Profile M
Metadata and events for analytics applications
- Analytics configuration and information query for metadata
- Configuration and streaming of metadata
- Generic object classification support
- Metadata definition for geolocation, vehicle, license plate, human face and body
- Event interfaces for object counter, face and license plate recognition analytics
- Sending events through metadata stream, ONVIF event service or over MQTT
- Rule configuration for events
ONVIF Profile M supports analytics configuration and information query for metadata, as well as filtering and streaming of metadata. It has interfaces for generic object classification, and specified metadata for geolocation, vehicle, license plate, human face and human body. If conformant products have native support for features such as media profile management, video streaming, adding images in metadata streams, event handling or rule configuration, then Profile M interfaces for those features must also be supported. And if conformant products support analytics for object counting (e.g. for people, vehicles), license plate recognition or facial recognition, or MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) protocol used by IoT (Internet of Things) systems, then there should also be Profile M event handling interfaces for those functions.
A Profile M conformant product can be an edge device (such as an IP camera or video-based drone) or a service (such as a server- or cloud-based app) with analytics capabilities that can use Profile M interfaces to send metadata over an IP network to a client. A Profile M conformant client can be a video management software (VMS) program, a network video recorder (NVR), or a server- or cloud-based service that can make use of Profile M interfaces to configure, request and control the streaming of metadata over an IP network from a Profile M edge device or service. Profile M devices or clients with support for MQTT can also communicate with an IoT platform/application that can then communicate with IoT devices and applications.
Download the ONVIF Profile M presentation (May 2022) or PDF version or webinar recording for an overview.
Click here to access the ONVIF Profile M Specification.
See press release.
See the ONVIF Profile Feature Overview v2.6 (April 2022) to get an overview and a comparison of the features supported by all ONVIF profiles, and whether the features are considered mandatory (M) or conditional (C) for a conformant device or client.
Profile M can be applied in metadata-based or event trigger-based use cases for security, business intelligence and IoT applications.
In the context of video, metadata helps tag elements in a scene. Metadata can be used to:
- Highlight objects of interest in a video stream
- Provide heat mapping or vehicle mapping using object classification and geolocation to determine the number of objects in a predefined area
- Effectively store and retrieve video content of interest
- Facilitate video searches in an area of a video scene
Cases for using Profile M event handling interfaces:
- For visitor statistics, crowd control, visitor management or queue management through people counting analytics
- For access control in a parking lot through license plate recognition apps
- Room temperature control, where a Profile M camera (with MQTT support) detects humans in a room and sends an ONVIF event over MQTT to an IoT platform/application that, in turn, triggers a smart thermostat (IoT device) to adjust the room temperature
ONVIF Profile M can be combined with other ONVIF profiles such as Profile S and T for video streaming, and Profile A, C and D for access control for an integrated system based on ONVIF interfaces.