Automatic watching system

• US 7,151,448 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Issued: 12/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: See Progress LLC
• Original Assignee: See Progress, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Henderson, David, Henderson, Jerry, Henderson, Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie Bichngoc
• Application Number:
  US10/272,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20030071898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 340/541, 340/426.1, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/573.3, 340/517, 340/521, 340/988, 340/426.18, 340/426.19, 340/426.2, 340/426.21, 340/506, 340/945, 340/426.15, 348/143, 348/148, 348/152, 348/153, 348/159, 348/161, 348/151
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

There is provided a monitoring system for remotely monitoring an item or activity, the monitoring system including a recording device for recording a visual record of the item, a communicator for communicating the visual record, and a security device for controlling access to the monitoring system. Also provided is a method of remotely monitoring an item by recording a digital image of the item, communicating the digital image of the item through a communication system, and accessing the digital image using a secured access device.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for remotely monitoring an inanimate item, said monitoring system comprising:

recording means for recording at least one visual image of an inanimate item recording a separate image of status of the inanimate item then recording a separate image of an identifier identifying the inanimate object, and then recording a separate image of the inanimate item;

communicating means in communication with said recording means, said communicating means is used for communicating the visual record; and

security means operatively connected to said communicating means, wherein said security means is used for controlling access to the monitoring system.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said communicating means is selected from the group consisting essentially of fax lines, phone lines, modem, TI line, Internet, DSL, cable modem, dial-up Internet, wide area network, Intranet, local area network, ISDN, wireless connections, satellite communications, direct cable connection, radio communication, and audio communication.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said security means is selected from the group consisting essentially of an access code, a PIN number, and password.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said recording means is selected from the group consisting essentially of a digital camera and standard cameras.

5. A method of remotely monitoring an item, said method comprising the steps of:

recording at least one non-real time digital image of an inanimate item;

recording a separate image of status of the inanimate item then recording a separate image of an identifier identifying the inanimate object, and then recording a separate image of the inanimate item;

communicating the digital image of the item through a communication system; and

accessing the digital image using a secured access device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said recording step includes scanning a photograph into a computer thereby creating a digital image.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein said recording step includes utilizing a digital camera to digitally record the image of the item.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said recording step further includes digitally photographing the item.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said recording step further includes digitally videotaping the item.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein said accessing step includes accessing the digital image using a passcode.

11. The method according to claim 5, further including the step of surveying a user of the system with regard to the activity or item.

12. The method according to claim 5, wherein said recording step includes recording the image of status of the item and the image of the identifier as a single image.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said recording step includes embedding the image of the identifier in the image of status of the item.