Network connector device

• US 8,706,843 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Axis AB (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Axis AB (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Lundberg, Stefan, Tullberg, Joacim
• Primary Examiner(s): Bengzon, Greg C
• Application Number:
  US12/556,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-227, 709201-204, 709230-232, 709248-249, 709/200, 345 21- 23, 345/5, 345 31- 32, 345530-560, 345/520, 345/153, 345156-158, 345/169, 345/619, 348 1401- 1409, 348/143, 348/147, 348158-159, 348175-178, 348187-192, 348/207.1, 348/201.11, 348/208.3, 348/211.99, 3482111-21111, 348/552, 348714-715, 340/3.1, 340 33- 332, 725105-110, 725114-117, 725143-148
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A network connector device and a method for making image information sent through a first digital network accessible by a second digital network. A first and a second network connector are arranged to pass on digital network traffic, a network traffic buffer buffers the digital network traffic, an image session identifier identifies a network session from the buffered digital network traffic, containing image information. An image session tracker tracks the identified network session containing image information, an image extractor extracts image information from the identified network session containing image information, and an image information buffer buffers the extracted image information. An image information arranger arranges the image information from the image information buffer into at least one image sequence of related images, and a server makes accessible the at least one image sequence via a third network connector.

Claims

1. A method for use in a network connector device for previewing images from a network enabled digital video camera, the method comprising:

receiving digital network traffic from the network enabled digital video camera via a first network connector;

sending the received digital network traffic to a first digital network via a second network connector, wherein the digital network traffic is substantially unaltered;

receiving a copy of digital network traffic containing image information from the first digital network; and

sending the copy of digital network traffic to a second digital network via a third network connector while sending the digital network traffic to the first digital network via the second network connector;

wherein sending the copy of digital network traffic to the second digital network includes;

buffering the received copy of digital network traffic in a network traffic buffer;

selecting, from the buffered digital network traffic, specific digital network traffic sent via at least one predefined protocol;

identifying a network session, from the buffered digital network traffic, containing image information;

tracking the identified network session containing image information;

extracting image information from the tracked network session containing image information;

buffering the extracted image information in an image information buffer;

allocating image information buffered in the image information buffer;

arranging the allocated image information into at least one image sequence of related images, wherein each image sequence of related images is a sequence of images belonging to a communication session between the network enabled digital camera and a camera viewing client accessing the first digital network;

deleting non-allocated image information from the image information buffer; and

sending the at least one image sequence of related images over the second digital network via the third network connector using a server.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sending the copy of digital network traffic to the second digital network further includes buffering the identified network session.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sending the copy of digital network traffic to the second digital network further includes recreating buffered network traffic into its original form.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sending the copy of digital network traffic to the second digital network further includes transcoding the image sequence of related images from still images into a video sequence.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sending the copy of digital network traffic to the second digital network further includes transcoding the image sequence of related images from a video sequence into still images.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sending the copy of digital network traffic to the second digital network further includes packeting the at least one image sequence of related images into network packets.

7. A network connector device for previewing images from a network enabled digital video camera comprising:

a first network connector configured to receive digital network traffic from the network enabled digital video camera;

a second network connector configured to send the received digital network traffic to a first digital network, wherein the digital network traffic is substantially unaltered;

the second network connector further configured to receive a copy of digital network traffic containing image information from the first digital network while digital network traffic is sent to the first digital network;

a network traffic buffer configured to buffer a copy of the digital network traffic from the network enabled digital video camera while the digital network traffic is sent to the first digital network;

a protocol selector configured to select, from the buffered digital network traffic, specific digital network traffic sent via at least one predefined protocol;

an image session identifier configured to identify a network session, from the buffered digital network traffic, containing image information;

an image session tracker configured to track the identified network session containing image information;

an image extractor configured to extract image information from the tracked network session containing image information;

an image information buffer configured to buffer the extracted image information;

an image information arranger configured to allocate image information buffered in the image information buffer and arrange the allocated image information into at least one image sequence of related images, wherein each image sequence of related images is a sequence of images belonging to a communication session between the network enabled digital camera and a camera viewing client accessing the first digital network;

a checking means configured to delete non-allocated image information from the image information buffer; and

a server configured to, via a third network connector, send the at least one image sequence of related images over a second digital network.

8. The network connector device according to claim 7 further comprises a session buffer configured to buffer the identified network session.

9. The network connector device according to claim 7 further comprises a network traffic recreator configured to recreate buffered network traffic into its original form.

10. The network connector device according to claim 7 further comprises a transcoder configured to transcode the image sequence of related images from still images into a video sequence.

11. The network connector device according to claim 7 further comprises a transcoder configured to transcode the image sequence of related images from a video sequence into still images.

12. The network connector device according to claim 7 wherein the server is further configured to arrange the at least one image sequence of related images into network packets.