Abstract:
An unmanned visual monitoring system used outdoors to patrol large expanses of space such as along highways, fences, railroad lines, rivers, borders, beaches, etc. Guidance and support for the unmanned surveillance camera carriage vehicle, as well as the electrical power for its operation, are provided to the carriage and camera by conductive track cables. Spaced superstructures having upright poles and a cantilever extension placed along the track system length act to vertically support the system above the ground. At a remote control center location from the carriage, an operator can control the movement of the vehicle and the operation of the video camera. Operational electrical power for moving the carriage and controlling the camera&#39;s movement are supplied via power lines connected at different polarities to the track cables of the track system.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a visual camera surveillance system that rides along track cables. The operation of the camera system is controlled from a remote location. Such movable unmanned cameras would find particular application in remote outdoor locations where having a camera operator on site would be expensive and not practical due to weather or other conditions. Examples of outdoor locations that would employ such movable camera systems include highways, fences, railroads, rivers, border crossings, beaches, etc. 
     Visual surveillance systems using video camera are known. Some such systems use an on site video camera whose data is continuously recorded and then preserved or erased to make room for other subsequent data depending on whether or not an awaited event occurred during the recording on that recording period. 
     In another vision processing system traffic flow is detected and monitored by generating successive images of sections of the roadway, transducing the images into arrays of pixels where each pixel has a luminance value and then summing the values for all pixels. These summed values are then compared to a reference value to generate data when the difference is great enough. 
     Another road section monitoring system recognizes obstacles in the road such as wave flooding, land slip, etc. Data based on the detected obstacles, measured are taken and drivers informed of the results. 
     Another traffic surveillance process and device is used to measure the speed of a vehicle within a traffic scene, optically record the traffic scene, and reproduce the traffic scene on a display in synchronism with the display of the measured speed. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Devices that record and transmit visual images from remote locations are known. For example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,451 to Besnard an on site video camera is used to continuously recorded and then conserved or erased data sections to make room for other subsequent data depending on whether or not the awaited event occurred during the recording on in a section. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,852 to Rathi discloses a vision processing system wherein traffic flow is detected and monitored by generating successive images of sections of the roadway, transducing the images into arrays of pixels with each pixel having a luminance value and then summing the values for all pixels. These summed values are then compared to a reference value to generate data when the difference is great enough. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,819 to Horie discloses a road obstacle monitoring device which recognizes obstacles in the road such as wave flooding, land slip, etc. Data based on the detected obstacles are measured and drivers are informed of the results. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,794 to Borsch et al. discloses a traffic surveillance process and device used to measure the speed of a vehicle within a traffic scene, optically record the traffic scene, and reproduce the traffic scene on a display in synchronism with the display of the measured speed. 
     In contrast to such visual processing systems, the present invention utilizes a movable carriage for a video camera which rides along a track system. The carriage&#39;s operation and the transported camera are both controlled from a remote location all as detailed hereafter. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a remotely controlled camera and a carriage mount for the camera which move along a track system that supplies electrical power to operate the carriage and the camera. 
     It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for an improved visual surveillance system for remote locations. 
     Another object is to provide for such a system wherein a remotely controlled camera is transported by a movable carriage that rides along a track system which provides guidance and support for the carriage. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to readers from a consideration of the ensuing description and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of the surveillance camera vehicle and part of the track system of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the surveillance camera vehicle of FIG. 1 along with the carried camera. 
     FIG. 3 is a end view of the surveillance camera vehicle of FIG. 1 along with the carried camera. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the rollers as they engage the cable shown in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of how electric power can be supplied to the tracks. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of the surveillance camera vehicle and part of the track system of the present invention. The surveillance camera vehicle  1  acts as the carriage to transport the video camera (not shown in this view) which rides underneath the carriage. Shown supported and fixed to the top of the carriage&#39;s flat platform  3  are two facing spaced electric motors  5  and  7  each of which is used to operate two facing propellers  9  and  11 , respectively. Supporting the carriage  1  are two spaced parallel track cables  13 . These cables are in turn supported above the ground by a superstructure  15  which extends between the cables and is mounted by a bracket  17  to the upright vertical member  19 , shown in cross section. Member  19  can be an existing upright member, such as a wooden utility pole, or may be a member specifically placed into the ground to extend upwardly therefrom to provide vertical support for superstructure is and the tracks system  13 . 
     Conventional electrical conduits within the internal structure of the tracks  13  are used to supply electrical power to run the propeller operating electrical motors  5  and  7 . By operating one of these motors at a time, the propeller for that motor propels the carriage  1  in one direction along the tracks  13 . In a complete track system there would be many spaced vertical members  19  located along the path of desired travel each having a cantilevered bracket  17  and superstructure  15  to suspend the attached tracks  13  above the ground. Between the tracks  13  and the bottom of platform  3  is a track spanning rubber bar member  20  carried with and attached to the platform. A conventional electrically operated solenoid  22  fixed to the bar member  20  and the platform  3  causes the bar to reciprocate vertically when actuated to contact the tracks  13  and act as a brake to stop the movement of the carriage. Normally, the solenoid  22  and its carried bar  20  are spaced above the lower tracks  13  as the carriage moves along the tracks and then lower when stopping of the carriage is desired. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the surveillance camera vehicle  1  of FIG. 1 along with its carried lower conventional video camera  21  having power zoom and focusing capabilities. The vertical support structure  23  extending from the platform  3  for the depending camera  21  can be moved upward and downwardly like a telescope or rotated by an internal conventional electrically powered motor (not shown) when in use to allow for a completely unobstructed view by the camera. The same support structure also allows the camera to be independently rotated around a center axis 360 degrees when in its surveillance mode. To prevent damage to the camera while traveling along the supporting tracks  13 , the camera is normally retained in an elevated position, as shown, with respect to the ground such that the carriage sides  25  and  27  provide some lateral protection. When in a lowered position, shown by the dotted lines, the camera  21  is in its observation mode and has an unobstructed view in all directions. 
     The rigid depending carriage sides  25  and  27  function to support the platform  3  above the tracks  13 . Two sets of identical rollers whose axles are mounted to the sides  25  and  27  engage the circular in cross section tracks  13  on each track side. The upper track engaging rollers  29  (shown in dotted line format) are large diameter short rollers while the lower track engaging rollers  31  are two long rollers of smaller diameter (also, shown in dotted line format). The end of rubber carriage stopping bar  20  is shown in its lowered track engaging position with the attached solenoid  22  above the bar. The parallel spaced rear track  13  immediately behind the front track  13  in FIG. 2 is not shown but would have the same identical depending carriage sides and two sets of rollers to support the rear side of carriage  1 . This set up allows the supported carriage  1  to moved along the support guide way formed by the tracks  13  in an almost frictionless fashion when one of the propellers is operated to cut through the air to drive the carriage along the tracks. To stop the moving carriage, the solenoid is actuated to lower its carried stopping bar  20  into engagement with the tracks, as shown. When movement of the carriage is desired again, the bar is raised by deactivating the solenoid. 
     FIG. 3 is a end view of the surveillance camera vehicle or carriage  1  of FIG. 1 along with the carried camera  21 . The two identical inwardly and downwardly slanting sides  27  for the carriage  1  have cut out internal portions that are shaped to receive the axles for the three rollers  29  and  31 . The axle for each of the two shown larger diameter rollers  29  extends through the roller at its center and is journal led at its ends into the cut out portion of the side  27 . Below each of these large diameter rollers are two smaller diameter rollers  31  that are elongated in appearance as shown. Each of the three rollers for each carriage side bear against the track  13  whose circular cross section is shown. Thus there are twelve rollers in all, six on each side of the two carriage sides, as shown in FIG. 3, that engage the two spaced tracks at four different locations along the carriage&#39;s undersurface. The upper extending free ends  33  for each of the two bracket extensions  35  and  37  are fixed to the rounded cables  13  to vertically support them. By making the lower gap between adjoining two inwardly facing sides of the cut out portions (just below the extension ends  33 ) for each carriage side  27  smaller than the diameter of the enclosed cable  13  the carriage cannot be dislodged from the supporting lower cable but may ride along its length. The carried solenoid actuated braking system (solenoid  22  and rubber bar  20 ) located between the roller  29  and the vertical support structure  23  over the tracks has been omitted from this view to simply the figure. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the three rollers as they engage the cable  13  shown in FIG.  3 . Looking in the direction of the arrows A—A in FIG. 3 upwardly along the length of bracket extensions  35  and  37 , the circular cross section cable  13 , a section of which is shown, would have its upper surface in engagement with the roller  29 . A center axle  34  extends through roller  29  and is journal led at its two opposite ends into the upper cut out portion of side  27 . Closer to the observer on both sides of the cable  13  are the two identical rollers  31 . Axles  35  extends through the length of each roller  31  and have their opposite ends journal led into upper and lower cut out sides. The side rollers  31  are slightly spaced from the cable  13  and may engage the cable if the carriage  1  tilts slightly when moving along the cable  13 . 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of how electric power can be supplied to the tracks to provide for the operation of the carriage and the transported camera. The carriage  1  and its attached camera are not shown in this figure but receive electrical power through conventional internal wiring connections in the carriage. Each of the two extension brackets  35  and  37  have their upper terminal free ends  33  fixed to the carriage  1  supporting track cable  13 . Each of the extension brackets have lower base portions  39  and  41 , respectively, that are bolted or otherwise fixed mounted on support member  15 . Both the extensions  35  and  37  and their connected bases are made of electrically conductive material such as steel, cooper, aluminum, etc. The base supporting and connecting lower member  15 - 17  and the upright member  19  are all made of an electrically insulating material such as fiberglass, wood, plastic, etc. Power lines  43  and  45  are connected to the bolts  42  which are used to fix the two bases to lower members  15 - 17 . Each power line is connected to a separate holder having different electrical polarities. Thus, line  45  has a negative polarity while line  43  is given a positive polarity. Both lines are also connected to the remote operator&#39;s control center  53 . Separately connected to each of the power lines  43  and  45  are two other power lines  47  and  49 . These latter lines  47  and  49  are internally wired to a conventional intermediate electronic unit  51  which functions as a nearby controller to regulate the signals sent to and from the camera and to control the power being supplied from hot lines  43  and  45  to the carriage and its transported camera  21 . Many of the individual subcomponents used to control the movement and stopping of the carriage  1  and the movement of the camera are conventional. For example, the mechanisms to control the movement of the carriage  1  along the tracks and the stopping solenoid  22  and its attached rubber bar  20  which frictionally engages the tracks  13  are all off-the-shelf items. Also, conventional are the specific electrically operated mechanisms used to lower, raise and rotate the camera  21 . When spaced long distances apart, like miles, each spaced superstructure could have essentially the same set up to receive and control the movement of the carriage and its associated camera and to receive and record signals at the remote location  53  of visual images detected along the way of the track system. 
     Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention and the method of using the same has been described in the foregoing specification with considerable details, it is to be understood that modifications may be made to the invention which do not exceed the scope of the appended claims and modified forms of the present invention done by others skilled in the art to which the invention pertains will be considered infringements of this invention when those modified forms fall within the claimed scope of this invention.