Surveillance apparatus
First Claim
1. Surveillance apparatus including an open ended housing member connected to a wall member of a chamber with one end opening into the interior thereof and the other end spaced outwardly of the wall member, a cover having a cap and depending side walls so shaped and dimensioned that the side walls and said other end may fit together in an overlapping relationship, the cover also including first supporting means extending into the housing member, second supporting means fitting freely within the housing member, a surveillance unit rotatably supported by the second supporting means, said unit including a camera and lens assembly and means operable to tilt the unit and the center line of the lens upwardly or downwardly relative to a first position normal to the axis of rotation of the unit, and reversible drive means held by one of said members and connected to the supporting means, said drive means operable to raise the two supporting means from and return them to a first relationship in which the walls of the cover and said other housing end overlap and the unit is spaced a predetermined distance from the cap with the lens center line above the lower ends of the side walls of the cover but shielded by said other end of the housing member and the side walls of the cover against outside light, said drive means operable simultaneously to raise the cover at a first rate to admit outside light into said other end of the housing member and to raise the second supporting means at a second, slower rate to keep the lens center line in a position between said other end of the housing member and the side walls of the cover in which the lens center line is exposed directly to outside light with the distance between the unit and the cap increased.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surveillance apparatus for installation in such an open ended housing as the air vent structure of a motor vehicle has first and second supports, the first support carries the cover for the housing and is movable between a position in which the outer exposed end of the housing is closed into raised positions. The second support is within the first support and is movable relative thereto and carries a surveillance unit which includes a camera and lens assembly within the housing with the center line of the lens when the cover is closed in the plane of the outer end of the housing. Both supports are shown in the disclosed embodiment, as driven by a reversible drive in a manner such that the second support at all times travels one-half the distance which the first support travels. Desirably and as shown, the surveillance unit includes a pan and tilt assembly on which the camera and lens assembly is mounted. The motors of the surveillance unit and the motor of the reversible drive are remotely controlled.
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Citations
14 Claims
- 1. Surveillance apparatus including an open ended housing member connected to a wall member of a chamber with one end opening into the interior thereof and the other end spaced outwardly of the wall member, a cover having a cap and depending side walls so shaped and dimensioned that the side walls and said other end may fit together in an overlapping relationship, the cover also including first supporting means extending into the housing member, second supporting means fitting freely within the housing member, a surveillance unit rotatably supported by the second supporting means, said unit including a camera and lens assembly and means operable to tilt the unit and the center line of the lens upwardly or downwardly relative to a first position normal to the axis of rotation of the unit, and reversible drive means held by one of said members and connected to the supporting means, said drive means operable to raise the two supporting means from and return them to a first relationship in which the walls of the cover and said other housing end overlap and the unit is spaced a predetermined distance from the cap with the lens center line above the lower ends of the side walls of the cover but shielded by said other end of the housing member and the side walls of the cover against outside light, said drive means operable simultaneously to raise the cover at a first rate to admit outside light into said other end of the housing member and to raise the second supporting means at a second, slower rate to keep the lens center line in a position between said other end of the housing member and the side walls of the cover in which the lens center line is exposed directly to outside light with the distance between the unit and the cap increased.
Specification