DIGITAL CAMERA SECURITY

• US 20090122149A1
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Ishii, Kensuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,154,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00153 for sharing images with a selected individual or correspondent
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00514 for individual users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4406 Restricting access, e.g. according to user identity mechanisms actuated y cards, PIN or the like in apparatus for dispensing G07F7/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4486 using digital data encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

An image capture device, includes a body; an image sensor in the body; a lens configured to focus a scene onto the image sensor; a communications interface in the body; an image processor coupled to receive device information from an external device; a controller coupled to the communications interface and configured to control operations of the digital camera; and executable code embodied in a computer readable medium and configured to cause the controller to configure operational parameters of the digital camera based on information received from the external device. Examples of operational parameters that can be configured include locking and unlocking of the image capture device, encryption or other encoding of captured images, and device settings and configuration.

Claims

1. A digital camera, comprising:

a body;

an image sensor in the body;

a lens configured to focus a scene onto the image sensor;

a communications interface in the body and configured to receive device information from an external device;

a controller coupled to the communications interface and configured to control operations of the digital camera; and

executable code embodied in a computer readable medium and configured to cause the controller to configure operational parameters of the digital camera based on information received from the external device.

2. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein the executable code, further comprises executable code configured to cause the controller to store selected operational parameters associated with the external device and to register the associated external device with the stored operational parameters.

3. The digital camera of claim 2, wherein the stored operational parameters are specified by a user during registration of the external device.

4. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein the executable code configured to cause the controller to configure operational parameters comprises executable code configured to cause the controller to enable operation of the digital camera when the external device is in communicative contact with the communications interface, and to disable operation of the digital camera when the external device is not in communicative contact with the communications interface.

5. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein the executable code configured to cause the controller to configure operational parameters comprises executable code configured to unlock the digital camera when the external device is in communicative contact with the communications interface, and to lock the digital camera when the external device is not in communicative contact with the communications interface.

6. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein the executable code configured to cause the controller to configure operational parameters comprises executable code configured to cause the controller to encode images with a key based on the information received from the external device.

7. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein the executable code configured to cause the controller to configure operational parameters comprises executable code configured to cause the controller to use the information received from the external device to determine whether the external device is authorized to receive images from the digital camera and to allow transfer of images to the external device only if the external device is authorized to receive images from the camera.

8. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein the executable code configured to cause the controller to configure operational parameters comprises executable code configured to set the configuration of the digital camera based on the information received from the external device.

9. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein the information received from the external device comprises a device ID

10. The digital camera of claim 9, wherein the device ID comprises a MAC address.

11. A digital camera, comprising a body;

an image sensor in the body;

a lens configured to focus a scene onto the image sensor;

a communications interface in the body and configured to receive device information from an external device;

a controller coupled to the communications interface and configured to control operations of the digital camera; and

executable code embodied in a computer readable medium, wherein the executable code is configured to cause the controller to encode captured images with a key based on the information received from the external device.

12. The digital camera of claim 11, wherein the information received from the external device comprises a device ID and the device ID is used as an encryption key or used to generate an encryption key for encoding images captured by the digital camera, wherein the encryption key is specific to the external device.

13. The digital camera of claim 12, wherein the executable code is further configured to cause the controller to decode images using a decryption key based on the device ID of the external device.

14. The digital camera of claim 11, wherein the executable code is further configured to cause the controller to transfer captured images to the external device after determining that the external device is authorized to receive the captured images.

15. The digital camera of claim 11, wherein the executable code is further configured to cause the controller to decode the captured images prior to transferring them to the external device.

16. A digital camera, comprising a body;

an image sensor in the body;

a lens configured to focus a scene onto the image sensor;

a communications interface in the body and configured to receive device information from an external device;

a controller coupled to the communications interface and configured to control operations of the digital camera; and

executable code embodied in a computer readable medium, wherein the executable code is configured to set the configuration of the digital camera based on the information received from the external device.

17. The digital camera of claim 16, wherein the information received from the external device comprises a device ID and the executable code is configured to cause the controller to retrieve operational parameters for the digital camera associated with the device ID, and to configure the digital camera according to the retrieved operational parameters.

18. The digital camera of claim 17, wherein the camera configuration comprises camera settings specific to the external device or devices associated with the device ID.

19. The digital camera of claim 16, wherein the executable code is configured to cause the controller to automatically retrieve the operational parameters and configure the digital camera when the external device comes into communicative contact with the digital camera.

20. A method for controlling operational parameters of a digital camera, comprising:

establishing a communication link with an external device;

receiving device information from the external device;

determining operational parameters of the digital camera based on information received from the external device; and

configuring operational parameters of the digital camera using the determined operational parameters.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising storing selected operational parameters associated with the external device and registering the associated external device with the selected operational parameters.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein configuring operational parameters comprises configuring the digital camera to be enabled for operation when the external device is in communicative contact with the communications interface, and disabled when the external device is not in communicative contact with the communications interface.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein configuring operational parameters comprises configuring the digital camera to encode images using a key based on the information received from the external device.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein configuring operational parameters comprises setting a digital camera configuration based on the information received from the external device.

25. A digital camera, comprising a body;

an image sensor in the body;

a lens configured to focus a scene onto the image sensor;

a communications interface in the body and configured to receive device information from an external device;

a controller coupled to the communications interface and configured to control operations of the digital camera; and

executable code embodied in a computer readable medium, wherein the executable code is configured to cause the controller to enable operation of the digital camera when the external device is in communicative contact with the communications interface, and to disable operation of the digital camera when the external device is not in communicative contact with the communications interface.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the digital camera receives a device ID from the external device and the executable code is configured to cause the controller to check the device ID of the external device and to enable operation of the digital camera only when the external device has been previously registered as an authorized device.