Semi-trailer with external switch

• US 8,885,046 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Foster, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Belani, Kishin G
• Application Number:
  US12/169,422
• Time in Patent Office: 2,317 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/305 Indicating devices for towed vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8006 for monitoring and displaying scenes of vehicle interior, e.g. for monitoring passengers or cargo
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8073 for vehicle security, e.g. parked vehicle surveillance, burglar detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A semi-trailer has a surveillance system located within a hidden compartment of the semi-trailer. At least one external switch is located on an exterior of the semi-trailer and is electrically coupled to at least one subsystem of the surveillance system for controlling the at least one subsystem without controlling the entire surveillance system at once.

Claims

1. A semi-trailer, comprising:

a main compartment including a cargo-carrying compartment and a hidden compartment that is hidden from view from the cargo-carrying compartment, the hidden compartment being separated from the cargo-carrying compartment by a false end wall, wherein the false end wall extends across an entire width and an entire height of the main compartment and has an appearance of a true end wall;

a surveillance system located entirely within the hidden compartment of the semi-trailer such that the surveillance system is concealed from individuals with access to the cargo carrying compartment, the surveillance system comprising one or more subsystems including at least one of a camera system with one or more cameras, a microphone system with one or more microphones, a global positioning system, a closed circuit television system, a recording system with audio and video recorders, power supplies, rechargeable batteries, and access routers;

at least one external switch located on an exterior of the main compartment and electrically coupled to at least one subsystem for controlling the at least one subsystem without controlling the entire surveillance system at once, the at least one external switch being a physical and manually operable switch; and

another external switch located on the exterior of the semi-trailer and electrically coupled to the surveillance system for controlling the entire surveillance system at once.

2. The semi-trailer of claim 1, further comprising a lamp electrically coupled to the at least one external switch.

3. The semi-trailer of claim 1, further comprising a cover coupled to an exterior of the at least one external switch for selectively covering and uncovering the at least one external switch.

4. The semi-trailer of claim 1, further comprising an external tool container located on the exterior of the semi-trailer.

5. The semi-trailer of claim 4, wherein the external tool container contains a tool for removing at least a portion of the false end wall.

6. The semi-trailer of claim 1, further comprising an external electrical outlet located on the exterior of the semi-trailer and electrically coupled to at least one rechargeable battery of the surveillance system.

7. The semi-trailer of claim 1, wherein the at least one external switch is hidden on the exterior of the main compartment.

8. The semi-trailer of claim 1, wherein the at least one external switch is located on an underside of the exterior of the main compartment.

9. The semi-trailer of claim 8, wherein the at least one external switch is set back from sides, a front, and a rear of the semi-trailer.

10. A sting trailer, comprising:

a hidden compartment containing a surveillance system comprising a plurality of subsystems including at least one of a camera system with one or more cameras, a microphone system with one or more microphones, a global positioning system, a closed circuit television system, a recording system with audio and video recorders, power supplies, rechargeable batteries, and access routers;

a cargo-carrying compartment;

a false end-wall interposed between the hidden compartment and the cargo-carrying compartment, the false end-wall extending across an entire width and an entire height of the cargo-carrying compartment and having an appearance of a true end wall, wherein the surveillance system is concealed from individuals with access to the cargo-carrying compartment; and

an external switch bank located on an exterior of the sting trailer, the switch bank comprising a plurality of on/off subsystem power switches, the on/off subsystem power switches electrically coupled, one-to-one, to the subsystems of the surveillance system, each on/off subsystem power switch configured to selectively turn on and off power to the subsystem electrically coupled thereto, wherein the external switch bank further comprises an on/off master power switch electrically coupled to the surveillance system and configured to selectively turn on and off power to the entire surveillance system at once.

11. The sting trailer of claim 10, wherein the external switch bank is located on an underside of the exterior of the sting trailer.

12. The sting trailer of claim 11, wherein the external switch bank is located between beams that span the underside of the exterior of the sting trailer for supporting a floor of the sting trailer.

13. The sting trailer of claim 12, wherein the external switch bank is located between a front of the sting trailer and one or more support legs connected to the underside of the exterior of the sting trailer.

14. The sting trailer of claim 10, wherein the on/off subsystem power switches are electrically coupled, one-to-one, to lamps of the switch bank, and wherein each lamp is configured to light when the on/off subsystem power switch electrically coupled thereto is ON.

15. The sting trailer of claim 10, wherein the external switch bank is hidden on the exterior of the sting trailer.

16. A method of constructing a sting trailer, comprising:

providing a semi-trailer with a hidden compartment defined by a false end wall within a cargo-carrying compartment, the false end wall extending across an entire width and an entire height of the cargo-carrying compartment and having an appearance of a true end wall;

disposing a surveillance system within the hidden compartment, and concealing the surveillance system from individuals with access to the cargo-carrying compartment;

disposing at least one external on/off switch on an exterior of the semi-trailer;

electrically coupling the at least one external on/off switch to at least one subsystem of the surveillance system for selectively turning on and off power to the at least one subsystem without turning on or off power to the entire surveillance system at once, the at least one subsystem including at least one of a camera system with one or more cameras, a microphone system with one or more microphones, a global positioning system, a closed circuit television system, a recording system with audio and video recorders, power supplies, rechargeable batteries, and access routers; and

disposing another external on/off power switch on the exterior of the semi-trailer and electrically coupling the other external on/off power switch to the surveillance system for selectively turning on and off power to the entire surveillance system of the sting trailer at once.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising disposing an external tool container on the exterior of the semi-trailer.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising disposing a tool within the external tool container, the tool configured to remove at least a portion of the false end-wall that closes the hidden compartment for accessing the hidden compartment.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising disposing an external electrical outlet on the exterior of the semi-trailer and electrically coupling the external electrical outlet to one or more batteries of the surveillance system.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising setting the at least one external on/off switch, the external tool container, and the external electrical outlet back from sides, a front, and a rear of the semi-trailer.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising locating the at least one external on/off switch, the external tool container, and the external electrical outlet between a pair of beams on an underside of the exterior of the semi-trailer that span a length of the semi-trailer and that act to support a floor of the semi-trailer.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising hiding the at least one external on/off switch, the external tool container, and the external electrical outlet on the exterior of the semi-trailer.