SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOTE SURVEILLANCE

• US 20090322874A1
• Filed: 04/23/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Law Enforcement Support Agency
• Original Assignee: Law Enforcement Support Agency
• Inventors: Holliday, Robert, Knutson, Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/108,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20090322874A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range

Abstract

A remote camera system having a view of a surveilled space is equipped with microprocessors to wirelessly convey encrypted, full motion digital images of the surveilled space to a monitoring network remotely separated from the surveilled space. The monitoring network includes analog and/or digital displays that may be fixed, in mobile vehicles, or be hand held personal digital assistants.

Claims

1. A method to remotely monitor a space comprising:

installing at least one camera having a view of the space, the at least one camera being in signal communication with a first processor and configured to wirelessly communicate to at least one display having a second processor, the at least one display being remotely located from the space and in signal communication with a digital storage medium;

capturing substantially full motion video images of the space by the at least one camera;

converting the substantially full motion video images to an encrypted digital data stream using the first image processor;

wirelessly transmitting the encrypted digital data stream to the second image processor;

storing the transmitted, encrypted digital data stream in the digital storage medium;

decrypting the transmitted, encrypted digital data stream using the second processor to reform the substantially full motion video images; and

viewing the reformed, substantially full motion video images on the at least one display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing substantially full motion video images include image acquisition rates between about 15 and about 60 frames per second.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein capturing substantially full motion video images include frames having image information defined between about 0.5 and about 5 megabytes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the substantially full motion video images includes encoding image and any audio information contained in the video images into a format amenable to wireless transmission.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein encoding includes algorithms executable by the first microprocessor to preserve the digital data streams with the resolution necessary for evidentiary examination of the reformed full motion images.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein encoding the digital data streams includes applying an identifier stamp for establishing and auditing a chain of possession of the digital data streams.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein wirelessly transmitting the digital data streams is to a location separate from the space.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein viewing the reformed, substantially full motion video images by the at least one display includes an administrator display having hierarchal authority over other at least one display.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the administrator display and the other at least one display have access to control the view of the at least one camera.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the other at least one displays are located in at least one moveable vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one moveable vehicle is approaching the space.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the other at least one display is held by at least one person capable to ambulate.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one person is ambulating toward the space.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the administrator display and the other displays have access to currently transmitted encrypted data streams and historic encrypted data streams from the digital storage medium.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the access to currently transmitted data streams and historic data streams is through a graphic user interface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the graphic user interface records a record to permit the auditing of access to the currently transmitted data streams and the historic data streams by the administrator display and the other at least one displays.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the transmitted, encrypted digital data streams includes the digital storage medium being in close proximity to the at least one camera.

18. The method of claim 4, wherein the format amenable to wireless communication includes radio frequency transmission.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein radio frequency transmission is conveyed to at least one radio frequency receiver remotely located from the space.