Patent Publication Number: US-2011063443-A1

Title: Cruising surveillance system for auto detecting and tracing suspected invaders

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 098131142, filed on Sep. 16, 2009, entitled “Cruising Surveillance System For Auto Detecting And Tracing Suspected Invaders” by Chin-Hsiung YANG, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to cruising surveillance system, more particularly to a cruising surveillance system comprising an unmanned vehicle equipped with an infrared object sensor, can cruise along a route defined by a plurality of wireless beacons for tracing suspected objects nearby while in cruising, and transmit video recordings of the suspected objects to a surveillance center. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     Traditional guarding system includes an alarm reed switches or infrared sensors installed on the windows or doors for detecting thief or invader, and emitting an alarm signal. However, for a wide and open space in an exhibition building or square, it is impossible to install enough amounts of reed switches, infrared sensors or IP cameras at every important corner; in this situation, the thief or invader is easy to sneak into and walk off with important business secret. 
     When a thief or invader is sneaked inside, there may be no cameras can catch the image or video and stop them from further action timely. To add more guards to patrol around would extremely increase the cost of the guarding system. 
     Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a cruising surveillance system for auto detecting and tracing suspected invaders when cruising along an easy change route defined by a plurality of sequential wireless beacons, and traces any detected suspected object nearby and transmits the video to a surveillance center. 
     According to the present invention, the cruising surveillance system may comprise a plurality of wireless beacons and an unmanned vehicle. Each of the wireless beacons emits a unique wireless sequential signal for defining a route. The unmanned vehicle is equipped with an infrared object sensor, a video camera recorder, a wireless transceiving unit, a central processing unit and a driving unit. The central processing unit compares the wireless sequential signal received from the wireless transceiving unit, and makes the driving unit to move the unmanned vehicle to cruises along the route defined by the wireless beacons. When the infrared object sensor detected a suspected object, the central processing makes the driving unit to move the unmanned vehicle to approach thereto, and makes the video camera recorder to record the detected suspected object, and transmits the video to a surveillance center via the wireless transceiving unit. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further features and benefits of the present invention will be apparent from a detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the following drawings, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a cruising surveillance system according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart of the cruising surveillance system according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  schematically illustrates the wireless beacons guiding an unmanned vehicle of the cruising surveillance system in an unregulated space with obstacles according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Prior to a detailed description of the present invention(s), the following definitions are provided as an aid to understanding the subject matter and terminology of aspects of the present invention(s), and not necessarily limiting of the present invention(s), which are expressed in the claims. Whether or not a term is capitalized is not considered definitive or limiting of the meaning of a term. As used in this document, a capitalized term shall have the same meaning as an uncapitalized term, unless the context of the usage specifically indicates that a more restrictive meaning for the capitalized term is intended. A capitalized term within the glossary usually indicates that the capitalized term has a separate definition within the glossary. However, the capitalization or lack thereof within the remainder of this document is not intended to be necessarily limiting unless the context clearly indicates that such limitation is intended. 
     The description will be made as to the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the reference to the accompanying drawings in  FIGS. 1-3 . In accordance with the purposes of this invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, this invention, in one aspect, relates to a cruising surveillance system for auto detecting and tracing suspected invaders. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the embodiment of cruising surveillance system for auto detecting and tracing suspected invaders, includes: (i) a plurality of wireless beacons E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , . . . En, and (ii) an unmanned vehicle  1 . 
     Each of the wireless beacons E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , . . . En emits a unique wireless sequential signal for defining a route  3 . The route  3  is disposed and changeable by reposition the wireless beacons E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , . . . En. 
     The unmanned vehicle  1  is equipped with vehicle frame  10 , a swivel mount  11 , a central processing unit  12 , a driving motor  13 , a video camera recorder  14 , an infrared object sensor  15 , a wireless transceiving unit  16 , a power supply unit  17  and a driving unit  18 . 
     The vehicle frame  10  is driven by the driving unit  18  for carrying the central processing unit  12 , the video camera recorder  14 , the infrared object sensor  15 , the wireless transceiving unit  16 , and the unmanned vehicle  1  cruises along the route  3 . 
     The central processing unit  12  is coupled with the video camera recorder  14 , the infrared object sensor  15 , the wireless transceiving unit  16 , the power supply unit  17  and the driving unit  18 . The central processing unit  12  compares the wireless sequential signal received from the wireless transceiving unit  16 , and makes the driving unit  18  to move the unmanned vehicle  1  and approach a nearest wireless beacon, and then move the unmanned vehicle  1  toward next sequential wireless beacon. By this way, guiding the unmanned vehicle  1  to cruises along the route  3  defined by the wireless beacons E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , . . . En. 
     When a suspected object is detected, the central processing unit  12  makes the driving unit  18  to drive the vehicle frame  10  toward the detected suspected object. In the meantime, makes the driving motor  13  to rotate the swivel mount  11  to aim the video camera recorder  14  at the detected suspected object, and then transmits the video taken by the video camera recorder  14  to the surveillance center  2 . 
     In one embodiment, the surveillance center  2  includes a microprocessor  20  which is coupled with a wireless video receiver  21 , a video storage unit  22 , a video play unit  23  and an input unit  24 . The guards in the surveillance center  2  can watch the image or video received from a plurality of unmanned vehicles  1  that are cruising on different routes  3  at same time, through the video play unit  23 . The images and/or videos received from the plurality of unmanned vehicles  1  are saved the in the video storage unit  22 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a flowchart of the cruising surveillance system is shown according to one embodiment of the present invention. At the start, the central processing unit  12  proceeds the steps of:
         a. initializing (S 1 );   b. seeking the wireless sequential signal from the wireless beacons E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , . . . En, and making the driving unit  18  to move the unmanned vehicles  1  toward the nearest wireless beacon (S 2 );   c. calculating whether the distance from said wireless beacon is shorter than a predetermined value? (S 3 )       

     When the distance is shorter than the predetermined value (for example shorter than 0.5 meter), the central processing unit  12  proceeds the step of:
         d. seeking and moving the unmanned vehicles  1  toward the wireless beacons which emits next wireless sequential signal (S 4 ) and   e. moving thereto (S 5 ).       

     Again, when the distance is shorter than the predetermined value, repeat the step of (S 4 ) to (S 6 ) so as to cruise along the route  3 . 
     In the meantime, the central processing unit  12  proceeds the steps of:
         f. controlling the driving motor  13  to rotate the swivel mount  11  (S 10 ),   g. detecting via the infrared object sensor  15  to determine whether a suspected object is nearby? (S 11 );   h. if a suspected object is detected, moving the unmanned vehicle  1  toward the suspected object and transmitting the image or video to the surveillance center  2  as being described (S 12 ) until the detected suspected object disappears from the sensible range of the (S 13 ).       

     When the detected suspected object disappears from the sensible range of the infrared object sensor  15 , the central processing unit  12  proceeds the step of:
         i. seeking the wireless sequential signal from the wireless beacons E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , . . . En; and controlling the driving unit  18  to move the unmanned vehicles  1  toward a nearest wireless beacon (S 2 ). By this way, the unmanned vehicle  1  is returning back to the route  3 .       

     In one embodiment, the surveillance center  2  can be embodied as a desktop, laptop, or notebook personal computer which is communicatively connected to the wireless video receiver  21 . The CPU of the personal computer performs the functions of the microprocessor  20 , the hard disk of the personal computer may be utilized as the video storage unit  22 , and the key board of the personal computer may be used as the input unit  24 . 
     In one embodiment, the power supply unit  17  includes a battery that supplies electrical power to the central processing unit  12 , the driving unit  18 , the driving motor  13 , the wireless transceiving unit  16  and the infrared object sensor  15 . 
     Comparing to traditional unmanned surveillance vehicles, the Cruising Surveillance System For Auto Detecting And Tracing Suspected Invaders of the present invention have the following advantages:
         (1). the configuration of the route  3  is easy to dispose and to be changed by arranging or rearranging the wireless beacons E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , . . . En;   (2). the wireless beacons E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , . . . En can be camouflaged, for example, a small sticker of RFID, to void unwanted attention from an invader and to prevent the invader from removing these wireless beacons before the Cruising Surveillance System perform its function; and   (3). as the central processing unit  12  compares only the distance and the sequence of the wireless beacons E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , . . . En to determine the moving direction of the unmanned vehicle  1 , even though some of the wireless beacons is lost, the route  3  shall not be broken.       

     While there has been shown several and alternate embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that certain changes can be made as would be known to one skilled in the art without departing from the underlying scope of the present invention as is discussed and set forth above and below including claims. Furthermore, the embodiments described above and claims set forth below are only intended to illustrate the principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to the disclosed elements.