METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR POWERING ON AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH A VIDEO CAMERA THAT DETECTS MOTION

• US 20070136774A1
• Filed: 02/22/2007
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Lourie, Gunner Danneels, Pedro Fajardo
• Original Assignee: David Lourie, Gunner Danneels, Pedro Fajardo
• Inventors: Danneels, Gunner, Lourie, David, Fajardo, Pedro
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19634 Electrical details of the system, e.g. component blocks for carrying out specific functions
• 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 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling power up of an electronic device with a video camera is provided. The present invention provides for using a video camera attached to an electronic device, such as a computer system, to cause the electronic device to be powered up from sleep mode when motion is detected. The electronic device may also be powered up from being shut down. In one embodiment, the video camera includes a processor and memory that compare consecutive frames captured by the video camera. When the electronic device is in sleep mode, if consecutive frames are the same, the video camera continues to monitor the scene without generating an output signal. If the frames are different, motion is detected and the video camera generates a signal that is used to determine whether the electronic device should power up. In this manner, the electronic device may begin the powering up process before the user of the device interacts with the device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computer, the computer to transition from an active mode to a sleep mode in response to a predetermined period of computer inactivity; and

a video camera coupled to the computer to detect motion, the video camera including a memory to store a plurality of frames corresponding to a view of an area proximate to the computer at different times and a processor coupled to the memory to compare two of the plurality of frames of the view to each other while the computer is in the sleep mode to determine whether there is motion proximate to the computer and to cause the computer to exit the sleep mode in response to detected motion proximate to the computer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to cause the computer to exit the sleep mode in response to the two frames differing by a predetermined amount.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising reset circuitry coupled to the processor to power up the computer to exit the sleep mode.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is a personal computer (PC).

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the video camera is to capture frames when the computer is in active mode, at a different frame rate than when the computer is in sleep mode.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the frame rate in sleep mode is lower than in active mode.

7. A method comprising:

causing a computer to transition from an active mode to a sleep mode in response to a predetermined period of computer inactivity;

capturing a first frame, in a video camera coupled to the computer, corresponding to a view proximate to the computer at a first time while the computer is in the sleep mode;

capturing a second frame, in the video camera, corresponding to the view at a second time while the computer is in the sleep mode;

determining whether there is motion proximate to the computer while the computer is in the sleep mode by determining whether the first frame differs from the second frame; and

sending a signal from the video camera to the computer that causes the computer to exit the sleep mode, in response to motion detected proximate to the computer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether there is motion proximate to the computer while the computer is in the sleep mode comprises determining by a processor internal to the video camera whether the first frame differs from the second frame by a predetermined amount.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the video camera is to capture frames when the computer is in active mode, at a different frame rate than when the computer is in sleep mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the frame rate in sleep mode is lower than in active mode.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining comprises:

determining an average brightness of the first frame;

determining an average brightness of the second frame; and

calculating a difference as a function of the average brightness of the first and second frames.