Discrete surveillance camera devices

• US 6,064,430 A
• Filed: 12/11/1995
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SLC Technologies, Inc. (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: SLC Technologies, Inc. (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Lefkowitz, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/570,115
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/151, 348/153, 348/159, 348/211, 348/373, 348/152
• US Class Current: 348/151
• 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 13/19641 Multiple cameras having overlapping views on a single scene
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/001 Concealed systems, e.g. disguised alarm systems to make covert systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A discrete surveillance device for observing a surveillance location has a housing formed in the shape of a smoke detector and multiple miniature video surveillance cameras mounted within the housing to simultaneously observe multiple areas of the surveillance location. The surveillance cameras are concealed in the housing from an observer viewing the exterior of the housing. Further discrete surveillance devices include a face plate or housing having a clock exterior with a miniature video surveillance camera mounted on an adjustable camera gimbal attached to the back surface of the face plate or clock. The surveillance camera is concealed from an observer viewing the exterior surface of the face plate or clock.

Claims

1. A discrete surveillance device mountable on a ceiling for observing a surveillance location, comprising:

a housing including an interior, an exterior formed in the shape of a smoke detector, a bottom wall lying in a first plane substantially parallel to the surface of the ceiling and a circumferential side wall extending substantially transverse to said bottom wall, a bottom camera viewing aperture disposed in said bottom wall, and at least three side camera viewing apertures formed in said side wall and;

at least four stationary miniature video surveillance cameras mounted within said interior of said housing and said surveillance cameras being arranged such that they are directed out of said bottom and side camera viewing apertures to allow simultaneous observation of at least four substantially non-overlapping areas of the surveillance location including a bottom viewing area directly below said surveillance device and at least three radially-spaced viewing areas surrounding said bottom viewing area; and

concealing means for concealing said surveillance cameras and said viewing apertures from an ordinary observer viewing said exterior of said housing such that said surveillance device appears to the ordinary observer as a smoke detector and not a device housing surveillance cameras.

2. A discrete surveillance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said surveillance cameras is mounted on a camera gimbal including at least two perpendicular axes of rotation to allow horizontal and vertical swivel positioning and adjustment of said surveillance camera.

3. A discrete surveillance device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said housing further includes gimbal mounting posts attached to the interior of said housing and said camera gimbal further includes a mounting bracket for adjustably mounting said camera gimbal to gimbal mounting posts, said mounting bracket including a generally T-shaped body portion having a first leg portion including a camera mounting aperture and a second leg portion generally transverse to said first leg portion including one or more post mounting apertures for attaching said mounting bracket to one or more of said mounting posts, and stabilizing means for stabilizing said mounting bracket against said interior of said housing to provide additional support to said mounting bracket and to permit said mounting bracket to be stably attached to only one said mounting posts.

4. A discrete surveillance device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said stabilizing means comprises a pair of downwardly depending leg members attached to opposite ends of said second end portion of said mounting bracket and extending generally transverse to said body portion.

5. A discrete surveillance device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said camera gimbal further comprises axis displacement means for allowing positioning of said axes of rotation to provide forward and back and up and down displacement of said surveillance cameras.

6. A discrete surveillance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said side wall surveillance cameras are mounted on camera gimbals each including at least two perpendicular axes of rotation to allow horizontal and vertical swivel positioning and adjustment of said surveillance camera.

7. A discrete surveillance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said surveillance cameras comprise CCD video cameras.

8. A discrete surveillance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said concealing means comprises mesh screening positioned over said camera viewing apertures.

9. A discrete surveillance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said concealing means comprises one or more tinted, translucent covers positioned over said camera viewing apertures.

10. A discrete surveillance device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising mounting means for mounting the surveillance device in a room for observation of the desired surveillance location.

11. A discrete surveillance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein four of said side camera viewing apertures are formed in said side wall and four of said miniature video surveillance cameras are mounted within said interior of said housing and arranged at each of said side camera viewing apertures.