Continuous automatic surveillance system

• US 3,885,090 A
• Filed: 03/20/1973
• Issued: 05/20/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard W. Rosenbaum
• Original Assignee: Richard W. Rosenbaum
• Inventors: Rosenbaum, Richard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Canney, Vincent P.
• Application Number:
  US05/343,041
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 178/6.6A,6.6R,DIG.1,33,36,38 360/5
• US Class Current: 360/5
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves

Abstract

A video tape recorder continuously records video images of an area under surveillance on an endless tape loop. When a sensor detects a disturbance, the sensor starts an interval timer which stops the video recorder after a predetermined period of time following the disturbance. A plurality of read heads are positioned around the endless tape loop to selectively monitor one of a plurality of past time periods. By superimposing a grid pattern on the video image and providing predetermined spaced markings on the floor or wall of the area under surveillance, a subject'"'"''"'"'s movements may be measured and tabulated to form a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'motion print'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' characteristic of the subject for later identification.

Claims

1. A surveillance system for providing a recorded video image of a guarded area, comprising video camera means producing a video output signal representing an image of the area under surveillance, an endless magnetic tape loop on which video signals can be stored, video recorder means normally continuously on operatively connected to said video camera means for continuously recording said video signals on said endless tape loop, said recorder means including an endless tape loop transport system including a plurality of center-feeding reels, means for feeding said tape from one reel to the next in a closed path including all of said reels, and means for maintaining the amount of tape wound on at least one of said reels different from the amount of tape wound on other ones of said reels, said video recorder means further providing write head means and a plurality of read head means between a plurality of adjacent ones of said reels, interval timing means operatively connected to said video recorder means for turning said recorder means off following a predetermined interval of time after said timing means is started, and sensor means responsive to a predetermined disturbance in said guarded area for issuing a signal to said interval timing means to start said timing means, whereby upon the sensing of a disturbance, said video recorder means is turned off after a predetermined interval of time.

2. The surveillance system of claim 1, wherein said video recorder means includes means for selectively activating said read head means to provide outputs representing different past time periods.

3. The surveillance system of claim 1, further comprising a pair of video monitors, one of said read head means being adjacent to said write head means between the same two reels on the side toward which said tape advances, one of said monitors being connected to said one of said read head means, and a read head selector unit interconnecting the other of said monitors selectively with a plurality of said read head means.

4. A surveillance system for providing a recorded video image of a guarded area, comprising video camera means producing a video output signal representing an image of the area under surveillance, an endless magnetic tape loop on which video signals can be stored, video recorder means normally continuously on operatively connected to said video camera means for continuously recording said video signals on said endless tape loop, said video recorder means further including an endless magnetic tape transport system including a plurality of endless tape loop systems each having an endless tape loop and means for circulating said loop, read and write head means operatively associated with each said tape loop system, means responsive to the passage of predetermined positions on the tape loops in said respective tape loop systems for interchangeably activating said head means so that said tape loop systems are employed in a repeating predetermined sequence, interval timing means operatively connected to said video recorder means for turning said recorder means off following a predetermined interval of time after said timiNg means is started, and sensor means responsive to a predetermined disturbance in said guarded area for issuing a signal to said interval timing means to start said timing means, whereby upon the sensing of a disturbance, said video recorder means is turned off after a predetermined interval of time.

5. A surveillance system for providing a recorded video image of a guarded area, comprising video camera means producing a video output signal representing an image of the area under surveillance, an endless magnetic tape loop on which video signals can be stored, video recorder means normally continuously on operatively connected to said video camera means for continuously recording said video signals on said endless tape loop, said video recorder means further including a plurality of reel-to-reel tape transports each having a pair of reels for carrying magnetic tape there between, read and write head means operatively associated with each said tape transport, means for interchangeably activating said head means and controlling the direction of rotation of said reels so that said tape transports are employed in a repeating predetermined sequence thereby providing said endless recording medium, interval timing means operatively connected to said video recorder means for turning said recorder means off following a predetermined interval of time after said timing means is started, and sensor means responsive to a predetermined disturbance in said guarded area for issuing a signal to said interval timing means to start said timing means, whereby upon the sensing of a disturbance, said video recorder means is turned off after a predetermined interval of time.

6. The surveillance system of claim 5, further comprising means for reversing one of said tape transports while the preceding transport is employed for recording so that said one tape transport will be rewound and ready when the preceding transport has been fully utilized for recording.

7. A surveillance system for providing a recorded video image of a guarded area, comprising video camera means producing a video output signal representing an image of the area under surveillance, an endless magnetic tape on which video signals can be recorded, video recorder means operatively connected to said video camera means for recording said video signals on said tape, at least one video monitor, a write head and plurality of separately operable read heads spaced apart along the path of said endless tape, and selector means for individually activating said read heads to provide outputs to said video monitors representing different past time periods.

8. The surveillance system of claim 7, wherein there are at least three of said read heads.

9. The surveillance system of claim 7, further comprising an endless loop tape transport system including a plurality of tape delay transfer units for accepting and feeding moving tape while continuously storing a constant length segment of moving tape, said tape being fed from transfer unit to transfer unit such that it forms an endless loop, said read heads being stationed respectively alongside the tape feed path between corresponding adjacent ones of said tape delay transfer units.

10. The surveillance system of claim 9, wherein there are at least three transfer units and read heads.

11. The surveillance system of claim 9, wherein said transfer units are in the form of center-feeding tape reels having at any given time a predetermined length of tape wound thereon corresponding to a predetermined delay.

12. The surveillance system of claim 11, wherein there are at least three of said center-feeding tape reels and read heads.

13. The surveillance system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined length of tape wound on at least two of said reels differs.

14. The surveillance system of claim 8, wherein there are two of said video monitors, one of which is connected to the read head nearest to said write head in the direction of normal tape movement, and the othEr monitor being connectible via said selector means to any one of the other read heads to view a selected past time period.