By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2011-01-04 23:10:35 | Word Count: 664
An outdoor motion – activated security camera light offers triple action security against break-ins, vandals, and criminal activity around the home or office. This camera is excellent for monitoring and protecting residences and commercial properties alike.
The outdoor motion – activated security camera light is an all in one miniature security system unit. The unit consists of a strong beam (up to 500 watts) halogen floodlight that is attached to a Passive InfraRed (PIR) motion detector. Whenever the PIR detects motion, the floodlight turns on, projecting a brilliant light on the intruder.
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That’s just the beginning. In addition to the flood light and motion detector, the outdoor motion – activated security camera light also contains a state-of-the art high-quality color digital camera that can document the intruder and their activity. This constitutes triple action protection for your home, business or property.
The PIR motion detector is connected to a relay within the unit’s housing. It can detect changes in infrared radiation in its field of view. When a significant change in the infrared signature occurs (for example, when a person walks in front of it) the PIR triggers the relay to the “On” state, turning on the floodlight and the camera.
Most outdoor motion – activated security camera lights contain a high-quality color digital video camera that can also produce still photographs. Thanks to the nature of how a digital video camera works, these units are able to do this task with ease. Here’s how it works.
Outdoor motion – activated security camera lights contain a a sensor that transfers light energy into electrical energy that can be measured. Images in the camera’s field of view reflect light, which is then focused by the lens onto the sensor. The sensor is either a Charged Coupled Device (CCD) or a Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS). The sensors’ measurements are converted into binary digital data.
On standalone digital video security systems, this data is sent to the Digital Video Recorder (DVR), which is much like the hard disk drive of a personal computer. The outdoor motion – activated security camera light has its own on board microchip circuitry that does this instead. It also saves the file to a hard disk type of storage device, usually comes with on-board memory (16 Mbs for example), and a Flash card memory device that accepts replaceable memory cards, (such as a SD card). These files can then be transferred to a computer where they can be viewed.
How can one outdoor motion – activated security camera light provide both still photographs and digital videos? The old movie projector is a good example of how it works.
Before the “digital age” movies were made using a camera that took several pictures per second. Generally to the human eye, 15 to 30 pictures (or frames as they are now called) per second gives the impression of fluid motion. So for every second of movie that we watch, 30 frames (pictures) flash through the projector.
The digital video camera works on the same principle. However, instead of using film tape, the camera creates electronic digital data. So the outdoor motion – activated security camera light can provide either high-quality still photos or digital video.
Another feature of outdoor motion – activated security camera lights includes an adjustable illumination period of the floodlight. Most lights allow an adjustable “on” time from one to five minutes in length. Depending on the settings, the camera may or may not capture images for the full duration, (the larger the memory, the more pictures and/or video length). Many cameras commonly take 3 still photographs or up to 10 seconds of video each time that motion is detected.
Many cameras also provide a time and date stamp. When the camera is installed the on-board clock and calendar are set. Every time the camera is triggered to operate, a time and date are super -imposed over the image to document the exact period of time recorded.
An outdoor motion – activated security camera light performs the functions of a floodlight, motion detector, and camera all in one. It offers triple action security protection for a fraction of the cost of a total digital video security system. These units are not only a handy combination of security features but are easy to install and set-up as well.
