Florida Inventor Develops RP-Style Surveillance Camera System

Jan. 2, 2006
Patented system delivers remote camera using grenade-launching weapon.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 31 -- Harry N. Hambric of Pembroke Pines, Fla., has developed an infrared camera deployed by grenade launcher.

According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, the invention relates to a "projectile in a cartridge designed to be launched from a grenade launcher.

The projectile is adapted to be secured to the housing of the cartridge."

An abstract of the invention, released by the Patent Office, said: "The projectile includes a camera contained in the projectile body and connected thereto by a cord, and a transmitter contained in the projectile body and connected to the camera. In addition, the projectile includes elements for pinning the front part of the projectile body to a target, and elements for separating the front part of the projectile body from the back part of the projectile body and expelling the camera from the projectile body when the projectile is pinned to the target so that the camera is freely suspended from the projectile by the cord and can rotate in a wind through 180 degrees to observe its surroundings and transmit images thereof."

The inventor was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,978,717 on Dec. 27.

The patent has been assigned to U.S. Army, Washington.

The original application was filed on Aug. 16, 2004, and is available at: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/netahtml/search-adv.htm&r=2553&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&s1=ISYMD-20051227&p=52&OS=ISD/12/27/2005&RS=ISD/12/27/2005.