Security system for homes and small offices

Details Security system for homes and small offices Security system for homes and small offices

1993-06-18

2001-11-06

Britton, Howard (Department: 2613)

Television

Special applications

Observation of or from a specific location

Reexamination Certificate

active

06313872

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
This invention relates generally to security systems that provide visual records of trespassers that approach entryways to buildings. More specifically, the invention relates to simple low-cost security systems that are suitable for protecting homes and small offices.
Security systems presently exist which detect persons, animals, and other objects approaching entryways to buildings and then turn on a television camera as a means of obtaining an electronic record of the event. The television camera signal is either transmitted over a video-bandwidth communication link to a building occupant or recorded on magnetic tape at the camera location. In the latter case, an alerting signal is transmitted over an audio-bandwidth communication link to the building occupant who investigates the occurrence by visiting the camera site and playing back the tape.
The cost and complexity of such systems generally make them unsuitable for use in homes and small offices. In addition, the lack of a screening mechanism that would cause the security system to ignore entries into the building by authorized persons is a serious defect in buildings where a large amount of such traffic is to be expected.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention is a security system consisting of a scene capture unit and a scene recovery unit linked by a narrow-band communication link. The scene capture unit utilizes a motion sensor to detect someone approaching an entryway to a building, a conventional television camera to generate a snapshot of the visitor, and circuitry to convert the camera output into a sequence of integers that can be stored in semiconductor memory. The scene recovery unit generates from the sequence of integers communicated by the scene capture unit over the communication link a video signal which, when fed into a conventional television receiver, creates a display of the camera-observed scene in one portion of the television screen and a display of the time of occurrence in another portion.
In those situations where controlled access to the building is permitted to certain persons, the scene capture unit is equipped with an “event” detector that signals when an occupant or authorized visitor enters or leaves the building and aborts the processing of the snapshot obtained when the person entering or leaving triggers the motion sensor.
A two-way communication link is provided in those situations where control over the scene capture unit by the user at the scene recovery unit location must be exercised or where the corruption of the received data during the communication process requires the transmission of a request for a retransmission.
To enable the scene capture unit to operate for long periods of time on battery power, the unit is equipped with power-conserving means which turns on power to the camera and the processing and communication circuits only when they are being used.


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Spragins et al,Telecommunications Protocols and design, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1991, pp. 226-229.

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