To monitor events or people in a certain place, you can make an ip camera from a smartphone. The device will leave a recording in the cloud for further viewing, record the movement and send a message to other gadgets. An application for receiving a signal is installed on the tablet, both modules are connected to the same account and the monitoring order is activated on the smartphone. It is easy to connect to the camera through a conductive device at any time.
The need to create a CCTV camera from a smartphone
There is a worthy application for an outdated Android smartphone or tablet in the form of a convenient video camera. In some cases, covert surveillance can help prevent illegal actions or restore justice.
Instrument Application Cases:
- A person is in the next room, and food is being prepared in the kitchen. With the help of a tracking cell, you can see the evaporation of the liquid.
- The module can easily cope with the babysitting function if the mother urgently needs to be absent for a short time.
- The device will protect the home or workplace in the absence of the owner. An IP camera from the phone will reveal the identity of the offender and record the fact of violation of the territory or the inviolability of the apartment.
- The video camera conducts covert surveillance of the work in the office, for example, in the absence of the manager. So you can identify non-observance of labor discipline and identify the weak link in the team.
It is easier to install professional surveillance equipment, but you have to pay a substantial sum for the device, configuration and installation. Using an old video surveillance gadget will save you money.
Minimum device requirements
Initially, the phone is not available with a video surveillance function, so a smartphone with certain requirements will do. The quality of the camera matters. The characteristics are selected depending on the purpose of the application. If you need a general overview of the territory, an indicator of up to 2 megapixels is sufficient. The same index is suitable for installation in an apartment in which events take place near the screen.
The device can be used to monitor a car that is farther from the building and slightly to the side. In this case, to consider the identity of the offender, it is necessary to provide for a variation from 5 megapixels and above. The smartphone must be taken and put in place of the intended mount to check the image quality. In addition to Android, iOS may be suitable, while the year of release and the brand do not matter.
The transmitted signal will not always be of high quality and constant, for example, the mobile phone may freeze. It is advisable to have an electrical outlet nearby or connect a portable battery.
The signal strength depends on the technical condition of the wireless transmission and the server content. It is better to use a wireless Wi-Fi connection with a higher speed than a fixed Internet connection.
Basic and additional components of the mobile system
The smartphone is the main building block in a homemade video surveillance system. If the power is supplied from the mains, a cable is required for connection.A wireless internet connection requires a router to transmit the signal, which is constantly working nearby.
In a homemade video surveillance scheme from a smartphone, there is a problem with recording storage. The user cannot watch the monitor of the gadget around the clock in order not to miss the slightest details. Checking frames from memory on a daily basis does not solve the problem. the device memory may not be enough and some videos will disappear from the spotlight.
The applications give access to servers where it is possible to download records from a mobile phone, as from an auto registrar. The file will be written again until the user decides to delete or keep it. You need to work with a video surveillance scheme remotely. Software technologies provide access from any mobile device or computer. The tracking application is also installed on the gadget that receives the image, so the characteristics must be at least as high as that of the frames.
DIY assembly and configuration of the system
To make a video camera out of the phone, you need to reset the settings to the factory settings if the device will be used only for tracking.
Actions with the phone:
- It is necessary to assess the degree of deterioration of the phone. With regular use, the mobile phone will use up the battery power. If it becomes unusable and discharges quickly, even connecting a stationary power line will not restore functionality.
- The ability of the gadget to communicate with another device is being checked so that the owner can conduct third-party surveillance. In the wireless version, the functionality of the module is tested. In the case of a wired one, the performance of the connectors and contacts is assessed.
- After connecting the programs, you need to set a password so that only the user has access to the captured frames.
The camera is configured on Android using a Google account. The method of using the smartphone in shooting mode or receiving a signal from another gadget is preselected.
Google configures accessibility permissions for those accounts from which the viewing will take place. The user can view the recordings outside the boundaries of the home network, and also find out the current battery charge of the recording gadget.
Video surveillance from 2 phones
The platform is placed on the mobile phone from which the observation is carried out. The smartphone is also supplied with an application for image acquisition. The order of video surveillance is selected after linking to one account on the receiving device and the distributor. You can connect to the camera at any time.
User privacy will not be affected, since when the camera is operating in “live” mode, information is received via a peer-to-peer line and does not reach the server of the Internet provider. If the observer does not want to link a valid account, you can register another.
It should be remembered that it is forbidden to film the personal life of people who do not know about it. Functional applications are developed to make the author of the program money. Together with the package of utilities, the user of the surveillance camera from the smartphone receives forced viewing of commercials, which he gets rid of by purchasing something in the application.
Applications and software for video surveillance
Alfred is a universal utility that allows you to make video surveillance from an old smartphone. The program has a clear interface and simple operation. The application opens access to viewing videos from the site for the user's friends. The paid version provides high quality impressions and extra volume in the cloud.
Program Manything monitors movements and sounds, programs some functions. The conditions for starting work are set, for example, when the user leaves the monitored room.A paid app can serve multiple surveillance cameras from the phone and transfer videos to cloud storage.
Warden cam provides high quality video surveillance, while the version works for free, unlike competitors who charge for similar functions. A scheduler is provided for setting up a schedule for starting work and turning off the overview camera, for example, when movement appears. The free option contains a lot of ads, but buying an app removes the inconvenience.
IP Webcam adds a lot of customization and works in the background of previous programs. The interface is presented in the form of an extensive menu for selecting the setup. The properties of the image are set and the number of bits used to transfer information per unit of time is determined.
