Flash photograph limited field blocker

• US 9,426,345 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2012
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Technologies USA, LLC
• Original Assignee: Applied Technologies USA, LLC
• Inventors: Turner, Fred John Jr., Young, Martin John, Strazzabonsco, Frank, Vohlken, James Dennis, Rowley, Michael L
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahaman, Mohammed
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Jimmy S
• Application Number:
  US13/644,236
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/200.A, 315/241.P, 315/241.S, 340/331
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/56 for illuminating registrations or the like , e.g. for licence plates
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0567 Solid-state light source, e.g. LED, laser
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/18 Actuation by interference with heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength; Actuation by intruding sources of heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/181 using active radiation detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/189 using passive radiation detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/325 by measuring the incident light

Abstract

An intruding flash is detected by a light detector in a plastic case that may be mounted adjacent to a license plate or window which is made safe from the intruding camera. The flash detector triggers a counteracting light flash. The case and electrical PC board have reflectors to capture lost light, guiding direct and indirect light to the desired surface area, increasing the invention'"'"'s counteracting flash over the “target” area protected from an intruder camera. The counteracting flash is not directed at the intruding camera to blind the entire camera lens and field of view as with previous art. Instead the counter flash is directed about perpendicular to the incoming angle of the intruding flash, over exposing only that surface area within the intruder camera'"'"'s full field of view to be protected from photography, preventing only that portion of the intruder camera'"'"'s field of view from being imaged.

Claims

1. A photo preventer comprising:

a housing having an intruder light flash detector which will generate a counter flash when detecting the intruder light flash;

a flash unit and associated reflector means in the housing functioning to direct the counter flash about perpendicular to the detected intruder light flash;

circuitry to minimize false signals from slow rise time flashes in a vehicle traffic environment;

wherein the flash unit further comprises a plurality of voltage storage devices and voltage charge devices to power the flash unit and comprises a high speed switching network to activate one voltage storage device as soon as a predecessor voltage storage device is triggered, such that when a first voltage storage of the plurality of voltage storage devices discharges its voltage to the flash unit, the high speed switching network switches to another voltage storage device of the plurality of voltage storage devices, while the first voltage storage device is recharged from one or more of the plurality of voltage charge devices; and

wherein the counter flash covers a target area and over exposes only a limited portion of the intruding camera'"'"'s field of view.

2. The photo preventer of claim 1, wherein a response time of less than 85 microseconds occurs between the detecting of the intruder light flash and the counter flash.

3. The photo preventer of claim 1, wherein the counter flash further comprises enough light to prevent extraction of a digital image in the target area.

4. The photo preventer of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a transparent surface to allow white and infrared light to pass while simultaneously blocking UV light.

5. The photo preventer of claim 1, further comprising a control circuit to provide a low intensity illumination output only mode, a flash detection and flash alert signal mode, and a flash detection, flash alert signal, and counter flash mode.

6. The photo preventer of claim 5, wherein the control circuit provides an adjustable intensity of the counter flash.

7. The photo preventer of claim 1, wherein the intruder light flash detector further comprises circuitry to minimize false signal from DC voltage changes.

8. The photo preventer of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises an attachment to a vehicle near a license plate, or attachment to a window of a vehicle, or attachment to a window of a structure.

9. The photo preventer of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a frame around a vehicle license plate.

10. A photo preventer comprising:

an intruder camera flash detector having circuitry to filter out repetitive non-camera flashes in a vehicle traffic environment;

circuitry to minimize false signals from slow rise time flashes in a vehicle traffic environment;

a power source to charge a high voltage storage device;

a trigger circuit which receives a signal from the intruder camera flash detector and fires a high voltage storage device;

wherein said high voltage storage device when fired causes a counter flash generator to fire to over expose only a limited portion of the intruding camera'"'"'s field of view;

wherein the counter flash generator further comprises a plurality of voltage storage devices and voltage charge devices to power the counter flash generator and comprises a high speed switching network to activate one voltage storage device as soon as a predecessor voltage storage device is triggered, such that when a first voltage storage of the plurality of voltage storage devices discharges its voltage to the flash unit, the high speed switching network switches to another voltage storage device of the plurality of voltage storage devices, while the first voltage storage device is recharged from one or more of the plurality of voltage charge devices; and

wherein the counter flash generator and an associated reflector emits its light substantially perpendicular to the intruder camera flash.

11. The photo preventer of claim 10, further comprising housing with an inlet window transparent to white and infra red light and opaque to UV light.

12. The photo preventer of claim 11 further comprising a control circuit having:

an adjustable power output from the high voltage storage devices; and

a mode for a low intensity illumination output only, a mode for an intruder flash detection and alert signal, and a mode for an intruder flash detection, alert signal, and counter flash generation.

17. The photo preventer of claim 10, wherein a response time of less than 85 microseconds occurs between the detecting of the intruder camera flash and the generation of the counter flash.

13. A method to prevent a photo of a target area, the method comprising the steps of:

mounting a housing having a flash generator adjacent to the target area;

directing an intruder flash detector having a center of sensing field of view about perpendicular to the target area;

directing a flash generator output about perpendicular to the sensing field of view;

filtering out slow rise time flashes in a vehicle traffic environment;

sensing an intruder flash;

powering the flash generator with one of a plurality of voltage storage devices;

discharging voltage from a first voltage storage device of said plurality of voltage storage devices into said flash generator output;

high speed switching from said first voltage storage device to another voltage storage device, of said plurality of voltage storage devices, to apply it'"'"'s voltage as soon as the first voltage storage device discharges it'"'"'s voltage into the flash generator output;

recharging said first voltage storage device with at least one of a plurality of voltage charge devices as soon as the first voltage storage device discharges it'"'"'s voltage into the flash generator output; and

triggering the flash generator to counter flash a target area and over exposes only a limited portion of the intruding camera'"'"'s field of view.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of filtering false flash signals from DC voltage changes from an output of the intruder flash detector.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of filtering false flash signals from DC voltage changes from an output of the intruder flash detector.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of triggering the flash generator comprises the step of triggering the flash generator in under 85 microseconds.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of triggering the flash generator comprises the step of triggering the flash generator in under 85 microseconds.

15. A method to prevent a photo of a target area, the method comprising the steps of:

mounting a housing having a flash generator adjacent to the target area;

directing an intruder flash detector having a center of sensing field of view about perpendicular to the target area;

directing a flash generator output about perpendicular to the sensing field of view;

filtering out slow rise time flashes in a vehicle traffic environment;

filtering out repetitive non-camera flashes in a vehicle traffic environment;

sensing an intruder flash;

powering the flash generator with one of a plurality of voltage storage devices;

discharging voltage from a first voltage storage device of said plurality of voltage storage devices into said flash generator output;

high speed switching from said first voltage storage device to another voltage storage device, of said plurality of voltage storage devices, to apply it'"'"'s voltage as soon as the first voltage storage device discharges it'"'"'s voltage into the flash generator output;

recharging said first voltage storage device with at least one of a plurality of voltage charge devices as soon as the first voltage storage device discharges it'"'"'s voltage into the flash generator output; and

triggering the flash generator to counter flash a target area and over exposes only a limited portion of the intruding camera'"'"'s field of view.