VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

• US 20100321463A1
• Filed: 06/23/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bradley A. Weinstein
• Original Assignee: Sentrus, Inc.
• Inventors: Sauer, Rickie L., Weinstein, Richard D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,319,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A surveillance system (10) that can be used covertly or overtly for observing a remote location (A) and providing information about events occurring at that location. Sensor (100-208) are used to obtain real time information about events at the location. The sensors include imaging devices, audio equipment and sensor detecting the presence of explosives or NBC materials. A transmitter (14) converts outputs from the sensors into a secure format and the resultant information is transmitted from the remote location to another location (B) distant from the location under surveillance. At this distant location, the information is converted into a video display format and is displayed, in real time, to one or more users of the system. This enables the users to be able to immediately respond to what is happening, or not happening, at the remote location and to undertake appropriate action in response to the immediate situation at the remote location.

Claims

1. A surveillance system for observing a remote location and providing information about events occurring at that location comprising:

sensor means for obtaining real time information about the location, the sensor means including a suite of different sensing means so to obtain different types of information about what is happening, or not happening, at the location;

transmission means for converting outputs from the sensor means into a secure format and for transmitting the resultant information from the remote location to another location distant therefrom; and

,

display means at the distant location for converting the information at the distant location into a video display format and for displaying the information, in real time, to at least one user for the user to be able to immediately respond to what is happening, or not happening, at the remote location and to undertake appropriate action in response to the immediate situation at the remote location.

2. The surveillance system of claim 1 in which the sensor means includes imaging means and audio detection means.

3. The surveillance system of claim 2 in which the sensor means further includes one or more of the following detectors:

a detector for detecting the presence of explosive agents at the location;

a detector for detecting nuclear materials at the location;

a detector for detecting hazardous biological agents at the location; and

,

a detector for detecting hazardous chemical materials at the location.

4. The surveillance system of claim 3 which is responsive to an alarm output from any of the detectors in response to the presence of an agent or material at the location to direct an imaging means to the location where the presence of the agent or material is detected.

5. The surveillance system of claim 2 in which the sensor means further includes a motion detector for detecting ground and aerial movement of people, animals, metallic and non-metallic objects.

6. The surveillance system of claim 2 in which the sensor means further includes a metal detector.

7. The surveillance system of claim 2 in which the sensor means further includes a passive infrared detector detecting objects in the vicinity of the sensor means.

8. The sensor means of claim 2 in which the audio detection means includes means detecting loud noises including gunfire and explosions, and the sensor means further includes means for locating the location of any noises.

9. The surveillance system of claim 1 further including a global positioning system by which the location of each sensor means is identified and transmitted to the distant location for display to the user whereby the user can discern the precise location where an activity is occurring at the remote location when an output from the sensor means is displayed.

10. The surveillance system of claim 2 further including a radar for detecting the movement of people, animals, and objects, the surveillance system being responsive to an output from the radar to direct an imaging means to the site where the presence of the person, animal, or object is detected.

11. The surveillance system of claim 1 which interfaces with a concealed cable system that leaks RF waves, a change in the state of the waves being detected when a person, animal, or object passes adjacent the cable system, the surveillance system being responsive to the change in state to direct an imaging means to the site where the presence of the person, animal, or object is detected.

12. The surveillance system of claim 1 which is a covert system in which the means comprising the sensor means located at the remote location are concealed in an appropriate manner to prevent their detection by those under surveillance.

13. The surveillance system of claim 1 in which outputs from the sensor means are analog signals and the transmission means includes:

an analog-to-digital converter converting the analog signals to digital signals;

means forming the analog signals into encrypted packets of information; and

a transmitter transmitting the packets of information to the distant location.

14. A surveillance system for observing a remote location and providing information about events occurring at that location comprising:

sensor means for obtaining real time information about what is happening, or not happening, at the location;

a transmission means providing a point-to-point microwave communications path by which outputs from the sensor means are transmitted to another location distant from the remote location; and

,

display means at the distant location for converting transmitted information received from the remote location into a video display format for simultaneous display of the information, in real time, to one or more users for a user to immediately respond to what is happening, or not happening, at the remote location and to undertake appropriate action in response to the immediate situation at the remote location.

15. The surveillance system of claim 14 in which the transmission means further provides a point-to-multipoint microwave communications path by which outputs from the sensor means are transmitted to the distant location.

16. The surveillance system of claim 14 in which the transmission means incorporates a mesh topology providing multiple communication paths between the remote location and the distant location for providing real time information to users at the distant location despite any breakdowns or problems in a particular communications pathway.

17. The surveillance system of claim 16 in which the transmission means encrypts outputs from the sensor means into a secure format.

18. The surveillance system of claim 17 in which the resultant information is packetized into a secure internet protocol format for transmission.

19. The surveillance system of claim 14 including an interface with at least one other system, for an output from the sensor means to be transmitted to said other system.

20. The surveillance system of claim 19 in which the transmission means provides VOIP telephony for communications between the surveillance system and said other system.

21. The surveillance system of claim 14 in which the information is simultaneously transmitted to more than one distant location for simultaneous viewing by users at each location.

22. The surveillance system of claim 21 in which the distant locations include one or more of a land based site, an aircraft, and a marine vessel.

23. The surveillance system of claim 14 in which the video display format into which the information is converted enables a user to view the information with a hand held video display.

24. The surveillance system of claim 23 in which the video display format into which the information is converted further enables a user to view the information with a mobile video display.

25. The surveillance system of claim 14 in which the transmission means further includes a two-way voice communications capability.

26. The surveillance system of claim 16 in which the mesh topology has an aerial communications platform including at least one of a satellite or an aerostat.

27. The surveillance system of claim 14 in which the transmission means operates in at least one frequency band within the frequency range of 300 MHz to 40 GHz.

28. The surveillance system of claim 14 which is a covert surveillance system with in which the sensor means located at the remote location and the transmission means are appropriately concealed to prevent their detection by those under surveillance.

29. A surveillance system for observing a remote location and providing information about events occurring at that location comprising:

sensor means for obtaining real time information about what is happening, or not happening, at the location;

transmission means for converting outputs from the sensor means into a secure format and for transmitting the resultant information from the remote location to another location distant therefrom;

display means at the distant location for converting the information at the distant location into a video display format and for displaying the information, in real time, to at least one user for the user to be able to immediately respond to what is happening, or not happening, at the remote location and to undertake appropriate action in response to the immediate situation at the remote location; and

,

action means located at the remote location for performing a predetermined function in response to a command from the distant location, the command being sent as a result of the information displayed to the user at the distant location and an action taken in response thereto.

30. The surveillance system of claim 29 in which the action means further performs the function in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event sensed by the sensor means at the remote location.

31. The surveillance system of claim 30 in which the action means further performs the function in response to the occurrence of a series of predetermined events sensed by the sensor means at the remote location.

32. The surveillance system of claim 29 in which the surveillance system is a covert surveillance system and the action means comprises at least one clandestine device hidden at the remote location.

33. The surveillance system of claim 29 in which the action means comprises an explosive device which is detonated in response to one of:

the command from the distant location;

the occurrence of the predetermined event;

the occurrence of the series of predetermined events.

34. The surveillance system of claim 32 in which the action means comprises an incendiary device which is actuated in response to one, or a combination, of:

the command from the distant location;

the occurrence of the predetermined event;

the occurrence of the series of predetermined events.

35. The surveillance system of claim 29 in which the user is land based, sea based, or air based.

36. The surveillance system of claim 29 in which a user remotely activates and deactivates the action means using a pager or a cellular telephone.

37. The surveillance system of claim 29 further including targeting means at the remote location for targeting a person or object thereat.

38. The surveillance system of claim 37 in which the targeting means includes a laser.

39. A surveillance system for observing a remote location and providing information about events occurring at that location comprising:

sensor means for obtaining real time information about what is happening, or not happening, at the location;

transmission means for converting outputs from the sensor means into a secure format and for transmitting the resultant information from the remote location to another location distant therefrom;

display means at the distant location for converting the information at the distant location into a video display format and for displaying the information, in real time, to at least one user for the user to be able to immediately respond to what is happening, or not happening, at the remote location and to undertake appropriate action in response to the immediate situation at the remote location;

power means for powering the surveillance system, the power means including a sleep mode during which the surveillance system is deactivated thereby to conserve power; and

,

when the power means activates the surveillance system, the surveillance system is powered up in a predetermined operating configuration.

40. The surveillance system of claim 39 in which the power means includes timing means to power up and power down the surveillance system.

41. The surveillance system of claim 40 in which the power means further is responsive to a remote signal to power up and power down the surveillance system.

42. The surveillance system of claim 39 in which the power means includes a power source capable of powering the surveillance system for extended periods of time before having to be replaced or replenished.

43. A surveillance system for observing a remote location and providing information about events occurring at that location comprising:

sensor means for obtaining real time information about what is happening, or not happening, at the location;

transmission means for converting outputs from the sensor means into a secure format and for transmitting the resultant information from the remote location to another location distant therefrom;

display means at the distant location for converting the information at the distant location into a video display format and for displaying the information, in real time, to at least one user for the user to be able to immediately respond to what is happening, or not happening, at the remote location and to undertake appropriate action in response to the immediate situation at the remote location; and

,

activation means responsive to an alarm received from a predetermined source for activating the surveillance system.

44. The surveillance system of claim 43 in which the activation means is responsive to an alarm transmitted from the distant location.

45. The surveillance system of claim 44 in which the distant location is land based, sea based, an aerial platform, or a space platform.

46. The surveillance system of claim 43 in which the activation means is further responsive to an alarm transmitted from a cellular telephone.

47. The surveillance system of claim 43 further including interface means for interfacing the surveillance system, when activated, with:

other surveillance systems which communicate with the same distant location; and

,

land, sea, air, and space based platforms by which information is transmitted to a user in a predetermined, secure format.

48. A covert video surveillance system for clandestinely observing a remote location and providing information about events occurring at that location comprising:

sensor means for obtaining real time information about the location, the sensor means including a video imaging means and a plurality of other different types of sensors to obtain video and other different types of information about what is happening, or not happening, at the location, and the sensor means being concealed in an appropriate manner to prevent their detection by those under surveillance;

transmission means for converting outputs from the sensor means into a secure format and for transmitting the resultant information from the remote location to at least location distant from the remote location, the transmission means including a point-to-point, a point-to-multipoint, and a mesh topology communications capability;

display means at each distant location for converting the information into a video display format and for simultaneously displaying the information, in real time, to at least one user at each distant location for simultaneous viewing by all the users thereby enabling the users to immediately respond to what is happening, or not happening, at the remote location and to undertake appropriate action in response to the immediate situation at the remote location;

power means for powering the surveillance system and including a power source capable of powering the surveillance means for extended periods of time before having to be replaced or replenished; and

,

action means located at the remote location for performing a predetermined function in response to a command from the distant location, the command being sent as a result of the information displayed to the user at the distant location and an action taken in response thereto.