Personal audio/video surveillance system

• US 5,594,498 A
• Filed: 10/14/1994
• Issued: 01/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semco LLC, Systems Engineering & Management Company
• Original Assignee: Semco LLC
• Inventors: Fraley, Walter C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Tommy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAO, ANAND SHASHIKANT
• Application Number:
  US08/323,219
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 348/153, 348/143, 348/158, 348/373, 348/374, 348/375, 348/376, 358/335
• US Class Current: 348/158
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19621 Portable camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19636 pertaining to the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A personal surveillance system having a video camera and an audio microphone in a single package sufficiently small to be worn as a badge, lapel pin, or similarly small accessory. The audio/video package is coupled to a transmitter for transmitting an audio and video signal to a remote station. The remote station comprises a video cassette recorder responsive to a signal for recording that is generated on a continuous basis by the audio/video package in a signal band that is filtered before recording.

Claims

1. A personal surveillance system, comprising

a video camera and a microphone integrated into a single audio/video package;

a transmitter package, physically separated from said audio/video package, said transmitter package having a transmitter capable of transmitting an audio and video signal to a remote station;

an electrical link coupled to said audio/video package and to said transmitter package, said link disposed to couple an audio signal and a video signal from said audio/video package to said transmitter package;

wherein said transmitter package comprises

a control circuit responsive to an operator control and generating a control signal;

a modulator circuit coupled to said video camera and to said microphone, said modulator circuit generating a modulated signal comprising a video signal and an audio signal;

said modulated signal comprising said control signal continuously superposed on a part of said modulated signal having a video or an audio signal;

an antenna; and

an amplifier coupled to said modulator circuit and to said antenna;

wherein said control signal comprises a continuous audio tone having substantially a single frequency above a normal range for audio transmission.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein said transmitter package is configured to be disposed on a second article of clothing.

3. A personal surveillance system, comprising

an integrated audio/video package having a video camera and a microphone, said audio/video package comprising means for disposing on an article of clothing and for rapidly detaching therefrom;

a transmitter package, physically separated from said audio/video package, said transmitter package having a transmitter capable of transmitting an audio/video signal to a remote station, said audio/video signal comprising a control signal representing an instruction to said remote station to record said audio/video signal;

an electrical link coupled to said audio/video package and to said transmitter package, said link disposed to couple an audio signal and a video signal from said audio/video package to said transmitter package;

a remote station having a recording device and a control circuit coupled to said recording device, said control circuit being responsive to said control signal to record at least a part of said audio/visual signal substantially only when said control signal is present;

comprising means for directing said recording device to continue recording despite a momentary loss of said control signal.

4. A system as in claim 3, wherein said audio/video package is less than a height of about 2 inches, a length of about 2 inches, and a thickness of about 1.5 inches in size.

5. A personal surveillance system, comprising

an integrated audio/video package having a video camera and a microphone, said audio/video package comprising means for disposing on an article of clothing and for rapidly detaching therefrom;

a transmitter package, physically separated from said audio/video package, said transmitter package having a transmitter capable of transmitting an audio/video signal to a remote station, said audio/video signal comprising a control signal representing an instruction to said remote station to record said audio/video signal;

an electrical link coupled to said audio/video package and to said transmitter package, said link disposed to couple an audio signal and a video signal from said audio/video package to said transmitter package;

a remote station having a recording device and a control circuit coupled to said recording device, said control circuit being responsive to said control signal to record at least a part of said audio/visual signal substantially only when said control signal is present;

wherein said control signal comprises a continuous signal having a first value that is present during substantially all times said remote station records said audio/video signal, and having a second value that is present during substantially all other times.

6. A personal surveillance system, comprising

an integrated audio/video package having a video camera and a microphone, said audio/video package comprising means for disposing on an article of clothing and for rapidly detaching therefrom;

a transmitter package, physically separated from said audio/video package, said transmitter package having a transmitter capable of transmitting an audio/video signal to a remote station, said audio/video signal comprising a control signal representing an instruction to said remote station to record said audio/video signal;

an electrical link coupled to said audio/video package and to said transmitter package, said link disposed to couple an audio signal and a video signal from said audio/video package to said transmitter package;

a remote station having a recording device and a control circuit coupled to said recording device, said control circuit being responsive to said control signal to record at least a part of said audio/visual signal substantially only when said control signal is present;

wherein said control signal comprises a selected frequency component.

7. A personal surveillance system, comprising

an integrated audio/video package having a video camera and a microphone, said audio/video package comprising means for disposing on an article of clothing and for rapidly detaching therefrom;

a transmitter package, physically separated from said audio/video package, said transmitter package having a transmitter capable of transmitting an audio/video signal to a remote station, said audio/video signal comprising a control signal representing an instruction to said remote station to record said audio/video signal;

an electrical link coupled to said audio/video package and to said transmitter package, said link disposed to couple an audio signal and a video signal from said audio/video package to said transmitter package;

a remote station having a recording device and a control circuit coupled to said recording device, said control circuit being responsive to said control signal to record at least a part of said audio/visual signal substantially only when said control signal is present;

wherein said control signal comprises an audio frequency component beyond a frequency required for communication.

8. A personal surveillance system, comprising

an integrated audio/video package having a video camera and a microphone, said audio/video package comprising means for disposing on an article of clothing and for rapidly detaching therefrom;

a transmitter package, physically separated from said audio/video package, said transmitter package having a transmitter capable of transmitting an audio/video signal to a remote station, said audio/video signal comprising control signal representing an instruction to said remote station to record said audio/video signal;

an electrical link coupled to said audio/video package and to said transmitter package, said link disposed to couple an audio signal and a video signal from said audio/video package to said transmitter package;

a remote station having a recording device and a control circuit coupled to said recording device, said control circuit being responsive to said control signal to record at least a part of said audio/visual signal substantially only when said control signal is present;

wherein

said control signal comprises an audio or video signal; and

said control circuit at said remote station removes said control signal from said audio/video signal before said audio/video signal is coupled to said video cassette recorder.

9. A personal surveillance system, comprising

an integrated audio/video package having a video camera and a microphone, said audio/video package comprising means for disposing on an article of clothing and for rapidly detaching therefrom;

a transmitter package, physically separated from said audio/video package, said transmitter package having a transmitter capable of transmitting an audio/video signal to a remote station, said audio/video signal comprising a control signal representing an instruction to said remote station to record said audio/video signal;

an electrical link coupled to said audio/video package and to said transmitter package, said link disposed to couple an audio signal and a video signal from said audio/video package to said transmitter package;

a remote station having a recording device and a control circuit coupled to said recording device, said control circuit being responsive to said control signal to record at least a part of said audio/visual signal substantially only when said control signal is present;

wherein

said control signal comprises an audio or video signal; and

said control circuit at said remote station removes said control signal from said audio/video signal before said audio/video signal is coupled to said video cassette recorder.

10. A personal surveillance system, comprising

an integrated audio/video package having a video camera and a microphone, said audio/video package comprising means for disposing on an article of clothing and for rapidly detaching therefrom;

a transmitter package, physically Separated from said audio/video package, said transmitter package having a transmitter capable of transmitting an audio/video signal to a remote station, said audio/video signal comprising a control signal representing an instruction to said remote station to record said audio/video signal;

an electrical link coupled to said audio/video package and to said transmitter package, said link disposed to couple an audio signal and a video signal from said audio/video package to said transmitter package;

a remote station having a recording device and a control circuit coupled to said recording device, said control circuit being responsive to said control signal to record at least a part of said audio/visual signal substantially only when said control signal is present;

wherein said control circuit operates to direct said recording device to record said audio/video signal whenever said control signal is present and for a selected duration thereafter.