Surveillance and weapon system

A remotely controlled surveillance and weapon system for the protection of a limited region, which comprises a weapon and optical scope means in fixed alignment so that the aim thereof is substantially coincident, means mounting said weapon and scope means for at least pan and tilt movability, one-way vision screen means interposed between said region and said weapon and scope means permitting vision in the direction from said scope means toward said region and precluding vision in the direction from said region toward said weapon and scope means, said screen means being arranged to substantially completely obscure said weapon and scope means from the view of persons in said limited region, electronic image sensor means optically coupled with said scope means to receive an optical image therefrom and substantially completely obscured from the view of persons in said limited region;

• a surveillance and control station disposed outside of said limited region, said station including a video surveillance screen operatively connected to said image sensor to exhibit a video image derived from said image sensor, a movement control unit operatively connected to said weapon and scope means and operable to produce at least pan and tilt movements of the weapon and scope means, and remote weapon firing means operatively connected to the weapon for firing the weapon through said screen means;
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• a mobile unit mounted for linear travel behind said screen means, said weapon and scope means and said image sensor means being mounted on said mobile unit, with said weapon and scope means being mounted on said mobile unit for pan and tilt movability, said movement control unit being operatively connected to said mobile unit and to the weapon and scope means thereon to produce linear movement of the mobile unit and pan and tilt movements of the weapon and scope means.

A remotely controlled surveillance and weapon system for the protection of a limited region, which comprises a weapon and optical scope means in fixed alignment so that the aim thereof is substantially coincident, means mounting said weapon and scope means for at least pan and tilt movability, one-way vision screen means interposed between said region and said weapon and scope means permitting vision in the direction from said scope means toward said region and precluding vision in the direction from said region toward said weapon and scope means, said screen means being arranged to substantially completely obscure said weapon and scope means from the view of persons in said limited region, electronic image sensor means optically coupled with said scope means to receive an optical image therefrom and substantially completely obscured from the view of persons in said limited region;

• a surveillance and control station disposed outside of said limited region, said station including a video surveillance screen operatively connected to said image sensor to exhibit a video image derived from said image sensor, a movement control unit operatively connected to said weapon and scope means and operable to produce at least pan and tilt movements of the weapon and scope means, and remote weapon firing means operatively connected to the weapon for firing the weapon through said screen means;
• an inhibit system operatively connected to the weapon firing means to disable the firing means when the weapon is directed at certain predetermined prohibited locations in said limited region, said inhibit system comprising pan encoder means responsive to pan movements of the weapon and scope means, tilt encoder means responsive to tilt movements of the weapon and scope means and decoder means operatively connected to said pan encoder means, to said tilt encoder means and to said weapon firing means, each of said pan and tilt encoder means providing a series of go and no-go signals to said decoder means corresponding to various pan and tilt positions of the weapon and scope means, and said decoder disabling said firing means when both of said pan and tilt encoder means simultaneously provide no-go signals to said decoder means;
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• a mobile unit mounted for linear travel behind said screen means, said weapon and scope means and said image sensor means being mounted on said mobile unit, with said weapon and scope means being mounted on said mobile unit for pan and tilt movability, said movement control unit being operatively connected to said mobile unit and to the weapon and scope means thereon to produce linear travel movement of the mobile unit and pan and tilt movements of the weapon and scope means, and linear travel encoder means responsive to linear travel movements of said mobile unit and operatively connected to said decoder means, said linear travel encoder means providing a series of go and no-go signals to said decoder means corresponding to various linear travel positions of the mobile unit, said decoder disabling said firing means when all three of said pan, tilt and linear travel encoder means provide no-go signals to said decoder means.

A remotely controlled surveillance and weapon system for the protection of a limited region, which comprises a weapon and optical scope means in fixed alignment so that the aim thereof is substantially coincident, means mounting said weapon and scope means for at least pan and tilt movability, one-way vision screen means interposed between said region and said weapon and scope means permitting vision in the direction from said scope means toward said region and precluding vision in the direction from said region toward said weapon and scope means, said screen means being arranged to substantially completely obscure said weapon and scope means from the view of persons in said limited region, electronic image sensor means optically coupled with said scope means to receive an optical image therefrom and substantially completely obscured from the view of persons in said limited region;

• a surveillance and control station disposed outside of said limited region, said station including a video surveillance screen operatively connected to said image sensor to exhibit a video image derived from said image sensor, a movement control unit operatively connected to said weapon and scope means and operable to produce at least pan and tilt movements of the weapon and scope means, and remote weapon firing means operatively connected to the weapon for firing the weapon through said screen means, said limited region having a ceiling and a space defined above said ceiling, said one-way vision screen means being mounted proximate said ceiling, with said weapon and scope means disposed in said space above the ceiling and wherein said system is an aircraft anti-hijacking system, said one-way vision screen means being mounted proximate a ceiling in a passenger compartment of an aircraft;
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• a mobile unit mounted for linear travel behind said screen means, said weapon and scope means and said image sensor means being mounted on said mobile unit, with said weapon and scope means being mounted on said mobile unit for pan and tilt movability, said movement control unit being operatively connected to said mobile unit and to the weapon and scope means thereon to produce linear travel movement of the mobile unit and pan and tilt movements of the weapon and scope means, said screen means being generally longitudinally arranged over a substantial portion of the length of said passenger compartment, and said linear travel movement of the mobile unit extending over a substantial portion of the length of said screen means.

A remotely controlled surveillance and weapon system for the protection of a limited region, which comprises a weapon and optical scope means in fixed alignment so that the aim thereof is substantially coincident, means mounting said weapon and scope means for at least pan and tilt movability, one-way vision screen means interposed between said region and said weapon and scope means permitting vision in the direction from said scope means toward said region and precluding vision in the direction from said region toward said weapon and scope means, said screen means being arranged to substantially completely obscure said weapon and scope means from the view of persons in said limited region, electronic image sensor means optically coupled with said scope means to receive an optical image therefrom and substantially completely obscured from the view of persons in said limited region;

• a surveillance and control station disposed outside of said limited region, said station including a video surveillance screen operatively connected to said image sensor to exhibit a video image derived from said image sensor, a movement control unit operatively connected to said weapon and scope means and operable to produce at least pan and tilt movements of the weapon and scope means, and remote weapon firing means operatively connected to the weapon for firing the weapon through said screen means wherein said limited region has a ceiling and a space is defined above said ceiling, said one-way vision screen means being mounted proximate said ceiling, with said weapon and scope means disposed in said space above the ceiling, said one-way vision screen means being mounted above a drop ceiling in a room of a building, and
• a mobile unit mounted for linear travel behind said screen means, said weapon and scope means of said image sensor means being mounted on said mobile unit, with said weapon and scope means being mounted on said mobile unit for pan and tilt movability, said movement control unit being operatively connected to said mobile unit and to the weapon and scope means thereon to produce linear travel movement of the mobile unit and pan and tilt movements of the weapon and scope means.