Image-forming device with external activity-recording camera

• US 20030202100A1
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Prenn, Michael P.
• Application Number:
  US10/136,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20030202100A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/155
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An image-forming device with an external activity-recording camera is disclosed. The image-forming device includes a case, a printing mechanism disposed within the case, and the camera. The camera is disposed at the case, and is event-driven to record external activity around the image-forming device.

Claims

1. An image-forming device comprising:

a case;

an image-forming mechanism disposed within the case; and

,

an event-driven camera disposed at the case to record external activity around the image-forming device.

2. The image-forming device of claim 1, wherein the event-driven camera comprises a video camera capable of recording video of the external activity around the image-forming device.

3. The image-forming device of claim 1, wherein the event-driven camera comprises a still camera capable of recording still images of the external activity around the image-forming device.

4. The image-forming device of claim 1, further comprising one or more user-activated controls and user-operable mechanisms disposed at the case, utilization of one of the user-activated controls and the user-operable mechanisms constituting an event causing the event-driven camera to record the external activity around the image-forming device.

5. The image-forming device of claim 1, further comprising a motion detector disposed at the case, detection of motion by the motion detector constituting an event causing the event-driven camera to record the external activity around the image-forming device.

6. The image-forming device of claim 1, further comprising a time mechanism capable of providing a current time, such that the event-driven camera only records the external activity when the current time is between a preset and user-adjustable starting time and a preset and user-adjustable ending time.

7. The image-forming device of claim 1, further comprising a storage to store the external activity recorded by the event-driven camera.

8. The image-forming device of claim 1, further comprising a communication mechanism to send the external activity recorded by the event-driven camera over a network to an external storage.

9. The image-forming device of claim 1, further comprising an internal server mechanism with which a user is able to communicate via a networked computerized device over a network to view the external activity as recorded by the event-driven camera.

10. The image-forming device of claim 1, wherein the event-driven camera is at least one of:

tamper-proof, hidden, and substantially undetectable.

11. A method comprising:

detecting a predetermined event; and

,

in response to detecting the predetermined event, recording external activity around an image-forming device as data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the predetermined event comprises detecting utilization of one of a user-activated control and a user-operable mechanism of the image-forming device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the predetermined event comprises detecting motion around the image-forming device.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising performing at least one of time-stamping the data and compressing the data.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing the data and enabling a user to review the data over a network.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the predetermined event and recording the external activity is performed only when a current time is between a preset and user-adjustable starting time and a preset and user-adjustable ending time.

17. A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform a method comprising:

detecting activity around an image-forming device by a motion detector disposed at the image-forming device;

detecting utilization of one of a user-activated control and a user-operable mechanism of the image-forming device;

in response to detecting at least one of the activity around the image-forming device and the utilization of the one of the user-activated control and the user-operable mechanism of the image-forming device,

recording the external activity around the image-forming device with a camera as data;

storing the data; and

,

enabling a user to review the data over a network.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein recording the external activity around the image-forming device with the camera as the data comprises recording the external activity around the image-forming device with a video camera as data representing video of the external activity.

19. The medium of claim 17, wherein recording the external activity around the image-forming device with the camera as the data comprises recording the external activity around the image-forming device with a still camera as data representing still images of the external activity.

20. The medium of claim 17, the method further comprising, prior to storing the data, performing at least one of:

timestamping the data and compressing the data.