Personal security system
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A personal security system comprising a hand-held unit having a digital image sensor, wherein the image sensor comprises a surface image to digital signal conversion chip, a cellular transmitter for transmitting a digital image, a window, wherein the window is optically aligned with the sensor for permitting an image to pass through the window to the sensor, and digital preprogrammed information identifying the hand-held unit to a remote location.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The personal security system transmits a picture of an object, such as a criminal suspect, and the identification of a portable transmitter, such as the social security number of the user, to a receiver at a remote location. Time of transmission is recorded. If a crime occurs, the time, picture of the suspect, and identification of the victim are obtained from a recorder at the receiver. A potential victim of a crime points his portable personal security unit at a criminal suspect and presses an activating switch. The unit senses available light on the object and provides a flash if required. At the same time focusing an aperture control is performed and an image of the object is admitted to an image recorder which is a focal plane sensor array. Image data from the focal plane sensor array is processed in an image data processor and the processed image data is fed to a cellular communication transmitter for transmitting to the remote receiving station. An audio pickup at the portable unit is connected to the receiver for transmitting voice communications over the transmitter. By pointing the device at a suspect and pressing a button, a person makes a permanent record of an image.
178 Citations
15 Claims
- 1. A personal security system comprising a hand-held unit having a digital image sensor, wherein the image sensor comprises a surface image to digital signal conversion chip, a cellular transmitter for transmitting a digital image, a window, wherein the window is optically aligned with the sensor for permitting an image to pass through the window to the sensor, and digital preprogrammed information identifying the hand-held unit to a remote location.
- 7. A personal security system comprising a portable unit having a cellular communication transmitter and a remote unit having a cellular communication receiver, the portable unit further comprising an image recording unit for recording an image of a person or place and an image processing unit preprogrammed with an identification of the portable unit and connected to the image recording unit for converting signals from the image recording unit to signals transmittable by the cellular communication transmitter and the image processing unit being connected to the cellular communication transmitter, and a master control unit connected to the image recording unit and the image processing unit and to the cellular communication transmitter for starting the recording unit and the processing unit and the transmitter.
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9. A personal security system comprising the steps of recording an image of an object near a portable hand-held unit, wherein the image is received by an image recording unit within the portable hand-held unit;
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processing the image of the object into electronic signals, wherein the image is processed by an image processing unit within the portable hand-held unit, the image processing unit being preprogrammed with an electronic identification signal unique to the portable hand-held unit; controlling an aperture to the image recorder; controlling a lens focusing system, sensing illumination of an object of which the image is to be recorded and flash illuminating the object upon sensing low light upon the object; transmitting the electronic signals containing information of the image and identification of the unit to a remote receiving station; and preserving the electronic signal by the remote receiving station, wherein the remote receiving station records the time of day when the electronic signals are received. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification