A NATIA show special
This is the first of several articles over viewing what's new in surveillance from the National Technical Investigators Association conference. The devices here are produced by Applied Systems Corporation, 212 Dominion Rd, NE, Vienna, Virginia 22180, Phone: (703) 281-9760, Fax: (703) 281-9978, tlx: 493-1052 ASIV UI.
1) Advanced Carrier Current Monitoring System
Carrier current transmission is often used for audio monitoring within a facility where it is impractical to install special wiring. In the past, however, this approach has been limited to one or at the best a few voice conversations being carried over the AC power line at the same time.
Using advanced spread spectrum technology, it is now possible to transmit up to 200 voice conversations simultaneously on a single AC line. The same line can also carry coded commands for activating or de-activating selected microphones, video cameras, tape recorders, lighting, doors, and other functions.
Entire facilities such as prisons, hotels, and office buildings can now be pre-wired, with the assurance that specific areas can later be monitored on command.
2) RTM-100 Telephone Monitoring System
This product enables dialed telephone numbers and voice conversations to be monitored and recorded from a remote site, using a scrambled radio link.
3) Frequency Hopping Radio Modules
Vehicle and man-portable radios, including commercial handie-talkie radios, can be adapted for frequency hopping transmission, thereby improving the security of such communications without having to scrap existing equipment.
4) ``Domino'' Video Transmitter
The ``Domino'' is an unobtrusive miniature FM color video transmitter, about the size of two dominos stacked atop each other, which is attached to a portable video camera or camcorder. It is used for relaying a video signal to a monitoring station, such as a mobile van, up to 1 km from the camera source.
The transmitted signal is spread over 28 Mhz, and thus cannot be demodulated by standard television sets.
``Domino'' transmitters and their receivers can be supplied for any 500 Mhz operating band from 300 Mhz to 10 Ghz.
5) Burst Communications
Using sophisticated voice compression algorithms and digital signal processing techniques, it is now possible to transmit intelligible voice communications at data rates of 400 bps.
This highly secure mode of transmission can be used to transmit a minute of voice conversation over telephone lines in 2 to 3 seconds, or mask voice messages as subcarriers which appear as noise, or to triple the effective radiated power of existing radios by using advanced coding techniques.
6) Special Facility Monitoring
Video cameras and audio pickups can be concealed in various ways to monitor activities within a building, either locally or from a remote site.
Remotely operated fax intercept systems can also be supplied.
7) Secure Satellite Communications
The ARABSAT satellite is only partially utilized and transponders are available to provide immediate voice, video, and data services between any points from Morocco in the west to Pakistan in the east.
ARABSAT communications systems can be secure, mobile, and easily deployed, and eliminate the maintenance burden as well as the vulnerability of microwave towers.
8) Mobile Surveillance Systems
Several mobile surveillance vehicle configurations are available, including systems with both video and infrared (thermal) imagers cameras and transmission links.
9) Long Range Surveillance Systems
The LONG LOOK surveillance systems are designed for coastal observation, border surveillance, and area security applications where maximum surveillance range and remote system operation are required.
10) Photophone Image Transceivers
The Photophone transmits color or monochrome video images over ordinary dial-up telephone lines and cellular radio links. The units are very easy to use and require no computer experience.
The Photophone is ideal for law enforcement, internal security, customs, medical, and other activities where it is useful or required to transmit images between geographically separated points.
11) Satellite Imagery Analysis
The commercial availability of LANDSAT and SPOT satellite imagery provides an opportunity for organizations to exploit such resources for their own purposes at little cost.
Image analysis workstations have been designed around 286 and 486 type personal computers, equipped with software which was developed for advanced image analysis functions.