EP1548675B1 - Cover for surveillance camera - Google Patents

Abstract

From outside a blanking-out mask (1) for a monitoring device is as good as invisible to an observer and consequently well camouflaged. Large powerful imaging lenses (3) can be inserted for a monitoring camera (2) because of the good camouflaging properties. A simple structure is produced because the blanking-out mask forms just a single piece. A surface pointing outwards has a flat shape.

Description

The invention relates to a cover for a monitoring device, in particular for a surveillance camera with a lens and a tube surrounding the lens, as well as a lighting device arranged outside the tube and / or a motion detector.

Monitoring devices, in particular surveillance cameras and motion detectors, are widely used in all security-related areas. Often, such surveillance cameras are integrated, for example, in the cabins of civilian aircraft to control the cockpit door, the passenger doors, the passenger cabin or other hazardous areas as inconspicuously. Such surveillance cameras preferably operate in the invisible, near infrared range, but may also be sensitive in the range of visible to the human eye light. In order to ensure the reliable use of surveillance cameras even in darkness or during night flights, an infrared light is provided for illuminating the reception area.

The state of the art is a spatial separation between the camera optics and the infrared illumination. When integrating the infrared radiator in a housing, the cover is usually made of several different materials. The structure of the cover made of different materials prevents, among other reflections that can significantly degrade the image quality.

In a previously known embodiment of a cover, the surveillance camera or its objective is surrounded by an opaque tube made of plastic material in order to largely prevent dazzling of the surveillance camera by the infrared illumination. In the tube on the side facing the object to be recorded, a translucent for light in the visible range cover made of plastic or glass. The surveillance camera or the motion detector is therefore visible from the outside to the human eye, whereby the camouflage of the monitoring device is impaired with the previously known cover. The illumination device surrounding the tube can be formed, for example, from a ring of circularly arranged and uniformly spaced, infrared radiation emitting infrared light emitting diodes (IRED). Usually, the camera lens, the tube and the illumination device are formed concentrically with respect to the optical axis of the surveillance camera. However, deviating geometrical arrangements are also used. At the peripheral outer edge of the tube includes a nearly exclusively transparent to infrared light cover plate on all sides to cover at least the lighting device for a viewer inconspicuously. This overall three-part structural design of the previously known cover ensures, inter alia, that at least the illumination device is not readily visible to the human eye. The top of such a designed cover, however, is not completely flat, because the outwardly facing, upper edge of the tube, the top of the transparent to visible light cover of the tube and the top of the infrared-transparent cover only do not form a flat surface.

A disadvantage of this known embodiment of a cover for a monitoring device is that the three-part structure due to the necessary Connections of the items constructively complex and therefore designed expensive. In particular, the manufacturing connection of the items is difficult and therefore expensive. In addition, an effective camouflage of the surveillance camera and thus the entire arrangement is not given because of the transparent to the visible light cover of the tube. For example, small, relatively low-profile, so-called "spy-hole" lenses must be used to ensure adequate camouflage of the surveillance camera at all. Finally, the previously known cover does not form a continuous, outwardly flat surface, so that cleaning work is made more difficult.

EP 1 059 621 shows a monitoring device in which a video camera and a lighting device is provided with infrared LEDs.

It is an object of the invention to avoid the aforementioned disadvantages of the known embodiment of a cover for a surveillance camera or a motion detector. This object is achieved by the cover according to claim 1. According to the invention the cover is integrally formed and substantially only permeable to infrared radiation.

Due to the essentially only for infrared radiation permeable cover is good camouflage of the surveillance camera is given, so that high-imaging lenses can be used with a large lens diameter, without this would affect the camouflage. Due to the one-piece design of the cover, a cost-effective production is given. In addition, the cleaning effort is reduced due to the flat design of the cover.

Further developments and advantageous embodiments of the invention are laid down in further claims. Further advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention.

Fig. 1

Eine Seitenansicht der Abdeckung im Schnitt,

Fig. 2

eine Draufsicht auf die Abdeckung nach Maßgabe der Fig. 1,

In the drawing show:

Fig. 1

A side view of the cover in section,

Fig. 2

a plan view of the cover in accordance with the Fig. 1 .

The Fig. 1 shows the cover 1 of the invention for a surveillance camera 2 and / or a motion detector not shown in the drawing in a side view. The surveillance camera 2 is preferably substantially sensitive to near infrared radiation and is equipped with an additional objective 3.

Both the surveillance camera 2 and the objective 3 are arranged concentrically about an optical axis 4. The objective 3 or the surveillance camera 2 are surrounded by a glare protection device 5. In the illustrated embodiment, the cover 1 according to the Fig. 1 the anti-glare device 5 is formed as a tube 6, which is arranged rotationally symmetrical about the optical axis 4. Deviating from this, however, other geometric configurations of the anti-glare device 5 are also conceivable. By way of example, the anti-glare device 5 can have an elliptical, a square, a rectangular or a polygonal cross-section, differing from the circular cross-sectional geometry shown.

The tube 6 in the embodiment of the Fig. 1 mainly serves to avoid cross-fading of the surveillance camera 2 by the associated illumination device 7. The tube 6 is formed of a visible light and near infrared radiation impermeable material. As a material for the tube, for example, through-colored plastic, metallic materials or the like come into consideration.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention according to Fig. 1 the lighting device 7 comprises a total of eight lighting means 8, which are arranged in a circle around the optical axis 4 around and each having an equal distance to the adjacent Have illuminant (see. Fig. 2 ). The lighting device 7 is required to ensure, for example, in complete darkness, as occurs in the case of night flights, a sufficient exposure of the surveillance camera 2 and illumination of the recording object to be recorded by it. Even in daylight, an additional illumination of the receiving area of the surveillance camera 2 may be required.

The light-emitting means 8 are formed in the embodiment shown as infrared light-emitting diodes 9, which emit substantially radiation in the near infrared range. Notwithstanding the illustration of the illumination device 7 shown in the Fig. 1 . 2 is a different number of infrared light emitting diodes 9 and / or a different geometric arrangement of the infrared light emitting diodes in space possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. Finally, luminous bodies which are based on a different technology than the illustrated infrared light-emitting diodes 9 can also be used as the luminous means 8. To think in this context, for example, infrared laser, infrared laser diodes or special incandescent lamps and the like. Infrared LEDs 9 have compared to other bulbs on a long life, are largely insensitive to shocks and are therefore low maintenance. Therefore, in connection with the cover 1 according to the invention, preference is given to using infrared light-emitting diodes for illuminating the monitoring area or surveillance area located in front of the camera.

On a circumferential, away from the surveillance camera 2 edge 10 of the tube 6 is a flat, plate-shaped cover 11, which forms the actual cover 1. The cover 11 is made of a continuous, one-piece material which is substantially transparent only to near infrared radiation. The cover 11 is preferably made of a plastic to achieve a low mass and at the same time a high resistance to breakage. Alternatively, glass can also be used because of the possibly better optical properties. But plastic has the advantage over glass as a material that in the event of destruction of the cover 11 no dangerous splinters arise. Alternatively, other materials or combinations of materials may be used.

The cover 11 rests on the edge 10 of the tube 6 (see. Fig. 1 ). As an alternative to this embodiment, a connection of the tube 6 with the cover plate 11, for example by bonding conceivable so that it forms an integral part of the cover 11. Alternatively, the tube 6 can be bolted to the cover 11, riveted or otherwise firmly connected thereto. In a particularly advantageous manner, the tube 6 is injection-molded at a production of the cover 11 by injection molding on this.

Due to the substantially only for infrared radiation - but not for light in the visible range - permeable, plate-shaped cover 11, a viewer can see neither the lighting device 7 nor the surveillance camera 2 with the upstream lens 3 from the outside easily. This results in a large safety gain for the aforementioned monitoring tasks in the field of civil aviation as a result of better camouflage of the surveillance camera by the cover 11 according to the invention.

In addition, the cover 11 may also be mirrored to further reduce the visibility of the surveillance camera 2 and / or the motion detector. In addition, a mirrored design of the cover 11 allows a better optical integration of the cover 1 in special, predetermined interior equipment environments of passenger aircraft and other passenger transport means. Thus, the cover 11 may be formed for example as a large-scale mirror, which makes the surveillance camera 2 with the illumination device 7 and / or the motion detector almost invisible to observers. The cover 1 according to the invention also allows optimal camouflage large, bright and thus strong imaging lenses 3. The use of poor-picture pinhead or "spy hole" - Lenses is no longer necessary. Finally, the cover 1 ensures optimum mechanical lens protection.

The Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the cover 1 according to the invention with the flat, plate-shaped cover 11. In the Fig. 2 For example, the cover 11 is circular. The cover 11 may also have a deviating, any geometric design. Thus, it is conceivable, for example, to give the plate-shaped cover plate 11 a square, a rectangular, a polygonal or an elliptical shape. Furthermore, the cover 11 may also have a deviating from the planar shape cross-section and, for example, be corrugated or provided with a surface structure.

Below the cover 11, indicated by dashed lines, the infrared light emitting diodes 9 are positioned. The surveillance camera 2 with the lens 3 is concentrically surrounded by the tube 6 (also indicated by dashed lines). Again, different geometric arrangements are possible. Thus, for example, the tube 6 and / or the objective 3 can be positioned eccentrically to the monitoring camera 2.

Due to the inventive design of the plate-shaped cover 11 as a one-piece component, results in comparison with prior art embodiments a much simpler production and thus more cost-effective production. Particularly advantageous is the fixed integration of the tube 6 in the cover 11, because this reduces the number of items.

Instead of the surveillance camera 2 or in addition to this, a, not shown in detail in the drawing, motion detector may be provided, which is also positioned in the area of the surveillance camera 2. The motion detector has at least two sensor areas in a known manner for detecting movements of a recording object in the reception area of the surveillance camera 2. Furthermore, the motion detector is designed so that it is particularly sensitive to infrared radiation. A movement is detected by the motion detector in a known manner by different sensor areas of the motion detector successively respond in time to the incident infrared radiation and emit appropriate signals to an evaluation.

In this embodiment, the objective 3 is at least partially designed as a Fresnel lens, which deflects light entering along the optical axis 4 onto different regions of the motion detector and thus enables the motion detection of recording objects in front of the surveillance camera. According to this, the cover 11 is designed, which in turn directs incident light on certain areas of the lens 3. Alternatively, the lens 3 can be omitted in this variant, wherein the cover 11 is then partially formed as a Fresnel lens, which in turn directs the incident radiation to certain areas of the motion detector.

By means of a combination of the surveillance camera 2 with a motion detector, it is possible, for example, to start recording by the surveillance camera 2 only when a shot object approaches the capture area of the surveillance camera 2 and thus a change occurs in the recording area to be observed.

As a result of the invention essentially only for infrared radiation permeable, one-piece and continuous cover 11 is a good camouflage of the surveillance camera 2 is given, so that large and high-imaging lenses 3 can be used. By means of the cover 11 according to the invention, the surveillance camera 2 can be integrated almost invisibly into predetermined interior furnishing environments of, in particular, civilian passenger aircraft. Due to the one-piece design of the cover 11 is given a cost-effective production. The detachment of parts by vibrations, etc. is also impossible due to the preferably one-piece design of the cover 11. In addition, due to the flat surface of the cover 11, the cleaning effort is reduced.

Areas of application for the illumination device according to the invention are furthermore the luggage and goods areas in civil and military aircraft. However, the lighting device according to the invention is not limited to the application in the field of civil passenger aviation. Conceivable are applications in Other safety-related areas, such as the monitoring of space in buildings, monitoring of outdoor areas and areas occupied by passengers in transport facilities of public local and long-distance transport.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

cover

2

Security Camera

3

lens

4

optical axis

5

A visor

6

tube

7

lighting device

8th

Lamp

9

Infrared light emitting diode

10

edge

11

cover plate

Claims (6)

1. Cover (1) for a surveillance device, in particular for a surveillance camera (2) with a lens (3) and a tube (6) enclosing the lens and a lighting device (7) arranged outside the tube (6) and a motion sensor, wherein the cover (1) is formed as a one-piece plate-like cover disc (11), lying on the tube (6) or is connected to it, characterised in that the plate-like cover disc (11) is essentially only permeable to radiation in the near infrared range and the lens (3) is produced at least in parts as a Fresnel lens, which deflects incoming light along the optical axis to different areas of the motion sensor.
2. Cover (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the cover disc (11) lies on one of the peripheral edges (10) of the tube (6) directed away from the surveillance camera.
3. Cover (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the cover disc (11) is made from plastic, glass or a comparable material.
4. Cover (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the cover disc (11) has a reflective coating.
5. Cover (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the cover disc (11) is almost impermeable to light in the visible range.
6. Cover (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the tube (6) is essentially impermeable to visible light and to radiation in the near infrared range.

Images