Community far end intelligent image monitor

• US 6,400,264 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2000
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chi-Long Tai
• Original Assignee: Chi-Long Tai
• Inventors: Hsieh, Chi-Sheng
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/714,171
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/541, 340/545.2, 340/545.3, 340/506, 340/520, 340/524, 340/525, 340/539, 348/155, 348/169, 348/143, 348/152, 348/153, 348/157, 348/14.05, 348/14.01, 348/14.06, 345/835, 345/863
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19634 Electrical details of the system, e.g. component blocks for carrying out specific functions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19689 Remote control of cameras, e.g. remote orientation or image zooming control for a PTZ camera

Abstract

A community far end intelligent image monitoring system for remotely monitoring a predetermined local site is provided. The system includes an image recording unit disposed at the local site, at least one portable image monitor unit disposed at a first site remote from the local site, and a programmable safety patrol box unit disposed at a second site remote from both the local and first sites for automatically controlling actuation of the image recording unit. The image recording unit includes at least one camera for capturing a plurality of images at the local site and a programmable servo controller coupled thereto. The portable image monitor unit includes a user interface portion, and is operable to generate responsive to user input a plurality of system control signals including an authorization signal and a camera control signal. The safety patrol box unit is operably coupled to the image recording and portable image monitor units by either a wired or wireless communications link. The safety patrol box unit serves to selectively relay the images captured by the image recording unit responsive to its processing of the system control signals generated by the portable image monitor unit.

Claims

1. A secure image monitoring system for remotely monitoring a predetermined local site comprising:

an image recording unit disposed at the local site, said image recording unit including at least one camera for capturing a plurality of images of at least a portion of the local site and a programmable servo controller coupled thereto, said servo controller being actuable to control said camera in position and orientation in accordance with at least one of a plurality of predetermined modes, said predetermined modes including preset memory positioning, free positioning, and automatic track modes;

at least one portable image monitor unit disposed at a first site remote from the local site, said portable image monitor unit including a user interface portion, said portable image monitor unit being operable to generate responsive to user input a plurality of system control signals including an authorization signal and a camera control signal; and

,

a programmable safety patrol box unit remotely disposed at a second site remote from both the local and first sites for automatically controlling actuation of said image recording unit, said safety patrol box unit being operably coupled to each said image recording unit and said portable image monitor unit for bidirectional communication respectively therewith, said safety patrol box unit receiving and storing for selective remote transmission said images captured by said image recording unit, said safety patrol box unit including an admittance circuit portion for receiving and processing said system control signals generated by said portable image monitor unit, said safety patrol box unit being operable responsive to said processing to selectively transmit said captured images to said portable image monitor unit and actuate said servo controller operation of said image recording unit in at least one of said predetermined modes.

2. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein said user interface portion of said portable image monitor unit includes an image display and at least one data entry device.

3. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein said servo controller of said image recording unit including:

(a) a control box containing a programmable microprocessor based control circuit;

(b) a power switch coupled to said control box;

(c) an operational status indicator coupled to said control box;

(d) at least one interrupted input port for receiving an interrupt signal; and

,

(e) at least one servo port coupled to said control circuit;

(f) a keyboard coupled to said control circuit and disposed outside said control box;

(g) a liquid crystal display device coupled to said control circuit;

(h) a servo coupled to said servo port, said servo having at least one vertical servo motor and at least one horizontal servo motor;

said camera being disposes on said servo for displacement thereby in accordance with a selected one of said predetermined modes.

4. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 3 wherein said servo motors are operable responsive to reversibly rotate said camera with reference to a plurality of displacement coordinates, selected ones of said displacement coordinates being stored in a memory of said control circuit.

5. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 3 further comprising a plurality of sensing devices, said interrupt signal being generated by at least one of said sensing devices.

6. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 3 wherein said servo motors are configurable in accordance with an input signal generated by user input through said keyboard, said predetermined modes of image recording unit operation being parametrically adjustable thereby.

7. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein said preset memory positioning mode of said image recording unit operation includes pre-storing in memory a plurality of preset coordinate points and displacing said camera sequentially in accordance therewith.

8. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein said servo controller of said image recording unit includes at least one DC servo motor, and a potentiometer, a deceleration gear, and a driving circuit coupled thereto.

9. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein said camera of said image recording unit is concurrently displaceable along horizontal and vertical directional references.

10. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein said automatic track mode of said image recording unit operation includes scanning of said camera between a plurality of preset positional coordinates in both along both a vertical and a horizontal directional reference, said camera scanning being independently variable in rate along said vertical and horizontal directional references.

11. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein said safety patrol box unit is operably coupled to said image recording unit by a wireless communications link.

12. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein said safety patrol box unit is operably coupled to said portable image monitor unit by a wireless communications link.

13. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein said safety patrol box unit includes an image transmitter coupled to said admittance circuit, said image transmitter being operable responsive to an output signal generated by said admittance circuit to transmit at least a portion of said captured images to said portable image monitor unit.

14. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein said admittance circuit of said safety patrol box unit transmits to said servo controller of said image recording unit a signal for selecting at least one said predetermined mode of operation therefor.

15. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 14 wherein said user interface portion of said portable image monitor unit includes a joy stick for controlling the orientation of said camera of said image recording unit.

16. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein said safety patrol box unit includes at least one tamper sensing device and an alarm coupled thereto, said alarm being triggered responsive to an output signal generated by said tamper sensing device.

17. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein said safety patrol box unit includes at least one indicator for generating a plurality of predetermined visual signals indicative of system operational state.

18. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein said user interface portion of said portable image monitor unit includes a card reader for reading a user provided card and generating said authorization signal therefrom.

19. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein said user interface portion of said portable image monitor unit includes a keyboard device for generating said authorization signal from user entered keystrokes.

20. The secure image monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said portable image monitor units are operably coupled to said safety patrol box unit for bidirectional communication therewith.