Apparatus for powering a television interphone monitor via a signal transmission line

• US 5,923,363 A
• Filed: 03/06/1997
• Issued: 07/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Elbex Video Limited (Elbex Japan Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Elbex Video Limited (Elbex Japan Ltd.)
• Inventors: Elberbaum, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Bryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/812,250
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 348/155, 348/156, 348/143, 348/152, 348/153, 348/154, 379/102.06, 455/456, 340/310.01, 340/310.06
• US Class Current: 348/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/547 via DC power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5491 using filtering and bypassing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/548 the power on the line being DC arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

In an apparatus for powering a television interphone monitor for communication between entrances of a building and individual apartment of the building, power is fed to the television interphone monitor which is operated by a rechargeable battery, through a transmission line which is of low cost. The apparatus includes a single entrance panel or a number of entrance panels each of which has a TV camera and a circuit for processing an electrical information signal which may include a video signal. One or a number of television interphone monitors are connected via respective transmission lines to power supply units which may be included in an entrance unit which is in turn connected to the entrance panels. The power supply units supply a regulated current to the rechargeable battery. The entrance unit also includes a circuit for feeding an information signal to the television interphone monitors and a circuit for receiving the information signal from the television interphone telephones through corresponding transmission lines. Switching circuits may be provided between the entrance unit and the television interphone monitors to connect any one of the monitors to one or another entrance panel.

Claims

1. An apparatus for powering a television interphone monitor via an information signal transmission line, the apparatus comprising:

a television interphone monitor including a television monitor circuit adapted to operate by a rechargeable battery and an interphone circuit adapted to drain from said rechargeable battery a standby current, for receiving and processing first multiplexed electrical information signals including video signals, audio signals, control signals and also alarm signals in case of an alarm and for processing and outputting second multiplexed electrical information signals including audio signals, control signals and also alarm signals in case of an alarm;

a television interphone entrance panel for receiving and processing said second multiplexed electrical information signals and for processing and outputting said first multiplexed electrical information signals;

a television camera for generating composite video signals or digital video signals and for feeding said video signals to said television interphone entrance panel;

a rechargeable battery connected to said television interphone monitor for powering said television interphone monitor;

a regulated current supply means for supplying said television interphone monitor with a regulated current and for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals from said television interphone entrance panel to said television interphone monitor and from said television interphone monitor to said television interphone entrance panel;

a transmission line for connecting said television interphone monitor with said regulated current supply means for feeding said rechargeable battery with said regulated current and for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals through said regulated current supply means;

an information signal transmission line for connecting said television interphone entrance panel with said regulated current supply means for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals through said regulated current supply means,

wherein said regulated current is equal to the sum of said standby current and a current fed to charge said rechargeable battery and wherein the charged battery provides the power needed to operate said television interphone monitor.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said regulated current supply means is included in said television interphone entrance panel and wherein said information signal transmission line is an internal connecting line of the apparatus.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising:

control means, coupled with said television interphone monitor and said television interphone entrance panel, for generating coded control signals and alarm signals using dual-tone or digital pulses within an audio frequency range and injecting said coded control signals and alarm signals respectively into said transmission line and said information transmission line,

wherein said control means includes a receiving circuit for receiving said coded control signals and alarm signals through an associated one of said transmission line or said information transmission line and a decoding circuit for decoding said control signals received thereby and feeding the decoded control signals and alarm signals to a driving circuit for operating said television interphone monitor or said television interphone entrance panel in accordance with said controls or said alarm signals.

17. An apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising:

a video signal processor means, coupled with said television interphone entrance panel, for modulating video signals on a carrier, having the lowest modulated frequency thereof higher than an audio frequency bandwidth, and a processing circuit to process the modulated video signals into differential signals for feeding said differential signals into said information transmission line,

said television interphone monitor further comprising a circuit for receiving said differential signals and for demodulating said received differential signals and feeding the demodulated signals to a monitor circuit for displaying a video picture on the basis of said demodulated signals.

2. An apparatus for powering television interphone monitor via information signal transmission line, comprising:

a television interphone monitor including an interphone circuit and a television monitor circuit and adapted to operate said interphone circuit by a controlled current, for receiving and processing first multiplexed electrical information signals including video signals, audio signals, control signals and also alarm signals in case of an alarm and for processing and outputting second multiplexed electrical information signals including audio signals, control signals and also alarm signals in case of an alarm;

a rechargeable battery connected to said television interphone monitor for powering said television monitor circuit of said television interphone monitor;

a television interphone entrance panel for receiving and processing said second multiplexed electrical information signals and for processing and outputting said first multiplexed electrical information signals;

a television camera for generating composite video signals or digital video signals and for feeding said video signals to said television interphone entrance panel;

a regulated current supply means for supplying said television interphone monitor with a regulated current and for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals from said television interphone entrance panel to said television interphone monitor and from said television interphone monitor to said television interphone entrance panel;

a transmission line for connecting said television interphone monitor with said regulated current supply means for feeding said television interphone monitor with said regulated current and for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals through said regulated current supply means;

an information signal transmission line for connecting said television interphone entrance panel with said regulated current supply means for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals through said regulated current supply means,

wherein said regulated current is equal to the sum of said controlled current operating said interphone circuit and a current fed to charge said rechargeable battery and wherein the charged battery provides the power needed to operate said television monitor circuit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said controlled current fed to said interphone circuit from said regulated current supply means is switched over to be fed from said rechargeable battery when power from said regulated current supply means is cut off or switched off.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said regulated current supply means is included in said television interphone entrance panel and wherein said information signal transmission line is an internal connecting line of the apparatus.

18. The apparatus according to claim 2, and further comprising:

control means, coupled with said television interphone monitor and said television interphone entrance panel, for generating coded control signals or alarm signals using dual-tone or digital pulses within the audio frequency range and injecting the said coded control signals or alarm signals respectively into said transmission line and said information transmission line;

said control means further including a receiving circuit for receiving at least one of said coded control signals and alarm signals through an associated one of said transmission line and said information transmission line, and a decoding circuit for decoding said control signals received thereby and feeding the decoded signals of said at least one of control signals and alarm signals to a driving circuit for operating said television interphone monitor or said television interphone entrance panel in accordance with said control signals and said alarm signals.

19. The apparatus according to claim 2, and further comprising:

a video signal processor means, coupled with said television interphone entrance panel for modulating video signals on a carrier, having the lowest modulated frequency thereof higher than an audio frequency bandwidth, and a processing circuit to process the modulated video signals into differential signals for feeding said differential signals into said information transmission line,

said television interphone monitor further comprising a receiving circuit for receiving said differential signals and demodulating said differential signals received thereby and feeding the demodulated signals to a monitor circuit for displaying a video picture on the basis of said demodulated signals.

6. An apparatus for powering a television interphone monitor via an information signal transmission line, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of television interphone monitors each including a television monitor circuit adapted to operate by a rechargeable battery and an interphone circuit adapted to drain from said rechargeable battery a standby current, for receiving and processing first multiplexed electrical information signals including video signals, audio signals, control signals and also alarm signals in a case of an alarm and for processing and outputting second multiplexed electrical information signals including audio signals, control signals and also alarm signals in case of an alarm;

a television interphone entrance panel including a selector switch for selectively receiving, processing and outputting said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals;

a television camera for generating composite video signals or digital video signals and for feeding said video signals to said television interphone entrance panel;

a plurality of rechargeable batteries each connected to each of said plurality of television interphone monitors for powering said television interphone monitors;

a plurality of regulated current supply means for supplying each of said plurality of rechargeable batteries with regulated current and for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals from said television interphone entrance panel to each of said television interphone monitors and from each of said television interphone monitors to said television interphone entrance panel;

a plurality of transmission lines for connecting each of said plurality of television interphone monitors with each of said plurality of regulated current supply means, for feeding each of said plurality of television interphone monitors with said regulated current and for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals through said regulated current supply means;

a plurality of information signal transmission lines for connecting each of said plurality of regulated current supply means with a respective pole of said selector switch of said television interphone entrance panel for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals through said regulated current supply means,

wherein said regulated current is equal to the sum of said standby current and a current fed to charge each of said rechargeable batteries and wherein the charged battery provides the power needed to operate each of said television interphone monitor.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of said regulated current supply means are included in said television interphone entrance panel and wherein the plurality of said information signal transmission lines are internal connecting lines of the apparatus.

20. The apparatus according to claim 6, and further comprising:

a plurality control means, coupled with each of said television interphone monitors and with said television interphone entrance panel, for generating coded control signals and alarm signals using dual-tone or digital pulses within an audio frequency range and injecting said coded control signals and alarm signals respectively into said transmission line and said information transmission line;

each of said control means further including a receiving circuit for receiving said coded control signals and alarm signals through an associated one of said transmission line and said information transmission line, and a decoding circuit for decoding said control signals received thereby and feeding the decoded control signals and alarm signals to a driving circuit for operating said television interphone monitor or said television interphone entrance panel on the basis of said control and alarm signals.

21. The apparatus according to claim 6, and further comprising:

a video signal processor means, coupled with said television interphone entrance panel, for modulating video signals on a carrier, having the lowest modulated frequency thereof higher than an audio frequency bandwidth, and a processing circuit to process the modulated video signals into differential signals for feeding said differential signals into said information transmission line,

each of said television interphone monitors further comprising a receiving circuit for receiving said differential signals and for demodulating said received differential signals and feeding the demodulated signals to a monitor circuit for displaying a video picture on the basis of said demodulated signals.

7. An apparatus for powering a television interphone monitor via an information signal transmission line, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of television interphone monitors each including an interphone circuit and a television monitor circuit and adapted to operate said interphone circuit by a controlled current, for receiving and processing first multiplexed electrical information signals including video signals, audio signals, control signals and also alarm signals in a case of an alarm and for processing and outputting second multiplexed electrical information signals including audio signals, control signals and also alarm signals in a case of an alarm;

a television interphone entrance panel including a selector switch for selectively receiving, processing and outputting said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals;

a television camera for generating composite video signals or digital video signals and for feeding said video signals to said television interphone entrance panel;

a plurality of regulated current supply means for supplying each of said plurality of television interphone monitors with said regulated current and for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals from said television interphone entrance panel to each of said television interphone monitors and from each of said television interphone monitor to said television interphone entrance panel;

a plurality of rechargeable batteries each connected to each of said plurality of television interphone monitors for powering said television monitor circuit of each of said plurality of television interphone monitors;

a plurality of transmission lines for connecting each of said plurality of television interphone monitors with each of said plurality of regulated current supply means for feeding each of said plurality of television interphone monitors with said regulated current and for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals through said regulated current supply means;

a plurality of information signal transmission lines for connecting each of said plurality of regulated current supply means with a respective pole of said selector switch of said television interphone entrance panel for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals through said regulated current supply means,

wherein said regulated current is equal to the sum of said controlled current operating each of said interphone circuit and a current fed to charge each of said rechargeable batteries and wherein the charged battery provides the power needed to operate each of said television monitor circuit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said controlled current fed to said interphone circuit from said regulated current supply means is switched over to be fed from said rechargeable battery when power from said regulated current supply means is cut off or switched off.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of said regulated current supply means are included in said television interphone entrance panel and wherein the plurality of said information signal transmission lines are internal connecting lines of the apparatus.

22. The apparatus according to claim 7, and further comprising:

a plurality of control means, coupled with each of said television interphone monitors and said television interphone entrance panel, for generating coded control signals and alarm signals using dual-tone or digital pulses within an audio frequency range and injecting said coded control signals and alarm signals respectively into said transmission line and said information transmission line;

each of said control means further including a receiving circuit for receiving said coded control signals and alarm signals through an associated one of transmission lines or said information transmission lines, and a decoding circuit for decoding said signals received thereby and feeding the decoded control signals and alarm signals to a driving circuit for operating each of said television interphone monitor or said television interphone entrance panel in accordance with said control signals and alarm signals.

23. The apparatus according to claim 7, and further comprising:

a video signal processor means, coupled with said television interphone entrance panel, for modulating video signals on a carrier, having the lowest modulated frequency thereby higher than an audio frequency bandwidth, and a processing circuit to process the modulated video signals into differential signals for feeding said differential signals into said information transmission line,

each of said television interphone monitors further comprising a receiving circuit for receiving said differential signals and for demodulating the received said differential signals and feeding the demodulated signals to a monitor circuit for displaying a video picture on the basis of said demodulated signals.

11. An apparatus for powering a television interphone monitor via an information signal transmission line, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of television interphone monitors each including a television monitor circuit adapted to operate by a rechargeable battery and an interphone circuit adapted to drain from said rechargeable battery a standby current, for receiving and processing first multiplexed electrical information signals including video signals, audio signals, control signals and also alarm signals in a case of an alarm and for processing and outputting second multiplexed electrical information signals including audio signals, control signals and also alarm signals in a case of an alarm;

at least one television interphone entrance panel for receiving, processing and outputting said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals;

at least one television camera for generating composite video signals or digital video signals and for feeding said video signals to said at least one television interphone entrance panel;

at least one of a concierge counter and/or security guard counters for receiving, processing and outputting said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals;

an entrance unit including a selector switch and a controller for arbitrarily connecting any of said television interphone monitors with any of said at least one television interphone entrance panel, said concierge counter and/or said security guard counter and for arbitrarily connecting any of said concierge counter and said security guard counters with said at least one television interphone entrance panel;

a plurality of rechargeable batteries each connected to each of said plurality of television interphone monitors for powering said television interphone monitors;

a plurality of regulated current supply means for supplying each of said plurality of rechargeable batteries with said regulated current and for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals from said selector switch to each of said television interphone monitors and from each of said television interphone monitors to said selector switch;

a plurality of transmission lines for connecting each of said plurality of television interphone monitors with each of said plurality of regulated current supply means for feeding each of said plurality of television interphone monitors with said regulated current and for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals through said regulated current supply means;

a plurality of first information signal transmission lines for connecting each of said plurality of regulated current supply means with a respective pole of said selector switch of said entrance unit for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals through said regulated current supply means;

a plurality of second information transmission lines for connecting said at least one television interphone entrance panel with at least one of said concierge counter and/or said security guard counter with a respective pole of said selector switch of said entrance unit for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals to and from said at least one television interphone entrance panel and said at least one of said concierge counter and/or said security guard counters to and from said selector switch,

wherein said regulated current is equal to the sum of said standby current and a current fed to charge each of said rechargeable batteries and wherein the charged battery provides power needed to operate said television interphone monitors.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of said regulated current supply means are included in said entrance unit and the plurality of said first information signal transmission lines are internal connecting lines of the apparatus.

24. The apparatus according to claim 11, and further comprising:

a plurality of control means each coupled with each of said television interphone monitors and with each of said television interphone entrance panels and with each of said concierge counters and each of said security guard counters, for generating coded control signals and alarm signals using dual-tone or digital pulses within an audio frequency range and injecting said coded control signals and alarm signals respectively into said transmission line and said information transmission line;

each of said control means further including a receiving circuit for receiving said coded control signals and alarm signals through an associated one of said transmission lines or said information transmission lines and a decoding circuit for decoding the received signals and feed the decoded control and/or alarm signals to a driving circuit for operating said each television interphone monitor or said each television interphone entrance panel and/or said each concierge counter and/or said each security guard counter on the basis of said control and/or alarm signals.

25. The apparatus according to claim 11, and further comprising:

a video signal processor means, coupled with each of said television interphone entrance panels, for modulating video signals on a carrier, having the lowest modulated frequency thereof higher than an audio frequency bandwidth, and a processing circuit to process the modulated video signals into differential signals for feeding said differential signals into said information transmission line,

each of said television interphone monitors further comprising a receiving circuit for receiving said differential signals and demodulating the received differential signals and feeding the demodulated signals to a monitor circuit for displaying a video picture on the basis of said demodulated signals.

26. The apparatus according to claim 12, and further comprising:

a plurality of control means, coupled with each of said television interphone monitor and with each of said television interphone entrance panels and with at least one of each of said concierge counters and each of said security guard counters for generating coded control and alarm signals using dual-tone or digital pulses within an audio frequency range and injecting said coded control and alarm signals respectively into said transmission line and said information transmission line;

each of said control means further including a receiving circuit for receiving said coded control and alarm signals through one of an associated transmission line and information transmission line, and a decoding circuit for decoding the received signals and feeding the decoded control and/or alarm signals to a driving circuit for operating said each television interphone monitor or said each television interphone entrance panel and at least one of said each concierge counter and said each security guard counter on the basis of said control and alarm signals.

27. The apparatus according to claim 12, and further comprising:

a video signal processor means, coupled with each of said television interphone entrance panels, for modulating video signals on a carrier, having the lowest modulated frequency thereof higher than an audio frequency bandwidth, and a processing circuit to process the modulated video signals into differential signals for feeding said differential signals into said information transmission line,

each of said television interphone monitors further comprising a receiving circuit for receiving said differential signals and demodulating the received differential signals and feeding the demodulated signals to a monitor circuit for displaying a video picture on the basis of said demodulated signals.

13. An apparatus for powering a television interphone monitor via an information signal transmission line, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of television interphone monitors each including an interphone circuit and a television monitor circuit and adapted to operate said interphone circuit by a controlled current, for receiving and processing first multiplexed electrical information signals including video signals, audio signals, control signals and also alarm signals in a case of an alarm and for processing and outputting second multiplexed electrical information signals including audio signals, control signals and also alarm signals in a case of an alarm;

a plurality of television interphone entrance panels for receiving, processing and outputting first and second multiplexed electrical information signals;

at least one television camera for generating composite video signals or digital video signals and for feeding said video signals to at least one of said plurality of television interphone entrance panels;

an entrance unit including a selector switch and a controller for arbitrary connecting any of said television interphone monitors with any of said television interphone entrance panels;

a plurality of rechargeable batteries each connected to each of said plurality of television interphone monitors for powering said television monitor circuit of each of said plurality of television interphone monitors;

a plurality of regulated current supply means for supplying each of said plurality of television interphone monitors with said regulated current and for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals from said selector switch to each of said television interphone monitors and from each of said television interphone monitor to said selector switch;

a plurality of transmission lines for connecting each of said plurality of television interphone monitors with each of said plurality of regulated current supply means for feeding each of said plurality of television interphone monitors with said regulated current and for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals through said regulated current supply means;

a plurality of information signal transmission lines for connecting each of said plurality of regulated current supply means with a respective individual pole of said selector switch of said entrance unit for propagating said first and second multiplexed electrical information signals through said regulated current supply means;

wherein said regulated current is equal to the sum of said controlled current operating each of said interphone circuits and a current fed to charge each of said rechargeable batteries and wherein the charged battery provides power needed to operate each said television monitor circuit.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said controlled current fed to said interphone circuit from said regulated current supply means switches over to be fed from said rechargeable battery when the power from said regulated current supply means is cut or switched off.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of said regulated current supply means are incorporated in said entrance unit and wherein the plurality of said information signal transmission lines are internal connecting lines of the apparatus.