Abstract:
A discrete or covert surveillance-communication device and system is disclosed that includes at least one miniature video surveillance camera and alerting-communication assemblies hidden in objects resembling office, commercial or household devices, such as a wall clock.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The technology described herein relates to the field of discrete or covert surveillance-communication devices and systems, and more particularly to such discrete devices and systems that include at least one miniature video surveillance camera and alerting-communication assemblies hidden in objects resembling office, commercial or household devices. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Surveillance products incorporating miniature cameras have proliferated in recent years. Miniature cameras can now be hidden in numerous locations such as in pocketbooks, behind walls, in ceilings and within ordinary objects. Many industries today use hidden cameras as an additional security measure in order to protect their inventory, premises and customers. For instance, financial institutions such as banks use hidden surveillance cameras to offer additional protection to their customers and to help guard against theft. Hidden video cameras are also being used more frequently in the home for the protection of children and personal property. 
         [0003]    While it is oftentimes desirable to mount surveillance or closed circuit cameras in visible locations to create awareness that an area is being observed, it is also desirable in many situations to use hidden or discrete surveillance cameras. Such discrete surveillance cameras can be located almost anywhere in a room, e.g., in a speaker, in an exit sign, in the ceiling, in a smoke detector. In addition to discrete surveillance, additional alerting and/or communication capabilities are also needed. 
         [0004]    Tragic events have created an increasing need for enhancing security within a classroom and at other places where people gather. Post-analysis of these events suggest that the incidents may have been resolved sooner if authorities had real-time intelligence regarding the specific whereabouts of assailants and their hostages or victims. In addition lives could have been saved if those in the advancing path of assailants could have been forewarned; allowing them to lock or barricade their areas, or to escape. 
         [0005]    To provide improved safety and security to both students and staff in educational and other public settings, two discrete methods must be simultaneously employed: 
         [0006]    1) Provide covert means for remote audio and visual monitoring of areas/rooms which may be proximal to the occurrence of a security event in real-time, and 
         [0007]    2) Provide means by which visual alerts and audio/voice commands may be transmitted and annunciated from a central control facility into affected classrooms/areas. 
         [0008]    To be effective, these in-situ devices/systems should be positioned at the front of a classroom, or at a position offering direct exposure and advantageous access to the population. To be covert, these facilities must be integrated into common-place fixtures that the population would not feel uncomfortable about, or that a terrorist would not suspect is being used to monitor his activities. 
         [0009]    There is a long standing need to provide an integrated solution to the problems and situations described above. Past attempts at solutions by others include cobbled together obvious systems involving closed-circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras, public address speakers, and intercom systems that require persons to stand by the microphone/speaker panel and hold a button to communicate, which is not very practical during an emergency or terror attack. 
         [0010]    U.S. patents directed to covert surveillance include the following:
       U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,310 B1, issued to Lefkowitz on Jun. 19, 2001, discloses a discrete surveillance device for observing a surveillance location has a housing formed in the shape of a smoke detector and multiple miniature video surveillance cameras mounted within the housing to simultaneously observe multiple areas of the surveillance location. The surveillance cameras are concealed in the housing from an observer viewing the exterior of the housing.       
 
         [0012]    While this patent and other previous methods have attempted to solve the problems that they addressed, none have utilized or disclosed a multi-alerting and communication security platform and system, as do embodiments of the technology described herein. 
         [0013]    Therefore, a need exists for a solution to the above problems. The attributes and functionalities of the technology described herein provide this solution. The security platform and system according to embodiments of the invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art. It can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved security platform and system which can be used commercially. In this regard, the technology described herein substantially fulfills these objectives. 
         [0014]    The foregoing information reflects the state of the art of which the inventors are aware and is tendered with a view toward discharging the inventors&#39; acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be pertinent to the patentability of the technology described herein. It is respectfully stipulated, however, that the foregoing information do not teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, the inventors&#39; claimed invention. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The general purpose of the technology described herein, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a security platform directed to a multi-alerting and communication security device disguised as a wall clock and a corresponding support system thereof. 
         [0016]    The technology described herein pertains to a device having the appearance of a clock, e.g. a wall clock, for use in a classroom and other group settings that includes and implements safety and security functions in addition to the standard timekeeping application of such clocks. The clock face may be an analog or digital type. Bidirectional communication between the clock and a central monitoring and control facility is accomplished using computer networking infrastructure and protocols. This integrated system provides means to covertly monitor (audio and video) the area of installation from a remote location, and to provide audio and visual communications from a central control site (security office) into the crisis area. 
         [0017]    In one aspect the technology described herein integrates elements to comprise a comprehensive in-situ security platform within an enclosure whose outward appearance would suggest nothing more than a common wall clock. This platform enables covert surveillance of the monitored area during crisis incidents, such as a terrorist attack. Concealment of its capabilities would make it unlikely that terrorists would target the platform for destruction. In this embodiment the clock device may be either an analog or digital clock and is ordinary in appearance to an outside observer. This clock device may be synchronized to a master clock whose accuracy is traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), using wired or wireless infrastructure common to computer networks and communication protocols made standard by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) under their IEEE 802.xx family of specifications. School systems, airports, hospital campuses and factories all rely upon synchronized clock systems to ensure the accuracy of timekeeping and proper synchronization with other time-related systems (security, payroll, etc.). 
         [0018]    A video capturing element, e.g. a camera, hidden within the clock device is unlikely to attract attention, as opposed to an obvious CCTV camera that a criminal/terrorist/vandal is apt to disable, destroy or steal. Likewise the general populace who may be the subject of surveillance activities will not feel uncomfortable being spied upon as would be the case of when a camera is obvious. 
         [0019]    Using digital processes the camera&#39;s image can be transmitted to a central monitoring facility using corresponding data communications infrastructure. This approach reduces installation costs since it reduces the need for placing and wiring video cable, video amplifier and switching equipment. In one aspect the security platform may have a image recognition element to recognize selected images, e.g. a weapon. 
         [0020]    In addition to the video image, a sound capturing element, e.g. a microphone, hidden within the security platform allows for the monitoring and transmission of speech and other sounds within the surveillance area. The sound may be digitized for transmission to a central monitoring facility. No intercom-type wiring needs to be pulled and installed, since the audio signal is carried over the network protocol. In one aspect the security platform may have a sound recognition element to recognize selected sounds, e.g. gun fire, screams, explosions, which triggers an alert to the central monitoring system. 
         [0021]    To facilitate the providing of alerts from the central security facility to personnel in the crisis areas, as well as to provide a means of negotiating with a criminal suspect, the security platform may include an audio transmission element, e.g. a speaker, either internal to the clock or external and in communication with the security platform. In these embodiments security personnel can speak to assailants, hostages, or persons in the path of a crisis and be heard through the speaker. This communication may also be digitized and carried over the network protocol. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment a visual alerting element, e.g. one or more strobe lights (which may be integrated within the security platform or may be external and in communication with the security platform) may be activated from the central security office. This element can provide a non-audible alert to protected personnel, which would not be noticed by criminals in nearby, but out-of-site locations. Such an indicator would also be useful to those persons who are hearing-impaired and who cannot respond to the audio messages. The strobe light element may be triggered (turned on or off) by a command from the central security office and carried over the communications infrastructure. The visual alerting element may be comprised of lights of different colors in order to indicate different conditions, e.g. red for danger, yellow for caution, green for return to normal and white for attention. These colors may also be used in conjunction with audio to indicate the approach of adverse weather conditions, e.g. severe thunderstorm, tornado, hurricane. 
         [0023]    In one embodiment a motion detector element may be integrated into the security platform. In one aspect this may be implemented through real-time digital analysis of a video camera image or through using established sonar or PIR (Infra-Red) detection methods, thus enabling observers at a central security office to be alerted to activity in the monitored environment and/or to enable the start and stop of automated video image recording, as is typical with security camera operations. The status (active/inactive) of the motion detector output may be transmitted to the central security office over the network communications infrastructure. A motion detect condition may be set to trigger automatic audio/video recording, in a recording device or memory either within the security platform or at the remote central security office. 
         [0024]    A single communications cable or wireless signal, e.g. radio or infra-red, may carry all data traffic to and from the in-situ security clock platform. 
         [0025]    In one embodiment of the technology described herein sufficient memory, e.g. a compact flash, secure digital module, USB thumb drive, or other suitable permanent or removable format, is included to allow the internal storage of audio and/or video recordings as captured by a microphone and/or camera, and date/time-stamped incident logs as recorded by the microprocessor. These recordings may be forwarded to the central security office via command over the data communications interface, or by manually carrying a removeable media to the central security office where it can be read in a conventional reader device. 
         [0026]    In one embodiment of the technology described herein a wireless receiver, e.g., radio, infra-red, within the security platform is capable of receiving a “Panic Alarm” from a person within the monitored area carrying a transmitter, e.g., fob, pendant, or from a wall-mounted, button-activated transmitter; such activation to trigger A/V recording and alerts to the central security office. 
         [0027]    In one embodiment of the technology described herein canned messages, stored within memory of the security platform may be triggered by activation of locally attached sensors or by a signal received from the central security office. 
         [0028]    In one embodiment of the technology described herein there is provision for attachment of external sensors to the microprocessor of the Security Platform, including, but not limited to, detectors for smoke, fire, CO2, etc. 
         [0029]    An aspect of the technology described herein is that it is directed to covert audio and visual monitoring. 
         [0030]    Another aspect of the technology described herein is that it is directed to providing alerts and/or instructions to selected areas. 
         [0031]    Another aspect of the technology described herein is that it may be economically produced. 
         [0032]    These and other features and advantages of the technology described herein will be presented in more detail in the following specification of the invention and the accompanying figures, which illustrate by way of example the principles of the invention. 
         [0033]    There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0034]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the technology described herein. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technology described herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0035]    The technology described herein, together with further advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0036]      FIG. 1  illustrates a surveillance device disguised as an analog clock, according to a first embodiment of the technology described herein and showing the illustrative names of surveillance elements. 
           [0037]      FIG. 2  illustrates surveillance device disguised as an analog clock, according to a first embodiment of the technology described herein. 
           [0038]      FIG. 3  illustrates a surveillance device disguised as a digital clock, according to a second embodiment of the technology described herein and showing the illustrative names of surveillance elements. 
           [0039]      FIG. 4  illustrates a surveillance device disguised as a digital clock, according to a second embodiment of the technology described herein. 
           [0040]      FIG. 5  illustrates surveillance device disguised as a digital clock, according to a third embodiment of the technology described herein and showing the illustrative names of surveillance elements. 
           [0041]      FIG. 6  illustrates surveillance device disguised as a digital clock, according to a third embodiment of the technology described herein and showing the additional elements of multiple strobes, selected sounds recognition and selected image recognition. 
           [0042]      FIG. 7  illustrates elements of a surveillance system using a plurality of the surveillance devices disguised as an analog clock deployed in rooms and halls of a structure, according to an embodiment of the technology described herein. 
           [0043]      FIG. 8  illustrates elements of a surveillance system using a plurality of the surveillance devices disguised as an digital clock deployed in rooms and halls of a structure and having a single strobe light, according to an embodiment of the technology described herein. 
           [0044]      FIG. 9  illustrates elements of a surveillance system using a plurality of the surveillance devices disguised as an digital clock deployed in rooms and halls of a structure and having multiple strobe lights, selected sound recognition and selected image recognition, according to an embodiment of the technology described herein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0045]    The technology described herein will now be described in detail with reference to a few preferred embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the technology described herein. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the technology described herein may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known operations have not been described in detail so not to unnecessarily obscure the technology described herein. 
         [0046]    Referring now to  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 9  the security system  1000  is comprised of at least one of a security platform, i.e. security clock ( 100 ,  200 ,  300 ), at least one control site  500 , i.e. a security office, security communications infrastructure  400 , e.g. wired or wireless infrastructure, connecting the security platform(s) to the security office, and security storage-retrieval-analysis-reporting  600 . 
         [0047]    In an exemplary embodiment a security clock platform  100 ,  200 ,  300  involves the following separate subsystems integrated within the enclosure of a common wall clock:
       1. a time-keeping clock movement to drive the hands of an analog clock face, or digital drivers to illuminate a digital clock display   2. a microprocessor (uP) or microcomputer (uC) to execute the bi-directional communications protocol with a central security office and to coordinate the communications of sub-systems within the security platform   3. a transceiver compatible with the communications infrastructure (wired or wireless) to receive and transmit data from/to the platform, upon the selected transport media   4. A video camera with a wide-angle lens to capture events from a monitored area. The video signal will be digitized and transmitted through the uP/uC circuits to the network transceivers.   5. An omni-directional microphone to capture the sounds of the monitored area. The audio signal will be digitized and transmitted through the uP/uC circuits to the network transceivers   6. A sound reproduction sub-system, capable of receiving a digitized audio stream through the transceivers and uP/uC circuits, providing digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) and amplification as necessary to drive an audio speaker enclosed within the platform   7. An illuminating strobe light, whose on/off condition is controlled by a signal transmitted from a central security office through the platform&#39;s communication structure.   8. A power supply to provide energy to drive the platform. This power supply may be a battery pack, or of an AC/DC or DC/DC type, converting high-voltage to low-voltage DC, or may be a DC/DC type being sourced by a power-over-ethernet (POE) infrastructure (where the communication cable also carries bulk power to remote nodes on the network   9. A motion-detector element, which may be implemented through real-time digital analysis of the video camera image or using established sonar or PIR (Infra-Red) detection methods, to indicate the occurrence of motion within its field of view. The output signal of this element is connected to the uP/uC, which forwards the status (active/inactive) to a central security office.   10. A non-discript clock case to enclose these sub-systems. Common encasements for standard analog clocks, which are applicable to the technology described herein, include, but are not limited to: 10″, 12″ and 15″ diameter round-face and square face. Wall-mount, pedestal-mount, ceiling-mount and duplex (back-to-back)-mount renditions all provide suitable positioning for the platform in the various areas into which such equipment is appropriate. These formats are provided as example, only, and are not to be considered as limiting in the scope of the invention.       
 
         [0058]    One construction approach for an analog clock embodiment, security platform  100 , is as follows:
       1. Start with a standard clock frame consisting of
           a. a lens (glass or plastic)   b. a dial plate (metal or plastic),   c. a bezel (metal or plastic) to secure the lens and the dial plate and   d. a ring  101  (metal or plastic), to give depth to the shallow cylindrical shape. (in one embodiment the bezel and ring  101  may be integrated into a single component).   
           2. To permit sound energy to easily pass between the clock frame and the outside environment, a screened/baffled opening  102  is made in the ring  101 .   3. Behind the screened/baffled opening  102  an audio speaker  103  is situated. The audio speaker  103  may be mounted/affixed to the back-side of a dial plate  104 , or to the inside of the ring  101 .   4. A circuit board  105  that includes a uC/uP and other electronic components  106  is mounted behind the dial plate  104 .   5. The clock movement  107  (motor, gear-box and hand-shafts) is installed between the circuit board  105  and the dial plate  104 . The clock movement  107  may be affixed to either the circuit board  105  (preferred embodiment) or to the dial plate  104 .   6. A small dial plate hole is made in the dial plate  104  and a small video camera  108  with an appropriately wide-angle lens is mounted behind the dial plate  104 .   7. The independent video camera  108  connects to the circuit board  105  via either a conventional interface, e.g. a USB connection or an integrated video camera may connect to the uP/uC via direct mounting and circuit connection on the circuit board.   8. A small hole is made in the ring  101  and a small microphone  110  is mounted behind the dial plate  104 . The microphone  110  may be optionally affixed to the ring  101 , the dial plate  104 , or the circuit board  105 , and may be interfaced to the system through either the video camera  108  or the audio components  111  of the circuit board  105 .   9. An audio sub-system may be realized in the security platform  100  through components (digital-to-analog converter, audio amplifier, digital gain control  111  included on the circuit board  105 , or may be implemented as an independent audio system  112  that is connected to the circuit board  105  via a USB or similar interface.   10. A strobe light (not shown) may be included as part of the assembly. It may be attached to the outside perimeter of the ring  101 , or may mounted behind the dial plate  104  provided that a translucent opening is provided to allow the illumination to project forward.   11. Communications between the circuit board  105  and a remote central security office  500  is accomplished through a network connection  114  and communications protocol. The network connection  114  may be a wired configuration or a wireless configuration (such as among those specified under the IEEE 802.xx group.   12. A motion-detector  117  element (which may be implemented through real-time digital analysis of the video camera image or by using established sonar or PIR (Infra-Red) detection methods) indicates the occurrence of motion within its field of view. If implemented using sonar or PIR methods, a transducer (not shown) is installed behind the dial plate  104  and the output signal of the transducer is connected to the uP/uC, which forwards the status (active/inactive) to the central Security Office  500 .   13. Power to the circuit board  105  is applied to the voltage regulating Circuits  116  from a battery pack, through a conventional power connector, or may be integrated with the network communications interface  114 , as would be manifest for USB (Universal Serial Bus) or POE (Power Over Ethernet) types.       
 
         [0076]    One construction approach for an digital clock embodiment, security platform  200 , is as follows:
       1. An enclosure  201  of wood, metal or plastic is constructed. While a box-like shape is most typical, other shapes may also be appropriate.   2. An enclosure face upper section  202  is covered with a baffle material that permits sound and light to easily project forward from within the enclosure.   3. The enclosure face lower section  104  is typically covered with a red translucent Plexiglas/Lexan material that permits a digital clock display (typically Red LED type, but may be LCD, NCD, VFD, O-LED or other display technology  207 ) to show through.   4. A circuit board  205  that includes the uC/uP and other electronic components  206  is mounted behind the display  207 , and may be assembled as a unit. The display driver/interface is included among the components on the circuit board  205 .   5. A small hole is made in the baffle  202  and a small video camera  208  with appropriately wide-angle lens is mounted behind the baffle  202 . An independent camera  208  connects to the circuit board  205  via a conventional interface (ex: USB), or an integrated camera  208  may connect to the uP/uC via direct mounting and circuit connection on the circuit board  205 .   6. A small microphone  210  is mounted behind the baffle  202 . The microphone  210  may be affixed to either the enclosure  201  or the circuit board  205 , and may be interfaced to the system through either the video camera  208  or the audio subsystem  211  of the circuit board  205 .   7. An audio sub-system  211  may be realized in the security platform through components (digital-to-analog converter, audio amplifier, digital gain control) included on the circuit board  205 , or may be implemented as an independent audio system  212  that is connected to the circuit board  205  via a USB or similar interface.   8. A strobe light  213  may be included as part of the assembly, behind the baffle  202 . It may be attached to the enclosure  201  or may mounted circuit board  205 .   9. Communications between the circuit board  205  and a remote central security office  500  is accomplished through a network connection  214  and communications protocol. The network connection  214  may be a wired configuration or a wireless configuration (such as among those specified under the IEEE 802.xx groups).   10. A motion-detector  216  element (which may be implemented through real-time digital analysis of the video camera image or using established sonar or PIR (Infra-Red) detection methods) indicates the occurrence of motion within its field of view. If implemented using sonar or PIR methods, a transducer (not shown) is installed behind the baffle  202  and the baffle&#39;s output signal is connected to the uP/uC, which forwards the status (active/inactive) to the central security office  500 .   11. Power to the circuit board  205  is applied to the voltage regulating circuits  216  from a battery pack, through a conventional power connector, or may be integrated with the network communications interface  214 , as would be manifest for USB (Universal Serial Bus) or POE (Power Over Ethernet) types.       
 
         [0088]    Whether the invention is realized through an analog or a digital clock configuration, the flow of data, e.g., audio and video Signals, status information and controls, between the external interface (to/from a remote security office  500 ) and the various sub-systems that comprise the security platform is controlled by firmware executing on the uP/uC component of the security platform. This firmware serves as arbiter of data traffic and accomplishes its mission through the execution of communication protocols individualized and conventional for each of the devices and sub-systems to which it is connected by the electronic hardware. 
         [0089]    The firmware may be resident within non-volatile memory components of the circuit board, or may be down-loaded from the central security office or other remote server through the network interface into protected volatile memory components of the electronic system. This capability would allow remote upgrades of system performance or capability to be down-loaded into the device. 
         [0090]    From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, many of the features and components described above in the context of a particular security platform and system configuration can be incorporated into other configurations in accordance with other embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except by the appended claims.