LUGGAGE SECURITY DEVICE

• US 20130057694A1
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bosch Security Systems Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH), Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bosch Security Systems Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH), Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: PETRICOIN, DENNIS M. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,964,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/155
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A battery-powered camera is mounted within the interior of a suitcase. The camera has an awake mode in which the camera captures a plurality of images in response to it being detected that the suitcase is in an open position. A controller switches the camera from a sleep mode to the awake mode in response to the user actuating an awake mode switch, a motion detector mounted to the suitcase detecting motion of the suitcase, and/or a touch sensor mounted to the suitcase detecting a human being touching the suitcase.

Claims

1. A luggage security system, comprising:

a suitcase having an open position and a closed position;

means for detecting that the suitcase is in the open position;

a camera mounted within an interior of the suitcase, the camera being powered by a battery, the camera having;

an awake mode in which the camera captures a plurality of images in response to the detecting means detecting the suitcase being in the open position; and

a sleep mode in which the camera does not capture images, the camera being configured to consume less power from the battery in the sleep mode than in the awake mode; and

a controller mounted within the interior of the suitcase and communicatively coupled to the camera and configured to switch the camera from the sleep mode to the awake mode in response to at least one of;

the user actuating an awake mode switch;

a motion detector mounted to the suitcase detecting motion of the suitcase; and

a touch sensor mounted to the suitcase detecting a human being touching the suitcase.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the detecting means includes an actuatable switch.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the detecting means includes a light sensor associated with the camera.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a radio frequency transmitter configured to transmit the captured images to an external electronic device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes the awake mode switch and at least one of the motion detector and the touch sensor, the awake mode switch having a sleep mode position, a neutral position and an awake mode position, the controller being configured to:

when the awake mode switch is in the sleep position, maintain the camera in the sleep mode;

when the awake mode switch is in the neutral position, switch the camera from the sleep mode to the awake mode in response to at least one of;

the motion detector detecting motion of the suitcase; and

the touch sensor detecting a human being touching the suitcase; and

when the awake mode switch is in the awake position, maintain the camera in the awake mode.

6. A personal container security system, comprising:

a personal container having an open position and a closed position;

means for sensing absence of a human owner of the container within a vicinity of the container;

means for detecting that the container is in the open position; and

a camera mounted to the container, the camera being communicatively coupled to the detecting means, the camera having;

an awake mode in which the camera captures a plurality of images in response to;

the detecting means detecting that the container is in the open position; and

the sensing means sensing an absence of the human owner of the container within a vicinity of the container; and

a sleep mode in which the camera does not capture images.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the container comprises a suitcase, a billfold or a purse.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the container includes a radio frequency transponder, the sensing means comprising a personal electronic device configured to transmit a plurality of radio frequency signals to the transponder, the transponder being configured to wirelessly respond to the radio frequency signals from the personal electronic device only if the human owner is within the vicinity of the container.

9. The system of claim 6 further comprising an electronic controller communicatively coupled to each of the sensing means, the detecting means, and the camera, wherein the sensing means comprises a facial recognition algorithm run by the controller on the images captured by the camera.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the system includes the awake mode switch and means for detecting motion of the suitcase, the awake mode switch having a sleep mode position, a neutral position and an awake mode position, the controller being configured to:

when the awake mode switch is in the sleep position, maintain the camera in the sleep mode;

when the awake mode switch is in the neutral position, switch the camera from the sleep mode to the awake mode in response to detecting means detecting motion of the suitcase; and

when the awake mode switch is in the awake position, maintain the camera in the awake mode.

11. A luggage security system, comprising:

a suitcase including a first shell half having a first proximal end and a first distal end, and a second shell half having a second proximal end and a second distal end, the first proximal end and the second proximal end being attached together by a hinge, the suitcase having an open position in which the distal ends are pivoted about the hinge away from each other, and a closed position in which the distal ends are adjacent to each other;

means for detecting that the suitcase is in the open position;

a first camera mounted to the first distal end of the suitcase;

a second camera mounted to the second distal end of the suitcase, each of the first and second cameras being directed generally towards an interior of the suitcase when the suitcase is in the open position; and

electrical power means for powering the first and second cameras, wherein each of the first and second cameras has;

an awake mode in which the camera captures a plurality of images in response to the detecting means detecting the suitcase being in the open position; and

a sleep mode in which the camera does not capture images, the camera being configured to consume less power from the electrical power means in the sleep mode than in the awake mode.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the first camera comprises a pan, tilt, zoom camera, the second camera comprising a wide angle lens camera, the first camera being enclosed in a tinted hemispherical dome, the system further comprising means for transmitting the images captured by the first camera to a personal electronics device, the first camera being configured to perform panning movements, tilting movements, and/or zooming movements in response to commands wirelessly transmitted from the personal electronics device.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to each of the first and second cameras and configured to switch the cameras from the sleep mode to the awake mode in response to at least one of:

the user actuating an awake mode switch;

a motion detector mounted to the suitcase detecting motion of the suitcase; and

a touch sensor mounted to the suitcase detecting a human being touching the suitcase.

14. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

means for detecting motion of the suitcase;

an awake mode switch having a sleep mode position, a neutral position, and an awake mode position; and

a controller electrically connected to the open position detecting means, each of the cameras, the electrical power means, the motion detecting means, and the awake mode switch, the controller being configured to;

when the awake mode switch is in the sleep position, maintain the cameras in the sleep mode;

when the awake mode switch is in the neutral position, switch the cameras from the sleep mode to the awake mode in response to motion detecting means detecting motion of the suitcase; and

when the awake mode switch is in the awake position, maintain the camera in the awake mode.

15. The system of claim 11 further comprising a radio frequency transmitter configured to transmit the images captured by the first and second cameras to an external electronic device.

16. A luggage security arrangement, comprising:

a suitcase;

a camera mounted on the suitcase;

a memory device mounted on the suitcase and configured to store video data captured by the camera;

a weight scale integrated into the suitcase and configured to measure a weight associated with the suitcase; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the memory device and to the weight scale, the controller being configured to erase the video data stored in the memory device in response to the weight scale indicating that a weight measurement associated with the suitcase is unchanged from a previous weight measurement associated with the suitcase.

17. The arrangement of claim 16 wherein the suitcase has an open position and a closed position, the arrangement further comprising:

means for detecting that the suitcase is in the open position; and

means for causing the camera to capture video data in response to the detecting that the suitcase is in the open position.

18. The arrangement of claim 16 wherein the controller is mounted within the interior of the suitcase.

19. The arrangement of claim 16 wherein the weight scale is integrated into a handle of the suitcase.

20. The arrangement of claim 16 wherein the camera has:

an awake mode in which the camera captures a plurality of images in response to the detecting means detecting the suitcase being in the open position; and

a sleep mode in which the camera does not capture images, the arrangement further comprising means for detecting motion of the suitcase, the controller being configured to switch the camera from the sleep mode to the awake mode in response to the motion detecting means detecting motion of the suitcase.