Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
146 words
An alarm system of the kind wherein an analog video signal produced by a television camera is discriminated to detect a movement or change in the field of view monitored by the television camera, the system comprising means for generating a threshold-value signal, means for converting the video signal provided by the camera into a binary signal whose value depends upon whether or not the level of the threshold-value signal is exceeded by the video signal, and means for evaluating the binary signal according to a predetermined criterion to determine whether or not to raise an alarm, wherein the threshold-value signal is an alternating signal whose frequency is related in predetermined manner to the horizontal frequency of the video signal, and whose level swings at least between the white and black values of the video signal at least once during each line period of the latter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
146 words
An alarm system of the kind wherein an analog video signal produced by a television camera is discriminated to detect a movement or change in the field of view monitored by the television camera, the system comprising means for generating a threshold-value signal, means for converting the video signal provided by the camera into a binary signal whose value depends upon whether or not the level of the threshold-value signal is exceeded by the video signal, and means for evaluating the binary signal according to a predetermined criterion to determine whether or not to raise an alarm, wherein the threshold-value signal is an alternating signal whose frequency is related in predetermined manner to the horizontal frequency of the video signal, and whose level swings at least between the white and black values of the video signal at least once during each line period of the latter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A system according to claim 1, in which the threshold-value signal is a sawtooth signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
A system according to claim 2, in which the sawtooth signal is a triangular signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
A system according to claim 1, in which the threshold-value signal is a non-linear signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system according to claim 4, in which the non-linear signal is in the form of an exponential function.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system according to claim 1, in which the frequency of the threshold-value signal is a multiple of the horizontal frequency of the video signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system according to claim 6, in which the threshold-value signal is displaced in phase by 180° in consecutive line periods of the video signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
A system according to claim 1, further including means for inverting the binary signal during predetermined periods so as to provide at least partial compensation for overall brightness changes in the field of view monitored by the camera.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
A system according to claim 6, further including means for inverting the binary signal during predetermined periods so as to provide at least partial compensation for overall brightness changes in the field of view monitored by the camera.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
A system according to claim 9, in which the binary signal is inverted during alternate cycles of the threshold-value signal, at least in respect of a part of each of a plurality of line periods of the video signal.