Ground based security surveillance system for aircraft and other commercial vehicles

• US 7,551,075 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: e-Watch, Inc. (Cision Ltd.), The Telesis Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Telesis Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Monroe, David A
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US11/617,423
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 340/521, 340/506, 340/539.1, 340/937, 340/533, 340/541, 340/3.1, 348/148, 348/152, 348/143, 348/153
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0053 using visual equipment, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19621 Portable camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1965 the vehicle being an aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves

Abstract

A security and surveillance system for aircraft on the ground incorporates a plurality of strategically spaced sensors including video imaging generators, audio sensors, motion detectors, and fire and smoke detectors for monitoring critical components and critical areas of both the interior and the exterior of the a commercial transport such as an aircraft. The captured data and images are transmitted to a ground based security station for display on a monitor and may be recorded on a “black box” recorder as well as on a ground based recording system. The multiple audio and image signals are multiplexed and sequenced utilizing split screen technology in order to minimize the recording and monitoring hardware required to process the images.

Claims

1. A digital monitoring system adapted for use on a movable transport, the digital image recording system comprising:

a packet switching network supported on the transport;

at least one camera supported on the transport, the at least one camera being configured to collect image data of a field of view on the transport, the at least one camera having at least one digital compressor, the at least one digital compressor being configured to provide at least one set of compressed digital image data of the field of view, the at least one camera having a network interface, the network interface being configured to provide to the packet switching network a series of data packets, the series of data packets including the at least one set of compressed digital image data; and

a digital recorder in communication with the packet switching network, the digital recorder being configured to record the compressed digital image data.

2. A digital monitoring system according to claim 1 and further comprising:

the at least one camera having a plurality of digital compressors configured to provide a plurality of sets of compressed digital image data;

the at least one camera including a data multiplexer, the data multiplexer being configured to receive the plurality of sets of compressed digital image data, the data multiplexer being configured to provide to the network interface multiplexed output, the multiplexed output including the plurality of the sets of compressed digital image data;

the network interface being configured to provide to the packet switching network a series of data packets, the series of data packets including the multiplexed output.

3. A digital monitoring system according to claim 1 and further comprising:

the at least one camera including at least one analog to digital converter, the at least one analog to digital converter being configured to receive the image data, the at least one analog to digital converter being configured to digitize the image data, the at least one analog to digital converter being configured to provide digital image data to the at least one digital compressor.

4. A digital monitoring system according to claim 1 and further comprising:

the at least one camera including a digital image collection device, the digital image collection device providing digital image data.

5. A digital monitoring system according to claim 1 and further comprising:

the digital image collection device including a megapixel image collection device.

6. A digital monitoring system according to claim 1 and further comprising:

a plurality of the cameras, each of the cameras providing to the packet switching network a series of data packets, each series of data packets including at least one set of compressed digital image data;

a data multiplexer in communication with the packet switching network, the data multiplexer being configured to receive a plurality of the series of data packets, the data multiplexer being configured to provide to the digital recorder a plurality of the sets of compressed digital image data.

7. A digital monitoring system according to claim 6 and further comprising:

the digital recorder being configured to record the sets of compressed digital image data in a manner that permits retrieval of the sets of compressed digital image data for viewing by reference to the camera which collected certain of the image data.

8. A digital monitoring system according to claim 6 and further comprising:

the digital recorder being configured to record the sets of compressed digital image data in a manner that permits retrieval of the sets of compressed digital image data for viewing by reference to time of collection of certain of the image data.

9. A digital monitoring system according to claim 1 and further comprising:

a wireless transmitter supported on the transport, the wireless transmitter being configured to generate a wireless transmission for receipt by a remote wireless receiver, the wireless transmission conveying to the remote wireless receiver at least one set of compressed digital image data.

10. A digital monitoring system according to claim 9 and further comprising:

the remote wireless receiver being in communication with a second packet switching network, the second packet switching network conveying to at least one remote recipient a series of data packets including the at least one set of compressed digital image data.

11. A digital monitoring system according to claim 9 and further comprising:

the at least one remote recipient being selected from at least one of the following;

a monitoring station, a server, a decompressor, a display, digital storage.

12. A digital monitoring system according to claim 9 and further comprising:

the remote wireless receiver being in communication with a second packet switching network, the second packet switching network being remote from the transport, the second packet switching network conveying to a monitoring station a series of data packets including at least one set of compressed digital image data.

13. A digital monitoring system according to claim 12 and further comprising:

second packet switching network conveying to a monitoring station a series of data packets including at least one set of compressed digital image data, the at least one set of compressed digital image data having been retrieved from the digital recorder.

14. A digital monitoring system according to claim 6 and further comprising:

at least one non-camera sensor supported by the transport, the at least one non-camera sensor providing at least one sensor signal;

the data multiplexer being configured to receive the at least one sensor signal, the data multiplexer being configured to provide to the digital recorder the at least one sensor signal.

15. A digital monitoring system according to claim 1 and further comprising:

a Global Positioning System unit configured to provide to the packet switching network GPS location information of the transport.

16. A digital monitoring system according to claim 1 and further comprising:

at least one of the cameras being in communication with the packet switching network via a wireless communication link.

17. A digital monitoring system according to claim 1 and further comprising:

at least one of the cameras having a power supply independent of a power supply system of the transport.

18. A digital monitoring system according to claim 1 and further comprising:

a Global Positioning System unit configured to provide to the packet switching network GPS location information of the transport.

19. A digital recorder configured for use in connection with a digital monitoring system supported on a movable transport, the digital monitoring system including a packet switching network supported on the transport, the digital monitoring system including at least one camera supported on the transport, the at least one camera being in communication with the packet switching network, the digital recorder comprising:

a connection to the packet switching network;

a network interface configured to receive from the packet switching network a series of data packets including at least one set of compressed digital image data, the at least one set of compressed digital image data having originating from at least one collected image of a field of view of the at least one camera;

digital memory;

at least one application embodied in suitable media; and

at least one processor suitable to execute steps of the at least one application, the at least one application being configured to receive from the network interface the compressed digital image data, the at least one application being configured to introduce into the digital memory the compressed digital image data.

20. A digital recorder according to claim 19 and further comprising:

the at least one application being configured to introduce the compressed digital image data into the digital memory in a manner that permits retrieval of the compressed digital image data by reference to time of collection of certain image data.

21. A digital recorder according to claim 19 and further comprising:

the at least one application being configured to introduce the compressed digital image data into the digital memory in a manner that permits retrieval of the compressed digital image data by reference to a camera which collected certain image data.