Initial camera mode management system

• US 9,462,186 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2015
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• 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): Natnael, Paulos M
• Application Number:
  US14/689,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20150222817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 348/61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00315 with a radio transmission apparatus with a cordless telephone H04N1/00305; systems or arrangements for the transmission of a picture signal specially adapted for transmission via radio H04N1/00103; H04N1/00307 takes precedence; radio transmission systems H04B7/00; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• 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

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 for communicating with one or more cameras, 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:

establish a connection between the smart device and one or more cameras configured to communicate with the smart device, each of the one or more cameras configured to operate in an initial mode, the initial mode comprising a mode of the camera before the camera receives communications from the smart device;

receive, from each of the one or more cameras while the camera is configured to operate in the initial mode, a communication identifying the initial mode of the camera;

store each identified initial mode at the smart device;

after establishing the connection between the smart device and the one or more cameras, change, for each camera of a portion of the one or more cameras, the mode of the camera from the initial mode of the camera to a second mode; and

in response to receiving a request from a camera of the portion of the one or more cameras to disconnect from the smart device;

retrieve the stored initial mode of the camera from the smart device; and

change the mode of the camera to the retrieved initial mode of the camera.

2. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the one or more cameras are configured to operate as wireless stations, and wherein establishing a connection between the smart device and the one or more cameras comprises configuring the smart device to operate as a wireless access point.

3. The smart device of claim 1, wherein changing the mode of each camera to the retrieved initial mode of the camera comprises sending the initial mode from the smart device to the camera and instructing the camera to switch modes to the initial mode.

4. A method comprising:

establishing a connection between a smart device and one or more cameras configured to communicate with the smart device, each of the one or more cameras configured to operate in an initial mode, the initial mode comprising a mode of the camera before the camera receives communications from the smart device;

receiving, from each of the one or more cameras while the camera is configured to operate in the initial mode, a communication identifying the initial mode of the camera;

storing each identified initial mode at the smart device;

after establishing the connection between the smart device and the one or more cameras, changing, for each camera of a portion of the one or more cameras, the mode of the camera from the initial mode of the camera to a second mode; and

in response to receiving a request from a camera of the portion of the one or more cameras to disconnect from the smart device;

retrieving the stored initial mode of the camera from the smart device; and

changing the mode of the camera to the retrieved initial mode of the camera.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more cameras are configured to operate as wireless stations, and wherein establishing a connection between the smart device and the one or more cameras comprises configuring the smart device to operate as a wireless access point.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein changing the mode of each camera to the retrieved initial mode of the camera comprises sending the initial mode from the smart device to the camera and instructing the camera to switch modes to the initial mode.

7. A camera configured to communicate with a device comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the camera further configured to:

operate in an initial camera mode, the initial camera mode comprising a mode of the camera before the camera receives communications from the device;

establish a connection with the device;

while the camera is configured to operate in the initial camera mode, transmit a communication to the device identifying the initial camera mode, the device configured to store the identified initial camera mode;

receive a request from the device to configure the camera into a second camera mode;

in response to the request, operate in the second camera mode; and

in response to a determination to terminate the connection between the camera and the device;

receive the initial camera mode from the device, the device configured to access the stored initial camera mode in response to the determination to terminate the connection between the camera and the device; and

operate in the initial camera mode.

8. The camera of claim 7, wherein the camera is configured to operate as a wireless station, and wherein establishing a connection with the device comprises configuring the device to operate as a wireless access point.

9. The camera of claim 7, wherein the device comprises one or more of:

a mobile phone, a wireless receiver, a transmitter device, a router, a switch, a WiFi device, and an audio encoding device.

10. A method comprising:

operating, by a camera, in an initial camera mode;

establishing, by the camera, a connection with a device, the initial camera mode comprising a mode of the camera before the camera receives communications from the device;

while the camera is configured to operate in the initial camera mode, transmitting, by the camera, a communication to the device identifying the initial camera mode, the device configured to store the identified initial camera mode;

receiving, by the camera, a request from the device to configure the camera into a second camera mode;

in response to the request, operating, by the camera, in the second camera mode; and

in response to a determination to terminate the connection between the camera and the device;

receiving, by the camera, the initial camera mode from the device, the device configured to access the stored initial camera mode in response to the determination to terminate the connection between the camera and the device; and

operating, by the camera, in the initial camera mode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the camera is configured to operate as a wireless station, and wherein establishing a connection with the device comprises configuring the device to operate as a wireless access point.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the device comprises one or more of:

a mobile phone, a wireless receiver, a transmitter device, a router, a switch, a WiFi device, and an audio encoding device.

13. A remote controller for communicating with a camera, the remote controller comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the remote controller to:

establish a connection with the camera, the camera configured to operate in an initial mode, the initial mode comprising a mode of the camera before the camera receives communications from the remote control;

receive, from the camera while the camera is configured to operate in the initial mode, a communication identifying the initial mode of the camera;

store an identifier of the initial mode of the camera at the remote controller;

after storing the identifier of the initial mode, configure the camera to operate in a second mode; and

in response to a determination to terminate the connection between the camera and the remote controller;

retrieve the stored identifier of the initial mode of the camera from the remote controller; and

configure the camera to operate in the initial mode.

14. The remote controller of claim 13, wherein the camera is configured to operate as a wireless station, and wherein establishing a connection with the camera comprises configuring the remote controller to operate as a wireless access point.

15. The smart device of claim 13, wherein the initial mode of the camera is identified by:

requesting, by the remote controller, information describing the initial mode of the camera from the camera.

16. The smart device of claim 13, wherein the remote controller comprises an audio encoding device.