Abstract:
A remote surveillance device is provided herein, which mainly contains a camera, infra-red LEDs, an anti-theft circuit, a radio-frequency transmission circuit, a solar panel, and a battery, etc. The remote surveillance device is operable during power outage, saves captured images locally, transmits captured images to at least a remote control center via a wireless air interface, generates alarm and notifies a control center whenever an abnormal condition occurs. The infra-red LEDs provides lighting for continuous image capturing during night time.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     (a) Technical Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention generally relates to surveillance devices and, more particularly, to a surveillance device having night vision and un-interruptible power supply capable of remotely transmitting images and alarms.  
         [0003]     (b) Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a conventional surveillance system mainly contains at least a surveillance device  11  powered by the mains  121 . The images captured by the surveillance device  11  are transmitted to a monitor device  13  of the surveillance system via a cable  12 . The monitor device  13  then stores the received images onto a tape, a hard disk drive, or other storage device. The surveillance device  11 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1   a , contains a main body  20 , a protection housing  112 , and a camera  222 , and is usually mounted on a stand  113  at the monitored site. FIG  1   b  shows another surveillance device  11 , whose main body  20  contains a circuit board  223  and a casing  224 . Basically, image capturing only requires the circuit board  223  and the camera  222 . The rest of the components such as the casing, protection housing, stand, and cables are only for transmitting the captured images for monitoring or storage. These conventional surveillance systems have a number of disadvantages. For example, in order to conduct remote surveillance, cables have to be extended, underground or overground, even up to miles of distance to a control center. This renders the cables vulnerable for theft, man-made damage, or natural disaster. In addition, the conventional surveillance devices usually are not equipped with un-interruptible power supply and any anti-theft mechanism to guard against power outage, theft, and artificial destruction. Further more, usually multiple surveillance devices are connected to a single monitor device. If more monitor devices are desired for backup or concurrent monitoring purpose, the cabling not only is complex, but also requires tremendous effort.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a remote surveillance device that can transmit the captured images to multiple monitor devices at different locations, issue alarms to a control center when abnormal conditions occur, all via wireless signals, and continue to operate and store captured images locally even under power outage for future retrieval.  
         [0006]     The remote surveillance device converts the captured images into digitized data, and transmits the digitized data to any one of multiple control centers located at geographically distributed locations for remote monitoring by an appropriate radio-frequency protocol such as GPRS, GSM, etc.  
         [0007]     The remote surveillance device captures images by a CCD (charge coupled device) camera. The remote surveillance device is also equipped with a number of infra-red (IR) light emitting diodes (LEDs) so that IR-based image capture could be conducted during the night or when there is not enough lighting.  
         [0008]     The remote surveillance device is powered by the mains under normal circumstances and automatically switches to use an internal battery when the electricity from the mains is disrupted. The remote surveillance device has a solar panel which continues to charge the battery when the mains is not available.  
         [0009]     The remote surveillance device is also equipped with an anti-theft circuit which would generate alarms when an abnormal condition such as power outage, housing being forcedly prized open, etc. occurs.  
         [0010]     The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.  
         [0011]     Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing an application scenario of a conventional surveillance system.  
         [0013]      FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  are perspective views showing two conventional surveillance devices.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the appearance of a remote surveillance device according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the various components of a remote surveillance device according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a functional diagram showing the various components of a remote surveillance device according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram showing multiple remote surveillance devices of the present invention communicating with multiple monitor devices.  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram showing an application scenario of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]     The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.  
         [0020]     As shown in  FIGS. 2-4 , a surveillance device  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention has a main circuit board  21  connected to a CCD camera  22 , both configured inside a housing  2 . Around the CCD camera  22 , there are multiple IR LEDs  23  for lighting during the night or when there is not enough lighting in the monitored environment.  
         [0021]     The surveillance device  110  has a solar panel  24  configured on top of the housing  2 . The solar panel  24  is connected to a voltage switch circuit  25 , which is in turn connected to the mains  26 . Under normal condition, the voltage switch circuit  25  allows the main circuit board  21  to draw electricity from the mains  26 , and to charge a battery  27  connected to the main circuit board  21 . If electricity is not available from the mains  26  because of power outage or whatever reason, the main circuit board  21  would continue to function from the electricity stored in the battery  27 , while the voltage switch circuit  25  would automatically switch to allow the solar panel  24  to charge the battery  27 .  
         [0022]     The main circuit board  21  is connected to an anti-theft circuit  28 , which is in turn connected to intrusion detection circuit  282 . When the housing  2  is forcedly opened, prized, or dismantled, the intrusion detection circuit  282  would trigger the anti-theft circuit  28  to issue some alarming signal such as a flashing light or a siren by the alarm generator  29 . The anti-theft circuit  28  is also connected to a transmission detection circuit  281  which will trigger the alarm generator  29  when the captured images couldn&#39;t be transmitted. In the mean time, the anti-theft circuit  28  would also activate the image storage circuit  31  so that the captured images could be saved locally in a storage device and then retrieved later for examination. Additionally, the anti-theft circuit  28  is connected to a voltage detection circuit  280  so that, when there is no electricity from the mains  26 , the voltage detection circuit  280  triggers the anti-theft circuit  28  to issue alarms which, in turn, instructs the main circuit board  21  to draw electricity form the battery  27 .  
         [0023]     The main circuit board  21  is connected to a radio-frequency (RF) transmission circuit  32 , which is used to transmit the captured images to any one of the remote control centers  4  via an appropriate wireless air interface. The captured images could also be optionally saved in a local storage as a backup copy. The RF transmission circuit  32  is also connected to the anti-theft circuit  28  so that, when any abnormal condition is detected, the RF transmission circuit  32  is used to transmit alarms to the control center  4 .  
         [0024]     As such, the remote surveillance device  100  according to the present invention could be employed in in-door or out-door remote monitoring applications with local backup and the capability to guard against power outage and theft.  
         [0025]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , multiple remote surveillance devices  100  according to the present invention could be installed at geographically dispersed locations, whose captured images, besides being stored locally in the devices  100 , could be transmitted to control centers  4  also located at various different places. The remote surveillance device  100  could choose a single control center  4 , or multiple control centers  4 , as the destination of its transmission. Similarly, the monitor device  13  of a control center  4  could receive images from multiple remote surveillance devices  100 . The wireless air interface could be one that adopts GPRS, GSM, or similar mobile communications protocols.  
         [0026]     In summary, the present invention has the following advantages compared to the conventional surveillance devices. First, the housing of the present invention is of a common style, which is suitable and easy for installation at various locations and heights. The housing could even be camouflaged if required to collect information in secrecy. Second, by using rugged material for the housing, the present invention could withstand man-made damages and all weather conditions. Third, as all components are hidden inside the rugged housing, the present invention is not required to be installed at high places to escape human reach and therefore does not require expensive telescope cameras. The present invention could be equipped with cheaper ordinary cameras and installed at locations about human height. The capture images are even clearer than conventional surveillance devices. Fourth, the IR LEDs provide the required or auxiliary lighting when there is not enough lighting or even at night. Fifth, the internal battery and solar panel allow the present invention to continue its operation even when electricity supply is disrupted. Sixth, when the transmission to the control center is failed, the present invention continues its surveillance by saving the captured images locally, which later when the transmission is restored, the saved images could be retrieved for examination. Seventh, whenever an abnormal condition such as theft, power outage, damage, etc. occurs, an alarm is triggered to scare off the malicious person, and is sent to the control center to notify the repair personnel. Eighth, the all-in-one design and wireless capability of the present invention significantly simply its installation, and facilitate the construction of a networked surveillance system involving multiple control centers.  
         [0027]     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.  
         [0028]     While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.