This Recommendation defines requirements for intelligent visual surveillance (IVS), which are based on identifying specific objects, behaviours or attribute in video signals.

The visual surveillance service (see [b-ITU-T F.743]) is a telecommunication service focusing on audiovisual application technology that is used to capture remote multimedia information (such as audio signals, video signals, images and various alarm signals) and to present it to end users in friendly manner, based on managed broadband networks with ensured quality, security and reliability

IVS systems can automatically identify specific objects, behaviours or attributes in video signals. They extract data from the video signals, which are then transmitted or archived so that the visual surveillance system can act accordingly.