US 20060017809A1
(19) United States
(12) Patent Application Publication (io) Pub. No.: US 2006/0017809 Al
Carroll (43) Pub. Date: Jan. 26,2006
(76) Inventor: Mark D. Carroll, Crown Point, IN (US)
Correspondence Address:
BEEM PATENT LAW FIRM
53 W. JACKSON BLVD., SUITE 1352
CHICAGO, IL 60604-3787 (US)
(21) Appl. No.: 10/895,145
(22) Filed: Jul. 20, 2004
Publication Classification
(51) Int. CI.
H04N 7/18 (2006.01)
G08B 1/00 (2006.01)
G08G 1/017 (2006.01)
G08B 23/00 (2006.01)
(52) U.S. CI 348/158; 340/531; 340/937;
340/693.9
A self-contained, solar-powered mobile monitoring system is independent of external power sources and remotely accessible using a web browser. The system may include a mobile enclosure that houses a power regulator and batteries, which allow for the distribution and collection of electricity generated by solar panels mounted to the top of the enclosure. Also attachable to the mobile enclosure are weather sensors and an extendable tower. A camera is mountable to the top of the tower to allow for video monitoring, and a mobile camera is further provided for site-specific monitoring. Houseable inside the enclosure is monitoring equipment that collects video from the tower and mobile cameras, and weather data from the weather sensors. Networking equipment housed inside the enclosure make these data wirelessly accessible to local computer users by virtue of an omni-directional antenna mounted to the extendable tower. The data also is transmitted wirelessly to an Internet connection, whereupon the data are routed to a network operations center to allow access by off-site, remote users.
