Recyclable digital camera

• US 20050041144A1
• Filed: 12/02/2002
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DVC International Limited
• Original Assignee: DVC International Limited
• Inventors: Wright, Justin David, Mitchell, Colin, Urwin, Richard William Ross
• Application Number:
  US10/497,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20050041144A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/376
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

A recyclable digital camera including a casing, a lens housed within the casing, an encoding device arranged to encode information from the lens into a format suitable for storing in a storage device, a storage device arranged to store information from the encoder, and a controller arranged to encrypt information from the encoding device before the information is stored in the storage device, then a controller further arranged to delete information from the storage device and record over the storage device with random information upon request.

Claims

1. A recyclable digital camera including a casing, a lens housed within the casing, an encoding device arranged to encode information from the lens into a format suitable for storing in a storage device, a storage device arranged to store information from the encoder, at least one power source arranged to provide power to the encoding device, storage device and a controller, and a controller arranged to encrypt information from the encoding device before the information is stored in the storage device, the controller further arranged to delete information from the storage device and record over the storage device with random information upon request.

2. A recyclable digital camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the controller is further arranged to detect tampering.

3. A recyclable digital camera as claimed in claim 2 wherein the controller is arranged to deactivate the storage device if tampering is detected.

4. A recyclable digital camera including a casing surrounding an image module and housing, a lens, an image viewer, a microphone, auditory circuitry, and an encoding device arranged to encode information from the lens into a format suitable for storing in a storage device, the camera further including a casing surrounding a memory module and housing at least one power source, a storage device arranged to store information from the encoder, and a controller arranged to encrypt information from the encoding device before the information is stored in the storage device, the controller further arranged to delete information from the storage device and record over the storage device with random information upon request.

5. A recyclable digital camera as claimed in claim 4 wherein the controller is further arranged to detect tampering.

6. A recyclable digital camera as claimed in claim 5 wherein the controller is arranged to deactivate the storage device if tampering is detected.

7. A recyclable digital camera including a casing, a lens housed within the casing, an encoding device arranged to encode information from the lens into a format suitable for storing in a storage device, and a storage device arranged to store information from the encoder and a controller arranged to allow the memory to become filled with images and then to prevent further images being stored on the storage device and prevent deletion of images from the storage device until a predetermined instruction is received.

8. A camera exchange system including a plurality of single use digital cameras each camera able to record both video and still images, each camera including a controller that encrypts the images stored in memory, at least one receiving station arranged to read the images from a camera memory, decrypt the images and provide the images to a user in a required form, and at least one recycling station for recycling used cameras by at least replacing the camera case.

9. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the receiving station provides images to the user in the form of pictures.

10. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the receiving station provides images to the user as a video.

11. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the receiving station provides images to the user as a CD.

12. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the receiving station provides images to the user as a DVD.

13. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the receiving station provides images to the user as an email.

14. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the receiving station provides images to the user on a website.

15. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the recycling station provides the camera with a new encryption key.

16. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the encryption key used by the camera is a 32-bit rolling encryption key.

17. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the receiving station instructs the camera to delete images stored in the camera once the images have been provided to a user.

18. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the receiving station further instructs the camera to overwrite any data stored in the camera memory after the camera has deleted images stored in the camera.

19. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 8 wherein a refund is provided to the user when the user provides the receiving station with a camera.

20. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the camera further includes a controller arranged to detect tampering.

21. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 20 wherein the controller is arranged to deactivate the storage device if tampering is detected.

22. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 8 wherein at the recycling station the lens of the camera is replaced.

23. A camera exchange system as claimed in claim 8 wherein at the recycling station the battery of the camera is replaced.

24. A camera exchange method including providing a plurality of single use digital cameras each camera able to record both video and still images, each camera including a controller arranged to encrypt the images stored in the memory of the camera, receiving at least one camera at a receiving station the receiving station arranged to read the images from the camera memory, decrypt the images and provide the images to a user in a required form, and recycling the at least one camera at a recycling station.

25. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the receiving station provides images to the user in the form of pictures.

26. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the receiving station provides images to the user as a video.

27. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the receiving station provides images to the user as a CD.

28. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the receiving station provides images to the user as a DVD.

29. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the receiving station provides images to the user as an email.

30. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the receiving station provides images to the user on a website.

31. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the recycling station provides the camera with a new encryption key.

32. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the encryption key used by the camera is a 32-bit rolling encryption key.

33. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the receiving station instruction the camera to delete images stored in the camera once the images have been provided to a user.

34. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the receiving station further instructs the camera to overwrite any data stored in the camera memory after the camera has deleted images stored in the camera.

35. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 24 wherein a refund is provided to the user when the user provides the receiving station with a camera.

36. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the camera further includes a controller arranged to detect tampering.

37. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 36 wherein the controller is arranged to deactivate the storage device if tampering is detected.

38. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 24 wherein at the recycling station the lens of the camera is replaced.

39. A camera exchange method as claimed in claim 24 wherein at the recycling station the battery of the camera is replaced.