Motion detector camera

• US 6,768,868 B1
• Filed: 08/12/2002
• Issued: 07/27/2004
• 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:
  US10/217,327
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 396/59, 396/263, 396/61, 396/427, 396/153, 396/419, 396/422, 396/423, 396/424, 396/265, 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 includes a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing, a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing, and a controller for controlling the camera mechanism in response to signals received from the motion detector. The motion detector camera can include a first power source connected to the camera mechanism and a separate, second power source connected to the motion detector. The camera can include an activity counter mounted to the housing. The controller activates the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector, or the controller activates the activity counter and does not activate the camera mechanism when a triggering activity occurs. The camera can include a shutter button located external to the housing to manually activate the camera mechanism. The camera can include digital camera electronics. A camera support can be used to removably mount the camera to an object such as a tree.

Claims

1. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing;

a controller for controlling the camera mechanism in response to signals received from the motion detector;

a first power source connected to the camera mechanism; and

a separate, second power source connected only to the motion detector, wherein the motion detector further includes a flash which is connected to the first power source.

2. The motion detector camera of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmable to cause the camera mechanism to take a pre-determined number of exposures per triggering event.

3. The motion detector camera of claim 1, wherein the camera mechanism includes digital camera electronics.

4. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing;

a controller for controlling the camera mechanism in response to signals received from the motion detector;

a first power source connected to the camera mechanism; and

a separate, second power source connected only to the motion detector,

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.

5. The motion detector camera of claim 4, including an activity counter which is programmable to display at least a predetermined number of triggering events detected by the motion detector.

6. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing;

a controller for controlling the camera mechanism in response to signals received from the motion detector;

a first power source connected to the camera mechanism; and

a separate second power source connected only to the motion detector, wherein at least one of the first power source or the second power source includes a solar power source.

7. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing;

an activity counter mounted to the housing, the activity counter for displaying a number of triggering signals; and

a controller having at least two operating modes, wherein in a first mode the controller activates the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector, and wherein in a second mode the controller increases the number of the activity counter and does not activate the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector.

8. The motion detector camera of claim 7, wherein in the first mode, the controller activates the camera mechanism and increases the activity counter when a triggering activity occurs.

9. The motion detector camera of claim 7, wherein the controller includes a third mode wherein the controller activates a test light and does not activate the camera mechanism when a triggering activity occurs.

10. The motion detector of claim 7, wherein the camera mechanism includes digital camera electronics.

11. The motion detector camera of claim 7, wherein the camera includes a viewfinder and a shutter button located external to the housing to activate the camera mechanism.

12. The motion detector camera of claim 7, including a flash having a range of at least 23 feet.

13. The motion detector camera of claim 7, wherein the motion detector is adjustable to alternately detect motion at up to two different distances.

14. The motion detector camera of claim 13, 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.

15. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed an a surface of the housing;

a controller for activating the camera mechanism when a triggering activity signal is received from the motion detector;

a shutter button located external to the housing to manually activate the camera mechanism; and

a power source including a first portion for powering the camera mechanism and a second, separate portion for powering the motion detector, wherein the power source includes a solar power source.

16. The motion detector camera of claim 15, further including a viewfinder attached to the housing.

17. The motion detector camera of claim 15, wherein the camera mechanism includes digital camera electronics.

18. The motion detector camera of claim 15, wherein the controller is connected to a memory and is adapted to store information about a triggering activity in the memory when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector.

19. The motion detector of claim 15, wherein the housing includes a mounting member in a bottom surface for mounting the housing to a tripod and includes an attachment feature for attaching the housing with a band to a supporting structure.

20. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing;

a memory located within the housing; and

a controller having at least two operating modes, wherein in a first mode the controller activates the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector, and wherein in a second mode the controller stores a triggering activity in the memory and does not activate the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector;

wherein a user can retrieve a time and date of the triggering signal from the memory.

21. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing;

a controller for controlling the camera mechanism in response to signals received from the motion detector;

a first power source connected to the camera mechanism;

a separate, second power source connected to the motion detector; and

an activity counter which is programmable to display at least a predetermined number of triggering events detected by the motion detector;

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.

22. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing;

a controller for controlling the camera mechanism in response to signals received from the motion detector;

a first power source connected to the camera mechanism; and

a separate, second power source connected to the motion detector;

wherein at least one of the first power source or the second power source includes a solar power source.

23. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing;

an activity counter mounted to the housing;

a controller having at least two operating modes, wherein in a first mode the controller activates the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector, and wherein in a second mode the controller activates the activity counter and does not activate the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector; and

wherein the camera includes a viewfinder and a shutter button located external to the housing to activate the camera mechanism.

24. The motion detector of claim 23, wherein the camera mechanism includes digital camera electronics.

25. The motion detector camera of claim 23, including a flash having a range of at least 23 feet.

26. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing, wherein the motion detector is adjustable to alternately detect motion at up to two different distances;

an activity counter mounted to the housing;

a controller having at least two operating modes, wherein in a first mode the controller activates the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector, and wherein in a second mode the controller activates the activity counter and does not activate the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector;

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.

27. A motion detector camera comprising:

a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing;

a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing; and

a controller for receiving a triggering signal from the motion detector, the controller being adapted to send an activation signal to the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector, the activation signal causing the camera mechanism to take a picture;

wherein the controller includes a pause state, wherein when put into the pause state, the controller does not send any activation signals to the camera mechanism until a pre-determined amount of time has elapsed.

28. The motion detector camera of claim 27, wherein the pause state is adjustable from between a 1 minute pause to a 60 minute pause.

29. The motion detector camera of claim 27, wherein the camera mechanism includes digital camera electronics.