Wireless Network Camera Systems

• US 20100141762A1
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axis AB (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Micropower Appliance
• Inventors: Siann, Jon, Espey, Dennis James
• Granted Patent: US 8,050,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00315 with a radio transmission apparatus with a cordless telephone H04N1/00305; systems or arrangements for the transmission of a picture signal specially adapted for transmission via radio H04N1/00103; H04N1/00307 takes precedence; radio transmission systems H04B7/00; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

Apparatus, systems and techniques associated with battery powered wireless camera systems. One aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a system that includes a battery powered wireless camera including an internal battery to provide energy and a burst transmission unit to transmit information during burst periods. The system includes a base station, separated from the battery powered wireless camera, in wireless communication with the battery powered wireless camera to receive information from the battery powered wireless camera. The base station is configured to process the received information and includes a web server to transmit the processed information to a client. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products.

Claims

1. A wireless camera system comprising:

one or more battery powered wireless cameras, each of the one or more battery powered wireless cameras including an internal battery to provide energy and a burst transmission unit to transmit information during burst periods; and

a base station, separated from the one or more battery powered wireless cameras, in wireless communication with the one or more battery powered wireless camera and configured to receive information from the one or more battery powered wireless camera, the base station configured to process the received information and including a web server to transmit the processed information to a client.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal battery is configured to provide energy without a power cable connected to an external power source that is external to the camera.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station configured to receive information from the one or more battery powered wireless cameras to perform operations that comprise:

scanning one or more communication channels for channel availability between the base station and the one or more battery powered wireless cameras;

obtaining an available channel for data transmission based on the scanning of channel availability; and

associating the available channel with a specific one of the one or more battery powered wireless cameras.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the associating comprises:

reserving the available channel for a predetermined period of time; and

assigning the reserved available channel to the specific one of the one or more battery powered wireless cameras.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein during the predetermined period of time, the available channel appears to the other one or more battery powered wireless cameras as unavailable for wireless communication.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the one or more battery powered wireless cameras includes a scanning circuitry configured to scan the one or more communication channels for channel availability and to determine available channels for data transmission.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the one or more battery powered wireless cameras includes a storage device configured to store data when there are no available channels for data transmission.

11. The system of claim 1, comprising a network connecting the base station and the client, the client including a video surveillance application to display video images.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted information comprises compressed video signals.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted information comprises digitally encoded video signals.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more wireless cameras comprises:

an image sensor configured to produce an image;

an image compression circuit configured to compress a digital file of the image produced by the image sensor; and

a substrate configured to monolithically integrate the image sensor and the image compression circuit.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the burst periods are determined based on at least one of a wireless link channel average bandwidth capacity, a fidelity of images transmitted, and a latency of establishing and terminating the wireless link.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the burst periods are further determined based on a trigger event caused by one of a sound detection, an infrared motion detection, an ultrasonic detection, a radio signaling circuitry, and a channel availability for data transmission.

18. The system of claim 1, comprising a first wireless network configured to communicate between the one or more wireless cameras and the base station via one or more high-bandwidth channels.

19. The system of claim 18, comprising a second wireless network configured to communicate between the one or more wireless cameras and the base station via one or more low-bandwidth channels, wherein the second wireless network is configured to be more reliable than the first wireless network.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first wireless network comprises one of a wireless Ethernet network, a WiFi network, and a WiMAX network.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the first wireless network is based on Multiple In Multiple Out (MIMO) technology.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the second wireless network is configured to operate for an extended period of time to facilitate one or more of set-up, installation, and troubleshooting activities.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the second wireless network is configured to signal to the one or more wireless cameras that one of the one or more high-bandwidth channels is available for data transmission.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the base station is configured to determine the channel availability of the one or more high-bandwidth channels.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the second wireless network uses Multiple In Multiple Out (MIMO) technology.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the base station comprises a transmitter configured to transmit via the second wireless network information comprising one or more of positional, zoom, and tilt commands to each of the one or more wireless cameras.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the base station comprises a transmitter configured to transmit via the second wireless network a command to flush information and data stored on each of the one or more wireless camera through the first wireless network.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the one or more battery powered wireless cameras includes a high-bandwidth transceiver and a low-bandwidth transceiver, wherein the high-bandwidth transceiver is configured to receive information via the first wireless network and the low-bandwidth transceiver is configured to receive information via the second wireless network.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the low-bandwidth transceiver is configured to consume less than 4 mW of power in constant receive operation.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the low-bandwidth transceiver is configured to operate in a polling mode that reduces an average energy consumption of the camera.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the base station comprises timing circuits configured to be synchronized with the cycle of the polling mode in the receiver.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more battery powered wireless cameras includes a storage device configured to store the information at a first fidelity;

wherein the information is transmitted to the base station at a second fidelity; and

wherein the first fidelity is different from the second fidelity.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more wireless cameras are configured to be powered up to obtain information in response to a trigger event caused by one of a sound detection, an infrared motion detection, an ultrasonic detection, a video processing based movement detection, a relay switch, a micro switch, and a radio signaling circuitry.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more wireless cameras includes a storage device configured to store captured information for a predetermined period of time.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the stored captured information is transmitted to the base station in response to a trigger event.

36. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more wireless cameras includes a first switch configured to control one or more of operation in darkness, operation based on sound detection, operation based on infrared motion detection, operation based on ultrasonic detection, and operation by triggers;

and a second switch configured to indicate operation duration of the one or more wireless cameras.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein a frame rate is obtained based on the operation duration so that the internal battery can last substantially for the operational duration indicated by the switch.

38. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more battery powered wireless cameras includes an uncompressed image capture module configured to operate based on periods that are different from the burst periods.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein an image capture rate and the burst transmission rate are based on motion detection, and further wherein when motion or an object of interest or a trigger activity is detected in the captured images, the image capture frame rate is increased, and when motion or an object of interest or a trigger activity is not detected in the captured images, the image capture frame rate is decreased.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the base station is configured to process a triggering event, a motion detection or a detection of an object of interest.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the base station automatically sends a textual, a visual, or an auditory alert based on the detection of motion or an object of interest or a trigger activity.

42. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more battery powered wireless cameras includes a compression module configured to operate based on periods that are different from the burst periods.

43. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal battery is configured based on one or more of solar cells, fuel cells, galvanic cells, flow cells, kinetic power generators, and environmental energy sources.

44. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal battery output voltage is boosted or regulated by an active power management circuitry.

45. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal battery is recharged by one or more of solar cells, fuel cells, galvanic cells, flow cells, kinetic power generators, and environmental energy sources.

46. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal battery comprises an array of rechargeable battery cells configured to extend the useable lifetime of the rechargeable array to be greater than a lifetime of a single rechargeable battery cell.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein less than the entire array of rechargeable battery cells are used at a given time.

48. The system of claim 46, wherein the useable lifetime is extended by controlling the current withdrawal of the rechargeable battery cells to within a predetermined current limit.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the controlling is performed through a high efficiency regulation circuit comprising:

a switching regulator for drawing a limited current flow from the battery cells; and

a capacitor for temporary storage of energy.

50. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal battery is replaced by a high capacity capacitor and a charging circuitry associated with the capacitor.

51. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal battery comprises at least a high capacity capacitor and a rechargeable battery.

52. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more battery powered wireless cameras captures and transmits audio information.

53. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more battery powered wireless cameras captures and transmits sensor information.

54. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more battery powered wireless cameras is surface mountable.

55. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more battery powered wireless cameras comprises a housing that has a solar panel configured to recharge the internal battery.

2. A wireless camera system comprising:

a solar powered wireless camera including at least one solar cell; and

a base station, separated from the solar powered wireless camera, in wireless communication with the solar powered wireless camera and configured to receive information from the solar powered wireless camera, the base station further configured to process the received information and including a web server to transmit the processed information to a client.

3. A wireless camera system comprising:

a battery powered wireless camera including an internal battery to provide energy and a burst transmission unit to transmit information during burst periods; and

a base station, separated from the battery powered wireless camera, in wireless communication with the battery powered wireless camera and configured to receive information from the battery powered wireless camera, the base station further configured to process the received information and including a web server to transmit the processed information to a client, wherein the base station is powered by a power cable connected to an external power source and wherein the burst periods are determined based on at least one of a wireless link channel average bandwidth capacity, a fidelity of images transmitted, and a latency of establishing and terminating a wireless connection between the battery powered wireless camera and the base station.

4. A wireless camera system comprising:

a battery powered wireless camera including an internal battery to provide energy and a burst transmission unit to transmit information during burst periods;

a base station, separated from the battery powered wireless camera, in wireless communication with the battery powered wireless camera and configured to receive information from the battery powered wireless camera, the base station configured to process the received information, wherein the burst periods are determined based on at least one of a wireless link channel average bandwidth capacity, a fidelity of images transmitted, and a latency of establishing and terminating a wireless connection between the battery powered wireless camera and the base station.

12. The system of claim 4, wherein the network comprises one of a wired Ethernet network, a WiFi network, and a WiMAX network.

56. A computer implemented method comprising:

transmitting information, by one or more battery powered wireless cameras having internal batteries in a wireless link, the transmitting during burst periods;

receiving information by a base station, the base station including a web server;

processing the received information in the base station; and

transmitting, by the web server, the processed information to a client.

57. A wireless camera system comprising:

a battery powered wireless camera including a power unit for energy source and a burst transmission unit to transmit information during burst periods;

means for determining the burst periods;

a base station configured to receive information from the battery powered wireless camera and to process the received information, the base station including a web server to transmit the processed information to a client; and

a first wireless link configured to connect the battery powered wireless camera and the base station.

58. A network camera comprising:

a networking module configured to communicate with a network;

an image capturing module configured to capture images;

an image compression circuit configured to compress the captured images; and

a privacy lens cap configured to enhance privacy and prevent the image capturing module from capturing images.

59. The network camera of claim 58, wherein the network camera is a battery powered wireless camera that includes an internal battery.

60. A network camera comprising:

a burst transmission unit configured to transmit information during burst periods;

a networking module configured to communicate with a network;

an image capturing module configured to capture images;

an image compression circuit configured to compress the captured images; and

a privacy lens cap configured to enhance privacy and prevent the image capturing module from capturing images.

61. The network camera of claim 60, wherein the network camera is a battery powered wireless camera that includes an internal battery.

62. A system comprising:

a base station comprising a first receiver configured to receive information in a first wireless network and a second transmitter configured to transmit information in a second wireless network;

a remote node comprising a first transmitter configured to transmit information in the first wireless network and a second receiver configured to receive information in the second wireless network;

wherein the second transmitter is further configured to transmit control information from the base station to the remote node via the second wireless network and the first transmitter is further configured to transmit compressed video information from the remote node to the base station via the first wireless network; and

wherein the second receiver in the remote node is further configured to operate continuously for periods of time exceeding 5 hours while drawing less than 10 mW in average power.