Cash register protection recording and alarm system

• US 4,054,752 A
• Filed: 01/30/1976
• Issued: 10/18/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clay E. Dennis Jr, Joseph N. Filzen
• Original Assignee: Clay E. Dennis Jr, Joseph N. Filzen
• Inventors: Dennis, Clay E. Jr., Filzen, Joseph N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Popek, Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US05/653,713
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 179/5 R, 179/5 P, 179/5.5, 179/2 A, 340/220, 340/221, 340/280
• US Class Current: 386/229
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0027 Details of drawer or money-box
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/003 Anti-theft control theft alarms G08B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19676 Temporary storage, e.g. cyclic memory, buffer storage on pre-alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/045 using recorded signals, e.g. speech

Abstract

A cash register alarm and recording system is provided which continuously records the audible and/or visual environment in the vicinity of a cash register or other high value location on one channel of a continuous loop tape. A time code is continuously recorded on a second channel of the tape. In the event of an attempted robbery from the cash register operated either by the thief himself or under coercion by an attendant clerk an automatic police alarm device dials the police department and transmits a voice alarm message giving the location of the cash register and the fact that there is an occurrence of a threatened robbery. Simultaneously with the initiation of the alarm message a recorder timer begins its timing cycle. The message of the timing cycle is approximately half the length of the continuous loop tape. At the end of the timing cycle the recorder stops the loop recorder and the contemporaneously produced video scenes and/or sounds, including conversations in the vicinity of the cash register for the period before, during and after the robbery event are preserved.

Claims

1. A police alarm and robbery recording system for a telephone subscriber station comprising:

a. Continuous-loop taping means for continuously recording over a cyclic time interval events occurring in the area of said subscriber station;

b. a silent alarm generator adapted to generate an alarm signal during an alarm condition, timing means activated by said alarm signal for terminating the recording of events by said continuous-loop tape recording means at the end of a predetermined time period, said time period being shorter than said time interval;

c. means for recording a time reference signal on said continuous-loop tape recorder; and

d. an alarm caller operatively connected to said generator for causing a number to be dialed from said telephone station at the beginning of said time period and for transmitting prerecorded business identifying information to said system dialed number.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said continuous-loop tape recording means is an audio tape loop recorder with associated microphone having at least two simultaneously recordable channels.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said continuous-loop tape recording means is a television tape loop tape recorder with associated camera and microphone.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said continuous-loop tape recording means comprises:

a. an audio tape loop recorder with associated microphone having at least two simultaneously recordable channels; and

b. a television loop recorder having associated camera and microphone.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for recording the number dialed by said alarm caller on said continuous-loop tape recording means.

6. The system as defined in claim 1 includes a cash register operatively combined with said silent alarm generator causing the latter to generate at least one electrical signal as a consequence of a preselected mode of operation of said register.

7. The system as defined in claim 6 wherein said cash register and said generator are adapted to generate a second electrical signal for cancelling said telephone prerecorded information.

8. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein there is provided a radio receiver adapted to be tuned to a time signal broadcast program, said radio being connected to said means for recording a time reference signal on said continuous-loop tape recorder.