VIDEO CAMERA UTILIZING SUBSCRIBER-BASED NETWORKS

• US 20090191913A1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Randall S. Jones
• Original Assignee: Randall S. Jones
• Inventors: Jones, Randall S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,253,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

The present invention includes a video camera system configured to provide real-time video streams over subscriber-based networks. The video camera system includes a network camera with a built-in web server, a cellular modem/Ethernet gateway, and a power supply. The video camera system can operate over any subscriber-based network, such as AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, and the like.

Claims

1. A video camera system utilizing a subscriber-based network, comprising:

a network video camera comprising an adjustable broadcast rate, wherein the adjustable broadcast rate is set responsive to bandwidth on the subscriber-based network;

a cellular modem configured to connect to the subscriber-based network; and

a gateway comprising a public side connection connected to the cellular modem and a private side connection connected to the network video camera.

2. The video camera system of claim 1, wherein the cellular modem configured to connect to the subscriber-based network comprises a bandwidth plan from the subscriber-based network;

wherein the bandwidth plan comprises a static Internet Protocol address; and

wherein the network camera further comprises a web server configured to connect over the Internet.

3. The video camera system of claim 2, wherein port forwarding is configured on the gateway to bridge the public side connection to the private side connection;

and

wherein the web server is configured to receive video requests based on the port forwarding and to provide video from the network video camera over the Internet.

4. The video camera system of claim 3, wherein the gateway further comprises one or more connections on the private side connection;

wherein the port forwarding is configured on the private side connection connected to the network video camera; and

wherein die one or more connections are configured to connect to Ethernet devices.

5. The video camera system of claim 1, further comprising a power supply connected to the network video camera, the cellular modem, and the gateway.

6. The video camera system of claim 5, wherein the power supply comprises a battery.

7. The video camera system of claim 6, further comprising a solar panel configured to recharge the battery.

8. The video camera system of claim 6, further comprising a case, wherein the network video camera, the cellular modem, the gateway, and the battery are located in the case.

9. The video camera system of claim 1, wherein the cellular modem and the gateway are integrated with a single module.

10. The video camera system of claim 1, wherein subscriber-based network comprises one of AT&

T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

11. A method for utilizing a video camera over a subscriber-based network, comprising:

establishing a subscriber-based network plan for a cellular modem/gateway;

adjusting a refresh rate of a network camera responsive to bandwidth of the subscriber-based network plan;

connecting the cellular modern/gateway to the subscriber-based network;

connecting the network camera to the cellular modem/gateway; and

receiving a static Internet Protocol address from the subscriber-based network.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising configuring port forwarding on the cellular modem/gateway to enable the network camera to transmit on the static Internet Protocol address.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising accessing the network camera over the Internet based on the static Internet Protocol address.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising assigning a domain name server name to the static Internet Protocol address.

15. An integrated video camera system utilizing a subscriber-based network, comprising:

a network video camera comprising an adjustable broadcast rate, wherein the adjustable broadcast rate is set responsive to bandwidth on the subscriber-based network;

a cellular modem/gateway configured to connect to the subscriber-based network, wherein the gateway comprises a public side connection and a private side connection comprising one or more network ports, wherein the public side connection is connected based on a static Internet Protocol address to the Internet through the subscriber-based network, wherein the one of the one or more network ports is connected to the network video camera, and wherein the one of the one or more network ports is configured with port forwarding; and

a power supply connected to the network video camera and the cellular modem/gateway.

16. The integrated video camera system of claim 15, wherein the power supply comprises a battery.

17. The integrated video camera system of claim 16, further comprising a solar panel configured to recharge the battery.

18. The integrated video camera system of claim 16, further comprising a case, wherein the network video camera, cellular modem/gateway, and the battery are located in the case.

19. The integrated video camera system of claim 16, wherein subscriber-based network comprises one of AT&

T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

20. The integrated video camera system of claim 15, wherein an Internet-enabled device is configured to receive video over a web connection from the integrated video camera system.