Systems, apparatus, and methods for surveillance of an area

• US 20040233282A1
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Byrne, Daniel Joseph, Beemer, Jeffrey Brian, Stavely, Donald J., Thorland, Miles Kevin, Pyle, Norman Conrad, Pandit, Amol Subhash
• Application Number:
  US10/443,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20040233282A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19621 Portable camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19663 Surveillance related processing done local to the camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for facilitating surveillance of an area. In one embodiment, a system and a method comprise capturing images of the area under surveillance using a portable digital camera, detecting motion occurring within the area under surveillance, and storing images of the area under surveillance captured by the digital camera.

Claims

1. A method for conducting surveillance of an area, comprising:

capturing images of the area under surveillance using a portable digital camera;

detecting motion occurring within the area under surveillance; and

storing images of the area under surveillance captured by the digital camera.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing images of the area under surveillance comprises capturing images of the area under surveillance using a portable, consumer digital camera.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing images comprises capturing relatively high resolution images when motion is detected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting motion comprises comparing sequential images captured by the portable digital camera to determine the degree to which pixels in an image changed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein comparing sequential images comprises comparing sequential images using a motion detection algorithm of the portable digital camera.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein storing images comprises only storing images when motion is detected.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein storing images comprises storing images on a user computing device in communication with the portable digital camera.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein storing images comprises storing images on the portable digital camera.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising cropping images before they are stored on the portable digital camera.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing an image capture resolution of the portable digital camera in response to motion detection such that relatively high resolution images are captured and stored when motion is detected.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking detected motion.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein tracking detected motion comprises adjusting zoom of the portable digital camera.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein tracking detected motion comprises moving the portable digital camera using a docking station on which the camera docks.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting data to another device when motion is detected.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting data comprises transmitting an intruder alert to the device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting data comprises transmitting an image to the device.

17. A surveillance system, comprising:

a portable digital camera; and

a camera docking station that is adapted to receive the portable digital camera, the docking station being configured to move the portable digital camera such that a lens of the camera can be pointed in different directions.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the portable digital camera comprises a portable, consumer digital camera.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the portable digital camera comprises a surveillance module that is configured to detect motion that occurs in an area under surveillance.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the portable digital camera comprises a surveillance module that is configured to control movement of the camera docking station.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the camera docking station comprises at least one actuator that moves the docking station so as to at least one of rotate and tilt the portable digital camera.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising a user computing device in communication with the portable digital camera.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the user computing device is in communication with the portable digital camera via the camera docking station.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the user computing device comprises a surveillance system that is configured to detect motion that occurs in an area under surveillance by analyzing sequential images captured by the portable digital camera.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein surveillance system of the user computing device is configured to control operation of the portable digital camera and the camera docking station.

26. A portable digital camera, comprising:

a camera lens;

a processor; and

memory including a camera surveillance module that is configured to detect motion that occurs in an area under surveillance and to control movement of a camera docking station on which the camera docks so as to change the direction at which the camera lens points.

27. A camera docking station, comprising:

an interface that is configured to electrically connect the docking station to a digital camera that docks on the docking station; and

at least one actuator, the actuator being configured to move the docking station to change the direction in which a lens of the digital camera is pointed.