Apparatus within a street lamp for remote surveillance

• US 5,886,738 A
• Filed: 11/21/1996
• Issued: 03/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Detection Dynamics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Detection Dynamics Incorporated
• Inventors: Montgomery, Mark D., Marchant, Richard J., Hollenbeck, Joseph R., Marshall, Dan H. II
• Primary Examiner(s): RAO, ANAND SHASHIKANT
• Application Number:
  US08/752,566
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/149, 348/151, 348/152, 348/208, 348/211, 348/214, 348/373, 340/937, 340/941, 340/936, 340/939
• US Class Current: 348/151
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/103 of streets or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1963 Arrangements allowing camera rotation to change view, e.g. pivoting camera, pan-tilt and zoom [PTZ]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19632 Camera support structures, e.g. attachment means, poles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/001 Concealed systems, e.g. disguised alarm systems to make covert systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A covert surveillance system for viewing images from a remote location is provided. The surveillance system provides a mirror, lens and camera arrangement within a small enclosure which allows full 360 degree pan, tilt, zoom, focus and iris control from a remote location. The system receives control commands such as rotate left, zoom out and tilt down via a radio receiver, and controls the camera accordingly. Images viewed by the camera are transmitted to a remote receiver for display on a monitor, or for recording. Continuous camera rotation is achieved by use of a specialized conductive drum which provides continuous electrical contact between camera signals and camera control. In one embodiment, the surveillance system is mounted in place of a photo detector in a street lamp, making the camera virtually undetectable.

Claims

1. A remote surveillance system comprising:

camera image transmission means for viewing images and for transmitting the viewed images, said camera image transmission means comprising;

a camera comprising;

a lens;

an image capture device coupled to said lens; and

a mirror, coupled to said lens, for directing the images into said lens

camera control, coupled to said camera, for controlling said camera; and

an image transmitter, coupled to said camera, for receiving the images from said camera and for transmitting the images to image reception means,

said image reception means, in communication with said camera image transmission means, for receiving the transmitted images from said camera image transmission means;

remote control means, in communication with said camera image transmission means, for selecting images to be viewed by said camera image transmission means; and

street lamp housing means, incasing said camera image transmission means;

whereby said camera image transmission means view the images from the street lamp housing means, and transmit the viewed images to said image reception means.

2. The remote surveillance system, as recited in claim 1 wherein said camera is mounted within a rotatable housing and wherein a portion of said rotatable housing extends through said street lamp housing means.

3. The remote surveillance system, as recited in claim 2, wherein said rotatable housing extends through an upper surface of said street lamp housing means.

4. The remote surveillance system, as recited in claim 3, wherein the portion of said rotatable housing which extends through said upper surface of said street lamp housing means encloses said mirror.

5. The remote surveillance system, as recited in claim 4, wherein said portion of said rotatable housing which extends through said upper surface of said street lamp is disguised as a photo detector.

6. The remote surveillance system, as recited in claim 4, wherein said portion of said rotatable housing which extends through said upper surface of said street lamp comprises a cylinder, having an opening which allows images to be reflected by said mirror to said lens.

7. The remote surveillance system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said street lamp housing means comprise:

an upper surface;

a lower surface, attached underneath said upper surface, said lower surface having an opening at one end; and

a lamp lens, fixed within said opening of said lower surface, for enclosing a light source;

said upper surface further comprising a round opening, said round opening for mounting a photo detector.

8. The remote surveillance system, as recited in claim 7, wherein said round opening in said upper surface allows a portion of said camera image transmission means to extend therethrough in place of said photo detector.

9. A remote control surveillance system, a portion of which is for mounting within a street lamp housing, the remote control surveillance system comprising:

a camera, for viewing images, said camera having a mirror mounted within a cylindrical housing, said cylindrical housing mounted within the street lamp, and extending through an upper surface of the street lamp;

camera control, connected to said camera, for selecting images to be viewed by said camera;

an image transmitter, connected to said camera, for receiving viewed images from said camera, and for transmitting the viewed images;

an image receiver, in communication with said image transmitter, for receiving the viewed images from said image transmitter;

a monitor, connected to said image receiver, for displaying the viewed images received by said image receiver;

a remote control transmitter, for transmitting camera control information from a user; and

a remote control receiver, in communication with said remote control transmitter, for receiving the camera control information from said remote control transmitter, and for providing the camera control information to said camera control;

whereby the user of said remote control surveillance system can provide the camera control information to said remote control transmitter to selectably control images to be viewed on said monitor.

10. The remote control surveillance system, as recited in claim 9, wherein said camera further comprises:

a lens, optically connected to said mirror, for receiving images from said mirror; and

a image capture device, optically connected to said lens, for receiving images from said lens, and for providing the received images to said image transmitter.

11. The remote control surveillance system, as recited in claim 10, wherein said cylindrical housing further comprises a pivot mount for said mirror allowing said mirror to be controllably pivoted about an axis, thereby allowing vertical tilt control for said camera.

12. The remote control surveillance system, as recited in claim 10, wherein said cylindrical housing is rotatably mounted within the street lamp allowing said mirror to be controllably panned about a vertical axis.

13. The remote control surveillance system, as recited in claim 11, wherein said cylindrical housing is rotatably mounted within the street lamp allowing said mirror to be controllably panned about a vertical axis.

14. The remote control surveillance system, as recited in claim 9, wherein said camera control further comprises mirror control means for tilting said mirror about a horizontal axis, and for panning said cylindrical housing to rotate said mirror about a vertical axis.

15. The remote control surveillance system, as recited in claim 10, wherein said camera control further comprises lens control means, connected to said lens, for controlling focus and zoom parameters of said lens.

16. The remote control surveillance system, as recited in claim 9, wherein said image transmitter is a microwave transmitter.

17. The remote control surveillance system, as recited in claim 9, wherein said image receiver is a microwave receiver.

18. The remote control surveillance system, as recited in claim 9, wherein said remote control transmitter comprises a radio transmitter having a keypad for selecting camera control information to be transmitted to said remote control receiver.

19. The remote control surveillance system, as recited in claim 18, wherein said camera control information comprises:

zoom, focus, aperture, pan and tilt information.

20. The remote control surveillance system, as recited in claim 19, wherein said remote control receiver comprises a radio receiver for receiving said camera control information, and for providing said zoom, focus, aperture, pan and tilt information to said camera control.

21. The remote control surveillance system, as recited in claim 9, wherein said surveillance system further comprises a rubber seal, connected between said cylindrical housing and the upper surface of the street lamp, to provide a moisture seal between said cylindrical housing and the street lamp.

22. A surveillance system housed within a street lamp for providing video images to a remote user, and for providing remote control of zoom, focus, pan and tilt, the surveillance system comprising:

a camera, said camera comprising;

a mirror for directing images to be viewed;

a lens, optically connected to said mirror, for receiving the directed images, and for providing focus and zoom control;

an image capture device, optically connected to said lens, for receiving the directed images from said lens, and for converting the directed images into an electronic form,

a camera housing, for mounting said camera thereto, said camera housing comprising;

a mirror assembly housing, into which said mirror is rotatably secured;

a protective cover, inserted over said mirror assembly housing, for protecting said mirror from external elements;

a bracket assembly, connected to said mirror assembly housing, for positioning said mirror assembly housing into an optical arrangement with said lens; and

a rotatable camera base, connected to said bracket assembly, upon which said image capture device is mounted, for securing said bracket assembly thereto, thereby providing a stable optical path from said mirror, through said lens, to said image capture device;

wherein said mirror assembly housing, said bracket assembly and said rotatable camera base, rotate together about a Y axis to allow said camera to pan;

a conductive drum, surrounding said bracket assembly, and mounted to said rotatable camera base, said conductive drum having a plurality of electrically isolated conductive paths, said plurality of electrically isolated conductive paths providing a plurality of electrical connections between said camera, and a camera control device;

a plurality of contacts, connected to said plurality of electrically isolated conductive paths, said plurality of contacts providing electrical connection to said plurality of electrically isolated conductive paths while said conductive drum rotates with said camera;

camera control, connected to said plurality of contacts, for providing zoom, focus, pan and tilt information to said camera;

an image transmitter, connected to said camera via said conductive drum, for receiving video images from said camera and for transmitting the video images to an image receiver, and

a control receiver, connected to said camera control, and in communication with a remote transmitter, for receiving said zoom, focus, pan and tilt information and for providing said information to said camera control;

whereby the user can remotely view images transmitted by said image transmitter, and can select particular images for viewing by providing zoom, focus, pan and tilt information to said control receiver.

23. The surveillance system, as recited in claim 22, wherein said mirror assembly housing extends through an opening in an upper surface of said street lamp.

24. The surveillance system, as recited in claim 22, wherein the surveillance system further comprises:

a stutter light control device, connected to said control receiver, and to a light source within said street lamp, for simulating a faulty fluorescent light.

25. The surveillance system, as recited in claim 22, wherein the surveillance system further comprises a rubber seal.