HID & IR spotlight with integrated camera system
A spotlight, including hardware for mounting to a vehicle (especially a police or security vehicle), including an HID lamp or other visible light illuminator, an infrared illuminator, and an integrated camera system including a video capture device for providing a video feed formed using the visible or infrared light, and a remote terminal including a viewer for viewing the video feed.
1 . An apparatus for providing spotlight function and covert surveillance and recording activity, comprising:
a spotlight ( 11 ) having a housing ( 11 h ) including a mounting attachment ( 11 d ) for mounting to a vehicle;
at least one infrared illuminator ( 11 b ) mounted inside the spotlight housing ( 11 h );
at least one visible light illuminator ( 20 ) attached to the housing;
a video capture device ( 11 c ) mounted inside the spotlight housing ( 11 h ), responsive to visible or infrared light, for providing a video feed based on the visible or infrared light;
a terminal ( 12 a ) operatively coupled to the video capture device ( 11 c ), for turning on and off the video capture device ( 11 c ) and for receiving and displaying the video feed; and
an illumination controller ( 12 c ) operatively coupled to the visible light illuminator ( 20 ) and to the infrared illuminator ( 11 b ), for turning on and off the visible light illuminator ( 20 ) and for turning on and off the infrared illuminator ( 11 b ).
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the visible light illuminator ( 20 ) comprises a high intensity discharge light and accompanying ballast.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the visible light illuminator ( 20 ) comprises one or more light emitting diodes providing visible light.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the illumination controller ( 12 c ) is operatively coupled to the illuminators ( 11 b 20 ) via a wireline, for turning on and off the illuminators ( 11 b 20 ).
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the illumination controller ( 12 c ) is wirelessly operatively coupled to the illuminators ( 11 b 20 ) via a transmitter, for turning on and off the illuminators ( 11 b 20 ).
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the terminal ( 12 a ) includes a controller for turning on and off the video capture device ( 11 c ), and includes a video display device for displaying the video feed, and includes a recorder for recording the video feed, and wherein the terminal ( 12 a ) is wirelessly coupled to the video capture device ( 11 c ) via a transmitter.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the terminal ( 12 a ) includes a video display device for displaying the video feed, and the video display device is wirelessly coupled to the video capture device ( 11 c ) via a transmitter.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the terminal ( 12 a ) includes a controller for turning on and off the video capture device ( 11 c ) and the controller is operatively coupled to the video capture device ( 11 c ) via a wireline, for turning on and off the video capture device ( 11 c ).