Monitoring camera device with wireless control

• US 8,902,310 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Zhou
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M
• Application Number:
  US13/559,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20130258102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/180, 348/187, 348/836, 348/838, 348/839
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

A monitoring camera device includes an exterior casing made of elastic material, an interior casing made of rigid material and attached to an inner surface of the exterior casing, and a number of camera assemblies received in the interior casing. The exterior casing is elastically deformed when pushed by a flat surface, such that the air between the exterior casing and the flat surface is drawn out of the exterior casing, thereby allowing the exterior casing to be firmly attached to the flat surface and the camera of each camera assembly.

Claims

1. A monitoring camera device, comprising:

an exterior casing made of elastic material, defining a plurality of first receiving cavities, first vents, and first through holes;

each of the first vents comprising an annular, elastic tap protruding from an inner rim of the first vent, each annular elastic tap being capable of being elastically deformed and defining an opening, wherein when the exterior casing is not elastically deformed, the corresponding annular elastic tap is in an original state, and the corresponding opening is in an open state;

when the exterior casing is elastically deformed to allow air to flow in the first vents, the annular elastic tap is elastically deformed, and the opening is enlarged or closed;

an interior casing made of rigid material, attached to an inner surface of the exterior casing, and defining a plurality of second receiving cavities aligned with the first receiving cavities, second vents aligned with the first vents, and second through holes aligned with the first through holes, a plurality of valve members being rotatably connected to the interior casing adjacent to the corresponding second through holes, wherein when pushed by the air flowing in the interior casing, the valve members are able to rotate with respect to the corresponding second through holes, thereby covering or exposing the second through holes; and

a plurality of camera assemblies received in the first receiving cavities and the second receiving cavities, each camera assembly comprising a camera.

2. The monitoring camera device of claim 1, wherein each of the exterior and the interior casings is a hollow, spherical structure.

3. The monitoring camera device of claim 2, wherein the second receiving cavities are respectively communicating with the corresponding first receiving cavities, and an imaginary central axis of each first and the corresponding second receiving cavities passes through a spherical center of the exterior casing;

the second vents are respectively communicating with the corresponding first vents, and an imaginary central axis of each first and the corresponding second vents passes through the spherical center of the exterior casing;

the second through holes are respectively communicating with the corresponding first through holes, and an imaginary central axis of each first and the corresponding second through holes passes through the spherical center of the exterior casing.

4. The monitoring camera device of claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of camera assemblies is six;

the number of the plurality of first and second receiving cavities is six;

the six first receiving cavities are respectively arranged on a bottom, a top, a front, a back, a left and a right directions of the exterior casing; and

the six second receiving cavities are respectively arranged corresponding to the six first receiving cavities.

5. The monitoring camera device of claim 1, wherein the interior casing further comprises a first driving unit and a discharging unit connected to the first driving unit;

the discharging unit is able to be rotated when driven by the first driving unit to allow the air in the interior casing to flow, thus the annular elastic taps are pushed by the flowing air and then elastically deformed to expose the openings, and the valve members are rotated away from the second through holes to expose the second through holes.

6. The monitoring camera device of claim 5, wherein the interior casing further comprises a control unit and a wireless communication unit, when receiving an instruction signal via the wireless communication unit, the control unit controls the first driving unit to operate, thus the discharging unit is driven to rotate.

7. The monitoring camera device of claim 1, wherein the interior casing further comprises a second driving unit connected to the camera assemblies, and each camera assembly is able to be moved along a corresponding radial direction of the interior casing when driven by the second driving unit, thus the camera assemblies are able to move in the first and the second receiving cavities.

8. The monitoring camera device of claim 7, wherein the interior casing further comprises a control unit and a wireless communication unit, when receiving an instruction signal via the wireless communication unit, the control unit controls the second driving unit to operate, thus the camera assemblies are driven to move in the first and the second receiving cavities.

9. The monitoring camera device of claim 7, wherein each second receiving cavity further comprises an elastic sheet, and the elastic sheet is elastically deformed when the camera assembly is moved along the radial direction of the exterior casing to fill the space between the camera assembly and the second receiving cavities, thereby preventing the air outside the exterior casing from being drawn into the interior casing through the space.

10. The monitoring camera device of claim 1, wherein each camera assembly further comprises a support base for securing the camera and a shaft portion rotatably connected to the support base;

the interior casing further comprises a third driving unit connected to the support base; and

the camera is able to be rotated together with the support base about the shaft portion when driven by the third driving unit after moving out of the first and the second receiving cavities, thus a shooting range of the camera is allowed to be adjusted.

11. The monitoring camera device of claim 10, wherein the interior casing further comprises a control unit and a wireless communication unit, when receiving an instruction signal via the wireless communication unit, the control unit controls the third driving unit to operate, thus the camera is driven to rotate together with the support base.

12. A monitoring camera system comprising:

a monitoring camera device, comprising;

an exterior casing made of elastic material, defining a plurality of first receiving cavities, first vents, and first through holes, each of the first vents comprising an annular, elastic tap protruding from an inner rim of the first vent, each annular elastic tap being capable of being elastically deformed and defining an opening, wherein when the exterior casing is not elastically deformed, the corresponding annular elastic tap is in an original state, and the corresponding opening is in an open state;

when the exterior casing is elastically deformed to allow air to flow in the first vents, the annular elastic tap is elastically deformed, and the opening is enlarged or closed;

an interior casing made of rigid material, attached to an inner surface of the exterior casing, and defining a plurality of second receiving cavities aligned with the first receiving cavities, second vents aligned with the first vents, and second through holes aligned with the first through holes, a plurality of valve members being rotatably connected to the interior casing adjacent to the corresponding second through holes, wherein when pushed by the air flowing in the interior casing, the valve members is able to rotate with respect to the corresponding second through holes, thereby covering or exposing the second through holes; and

a plurality of camera assemblies received in the first receiving cavities and the second receiving cavities, each camera assembly comprising a camera; and

a remote control to generate an instruction signal when a corresponding button of the remote control is pressed, and transmit the instruction signal to the monitoring camera device to direct the camera assemblies to take certain actions.