MEANS AND METHOD FOR ASSISTING INSTALLATION OF MONITORING CAMERA

• US 20120147181A1
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axis AB (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Axis AB (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Dunr, Henrik
• Granted Patent: US 9,154,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/18 Signals indicating condition of a camera member or suitability of light indicating depth of field G03B13/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces

Abstract

A monitoring camera includes at least one emitter of perceivable signals, a tilt sensor arranged to generate a signal representing a tilt value indicating a tilting angle of the monitoring camera, and an emitter driver arranged to drive the at least one emitter of perceivable signals in response to an adjustment indicating signal which is based on the tilt value signal. The monitoring camera may be arranged to perform a method including entering the camera into an installation mode, generating a tilt value signal at a tilt sensor within the monitoring camera, and indicating by means of at least one emitter of perceivable signals whether the monitoring camera is positioned in a desirable tilt or not based on the generated tilt value signal. The method may further include exiting the installation mode and entering into monitoring mode when satisfactory tilt is achieved.

Claims

1. Monitoring camera comprising:

at least two light emitting devices,

a tilt sensor arranged to generate a signal representing a tilt value indicating a tilting angle of the monitoring camera,

an emitter driver arranged to drive the at least two light emitting devices,

an installation mode in which the emitter driver is arranged to drive the at least two light emitting devices in response to an adjustment indicating signal which is based on the tilt value signal, and

a monitoring mode in which the emitter driver is arranged to drive the at least two light emitting devices in response to a signal not being based on the tilt value signal.

2. Monitoring camera according to claim 1, further comprising a storing means storing a predetermined tilt value and a comparing means arranged to compare the tilt value from the tilt sensor and the predetermined tilt value and arranged to generate the adjustment indicating signal based on a difference between the tilt value from the tilt sensor and the predetermined tilt value for the emitter driver.

3. Monitoring camera according to claim 1, wherein the emitter driver is arranged to drive a first one of the two light emitting devices to emit light and a second one of the two light emitting devices not to emit light when the adjustment indicating signal indicates that the monitoring camera should be tilted in a first direction, and wherein the emitter driver is arranged to drive the second one of the two light emitting devices to emit light and the first one of the two light emitting devices not to emit light when the adjustment indicating signal indicates that the monitoring camera should be tilted in a second direction.

4. Method in a monitoring camera for assisting installation, comprising:

entering the monitoring camera into an installation mode and when in the installation mode;

generating a tilt value signal at a tilt sensor within the monitoring camera, and

indicating, by at least two light emitting devices, whether the monitoring camera is positioned in a position of a desirable tilt or not based on the generated tilt value signal, and

exiting the installation mode and entering into monitoring mode when satisfactory tilt is achieved and when in monitoring mode;

indicating, by the at least two light emitting devices, states of the monitoring camera based on signals not being related to tilt value signal from the tilt sensor within the monitoring camera.

5. Method according to claim 4, further includes, when monitoring camera is in installation mode, comparing the tilt value signal from the tilt sensor with a predetermined tilt value.

6. Method according to claim 4, wherein the act of indicating, when the monitoring camera is in installation mode, includes varying a frequency of the light from the at least two light emitting devices based on the tilt value signal.

7. Method according to claim 4, wherein the act of indicating, when the monitoring camera is in installation mode, includes varying the color of the light from the at least two light emitting devices based on the tilt value signal.