초록 ▼

A battery-powered camera is mounted within the interior of a suitcase. The camera has an awake mode in which the camera captures a plurality of images in response to it being detected that the suitcase is in an open position. A controller switches the camera from a sleep mode to the awake mode in re

A battery-powered camera is mounted within the interior of a suitcase. The camera has an awake mode in which the camera captures a plurality of images in response to it being detected that the suitcase is in an open position. A controller switches the camera from a sleep mode to the awake mode in response to the user actuating an awake mode switch, a motion detector mounted to the suitcase detecting motion of the suitcase, and/or a touch sensor mounted to the suitcase detecting a human being touching the suitcase.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A personal container security system, comprising: a personal container having an open position and a closed position;means for sensing absence of a human owner of the container within a vicinity of the container; a detector configured to detect that the container is in the open position; a camera

1. A personal container security system, comprising: a personal container having an open position and a closed position;means for sensing absence of a human owner of the container within a vicinity of the container; a detector configured to detect that the container is in the open position; a camera mounted to the container, the camera being communicatively coupled to the detector, the camera having: an awake mode in which the camera captures a plurality of images in response to: the the detector detecting that the container is in the open position; andthe sensing means sensing an absence of the human owner of the container within a vicinity of the container; anda sleep mode in which the camera does not capture images;an awake mode switch; and,a controller mounted within the interior of the personal container and communicatively coupled to the camera, the controller configured to switch the camera from the sleep mode to the awake mode in response to the user actuating the awake mode switch to place the switch in a neutral position, and at least one from the group of a motion detector mounted to the suitcase detecting motion of the suitcase; anda touch sensor mounted to the suitcase detecting a human being touching the suitcase. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the container comprises a suitcase, a billfold or a purse. 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the container includes a radio frequency transponder, the sensing means comprising a personal electronic device configured to transmit a plurality of radio frequency signals to the transponder, the transponder being configured to wirelessly respond to the radio frequency signals from the personal electronic device only if the human owner is within the vicinity of the container. 4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an electronic controller communicatively coupled to each of the sensing means, the detecting means, and the camera, wherein the sensing means comprises a facial recognition algorithm run by the controller on the images captured by the camera. 5. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes the awake mode switch, the awake mode switch further having a sleep mode position and an awake mode position, the controller being configured to: when the awake mode switch is in the sleep position, maintain the camera in the sleep mode; and,when the awake mode switch is in the awake position, maintain the camera in the awake mode. 6. A luggage security system, comprising: a suitcase including a first shell half having a first proximal end and a first distal end, and a second shell half having a second proximal end and a second distal end, the first proximal end and the second proximal end being attached together by a hinge, the suitcase having an open position in which the distal ends are pivoted about the hinge away from each other, and a closed position in which the distal ends are adjacent to each other;a detector configured to detect that the suitcase is in the open position;a motion detector configured to detect motion of the suitcase;a first camera mounted to the first distal end of the suitcase;a second camera mounted to the second distal end of the suitcase, each of the first and second cameras being directed generally towards an interior of the suitcase when the suitcase is in the open position; electrical power means for powering the first and second cameras, wherein each of the first and second cameras has: an awake mode in which the camera captures a plurality of images in response to the detecting means detecting the suitcase being in the open position; anda sleep mode in which the camera does not capture images, the camera being configured to consume less power from the electrical power means in the sleep mode than in the awake mode; and,a controller electrically connected to the open position detector, each of the cameras, the electrical power means, the motion detector, and an awake mode switch, the controller being configured to: when the awake mode switch is in a neutral position, switch the cameras from the sleep mode to the awake mode in response to the motion detector detecting motion of the suitcase. 7. The system of claim 6 wherein the first camera comprises a pan, tilt, zoom camera, the second camera comprising a wide angle lens camera, the first camera being enclosed in a tinted hemispherical dome, the system further comprising means for transmitting the images captured by the first camera to a personal electronics device, the first camera being configured to perform panning movements, tilting movements, and/or zooming movements in response to commands wirelessly transmitted from the personal electronics device. 8. The system of claim 6 further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to each of the first and second cameras and configured to switch the cameras from the sleep mode to the awake mode in response to at least one of: the user actuating an awake mode switch;a motion detector mounted to the suitcase detecting motion of the suitcase; anda touch sensor mounted to the suitcase detecting a human being touching the suitcase. 9. The system of claim 6, wherein the awake mode switch further comprises a sleep mode position and an awake mode position, and wherein the controller is further configured to: when the awake mode switch is in the sleep position, maintain the camera in the sleep mode; and,when the awake mode switch is in the awake position, maintain the camera in the awake mode. 10. The system of claim 6 further comprising a radio frequency transmitter configured to transmit the images captured by the first and second cameras to an external electronic device.