Motion detector camera

• US 6,834,162 B1
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• 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): PERKEY, WILLIAM B
• Application Number:
  US10/804,420
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• Field of Search: 396/59, 396/153, 396/263, 396/265, 396/266, 396/427, 396/429, 396/502, 396/503, 348/152, 348/154, 348/155, 348/169, 340/514-516, 340/541, 340/565-567
• US Class Current: 396/153
• 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;

a camera located within the housing;

a motion detector adapted to detect motion occurring away from the housing;

a controller for controlling the camera, wherein the controller receives a signal from the motion detector indicating a triggering event, the controller including a testing state; and

a test light exposed on the housing, wherein when the controller is in the 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.

2. The motion detector camera of claim 1, further including a flash exposed on the front surface of the housing.

3. The motion detector camera of claim 1, wherein the motion detector includes an infrared sensor.

4. The motion detector camera of claim 1, wherein the test light includes an LED.

5. 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.

6. The motion detector camera of claim 1, including a power supply located within the housing.

7. The motion detector camera of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a pause state, and 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.

8. The motion detector camera of claim 7, wherein the pre-determined amount of time is between 1 to 60 minutes.

9. A method comprising:

providing a motion detector camera with an active state and a test state;

placing the camera in the test state;

receiving a triggering signal from a motion detector associated with the motion detector camera; and

in response to receiving the triggering signal, causing a test light to activate.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising placing the camera in the active state and in response to receiving the signal, causing the camera to take a picture.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein causing the test light to activate includes sending a signal to the test light to cause the test light to blink.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving a triggering signal include the motion detector detecting an object at a distance away from the camera and sending a triggering signal to a controller of the camera.

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

providing the camera with an active state, a pause state and a test state;

placing the motion detector camera into one or more of the active state, the pause state, or the test state;

receiving a signal from a motion detector,

if in the active state, causing the camera to take a picture;

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 activate while not causing the camera to take a picture.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the pre-determined amount of time is a user determinable amount of time between 1 and 60 minutes.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein after taking a picture the camera enters the pause state.