When was marie van brittan brown born

A nurse and an engineer known for their invention

Marie Van Brittan Brown
Born	()October 30, Jamaica, Queens, New York
Died	February 2, () (aged&#;76) Jamaica, Queens, New York
Known&#;for	Patenting a home video security system.
Spouse	Albert L. Brown
Children	Norma and Albert Jr.

Albert L. Brown
Known&#;for	Patenting a home video security system.
Spouse	Marie Van Brittan Brown
Children	Norma and Albert Jr.

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

Brown, an electronics technician.

Marie van brittan brown invention Marie Van Brittan Brown was the inventor of the first home security system. She is also credited with the invention of the first closed circuit television. Brown was born in Queens, New York, on October 22, , and resided there until her death on February 2, , at age seventy-six. Her father was born in Massachusetts and her mother was from Pennsylvania. The patent for the invention was filed in , and it later influenced modern home security systems that are still used today.

In they invented an audio-visual home security system^[1][2] That same year they applied for a patent for their security system. It was granted three years later in ^[1]

Family

Marie Van Brittan Brown's father was born in Massachusetts and her mother was from Pennsylvania.

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

Marie married Albert L. Brown, also African-American. The couple lived at – & th Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, New York.^[4] She had no siblings.^[5] Marie and Albert had two children. Their daughter also became a nurse and inventor.^[6]

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

Home security system

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

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

Patent

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

The invention consisted, at the door, of an electrically controlled lock, several lensed peepholes with covers, a vertically sliding video scanner (camera) and controlling motors, loudspeaker and microphone as well as associated electronics, filters, power supply, radio receiver and transmitter.

Biography fact about marie van brittan brown childhood

Brown , an electronics technician. In they invented an audio-visual home security system [ 1 ] [ 2 ] That same year they applied for a patent for their security system. It was granted three years later in Both were African-American. Marie was born in Jamaica, Queens , New York.

The camera could be remotely moved from peephole to peephole, mechanically uncovering and recovering them as it went. The camera was connected by radio to a television monitor mounted on a control panel inside the home. The television monitor allowed the occupant to see who was at the door without opening it while the microphones and loudspeakers allowed the occupant to communicate radiophonically with the visitor.

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

Biography fact about marie van brittan brown The original home security system was born out of life in a crime-ridden urban neighbourhood in the mids, as envisioned by its inventor , Marie Van Brittan Brown, an African American nurse living in Queens, New York. She worked as a nurse and her husband, Albert Brown, was an electrician. They kept different hours, meaning Marie often found herself at home alone in the evenings. Conscious of the high crime rate and sluggish police response times in her neighbourhood, she began to consider ways of protecting herself and her home. Her home security system comprised four peepholes, a sliding camera, TV monitors and microphones.

The patent also mentions the possibility of forwarding sound or vision to a security center, or recording them. A pushbutton alarm system to contact police or others is also included. The patent cited other inventors, including Edward D. Phinney and Thomas J. Reardon, as well as RCA's Closed Circuit Television Systems, Book I, pp.

, ^[4]

The patent was granted December 2, Four days later, the New York Times reported on the invention in the weekly patents report, including a photo of the Browns.^[7][8] Marie was quoted in the New York Times as saying that with her invention "a woman alone could set off an alarm immediately by pressing a button, or if the system were installed in a doctor's office, it might prevent holdups by drug addicts."^[5]

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

State of technology at the time

The majority of the components of the system were well known.

For example US3,,, approved a month or so before the Brown patent, describes a wired system with audio, video and lock control, the novel feature being, in this case, the ability to pass all the signals on a single wire. Similarly Harris Hull's patent (US3,,) is for a radio press-button alarm which sends a coded signal to alert nearby receivers. AT&T had promoted experimental video for telephony at the World's Fair, in the mid s public videophone booths were set up in Grand Central Station.

Domestic entryway CCTV was limited by price, costing around $1, for a system, making it unsuitable for most single dwellings, although many new apartments had such a system, where the cost per unit was less (as they shared the entryway equipment) and was offset by the increased value of the apartments, and hence increased rent, and, in some cases, savings on door staff.

Biography fact about marie van brittan brown and albert l brown In , she invented a video home security system along with her husband Albert Brown, an electronics technician. In the same year, they applied for a patent for their innovative security system, which was granted in Her innovation has had a huge impact on the entire security system. Her idea has expanded beyond just security for those at home, and her ideas can be seen with security systems in businesses around the world. Brown was born in Jamaica, Queens , New York; she died there at the age of 76 in

Claim of the patent

The novelty of the patent lies in the combination of the components into a system, and that is what is claimed. Specifically:

1.

Response

While they hoped to interest manufacturers and home builders, they did not succeed.^[9] The cost of the equipment at that time would have been very high.^[9] The Browns proposed to build the system in their home, to increase interest.^[5]

Legacy

The Brown's patent has been cited in 38 patent applications, as of July ^[update].^[1] Their invention has been widely cited as an inspirational story.

References

Further reading