Credential transfer management camera network

• US 9,357,184 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• 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): Sorowar, Golam
• Application Number:
  US14/628,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20150163462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• 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 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

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

communicatively couple to a wireless access point when the smart device is configured to operate as a wireless station, the wireless access point communicatively coupled to a set of cameras;

receive, from a user, a selection of a first subset of the set of cameras, the first subset of cameras comprising a plurality of cameras;

receive, from the user, a first configuration setting for the first subset of cameras;

establish a wireless connection with each of the first subset of cameras such that the smart device is communicatively coupled to every camera in the first subset of cameras simultaneously;

configure the first subset of cameras based on the received first configuration setting;

receive, from the user, a selection of a second subset of the set of cameras, the second subset of cameras comprising a plurality of cameras different from the first subset of cameras;

receive, from the user, a second configuration setting for the second subset of cameras, the second configuration setting different from the first configuration setting;

establish a wireless connection with each of the second subset of cameras such that the smart device is communicatively coupled to every camera in the second subset of cameras simultaneously; and

configure the second subset of cameras based on the received second configuration setting.

2. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for an application, wherein the application comprises an interface for display on the smart device, and wherein the selection of the first subset of cameras, the first configuration setting, the selection of the second subset of cameras, and the second configured setting is received via the interface.

3. The smart device of claim 1, wherein one of the first subset of cameras or the second subset of cameras comprises all of the set of cameras.

4. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the first configuration setting or the second configuration setting comprises an instruction to record video.

5. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the first configuration setting or the second configuration setting comprises an instruction to capture images.

6. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the first configuration setting or the second configuration setting comprises a zoom level setting.

7. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the smart device is configured to receive video or images captured by one or both of the first subset of cameras and the second set of cameras, and wherein the smart device is configured to display the received video or images in real-time.

8. The smart device of claim 7, wherein the smart device is configured to display the received video or images from a plurality of cameras simultaneously.

9. The smart device of claim 1, wherein one of the first configuration setting or the second configuration setting comprises a first instruction to record video and a second instruction to enter standby mode.

10. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the smart device is further configured to enable a user to manually manage credentials stored by the set of cameras.

11. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the smart device is configured to transmit one or more of software updates, firmware updates, or hardware updates to one or more cameras within the set of cameras.

12. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the smart device is further configured as an electronic viewfinder to display a current view of one or more of the set of cameras prior to capturing images or video.

13. The smart device of claim 12, wherein the first configuration setting or the second configuration setting comprises a request to change a view of one or more cameras in response to a current view of the one or more cameras displayed at the smart device.

14. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the smart device is further configured to provide an interface for editing images and/or video captured by one or more cameras.

15. The smart device of claim 14, wherein the interface allows a user to perform one or more of the following edits:

re-sizing images and/or videos, cropping images and/or videos, adjusting start and stop times of videos, adjusting size and/or resolution of images and/or videos, and re-encoding images and/or video.

16. A method comprising:

communicatively coupling, by a smart device, to a wireless access point when the smart device is configured to operate as a wireless station, the wireless access point communicatively coupled to a set of cameras;

receiving, at the smart device from a user, a selection of a first subset of the set of cameras, the first subset of cameras comprising a plurality of cameras;

receiving, at the smart device from the user, a first configuration setting for the first subset of cameras;

establishing a wireless connection with each of the first subset of cameras such that the smart device is communicatively coupled to every camera in the first subset of cameras simultaneously;

configuring, by the smart device, the first subset of cameras based on the received first configuration setting;

receiving, at the smart device from the user, a selection of a second subset of the set of cameras, the second subset of cameras comprising a plurality of cameras different from the first subset of cameras;

receiving, at the smart device from the user, a second configuration setting for the second subset of cameras, the second configuration setting different from the first configuration setting;

establishing a wireless connection with each of the second subset of cameras such that the smart device is communicatively coupled to every camera in the second subset of cameras simultaneously; and

configuring, by the smart device, the second subset of cameras based on the received second configuration setting.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein one of the first subset of cameras or the second subset of cameras comprises all of the set of cameras.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first configuration setting or the second configuration setting comprises an instruction to record video.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first configuration setting or the second configuration setting comprises an instruction to capture images.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the first configuration setting or the second configuration setting comprises a zoom level setting.