[0001] The invention refers to a method and apparatus for premises surveillance.
[0002] The surveillance of premises - such as trade or industrial facilities - during night-time
or, anyway, within periods they are not guarded over, takes place nowdays through
inspections by skilled surveillance personnel who, in general, have access into the
premises to watch and inspect that everything inside is in normal condition. In case
of anomalies, the surveillance personnel warns the central station about this fact;
it may also occur that the watchman should face directly and unexpectedly the criminals
that have broken into the premises.
[0003] Patrol duties require a long time so that they are extremely expensive. Moreover,
the risks run by the personnel for attacks by criminals caught inside the premises
are high especially because, often, the watchman has to face the situation by himself.
Moreover, for patrolling it is necessary that each person in charge of the surveillance
be in possession of the keys for the access to all the premises to be inspected. This
entails the necessity of special attention in selecting the personnel in order to
ensure the maximum reliability and, furthermore, it brings about the risk that the
keys may be taken away by force from the surveillance personnel by criminals which
want to gain access into the premises with impunity.
[0004] It is the object of the invention to provide a surveillance method and apparatus
which allow to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks.
[0005] Substantially, the apparatus for the surveillance of premises according to the invention
comprises detection means located inside the premises to be guarded; these detection
means are connected to devices outside the premises to be guarded, for the connection
to instruments for the reading of signals coming from said detection means located
inside the premises to be guarded. In particular, the detection means may comprise
at least a telecamera, a power supply and - when the telecameras are more than one
- a cyclic selector switch to allow the control of several telecameras connected to
the reading instruments. In this case, the reading instruments to be connected to
the detection means comprise a portable monitor possibly provided with an earphone
or a loudspeaker, in case the detection means comprise also one or more ambient microphones.
In practice, the detection means are activated by connecting said instruments to the
connection devices outside the premises.
[0006] By means of the apparatus according to the invention, the premises may be watched
over by avoiding entering said premises during patrolling. In fact, while patrolling
the watchman without having to enter the premises must merely connect his own portable
monitor to the detection means located inside the premises and check that everything
is in normal condition. In this way, not only the time required for the inspection
is reduced, but there is also avoided the risk of attack by ill-intentioned persons
who may be inside the premises. Only in case of anomalies detected by the person in
charge of the surveillance there will be the need of breaking into the premises after
calling the central station for help. There will be also avoided the risks of having
entrusted the access keys to the patrol personnel.
[0007] The invention also refers to a method for the surveillance of premises by using the
described apparatus.
[0008] The invention will be better understood by following the description and the attached
drawing, which shows a practical, non-limiting example of the same invention. In the
drawing:
Fig.1 shows a simplified diagram of a first embodiment of the invention;
Fig.2 shows the simplified diagram of a second embodiment of the invention;
Fig.3 shows diagrammatically the application of the invention to trade premises;
Fig.4 shows an outside connection box in a section taken on line IV-IV of Fig.5; and
Fig.5 shows the outside connection box in a section taken on line V-V of Fig.4.
[0009] Fig.1 shows a diagram of a first, particularly simple embodiment of the invention.
Numeral 1 generally indicates the external wall of the room or premises to be watched
over. Inside the room there is installed a telecamera connected to a power supply
5. The supply 5 is in turn connected to a connection box 7 located outside the room
delimited by wall 1. The box 7, to be described in greater detail later on, comprises
a connector for the connection of a portable monitor 9 supplied to the surveillance
personnel.
[0010] In the illustrated example, to the supply 5 there is also connected an interior,
optional monitor 11 which can be used for the continuous surveillance through the
telecamera 3 during the time the premises are under control.
[0011] Fig.2 illustrates a diagram of a second embodiment of the invention. In this case,
within the external wall 1 delimiting the premises to be watched over, more telecameras
21, 23, 25 are located, each of which is connected to a cyclic selector switch and
supply 27 of usual type. The cyclic switch is in turn connected to the outside connection
box 7 to which there can be connected the portable monitor supplied to the surveillance
personnel. Also in this case there is provided an internal optional monitor 11 for
the continuous surveillance during the time the premises are under control.
[0012] Fig.3 illustrates an apparatus, according to the invention, as applied to trade premises
consisting of two adjacent rooms 31, 33. Inside each of said two rooms 31, 33 there
are installed telecameras 35, 37 connected to a cyclic selector switch and supply
39, which is in turn connected to the connection box 7 outside the premises. The connection
box 7 allows the portable monitor 9 to be connected to the interior system made up
of telecameras 35, 37 and by the cyclic selector switch and supply 39. Corresponding
ambient microphones able to be either suitably located inside the premises to be watched
or installed on the telecamera may be combined to each telecamera 35, 37; 3; 21, 23,
25. In this case the portable monitor 9 is provided with loudspeaker or earphone to
allow, in addition to the detection of images taken by the telecameras, also the detection
of possible noises inside the guarded premises.
[0013] Figs.4 and 5 show two sections of a feasible embodiment of connection box 7. The
box, applied in an easily accessable position outside the premises, includes a bayonet
or quick connection 41 or the like, applied to the inner panel 43 of the box. The
connector shall have mechanical strength features so as to allow a high number of
connection and disconnection operations of the corresponding pin combined to the portable
monitor 9. The contacts may be suitably treated, for example gold-plated to prevent
damages caused by atmopheric agents. By plugging the pin of the portable monitor 9
into connector 41 there is obtained the feeding of the portable monitor itself with
low-voltage direct current supplied by the same supply of the internal telecameras
or by other suitable supply, and with the video and audio signals from telecameras
and/or microphones located inside the premises to be watched over. The connection
of pin into connector 41 loses also the power contact of the internal devices (telecameras,
microphones, possible cyclic selector switch).
[0014] The connection box 7 accomodates also a button 45 for the purposes to be indicated
below. The box 7 is closed by a small door 47 with lock 49. Advantageously, the locks
of all the boxes installed by the surveillance service can be alike for sake of practicality.
[0015] By using the described apparatus, the surveillance is really simplified and safe.
For each of the premises to be patrolled, the person in charge of the surveillance
has only to open the door 47 of box 7 and plug the pin of the portable monitor 9 into
connector 41. The connection of the pin closes at the same time the power contact
of the devices inside the premises and the power contact of same monitor 9. The audio
and video signals from the detection means (telecameras and/or microphones) installed
within the premises to be watched, are detected by the person in charge of the surveillance
through the portable monitor 9 and the loudspeaker or the earphone combined therewith.
When more telecameras are installed within the premises, as in the examples of Figs.2
and 3, the cyclic selector switch provides for cycling feeding the portable monitor
with signals coming from the various telecameras (and possibly from the microphones
combined therewith). If the watchman finds out an anomalous situation inside one of
the premises where the telecameras are installed, he may stop the automatic advancement
of the cyclic selector switch by pressing button 45. In this way the selector switch
cycle stops and the watchman is able to check for a longer time the situation in the
zone controlled by the telecamera on which the cyclic switch has come to a stop.
[0016] The drawing shows only an exemplification of the invention which may vary in the
forms and dispositions.
1. Apparatus for the surveillance of premises comprising detection means (3; 21, 23,
25; 35, 37) located inside the premises (31, 33) to be watched over, which means are
connected to devices (7), outside the premises to be watched over, for the connection
of instruments (9) intended to read signals coming from said detection means located
inside the premises to be watched over.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detection means (3; 21, 23, 25; 35,
37) are activated by connecting said instruments (9) to the devices (7) provided for
the connection outside the premises.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said detection means comprise at least
a telecamera (3; 21, 23, 25; 35, 37), a power supply (5) and - if the telecameras
are more than one - a cyclic selector switch (27); and wherein said reading instruments
comprise a portable monitor (9).
4. Apparatus according to one or more preceding claims, in which said detection means
comprise one or more ambient microphones and said instruments comprise a sound reproducer.
5. Apparatus according to one or more preceding claims, in which to said connection
means (7) there are combined means for blocking the switching cycle of the selector
switch (27).
6. Method for the discontinuous surveillance of premises, characterized in that said
surveillance is carried out by remaining outside the premises (31, 33) to be watched
inside which detection means (3; 21, 23, 25; 35, 37) are located, by making a connection
between said detection means and reading instruments (9) for the reading of signals
emitted by said detection means.
7. Method according to claim 6, wherein said detection means are activated only during
the signals reading phase, when the reading instruments (9) are connected to said
detection means.