System and method for remotely monitoring and/or viewing images from a camera or video device

• US 20060150227A1
• Filed: 01/03/2006
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ORB Networks Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Le Nerriec, Johan, Julia, Luc, Serghine, Maklouf
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/147 Scene change detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A system and method are provided for remotely monitoring images from an image capturing device. Image data from an image capturing component is received where image data represents images of a scene in a field of view of the image capturing component. The image data may be analyzed to determine that the scene has changed. A determination may be made that the scene has changed. In response to this determination being made, a communication may be transmitted to a designated device, recipient or network location. The communication may be informative that a scene change or event occurred. The communication may be in the form of a notification or an actual image or series of images of the scene after the change or event.

Claims

1. A method for remotely monitoring images from an image capturing device, the method comprising:

receiving image data from an image capturing component, wherein the image data represents one or more images of a scene in a field of view of the image capturing component;

analyzing the image data to determine that the scene has changed;

responsive to determining that the scene has changed, sending a communication that pertains to the image data over a network to inform a designated person or end device of the scene change.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving image data includes receiving video data, and

sending a communication includes sending video data that includes one or more images of the scene change.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the image data includes comparing image data of a past instance with image data of a current instance to determine how the scene has changed from the past instance to the current instance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending a communication includes sending a notification to an end device using one or more public data networks.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of receiving a response from the end device to receive one or more images of the scene change, and automatically sending image data that includes one or more images of the scene change to the end device after receiving the response.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the end device is a wireless device, and wherein the one or more public networks include a cellular network.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising recording the image data that includes one or more images of the scene change for retrieval after sending the notification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sending a communication includes sending image data that includes image data of the scene change to an end device using one or more public data networks.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of recording the image data that includes one or more images of the scene change in a file that is accessible from a public network.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein sending video data includes identifying a capability of the end device to receive video data, and then configuring the video data based on the identified capability.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein configuring the video data based on the identified capability includes reducing a video stream received from the image capturing device for transport to the wireless end device.

12. A system for remotely monitoring images from an image capturing device, the system comprising:

a receiving module that is coupleable to an image capturing device to receive image data of a scene in a field of view of the image capturing device;

an analysis module configured to use the image data to determine whether the scene has changed over a duration of time; and

a communication module that sends a communication to a device or person using one or more public networks, wherein the communication indicates that the scene has changed.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the image data includes video data comprising a series of frames captured in the duration of time, and wherein the analysis module compares one or more frames in the duration of time to determine that the scene has changed.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication module is configured to:

send a notification to an end device using one or more public networks;

receive a response from the end device that corresponds to the end device requesting to receive one or more images of the scene in the duration of time; and

after receiving the response, automatically send image data that includes the one or more images of the scene in the duration of time to the end device.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a memory medium;

and

wherein the receiving module is configured to store image data of the scene in the duration of time in the memory medium.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the receiving module is configured to store image data of the scene in the duration of time at a location in the memory medium that is accessible for remote retrieval over a public network.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication module is configured to send image data that includes one or more images of the scene in the duration of time to the end device automatically after the analysis module determines that the scene has changed.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the image data received by the receiving module includes video data, and wherein communication module is configured to identify a capability of the end device to receive video.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the communication module is configured to configure the video data for the end device based on a capability of the end device to receive the video data.

20. A method remotely monitoring images from an image capturing device, the method comprising:

receiving image data from an image capturing component, wherein the image data represents one or more images of a scene in a field of view of the image capturing component;

detecting that an event has occurred;

sending image data to an end device over a network in response to detecting the event.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein detecting an event includes detecting a scheduled event.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein in response to detecting the event has occurred, the method further comprises recording image data from the scene after the event has occurred.