GB2194408A - Hidden video camera - Google Patents

Abstract

In a portable apparatus for visually observing and/or recording subjects in a discreet manner, a recording apparatus such as a video camera 8 is concealed behind an aperture 5 in box 1 having the exterior appearance of a familiar household object, such as a speaker cabinet. Means for concealing the recording apparatus are also provided. When the box 1 has the appearance of a speaker cabinet, an opaque material 7, resembling speaker cloth, is positioned over the aperture 5, to conceal the camera 8. The wires 14, 17 extending from the back of the speaker cabinet will not arouse suspicion since they are a standard feature of speakers. Thus the reactions of the subject in eg market research on human behaviour studies may be observed without the subject being aware that he is observed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Discreet video apparatus The present invention relates to apparatus for visual observation and/or recording and more particularly to apparatus for observing and recording by video in a discreet manner.

The art of observing and recording subjects discreetly is becoming increasingly important, especially in fields of market research and human behaviour studies. Such observation and recording usually takes place in a specially designed room with a two-way mirror on one wall, behind which the observers maintain a watch on the subject and often record the behaviour of the subjects onto video tape or film. Such rooms are usually wired for sound so that the visual reactions of the subjects may be married to audible ones.

However, the practice of recording onto video tape or film from behind a two-way mirror is unsatisfactory, because the quality of the recordings obtained is poor and the need to closely observe or subsequently analyse the reactions of the subjects is often not fully satisfied because of the poor quality of the recordings. Furthermore, the construction of specific rooms, having two-way mirrors, in which the subjects can be observed is expensive and this expense is often greatly increased by the need to transport the subjects to the specific room in which they are to be observed.

Specially-designed rooms having concealed cameras therein have been attempted in the past, but these have been found to be unsatisfactory, because to observe the subjects without the camera being noticed has entailed the use of pin hole lens cameras concealed, for example, behind walls, within cabinets, or within false books. Although these pin hole lenses are difficult to see because of their small size, the small lens produces a poor quality picture, and, as with the practice of recording from behind a two-way mirror the poor quality of the recording is often not sufficient for the needs of the observers.Thus, to avoid the expense of a specially constructed room, having concealed cameras or a twoway mirror, and to improve the quality of recording obtained, observation is often conducted within the room, by means of a remote control, or manually-controlled, camera, which is easily observed by the subjects.

However the presence of the camera in the room usually disturbs the subjects, and thus the reactions produced by the subjects are subtly different from those which would be produced if the subjects believed they were unobserved. Thus, the only present practice which produces acceptable recordings does not produce acceptable reactions from the subjects.

The object of the present invention is to remove, or at least mitigate, the disadvantages of the present methods of discreet observation of subjects.

According to the present invention there is provided portable apparatus for use in discreet observance of subjects, the apparatus comprising a container, the exterior of which has the appearance of an object which is familiar to the subject, an aperture in the container, observing means positioned in the container to allow observation through the aperture, and concealing means, positioned over the aperture to conceal the observing means.

If, as is usual in such cases, the subjects are to be observed in an environment in which they feel comfortable, for example a room of a house, the container preferably has the appearance of a standard unremarkable household object, the most preferred object being a speaker cabinet, such as is found in use with high-fidelity sound reproduction systems found in many homes. The use of a speaker cabinet has been found to be particularly advantageous because these cabinets themselves are portable within a room, and thus may be positioned at the optimum height for observation of the subjects. Furthermore the speaker cabinets contain holes in the front thereof, to allow sound to escape from the speakers normally positioned within, and thus apertures, behind which a camera may be positioned, would not look out of place.In such an embodiment the concealing means comprises a dark mesh material, such as that used in womens stockings. This material looks very similar to the normal woven cloth which is positioned over the front of many speakers to protect the speakers themselves from harm.

Speaker cloth itself, however cannot be used, as it is too thick to allow reasonable recordings to be made by a camera positioned within the cabinet. The mesh that is preferably used is opaque and thus the camera cannot be seen through the aperture in the speaker cabinet, but is thick enough to allow a good recording to be made by means of the camera. The aperture in the speaker cabinet is wide enough to allow any wide angled lens to be positioned behind it, thus allowing a good angle of observation to be obtained, which is not the case when pin hole lenses are used, as in the prior art techniques of observation of subjects.Furthermore, a speaker cabinet always has wires extending from the back thereof, to connect it to a high-fidelity sound reproduction system, and, therefore, the appearance of wires from behind the dummy speaker cabinet of the preferred embodiment of the present invention will not be unfamiliar to the subjects being observed.

The present invention has the advantage that it is portable, and therefore no special rooms need to be built for observance of subjects. This will reduce the cost and allow the subjects to be viewed in environments which are familiar, such as their own home. The present invention further allows a good quality of recording to be made without the subjects being aware that a camera is present.

In order that the present invention may be more readily understood and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of a speaker cabinet concealing a camera, according to the present invention; and Figure 2 shows a cross-section of the speaker cabinet of Fig. 1 along lines 11-11.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention comprising a speaker cabinet 1. The cabinet is a rectangular box with a front wall 2 which is pivotable, about a pair of hinges 3, to open the cabinet to reveal the interior. The front wall contains three holes 4, 5, 6, of which the top hole 4 and the bottom hole 6 are of the same size and are smalier than the middle hole 5. In a standard speaker cabinet the speakers themselves would be positioned with their entrances corresponding to these holes 4, 5, 6 to allow sound to exit from the speaker cabinet. The front wa112 is covered by a dark material 7, for example a black meshed ma teriai such as that which makes up women's stockings. This mesh is opaque and thus masks a view of what lies behind the holes 4, 5, 6.

Behind the larger of the holes 5 is positioned a video camera 8, with the lens 9 positioned behind the hole allowing the video camera 8 to record the view from the hole 5.

It has been found that opaque materials 7 restrict the view from outside of the cabinet 1, but do not prevent pictures being taken by the camera 8 within the cabinet 1.

Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the speaker of Fig. 1 with the camera 8 and the video recording unit 10 shown schematically.

As can be seen from Fig. 2, the camera 8 is mounted upon a shelf 11 which is removable from the cabinet with the recording unit 10 positioned beneath the shelf 11. The shelf 11 is positioned beneath the larger hole 5 so as to position the lens 9 of the camera 8 in line with the larger hole 5. A cable 12 connecting the camera 8 to the recording equipment 10 extends through a hole 13 in the shelf 11. A cable 14 connecting the camera 8 with a mains supply (not shown), extends through the hole 13 of the shelf 7, and through a hole 15 in the back wall 16 of the speaker. A further cable 17 extends, to the mains power supply, through hole 15 in the back wall 16 of the speaker cabinet.

To assemble the speaker cabinet for use the door 2 is opened about hinges 3 ta allow access to the interior of the speaker cabinet 1. The shelf 11 is positioned within the cabinet 1, resting upon blocks 18 positioned around the interior of the speaker cabinet 1, in a plane parallel to the top and bottom of the cabinet 1. The camera is then placed upon the shelf, with the lens 9 in line with the larger hole 5, and the leads 12, 14 are passed through the hole 13 in the shelf 11. The recording equipment 10 is positioned in the cabinet beneath shelf 11 and cable 12 is connected thereto. The mains cables 14, 17 of the camera 8 and the recording equipment 10 are then passed through hole 15 in back wall 16, and are connected to the mains power supply. The front wall 2 is then closed by pivoting the wall 2 around hinges 3, so that the cabinet is then ready for use.

The cabinet 1 may be positioned in a room in which subjects are desired to be viewed discreetly. The camera 8 and the recording equipment 10 may be operated by remote control or may be left running from the time at which the equipment is installed. When positioned in the room the camera 8 cannot be seen through the opaque material 7 covering the speaker cabinet 1. The opaque material 7 will not seem out of place, as it is a standard feature of speakers to have a dark cloth placed over the front thereof, to protect the cardboard speakers contained in the cabinet.

As a speaker is a standard feature of many rooms, the presence of the speaker cabinet will not arouse any suspicion in the subjects being viewed.

Experimentation has shown that, through material such as mesh material used for womens stockings, a clear picture may be obtained from a video camera 8 installed within a speaker cabinet 1.

Claims (10)

1. A portable apparatus for use in discreet observance of subjects, the apparatus comprising a container, the exterior having the appearance of an object which is familiar to the subject, an aperture in the container, observing means positioned in the container to allow observation through the aperture, and concealing means, positioned over the aperture, to conceal the observing means.

2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the container has the appearance of a standard unremarkable household object.

3. An apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the container has the appearance of a speaker cabinet.

4. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the aperture is a speaker aperture.

5. An apparatus according to Claim 3 or 4, wherein the concealing means comprises a dark mesh material.

6. An apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein the concealing means is mesh material used for womens dark stockings.

7. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the observing means comprises a camera.

8. An apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein the observing means further comprises recording or viewing apparatus attached to the camera.

9. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as described in the accompanying drawings.

10. Any novel feature or combination of features as herein described.