Visual surveilliance camera and method based on cooperation between cameras

A visual surveillance camera based on cooperation between cameras connected to a network to provide a distributed multi camera surveillance system and a method are provided. A visual surveillance camera connected to other visual surveillance cameras through a network (fig. 2) includes a camera controller 31 installed in the camera, a camera list storage unit 32 storing a list of all the visual surveillance cameras connected to each other through the network, a camera image storage unit 33 storing data of taken images, and a communicating unit 34 communicating with the other surveillance cameras. The camera may operate in a standby mode until triggered into recording by an external alarm and uses image recognition techniques such as vehicle, number plate or facial to track an item of interest. When the item moves out of range of the camera the camera may pass on alarm information to adjacent cameras on the network.