Apparatus and method for remote viewing system

• US 7,609,952 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlo Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: WIRELESS IMAGING, LLC
• Inventors: Jezierski, Scott, Knight, Andrew W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aurora, Reena
• Application Number:
  US11/440,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20070025712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 396/427, 396 56- 54, 396/153, 396/263, 396/297, 396301-302, 359107-108, 399/8, 340/540, 340/569, 340/570, 340/518, 232/17, 232/34, 348/1, 348152-155, 348/372, 348/211.2, 348/211.99, 348/211.1, 348/E5.042
• US Class Current: 396/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

An energy conserving remote power efficient viewing system comprising an instantaneous analog video transmission camera, an analog video receiver that receives and transmits a video image to a video monitor and a remote transmitter that activates the analog video transmission camera. The remote camera device is normally off, sleep mode that has a minimal power drain. The system includes a battery powered camera requiring a first voltage to operate and an RF transmitter to send an activation signal to the camera. The activation signal has a duration. A camera power circuit includes a normally sleeping signal receiving circuit and a first timer. The first timer periodically activates the signal receiving circuit to check for the presence of the activation signal and turns off the signal receiving circuit if the activation signal is not present and turns on the camera if the activation signal is present, and wherein the time the signal receiving circuit is off is less than the activation signal duration.

Claims

1. An instantaneous remote viewing system comprising;

a camera powered by a battery, said camera requiring a first voltage to operate;

an RF transmitter to send an activation signal to said camera, said activation signal having a duration;

a camera power circuit including a normally sleeping signal receiving circuit;

a first timer, said first timer periodically activating said signal receiving circuit to check for the presence of said activation signal and turning off said signal receiving circuit if said activation signal is not present and turning on said camera if said activation signal is present,

wherein a time period the signal receiving circuit sleeps is less than said activation signal duration.

2. The instantaneous remote viewing system of claim 1 wherein said camera sends a signal to a remote video monitor when said camera is on and wherein said first voltage is higher than voltage supplied by directly from said battery.

3. The instantaneous remote viewing system of claim 1 wherein said video monitor is a television set.

4. The instantaneous remote viewing system of claim 1 wherein a motion sensor will bypass the first timer when said motion sensor detects movement.

5. The instantaneous remote viewing system of claim 1 wherein said camera is mounted in a mailbox.

6. An instantaneous remote viewing system for a mail box comprising;

a battery powered camera within the mail box requiring a voltage to operate;

a transmitter at a distance from said mailbox to send an activation signal to said camera, said activation signal having a duration;

a camera power circuit including a normally sleeping signal receiving circuit;

a first timer, said first timer periodically interrupting said signal receiving circuit sleep to check for the presence of said activation signal and turning off said signal receiving circuit if said activation signal is not present and turning on said signal receiving circuit if said activation signal is present,

wherein a time period the signal receiving circuit sleeps is less than said activation signal duration.

7. The instantaneous remote viewing system of claim 6 wherein said camera sends a signal to a remote video monitor adjacent said transmitter when said camera is on.

8. The instantaneous remote viewing system of claim 7 wherein said video monitor is a computer.

9. The instantaneous remote viewing system of claim 6 wherein a booster increases a voltage supplied by a battery to power said camera.

10. An instantaneous remote viewing system comprising;

a battery powered camera;

a transmitter at a distance from said camera to send an activation signal to said camera, said activation signal having a duration;

a camera power circuit including a normally sleeping signal receiving circuit;

a first timer, said first timer periodically interrupting said signal receiving circuit sleep to check for the presence of said activation signal and turning off said signal receiving circuit if said activation signal is not present and turning on said signal receiving circuit if said activation signal is present,

wherein a time period the signal receiving circuit sleeps is less than said activation signal duration.

11. The instantaneous remote viewing system of claim 10 wherein said camera sends a signal to a remote computer adjacent said transmitter when said camera is on.

12. The instantaneous remote viewing system of claim 11 wherein said camera is mounted in a mailbox.

13. The instantaneous remote viewing system of claim 10 wherein a booster increases a voltage supplied by a battery to power said camera.