Credential transfer management camera system

• US 8,994,800 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
• Inventors: Brockway, Richard T. III, Youel, Jeffrey S., Chen, John S., Barbier, Fabrice
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M
• Application Number:
  US13/558,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20140028817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 348/61, 348/159, 348/207.1, 370/252, 370/254, 370/338
• US Class Current: 348/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/617 Upgrading or updating of programs or applications for camera control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A camera detects devices, such as other cameras, smart devices, and access points, with which the camera may communicate. The camera may alternate between operating as a wireless station and a wireless access point. The camera may connect to and receive credentials from a device for another device to which it is not connected. In one embodiment, the camera is configured to operate as a wireless access point, and is configured to receive credentials from a smart device operating as a wireless station. The camera may then transfer the credentials to additional cameras, each configured to operate as wireless stations. The camera and additional cameras may connect to a smart device directly or indirectly (for instance, through an access point), and the smart device may change the camera mode of the cameras. The initial modes of the cameras may be preserved and restored by the smart device upon disconnection.

Claims

1. A camera, the camera comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the camera to:

configure the camera to operate as a wireless access point;

connect to a smart device configured to operate as a wireless station;

request wireless credentials to enable connecting to a communication device configured to operate as a wireless station from the smart device, wherein the smart device does not possess the wireless credentials for the communication device prior to receiving the request, and wherein the smart device is configured to request and receive the wireless credentials from the communication device;

receive the wireless credentials for the communication device from the smart device;

configure the camera to operate as a wireless station; and

connect to the communication device using the received wireless credentials.

2. The camera of claim 1, wherein configuring the camera to operate as a wireless access point comprises configuring the camera to operate in access point mode or in ad hoc mode.

3. The camera of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the camera to:

detect the communication device configured to operate as a wireless access point; and

attempt to connect to the communication device.

4. The camera of claim 3, wherein the instructions further cause the camera to:

request the wireless credentials from the smart device in response to the communication device denying the attempt to connect to the communication device by the camera.

5. The camera of claim 1, wherein the smart device is further configured to identify the camera to the communication device.

6. The camera of claim 1, wherein the smart device is configured to connect to the communication device.

7. The camera of claim 6, wherein the instructions further cause the camera to:

communicate with the smart device via the communication device in response to connecting to the communicating device, wherein communications from the camera to the smart device are sent from the camera to the communication device and forwarded from the communication device to the smart device, and wherein communications from the smart device to the camera are sent from the smart device to the communication device and forwarded from the communication device to the camera.

8. A method comprising:

configuring a camera to operate as a wireless access point;

connecting the camera to a smart device configured to operate as a wireless station;

requesting, by the camera from the smart device, wireless credentials to enable connecting to a communication device configured to operate as a wireless station, wherein the smart device does not possess the wireless credentials for the communication device prior to receiving the request, and wherein the smart device is configured to request and receive the wireless credentials from the communication device;

receiving, by the camera, the wireless credentials for the communication device from the smart device;

configuring the camera to operate as a wireless station; and

connecting the camera to the communication device using the received wireless credentials.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein configuring the camera to operate as a wireless access point comprises configuring the camera to operate in access point mode or in ad hoc mode.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting the communication device configured to operate as a wireless access point; and

attempting to connect to the communication device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

requesting the wireless credentials from the smart device in response to the communication device denying the attempt to connect to the communication device by the camera.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the smart device is configured to connect to the communication device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

responsive to connecting to the communication device, communicating with the smart device via the communication device, wherein communications from the camera to the smart device are sent from the camera to the communication device and forwarded from the communication device to the smart device, and wherein communications from the smart device to the camera are sent from the smart device to the communication device and forwarded from the communication device to the camera.

14. A wireless device, the wireless device comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the wireless device to:

configure the wireless device to operate as a wireless access point;

connect to a smart device configured to operate as a wireless station;

request wireless credentials to enable connecting to a communication device configured to operate as a wireless station from the smart device, wherein the smart device does not possess the wireless credentials for the communication device prior to receiving the request, and wherein the smart device is configured to request and receive the wireless credentials from the communication device;

receive the wireless credentials for the communication device from the smart device;

configure the wireless device to operate as a wireless station; and

connect to the communication device using the received wireless credentials.