Discrete surveillance system and method for making a component thereof

A surveillance device comprising:

• a camera having a lens;
• a rotatable housing containing said camera;
• means for rotatably connecting said housing to a support surface;
• and
• means for rotating said housing, said housing being adapted to conceal said camera therein in such manner that said camera can function without being seen by an observer, said housing comprising:
• a transparent outer surface defining a container;
• a reflective silver coating positioned on the interior surface of said container;
• a coating of SiO positioned on the silver coating;
• a coating of plastics material;
• and
• a coating of masking material, one of said plastics material and said masking material coatings being positioned on said SiO coating and the other of said coatings being positioned on said one coating, said masking material covering portions of the interior of said container thereby absorbing reflections within said container, portions of the interior not covered by said masking material defining an aperture through which said camera lens receives illumination.

A spherical dome for use with a surveillance system, the dome being adapted to conceal a camera therein and having a portion thereof modified to define a viewing slit for the lens of the camera, the viewing slit substantially blending with other portions of the dome when viewed from an exterior position during operation of the surveillance system, said dome comprising:

• a spherical member having a first outwardly facing surface defining an exterior surface of said dome and a second inwardly facing surface;
• a reflective metallizing coating of silver positioned on said inwardly facing surface;
• a coating of SiO positioned on said silver coating;
• a first coating comprised of plastics material;
• and
• a second coating comprised of masking material, one of said first and said second coatings being positioned on said SiO coating, the other of said first and said second coatings being positioned on said one coating, said masking material coating being positioned in such manner that the viewing slit is defined by portions of the dome not covered by the masking coating.

A method of producing a housing used with a surveillance system, the housing having a reflective outer surface intended to conceal a camera positioned inside the housing, a portion of its interior surface coated with a light absorbing material adapted to minimize light reflections within said housing and, a portion of its interior surface not coated with said light absorbing material defining a viewing slot for the lens of the camera, said method comprising:

• cleaning a member to be coated;
• depositing a reflective metalizing layer of silver on interior surfaces of the cleaned member;
• depositing a layer of SiO on the silver layer;
• applying a plastics film coating;
• and
• applying a coating of light absorbing material, one of said coatings being applied to said SiO layer and the other of said coatings being applied to said one coating, said layers and said plastics film coating covering the interior surface of said member.