Method and apparatus for hosting a network camera with refresh degradation
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for refreshing an image, the method comprising:
- (a) capturing an image with a camera;
(b) sending the image to a user'"'"'s computer system;
(c) refreshing the image, the step of refreshing the image comprising;
(i) capturing a refreshed image with the camera, and(ii) sending the refreshed image to the user'"'"'s computer system, wherein at least a portion of the step of refreshing the image is performed when a refresh period has elapsed;
(d) determining whether to increase the refresh period, wherein the step of determining whether to increase the refresh period comprises determiningwhether the image is visually obstructed on the user'"'"'s computer system, wherein the act of determining whether the image is visually obstructed on the user'"'"'s computer system comprises determining whether the image is covered by a window(e) increasing the refresh period in response to determining that the image is visually obstructed on the user'"'"'s computer system.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing an improved Internet camera is described. The method of keeping a refreshed image from a camera on a user'"'"'s system comprises sending the image to the user'"'"'s system and refreshing the image when a refresh period has elapsed. The method further comprises decreasing a frequency of the refresh after a period of time.
136 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for refreshing an image, the method comprising:
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(a) capturing an image with a camera; (b) sending the image to a user'"'"'s computer system; (c) refreshing the image, the step of refreshing the image comprising; (i) capturing a refreshed image with the camera, and (ii) sending the refreshed image to the user'"'"'s computer system, wherein at least a portion of the step of refreshing the image is performed when a refresh period has elapsed; (d) determining whether to increase the refresh period, wherein the step of determining whether to increase the refresh period comprises determining whether the image is visually obstructed on the user'"'"'s computer system, wherein the act of determining whether the image is visually obstructed on the user'"'"'s computer system comprises determining whether the image is covered by a window (e) increasing the refresh period in response to determining that the image is visually obstructed on the user'"'"'s computer system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus to refresh an image, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) a network connection, wherein the network connection is operable for communicating images from a camera to a user'"'"'s computer system; (b) a refresh logic configured to refresh an image captured by the camera upon lapse of a refresh period, the refresh logic being configured to refresh an image by sending a refreshed image to the user'"'"'s computer system via the network connection; (c) a refresh rate logic in communication with the refresh logic, wherein the refresh rate logic is configured to determine whether the refresh period should be changed, the refresh rate logic being further configured to change the refresh period in response to a determination that the refresh period should be increased, wherein the refresh rate logic is in communication with an activity monitor configured to monitor activity of the user, wherein the refresh rate logic is configured to determine whether the refresh period should be changed based at least in part on one or more communications from the activity monitor, wherein the activity monitor is configured to monitor; whether the image is visually obstructed on the user'"'"'s computer system. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for refreshing an image, the method comprising:
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(a) capturing an image with a camera; (b) sending the image to a user'"'"'s computer system; (c) refreshing the image, the step of refreshing the image comprising; (i) capturing a refreshed image with the camera, and (ii) sending the refreshed image to the user, wherein at least a portion of the step of refreshing the image is performed when a refresh period has elapsed; (d) determining whether to increase the refresh period, wherein the step of determining whether to increase the refresh period comprises determining whether the image is visually obstructed on the user'"'"'s computer system; and (e) increasing the refresh period in response to determining that the image is visually obstructed on the user'"'"'s computer system. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification