Surveillance and crime deterrent system

Claim 1

A surveillance and crime-deterrent system comprising a plurality of spaced closed circuit television cameras in a given area, respective scanning means independently rotating the cameras, a closed circuit television monitor in the area, a remote control station, electrical circuits from the cameras, monitor and scanning means to the control station, automatic random control means at the remote control station connected to said circuits for random connecting the monitor to the cameras for random length monitoring periods and for operating the scanning means for random-length scanning periods during various of the monitoring periods of the cameras, said random control means comprising switching means including two independent switches one of which is a select switch operating to select the next camera to be viewed, and the other of which is a cycle switch normally determining the monitoring period of the selected camera, and means for operating said cycle switch at random intervals comprising driving and driven rotary members, a cam arranged to operate the cycle switch responsive to rotation of the cam, a cam idler coupled to the cam and located between said members, an elastic endless belt operatively connecting said rotary members, one of said members having varying radii around the circumference contacted by said belt so as to shift one of the runs of the belt into and out of engagement with said idler cam as said members rotate.