Streaming and storing video content captured by an audio/video recording and communication device

• US 10,171,777 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gluckman, Jason, Phillips, Trevor, Roth, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Diep, Nhon T
• Application Number:
  US15/395,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20170195639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19665 Details related to the storage of video surveillance data television signal recording H04N5/76
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1628 List acknowledgements, i.e. the acknowledgement message consisting of a list of identifiers, e.g. of sequence numbers H04L1/1614 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1874 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones

Abstract

The present embodiments solve the problem of low-quality stored footage from video stream by storing copies of data packets at a local storage device of the A/V recording and communication device. The locally stored data is subsequently (e.g., after the live stream has terminated) uploaded to a remote storage device. If any data packets are lost during the upload process, those lost data packets can be re-sent from the local storage device to the remote storage device so that the complete recording can be stored at the remote storage device. The subsequent upload process may, in some embodiments, comprise a reliable data transfer protocol.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting and storing video images captured by an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device, the A/V recording and communication device including a camera and a local storage device, the A/V recording and communication device being connected to a network, the method comprising:

the A/V recording and communication device detecting a person at the A/V recording and communication device;

the camera of the A/V recording and communication device capturing video images from within a field of view of the camera at the A/V recording and communication device;

initiating a call to a client device via the network;

transmitting the video images in a plurality of data packets to the client device via the network;

receiving at least one negative-acknowledgement (NACK) indicating that at least one of the data packets was lost in transmission;

retransmitting the lost data packets to the network;

receiving a message with a list of data packets that were lost in retransmission;

storing copies of the data packets on the list at the local storage device of the A/V recording and communication device;

receiving a notification that the call with the client device has terminated; and

after receiving the notification that the call with the client device has terminated, retrieving the data packets stored at the local storage device of the A/V recording and communication device and retransmitting the retrieved data packets to the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieved data packets are retransmitted to the network using a reliable data transfer protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the A/V recording and communication device further comprises a sensor, and wherein detecting the person at the A/V recording and communication device comprises the sensor detecting the person.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensor is a motion sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the A/V recording and communication device is a doorbell having a button.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting the person at the A/V recording and communication device comprises detecting that the button has been depressed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the A/V recording and communication device further comprises a microphone and a speaker.

8. An audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device, the A/V recording and communication device comprising:

a camera, a processor, a memory, and a local storage device, the A/V recording and communication device being connected to a network, wherein the memory stores code operable by the processor for

detecting a person at the A/V recording and communication device;

capturing video images from within a field of view of the camera at the A/V recording and communication device;

initiating a call to a client device via the network;

transmitting the video images in a plurality of data packets to the client device via the network;

receiving at least one negative-acknowledgement (NACK) indicating that at least one of the data packets was lost in transmission;

retransmitting the lost data packets to the network;

receiving a message with a list of data packets that were lost in retransmission;

storing copies of the data packets on the list at the local storage device of the A/V recording and communication device;

receiving a notification that the call with the client device has terminated; and

after receiving the notification that the call with the client device has terminated, retrieving the data packets stored at the local storage device of the A/V recording and communication device and retransmitting the retrieved data packets to the network.

9. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 8, wherein the retrieved data packets are retransmitted to the network using a reliable data transfer protocol.

10. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 8, wherein the A/V recording and communication device further comprises a sensor, and wherein detecting the person at the A/V recording and communication device comprises the sensor detecting the person.

11. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 10, wherein the sensor is a motion sensor.

12. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 8, wherein the A/V recording and communication device is a doorbell having a button.

13. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 12, wherein detecting the person at the A/V recording and communication device comprises detecting that the button has been depressed.

14. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 8, wherein the A/V recording and communication device further comprises a microphone and a speaker.