Television monitoring system
First Claim
1. A camera unit for a television monitoring system, comprising:
- a first camera, for monitoring principally during day-light conditions;
a second camera, for monitoring principally during low-light conditions;
a light intensifier in association with said second camera for intensifying the light received by said second camera; and
control circuit means for selectively energizing, utilizing, and de-energizing either said first camera or said second camera and said light intensifier in response to a predetermined variation in ambient light intensity, so that a time delay is provided between said energizing and said utilizing of said cameras and said light intensifier.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A remote controlled television monitoring system for both day and low light level condition monitoring. The monitoring system includes a dual channel camera unit, a passive transmitter unit, and a receiver unit interposed between the transmitter unit and the remotely located camera unit. The transmitter provides control signals to a video control circuit in the receiver unit which controls the positioning of the camera unit as well as the camera lens functions. The dual channel camera unit is mounted on a pan-tilt unit; and includes a day-light camera, a low-light camera, a light intensifier for the low-light camera, and a channel control circuit. The channel control circuit provides for automatic channel switching in response to light intensity variations. This circuit also provides automatic control of the light intensifier during low-light operation.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A camera unit for a television monitoring system, comprising:
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a first camera, for monitoring principally during day-light conditions; a second camera, for monitoring principally during low-light conditions; a light intensifier in association with said second camera for intensifying the light received by said second camera; and control circuit means for selectively energizing, utilizing, and de-energizing either said first camera or said second camera and said light intensifier in response to a predetermined variation in ambient light intensity, so that a time delay is provided between said energizing and said utilizing of said cameras and said light intensifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for switching channels in a television monitoring system camera unit, including a first camera for providing a first channel video signal, a second camera for providing a second channel video signal, a motorized lens for each of said cameras, a light intensifier cooperative with one of said cameras, and a control circuit means, comprising the steps of:
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(a) sensing the ambient light intensity; (b) energizing said first camera in response to a predetermined level of said light intensity; and (c) after a predetermined delay, de-energizing said second camera and concomitantly transferring from said second channel to said first channel. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. For a remote control apparatus in a television monitoring system having a transmitter unit for providing control signals, a camera unit for providing a video signal, a receiver unit in association with said transmitter unit and said camera unit, and at least one actuator for controlling said camera unit in response to said control signals, the improvement comprising:
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a source of d.c. voltage electrical power for said transmitter unit, contained in said receiver unit, and connected to said transmitter unit via a pair of conductors; a single conductor for transmitting two of said control signals from said transmitter unit to said receiver unit; and a video control circuit means, contained in said receiver unit, for selectively utilizing said two control signals, transmitted alternatively on said single conductor, to energize said actuator. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A camera unit for a television monitoring system, comprising:
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a first camera, for monitoring principally during day-light conditions; a second camera, for monitoring principally during low-light conditions; a light intensifier in association with said second camera for intensifying the light received by said second camera; and control circuit means for selectively energizing, utilizing, and de-energizing either said first camera or said second camera and said light intensifier to provide a video signal from said camera unit, and for adjusting the gain of said light intensifier in response to a variation in the ambient light intensity when said second camera and said light intensifier are utilized. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. For a remote control apparatus in a television monitoring system having a transmitter unit for providing control signals, a camera unit for providing a video signal, a receiver unit in association with said transmitter unit and said camera unit, and a plurality of actuators for controlling said camera unit in response to said control signals, the improvement comprising:
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a source of electrical power for said transmitter unit, contained in said receiver unit, and connected to said transmitter unit via a pair of conductors; a single conductor for each of said plurality of actuators for transmitting at least two control signals from said transmitter unit to said receiver unit; and video control circuit means for each of said plurality of actuators, contained in said receiver unit, for selectively utilizing said two control signals, transmitted alternatively on said single conductor, to energize one of said actuators. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification