System and method for surveillance

• US 8,396,997 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2011
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph Chiu
• Original Assignee: Fan Luk Tsang, King Man Fung
• Inventors: Tsang, Fan Luk, Fung, King Man
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shyu, Jing-Yih
• Application Number:
  US13/042,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20120198100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/9
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A plug-and-play surveillance system that can be set up by even computer-illiterates is disclosed herein. The system comprises an external storage device connected to a computing device and a monitoring device. A registration and matching service receives at least one unique identification code from the external storage device and the monitoring device and uses it to establish a unique pairing between the external storage device and the monitoring device. Subsequent communication between them can be directly established without the need of re-registration. The present invention provides a convenient surveillance system without complex setting and configuration. The present invention also provides higher privacy level and flexibility that additional features can be added to the system based on the user'"'"'s need.

Claims

1. A system for surveillance comprising:

a) an external storage device connected to a computing device;

said external storage device being capable of exchanging data with a registration and matching service via said computing device through a data communication network; and

b) a monitoring device;

said monitoring device being capable of exchanging data with said registration and matching service via said data communication network;

wherein said registration and matching service receives at least one unique identification code from said external storage device and said monitoring device and uses it to establish a unique pairing between said external storage device and said monitoring device;

said unique pairing being stored in at least one of said external storage device and said monitoring device so that subsequent data exchange between them can be directly established using said unique pairing without the need of re-registration;

wherein said data communication network is Internet, said registration and matching service is hosted by a web server with a unique URL and said external storage device further comprises a built-in program;

said build-in program is loaded and executed when said external storage device is connected to said computing device, causing said computing device to connect to said URL;

wherein said at least one unique identification code is selected from a group consisting of (a) said external storage device, (b) said monitoring device and (c) a combination thereof and said at least one unique identification code is sent by the respective device to said web server that hosts said registration and matching service;

wherein said registration and monitoring service further comprises a software module that receives an IP addresses of said external storage device and said monitoring device, and prompts a user to enter said at least one unique identification code of said external storage device and said monitoring device;

said software module further uses said at least one unique identification code to establish the unique pairing between said IP addresses of said external storage device and said IP address of said monitoring device;

wherein once said unique pairing is established, said registration and matching service performs one of the actions selected from;

I. sending said IP address of said monitoring device to said external storage device;

II. sending said IP address of said computing device to said monitoring device; and

III. a combination thereof;

so that said external storage device establishes direct communication with said monitoring device for subsequent data exchange.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said software module records a registration history of said external storage device and said monitoring device so that when said external storage device connects to a second computing device, said software module uses said registration history to establish said unique pairing between said external storage device and said monitoring device.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein said external storage device is selected from a group consisting of

I. a USB storage device;

II. a memory card;

III. a portable hard disk; and

IV. a solid state drive.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein said monitoring device is selected from a group consisting of

I. a video camera;

II. an audio unit capable of outputting and inputting audio signal;

III. a motion detector;

IV. a temperature sensor;

V. an alarm unit;

VI. a reminder unit;

VII. a humility sensor; and

VIII. any combination thereof.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said monitoring device is capable of two-way interaction.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said built-in program is capable of controlling all settings and configurations within said system.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said external storage device saves all data generated by said system.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said monitoring device is capable of adding additional features based on the user'"'"'s need.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said unique identification code is the serial number of said monitoring device.

10. A method for surveillance comprising the steps of:

a) linking an external storage device via a computing device to a registration and matching service through a data communication network;

b) connecting a monitoring device to said registration and matching service via said data communication network;

c) receiving at least one unique identification code from said external storage device and said monitoring device;

d) establishing a unique pairing between said external storage device and said monitoring device based on said at least one unique identification code; and

e) storing said unique pairing in at least one of said external storage device and said monitoring device

so that subsequent communication between said external storage device and said monitoring device can be directly established using said unique pairing without the need of re-registration;

wherein said data communication network is Internet, said registration and matching service is hosted by a web server, and said receiving step further comprises the steps of;

I. receiving at least a first unique identification code sent by said external storage device and said monitoring device;

II. prompting a user to enter at least a second unique identification code;

wherein said establishing step further comprises the steps of;

I. identifying a match between said first unique identification code and said second unique identification code; and

II. pairing of the IP address of said monitoring device to the IP address of said computing device when said match is found;

wherein said pairing step further comprises performing one of actions selected from;

I. sending said IP address of said monitoring device to said external storage device;

II. sending said IP address of said computing device to said monitoring device; and

III. a combination thereof;

so that said external storage device establishes direct communication with said monitoring device for subsequent data exchange.

11. The method according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of

I. storing said at least the first unique identification code in an internal database when said pairing is first established in said establishing step;

II. re-constructing said pairing of IP address when said external storage device is connected to a second computing device by performing the steps of

(i) identifying a match between said first unique identification code and said second unique identification code; and

(ii) pairing of the IP address of said monitoring device to the IP address of said computing device when said match is found when said second unique identification code is provided.

12. The method according to claim 10 further comprises saving all data in said external storage device.

13. The method according to claim 10 further comprises adding additional features to said monitoring device based on the user'"'"'s need;

said additional features is selected from a group consists of;

I. sensing the temperature of an entity by a temperature sensor;

II. detecting movement by a motion detector;

III. receiving and outputting audio signal;

IV. generating alarms and reminders; and

V. any combination thereof.