Wireless camera system

• US 7,129,986 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2002
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Mobio Corporation
• Original Assignee: Guan-Wu Wang, Weiping Wang
• Inventors: Wang, Weiping, Wang, Guan-Wu
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bemben, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/302,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20030137588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.2, 348/376, 348/373, 348/374, 348/375, 382/313, 382/314
• US Class Current: 348/376
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

A wireless camera including an enclosure having a lens opening; an imaging sensor positioned toward the lens opening; memory coupled to the camera to receive image data from the imaging sensor; and a wireless transmitter coupled to the camera.

Claims

1. A wireless camera, comprising:

a. an enclosure having a lens opening at a first end of the enclosure;

b. a cap to be received at a second end of the enclosure during operation;

c. an imaging sensor positioned toward the lens opening;

d. memory coupled to the camera to receive video image data from the imaging sensor;

e. a radio frequency wireless transmitter coupled to the camera to transmit the video image data; and

f. a pen-clip mounted on the enclosure and electrically connected to the wireless transmitter to act as an antenna;

wherein when the camera is in use, the cap is removed from the first end and attached to the second end of the enclosure and when the cap is attached to the second end of the enclosure, the antenna is electrically coupled to the transmitter for radio signal transmission.

2. The wireless camera of claim 1, wherein the pen-clip is mounted on the cap.

3. The wireless camera of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is tubular shaped.

4. The wireless camera of claim 1, wherein the imaging sensor is a CCD sensor.

5. The wireless camera of claim 1, wherein the memory is non-volatile memory.

6. The wireless camera of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is Bluetooth or 802.11 compatible.

7. The wireless camera of claim 1, wherein the transmitter communicates over a cellular channel.

8. The wireless camera of claim 1, further comprising a lens positioned between the opening and the imaging sensor.

9. The wireless camera of claim 1, wherein the transmitter compresses the data prior to transmission.

10. The wireless camera of claim 9, wherein the data is JPEG compressed.

11. The wireless camera of claim 9, wherein the data is MPEG compressed.

12. The wireless camera of claim 1, wherein the cap is cylindrical.

13. The wireless camera of claim 1, further comprising a processor coupled to the memory for processing image data.

14. The wireless camera of claim 1, further comprising a battery holder positioned in the enclosure to receive a battery.