Surveillance Camera System

• US 20080055409A1
• Filed: 07/22/2005
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vicon Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Vicon Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Fakelmann, Mark, Mars, Jeff, Savettiere, Joseph, Ren, Xianping, Pshtissky, Yacov, Randmac, Rein
• Application Number:
  US11/572,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20080055409A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/02 with scanning movement of lens or cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1963 Arrangements allowing camera rotation to change view, e.g. pivoting camera, pan-tilt and zoom [PTZ]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19632 Camera support structures, e.g. attachment means, poles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19686 Interfaces masking personal details for privacy, e.g. blurring faces, vehicle license plates
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

A surveillance camera system capable of accepting any appropriate surveillance camera and video transmission option and is programmed to operate with a multitude of competitive communication protocols with minimal servicing required. The system can quickly convert and/or update the camera system to be able to transmit video data over coaxial cable, unshielded twisted-pair (UTP), fiber optics or IP. A conversion from UTP to IP can convert the camera assembly into a network server for TCP/IP communication enabling the camera to be controlled locally or from any location over the internet using any installed network video protocol. The camera assembly with the ability to quickly configure the communication video interface via switch selectable on-board communication protocols.

Claims

1. A surveillance camera system 104 for use with closed-circuit television systems for capturing real-time images of a selected area and transmitting the images to a remote operating consol for viewing by an operator, comprising:

a housing 100 having a top wall and an opened bottom;

a video communication board 130 pivotally and removably mounted inside of housing 100 and configured to support a plurality of communication or video interfaces;

a locking means for securing the video communication board 130 against the top wall of the camera housing when in a locked position;

a camera drive 105 removably secured in the housing 100 and located directly below the video communication board when in the locked position, the camera drive operable to orientate a video camera in 360°

azimuth and 180°

elevation, and comprising a removably mounted camera 110, pan-and-tilt drives 370, 136 and a CPU 206;

a hemispherical, translucent dome 120 of an acrylic material releasably fastened to the housing 100 and enclosing the camera 110;

a shroud 115 mounted interiorly of the dome 120 which rotates with the camera 110;

wherein the video communication board allows access to the plurality of communication or video interfaces when the board is in an unlocked position.

2. The surveillance camera according to claim 1 wherein the video communication board comprises an input for power, alarm signals, relay signals, control signals and video signals;

and

said video signals input via at least one video interface consisting of the group of coaxial cable, fiber optic, twisted-pair and IP.

3. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 wherein the video communication board comprises a plurality of video interfaces.

4. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 further comprising a pair of locking flippers 125 for securing the housing 100 to a ceiling 102.

5. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 wherein the housing comprises support rails 205 for attaching the camera system onto an inner surface of a ceiling 102 to distribute the weight of the camera system 104 along the length of the rails 205 and the ceiling.

6. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 further comprising a mounting ring 204 connected between the rails 205 and the housing 100 to support and distribute the weight of the camera system 104 and/or to assist in connecting the rails 205 to the housing 100.

7. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 wherein the camera drive is configured for snap-in and out connection with the housing 100.

8. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 wherein the shroud 115 is opaque and provides camouflage for the camera drive 105 and the camera 110, except for a defined viewing region which is aligned with a viewing direction 116 of the camera.

9. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 wherein the shroud is releasably fastened to the camera drive 105 and is textured such as to conceal the position of the camera 110.

10. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 further comprising a cord or chain 145 for loosely attaching the camera drive 105 to the housing 100, the cord supporting the weight of the camera drive 105.

11. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 wherein the camera is a compact chassis type camera designed for surveillance under a wide range of light conditions and comprises:

a lens assembly 131 having controllable lens zoom, focus and iris functions;

a video sensor mounted to a rear of the lens assembly 131 at its focal plane; and

a camera electronics package for converting sensed images to video signals,

wherein the camera has an optical axis 116 which remains normal to a surface of the dome 120 in all possible pan and tilt orientations of the camera.

12. The surveillance camera system according to claim 11 wherein the center of gravity of the camera 110 and lens assembly 131 is located at an intersection of the vertical pan and horizontal tilt axes such that the camera and lens assembly is kinematically balanced for rapid pan and tilt movement rates;

and

wherein the camera'"'"'s optical axis 116 is always oriented substantially normal to a surface of the dome 120 regardless of the camera'"'"'s orientation with respect to the pan and tilt axes.

13. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 further comprising a central monitoring station including a host computer, said host computer executing a software routine operable to automatically detect a baud rate of the camera.

14. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 wherein:

the dome is releasably fastened to the base of the housing by mating tabs disposed on each of the dome and the base.

15. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a threaded mounting pipe for mounting the surveillance camera system under or adjacent wall and ceiling structures;

wherein the housing comprises a threaded opened top to mattingly receive the mounting pipe and create a water resistant seal between the pipe and the housing, and

wherein the housing is composed of injection molded plastic or diecast aluminum.

16. The surveillance camera system according to claim 15 further comprising:

an outdoor cover attached to the housing which functions as a sunshield for minimizing radiation heating of the surveillance camera system, the cover is configured to deflect heat energy, dissipate heat energy not deflected, and enable a high level of heat dissipation even when the camera is operated in sunlight at high ambient temperature;

wherein the cover surrounds the housing completely, provides protection from radiant heat energy for the housing, and the surface of the cover is specified so that the emissivity is such that it reflects or deflects most of the radiant heat energy from the sun or any other hot body.

17. The surveillance camera system according to claim 16 wherein the cover provides a means for preventing water from adhering to the dome.

18. The surveillance camera system according to claim 17 wherein the means for preventing water from adhering to the dome is a drip edge on the cover.

19. The surveillance camera system according to claim 16 wherein the cover comprises vented slots providing for the dissipation of thermal energy from within the cover and channels in fluid communication with the slots for directing water from the vented slots 922 outward from cover 900.

20. The surveillance camera system according to claim 19 wherein the vented slots are on a ceiling of the cover and the channels provide an exit for the passage of air and water through a bottom of the cover.

21. The surveillance camera system according to claim 20 wherein the channels minimize heat build up between the housing and the cover thereby providing additional cooling to the camera and camera drive, and allow for natural convention air paths between the housing and the cover.

22. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 wherein the camera drive comprises a heater to prevent formation of ice and frost on the dome, said heater comprising:

resistive heating elements;

an inline thermal fuse for providing over-temperature protection, wherein the fuse responds to temperature by interrupting an electrical circuit when the operating temperature of the heating elements exceed the thermal rating of the fuse; and

the heater configured for a snap-in fit with the camera drive wherein the heater occupies not more than one-sixth of the circumference of the housing.

23. The surveillance camera system according to claim 1 wherein the camera drive comprises a fan heater to prevent formation of ice and frost on the dome, said fan heater automatically controlled by a thermostat connected to the control board.

24. The surveillance camera system according to claim 23 wherein:

the fan heater operates over a temperature range of −

40°

C. to approximately +55°

C.; and

the fan heater is responsive to temperature variations both inside and outside the camera system via the use of solid state temperature sensors.

25. The surveillance camera system according to claim 22 wherein:

the heater comprises a fan having variable speed settings, said fan operable to circulate the heated air output by the heater;

the control board comprises at least one temperature sensor for reading the temperature of the control board, wherein the temperature read from a sensor is written to flash memory only when the camera'"'"'s pan, tilt and zoom functions are inactive such that no interrupts have to be disabled when writing to the flash memory; and

the speed of the fan is a function of the temperature of the control board.

26. The surveillance camera system of claim 1 wherein the camera drive comprises:

a timing belt mechanically coupled to the camera drive; and

a fixedly attached pan and tilt assembly, said pan and tilt assembly having a pan motor and a pan motor platform isolated from the pan motor by a plurality of rubber ring spacers, said spacers disposed between the pan motor and the pan motor platform for providing vibration isolation between the motor and the platform, and, between the motor and the housing.

27. The surveillance camera system of claim 26 wherein the spacers dampen motor noise, compensate for differential thermal expansions or contractions in the timing belt, act as springs minimizing the variation in belt tension with temperature variation, and are indifferent to temperatures in the range of −

40°

C. to 60°

C. [I moved the shortest phrase to the beginning to help clarify that it'"'"'s a list.]

28. The surveillance camera system of claim 1 further comprising:

a remote host computer having a software program capable of image masking,

wherein said software program acts to modify a displayed image corresponding to the video signal so as to partially or totally obscure or blank at least one area of the image corresponding to one or more preselected privacy zones or masks; and

wherein the host computer controls image masking based on pan, tilt and zoom coordinates associated with the privacy mask location.

29. The surveillance camera system of claim 28 wherein the remote host computer comprises:

a monitor; and

a text overlay unit through which the video image passes before being displayed on the monitor for overlaying desired text images on the video image, wherein the text overlay unit generates an electrical signal containing text image information and adds the text electrical signal to the video image.

30. The surveillance camera system of claim 29 wherein the text images include menu information and real-time status information concerning the camera system.

31. The surveillance camera system of claim 30 wherein:

the host computer is adapted to define and establish a mask corresponding to a desired privacy zone which is to be concealed from view; and

the host computer applies the mask to the video image such that the video image is partially or totally obscured by the mask, wherein said obscured portion is not visible or discernable to an operator viewing the video image on the monitor of the host computer.

32. A method for defining and establishing privacy zones in a viewed video image which are to be concealed from view, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a text overlay signal for use as a privacy mask corresponding to blocks of semi-transparent or non-transparent characters based on pan, tilt and zoom information of a camera; and

adding the text overlay signal to a displayed image on an on-screen display.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising the steps of:

storing the text overlay signal; and

calling the text overlay signal from a RAM memory; and

sending the text overlay signal to a text overlay unit, said text overlay unit combining the text overlay signal with the video image during viewing of the scene on the on screen display.

34. A method for updating or changing a video interface for a surveillance camera system by updating a customer interface board 130 comprising the steps of:

detaching a camera drive 105 from a housing 100 of the camera system;

unlocking the customer interface board 130 from a horizontal rest position and rotating the board 90°

downward to a vertical position;

connecting an appropriately desired video interface option to the customer interface board; and

reinserting the camera drive in the housing 100.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising the step of:

after said rotating step and before said connecting step, disconnecting the customer interface board 130 from a hinge 400;

removing the customer interface board 130 from the housing 100; and

connecting an alternative customer interface board 130 with an appropriately desired video interface option to the surveillance camera system prior to reinserting the camera drive in the housing 100.

36. The method of claim 34 further comprising the step of:

after said connecting step and before said reinserting step, configuring video protocols in accordance with at least one video interface of the surveillance camera system, wherein the video protocols are selected using a switch located on a camera control board 206 of the camera drive 105.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the video protocols are selected using a series of DIP switches having on and off positions.

38. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

after said connecting step and before said reinserting step, configuring video protocols remotely using a user interface, wherein the configuring step comprises;

updating software versions and setting an address for the camera by entering software commands at a remote operating consol.