Surveillance software

After preliminary preparation of the phone for the monitoring function, you can, in fact, proceed to the organization of the monitoring process itself. There are three main ways to enter here.

Additional software.

Since it is assumed that a surveillance camera is usually installed at some inaccessible distance, it needs to be able to somehow remotely control it. A phone turned into a camera is NOT an exception. For remote control, not complete, but at least partial, I installed an SSH server on my phone. Now, using client applications, you can remotely connect to the phone and perform some actions to control it.

SSH is commonly used to manage, configure and monitor servers running Linux operating systems. Android is a close relative of Linux, so it can be completely managed over an SSH connection. The only thing to know about Android infrastructure commands and applications. Although he is a relative of Linux, they have a different set of programs. SSH started working a little slow, there is a delay between pressing and reaction of the phone, but the phone remotely executes my commands, the shell works.

The SSH interface is text-based, you need to work with it through the command term. If it is still convenient to give phone commands in this way, then some kind of window or panel manager is required for the usual crawling through catalogs. For Linux, the Midnight Commander (MC) is considered to be the only common version of such a manager. It is MC that I additionally and Install on the phone for more convenience.

MC Sessions launched in SSH on smartphone

Well, as a final chord, for very neglected cases, when the camera phone is installed in a place with difficult maintenance, and sometimes it would be good for it to be rebooted, I Install Tasker. Tasker is not just a scheduler, but a whole set of triggers that allows you to set up many actions when certain events occur. But, as part of the implementation of an IP camera, I just need to set up a regular restart of the phone, which is easily done using Tasker.

In practice, you can safely do without all this additional GoPro software, but with it it is somehow more reliable.

Mnogobukff

System cleaning.

So, the phone has the latest firmware installed, Wi-Fi is connected and the initial setup is done. Now the time has come to clean the phone of unnecessary junk, including programs that are unnecessary for monitoring. Looking ahead, I will say that this item can be safely skIPped, especially if no root rights were obtained on the phone.

My firmware has KingRoot installed as a superuser manager. The program not only allows you to manage application requests for superuser privileges, but also has some capabilities to remove system applications and disable programs at startup. With the help of KingRoot, we can safely remove and disable what, in our opinion, does not apply to surveillance, Wi-Fi, camera work.

After working out KingRoot, it seemed to me that there were still some applications in the system, which are simply superfluous on the surveillance camera. over, I was constantly asked to accept the license agreement from LG. I had to additionally use Root Uninstaller and take out everything that arouses suspicion at least in the slightest degree. In the process of removing unnecessary applications, it is important not to get angry, otherwise you will have to reset your phone again.

Way 2. Using professional supervision.

As a PRO product, I tried to apply the solution for the Android platform from FelenaSoft. Xeoma surveillance complex can be easily installed on the phone, launched and even works. Here I consider it my right to note that Xeoma for Android is exactly the same product as for Windows or Linux. Install Xeoma on your phone, you get a complete industrial standard surveillance system.

This has its advantages. This allows you to organize the use of the built-in camera in various ways. You can simply broadcast the stream from the camera in the RTSP standard to the network. You can transfer a stream to another Xeoma, where it will be processed, motion detection and recording to the archive. Or, on the contrary, you can detect motion directly in the phone, and upload the recorded one via FTP to a network resource. And of course, the user has an option with the introduction of autonomous monitoring, when the stream is recorded directly to the phone by the motion sensor. This approach is convenient because the phone can be placed somewhere where there is nothing else besides an electrical outlet. And then connect to it via Wi-Fi and view what was recorded. It is clear that due to the small amount of memory in the phone, it is worth writing only on the motion detector.

But in using such a combine all in one the phone also has its own rather significant drawbacks. The processor installed in the LG P715 is powerful enough to pull Xeoma, a motion detector and other smartphones. And in conditions of power supply from a stationary network, we are not particularly interested in battery consumption. But during operation, the processor heats up and drastically reduces its performance. This makes it completely impossible to use Xeoma. Alas, you need to look for a lighter weight solution or do the modding of the processor cooling in the phone.

LG Optimus L7 II Dual P715

As a test device, a smartphone LG Optimus L7 II Dual P715 appeared on my desk. For its time, the device is quite good, although far from being top-end. The phone can work with two SIM-cards and supports 3G communication. In addition to everything GoPro, you can install a MicroSD card in it, and a MicroUSB connector is used as charging. In general, the device is fully operational, although it slows down noticeably when working with a network or in capacious applications, for example, cards.

LH Optimus P7 II Dual P715 Smartphone

In order to transform the phone into something useful, you need to do some shenanigans with it. Some of them are optional and can be simply omitted. Below I present the steps that were taken for the P715 phone, but in general they are suitable for any of the Similar devices.

On practice

When implementing a project to create an IP surveillance camera from an ordinary smartphone, thoughts constantly swarmed in my head about the expediency of the very idea of ​​implementation. On the one hand. a free phone, which is simply a pity to throw out, since it is still quite functional, on the other hand, there are some limitations of this unit, which can leave an imprint of a negative scenario of use.

Firstly, connection to a mobile phone network is possible only via Wi-Fi, and we are not considering the option of connecting via a mobile network at all. In the disassembled LG model, the maximum LAN connection speed is only 54 Mbit, which makes it possible to push through the wireless communication channel in MJPEG format with a frame rate of about 5 frames per second and a resolution of 800×600 pixels or so. On the other hand, the phone’s modest performance does not allow raising the resolution higher, although it is capable of recording in FullHD format, but slightly different codecs are used there. But even with such a stream of knocks, gigabytes of information are pumped, I managed to intend about 35 gigabytes of traffic from the phone to the network.

Secondly, the lifespan of the device received. In theory, electronics with no moving parts will NOT wear out. But this is only in theory, but in practice, all are subject to gradual wear and tear. For this reason, it is impossible to vouch for the long term use of the phone as a camera. It is possible that he will work in this mode for 3-5 years, but no more. The second factor of reliability is the lithium battery in the smartphone. The term of its use is even less than the term of the phone. It is capable of storing rather large amounts of energy, and sometimes ignite or explode. A device left unattended with an old battery is alarming. You can use the phone without a battery in most cases, but after any power outage you will have to turn on the phone with your hands.

Thirdly, practically limited outdoor use. I would not risk using such a device without an external protective casing outdoors. There is a very high risk of its premature failure due to excess moisture in the case. But the effect of just a negative temperature, for example, in winter, and will not bring noticeable changes in the performance of the device. Manufacturers limit the temperature range of using phones due to the catastrophic loss of battery capacity at negative temperatures, followed by inadequate operation of the battery controller, plus the LCD screen simply will not display information when all its liquid crystals are corny to freeze. However, both are not critical if you do not use the screen, but it is not needed and you use a low-power charger, which will not exceed the dangerous limits of the charging current.

Flashing.

So, in my hands I have a phone on which the Android operating system version 4.1.2 is already installed. By today’s standards, the system is already old and it is desirable to update it with something more modern. Surprisingly, as the version of Android rises, phones tend to run faster. An update built into the phone shows that the phone already has the latest firmware available for the phone. But if you read the m forum w3bsit3-dns.com. Then you can see that there is a more recent firmware based on Android 4.4.2. In addition, there are variants of this firmware with already obtained root rights, installed by BusyBox and CWM recovery. In the future, these additional gadgets will allow you to customize the phone more subtly for the needs of surveillance. Therefore, I Install just such a modified firmware with CWM already installed and obtained root rights.

Of course, you can do without flashing your phone. This operation is not trivial, in the process, if suddenly what goes wrong, you can get a non-working unit. And if someone does not feel the strength to take such a step, then it is better to refrain from it. And instead of flashing the phone, just reset the settings to the factory settings.

How to create an IP surveillance camera from an old smartphone

In an era of active consumption, it is considered good practice to change mobile phones at least once every one and a half years. Smartphones cannot stop working, they simply become obsolete and cannot function normally with modern software. The flagshIP of two years ago is already starting to slow down when working with current programs, and a budget phone that has worked for a couple of years generally starts to stick at the slightest touch. In princIPle, such devices are already asking for the trash, but you can squeeze something out of them, give one more chance for existence.

A modern smartphone is not only a high-tech device with a screen, battery and microcircuits. This is a real mini-computer equIPped with cameras, displays, wireless connectivity and other useful devices. And on top of that, it’s almost free. Many people buy devices like the Raspberry PI, and then use them as miniature computers for solving certain simple tasks. And here, imagine, you already have a complete solution, you just need to program it in the required way. Of course, the SU phone can be sold to buyers, disposed of, or try to smelt valuable metals from the electronics of the phone. But I have a better idea.

A BU smartphone on the Android platform can be successfully converted to an IP surveillance camera with a Wi-Fi connection. You only need a few programs for this and that’s it. So let’s get started.