CCTV control systems manufacturer Synectics has developed the PRIV electronic masking unit
CCTV control systems manufacturer Synectics has developed the PRIV electronic masking unit, which guarantees to stop surveillance system operators looking into private areas within an externally mounted pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) camera?s field of view. Synectics? PRIV design, winner of an IFSEC Security Industry Award, was an answer to systems operators? fears about a potential backlash generated by the civil liberties debate. A typical town centre street scene with mixed occupancy requires only specific parts of an area on the monitor screen to be masked, although occasionally this can change during a day. If whole pictures are blanked out to mask an area, some key scenes could be hidden. For example, a pedestrian crossing which must be seen at all times could stand in front of a house. Synectics decided that the electronically generated masks should be built up from tiny individual picture elements, or pixels. Using pixel masking technology enables a large number of very small areas to be masked, and the masking to be almost any size, shape or position on the screen. The PRIV mask, or masks are smaller than the whole picture and can hide individual windows and doors for example, while ensuring that any other detail such as public footpaths are visible at all times.
