Patent ID: 6064430
Filing Date: 2000-05-16
Classification: G08B,H04N

Abstract:
A discrete surveillance device mountable on a ceiling for observing a surveillance location, comprising:a housing including an interior, an exterior formed in the shape of a smoke detector, a bottom wall lying in a first plane substantially parallel to the surface of the ceiling and a circumferential side wall extending substantially transverse to said bottom wall, a bottom camera viewing aperture disposed in said bottom wall, and at least three side camera viewing apertures formed in said side wall and;at least four stationary miniature video surveillance cameras mounted within said interior of said housing and said surveillance cameras being arranged such that they are directed out of said bottom and side camera viewing apertures to allow simultaneous observation of at least four substantially non-overlapping areas of the surveillance location including a bottom viewing area directly below said surveillance device and at least three radially-spaced viewing areas surrounding said bottom viewing area; andconcealing means for concealing said surveillance cameras and said viewing apertures from an ordinary observer viewing said exterior of said housing such that said surveillance device appears to the ordinary observer as a smoke detector and not a device housing surveillance cameras.