Patent Application
20120062733
The present invention relates generally to devices capable of remote video and audio surveillance. More particularly, the present invention relates to system and methods providing portable monitoring, recording and transmitting digital information wirelessly across long distances.
Surveillance and monitoring systems have played a valuable role in many contexts. For example, surveillance video cameras are well renowned for capturing images of criminal activity within various financial and commercial institutions. Video cameras have also played an increasingly valuable role in less visible contexts. For example, video cameras are increasingly being used to monitor work environments to ensure productivity or compliance with operating procedures. Additionally, video cameras are also valuable in providing evidence that establishes the nonoccurrence of events in insurance fraud cases. Surveillance systems have long been utilized by law enforcement and military personnel in a wide array of applications.
In many of these systems, one or more television cameras and microphones are positioned to observe an area to be monitored. Sensors which initiate various activities within the system are connected by electric cables to a remotely located command post such as a guard or police station. The cameras often have several controllable functions such as variable lens aperture, focus and zoom. Optionally, they may be mounted on motorized pan and tilt translators, enabling a broadening ability to capture additional information. Other surveillance systems have avoided the limitations of a cable connection between the sensors and the command station by using a radio-frequency communication link of some kind.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,886 discloses a surveillance system in which sensors are linked by coaxial cable to a central station for further processing. A plurality of video cameras and microphones are provided for monitoring a number of locations such as cash register positions. The outputs of the sensors are sampled sequentially by a video switcher and converted to compressed, single sideband signals to conserve the bandwidth required of the coaxial cable. Coding information is included in the transmitted signals for identifying which of the plural sensors is activated and unauthorized interception of the signals is prevented by randomly varying the frequency of the signal carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,221 is another surveillance system described in the prior art in which a plurality of audio-video sensors are linked to a central station through a radio frequency transceiver. The sensors are individually addressed and controlled in response to a series of tones by which the lens aperture, focus and zoom settings of the cameras are operated. Signals received at a central station are recorded and displayed as desired and the central station may be activated by an intrusion sensor at a remote location. Since the sensors and central station are not linked by a cable, either or both may be mobile.
The surveillance systems described above are intended for permanent installations in which considerations of physical size, power consumption and reliability are of limited importance. In many security applications, these variables become of critical importance. The monitoring and protection of commercial aircraft is one such application where the size, weight, power and reliability of the airborne components of the surveillance system are all of special concern. Also, neither of the systems already described is directed to providing security for the surveillance system itself or for the command signals transmitted to the sensors by the monitoring station. Further, it is often important that the surveillance system should not be visible to personnel in or around the area being monitored; and that the system should be easily installed within an existing facility with a minimal amount of disruption. To prevent unauthorized activation of the system or interception of the surveillance information, it is also desirable that the command signals and sensor signals be encrypted. Finally, nothing disclosed in the prior art teaches remote surveillance systems being controlled by software with the expanded potential of using multiple server-based units for audio/video and data processing for the transmitted information. Thus, there exists a need in the art to develop a technology suitable for addressing all of the limitations described supra.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system comprising a camera capable of recording video, a remote video server and a data receiving and processing server, wherein the system is powered by an external power source and controlled by software via a computer processor. It is an additional object of the present invention to provide the system described above in a non-stationary manner. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a plurality of cameras capable of recording video as determined by a desired image resolution variable and frame rate variable, wherein each variable is adjusted by the software via a computer processor. It is still further an object of the present invention to provide a system equipped with a camera having an appropriate lens based on environmental variables. It is still further an object of the present invention to provide a system as described above, wherein all data is transmitted and received wirelessly over a distance of greater than 1 kilometer. It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide and receive data transmission wirelessly under encryption. In a most preferred embodiment, the data is transmitted and received wirelessly under encryption and accessed in real time.
The invention can be better visualized by turning now to the following drawings wherein like elements are referenced by like numerals. In accordance with the invention, the problem of an unsecured, permanently installed surveillance system is avoided by having a remote video server and data receiving and processing server that are portable and capable of transmitting video data over an encrypted signal.
In a first aspect of the invention, the invention is directed to a method for providing remote surveillance to a target area comprising the steps of: providing a remote video server portably to the target area, providing a camera in surveillance of the target area, transmitting video data to a portable data receiving and processing server, processing said video data and accessing the video data locally or remotely on a computer device.
The target area may be, but is not limited to, a construction area, a remote rural area or some other area in which permanent surveillance may not be necessary. The remote video server is controlled by a computer device, which can be accessed by a user either on-site or from a remote location. The camera transmits video data to the remote video server which, in turn, transmits video data to the data receiving and processing server.
In a second aspect of the invention, the invention is directed to a system for providing remote surveillance to a target area having a remote video server portably placed in the target area, a camera in surveillance of the target area capturing video data, a portable data receiving and processing server configured to receive video data and a computer device configured to communicate with the data receiving and processing server.
In a third aspect of the invention, the invention is directed to a remote surveillance kit comprising a server, a rod configured for transmitting video data and a support stand. In one embodiment, the remote surveillance kit includes a camera to capture video data. The video data is then transmitted to the server, which then transmits the video data via the rod. In another embodiment, the server receives and processes video data from an external source by receiving the video data via the rod. The remote surveillance kit would include an additional antenna configured to communicate with a computer device.
The remote video server is movably placed in the target area and is not rigidly fixed to a particular location. The camera transmits video data to the remote video server which, in turn, transmits video data to the data receiving and processing server. The camera may be activated by detecting motion with a motion sensor. The camera can be, but is not limited to, a standard video camera, a high definition camera, an infrared camera, a thermal camera or a 3D camera.
The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:
As depicted in
The RVS unit 20 may be connected to the camera 23. Optionally, there may be a plurality of cameras 23 connected to a single RVS unit 20 for ultimately processing data to a single DRPS unit 30. Alternatively, specific cameras 23 may be used for specific surveillance circumstances. For instance, cameras capable of recording three dimensional aspects may be used when depth of field recordings are essential. Cameras capable of recording thermal fields may be used when heat measurements must be recorded.
Preferably, the RVS units 20 are monitored by the software operated by the computer processor 40. In a preferred embodiment, this is performed using a laptop or desktop computer. Optionally, any machine 40 having a processor capable of running the software may operate at least one RVS unit 20 or at least one DRPS unit 30. Alternatively, any machine 40 having a processor capable of running the software may operate both the RVS unit 20 and DRPS unit 30.
Once video data is transmitted to the DRPS 30 from the RVS unit 20, at least one user of the system can access video data from the DRPS unit 30. In a preferred embodiment, a user may access the DRPS unit 30 wirelessly. A plurality of users may access video data from the DRPS unit 30 simultaneously via a wireless connection without affecting the performance or quality of the video data playback.
A RVS power source 21 supplies power to the RVS unit 20, and a DRPS power source 31 supplies power to the DPRS unit 30. Preferably, the power source 21 and 31 has sufficient capacity to power as a dedicated source for proper functioning of either the RVS unit 20 or DRPS unit 30. Optionally, the power source 21 and 31 may be rechargeable. Most preferably, the power source 21 and 31 is a battery. Alternatively, the power source 21 and 31 may be a standard wall socket.
Moreover, the RVS unit 20 and DRPS unit 30 are substantially similar in structure. The DRPS unit 30 has a substantially similar DRPS stand 36, DRPS server 34 and DRPS rod 32. In a preferred embodiment, the relationship between DRPS server 34 and DRPS rod 32 is perpendicular. Alternatively, the DRPS server 34 may be positioned in parallel to the DRPS rod 32. The DRPS server 34 and the DRPS rod 32 are supported vertically by being attached to a DRPS stand 36. While substantially similar, the DRPS unit 30 has an antenna 33 to facilitate transmissions between the DRPS unit 30 and the computer device 40.
For optimal signal strength, the RVS rod 22 is positioned in the general direction of the DRPS unit 30, and the DRPS rod 32 is positioned in the general direction of the RVS unit 20. The connection between the RVS unit 20 and the DRPS unit 30 may still function even if the units are not facing each other directly. The DRPS server 34 processes the video data for proper transmission to the computer device 40. Such processing includes, but is not limited to, compression, optimization, deinterlacing, denoising, deblocking, deringing and deflicking.
With regard to
With regard to
While the particular invention as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.
This utility patent application contains subject matter claiming benefit of the priority date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/296,262, filed on Jan. 19, 2010, entitled “Smart Target Surveillance System.” Accordingly, the entire contents of this provisional patent application are hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61296262 | Jan 2010 | US |
