Portable instantaneous wireless event based photo identification and alerting security system

• US 7,535,352 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EvidencePix
• Original Assignee: EvidencePix
• Inventors: Sobol, Raymond J.
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US11/565,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20070090948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.1, 340/425.5, 340/691.5, 340/541, 340/500, 340/531, 340/539.25, 340/517, 340/521, 340/539.1, 340/506, 348/143, 379/88.14, 379/88.16, 379/88.22
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19621 Portable camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19658 Telephone systems used to communicate with a camera, e.g. PSTN, GSM, POTS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream

Abstract

A portable instantaneous wireless event based photo identification and alerting security system ideally suited for mobile protection of property, spaces and people, and for protection in motor vehicles, residences, businesses and other commercial locations, either as a stand alone system or as an addition in whole or in part to existing security systems when an intruder enters into personal spaces, detection devices determine the intruder'"'"'s presence and digital photographs are immediately taken, and securely transmitted to pre-determined recipients that may include an owner-operator, apprehending authorities or others. Time and date are annotated to these photographs. Furthermore, an audio message is sent to the owner-operator, apprehending authorities or others that the intrusion is occurring, also annotating this information with time and date, thus enabling an opportunity to respond immediately to the intrusion. If desired, a local audio message at the intrusion location may announce to the intruder that detection has been made and or that photographs have already been taken and securely transmitted.

Claims

1. A method for providing portable instantaneous wireless event based photo identification and alerting comprising:

detecting, by at least one sensor, an intrusion;

capturing a still image photograph of the intrusion by using a digital camera responsive to detecting the intrusion;

compressing the still image photograph to form a compressed format file;

encrypting the compressed format file at a location where said still image photograph was captured;

communicating, by a portable wireless device, an electronic mail message having attached the compressed and encrypted format file, the electronic mail message indicating detection of the intrusion to at least one of a person or a device;

persisting, at a remote location with respect to said intrusion, the electronic mail message containing said still image photograph, for retrieval at a later time; and

thereby providing instantaneous wireless event based photo identification and alerting.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein communicating said electronic message further includes:

transmitting said electronic message to a central control center that archives said at photograph, wherein said central control center is remotely located with respect to said intrusion.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein transmitting said electronic message to a remote location farther includes:

identifying one or more crime perpetrators to said central control center, wherein said crime perpetrators are responsible for causing said intrusion.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

detecting said intrusion further includes determining an intruder'"'"'s presence inside a motor vehicle by at least one of a motion detector, a sound detector and an electrical contacts disturbance; and

wherein

taking at least one picture of an intruder responsive to detecting the intrusion further includes taking one or more digital photographs of the inside of said motor vehicle; and

wherein

communicating, by a portable wireless device, an electronic message farther includes emailing said at least one picture to a remote user selected email address and instantly telephoning a user selected number including at least one of;

a cellular number, a home number and a pager number with a pre-recorded alert message.

5. An apparatus for providing portable instantaneous wireless event based photo identification and alerting comprising:

a sensor means for detecting an intrusion;

a camera means for capturing a still image photograph of the intrusion responsive to detecting the intrusion;

a compression means for forming a compressed format version of the still image photograph;

an encryption module for encrypting the compressed format file at a location where said still image photograph was captured;

a portable wireless means for communicating an electronic message including the compressed format version of the picture, the electronic message indicating detection of the intrusion to at least one of a person or a device; and

a storage means for persisting, at a remote location with respect to said intrusion, the electronic mail message containing said still image photograph, for retrieval at a later time;

thereby providing instantaneous wireless event based photo identification and alerting.

6. A method for providing portable instantaneous wireless event based photo identification and alerting, said method comprising:

monitoring a local environment and one or more preset conditions for any changes by at least one central processing unit (CPU);

detecting one or more changes to said preset conditions by said CPU and commanding at least one digital camera to commence at least one still image digital photograph of said local environment in response to detection of said changes to said preset conditions;

storing said still image digital photograph in a data storage module;

annotating said still image digital photograph with at least one of a date and a time and compressing said still image digital photograph to form a compressed format file;

encrypting the still image digital photograph at the local environment where the still image digital photograph was captured;

transmitting, via wireless communication, an electronic message that indicates detection of said changes to said preset conditions, to a pre-programmed address, said electronic message including the annotated and compressed digital photographs; and

persisting, at a remote location with respect to said local environment, the electronic message containing said still image digital photograph, for retrieval at a later time.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein monitoring said local environment includes monitoring at least one of:

a motor vehicle, a residence, a business and a commercial location.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein transmitting, via wireless communication, said electronic message that indicates detection of said changes to said preset conditions to a pre-programmed address further includes:

transmitting said electronic message to a central control center that archives said digital photographs, said central control center being remotely located with respect to said local environment; and

relaying, by said central control center, copies of said digital photographs to one or more pre-programmed recipients using a secure encryption.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein transmitting said electronic message to a central control center further includes:

identifying one or more crime perpetrators to said central control center, wherein said crime perpetrators are responsible for said changes to said preset conditions.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

playing, upon detection of said changes to said preset conditions, at least one of a pre-recorded audio message and an alarm sound proximate to said local environment in order to alert that a change in said preset conditions has occurred.

11. The method according to claim 6 wherein:

detecting one or more changes to said preset conditions by said CPU further includes determining, by said CPU, an intruder'"'"'s presence inside a motor vehicle; and

wherein

taking said digital photographs of said local environment further includes taking digital photographs of the inside of said motor vehicle; and

wherein

transmitting, via wireless communication, an electronic message that indicates detection of said changes to said preset conditions further includes emailing said photographs to a remote user selected email address and telephoning a user selected number including at least one of a cellular number, a home number and a pager number with a pre-recorded alert message.

12. The method according to claim 6 wherein transmitting said electronic message further includes:

transmitting, via wireless technology, a pre-recorded audio message annotated with a time and date to a central control center that archives the message and relays the message to a pre-programmed recipient.

13. The method according to claim 6 wherein detecting one or more changes to said preset conditions by said CPU further includes:

detecting at least one of a motion, a sound and an electrical contacts disturbance made by an intruder entering said local environment.

14. The method according to claim 8 further comprising:

deleting said digital photographs from said data storage module after having transmitted said digital photographs to said pre-programmed address in order to minimize on board data storage capacity and size requirements of said data storage module.