Alert locator

• US 5,546,072 A
• Filed: 07/22/1994
• Issued: 08/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: IRW Incorporated
• Inventors: May, Jack L., Creuseremee, Melville C.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US08/279,760
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 340/574, 340/573, 340/541, 340/692, 340/691, 340/686, 340/514, 340/515, 340/539, 340/825.69, 381/56, 381/41, 455/89, 455/95, 455/100, 455/151.2, 348/143, 342/450, 342/27, 342/28, 342/451, 379/37-38
• US Class Current: 340/574
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system

Abstract

A security system for monitoring an area under surveillance includes a transmitter for generating radio frequencies (RF) signals when actuated using an actuator. A sensing station receives the RF signals from the transmitter. A monitoring station generates video signals of the area under surveillance and provides one end of a duplex audio communications system. A control station, coupled to the sensing station and the monitoring station, actuates the monitoring station in response to the RF signals sensed by the sensing station. The control station includes an opposite end of the duplex audio communications system and a display for displaying the video signals.

Claims

1. A security system for monitoring a surveillance area comprising:

transmitting means, including a transmitter and an actuator for actuating said transmitter and generating a given radio frequency (RF) signal when actuated;

a plurality of sensing means for receiving said RF signal from said transmitting means;

monitoring means for generating video signals of a field of view (FOV) of said surveillance area;

positioning means for adjusting said FOV of said monitoring means;

control means, coupled to said plurality of sensing means, said monitoring means and said positioning means, for actuating said positioning means and said monitoring means when said RF signal is sensed by said sensing means to position said FOV of said monitoring means to include an area in which said transmitter is located; and

display means, coupled to said control means, for displaying said video signals.

2. The security system of claim 1 wherein said control means and said monitoring means include audio means for providing duplex audio communication therebetween.

3. The personal security system of claim 1 wherein said RF signal generated by said transmitting means includes an alert portion, a continuous wave (CW) portion and an identification portion containing identification data associated with the transmitter.

4. The security system of claim 3 wherein said sensing means includes a direction finding (DF) antenna system and wherein said sensing means generates angle data related to the position of the actuated transmitter relative to said monitoring means.

5. The security system of claim 4 wherein said DF antenna system includes:

a plurality of electronically variable attenuators;

attenuator drive means for driving said electronically variable attenuators; and

a plurality of antenna elements coupled to said variable attenuators, wherein said variable attenuators, said attenuator drive means and said antenna elements electronically simulate a rotating antenna system.

6. The security system of claim 5 wherein said plurality of antenna elements are dipole antenna elements.

7. The security system of claim 5 wherein said plurality of antenna elements are helical antenna elements.

8. The security system of claim 4 wherein said sensing means further includes:

receiving means, coupled to said DF antenna system, for receiving said RF signal;

shaping means, coupled to said receiving means, for clipping and clamping said RF signal; and

decoding means, coupled to said shaping means, for recognizing said alert and identification portions from said clipped and clamped RF signal.

9. The security system of claim 8 wherein said decoding means enables output of said receiving means to an angle processing means for generating said angle data after detection of said CW portion.

10. The security system of claim 9 wherein said decoding means disables output from said receiving means to said angle processing means prior to cessation of the CW portion of the RF signal.

11. The security system of claim 10 wherein said sensing means further includes multipath editing means for momentarily disabling output to said angle processing means during said CW portion when large azimuth multipath signals predominate said received RF signal.

12. The security system of claim 10 wherein said sensing means further includes combining and transmitting means for combining said angle data with said identification data and for transmitting said combined identification data and angle data to said control means.

13. The security system of claim 8 wherein said receiving means is a frequency modulated (FM) receiver.

14. The security system of claim 4 wherein said monitoring means further includes:

a camera, having a field of view (FOV), for generating video signals of said FOV; and

a directional microphone, oriented towards said camera FOV, for receiving audio signals.

15. The security system of claim 14 wherein said positioning means positions said camera FOV and said directional microphone towards said transmitting means when said transmitting means is actuated.

16. The security system of claim 14 wherein said monitoring means further includes illumination means for illuminating said camera FOV.

17. The security system of claim 14 wherein said monitoring means further includes a speaker, associated with said control means, for amplifying said audio signals input to said directional microphone.

18. The security system of claim 3 further comprising transmitter testing means for testing operation and battery strength of said transmitter including:

receiver and decoding means for receiving said RF signal from said transmitter, for verifying said alert and identification portions, and said CW portion, and for determining battery strength from signal strength characteristics of said RF signal; and

coupling means for orienting said transmitter in a standard position relative to said receiver and decoding means.

19. The security system of claim 18 wherein said transmitter testing means further includes communicating means for communicating said battery strength to said control means.

20. The security system of claim 1 further including a microphone associated with said control means and a speaker in said surveillance area, for amplifying audio signals, input to said microphone.

21. The security system of claim 1 further comprising:

simulated transmitting means, including a simulated transmitter, for generating an RF signal including an alert portion, a continuous wave portion, and simulated transmitter identification portion for testing the status of said security system.

22. The security system of claim 21 wherein said simulated transmitter includes a second actuator means for periodically actuating said simulated transmitting means, wherein said simulated transmitting means is located at a known position in said area under surveillance.

23. The security system of claim 22 wherein said second actuator means is a timer.

24. The security system of claim 1 wherein said display means includes map means for displaying the location of an actuated transmitter relative to the area under surveillance.

25. The security system of claim 1 wherein said actuator is a car alarm.

26. A security system for monitoring a surveillance area comprising:

transmitting means, including an actuating means for activating said transmitting means and generating a given wirelessly transmitted signal when actuated;

monitoring means having a positionable camera for monitoring said surveillance area; and

control means for receiving said signal from said transmitting means and positioning said camera to view an area in which said transmitting means is located when said signal is received by said control means.

27. The security system of claim 26 wherein said control means and said monitoring means are remotely located from each other, with said control means and monitoring means each including communication means for bidirectionally wirelessly transmitting video and audio signals therebetween.

28. The security system of claim 26 wherein said control means includes a direction finding (DF) antenna system and wherein said control means generates angle data related to the position of the transmitting means, when actuated, relative to said monitoring means.

29. The security system of claim 28 wherein said signal is a radio frequency (RF) signal and said control means further includes:

receiving means, coupled to said DF antenna system, for receiving said signal;

shaping means, coupled to said receiving means, for clipping and clamping said signal; and

decoding means, coupled to said shaping means, for recognizing portions of said clipped and clamped signal.

30. The personal security system of claim 26 further comprising:

simulated transmitting means, including an actuating means for actuating said simulated transmitting means, for generating a wirelessly transmitted signal, simulating said wirelessly transmitted signal from said transmitting means, when actuated.

31. The security system of claim 26 further comprising transmitter testing means for testing operation of said transmitting means including:

receiving and decoding means for receiving said signal from said transmitting means, for verifying portions of said signal, and for determining battery strength from signal strength characteristics of said signal; and

coupling means for orienting said transmitting means in a predetermined position relative to said receiving and decoding means.

32. The security system of claim 26 further comprising a display means coupled to said control means for displaying system data.

33. A security system for monitoring a surveillance area comprising:

at least one portable transmitting station, including a transmitter and an actuator for actuating said transmitter and generating a given radio frequency (RF) signal, said RF signal including an alert portion, a continuous wave (CW) portion and an identification portion containing identification data associated with the transmitter, when actuated;

at least one monitoring station including a camera, having a field of view (FOV), for generating video signals of said FOV and a directional microphone oriented towards said camera FOV for receiving audio signals;

at least one positioning mechanism coupled to said monitoring station for adjusting said FOV;

at least one sensing station including a directional finding (DF) antenna system and generating angle data related to the position of said transmitter, when actuated, relative to said monitoring station; and

a control station, coupled to said sensing station, said monitoring station and said positioning mechanism, for actuating said positioning mechanism and said monitoring station when said RF signal is received by said sensing station to position said FOV of said monitoring station to include an area in which said transmitter is located.

34. The security system of claim 33 wherein said DF antenna system includes:

a plurality of electronically variable attenuators;

attenuator drive means for driving said electronically variable attenuators; and

a plurality of antenna elements coupled to said variable attenuators, wherein said variable attenuators, said attenuator drive means and said antenna elements electronically simulate a rotating antenna system.

35. The security system of claim 33 wherein said sensing station further includes:

a receiver, coupled to said DF antenna system, for receiving said RF signal;

a shaping circuit, coupled to said receiver, for clipping and clamping said RF signal; and

a decoding circuit, coupled to said shaping circuit, for recognizing said alert and identification portions of the RF signal and enabling output of said receiver to an angle processing means for generating said angle data after said CW portion begins and for disabling output from said receiver to said angle processing means before said CW portion ends.

36. The security system of claim 35 wherein said receiver is a frequency modulated (FM) receiver.

37. The security system of claim 33 wherein said sensing station further includes combining and transmitting means for combining said angle data with said identification data and for transmitting said combined identification data and angle data to said control station.

38. The security system of claim 33 further comprising:

a microphone in said control station;

speaker means in said monitoring station for broadcasting audio signals input to said microphone in said control station;

illumination means for illuminating said camera FOV of said monitoring station; and

second speaker means in said control station for broadcasting said audio signals input to said directional microphone in the monitoring station.

39. The security system of claim 33 further comprising:

at least one simulated transmitting station, including a second actuator for periodically actuating said simulated transmitting station, for generating a second RF signal including an alert portion, a continuous wave portion, and simulated transmitter identification portion, wherein said simulated transmitting station is located at a known position in an area under surveillance and wherein said control station compares said known position to a previously calculated position for said simulated transmitting station.

40. The security system of claim 39 wherein said second actuator is a timer.

41. The security system of claim 33 further comprising at least one transmitter tester for testing operation of said transmitter including:

a receiver and decoder for receiving said RF signal from said transmitter, for verifying said alert and identification portions, and said CW portion, and for determining battery strength from signal strength characteristics of said RF signal;

coupling means for orienting said transmitter in a standard position relative to said receiver and decoding means; and

communicating means for communicating said battery strength to said control station.