Solar powered security system

• US 8,193,936 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solarbeam Security LLC
• Original Assignee: Solarbeam Security LLC
• Inventors: Houston, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US12/634,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20100194565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 340541-5451, 340555-557, 340/539.16, 340/539.17, 340/567, 340/693.5, 361600-601, 248/121, 248/346.01, 248/637
• US Class Current: 340/556
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/183 by interruption of a radiation beam or barrier
• 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 solar powered perimeter beam security system comprising a plurality of spaced towers. The towers have detection beams extending between them for detecting an intruder when at least one of the detection beams is interrupted. Each of the towers communicates with a remote unit.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

operating a number of spaced apart intrusion detection towers, the towers each including a respective solar panel and respective detection equipment;

providing electric power to operate the respective detection equipment of each of the towers with the respective solar panel to define an intrusion detection zone with the towers;

wirelessly transmitting a signal from one of the towers; and

wirelessly providing the signal to a processing unit by relaying the signal between two or more other of the towers, the processing unit being outside of a communication range of the one of the towers and being within a communication range of one or more of the other of the towers.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes:

generating a beam with the respective detection equipment of a first one of the towers; and

directing the beam to the respective detection equipment of a second one of the towers.

3. The method of claim 2, which includes detecting an interruption in the beam with the respective detection equipment of the second one of the towers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection equipment includes an acoustic detection cable.

5. A system, comprising:

a plurality of spaced apart towers to define an intrusion detection area and a processing unit in wireless communication with at least one of the towers to provide an indication when intrusion is detected with one or more of the towers, the towers each including;

a respective beam generator and a respective beam detector, the respective beam detector of a respective one of the towers receiving an intrusion detection beam from the respective beam generator of another of the towers;

a respective wireless communication device including a transmitter operable to send signals corresponding to intrusion status and a receiver operable to receive a command signal from the processing unit; and

a respective electric power source including a solar panel and an electrical energy storage device in electrical communication with the solar panel, the respective electric power source being structured to provide electric power to the respective beam generator, the respective beam detector, and the respective wireless communication device;

wherein a first one of the towers has a first communication range, a second one of the towers has a second communication range, and the processing unit includes a wireless communication receiver within the second communication range and outside the first communication range; and

wherein the respective wireless communication device of at least a several of the towers includes means for relaying the signals between two or more other of the towers.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the relaying means includes the respective receiver structured as a signal repeater to relay the signals.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the intrusion detection beam comprises at least one of an electromagnetic radiation beam and an acoustic beam.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the electromagnetic radiation beam is at least one of a photoelectric beam, an infrared beam, a laser beam, a microwave beam, and a visible light beam.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein each of the towers further includes a respective camera and the processing unit includes a display structured to provide the indication when intrusion is detected.

10. The system of claim 5, further comprising a satellite structured to relay the signals from the towers to the processing unit.

11. A method, comprising:

operating a number of spaced apart intrusion detection towers and a processing unit, the towers each including detection equipment and wireless communication equipment coupled thereto;

providing electric power to operate the detection equipment and wireless communication equipment of each of the towers with a corresponding solar panel;

wirelessly receiving a signal from the processing unit with the wireless communication equipment of one or more of the towers;

detecting intrusion with the detection equipment of a respective one of the towers;

communicating the detecting of the intrusion to the wireless communication equipment from the detection equipment of the respective one of the towers;

in response to the communicating from the detection equipment of the respective one of the towers, wirelessly transmitting one or more signals to the processing unit; and

in response to the one or more signals, providing an indication of intrusion detection with the processing unit to an operator;

wherein the wirelessly transmitting of the signals includes relaying the signals from one tower to another.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the detection equipment includes a beam generator operable to generate an electromagnetic beam and a beam detector.

13. The method of claim 12, which includes directing the beam from the beam generator of one of the towers to the beam detector of another of the towers.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the detection equipment includes an acoustic detection cable.

15. A system, comprising:

a plurality of spaced apart towers to define an intrusion detection area and a processing unit in wireless communication with at least one of the towers to provide an indication when intrusion is detected with one or more of the towers, the towers each including;

a respective beam generator and a respective beam detector, the respective beam detector of a respective one of the towers receiving an intrusion detection beam from the respective beam generator of another of the towers;

a respective wireless communication device including a transmitter operable to send signals corresponding to intrusion status and a receiver operable to receive a command signal from the processing unit, the command signal including at least one of a request to verify electrical energy storage status, activate a remote camera, activate a microphone module, and activate a speaker module; and

a respective electric power source including a solar panel and an electrical energy storage device in electrical communication with the solar panel, the respective electric power source being structured to provide electric power to the respective beam generator, the respective beam detector, and the respective wireless communication device;

wherein a first one of the towers has a first communication range, a second one of the towers has a second communication range, and the processing unit includes a wireless communication receiver within the second communication range and outside the first communication range.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the respective wireless communication device of at least a several of the towers includes means for relaying the signals between two or more other of the towers.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the relaying means includes the respective receiver structured as a signal repeater to relay the signals.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the intrusion detection beam comprises at least one of an electromagnetic radiation beam and an acoustic beam.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the electromagnetic radiation beam is at least one of a photoelectric beam, an infrared beam, a laser beam, a microwave beam, and a visible light beam.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the towers further includes a respective camera and the processing unit includes a display structured to provide the indication when intrusion is detected.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising a satellite structured to relay the signals from the towers to the processing unit.