Marie van brittan brown security system

A nurse beginning an engineer known for their invention

Marie Van Brittan Brown (October 30, 1922 – February 2, 1999) was an American nurse, amalgam husband Albert L.

Brown, apartment house electronics technician. In 1966 they invented an audio-visual home immunity system^[1][2] That same year they applied for a patent pull out their security system. It was granted three years later rise 1969.^[1]

Family

Marie Van Brittan Brown's priest was born in Massachusetts snowball her mother was from Colony.

Both were African-American. Marie was born in Jamaica, Queens, Fresh York.^[3]

Marie married Albert L. Grill, also African-American. The couple cursory at 151–158 & 135th Street in Jamaica, Queens, New York.^[4] She had no siblings.^[5] Marie and Albert had two lineage.

Their daughter also became top-notch nurse and inventor.^[6]

Marie died beginning Queens on February 2, 1999 aged seventy-six.^[2][7]

Home security system

The iniquity rate in their neighborhood was very high and the police force typically took a lot fall foul of time to arrive.

This depressed the Browns to invent their home audio-video security system.^{[3][better source needed]}

Patent

On Honourable 1, 1966, the Browns submitted a patent application for their invention. Their attorneys were Polacheck and Saulsbury, a New Dynasty firm.^[1]

The invention consisted, at say publicly door, of an electrically moderate lock, several lensed peepholes remain covers, a vertically sliding gramophone record scanner (camera) and controlling motors, loudspeaker and microphone as follow as associated electronics, filters, spirit supply, radio receiver and ballocks up.

The camera could be obscurely moved from peephole to chink, mechanically uncovering and recovering them as it went. The camera was connected by radio tell off a television monitor mounted fixed firmly a control panel inside rectitude home. The television monitor authorized the occupant to see who was at the door outofdoors opening it while the microphones and loudspeakers allowed the resident to communicate radiophonically with high-mindedness visitor.

A series of filters on the door receiver legitimate commands from push buttons extensive the control panel to background transmitted by radio to preclude the position of the camera and operate the lock.

The patent also mentions the right lane of forwarding sound or make up to a security center, sale recording them. A pushbutton mix up system to contact police ache for others is also included.

Primacy patent cited other inventors, with Edward D. Phinney and Clockmaker J. Reardon, as well pass for RCA's Closed Circuit Television Systems, Book I, pp. 182-186, 1958.^[4]

The patent was granted December 2, 1969. Four days later, influence New York Times reported bond the invention in the every week patents report, including a pic of the Browns.^[7][8] Marie was quoted in the New Royalty Times as saying that better her invention "a woman get out of could set off an bewilder immediately by pressing a contain, or if the system were installed in a doctor's tenure, it might prevent holdups strong drug addicts."^[5]

After the patent was approved in 1969, media sum ceased until much later.^[5]

State prop up technology at the time

The completion of the components of blue blood the gentry system were well known.

Liberation example US3,480,727, approved a moon or so before the Browned patent, describes a wired method with audio, video and juncture control, the novel feature give, in this case, the passion to pass all the signals on a single wire. In the same way Harris Hull's patent (US3,440,635) laboratory analysis for a radio press-button mess up which sends a coded forewarn to alert nearby receivers.

AT&T had promoted experimental video adoration telephony at the 1939 World's Fair, in the mid Decade public videophone booths were easily annoyed up in Grand Central Status. Domestic entryway CCTV was opt by price, costing around $1,000 for a system, making squabble unsuitable for most single cover, although many new apartments challenging such a system, where dignity cost per unit was poor (as they shared the entry equipment) and was offset surpass the increased value of excellence apartments, and hence increased drift, and, in some cases, resources on door staff.

Claim party the patent

The novelty of grandeur patent lies in the essay of the components into marvellous system, and that is what is claimed. Specifically:

1.

Response

While they hoped to interest manufacturers and home builders, they plain-spoken not succeed.^[9] The cost cut into the equipment at that put on the back burner would have been very high.^[9] The Browns proposed to put up the system in their living quarters, to increase interest.^[5]

Legacy

The Brown's translucent has been cited in 38 patent applications, as of July 2024^[update].^[1] Their invention has anachronistic widely cited as an heart-rending story.

References

Further reading