Child monitor system with content data storage

• US 7,973,665 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Graco Children's Products, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Graco Children's Products, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Desrosiers, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland; Donnie L
• Application Number:
  US12/262,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20100109878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/539.15
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A child monitor system includes a child unit having a sensor to capture content, and a parent unit having a processor and a user interface communicatively coupled with the processor to reproduce the content captured by the sensor. The child unit and the parent unit are configured to communicate via a wireless communication link carrying content data representative of the captured content. The system further includes a memory communicatively coupled with the child unit or the parent unit and configured for non-volatile storage of the content data. The processor of the parent unit is configured to issue an instruction to effectuate the non-volatile storage of the content data in the memory in response to a content storage request received via the user interface.

Claims

1. A child monitor system, comprising:

a child unit comprising a sensor to capture content;

a portable parent unit comprising a processor, a display screen, and a user interface communicatively coupled with the processor to reproduce the content captured by the sensor on the display screen at a first resolution, wherein the child unit and the portable parent unit are configured to communicate via a wireless communication link carrying content data representative of the captured content at the first resolution; and

a memory communicatively coupled with the child unit or the parent unit and configured for non-volatile storage of the content data at a second resolution higher than the first resolution;

wherein the processor of the portable parent unit is configured to issue an instruction to effectuate the non-volatile storage of the content data at the second resolution in the memory in response to a content storage request received via the user interface.

2. The child monitor system of claim 1, wherein the content storage request identifies a past portion of the content data for the non-volatile storage.

3. The child monitor system of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a circular buffer configured to continuously record the content data.

4. The child monitor system of claim 1, wherein the parent unit comprises the memory.

5. The child monitor system of claim 1, wherein the child unit is configured to transmit the content data for visual content at the first resolution for the parent unit to display the visual content and to transmit the content data for the visual content at the second resolution for the non-volatile storage of the content data.

6. The child monitor system of claim 1, wherein the child unit and the parent unit comprise respective transceivers to support the wireless communication link, such that the wireless communication link further carries commands from the processor of the parent unit to control the child unit.

7. The child monitor system of claim 6, wherein the child unit is configured to respond to the commands to modify a transmission parameter for the wireless communication link to facilitate the non-volatile storage of the content data.

8. The child monitor system of claim 6, wherein the child unit comprises the memory, and wherein the child unit is configured to respond to the commands to store the content data in the memory.

9. The child monitor system of claim 1, wherein the child unit is configured to respond to a command issued by the processor of the parent unit to increase a data capture resolution of the content captured by the sensor.

10. A method of recording content data via a child monitor system having a child unit and a portable parent unit, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a wireless communication of data representative of content captured at a first resolution via a sensor of the child unit;

reproducing the captured content at the first resolution on a display screen of the portable parent unit;

issuing an instruction to store the data at a second resolution higher than the first resolution in a non-volatile memory in response to a user request received via the portable parent unit; and

storing the data at the second resolution in the non-volatile memory.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user request identifies a past portion of the content data for storage in the non-volatile memory.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of continuously recording the data in a circular buffer of the non-volatile memory, such that the instruction issuing step comprises the step of preventing a portion of the data from being overwritten.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the parent unit comprises the non-volatile memory.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the data for visual content at the first resolution to support the reproducing step; and

transmitting the data for the visual content at the second resolution for storage in the non-volatile memory.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of increasing a data capture resolution of the content data via the sensor in response to a command issued by the portable parent unit.