyticsFalse alarmIP cameraMotion detectionNVR (network video recorder)Object detectionOccupancy monitoringOn premisesONVIFPerimeter protectionPPE detectionPrivacy maskingRetention periodRTSPSubstreamVMS (video management system)Works agreementZone (detection area)
- AI video analytics
- Software that analyses camera images automatically and recognises people, vehicles, objects and situations, so that events can trigger alerts and be searched later. More on this →
- Alarm receiving centre
- A staffed centre that receives alarms from many sites and organises the response. In German: Notruf- und Serviceleitstelle (NSL). More on this →
- Alarm verification
- Checking an alert against the video before acting on it, by a person or a second step. Alerts with a clip make this fast.
- ANPR / LPR (number plate recognition)
- Reading vehicle number plates from camera images. Number plates are personal data, so purpose and retention must be clear. More on this →
- Biometric identification
- Identifying a person from physical features such as the face. Under the GDPR biometric data is a special category; under the EU AI Act remote biometric identification is high-risk. More on this →
- Data processing agreement
- The contract under Art. 28 GDPR between a company and a provider that processes personal data on its behalf.
- DPIA (data protection impact assessment)
- An assessment under Art. 35 GDPR of the risks of a processing operation and the measures against them, required where the risk is likely to be high. More on this →
- Edge analytics
- Analysis that runs close to the camera, on the camera itself or on a server on site, instead of in a cloud. More on this →
- False alarm
- An alert without a real event behind it. Too many false alarms train people to ignore alerts. More on this →
- IP camera
- A camera that sends its video over a computer network. Most cameras installed today are IP cameras.
- Motion detection
- Detecting change between images. Simple and cheap, but it reacts to rain, shadows and animals as much as to people. More on this →
- NVR (network video recorder)
- A device that records the video of IP cameras. AI video analytics can read the same streams without replacing the recorder.
- Object detection
- Recognising and locating objects such as people, vehicles or helmets in an image. Unlike motion detection, it knows what moved. More on this →
- Occupancy monitoring
- Counting people in and out of a room or area to know how many are inside and whether a limit is reached. More on this →
- On premises
- Software that runs on the company's own hardware at its own site, without the data leaving its network. More on this →
- ONVIF
- An industry standard that lets cameras, recorders and software from different manufacturers work together.
- Perimeter protection
- Protecting the boundary of a site, such as a fence line or yard, against intrusion. More on this →
- PPE detection
- Detecting whether personal protective equipment such as helmets, high-visibility vests and safety shoes is worn where it is required. More on this →
- Privacy masking
- Blacking out parts of the camera image, such as a public pavement or a neighbour's window, so they are never recorded or analysed.
- Retention period
- How long recordings and incident data are kept before they are deleted. Supervisory authorities expect short periods for video. More on this →
- RTSP
- A common protocol for streaming live video from a camera or recorder to other software.
- Substream
- A second, lower-resolution video stream that most cameras provide alongside the main stream. Analysing the substream keeps the load on recorder and network low.
- VMS (video management system)
- Software for viewing, recording and managing many cameras, often used in control rooms.
- Works agreement
- A written agreement between employer and works council. In Germany, cameras that could monitor employees need one (section 87 BetrVG). More on this →
- Zone (detection area)
- An area drawn on the camera image in which certain events trigger an alert, often only at certain hours.
Related
GDPR, works council and the EU AI ActThe legal frame for AI video analytics in Germany and the EU, in one guide.AI video analytics vs. motion detectionWhy motion alarms cry wolf, and what object detection changes.Cloud, hybrid or on premisesWhere the video is analysed, and what each setup means for IT and data protection.