Surveillance apparatus for camera surveillance system

Claim 2

A surveillance apparatus for use in a camera surveillance system, the surveillance apparatus comprising: a camera and lens assembly capable of panrung, tilting and zooming, said camera and lens assembly generating an output video signal corresponding to an image in the field of view of said camera and lens assembly; an image blanking unit receiving said output video signal and modifying said output video signal to one of partially and totally blank portions of said image, said blanked portions of said image corresponding to preselected privacy zones; and a control unit for controlling the image blanking unit responsive to one or more of the pan, tilt and zoom conditions of said camera and lens assembly.

Claim 3

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said control unit controls said camera and lens assembly to have selected one or more of pan, tilt and zoom conditions.

Claim 4

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein: said control unit is responsive to signals from an operator at a remote location having a monitor for displaying said image.

Claim 5

Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 further comprising: an interface for transmitting said modified output video signal to said remote location.

Claim 6

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein: said control unit includes a microprocessor, a memory and software programming for instructing said microprocessor in causing said control unit to control said camera and lens assembly and said image blanking unit.

Claim 7

Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein: said memory includes information for establishing said privacy zones based on the pan, tilt and zoom conditions of said camera and lens assembly.

Claim 8

Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein: said information is established by designating one or more triangle areas of said image to define a privacy zone.

Claim 9

Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein: said information is established by designating a triangle area of said image, whereby a complementary triangle area is automatically designated to define a parallelogram-shaped privacy zone.

Claim 10

Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein: said image blanking unit is formed by a text overlay unit for providing a text overlay signal on the video output signal.

Claim 11

Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein: said text overlay signal includes partially transparent and non-transparent text overlay characters which blank the areas of the video image over which they lie.

Claim 12

Apparatus in accordance with claim 10 wherein: said information stored in said memory includes information defining blocks of said text overlay characters corresponding to said privacy zones.

Claim 13

Apparatus in accordance with claim 11 wherein: one or more of said blocks of text overlay characters defines an area of said image formed by combining triangular areas.

Claim 14

Apparatus in accordance with claim 12 wherein: said microprocessor and software programming generate information as to the azimuth and elevation angles of said camera and lens assembly for display with the image corresponding to said modified output video signal.

Claim 15

A surveillance apparatus for use in a camera surveillance system, the surveillance apparatus comprising: a camera and lens assembly capable of panning, tilting and zooming, said camera and lens assembly generating an output video signal corresponding to an image in the field of view of said camera and lens assembly; and an image blanking unit receiving said output video signal and modifying said output video signal to one of partially and totally blank portions of said image, said blanked portions of said image corresponding to preselected privacy zones, said image blanking unit being formed by a text overlay unit for providing a text overlay signal on the output video signal.

Claim 16

A surveillance apparatus for use in a camera surveillance system, the surveillance apparatus comprising: a camera and lens assembly capable of panning, tilting and zooming, said camera and lens assembly generating an output video signal corresponding to an image in the field of view of said camera and lens assembly; and an image blanking unit receiving said output video signal and modifying said output video signal to one of partially and totally blank portions of said image, said blanked portions of said image corresponding to preselected privacy zones, said image blanking unit being formed by a text overlay unit for providing a text overlay signal on the output video signal.

Claim 17

Apparatus accordance with claim 14 wherein: said text overlay signal includes partially transparent and non-transparent text overlay characters which blank the areas of the video image over which they lie.

Claim 18

Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 wherein: blocks of said text overlay characters correspond to said privacy zones.

Claim 19

Apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein: one or more of said blocks of text overlay characters define an area of said image formed by combining triangular areas.

Claim 20

A surveillance apparatus for use in a camera surveillance system, the surveillance apparatus comprising: a camera and lens assembly capable of panning, tilting and zooming, said camera and lens assembly generating an output video signal corresponding to an image in the field of view of said camera and lens assembly; an image blanking unit receiving said output video signal and modifying said output video signal to one of partially and totally blank portions of said image, said blanked portions of said image corresponding to preselected privacy zones; and a unit for generating information as to the azimuth and elevation angles of said camera and lens assembly for display with the image corresponding to said modified video signal.

Claim 21

A surveillance apparatus for use in a camera surveillance system, the surveillance apparatus comprising: a camera and lens assembly capable of panning, tilting and zooming, said camera and lens assembly generating an output video signal corresponding to an image in the field of view of said camera and lens assembly; an image blanking unit receiving said output video signal and modifying said output video signal to one of partially and totally blank portions of said image, said blanked portions of said image corresponding to preselected privacy zones; and a unit for generating information as to the azimuth and elevation angles of said camera and lens assembly for display with the image corresponding to said modified video signal.