Camera installation for trailer

• US 9,187,022 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2012
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Foster, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Belani, Kishin G
• Application Number:
  US13/674,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20130069390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/00 Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading vehicles for carrying harvested crops with means for self-loading or self-unloading A01D90/00; peculiar to refuse collecting-vehicles B65F; loading or unloading vehicles by means not incorporated therein B65G
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/001 Concealed systems, e.g. disguised alarm systems to make covert systems

Abstract

A sting trailer has a camera scaffold concealing hidden cameras in a cargo compartment of the trailer. The camera scaffold conceals cameras and wiring so that the cameras are not visible from the interior of the trailer.

Claims

1. A method of constructing a sting trailer, comprising the steps of:

providing a translucent roof portion admitting light to the sting trailer;

providing a guard element to protect the translucent roof portion, the guard element containing at least one camera and wiring for the at least one camera;

wherein the guard element further comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having at least one channel running from a first end to at least one first portion recess on a side of the first portion, the second portion having at least one second portion recess matching the at least one first portion recess, the at least one second portion recess having an opening for placement of the at least one camera and a pinhole; and

,

wherein the first portion and the second portion fit together to form the guard element and wherein the at least one first portion recess, the at least one second portion recess, the wiring, and the at least one camera are concealed from view.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further including the step of:

forming the guard element to resemble a normal part of a normal trailer such that the presence of the guard element in the sting trailer does not arouse suspicion.

3. The method recited in claim 1, further including the step of:

forming a hidden compartment and a cargo-carrying compartment, the guard element extending along a major portion of a full length of the cargo-carrying compartment.

4. The method recited in claim 3, including the further step of:

positioning a first end of the guard element such that the first end abuts the hidden compartment so that wiring extending from the hidden compartment into the guard element is concealed.

5. The method recited in claim 4, including the further step of:

positioning the hidden compartment relative to the cargo-carrying compartment such that the hidden compartment is not visible from the cargo-carrying compartment.

6. The method recited in claim 4, the cargo-carrying compartment includes a left sidewall and a right sidewall and the at least one channel extends substantially parallel to at least one of the left sidewall and the right sidewall, said at least one channel having a width less than a width of said opening.

7. The method recited in claim 6, wherein the at least one channel is spaced from the left sidewall and the right sidewall.

8. A sting trailer, comprising:

a cargo-carrying compartment having a roof with supporting ribs, the cargo-carrying compartment forming a portion of the interior of the sting trailer, the cargo-carrying compartment having a front wall, a rear wall, a left sidewall and a right sidewall; and

a guard element operably associated with the roof of the cargo-carrying compartment for protecting the roof from damage when cargo is loaded into and removed from the cargo-carrying compartment, the guard element being configured to conceal a plurality of surveillance cameras that are positioned to monitor an interior of the cargo-carrying compartment, at least a portion of the guard element being disposed in the cargo-carrying compartment, the guard element including a first end and a second end, the first end of the guard element being disposed adjacent the front wall and removed from the rear wall, the second end of the guard element being disposed adjacent the rear wall and removed from the front wall; and

,

wherein said guard element includes at least one channel having a first width, said at least one channel is connected to a plurality of recesses including a first recess and a second recess, said first recess is spaced from said second recess, said first width is less than a width of at least one of said first recess and said second recess, a first surveillance camera is disposed in said first recess and a second surveillance camera is disposed in said second recess.

9. The sting trailer of claim 8, wherein the roof includes a translucent portion that admits light to the sting trailer.

10. The sting trailer of claim 8, wherein the plurality of recesses are uniformly spaced along a longitudinal axis of said guard element.

11. The sting trailer of claim 10, wherein the guard element includes a plurality of uniformly spaced pinholes, each of the plurality of uniformly spaced pinholes is associated with one of the plurality of recesses to provide a field of view for a camera disposed in a corresponding one of the plurality of recesses.

12. The sting trailer of claim 11, wherein at least two separate pieces form the plurality of recesses.

13. The sting trailer of claim 12, wherein the at least one channel is configured so that wiring disposed in the at least one channel can be connected to each of the plurality of surveillance cameras.

14. The sting trailer of claim 10, wherein a longitudinal axis of the cargo-carrying compartment passes through a center point of each of the plurality of uniformly spaced concealed compartments.

15. A sting trailer, comprising:

a cargo-carrying compartment having a roof with supporting ribs, the cargo-carrying compartment forming a portion of the interior of the sting trailer, the cargo-carrying compartment further having a front wall, a rear wall, a left sidewall, a right sidewall and a floor; and

a guard element operably associated with the roof of the cargo-carrying compartment for protecting the roof from damage when cargo is loaded into and removed from the cargo-carrying compartment, the guard element being configured to conceal a plurality of surveillance cameras that are positioned to monitor an interior of the cargo-carrying compartment, the guard element having a longitudinal axis extending substantially parallel to at least one of the left sidewall and the right sidewall, the guard element is configured such that the plurality of surveillance cameras are spaced along the longitudinal axis of the guard element;

wherein the guard element further comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having at least one channel running from a first end to at least one first portion recess on a side of the first portion, the second portion having at least one second portion recess matching the at least one first portion recess, the at least one second portion recess having an opening for placement of the at least one camera and a pinhole; and

,

wherein the first portion and the second portion fit together to form the guard element and wherein the at least one first portion recess, the at least one second portion recess, the wiring, and the at least one camera are concealed from view.

16. The sting trailer of claim 15, further including:

a hidden compartment operably associated with the cargo-carrying compartment, the hidden compartment being configured to house at least a portion of a surveillance system, at least a first end of the guard element being disposed in abutting relationship with a portion of the hidden compartment.

17. The sting trailer of claim 15, wherein a lowermost surface of the guard element is spaced a first distance from the floor, the first distance is greater than half the distance the floor is spaced from the roof.

18. The sting trailer of claim 17, wherein the guard element is spaced approximately the same distance from the left sidewall as the distance the guard element is spaced from the right sidewall.

19. The sting trailer of claim 18, wherein the guard element includes a plurality of uniformly spaced recesses, each of the plurality of uniformly spaced recesses are configured to conceal a camera.

20. The sting trailer of claim 19, wherein the guard element further includes at least one channel operably associated with each of the plurality of uniformly spaced recesses so that wiring disposed in the at least one channel can be connected to each of the plurality of cameras.