She had the bright idea of combining a closed circuit television security system with a home monitoring gadget in 1966
African Booth
New York City native and African-American nurse and inventor Marie Van Brittan Brown was born on January 7, 1922. She had the bright idea of combining a closed circuit television security system with a home monitoring gadget in 1966, when she was 44 years old.
Together with her husband, Albert L. Brown, she filed for a patent for an automated camera and display system. Her patent application (number 3,482,037) was approved, and her idea helped shape the way home security systems work today.
For example, Brown’s motorized camera at the door could be pushed up and down to peer through any of the four peepholes installed in the door, a feature that was revolutionary at the time. Everything the camera saw would be shown on the screen.
Along with an audio-visual alarm system that allowed her to see and speak with anyone who came to the door, she also had a radio-controlled lock that could unlock the front door from a distance.
The National Scientists Committee awarded Brown a major prize for her innovative idea, which undoubtedly shaped the future of home security systems (NSC). However, her innovation has been largely ignored and unreported in published works. Marie Van Brittan Brown, who had just turned 77, passed away on February 2, 1999.
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Courtesy: African Booth (Posted on Facebook Page) Reproduced with permission of African Booth
