ControlZoneControl rooms newsletter . Nr2 . 2005

Networked visualization

Joining forces in defense & security

Shared Situational Awareness

Military command post case study

Ports, waterways, coastal &

maritime security

VTS and Common-Operational-Picturefor disaster management

Camden County Council, UK

CCTV control room solution

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Contents

Cover StoryCamden County Council, UK

Camden County Council have on their list of responsibilities

the security of the Town and as a tool for this, they use a

significant number of cameras placed around the town.

The introduction of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) has

been one of the best weapons against crime. It has been

proven to be effective in both cutting and detecting crime

and, because of this, people now feel safer when they're

out and about.

More info page 14

Barco news

3 Editorial

Defense & security

4 Joining forces in defense & security

10 Shared Situational Awareness - Case study

12 Ports, waterways, coastal & maritime security - Case study

13 US Coast Guard - Case study

14 Council security and traffic management - Case study

16 Disaster management - Case study

17 Campus security - Case study

Traffic

18 To achieve a common operational picture in ITS today

Utilities & process control

21 Supporting emerging countries in their growth and future

development

Broadcast

22 From iStudio to the new Networked Broadcast Monitoring

System

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Robert WuSenior Market Development Manager Barco Control Rooms

Editorial

In defense, there is a general rise of

informational requirements as more

service branches are deployed together

(each with their own information

systems). The extreme case is the joint

deployment of coalition forces of

different nations. In such scenarios,

informational superiority is critical. In

joint deployments, collaboration and

exchange of information are key to

ensure operational effectiveness and

reducing unnecessary loss. In ‘Joining

forces in defense & security’ and

‘Shared Situational Awareness’, we will

explore how Barco’s solutions provide

a visual integration of various disparate

systems to allow our users to build and

share a Common-Operational-Picture

for better decision-making.

In securing borders, the modern

realities of trade often impose an

opposing requirement to security –

efficient flow of people and goods.

Public access points such as airports,

ports, border crossings, and open

borders or perimeters require efficient

collaboration between many different

staff members to ensure that al l

perimeters are under proper

surveil lance. In addition, proper

escalation of events, event correlation

and prioritization of responses should

be coordinated to minimize threats

and, in unfortunate circumstances,

damage. In the articles ‘Ports,

waterways, coastal & maritime

security’ and ‘US Coast Guard case

study’, we wil l explore port and

maritime rescue operational control

scenarios.

In protecting key public and private

infrastructures, the need to balance

security and free movement is made

more acute with the impact of

economics. In the ‘Camden County

Council’ and ‘Chevron’ case studies, we

will explore why private industry has

chosen Barco’s solutions to help

economical ly secure their key

infrastructures and public safety.

Last but not least, in the unfortunate

event of an incident, we will explore in

the ‘Disaster management case study’

how Barco’s solution enhances the

ability of crisis management centers to

coordinate the responses across

defense, internal national security,

regional governments as well as the

private sector.

At Barco we strive to provide

excellence in solutions by working

together with our customers to

understand their needs and providing

them with the capabilit ies and

flexibility to address their concerns. It

is our hope that ‘You’ll See’ from the

cases presented in this edition how

committed we are as an organization

to serve this market’s specific needs

and to provide the best technical

solution with maximum flexibility.

Welcome to Barco’s networked

visualization solutions for defense and

security and we wish you an enjoyable

read.

Dear reader,

In our current world climate, safety and

security concerns are ever increasing.

In this second issue of the ControlZone

newsletter, we focus on the

applications of the control room

solutions in addressing these needs.

We shall see examples such as the

defense of nations, securing borders

while maintaining efficient

transportation, protecting critical public

and private infrastructures, and finally

in the unfortunate event of incidents,

crisis management . We hope to

demonstrate with specific cases how

Barco’s networked visualization

enables better decision making and

reduce response times through

maximizing display f lexibil ity,

minimizing equipment costs, and

advanced visual integration features.

In the sub-sections, we will provide anoverview of Barco’s solutions in theseapplication domains and provide youwith some of Barco’s technologydevelopments aimed at increasingSituational Awareness and providing anoverall common operational picturethrough networked visualizationsolutions. We will explore the followingcapabilities offered by Barco:

• visualization solutions for- life-critical single operators- process-critical group operations

• increasing informational superiorityand operational efficiency- maximum input flexibility- Fit for function displays- interactive interfaces- developing Shared Awareness

• networked visualization integrationplatform

Visualization systemsIn general, Barco’s visualizationsolutions support C4I-SR (Command &Control, Computers, Communication,Intelligence, Surveillance & Recon-naissance) applications: from field-based operations of surveillance andreconnaissance activities whereruggedization and real-timevisualization are a must to groupcommand centers where intelligence isconsolidated and overal l groupdecisions must be made.

In the defense and security market,

collaborative decision making and real-

time information sharing are of prime

importance. Information from the field

needs to be routed to command and

control centers and dispatched to all

stakeholders to provide increased

situational awareness. Barco has

traditionally offered key building blocks

for visualization in defense & security

and to respond to the market evolution

towards integrated visualization,

Barco’s business units active in these

domains are intensifying their

collaboration to provide a networked

visualization solution.

Barco‘s defense & security, air trafficcontrol and vessel traffic servicesdivisions are concentrating on (life-critical) operational decision-makingapplications by responding mainly tothe needs of the single operator.Barco’s Simulation & Presentationdivision is active in collaborative andimmersive visualization solutions(including modeling & simulationapplications), whereas Barco’s controlrooms division focuses on process-critical multi-media large-screenvisualization platforms which arenetworked. In a natural evolution, al l threedivisions now are integrating theirplatforms to provide a seamlessnetworked visualization solution toallow their customers to better respondto the demands of Shared SituationalAwareness and Distributed MissionOperations.

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Joining forces in

defense & security

The fol lowing sub-sections wil ldescribe how Barco adapts ourvisualization capabilities from life-critical single operator visualizationsolutions to larger scale process criticalgroup operations.

Life-critical, single-operatorvisualizationBarco is dedicated to providingsolutions for Operational DisplaySystems (ODS) in air & vessel traffic aswell as in defense applications. Thismeans that Barco provides solutionsalong the visualization path for manyof the varied sensors that are used togather information by military orHomeland Security customers.

A sensor can be a video camera, radar,sonar, thermal imagery or any otherway of capturing a desired image thatsupports operational decision-making,usually referred to as Command &Control.

In Command & Control, officers assessa particular situation and providecommands to manage it. At Barco, wedo not manufacture the sensors, butwe connect to them. Traditionally,Barco has provided video processing(mixing multiple images or performingimage enhancements), graphics cards(formatting the information for displayon screen) and rugged displays forviewing the information. All of ourproducts are specially designed andtested to survive in very difficult

Sensor Processing Display Operator

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In applications where ruggedizationplays a less prominent role (e.g.Homeland Security applications),Barco’s Control Rooms division offersits personal wall. The personal wallrepresents a flexible workstation thatcan either be used as an individualindependent workstation or forcollaborative or group decision-making.The latter configuration allows theoperators to respond to multipleincidents individually or manage asingle incident with multiple operatorsto cover different perspectives. Thepersonal wall's display size also allowsfor supervisory overviews bymanagement without interfering withthe operator's work.

environmental conditions: extreme cold(-25°C), heat (+60°C), high vibrations,very high shock conditions and others. In recent years Barco has expanded itsoffering to include integrated products.This means that we have taken ourtraditional products (displays andgraphics cards) and have combinedthem in innovative ways to provide thecustomer with creative new solutions.Barco’s console offerings are anillustration of this innovative approach.Inside these consoles or othersubsystem solutions is a mix ofcomplex image processing, computingsolutions and interior mounting andwiring for the harsh environments inwhich these consoles will operate.

The personal wall consolidates all thedisplay requirements for theworkstation into one managedintelligent display solution. Traditionallyto achieve this, the operator workstation would have a clutter ofequipment from multiple computersfor different functional systems (at thesame security level) and often differentdisplay technologies ranging fromcomputer monitors, to video monitorsand sometimes even projectors. Thepersonal wall solution provides theusers with an integrated workenvironment where multiple inputsfrom various applications to analog ordigital video sources may be displayedon a single large screen displaysolution. With graphical insertion andisolation-based capabilities, even inputfrom systems with different securityclassifications may be safely deployedon one personal wall.

Process-critical group visualization It is a natural progression fromproviding effective single workstationsto providing visualization support forprocess-critical group-based visuali-zation. In this, Barco is regarded as theleading expert for tactical analysiscenters, 24/7 watch and alert centers,crisis centers and briefing rooms,Integrated Battlespace Centers, CombatRooms and National Military CommandCenters (NMCCs), Military ATC and AirDefense Battlespace Centers. Barco’ssuccess in providing control roomsolutions for Homeland Securityapplications (from border, coast &transportation security, emergencypreparedness & response toinfrastructure protection) originatesfrom its expertise in integrating trafficmanagement centers, surveillancecenters and network operating centers.More specifically, Barco's success insecurity markets builds on Barco'sabil ity to provide a visualizationsolution to support real-timemonitoring, response dispatching/co-

Personal walls: doing away with a clutter of equipment from multiple computers for different functionalsystems and different display technologies

LANAnalog & digital sources

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ordination, access/flow control,recording and overall systems controlin the surveil lance market . Thesecapabilities extend above the visualand ergonomical aspects of thesolution which is critical in the singleoperator environment. Barco’s solutionis built on the principles of networkedvisualization where all display devicesare capable of being networked andshare a common platform. This allowsinformation exchange, centralizedcontrol and management . Thesecapabilities translate into value addedfeatures for group based visualizationas the users can build a specific COPand disseminate it easily to otherswithin this network . This reducesconfusion among remote groups andallows better decision making. Thenext sections wil l discuss thesecapabilities in detail.

Joining forces in

defense & security

Maximum input flexibility In most command environments,Common-Operational-Pictures (COP)need to be built out of input from amyriad of diverse and differentsources. Barco’s solutions provide acontroller based platform to externallyprocess these inputs independently ofthe displays. This provides the solutionwith a large scalable platform that canaccept multiple types of media inputsimultaneously from simple NTSC orPAL video to RGB in analog formats orstreaming media over IP networks. Inaddition, Barco’s platform processesthem independently and allows onlygraphical information to be passedthrough. As such, the system willassure the integrity of different levelsof secured networks are not beingviolated even though the visual datafrom such networks are beingdisplayed on the same display to formthe proper COP.

Information superiority andoperational efficiencyBarco’s solutions provide informationsuperiority through their ability toaccept and process a myriad of mediainput types and provide a visually andcontextually integrated composedCommon-Operational-Picture. Based

on the abil ity to share anddisseminate this COP, Barco’s

solution can reducedecision-making

times andallows higher

qualityresponses. The

followingsections will

illustrate howthe various

components ofBarco’s solution

fit together toprovide

information superiority andoperational efficiency.

Large display architecture

Barco controller

of 1.30m) and typically up to 3x3 50”displays (including 1x1, 2x1, 3x1, 2x2,3x2) and up to 2x2 67” displays(including 1x1, 2x1).

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Fit for function displaysTo achieve better operational efficiencyespecially to integrate informationvisually and generate knowledge (i.e.make decisions faster), the outputdisplay format must also beappropriate for the environment. Basedon physical and ergonomical principles,Barco’s visualization solutions havebeen designed to range fromruggedized monitors, simpleboardroom projectors to flat paneldisplays to large display walls tosimulation ‘caves’. As examples, consider the followingtwo display solutions used inCommand and Control scenarios. Thefirst represents a general overviewdisplay while the second is animmersive simulation typeenvironment. Barco’s visualizationtechnologies provide the maximumdisplay flexibility for users.

The image below demonstrates Barco’sDMO (Distributed Mission Operations)solution that can be configured withBarco’s SEER mini-dome system. This isa compact and flexible visualizationsolution that consist of a custom240°/270° spherical dome structureand multi-channel projection system.Barco’s HALO rear-projected continuousview display is another possiblevisualization component in theDMO concept.

Interactive interfaces Continuing with the ergonomics andusability of displays, Barco also providessupport for interactive displays such asintegrated large-area digital white-boarding. The concept is available withlimited active touch areas (typically ofmax. width of 3.25m and max. height

OVERVIEW CDG67-DL high-resolution COP display system using APOLLO for effective content management

Integrated digital whiteboarding

SEER simulator

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Developing Shared Situation Awareness The key to effective collaboration andto produce high quality and timelydecisions involving cross functionalteams is the ability to network andshare information. In this area, Barcoprovides tools to enable efficientexchange between various displays.Barco’s solution allows users fromregional command posts to exchangegraphical application information andalso send synthesized information fromfield command to central commandand vice versa.

In addition, for typical surveillancevideo content , Barco added videoencoders and universal video decoderscapable of supporting multiplecompression algorithms from MPEG-1,MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MJPEG and selectedWavelet compression schemes.

Last but not least, Barco has now alsointroduced its graphical encodersolution. In combination with Barco'sContent Sharing software, theTRANSFORM SCN completes the solutionfor high quality and high performanceremote distribution of computergraphics. With Barco's TRANSFORM SCN,any computer graphics source can betransported over an IP network withoutthe need for extra softwareinstal lations on the computingplatform.

Barco’s added value

Dynamic visualizationcapabilities• Common-Operational-Picture

(COP)• added screen scraping &

scenario-building functions

Network-centric visualization• distributed platform able to

handle secured and non-securedsources at the same time

• COTS & customized, ie scalable tosite, regional, national andinternational applications

• increased interoperability

Homeland Security & Defense

Challenges

robust COTS products orcostumized solutions that featuremulti-modal interaction

• flexible handling of multiplesecure/non-secure sources

• effective communication ofcommands and capabilityfeedback (from deployedoperators)

• network-centric solutions• operation efficiency and

ergonomics• graceful migration from analog

to digital

Joining forces in

defense & security

Integrating Barco

technologiesTypical ly, al l of the discussedtechnologies come together in‘Integrated Battlespace Centers’ and indesign and engineering labs ofcomplex defense and security systems.In these systems warfare scenarios aresimulated with highly realisticdynamics and complex multimedia,interactivity, enabling distributedoperators to collaborate and/or injectsituational variables in real-time andtest system capabilities.

The joint expertise of Barco’s divisions,as technology solution providers withthe widest range of visualizationplatforms and network-centriccapabilities, makes Barco best suited torespond to specific interoperabilityrequirements in defense and homelandsecurity.

This allows better security, requires lessprocessing power and provides remoteviewing of the graphical source. TheTRANSFORM SCN provides externalcapture of the computer graphicsoutput, thereby allowing complete hostcomputing platform independency (incase of alien OS’s or for Open GL ,Direct X or for video in overlaycontent). It is a hardware-basedencoding solution providing optimalcompression performance.

In summary, with networkedvisualization, the user can now gainsignificant flexibility in visualization.This enables operators to shareoperational pictures and developshared situational awareness to ensuretimely decision-making, coordinateappropriate responses and save time,money and space.

TransForm SCN

Shared Situational AwarenessCase study

Consider a sample case where eachcommand post (field and HQ) has acollection of applications that are used togenerate a local COP and have a clearrequirement to be able to display avariety of different applicationssimultaneously on one display solutionwith sufficient resolution and size.

Secondly, the users in central commandhave to be able to execute a variety ofautomated scenarios (see crisis develop-ment 1,2,3 etc.) based on best practices.

Thirdly, all users have to be able toduplicate what is shown on their displayin the different locations to share thevarious individual command post COPsamong field and central commands.

Shared Situational Awareness is key in any military operations to ensure effective

response and minimize losses. To enable a military command post to exchange

graphical application information and send synthesized information from field

command to central command or vice versa, Barco offers both software and

hardware technologies.

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Display wall

Server

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graph

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graph

graph

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graph

graph

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PC

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crisis 1 crisis 2news

crisis 1 crisis 2news

crisis 1 crisis 2news

crisis 3 crisis 4news

Scenario 1: COP of crisis situation A

Scenario 2: COP of crisis development B

Scenario 3: COP of crisis development C

Application over LAN

RGB video from PC

Application running on the wall

Video

Network workstation

Network workstation

Network workstation

Display wall

Display wall

Server

Network workstation

Network workstation

Network workstation

Content sharing between ‘small’display devices and large-area

display and vice versa

The display devices used in eachcommand post can range in size andresolution. Each large display wall can be‘screen-scraped’ with Barco’s CONTENT

SHARING software and the images can bedistributed to any other display.

Barco's CONTENT SHARING Softwareprovided, in this case, a solution thatsupports efficient sharing of situationalawareness across multiple disparatelocations. Bandwidth usage at peakutility for this system is measured to bebetween 3-4 Mbps, enabling it to becommunicated over existing securenetwork facilities. To attempt this withtraditional analog technologies wouldhave required new dedicated networkstypically proprietary in nature, requiringmuch more installation time, effort andequipment and highly specialized audio-visual expertise for service and support.

n summary, Barco's NetworkedVisualization CONTENT SHARING Softwarecan truly provide distributed commandcollaboration with proper displays toeffectively create the required sharedsituational awareness across multiplesites and teams.

Due to the classified nature of theproject, no specific names ordescriptions of the end user may beused.

Along with its role as maritime co-ordination center, the new MRCC willalso be used as incident room andpress information center. For thispurpose, Barco will install a large-scalehigh-resolution OVERVIEW display withthe TRANSFORM A graphical controllerand APOLLO display wall managementsoftware, providing 24/7 operationalcapability with multiple inputs andadjustable screen layout functionalities.In this case, the MRCC Ostend canchoose to display the information fromtheir radar network, cameras as wellas other systems simultaneously toprovide an immediate situationalawareness overview of the overallport. The large display is required tosupport the high pixel count and size tobe able to create non-clutteredoverview of the port operations crucialto coordinating multiple activities andmonitoring their progress.

In February 2005, Barco was selected

by the Shipping Assistance Division of

the Ministry of the Flemish Community

in Belgium to build a new Maritime

Rescue and Coordination Center (MRCC)

in Ostend together with Fabricom GTI

and Tein Telecom.

Barco delivers an integrated monitoringsystem combining an advanced versionof OPScenter VTS with an IncidentManagement System and a Search &Rescue module.

With the new system, operators will beable to display traffic data coming fromdifferent external sensor sites such asthe ‘Schelderadarketen’ (Scheldt radarchain). In case of an incident, the MRCCcan rely on a lean, reliable and cost-effective Incident ManagementSystem, which fully supports all portcontrol and maritime rescue activities.

Ports, waterways, coastal & maritime securityVessel Traffic Services andCommon-Operational-Picture for disaster management - Case study

One of the key security concerns todayis the safety and security of ports.Barco’s Control Rooms and VesselTraffic Services (VTS) divisions areclosely col laborating to providesolutions that ensure the safety andefficient operations of maritimetransportation systems, waterways andthe ports into which the vessels travel.

Barco’s VTS systems today are nolonger reserved for major ports,waterways and maritime authorities,but are increasingly significant for awide array of smaller though equallyimportant maritime service providers.Barco has designed affordable,versatile entry level VTS systems,fulfi l l ing standard to advancedrequirements for vessel traffic services.Barco provides state-of-the-arttechnology and components offeringhigh-performance and highly reliablevessel traffic management servicesacross a wide range of VTS needs.

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Large-area displays used for maritime securityoperations

Common-Operational-Picture on large-area display

Outside view, multisensor inputs for MRCC

MRCC

Port Radar

Internet

Cameranetwork

Building“Zeewezen”

OverviewPort Ostend

SRKRadar

US Coast Guard

In September 2004, after receiving an $8 million Blanket Purchase Agreement(BPA) in August 2003, Barco Control Rooms was awarded an expandedpurchase agreement from the United States Coast Guard for the delivery oflarge display wall solutions that will play a central role in the CommandCenters of the US Coast Guard. The expanded BPA brought the total purchaseauthority of the contract to $23 million over the next four years. With thisnew contract, Barco further strengthened its position as the leading supplierof large screen display solutions for Homeland Security requirements.

In September 2004, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) completed the firstinstallations of Barco’s large screen visualization platform at each of its Area,District, and Section Command Centers, providing operators with a robustCommand and Control Display System. To meet increased Homeland Securityresponsibilities and traditional CG missions, the system will facilitate overallawareness, mission planning and execution, and decision-making. The systemis a large-scale display that provides 24/7 operational capability with multipleinputs and adjustable screen layout functionalities ideally suited for Common-Operating-Picture and scenario building and dissemination.

This allows the Coast Guard operations to develop a situation awarenessbased on different inputs from multiple disparate systems on one overall viewand to formulate decisions for response in a timely manner, taking intoaccount all aspects of intelligence. The overview size is also important as thishelps the operators within the same operational center to collaborate andprovide input to interpret the situation simultaneously and in concert.

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Barco focuses on Common-Operational-PictureThe nature of maritime crisismanagement means that differentagencies such as the military, anti-terrorist units, emergency responseservices, security companies, shipowners and harbor organizations, aredispersed in virtual organizations. Theyneed to work together to look atsituations, assess the risks, identifypotentially critical situations that maydevelop into crises, develop strategiesfor aversion, mitigation or aid, plan forthese and then implement. Continualre-planning and updating is alsorequired as the situation changes.Different agendas, levels of awarenessof the problems, different resourcesand resource allocation mechanisms,different language and terminology,organizational structures, commandstructures, levels of empowerment,different access to technology and soon must be considered. Given this, it isdifficult for information and knowledgeto be shared to ensure a high degreeof group awareness of how thesituation is managed to ensure timely,accurate and effective decisions aremade throughout the process. WithBarco's Networked Visualizationsolutions, the Common-Operational-Picture can be composed of anynetworked sources and can be sharedwith all network enabled parties.

Barco’s worldwidereferences forports & waterwaysmanagement

Singapore Harbour

USCG

Estonia Coastal Surveillance

Zelzate bridge

Port of Houston Police

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Council security

& traffic

management

Case study

Camden County Council, UK

Camden County Council is responsible forthe security of the town. A vital tool forthis, is the use of a significant number ofcameras placed around the town. Theintroduction of Closed Circuit Television(CCTV) has been one of the best weaponsagainst crime. It has been proven to beeffective in both cutting and detectingcrime and, as a result, people now feelsafer when they're out and about.

The Home Office states CCTV surveillanceis particularly valuable when used as partof a wider crime reduction strategy, thusstrengthening partnership with the localpolice. Pictures from the cameras arecontinuously monitored in real time atthe Communications Centre and can alsobe viewed by the police from theiroffices.

The CCTV control room at CamdenSpace is at a premium at Camden.Previously there was a monitor stack inplace which uses one camera feed permonitor. The monitor stack offers a highresolution but requires extra monitors tobe added as cameras are added. This isnot only costly but takes up a lot of spaceand continually increases powerconsumption and the resulting need forexpanded air conditioning. Therequirement was therefore set for asystem that would be flexible enough toallow the increase of camera feeds andyet still maintain resolution and quality ofimage. Another consideration was thenetworkability of the software, enablingmultiple operators ease of access andease of use.

The officers at Camden needed to be ableto view historic footage along side currentfootage for comparison purposes as well

as access the internet from the controlroom for complete information review.

The Barco iSURVEILLANCE solution resolvedthese issues easily. There are a total ofthree 80” displays all based on Barco’slatest high resolution DLPTM rear projectiontechnology. Two are used for communitysafety and one is used for the parkingsection, and all ensure optimal imagequality. The multiple camera feeds arerouted via Barco’s compact HYDRAS

populated with analogue video inputsand RGB computer inputs.

The new system also now facilitatesintegration of data information. Mappingsoftware provides helicopter views, whilelive camera feeds can be viewedadjacent to the actual cameras locationon screen. Currently the Barco displaysare operating alongside conventionalmonitor stacks. Clive Paul, Camden’sControl Room Manager, already has plansunderway to move the whole controlroom over to the Barco solution andmake more of the space and technologyavailable.

Simon Turtle – Market DevelopmentManager, Traffic and Surveillance, EMEAstated ‘The Camden application providesa perfect example of the benefits thatBarco’s iSURVEILLANCE solution provides overand above the conventional monitorstack. Camden divide their systemsbetween the town center monitoring andParking enforcement. The addedflexibility in terms of multiple sources;image scalability; low cost of ownershipand ability to easily migrate to digitalsources both now and in the future willensure Clive that his team’s plans will beeasily met.’

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In its primary role, a National Disaster

Management Center heavily relies on a

control center to help visualize

information from diverse sources and

groups in order to form an accurate

picture of the situation and facilitate

decision making.

Typically this represents a large system inwhich multiple emergency responseteams would gather in multiple controlrooms, visualize their respectivesituations and share those visualizationswith each other. This control center iscomprised of several control rooms, allinter-connected with an IP network toallow sharing of images and visualizationcontent. The nerve center of thisoperation is the central decision roomwhere the minister in charge and hisrespective staff and colleagues would beprovided with an overview of the eventsfrom the appropriate sources and makefinal decisions on how best to allocateresources and priorities.

In this project, Barco provided severallarge display walls of varying sizes from3x2 50” display configurations to 6x2 67”display configurations for each of thecontrol rooms.

These control room visualization wallsare all controlled by the Argus processorand are connected to each other via an IPnetwork powered by equipment from

CISCO. In addition Barco also providedmultiple overhead projectors and flat-panel displays which are used for othermeeting rooms and also to augment theviewing of the walls. The projectors andflat panels are also connected to the IPnetwork. Feeding this IP network arevarious sources of video and audiosignals as well as applications. Due to thefact that these signals are all digitizedand available on the network, thisinformation can be viewed anywhere,anytime. Networked visualization of anysource on any display wall, projector orflat panel may also be controlled from acentral point (and respective controlrooms) via software. This allows thedisaster management center staff to beable to provide the central decision roomwith the ability to view any of the signalsand launch any of the applications thatare relevant to ensure fast and accuratedecision making.

‘The flexibility and scalability of thesystem was the primary reason for theselection of Barco’. The original conceptincluded an analog solution but due tothe unpredictable nature of emergencies,flexibility was paramount. According tothe end users, ‘Barco’s all digitalnetworked visualization solutionprovided us with the maximum flexibility

Disaster managementCase study

to add new signals with minimal effortand disruptions.’ As the disastermanagement center is a 24/7 operationthat runs 365 days a year, disruptions forsystem level changes are not acceptable.With a digital solution, new signalssources can be added without anycabling at the display points – only at thesource connection to the network. Inaddition, routing comes for ‘free’. This isachieved through the virtual switch fabricthat is provided by a digital IP networkwhere any source can be delivered toany point of the network as long as thereis sufficient bandwidth. Therefore, withan IP network, the disaster managementcenter has maximum flexibility to addand route signals to the limit of theirnetwork bandwidth.

This system also provides full audiosupport to operators at specific workstations who are interested in specificvideo and audio streams that are on thenetwork. The operators are capable ofselecting the corresponding audio signalof any video available on the variousdisplays near their work stations fromtheir workstation and listen to theassociated audio feeds throughheadphones.

The system Barco installedrepresents a full IP audiovisual network built onstreaming video andaudio technologieswith integrateddecoding on thevisualizationproducts. This solutionrepresents oneof the mostadvanced audiovisual solutions,implemented overan IP network thatBarco has integratedwith its partners.

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Due to the classified nature of theproject, the detailed client informationmay not be discussed. However, thegeneral design principles andrequirements that Barco helped addressmay be extracted and presented.

Chevron is the second largest integrated energy company in the United States and oneof the largest in the world. Its primary activities are Oil and Gas Exploration, Productionand Refining. In addition, Chevron businesses extend beyond producing and refining witha chemicals venture, Chevron Phillips Chemical Co., and interests in 13 power projects inthe United States and Asia. The company also looks to the future through the develop-ment and commercialization of several advanced energy technologies such as fuel cells,hydrogen storage and gas-to-liquids. Additionally, the company is investing in the field ofnanotechnology, evaluating a new class of molecular building blocks that potentially maybe useful in many industries.

Although Barco has traditionally supplied many control room visualization solutions forthe control of oil and gas production and distribution operations worldwide, Chevron hasalso selected solutions from Barco to provide its security staff with world classvisualization tools to help protect Chevron’s critical infrastructure and assets at itsworldwide headquarters.

In the new control room, Chevron operates a 24/7 surveillance and security operationwith two operational positions. The primary functions are to manage access control, lossprevention, dispatching services, life safety systems coordination, site emergencyresponses, and coordination with local emergency responders such as police and fireservices.

The security control room is a very compact and efficient operation. It manages all theabove functions from a 30 m x 20 m operations center covering 14 buildings over 145acres, with approximately 3500 employees and 200 visitors daily. The security systemsmanage over 350 Access Points and 175 cameras.,

Barco, with its partners Spinitar and Catalyst Consulting, designed and installed a displaywall in a 2 x 1 configuration using the cDR67-DL (67 inch diagonal with rear projectionDLPTM system) powered by the HYDRA controllers. This system was designed tosimultaneously display up to 64 live video inputs and two PC applications such as DVRclient programs or access control programs. The display wall was chosen primarily ‘toprovide increased volume of displayed video information’, Mr. Tim Downey, ProjectManager for Catalyst Consulting said.

The visualization system quality and flexibility generally improves reaction times of itsoperators or users. Its larger viewing area also allows collaborative decision making asboth supervisor and co-workers are able to view the scenario at the same time. Last butnot least, the visualization system also saves energy and cooling costs due to thesmaller power requirements – 2 x 150W per projector (300W for system) versuspotentially 64 x 100W per monitor (6400W for traditional monitors). For mission criticaloperations, the displays are equipped with a redundant lamp solution that automaticallyswitches if any of the projection lamps fail.

As summed up by Mr. Downey, ‘The versatility for screen layouts and labeling,frameless screens to maximize use of space for displays, high clarity, high resolution andversatile integration of video inputs were important features for Chevron to maintaincompact and efficient operations’.

Campus securityCase study

Chevron, USA

18I

Intelligent Transportation Systems todaynot only have to address the traditionaltraffic flow management requirementsbut increasingly are also seen as a toolto both enable and enhance thesecurity of critical infrastructures vital tothe safety of society.

In this capacity, ITS systems will have toshare information not only betweentraditional traffic jurisdictions andrelated agencies (e.g. fire and police)but also with regional and nationalsecurity agencies to enable faster andbetter decision making for a moreeffective first response to natural andman-made disasters. Below is anexample of integrated emergencyresponse.

In concrete terms, all decision makersand stakeholders require a CommonOperational Picture – to steal a wordfrom the Defense and Security industry.The Common Operational Picture helpsensure proper collaboration, timely andappropriate decisions to result in thebest utilization of scarce resources forthe maximum benefit of society. This issimilar to a medical analogy;performing triage to determinetreatment priorities. The idea or need isnot novel. Even within ITS there hasbeen a push to enable different trafficmanagement centers to shareinformation or to serve as backup.

For example, for effective alternativeroute management there has alwaysbeen a strong need to shareinformation between Highway and CityTraffic Management. With securityconcerns, however, the scope andcomplexity of information sharing takeson a new scale. The image on the rightpage shows how disparate the systemscan be. It should be noted that whilethere are common components such asCCTV, the technologies deployed areoften very different – ranging fromtraditional analog to streaming videowith MPEG-2. In addition to differenttechnologies, integration also has toaccommodate different operationalperspectives, command chains,priorities and last but not leastdissemination of classified information.In such an environment, setting acommon standard for al l partiesinvolved across different technologicaland political boundaries is not anachievable solution.

However, with f lexible visualintegration tools and properly designednetwork connectivity, there is aworkable solution. In Barco’sexperience of deploying control centersworldwide, we regard this solution asnetworked visualization.

Traffic

To achieve a common operational picture in ITS today

” Visualize any situation, anytime, anywhere

”

Cameras Sensors Devices VMS

I19

Networked visualization is a collectionof tools and capabilities that allowusers to share video information,visualize data outputs, be able tocompose new views or contextsconsisting of video and data inputs, andthe ability to display in proper renderedform at any point where the network isavailable. In addition, it was envisioned to do allthis without the need for any commonsoftware integration across disparate orclassified systems! These solutions havebeen deployed primarily for militarycommand centers where informationfrom different security class applicationsas well as different command sectorsare visually composed and then re-broadcast to enable a commonoperational picture for all commandstaff.

Other alternatives to networkedvisualization exist but would requireeven more disparate systems withdifferent audio visual specificnetworking interfaces which areexpensive to interoperate and transportacross large networks that arephysically far apart.

The keys to the networked visualizationsolution are the standardization of datacommunications over IP networks andthe integration done at the graphical(visual) level rather than the applicationlevel. These concepts are not novel.They have been in use for many years.For example, today one can screen-scrape the output of one PC to beshown on a second PC over a LANwithout the second PC being able toaccess and communicate with the firstPC.

Hig

hway

Man

agem

ent

Sign

als

Man

agem

ent

Inci

dent

Man

agem

ent

TIS

Man

agem

ent

Lane

Con

trol

Dis

patc

h Se

rvic

e

CCTV

Man

agem

ent

Repo

rtin

g

Com

mun

icat

ions

Build

ing

Man

agem

ent

Gua

rd T

our

Acc

ess

Cont

rol

CCTV

Man

agem

ent

Dis

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Repo

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Com

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Vehi

cle

Regi

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s

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ase

Hig

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Man

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CCTV

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Dis

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Com

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ions

Typical ITS System ‘Security’ System ‘Surveillance’ System

Network Network(s) Network(s)

Cameras Sensors Devices Cameras Sensors Devices

Networked Visu schema

Barco’s networked visualizationsolutions are unique in that theyprovide a large set of graphical or visualprocessing tools for all visual inputs, notjust for computer data. This trulyflexible visualization platform for inputand outputs is then completely modularand distributed. Finally, this platformutilizes standard IP networks forinterconnection for maximum costeffectiveness and interoperability. Thecombination of these in one platformforms a unique capability that is notavailable today.

IP Cameras

DVRs

Encoders

Analog videomatrix switcher

CAT5

RGB

Universal input unit

Software tools server

Network enableddisplay unit

3rd party or higherlevel control software with API

Networkenabled display unit

Network enabled display unitOther users (control centers)

Broadcasters, webcasters, police, ambulance,fire and other operation centers

Coax

As illustrated here, Barco’s networkedvisualization solution consists of the followingcomponents and capabilities:

• Universal Source/Input Capture Capabilities• Network Enabled Output Displays• Software Tools for composition, management,

routing, etc.• Application Programmer’s Interface for

integration.

BBnet BroadbandNetwork

With Universal Source Inputcapabilities, thenetworkedvisualizationsolution offers theability to capture any type ofinput from composite analog video toserial digital interface to streamingvideo including RGB (computer) andkeyboard and mouse inputs. With amodular design these capture units canbe placed at the source or in a centrallocation depending on the maintenanceand operational model required. Allunits outputs in standard IP formatwhich is flexibly transported usingexisting IP networking technologies.This allows universal connectivity andreach.

With Network Enabled Output Displays,users are able to connect IP networksdirectly to the display devices.Therefore, output displays can beconfigured to display any of the inputsnatively or post processed inputs.

With the software tools, the users willbe able to compose a collection ofinputs (e.g. layouts), manage its displaycharacteristics, route it to the properdisplay output, record inputs, playbackinputs and execute the above functionsbased on predefined triggers (e.g. time,alarm, user command, etc.). Thesesoftware tools will improve over timeto enable users to execute moreadvanced features like graphicaloverlays, blending and other moreinteresting and context specific imageprocessing capabilities.

With the Application Programmer’sInterface, al l Software Tools arepackaged into a standard openinterface to allow third party or higherlevel software to control the entirenetworked visualization solution. Thisallows users to customize their userinterfaces and also develop specialvisualization routines, compositions,and functions for their differentapplication requirements.

In summary, by processing theinformation at the graphical level andproviding the proper input, output andcontrol capabilities, disparate systemscan be integrated without actuallyhaving to change any of the existingsystem. Graphical level processingintegrates by working on the problem ata the visual layer, thus bypassing theneed for application-level integration.This capability alone is not sufficient asthe critical second piece is the ability topackage this information and capabilityand deliver it over standard IPnetworking technology. Although notfully integrated from an applicationperspective, networked visualizationprovides an immediate and economicalsolution to an otherwise irresolvableproblem. For some applications, the factthat it is not integrated is an addedsecurity benefit. Therefore, by processinginformation at the graphical level ratherthan the application level and leveragingstandardization in networking protocols,visual integration can be achieved acrossdisparate or classified systems withoutcostly application level integration.

Name Type status FormatAXIS 241Q Q4 05 mjpegAXIS 2130 Planned mjpegBosch Videojet Xpro Supported mpeg2Bosch Videojet 1000 Supported mpeg2Bosch Videojet 8000 Supported mpeg2Bosch VIP 1000 Supported mpeg2Cieffe NETTUNO Planned mpeg4Cieffe NETTUNO Planned mpeg4Coretec VCX-2400-E Supported mpeg2DVB Man. Dependent Supported mpeg2iMPath i4000 Supported mpeg2iMPath i1000 Supported mpeg2IndigoVision VideoBridge 8000 882 Supported mpeg4JVC VNC-30U Planned mjpegLANACCESS onSafe MPEG2 Supported mpeg2Mavix MediaRacer 150 Planned mpeg2Mavix MediaRacer 100 Planned mpeg2Mobotix Family of M1X-X Planned mjpegNiceVision Recorder Pro Supported mpeg4NKF c20 Supported mpeg2Optibase MGW3100 Supported mpeg2Path 1 Cx 1800 Supported mpeg2Pelco PelcoNet NET4001A Supported mpeg2

Name Type status FormatSiemens OTN MVIDIP Supported mpeg2Sony SNC-P1 Planned mpeg4Sony SNC-RZ30P Planned mjpegSony SNC-RZ25 Planned mjpegTandberg TT7116 Supported mpeg2Tandberg TT6120 Supported mpeg2Tandberg E5710 Supported mpeg2Teleste easi BLUEbox Supported mpeg2Teleste S-Link Supported mpeg4Teleste EASI IPE Supported mpeg2Telindus Cellstack Centauri Supported mpeg2VBrick VBXcast 9140-4300 Supported mpeg4VBrick VB6000 Supported mpeg2VBrick VBXcast 9140-4200 Supported mpeg4VBrick VB4000 Supported mpeg2VBrick VB5000 Supported mpeg2Verint S1700e Supported mpeg4Verint S1500e Supported mpeg4VideoLAN VideoLAN (VLC/VLS) Supported mpeg2Visiowave Visiobox Supported visiowaveVisiowave Visiobox Supported visiowaveVisiowave Evolution Supported visiowaveVisiowave Evolution Supported visiowave

Streaming video compatibility matrix

This document is subject to change without notice. For latest information please consult the Compatibility Matrices section of the BCD Partnerzone(*) Interoperable: This is the minimal version of the firmware that needs to be installed on the board to support the specified compression protocol or feature. A hardware upgrade is not required.

20I

I21

Utilities & process controlSupporting emerging countries in theirgrowth and future development

Barco products are implemented in some of the largest utility infrastructure

projects all around the world. These projects are needed to support emerging

countries in their growth and future development. Barco products are chosen for

their reliability of design, easy maintenance and the excellent international

support capabilities making them perfect investment goods.

Barco wil l provide display wall,through Siemens for the majorcontrol center and several regionalcontrol rooms.

• China Power Generation Pool ,China is enormously expanding itselectricity pool. In 2004 there was apower generation capability of 2187TWh with an annual growth of14.5%. This results in thecommissioning of hundreds of powerplants. Barco is also providing dozensof display walls that will be used inthe main control rooms of thesepower plants. Barco was chosen herebecause of its strong local presence.

• Russia Power Grid chose Barco andits local business partner Optima astheir main partner for thevisualization upgrade of the controland dispatching centers in Russia. Thisupgrade is required in the next 10years as Russia is gearing up tobecome a major industrial power.

• The great-man made river projectin Libya is regarded as one of themost ambitious projects in water,providing hundreds of farmers in thenorth of Libya with drinking waterthat is pumped from beneath thedesert 1000 kilometers to the southbesides large pumps and longpipelines, the project includesdifferent SCADA systems that need tobe visualized in the main centralcontrol room in Tripoli. Again,Siemens and the end user choseBarco as its main partner for thiscritical visualization center. The maincenter is also used as a visitors’room for presidents and kings.

Some of the major infrastructureswhere Barco has provided large screendisplays as an integrated solution withthe large system integrators l ikeSiemens, ABB, Areva or VA Techinclude following projects:

• Kazakhstan Electricity GridOperation Co. (KEGOC) Republic ofKazakhstan - upgrade of theirelectricity network. KEGOC, a state-owned company, runs the nationalhigh- and extra-high-voltagenetwork, along with the associated

switchgear and substations. Thecorporate assets include 110- to1150 -kV transmission lines andmaster substations forming thenational power grid that providesinterstate flows and power supplyfrom power plants connected to theregional power network companiesand major customers. Total length ofcommon transmission lines of therepublic amounts to about 338,000km (210,024 miles).

NUON, The Netherlands

22I

From iStudio to the new

Networked Broadcast Monitoring System

The success story of Barco in broadcast applications

For many years, Barco has been wellknown as the leader in visualizationsolutions. During the eighties, Barcointroduced the first calibrated videomonitor for the broadcast market .More recently, Barco anticipated thereduction of CRT manufacturing andlaunched iSTUDIO, the first managedmonitoring system for broadcast anddistribution.

With iSTUDIO, Barco is the onlymanufacturer providing a full system,including displays, controllers andsoftware. This revolutionary system hasbeen well received in the broadcastmarket due to the needs of customersto display more and more pictures withhigh flexibility.

iSTUDIO offers the ability to displaystandard or high-definition sourceswith any size of picture with a 4:3 or16:9 aspect ratio. In addition, iStudioprovides the capability for dynamicupdates of information including undermonitor displays, tal l ies, clocks,duration timers or countdown timers.

iSTUDIO does more than display video; italso facil itates monitoring of theincoming audio and video signals andfrom these generates alarms andevents. These alarms can be displayedon the screen and sent to amanagement system to assist theoperators and service personnel. Thesecapabilities have enabled the iStudiosolution to be widely adopted by majorbroadcasters for use in their studioproduction and master control roomenvironments.

Today Barco takes broadcastmonitoring one step further with itsnew Networked Broadcast MonitoringSystem, which goes beyond the multi-viewer to facility-wide monitoring. Thishigh-end solution allows high-quality,low latency distribution of videosources and metadata over an IPnetwork to multiple screens, even indifferent control rooms, and offersultimate flexibility for broadcast anddistribution monitoring.

Barco's Networked BroadcastMonitoring System enables theoperator to monitor the broadcastprocess and visualize the video contentin real-time from anywhere in thefacility.

2 0 0 0 • • • 2 0 0 1 • • • 2 0 0 2 • • • 2 0 0 3 • • • 2

2000

iSTUDIO

HYDRA with up to 30inputs

Rear projection LCD67” modules

2001

Front access LCD 70”modules

2002

Dual lamp frontaccess with LCD 67”modules

HYDRA up to 60 inputs, &HYDRA COMPACT up to40 inputs & newQuad inputs boards

2003New DLP technology Dual lamp DLP 67”modules

iPRESENT

New DLP 50” rearprojectors with 3200Kand 200W lamps

2 0 0 4 • • • 2 0 0 5 • • • 2 0 0 6 • •

I23

2004New LCD 40” Solaris

Build-in streamingvideo decoders

2005Networked Broadcastmonitoring System &networked visualization

New DLP Projectionseries

New LCD 42” & 47”with HD resolution

Barco's Networked BroadcastMonitoring System consists of high-quality displays (rear-screen projectionmodules or LCD panels), the new NGSystem hardware and the NetworkedBroadcast Monitoring Suite softwarepackage. The NG System hardwareplatform includes a rack-mountablechassis, featuring redundant powersupplies and integrated shelf-management module, and is equippedwith hot-swappable auto-sensing inputboards supporting both standard andhigh-definition video feeds. One rear-

screen projection module is capable ofsimultaneously displaying multipleanalog and digital video feeds withrelated metadata, audio meteringinformation and computer applications.Two or more modules can becombined into a huge display wall tomonitor hundreds of signals. Barco'snew Networked Broadcast MonitoringSystem provides the reliabil ity,redundancy, serviceabil ity andcompatibility required to fulfill all real-time monitoring needs within thecomplete broadcast facility.

With the new Networked Broadcast

Monitoring System, Barco confirms its

position as the leader in visualization

solutions for broadcast applications.

Barco's broadcast monitoring solutions

are already adopted by major

broadcasters such as Sky TV [Italy],

MBC [UAE], Al Jazeera [Qatar], Alpha

TV [Greece], Dubai TV [UAE], TF1

[France], HBO [Singapore], Mediaset

[Italy], TBS [Japan], Foxtel 5 [Australia],

Disney Channel [France], MBS [Japan],

TPS [France], Cablecom Zürich

[Switzerland], Prime Television 5

[Australia], TPC [Switzerland], ISH

Kerpen [Germany], Turner [USA],

Discovery Channel [USA], The Hospital

[UK], CNN [USA], TVN 24 [Poland], VTM

[Belgium], Kosmos TV [Russia], Kabel

Deutschland [Germany], NBC [USA],

France Télévision [France], THK [Japan],

Sahara Newsroom [India], Astro

[Malaysia], HBS Frankfurt [Germany],

NTL [UK], Canal Satéllite [France],

London Stock Exchange [UK], Channel

4 [UK], Euskaltel [Spain], and many

more.

ControlZone

www.barcocontrolrooms.com

For more info:kirsten.vanhees@barco.com

Publisher:Barco Control RoomsNoordlaan 5, 8520 KuurneBelgiumtel. +32 (0)56 36 89 80www.barcocontrolrooms.com

Contributors:Marc Breuillier, Gregg Echols, Joanne Grigg, Claude Desmet,Simon Turtle, Kirsten Vanhees,Guy Van Wijmeersch, Robert Wu

Art & design:Nathalie Reynaert

Photographs by courtesy of Camden (UK), NCP (UK),Shadow groundstation, AAI corporation,Chevron (USA), Siemens (Germany),Nuon (The Netherlands),Astra (Belgium), Eircom (Ireland), Department of Defense (USA),AP/Wide world photos

All rights reserved. No part of thispublication may be reproduced, storedin a retrieval system or transmitted inany form or by any means without theprior written permission of thepublisher.

© September 2005 by Barco

Ref. no. R599847

Barco has successfully completed controlroom projects for major broadcast players allover the world

Telecinco, Kosmos TV, Dubai TV, NTL, Optus TV, Orbit, Pan Am Sat, Prime Television,

Time Warner, Turner, VRT, VTM, France 2, France 3, Euskaltel, Disney Channel, Echo

Star, DirecTV, TVN 24, CNN International, Canal Satéllite, Alfacam, ABC-KGO,... and is

setting the standard in a number of digitization projects in terrestrial digital

broadcasting, e.g. Tokyo (NTV, TBS), Osaka (MBS, KTV, TVO) and Nagoya and many

more.

There’s more to masterYou’ll see

L i fe ’s more than what you see.

Revealing the unseen, showing the

unsaid, anticipating the unexpected

and understanding the unknown

takes courage and dedication.

With Barco as a partner, together we

can master the situation. Whether it

is day-to-day campus security or co-

ordinating the deployment of multi-

national forces, we will help visually

integrate intel l igence and create

shared situational awareness.