Motion detector camera

• US 6,735,387 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2001
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Good Sportsman Marketing LLC
• Original Assignee: IP Holdings Incorporated (IP Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Schnell, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACKMAN, ROCHELLE ANN J
• Application Number:
  US09/757,803
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 396/59, 396/263, 396/61, 396/427, 396/153, 396/414, 396/422, 396/423, 396/424, 396/265, 396/25, 396/27, 348/143, 348/150, 348/152, 348/155
• US Class Current: 396/263
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04

Abstract

A motion detector camera including a housing having a mounting member in a bottom surface for mounting the housing to a tripod, the housing having an film advance mechanism for automatically advancing a film of the camera after each exposure. The camera includes a wide angle lens attached to a front surface of the housing, a motion detector attached to a front surface of the housing, and a flash attached to the housing and having a range of at least 23 feet. The camera also includes a controller for controlling the flash and a shutter of the camera, wherein the controller receives a signal from the motion detector indicating a triggering event and the controller causes the flash to flash if necessary and causes the shutter to form an exposure on the film.

Claims

1. A motion detector camera comprising:

a housing having a mounting member in a bottom surface for mounting the housing to a tripod and having attachment features for attaching the housing with a band to a supporting structure, the housing having a film advance mechanism located within the housing for automatically advancing a film of the camera after each exposure;

a wide angle lens attached to the housing and exposed on a front surface of the housing;

a motion detector attached to a front surface of the housing, the motion detector adapted to detect motion occurring away from the housing;

a flash attached to the housing;

a controller for controlling the flash and a shutter of the camera, wherein the controller receives a signal from the motion detector indicating a triggering event and the controller causes the flash to flash if necessary and causes the shutter to form an exposure on the film; and

a test light attached to the housing, wherein when the controller is put into a testing state the controller causes the test light to blink when the motion detector is triggered but the controller does not cause the camera to expose any film.

2. The motion detector camera of claim 1, wherein when the camera is turned on the controller regulates a test sequence wherein the test light blinks for a pre-determined amount of time.

3. A motion detector camera comprising:

a housing having a mounting member in a bottom surface for mounting the housing to a tripod and having attachment features for attaching the housing with a band to a supporting structure, the housing having a film advance mechanism located within the housing for automatically advancing a film of the camera after each exposure;

a wide angle lens attached to the housing and exposed on a front surface of the housing;

a motion detector attached to a front surface of the housing, the motion detector adapted to detect motion occurring away from the housing;

a flash attached to the housing; and

a controller for controlling the flash and a shutter of the camera, wherein the controller receives a signal from the motion detector indicating a triggering event and the controller causes the flash to flash if necessary and causes the shutter to form an exposure on the film, wherein when put into a pause state, the controller ignores any triggering event signals received from the motion detector until a pre-determined amount of time has elapsed.

4. The motion detector camera of claim 3, wherein the controller is programmable to cause the camera to take a pre-determined number of exposures per triggering event.

5. The motion detector camera of claim 4, wherein the predetermined number of exposures are between 1 and 9 exposures per triggering event.

6. The motion detector camera of claim 3, wherein the pre-determined amount of time is between 1 to 60 minutes.

7. The motion detector camera of claim 3, wherein the camera can alternatively place an hour/minute stamp on a picture or a year/date/month stamp on a picture.

8. A motion detector camera comprising:

a housing;

a camera mechanism located within a first section of the housing, the camera mechanism including a film advance mechanism for automatically advancing a film of the camera after each exposure and a lens which is exposed on a front surface of the housing;

a motion detector exposed on a front surface of the housing, the motion detector adapted to detect motion occurring away from the housing;

a flash attached to the housing and separated from the camera mechanism wherein the flash is not a separate integral unit with the camera mechanism and is remote from the first section of the housing;

a controller for controlling the flash and a shutter of the camera, wherein the controller receives a signal from the motion detector indicating a triggering event and the controller causes the flash to flash if necessary and causes the shutter to form an exposure on the film; and

a stand having a base and a pair of arms connected to the base, the arms having a distance therebetween wherein the housing fits between the arms, each arm having a hole located therein for putting a bolt therethrough and attaching the housing to the stand, the stand having a hole in the base which is in the same location as the mounting member in the bottom surface of the housing so that a tripod mount can go through the hole into the mounting member.

9. A motion detector camera comprising:

a housing;

a camera mechanism located within a first section of the housing, the camera mechanism including a film advance mechanism for automatically advancing a film of the camera after each exposure and a lens which is exposed on a front surface of the housing;

a motion detector exposed on a front surface of the housing, the motion detector adapted to detect motion occurring away from the housing;

a flash attached to the housing and separated from the camera mechanism wherein the flash is not a separate integral unit with the camera mechanism and is remote from the first section of the housing; and

a controller for controlling the flash and a shutter of the camera, wherein the controller receives a signal from the motion detector indicating a triggering event and the controller causes the flash to flash if necessary and causes the shutter to form an exposure on the film;

wherein the camera mechanism is located in an upper section of the housing, the motion detector is located in a middle portion of the housing, and the flash is located in a lower portion of the housing.

10. The motion detector camera of claim 9, further comprising a power supply located within the housing.

11. A motion detector camera comprising:

a housing;

a camera mechanism located within a first section of the housing, the camera mechanism including a film advance mechanism for automatically advancing a film of the camera after each exposure and a lens which is exposed on a front surface of the housing;

a motion detector exposed on a front surface of the housing, the motion detector adapted to detect motion occurring away from the housing;

a flash attached to the housing and separated from the camera mechanism wherein the flash is not a separate integral unit with the camera mechanism and is remote from the first section of the housing; and

a controller for controlling the flash and a shutter of the camera, wherein the controller receives a signal from the motion detector indicating a triggering event and the controller causes the flash to flash if necessary and causes the shutter to form an exposure on the film;

wherein the controller is programmable to ignore any triggering event signals received from the motion detector until a pre-determined amount of time has elapsed.

12. The motion detector camera of claim 11, wherein the housing includes a ridge located above the lens.

13. The motion detector camera of claim 11, wherein the housing is substantially waterproof.

14. The motion detector camera of claim 11, wherein the housing is adapted to protect the controller from temperature changes of at least 100 degrees F.

15. The motion detector camera of claim 11, wherein the housing includes a clear plastic shell.

16. The motion detector camera of claim 11, further comprising a remote control to control one or more functions of the motion detector camera.

17. A method of controlling a motion detector camera, the method comprising:

providing the camera with a burst state, a pause state, and a test state;

selectively placing the motion detector camera into one or more of a burst state, a pause state, and a test state;

receiving a signal from a motion detector;

if in the burst state, sending a signal to a camera mechanism to cause the camera mechanism to take a pre-determined number of pictures in rapid succession;

if in the pause state, ignoring the signal from the motion detector until a pre-determined amount of time has passed; and

if in the test state, sending a signal to a test light to cause the test light to flash while not sending any signals to the camera mechanism which would cause the camera mechanism to take a picture.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the pre-determined number of pictures is a user determinable number between 1 and 9.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the pre-determined amount of time is a user determinable amount of time between 1 and 60 minutes.

20. A method of taking a picture comprising:

providing a motion detector camera having a housing having a film advance mechanism located within the housing for automatically advancing a film of the camera after each exposure, and a wide angle lens attached to the housing and exposed on a front surface of the housing, and a motion detector attached to a front surface of the housing, the motion detector adapted to detect motion up to 50 feet away from the housing, and a flash attached to the housing and having a range of at least up to 23 feet;

receiving a signal from the motion detector indicating a triggering event and causing the flash to flash if necessary and causing the shutter to form an exposure on the film; and

causing a test light to blink when the motion detector is triggered but not causing the camera to expose any film.

21. A method of taking a picture comprising:

providing a motion detector camera having a housing having a film advance mechanism located within the housing for automatically advancing a film of the camera after each exposure, and a wide angle lens attached to the housing and exposed on a front surface of the housing, and a motion detector attached to a front surface of the housing, the motion detector adapted to detect motion up to 50 feet away from the housing, and a flash attached to the housing and having a range of at least up to 23 feet;

receiving a signal from the motion detector indicating a triggering event and causing the flash to flash if necessary and causing the shutter to form an exposure on the film; and

ignoring any triggering event signals received from the motion detector until a pre-determined amount of time has elapsed.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising causing the camera to take a pre-determined number of exposures per triggering event.

23. A motion detector camera comprising:

a housing;

a camera located within the housing;

a lens attached to the housing and exposed on a front surface of the housing;

a motion detector attached to a front surface of the housing, the motion detector adapted to detect motion occurring away from the housing;

a flash attached to the housing;

a controller for controlling the flash and the camera, wherein the controller receives a signal from the motion detector indicating a triggering event and the controller causes the flash to flash if necessary and causes the camera to take a picture; and

a test light attached to the housing, wherein when the controller is put into a testing state the controller causes the test light to blink when the motion detector is triggered but the controller does not cause the camera to take a picture.

24. A motion detector camera comprising:

a housing;

a camera located within the housing;

a lens attached to the housing and exposed on a front surface of the housing;

a motion detector attached to a front surface of the housing, the motion detector adapted to detect motion occurring away from the housing;

a flash attached to the housing; and

a controller for controlling the flash and the camera, wherein the controller receives a signal from the motion detector indicating a triggering event and the controller causes the flash to flash if necessary and causes the camera to take a picture, the controller having a pause state, wherein when put into the pause state, the controller ignores any triggering event signals received from the motion detector until a pre-determined amount of time has elapsed.