Network communication techniques for security surveillance and safety system

• US 6,392,692 B1
• Filed: 02/25/1999
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: e-Watch, Inc. (Cision Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: David A Monroe
• Inventors: Monroe, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHILIPPE, GIMS S
• Application Number:
  US09/257,720
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 348/113, 348/117, 348/118, 348/119, 348/123, 348/124, 348/135, 348/143, 348/148, 348/151, 348/155, 348/169, 348/160, 348/144, 342/37, 701/14, 701/120, 735/87, 340/945, 340/506, 340/825.72, 370/316, 455/431
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

A wireless security and surveillance system for port, port-to-transport and transport-to-transport communication of data and commands incorporates a plurality of strategically spaced sensors for monitoring critical conditions, 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. 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 comprehensive multi-media security and surveillance system for monitoring a commercial transport utilizing IP protocol and transmitting secure data to both a ground monitoring station and to the commercial transport in digitized, multi-media format comprising textual, visual and audio information, the system comprising:

a. at least one visual sensor adapted for monitoring a selected visual condition associated with the commercial transport for generating a unique visual data signal in IP protocol representing a specific visual condition to be monitored;

b. at least one audio sensor adapted for monitoring a selected audio condition associated with the commercial transport for generating a unique audio data signal in IP protocol representing a specific audio condition to be monitored;

c. at least one textual input device for generating a textual data signal;

d. a wireless transmitter associated with each of said sensors and said textual input device and adapted for transmitting the respective data signals;

e. a ground based monitoring station; and

f. a wireless receiver associated with the ground based monitoring station for receiving the data signals.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor is a ground based sensor strategically placed at a ground location for monitoring the commercial transport when it is within a prescribed range of the ground based sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor is a commercial transport based sensor adapted for monitoring a specific on-board based condition on the commercial transport.

4. The system of claim 1, including a plurality of each type of sensors, each generating a unique data signal, and each being associated with a dedicated transmitter, whereby the unique data signals are transmitted to the monitoring station.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein a plurality of sensors is assembled in a cluster, and wherein there is further included:

a. a combiner for combining each of the independent cluster signals into a combined signal;

b. a single, dedicated cluster transmitter adapted for transmitting the combined signal to the monitoring station.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said combiner is a multi-channel multiplexer.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said combiner is a single channel multiplexer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of said cluster signal are sequentially entered on a time sequenced basis into the single channel multiplexer.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of said sensors is hard wired to the combiner.

10. The system of claim 1, further including at least one sensor which is hard wired to the monitoring station whereby the unique data signal generated thereby is communicated to the monitoring station without the use of the wireless transmitter and receiver.

11. The system of claim 1, further including a mobile monitoring unit, and wherein the monitoring station includes a transmitter for transmitting selected signals from the monitoring station to the mobile monitoring unit.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said mobile monitoring unit includes a transmitter for transmitting information from the mobile monitoring unit to the monitoring station.

13. The system of claim 12, the mobile monitoring unit further including a digital voice transmitter whereby verbal communications between the monitoring station and the mobile monitoring unit are supported.

14. The system of claim 1, further including a support vehicle authorized to be in the vicinity of the transport, and at least one wireless sensor and wireless transmitter associated with the support vehicle for generating a unique support vehicle signal and transmitting it to the monitoring station.

15. The system of claim 3, wherein said commercial transport based sensor is a video sensor and wherein at least on ground based sensor is a video sensor, the ground based monitoring station further adapted for transmitting and receiving signals to each of said sensors for defining a ground-to-transport video intercom.

16. The system of claim 3, wherein said commercial transport based sensor is adapted for monitoring a replenishable supply on-board the transport and is adapted for generating a signal to the ground based station for indicating the condition of the supply on-board the commercial transport.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said replenishable supply sensor is adapted for alerting the fuel supply on-board the transport and is further adapted for generating a signal to initiate delivery of fuel to the transport once the transport enters port.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said replenishable supply sensor is adapted for generating a signal for generating review of the on-board condition of the replenishable supply once the transport enters port.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said replenishable supply sensor is adapted for generating a signal go to initiate re-supply of said replenishable supply once the transport enters port.

20. The system of claim 3, wherein said on-board sensor generates a signal to the ground based station indicating a maintenance function.

21. The system of claim 3, wherein said ground based station further includes means for alerting personnel aboard the transport to perform and on-board maintenance function.

22. The system of claim 1, further including a plurality of sensors associated with the commercial transport, each adapted for monitoring a unique selected condition for generating a unique data signal representing the specific condition to be monitored.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein at least of said plurality of sensors is ground based and at least one of said plurality of sensors is commercial transport based.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the ground based sensor is hard wired to the ground based monitoring station.

25. The system of claim 22, further including:

a. a collector adapted for collecting the plurality of data signals from the plurality of sensors and generating therefrom a combined signal incorporating each of the plurality of signals into a combined output signal; and

b. a processing system for receiving and processing the combined output signal.

26. The system of claim 25, said collector and processing system further including a self-contained power supply.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein each said sensor and transmitter includes a self-contained power supply system.

28. The system of claim 22, the collector further includes a multiplexing system adapted for accepting a plurality of parallel data signals simultaneously and for generating therefrom a single, combination output signal.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein said multiplexing system is adapted for generating a combination output signal including a component comprising a plurality of the data signals in a split screen configuration wherein all or a selected portion of the plurality of data signals are simultaneously available.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication network is a wireless local area network (wireless LAN).

31. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises an image sensor device for generating an image signal.

32. The system of claim 31, further including an illumination source associated with said image sensor for illuminating the critical location.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein said is a global positioning sensor adapted for generating a signal indicating the geographic location of the sensor at any point in time.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein said global positioning sensor includes a separate sensor component in each end of the transport, whereby size and heading of the transport may be calculated and monitored.

35. The system of claim 1, further including a recorder for capturing the data signal in a retrievable format.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said recorder comprises an analog recorder.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein said recorder comprises a digital recorder.

38. The system of claim 2, further including a wireless local area network system utilized in connection with the ground based portion of the system.

39. The system of claim 3, further including a wireless local area network utilized in connection with the on board components of the system.

40. The system of claim 1, further including a global position system (G.P.S.) sensor associated with the commercial transport and adapted for generating a position signal to be transmitted to the ground based monitoring station, whereby the position of the commercial transport may be monitored at any time.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein said G.P.S. sensor is located near the nose or front end of the commercial transport and wherein a second G.P.S. sensor is located near the tail or rear end of the commercial transport, and wherein each sensor supplies a separate signal to the ground based monitoring station, whereby both directional heading and relative size of the transport may be determined.

42. The system of claim 1, further including a mobile monitoring station for receiving the unique signal from the sensor.

43. The system of claim 1, wherein there is further included ground support equipment and ground support vehicles, and wherein each of said ground support equipment and ground vehicles includes location sensors for generating and sending ground support location signals, whereby the position of the commercial transport and relative to the ground support equipment and ground support vehicles may be monitored.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein said location sensor is an on-board G.P.S. system.

45. The system of claim 1, wherein said commercial transport includes a unique identifier which is adapted to be sensed by the sensor, whereby the sensor can generate an identification signal for alerting that the identified commercial transport is within range of the sensor.

46. The system of claim 1, wherein said ground based sensor is carried on-board the transport for deployment in the port once the transport enters same.

47. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless transmission system is adapted for downloading software from various system elements.

48. The system of claim 1, wherein said ground based monitoring station further includes a transmitter for transmitting instructional information to the sensor upon presence of a specific condition.

49. The system of claim 1, wherein there is further provided support systems in port for supporting the commercial transport and wherein said support systems further include at least one support system sensor adapted for transmitting a signal to the ground based monitoring station, whereby conditions of the commercial transport and the support system may be simultaneously monitored.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein said sensor and said support system sensor are each global positioning system sensors whereby the relative proximity of the commercial transport and the support system may be tracked and monitored.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the ground based monitoring station further includes a mapping capability for generating a map defining the presence of the commercial transport relative to the support system.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein said support system sensor includes a support system identifier for signaling to the ground based monitoring station the identity of the support system.

53. The system of claim 3, further including means for accessing and controlling system on-board the commercial transport from the ground based monitoring station.

54. The system of claim 1, further including a personnel based unit including at least one sensor and a personnel communications system capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the aground based communications system for monitoring conditions present at the sensor.

55. The system of claim 54, further including a personnel based system for generating the location coordinates of the personnel and communicating this to the ground based communication system.

56. The system of claim 55, further including a location signal generator associated with the transport, whereby the proximity of the transport to the personnel may be monitored.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein said personnel based system includes means providing for communication directly between the transport and the personnel.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein said personnel based system includes means providing for communication directly between personnel.

59. A comprehensive multi-media security and surveillance system for monitoring a commercial transport utilizing IP protocol and transmitting secure data to both a ground monitoring station and to the commercial transport in digitized, multi-media format comprising textual, visual and audio information, the system comprising:

a. a sensor adapted for monitoring a selected condition associated with the commercial transport for generating a unique data signal in IP protocol representing a specific condition to be monitored;

b. a wireless transmitter associated with said sensor and adapted to transmit the respective data signals;

c. a ground based monitoring station;

d. a wireless receiver associated with the ground based monitoring station for receiving the data signals; and

e. a global positioning sensor, having a sensor component in each end of the commercial transport for generating signals indicative of the geographic location of the sensor at any point in time.

60. The system of claim 59 wherein the size and heading of the transport may be calculated utilizing the global positioning sensor components.

61. The system of claim 59 wherein the sensor is a visual sensor adapted for monitoring a selected visual condition associated with the commercial transport and for generating a unique visual data signal in IP protocol representing a specific visual condition to be monitored.

62. The system of claim 59 wherein the sensor is an audio sensor adapted for monitoring a selected audio condition associated with the commercial transport and for generating a unique audio data signal in IP protocol representing a specific audio condition to be monitored.

63. A comprehensive multi-media security and surveillance system for monitoring a commercial transport utilizing IP protocol and transmitting secure data to both a ground monitoring station and to the commercial transport in digitized, multi-media format comprising textual, visual and audio information, the system comprising:

a. a sensor adapted for monitoring a selected condition associated with the commercial transport for generating a unique data signal in IP protocol representing a specific condition to be monitored;

b. a wireless transmitter associated with said sensor and adapted to transmit the respective data signals;

c. a ground based monitoring station;

d. a personnel based system for generating location coordinates of personnel and communicating said coordinates to the ground based monitoring station; and

e. a wireless receiver associated with the ground based monitoring station for receiving the data signals.

64. The system of claim 63 wherein the personnel based system comprises at least one sensor and a personnel communications system capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the ground based monitoring station.