Losing Cam Image after PTZ Move

[burky39]

My custom home security web site has a Panasonic BL-C131 PTZ camera that I am attempting to control panning to several preset positions.

The camera feeds my web page from a HTML command of....
<img src="http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx//nphMotionJpeg?Resolution=640x480&Quality=Clarity" alt="PanCam" width="290" height="218" border="0" usemap="#Map" ismap="ismap" longdesc="http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx//nphMotionJpeg?Resolution=640x480&Quality=Clarity"/>

and the Image Map HTML code for the Preset1 hotspot is...
<area shape="rect" coords="0,185,80,217" href="http://192.168.1.31/nphControlCamera?Direction=Preset&PresetOperation=Move&Data=1" />

This moves the camera to the correct preset position when I click on the hot spot, BUT the camera image is then replaced with a blank pzt control window of...


I don't mind if that appears momentarily, but I can't restore the camera image without exiting the web page in a browser and then restarting it. That's not very practical.

How do I restore the camera view? (or better yet... eliminate the pop-up Move window)

I assume I need a...
http://192.168.1.31/nphMotionJpeg?Resolution=640x480&Quality=Clarity

command but stumped how to include it with the map "href=" sequence.

 

[burky39]

Working on this issue all afternoon, it appears if I could just close the ControlCamera window I would be fine, but java cannot Close() a window not opened by the same script, and as far as I can tell there is no way to Open() a window and use the Map>Area>href code which I use to activate the camera positioning.

So any close() ideas might work, along with the href link to another web page with an action script on it.

 

[burky39]

Found a solution at last!

The Panasonic camera command "http://192.168.1.31/nphControlCamera?Direction=Preset&PresetOperation=Move&Data=1" results in a response from the camera to confirm the command and that response causes a web page window to be opened up as detailed above. There seems to be no way around it.

So rather than fight it, I "joined it" and let the window open, but did so in a way that threw it all in a the "bit bucket!"

In one of the rows of my camera view web page I inserted a target area for the camera response web page to go, but made that spot invisible by inserting this essentially invisible data cell.....
<td><iframe name="_dummy" width="1" height="1" hidden></iframe> </td>

And then making that frame the target destination for the camera response in the hotspot mask definition...
<area shape="rect" coords="0,185,80,217" href="http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/nphControlCamera?Direction=Preset&PresetOperation=Move&Data=1" target="_dummy" title="Preset-1">

The result is exactly what I was seeking. Clicking on the hotspot causes the camera to move, with no other visible distractions, as the camera response page information is essentially trashed in the dummy frame.

Also since my image hotspots are just created over the bottom edge of the image with no markings to identify the boundaries (other than the cursor changing from a pointer to a link indicator) the use of the "title" tag in the <area> definition yields a nice mouseover definition for the hotspot area.

 

[alastairstevenson]

Sneaky. Or ingenious. Take your pick!
Presumably you're confident the camera has no security vulnerabilies. Or you've put it behind a hardened proxy.

 

[burky39]

Sneaky. Or ingenious. Take your pick!
Presumably you're confident the camera has no security vulnerabilies. Or you've put it behind a hardened proxy.

I'd bet the camera does have security vulnerabilities, but hopefully is secure behind multiple firewalls. Even if anyone hacks the camera, the result will likely be like watching paint dry. Not a very exciting veiw, in general.

 

[looney2ns]

I'd bet the camera does have security vulnerabilities, but hopefully is secure behind multiple firewalls. Even if anyone hacks the camera, the result will likely be like watching paint dry. Not a very exciting veiw, in general.

The security risk is that they put a botnet hack on the cam that they can use your cam to attack the internet with.

 

[bp2008]

Always the chance they will brick the camera instead. Though I imagine old panasonic cams aren't the top target.

 

[burky39]

Hopefully my two layers of Firewalls and a very aggressive Router will keep me safe. In 15 years, I haven't had an issue yet!
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Unless someone is darn good and very malicious just for the hell of it, there isn't much to be gained at my boring camera site.

 

[bp2008]

Routers and firewalls may keep a hacker out of your camera's SSH or telnet ports, but won't stop them from breaking in through the web server if you have it publicly accessible.

 

[burky39]

Good "heads up"
Thanks.