The Enhanced UniPhier LSI Processor will drive a range of features in current and future i-Pro cameras

The Enhanced UniPhier LSI Processor used inside Panasonic's new “5-series” i-PRO SmartHD full 1080p cameras provides H.264 (high profile) video streams that require half the bandwidth and storage while enabling new levels of performance, image quality and a range of smart features to enhance system solutions. Enhanced UniPhier enables dual streaming to simultaneously supply 1080p full-HD and 360p video streams, both at 30 frames per second (fps), for real-time monitoring and high-resolution recording.

Enhanced UniPhier's cropping sequence function provides a clear picture of both the whole image and a specified smaller area. A 640 x 360 cropped area of an overall image can be transmitted as the second video stream, and four cropped areas can be transmitted sequentially and/or rotated, moved or zoomed in using Common Gateway Interface (CGI) commands. CGI commands can also specify coordinates to select any area for cropping. Using the camera's video motion detection (VMS) function as an event trigger can initiate cropping based on an alarm.

Another new feature of the Enhanced UniPhier LSI Processor is two-area Variable Image Quality on Specified Area (VIQS), which enables up to two areas of an image to be encoded at lower quality to save bandwidth while maintaining maximum quality in critical areas of the field of view. VIQS areas can be selected as up to 40 percent of a total image. Enhanced UniPhier also uses new, more efficient H.264 encoding to reduce bandwidth and storage by 22 percent compared to the previous version. Two-area VIQS enables an additional 22 percent decrease in the bandwidth of a video stream. Overall, Enhanced UniPhier produces video that requires half as much bandwidth and storage.

The new camera processor also provides Lens Distortion Compensation (LDC), which ensures a natural image without distortion when viewed through a wide angle lens. Other benefits of the new processor include smart picture quality incorporating Mega Super Dynamic and ABS (Adaptive Black Stretch) technologies to deliver 128x wider dynamic range. Face Super Dynamic technology ensures clear face images.

“Capturing a high-resolution image is only the beginning of the benefits of Panasonic's 1080p HD cameras, and the Enhanced UniPhier LSI Processor is at the center of enabling IP cameras to do more as critical system components at the edge of the network,” said Greg Peratt, National Sales Director, Video Solutions Integration, Panasonic. “Our powerful new chip is a comparative advantage for Panasonic cameras and sets a new benchmark of what we can expect from highly intelligent network cameras now and in the future.”

In addition to smarter picture quality and smarter efficiency, the new Enhanced UniPhier enables a range of intelligent features inside the camera, including:

• Advanced face detection that can determine the position of a human face and send information as XML data.
• Loitering detection if an object remains in the same position for a specified time from 10 seconds to 5 minutes.
• Direction detection if an object moves in a certain direction, with an option to specify up to eight directions.
• Scene change detection if the camera lens is blocked with a cloth or spray paint.

Enhanced UniPhier LSI Processor will drive a range of features and functionality in current and future i-PRO SmartHD 1080p network cameras, in addition to saving energy by requiring less power to operate and contributing to environmental considerations as part of Panasonic's Eco Ideas initiative.