Motion detector camera

• US 20040233287A1
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Good Sportsman Marketing LLC
• Original Assignee: IP Holdings Incorporated (IP Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Schnell, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 7,149,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/155
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04

Abstract

A motion detector camera includes a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing, a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing, and a controller for controlling the camera mechanism in response to signals received from the motion detector. The camera can include an activity counter mounted to the housing. The controller activates the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector, or the controller activates the activity counter and does not activate the camera mechanism when a triggering activity occurs. The camera can include digital camera electronics. A camera support can be used to removably mount the camera to an object such as a tree.

Claims

1. A motion detector camera comprising:

a housing;

a camera mechanism mounted within the housing;

a motion detector;

a controller connected to the camera mechanism and the motion detector; and

a display screen exposed on an outer surface of the housing.

2. The motion detector camera of claim 1, wherein the display screen includes an LCD screen.

3. The motion detector camera of claim 1, wherein the housing is adapted to be mountable with a back surface of the housing against a supporting object such that the display screen is exposed on a front surface of the housing.

4. The motion detector camera of claim 1, wherein the camera mechanism includes digital camera electronics.

5. The motion detector camera of claim 1, wherein the display screen is configured to display a power level of a power source located within the housing.

6. The motion detector camera of claim 1, wherein the display screen is configured to display a number of triggering activities received by the controller from the motion detector.

7. The motion detector camera of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a pause state, wherein when put into the pause state, the controller does not activate the camera mechanism after receiving a triggering event signal from the motion detector.

8. The motion detector camera of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a test mode, wherein when put into the test mode, the controller causes a test indicator to activate but does not cause the camera mechanism to take a picture.

9. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism located inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing;

an activity counter for displaying a number of triggering signals received from the motion detector; and

a controller to receive the triggering signals from the motion detector, wherein when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector, the controller increases the number displayed by the activity counter.

10. The motion detector camera of claim 9, wherein the controller includes a test mode, wherein when put into the test mode the controller activates a test indicator and does not activate the camera mechanism when a triggering activity occurs.

11. The motion detector of claim 9, wherein the camera mechanism includes digital camera electronics.

12. The motion detector camera of claim 9, including a flash exposed on a surface of the housing and having a range of at least 23 feet.

13. The motion detector camera of claim 9, wherein the controller includes a pause state, wherein when put into the pause state, the controller does not activate the camera mechanism after receiving a triggering event signal from the motion detector.

14. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing;

an activity counter for recording a number of triggering signals received from the motion detector; and

a controller to receive the triggering signals from the motion detector, wherein when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector, the controller increases the number recorded by the activity counter.

15. The motion detector camera of claim 14, wherein the camera mechanism includes digital camera electronics.

16. The motion detector camera of claim 14, including a flash exposed on a surface of the housing and having a range of at least 23 feet.

17. The motion detector camera of claim 14, wherein the controller includes a pause state, wherein when put into the pause state, the controller does not activate the camera mechanism after receiving a triggering event signal from the motion detector.

18. A motion detector camera comprising:

a housing;

a camera mechanism mounted within the housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing;

a controller operatively coupled to the camera mechanism and the motion detector, wherein the controller is adapted to send an activation signal to the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector; and

a memory connected to the controller, wherein the controller can be programmed to store a number designating a total of the received triggering signals in the memory.

19. The motion detector camera of claim 18, wherein the controller can be programmed to time and date stamp each of the triggering signals in the memory.

20. The motion detector camera of claim 19, wherein a user can retrieve the time and date of each of the triggering signals from the memory.

21. The motion detector camera of claim 18, wherein the controller includes at least two operating modes, wherein in a first mode the controller activates the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector, and wherein in a second mode the controller stores the triggering signal in the memory and does not activate the camera mechanism when the controller receives the triggering signal from the motion detector.

22. The motion detector camera of claim 18, wherein the controller includes a test mode wherein the controller activates a test indicator and does not activate the camera mechanism when a triggering signal is received from the motion detector.

23. A motion detector camera comprising:

a housing;

a printed circuit board mounted within the housing;

digital camera electronics mounted to the circuit board;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing;

a controller for controlling the digital camera electronics in response to signals received from the motion detector;

a flash connected to the circuit board;

a first power source connected to the flash and the digital camera electronics; and

a second power source connected to the motion detector and not connected to the flash and the digital camera electronics.

24. The motion detector camera of claim 23, wherein the first power source and the second power source are both mounted with a battery holding area within the housing.

25. The motion detector camera of claim 23, wherein at least one of the first power source and the second power source includes a solar power source.

26. The motion detector camera of claim 23, wherein the first power source and the second power source include two or more batteries mounted together within the housing.

27. The motion detector camera of claim 23, wherein the controller includes a pause state, wherein when put into the pause state, the controller does not activate the camera mechanism after receiving a triggering event signal from the motion detector.

28. The motion detector camera of claim 23, wherein the controller includes a test mode, wherein when put into the test mode, the controller causes a test indicator to activate but does not cause the camera mechanism to take a picture.

29. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing; and

a controller to control the camera mechanism in response to triggering signals received from the motion detector;

wherein the motion detector is adjustable to alternatively detect motion at up to two different distances.

30. The motion detector camera of claim 29, wherein the controller includes a pause state, wherein when put into the pause state, the controller does not activate the camera mechanism after receiving a triggering event signal from the motion detector.

31. The motion detector camera of claim 29, wherein the controller includes a test mode, wherein when put into the test mode, the controller causes a test indicator to activate but does not cause the camera mechanism to take a picture.

32. A motion detector camera comprising:

a housing;

a camera mechanism mounted within the housing;

a power source connected to the camera mechanism;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing;

a controller operatively coupled to the camera mechanism and the motion detector, wherein the controller is adapted to send an activation signal to the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector; and

an indicator on a surface of the housing to indicate when the power source is low on power.

33. The motion detector camera of claim 32, wherein the power source includes one or more batteries mounted within the housing.

34. The motion detector of claim 32, wherein the indicator includes a light.

35. The motion detector camera of claim 32, wherein the controller includes a pause state, wherein when put into the pause state, the controller does not activate the camera mechanism after receiving a triggering event signal from the motion detector.

36. The motion detector camera of claim 32, wherein the controller includes a test mode, wherein when put into the test mode, the controller causes a test indicator to activate but does not cause the camera mechanism to take a picture.

37. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism located inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing; and

a controller coupled to the camera mechanism to send activation signals to the camera mechanism in response to triggering signals received from the motion detector, the controller including a pause state, wherein when put into the pause state, the controller does not send any activation signals to the camera mechanism until a pre-determined amount of time has elapsed.

40. A method comprising:

providing a motion detector camera configured to take pictures of activities happening away from the motion detector camera; and

displaying information concerning the motion detector camera on a display on a surface of the motion detector camera.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein displaying information includes displaying a power level of a power source within the motion detector camera.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein displaying information includes displaying a number of triggering activities received from a motion detector of the motion detector camera.

43. A method comprising:

a controller in a motion detector camera receiving triggering signals from a motion detector;

storing information concerning the triggering signals in a memory of the motion detector camera; and

retrieving the information concerning one or more of the triggering signals from the memory.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein retrieving the information includes retrieving a date and a time of a triggering signal.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein retrieving the information includes retrieving a number from the memory indicating a total number of triggering signals stored in the memory.

46. A method comprising:

setting a motion detector on a motion detector camera to detect motion occurring between the camera and a first distance away from the camera or occurring between the camera and a second, longer distance away from the camera; and

activating a camera mechanism within the motion detector camera in response to signals received from the motion detector.

38. The motion detector camera of claim 48, wherein the pause state is adjustable from between a 1 minute pause to a 60 minute pause.

39. The motion detector camera of claim 48, wherein the camera mechanism includes digital camera electronics.

47. The method of claim 46, further including activating a flash in response to signals received from the motion detector.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the motion detector includes an infrared sensor.