Abstract:
A remote-control door viewer surveillance system includes a door viewer holding a lens assembly in the door panel of a house, an image sensor for picking up image signals through the lens assembly, an image processing circuit for processing image signals received from the image sensor into digital image signals, a monitor for displaying images of digital image signals outputted by the image processing circuit, a communication module for transmitting digital image signals outputted by the image processing circuit to the user&#39;s mobile phone, a memory for storing digital image signals outputted by the image processing circuit for further review, and a TCP/IP equipment for transmitting the digital image signal outputted by the image processing circuit to a computer at a predetermined IP address for monitoring and storage.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a security system and more particularly, to a remote-control door viewer surveillance system. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    In cities, stealing and robbery cases are frequently heard. Further, there is shortage of personnel in civil police force, which is responsible for deterioration in law and order situation. Therefore, various high-tech security systems have been developed and widely used by companies and rich families. People may hire security persons to patrol their offices or homes. It is quite expensive to protect the homes or offices in this manner. Further, stealing cases are frequently seen in house and shops that are equipped with a security system. Further, people may install camera &amp; video surveillance CCTV systems for home and office surveillance. These systems automatically record video images for further review of a particular event. However, these security systems cannot guard against intruders. The host of the home or office knows the situation only after occurrence of the event. It is too late to stop the intruders when the host or policeman knows the event or receives the report of the event. 
         [0005]    Therefore, it is desirable to provide a surveillance system that eliminates the aforesaid problems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a remote-control door viewer surveillance system, which allows the host of the house to monitor the visitor and to talk to the visitor from a remote place. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a remote-control door viewer surveillance system, which can be directly installed in the door viewer of an existing door. 
         [0007]    To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the remote-control door viewer surveillance system comprises a door viewer, the door viewer comprising a lens holder mounted in a door panel of a house, a lens assembly mounted in the lens holder, and an image sensor holder fastened to the lens holder by a screw joint; an image sensor mounted in the image sensor holder and adapted to pick up image signals through the lens assembly; an image processing circuit electrically connected to the image sensor and adapted to process image signals received from the image sensor into digital image signals; video display means electrically connected to the image processing circuit and adapted to display images of digital image signals outputted by the image processing circuit; a communication module adapted to transmit digital image signals outputted by the image processing circuit to a mobile phone; memory means adapted to store digital image signals outputted by the image processing circuit; and power supply means electrically connected to the image sensor, the image processing circuit, the communication module and the memory means to provide the necessary working voltage. The remote-control door viewer surveillance system further comprises a microphone mounted in the lens holder and adapted to pick up a visitor&#39;s voice, a speaker for voice output, a voice amplifier electrically connected in series between the microphone and the speaker and adapted to amplify the voice picked up by the microphone for output through the speaker, and a TCP/IP equipment adapted to transmit the digital image signal outputted by the image processing circuit to a computer at a predetermined IP address for monitoring and storage. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a sectional assembly view of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a system block diagram of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the present invention, showing the lens holder and the image sensor holder fastened together. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a schematic sectional view of the present invention, showing the lens holder and the image sensor holder fastened together. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  illustrates the structure of the door viewer face panel according to the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view of a remote-control door viewer surveillance system in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a sectional view showing the remote-control door viewer surveillance system of the second embodiment of the present invention installed in a door panel. 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a schematic drawing, showing the structure of a remote-control door viewer surveillance system in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is a side view of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is a sectional view in an enlarged scale of a part of the remote-control door viewer surveillance system shown in  FIG. 10 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view, showing a door viewer used with a camera according to the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view, showing a door viewer used with a vehicle back guide monitor according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 1˜3 , a remote-control door viewer surveillance system is shown comprised of a door viewer, a CMOS image sensor  2 , a control circuit  4 , and a TFT-monitor (or LCD-monitor)  5 . The control circuit  4  comprises an image processing circuit  41 , a communication module  42 , a wireless transmitting circuit  45 , a voice amplifier  44 , and storage recorder  43 . The CMOS image sensor  2  is installed in the door viewer behind a lens assembly  12  to transmit image signal picked up through the lens assembly  12  to the image processing circuit  41 , which processes the image signal into a digital image signal that is further displayed on the TFT-monitor (or LCD-monitor)  5  and stored in the storage recorder  43 . By means of a predetermined setting, the digital image signal can be transmitted by the communication module (GPRS or CDMA communication module)  42  to an assigned mobile phone, for example, the user&#39;s mobile phone  421 . Through the mobile phone  421 , the user can monitor the visitor from a remote place, and can immediately take the necessary step, for example, call the police station in case of an intruding event. The digital image signal can also be transmitted by the communication module  42  through a TCP/IP equipment  422  to a computer  423  at an assigned IP address for monitoring and storage. After an event, the police can fetch storage data from the storage recorder  43  of the control circuit  4  for reproduction. The police can also obtain the recorded images from the mobile phone  421  or the computer  423 . 
         [0023]    The aforesaid door viewer comprises the aforesaid lens assembly  12 , a lens holder  1 , which has an outer thread  11 , and an image sensor holder  15 , which has an inner thread  16  threaded into the outer thread  11  of the lens holder  1 . The lens assembly  12  is mounted in the front side of the lens holder  1 . The lens holder  1  is mounted in a hole  71  on a door panel  7 . The image sensor holder  15  is fastened to the lens holder  1  to hold the CMOS image sensor  2 . A membrane switch  3  is mounted on the lens holder  1  and electrically connected to the wireless transmitting circuit  45  of the control circuit  4 . When pressed the membrane switch  3 , a signal is produced and transmitted by the wireless transmitting circuit  45  to a remote-control electric bell  451 , causing the remote-control electric bell  451  to ring. Further, the lens holder  1  has an accommodation hole  131  in the front side, and a microphone  13  mounted in the accommodation hole  131  to pick up visitor&#39;s voice. When the microphone  13  picked up a voice signal, the voice amplifier  44  amplifies the voice signal and sends the amplified voice signal to a speaker  61  for output. The voice signal can also be transmitted through the communication module  42  to the mobile phone  421 , or to the computer  423  via the TCP/IP equipment  422 . Further, the lens holder  1  and the image sensor holder  15  have a respective wire slot  111  or  161  for the passing of electric wires. The user&#39;s voice can also be transmitted through the mobile phone  421  or computer  423  to a speaker  14  in a shell  141  at the door panel  7  to communicate with the visitor. 
         [0024]    Further, the aforesaid control circuit  4 , TFT-monitor (LCD-monitor)  5 , and speaker  61  are mounted in a box  51  that is fixedly fastened to the door panel  7 . The box  51  also houses control buttons  62  and a battery  6 . The battery  6  provides the remote-control door viewer surveillance system with the necessary working voltage. Further, a power-saving circuit (not shown) may be installed and electrically connected to the battery  6  to control supply of battery power. Due to the effect of the power-saving circuit, the remote-control door viewer surveillance system is normally in the power-saving standby mode. When the image processing circuit  41  receives an image signal from the CMOS image sensor  2 , or the voice amplifier  44  receives a voice from the microphone  13 , or the wireless transmitting circuit  45  receives a signal from the membrane switch  3 , the power-saving circuit automatically drives on power supply, allowing the remote-control door viewer surveillance system to start working. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 4˜7  and  FIG. 1  again, a sensor  82  is installed in the door viewer face panel  8  and electrically connected to a control circuit  4 . When a visitor or the host is going to enter the house, the sensor  82  detects the presence of the visitor or host to turn on a lighting apparatus  81 , illuminating the surroundings. Further, a touch switch  83  is installed in the door viewer face panel  8  for touching by a visitor to drive an electrical doorbell (not shown). Further, the image sensor holder  15  has an inner thread  16  extending to its one end, an oblique cut groove  162  in the inner thread  16 , and an inside annular groove  163 . A C-shaped retainer  164  is mounted in the inside annular groove  163  inside the image sensor holder  15 , having a stop end portion  1641  disposed in the oblique cut groove  162 . When fastening the lens holder  1  to the image sensor holder  15 , the lens holder  1  is rotated clockwise and fastened up with the image sensor holder  15  and tightly secured with the image sensor holder  15  to the door panel  7 . When an evil person rotates the lens holder  1  is the reversed direction relative to the image sensor holder  15 , the outer thread  11  of the lens holder  1  will rub the stop end portion  1641  of the C-shaped retainer  164  against the bevel edge  1621  of the oblique cut groove  162 , and therefore the stop end portion  1641  of the C-shaped retainer  164  is jammed in the lens holder  1  to stop the lens holder  1  from rotation in the reversed direction relative to the lens holder  1 . Therefore, an evil person cannot detach the lens holder  1  from the image sensor holder  15 . Further, gasket rings  123  and  125  are respectively mounted in between the first lens element  121  and the second lens element  122  and at the outer side of the posterior lens element  124  to seal the lens assembly  12  against outside moisture. Further, the lens assembly  12  is a 180° wide-angle lens assembly. 
         [0026]      FIGS. 8 and 9  show a remote-control door viewer surveillance system in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the door viewer that is comprised of a lens assembly  12 , a lens holder  1  and an image sensor holder  15  is used with a image display unit  9 . The image display unit  9  comprises an image processing circuit  93 , a display screen  91 , an image pickup tube  92 , an image pickup lens  921 , a CMOS image sensor  922 , a DC power supply device (battery pack)  94 , and an on/off control button  95 . The display screen  91  can be a TFT monitor. The door viewer is mounted in a hole  71  on a door panel  7 . The image display unit  9  is fixedly mounted on the inner surface of the door panel  7  to suspend the image pickup tube  92  in the image sensor holder  15 , keeping the image pickup lens  921  and the CMOS image sensor  922  in axial alignment with the lens assembly  12  of the lens holder  1 . Therefore, the CMOS image sensor  922  picks up outside images through the image pickup lens  921  and the lens assembly  12  for processing by the image processing circuit  93 , enabling the processed video signal to be further displayed through the display screen  91 . When a visitor knocked the door, a person inside the house can press on the on/off control button  95  to boost the image display unit  9 , so that the image of the visitor can be seen on the display screen  91 . 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIGS. 10-12 , the door viewer constructed according to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  can be directly sealed in a cylindrical watertight shell  103 . The cylindrical watertight shell  103  has one end, namely, the front end capped with a rotary lens cap  104  that holds a lens  105 . The rear end of the cylindrical watertight shell  103  is connected to a joint  102  at the bottom side of a rotary table  101 . A user can operate the joint  102  to adjust the angle of the cylindrical watertight shell  103  in vertical direction relative to the rotary table  101 . A motor drive  10  is provided for rotating the rotary table  101  horizontally. Further, the door viewer is equipped with a number of infrared lights  112  around the lens assembly  12 . Further, gasket rings  106 ;  107  are mounted in between the cylindrical watertight shell  103  and the rotary lens cap  104  to seal the gap. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIGS. 13 and 14 , the door viewer constructed according to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  can be connected to the lens  1081  or  1091  of a camera  108  or vehicle back guide monitor  109  by an adapter  1082 . The adapter  1082  has a front coupling hole  1083  fastened to the door viewer, and a has a front coupling hole  1083  fastened to the door viewer, and a rear coupling hole  1084  fastened to the lens  1081  or  1091  of the camera  108  or vehicle back guide monitor  109 . Further, the lens assembly  12  of the lens holder  1  of the door viewer uses a wide-angle lens having a wide angle of view. 
         [0029]    Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.