Audio/video recording and communication devices with multiple cameras for superimposing image data

• US 10,284,792 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2018
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Siminoff, James, Siminoff, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Giles, Nicholas G
• Application Number:
  US15/887,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20180227507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

Audio/video (A/V) recording and communication devices with multiple cameras for superimposing image data in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure are provided. In one embodiment, an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device comprising: a first camera configured to capture image data at a first resolution; a second camera configured to capture image data at a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution; a memory including a rolling buffer; a communication module; and a processing module comprising: a processor; and a camera application that configures the processor to: capture first image data using the first camera; store the first image data in the rolling buffer of the memory; maintain the second camera in a low-power state; power up the second camera in response to motion detection; capture second image data using the second camera; and superimpose the first image data onto the second image data.

Claims

1. An audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device comprising:

a first camera configured to capture image data at a first resolution;

a second camera configured to capture image data at a second resolution, wherein the second resolution is higher than the first resolution;

a memory including a rolling buffer;

a communication module; and

a processing module operatively connected to the first camera, the memory, and the communication module, the processing module comprising;

a processor; and

a camera application, wherein the camera application configures the processor to;

capture first image data using the first camera;

store the first image data captured using the first camera in the rolling buffer of the memory;

maintain the second camera in a low-power state;

power up the second camera in response to motion detection;

capture second image data using the second camera; and

superimpose the first image data captured using the first camera onto the second image data captured using the second camera.

2. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 1, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to maintain the first camera in a powered-on state and continuously capture the first image data using the first camera.

3. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 1, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to place the first camera into a low-power state when the second camera is powered up.

4. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 1, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to revert the second camera to the low-power state when the detected motion is no longer present.

5. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 4, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to power up the first camera when the second camera is reverted to the low-power state.

6. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 1, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to power up the second camera in response to motion in a field of view of the first camera.

7. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 1, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to power up the second camera in response to motion detection in a motion zone.

8. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 1, further comprising a passive infrared (PIR) sensor and wherein the camera application further configures the processor to detect motion using the PIR sensor.

9. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 1, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to detect motion using the first image data captured using the first camera.

10. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 1, wherein the rolling buffer is configured to store 10-15 seconds of the first image data.

11. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 1, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to select a single high-resolution frame from the second image data captured using the second camera.

12. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 11, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to generate background video footage by repeating the single high-resolution frame.

13. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 12, wherein the first image data stored in the rolling buffer comprises a plurality of low-resolution frames.

14. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 13, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to determine at least one active motion block within the plurality of low-resolution frames.

15. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 14, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to determine the at least one active motion block by comparing pixel values of a first one of the low-resolution frames with corresponding pixel values of a second one of the low-resolution frames.

16. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 15, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to superimpose the first image data captured using the first camera onto the second image data captured using the second camera by superimposing the at least one action motion block onto at least one of the single high-resolution frames of the background video footage.

17. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 1, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to stream the second image data captured using the second camera to a client device using the communication module.

18. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 17, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to stream the first image data superimposed onto the second image data to the client device using the communication module.

19. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 18, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to stream the first image data superimposed onto the second image data to the client device at a first stream rate and stream the second image data captured using the second camera to the client device at a second stream rate, wherein the second stream rate is less than the first stream rate.

20. The A/V recording and communication device of claim 1, wherein the camera application further configures the processor to transmit the first image data stored in the rolling buffer and the second image data captured using the second camera to a server using the communication module.