MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 3,742,133 A
• Filed: 09/15/1971
• Issued: 06/26/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph L O'Sullivan
• Original Assignee: Joseph L O'Sullivan
• Inventors: O'Sullivan, Joseph L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Robert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martin, John C.
• Application Number:
  US05/180,804
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 178/5.6,6,DIG.1,DIG.38,6.8,DIG.6,DIG.13,DIG.33
• US Class Current: 348/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/025 Door telephones adapted for television H04N7/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones

Abstract

The system is for use in an apartment house or other multi-unit dwelling and generally includes a central station which is preferably in the lobby of the apartment house and a plurality of unit stations, one being associated with each unit of the apartment house. The central or lobby station includes a plurality of manually actuable switches, one identifying each apartment unit, a television camera and a speaker/microphone arrangement for communicating with an occupant of the apartment house. Each unit station similarly includes a corresponding speaker/microphone arrangement, along with a lobby door release switch, a television receiver and a talk/listen switch. In accordance with the invention circuitry including relay and delay means are also located in the central station and unit stations. When one of the switches in the lobby is depressed and the television receiver in the corresponding unit is on, the video signal from the lobby camera automatically overrides the video signal of the tuned-in station regardless of which station is tuned-in and the occupant can immediately observe the lobby area to determine whether or not to actuate the door release switch.

Claims

1. A television monitoring system comprising;

a central station, a plurality of stations remotely disposed from the central station, said central station having an entrance means and including a television camera directed toward at least a portion of the central station area where a person may enter, and a plurality of manually actuable switch means, one switch means being associated with each remote station, and conductor means intercoupling the switch means of the central station with its associated remote station, each said remote station including a television receiver including means for receiving both a normal video signal and a video signal from the television camera, and means responsive to actuation of the associated switch means for coupling the video signal from the television camera to the television receiver in a manner to cause the normal video signal to be overridden by the video signal from the camera.

2. The system of claim 1 and further comprising audio communication means intercoupling the central station and each remote station wherein said means for coupling of a selected station enables said audio communication means intercoupled to the selected station.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said means responsive to actuation of the associated switch means also decouples the audio associated with the normal video signal upon actuation of the switch means.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said means responsive to actuation of the associated switch means includes a relay having a plurality of contacts associated therewith.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein each said remote station includes a release switch means that couples via conductor means to an entrance enabling means which is energized upon actuation of the release switch means to allow opening of said entrance means.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said entrance means includes a door and said entrance enabling means includes a relay which is energized to open the door.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein energizing of said entrance enabling means causes a decoupling of the video signal from the television camera.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said central station includes interlock means responsive to an actuation of any switch means for preventing a coupling of the video signal from the television camera to local stations associated with a subsequently actuated switch means.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said means responsive to actuation of the associated switch means includes storage means and said central station includes time delay means for resetting or deenergizing the storage means after a predetermined time period.

10. A video monitoring system for use in a building having an entrance lobby with a normally secured door which is opened to allow a person access to other parts of the building and a plurality of units contained in the building, comprising a television camera directed toward at least a portion of the entrance lobby where a person may initially enter the building, a plurality of manually actuable switches located in the lobby, one switch being associated with each unit of the building, conductor means interconnecting each switch in the lobby with its associated unit, a television receiver in each said unit capable of receiving normal television signals from at least local stations and a video signal from the television camera in the lobby, circuit means in each said unit responsive to actuation of the associated lobby switch for coupling the video signal from the television camera to the television receiver for displaying a picture of the lobby area, and a door release switch in each said unit and associated conductor means for causing an opening of said door when said door release switch is actuated.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said circuit means includes a relay having a plurality of contacts associated therewith.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein a first contact of said plurality couples the video signal from the television camera.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein a second contact of said plurality interrupts the audio portion of the normal television signal.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein a third contact of said plurality enables voice communication between the lobby and unit.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein a fourth contact of said plurality latches said relay.

16. Interlock circuitry for use in a television monitoring system having a central station and a plurality of remote stations, said central station having an entrance means and includinG a plurality of manually actuable switch means, one switch means being associated with each remote station, and conductor means intercoupling the switch means of the central station with its associated remote station, each said remote station including means responsive to actuation of the associated switch means for signaling the occupant of the presence of a person at the central station, said interlock circuitry for preventing operation of more than one means for signaling at a time and comprising;

an energy storage means, conductor means intercoupling one terminal of said energy storage means to said plurality of manually actuable switch means, circuit means responsive to actuation of a first one of said plurality of manually actuable switch means, said circuit means having means associated therewith for interrupting said conductor means and isolating said switch means from said energy storage means for up to a maximum time interval during which time interval actuation of other switch means are prevented from operating signaling means associated with the other switch means.

17. Interlock circuitry as set forth in claim 16 wherein said circuit means is responsive only after a short predetermined interval to actuation of said first one of said switch means.

18. Interlock circuitry as set forth in claim 17 wherein said circuit means includes a relay and associated RC network.