Autonomous camera having exchangable behaviours

• US 7,742,625 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pilu, Maurizio
• Primary Examiner(s): AZARIAN, SEYED H
• Application Number:
  US10/868,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20050012830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,198 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382/106, 382/107, 382/115, 382/123, 382/156, 382/168, 382/172, 382/181, 382/194, 382/203, 382/209, 382/224, 382/232, 382/254, 382/274, 382/276, 382/291, 382/305, 382/312, 348/172, 348/143, 705/35, 396/49, 700/83, 709/936, 701/1
• US Class Current: 382/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/617 Upgrading or updating of programs or applications for camera control

Abstract

An exemplary embodiment is a camera that includes a behaviour controller which controls the output of behaviours from the camera and the input of behaviours into the camera.

Claims

1. A teachable camera comprising:

a behaviour memory that stores at least one behaviour controlling automated image analysis and capture of images by the camera; and

a behaviour controller that controls output of behaviours from the behaviour memory, each of said behaviours specifying at least one rule for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired.

2. The camera as claimed in claim 1, in which the camera uploads at least one behaviour to a behaviour library.

3. The camera as claimed in claim 1, in which the behaviour controller is adapted to upload at least one behaviour to another camera having another behaviour memory.

4. The camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the behaviour controller also controls input of at least one behaviour to the behaviour memory.

5. The camera according to claim 4, wherein the behaviour controller is adapted to control at least one input of a behaviour from a source external of the camera.

6. The camera according to claim 5, wherein the behaviour controller is adapted to input the behaviour from the source external of the camera by obtaining data from the source external to modify the behaviour within the behaviour memory.

7. The camera as claimed in claim 5, wherein the behaviour controller is adapted to input the behaviour from another camera having another behaviour memory.

8. The camera as claimed in claim 4, in which the camera downloads behaviours from a behaviour library.

9. The camera as claimed in claim 8, in which the behaviour library requires registration and the camera must authenticate with a library access control prior to being able to obtain behaviours from the library.

10. The camera as claimed in claim 8, in which the behaviour library requires payment and the camera must authenticate with a library access control prior to being able to obtain behaviours from the library.

11. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the behaviour controller is adapted to modify a behaviour within the behaviour memory using a learning process involving a user.

12. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the behaviour memory is removable.

13. The camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the behaviour controller is responsive to indications of geographical position.

14. The camera as claimed in claim 13, wherein the behaviour controller is responsive to beacons placed at events or places to indicate that the camera is at an event.

15. The camera as claimed in claim 14, in which the behaviour controller downloads a behaviour from the beacons.

16. The camera as claimed in claim 13, wherein the behaviour controller is responsive to beacons placed at events or places to indicate that the camera is at a specific place.

17. The camera as claimed in claim 13, in which the behaviour controller is responsive to a GPS positioning system and wherein behaviours can be invoked in response to the position of the camera.

18. The camera as claimed in claim 1, in which the camera includes a behaviour interpreter.

19. The camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the behaviour controller includes a security system that prevents unauthorised export of behaviours.

20. The camera as claimed in claim 19, in which the security system requires a user to identify themselves by revealing a shared secret to the security system in order to initiate export of the behaviour.

21. The camera as claimed in claim 19, in which the security system is responsive to biometric data of a user.

22. The camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the behaviour controller includes a security system preventing unauthorised initiation of behaviours.

23. The camera as claimed in claim 22, in which the security system requires a user to identify themselves by revealing a shared secret to the security system in order to initiate use of a behaviour.

24. The camera as claimed in claim 22, in which the security system is responsive to biometric data of a user.

25. The camera as claimed in claim 1, further including an image processor that analyses scenes viewed by the camera in accordance with instructions contained in the behaviour and determines, on the basis of the analysis, whether to capture the scene.

26. The camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera is portable.

27. The camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera is wearable.

28. The camera as claimed in claim 1, further including a telecommunications device that exchanges data with one of a local beacon and a remote computing device.

29. The camera as claimed in claim 1, in which the camera is capable of modifying its behaviour, and associating a confidence value with the behaviour, and in which the camera outputs the confidence value with the behaviour.

30. The camera as claimed in claim 29, in which output of the behaviour is inhibited if the confidence value is below a predetermined threshold.

31. The camera as claimed in claim 29, which output of the behaviour requires user intervention if the confidence value is below a predetermined threshold.

32. A teachable camera comprising;

a behaviour memory that stores at least one behaviour controlling automated image analysis and capture of images by the camera; and

a behaviour controller that controls output of behaviours from the behaviour memory, said behaviour controller being responsive to indications of geographical position, said behaviour controller being responsive to beacons placed at events or places to indicate that said camera is at an event, said behaviour controller providing for downloading at least one of said behaviours from said beacons, said behaviour controller, prior to implementing said behaviour, checking with one of the user and a download rule base, said behaviour specifying at least one rule for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired.

33. A teachable camera comprising;

a behaviour memory that stores at least one behaviour controlling automated image analysis and capture of images by the camera; and

a behaviour controller that controls output of behaviours from the behaviour memory, said behaviour controller being responsive to indications of geographical position, said behaviour controller being responsive to beacons placed at events or places to indicate that said camera is at an event, said behaviour controller providing for downloading at least one of said behaviours from said beacons, said behaviour controller, prior to downloading a behaviour, checking with one of the user and a download rule base, said behaviour specifying at least one rule for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired.

34. A behaviour server that stores a plurality of camera behaviours, wherein the behaviour server is arranged to establish a communications channel with a teachable camera, and a user can upload a camera behaviour to the behaviour server, each of said behaviors specifying at least one rule for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired.

35. The behaviour server as claimed in claim 34, which allows a camera user to select the camera behaviour for download to the camera.

36. A method of modifying operation of a teachable camera having a behaviour memory, the method comprising;

monitoring a position of the camera; and

in response to reaching a predetermined geographical position, implementing a new behaviour, said behavior specifying at least one rule for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired.

37. A method of modifying operation of a teachable camera having a behaviour memory, the method comprising;

monitoring a position of the camera; and

in response to reaching a predetermined geographical position,

alerting a user to the option of implementing a new behaviour, said behavior specifying at least one rule for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired.

38. A teachable camera comprising a behaviour memory storing at least one behaviour that controls at least automated image analysis and capture of images by the camera, wherein the camera is responsive to geographical position, and in response to reaching a predetermined geographical position, the camera implements a new behaviour, said behaviour specifying at least one rule for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired.

39. A teachable camera comprising a behaviour memory storing at least one behaviour that controls at least automated image analysis and capture of images by the camera, wherein the camera is responsive to geographical position, and in response to reaching a predetermined geographical position, the camera alerts a user to the option of implementing a new behaviour, said behaviour specifying at least one rule for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired.

40. A method of modifying operation of a teachable camera having a behaviour memory, the method comprising:

monitoring presence of at least one beacon; and

in response to being in the presence of the beacon, implementing a new behaviour, said behaviour specifying at least one rule for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired.

41. The method as claimed in claim 40, in which the new behaviour is downloaded from the beacon.

42. A method of modifying operation of a teachable camera having a behaviour memory, the method comprising:

monitoring presence of at least one beacon; and

in response to being in the presence of the beacon, alerting a user to the option of implementing a new behaviour, said behaviour specifying at least one rule for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired.

43. A teachable camera having a behaviour memory that stores at least one behaviour controlling automated image analysis and capture of images by the camera, wherein the camera is responsive to at least one beacon, and in response to being in the presence of the beacon, the camera implements a new behaviour, said behaviour specifying at least one rule for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired.

44. The camera as claimed in claim 43, wherein the new behaviour is downloaded from the beacon.

45. A teachable camera having a behaviour memory that stores at least one behaviour controlling automated image analysis and capture of images by the camera, wherein the camera is responsive to at least one beacon, and in response to being in the presence of the beacon, the camera alerts a user to the option of implementing a new behaviour, said behaviour specifying at least one rule for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired.

46. A teachable mobile device comprising:

a behaviour memory that stores at least one behaviour for controlling automated image analysis and capture of images by the mobile device; and

a behaviour exchange controller that controls the exchange of behaviours with the behaviour memory, including output of behaviours from the behaviour memory, each of said behaviours specifying at least one rule for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired.

47. A system of modifying operation of a teachable camera having a behaviour memory, comprising:

means for monitoring presence of at least one beacon; and

in response to being in the presence of the beacon, means for implementing a new behaviour, each of said behaviours specifying at least one rule for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired.

48. The system as claimed in claim 47, further comprising means for downloading from the beacon the new behaviour.

49. The system as claimed in claim 47, further comprising means for alerting a user to the option of implementing the new behaviour.

50. A teachable camera comprising:

an image sensor for acquiring images;

internal storage for storing images captured by said image sensor and for storing one or more behaviours specifying rules for determining whether or not an image should be stored so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired by said image sensor; and

a controller for implementing said a rule specified by a behavior stored in said memory to determine whether an image captured by said image sensor is to be stored in said memory, said controller providing for downloading said behavior from a source device external to said camera or uploading said behavior to a target device external to said camera.

51. A camera as recited in claim 50 wherein said controller also provides for uploading said behavior from said camera to a target device external to said camera.

52. A method comprising:

downloading to a memory of a teachable camera for storage therein a first behavior specifying at least a first rule for determining whether or not to store an image acquired by said camera is to be stored in said camera so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired by said camera;

acquiring images by said camera;

storing in said memory or discarding said images according to said first behavior; and

uploading from said memory of said camera to an external device a second behavior specifying at least a second rule for determine whether or not to store an image acquired by said camera is to be stored in said camera so that it is not discarded as other images are acquired by said camera.