Ground based security surveillance system for aircraft and other commercial vehicles

• US 20030169335A1
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e-Watch, Inc. (Cision Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: The Telesis Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Monroe, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,049,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• 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 system for capturing video and image data from a plurality of sources, for collecting the data and for distributing the data to a destination device for displaying the video and image data, the system comprising:

a. a plurality of remote, discrete image and video collection devices each generating a unique data signal;

b. a collector for collecting the plurality of unique data signals and generating therefrom a combined signal incorporating each of the plurality of unique data signals;

c. a destination device for receiving the combined signal and reconstructing from the combined signal one or more unique video and image data signals.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the destination device is adapted for reconstructing and utilizing each of the plurality of unique data signals.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the destination device is adapted for recognizing, reconstructing and utilizing one of the plurality of unique data signals contained in the combined signal.

4. A method for collecting unique video and image data from each of a plurality of cameras and distributing the data from said plurality of cameras to at least one remote device, the method comprising the steps of:

a. generating a plurality of discrete, unique video and image signals;

b. receiving each of the plurality of discrete video and image signal and generating therefrom a combined signal in which each of the plurality of discrete video and image signals is embedded;

c. sending the combined signal to a destination for reconstruction as the plurality of discrete video and image signals.