Camera data access based on subscription status

• US 9,532,094 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2016
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Karp, Igor, Stesin, Lev
• Primary Examiner(s): Mudrick, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US14/988,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20160142758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• Field of Search: 719/328
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/04 involving the use of models or simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1672 using sonic detecting means, e.g. a microphone operating in the audio frequency range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 : using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 : Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 : Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 : Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 : involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 : Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 : Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4431 : characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 : Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 : based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 : Video door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 : of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

In embodiments of camera data access based on subscription status, a camera device owned by a user captures and communicates video to a cloud-based service. The cloud-based service receives the video from the camera device, and records and maintains the video as recorded video data. The cloud-based service implements a service application to manage subscription levels that each delineate a level of access to the recorded video data associated with the camera device. The service application can then allow a client device application all access, some access, or no access to the recorded video data based on a subscription level corresponding to the camera device. The subscription levels can include a first subscription level that provides access to the live video captured by the camera device, and at least a second subscription level that provides access to both the live video and the recorded video data.

Claims

1. A cloud-based service, comprising:

a server device configured to receive video from a camera device owned by a user, the server device further configured to record and maintain the video as recorded video data;

a service application executable by a processor of the server device and configured to;

manage subscription levels associated with the user of the camera device, the subscription levels each delineating a level of access to the recorded video data received as the video from the camera device; and

allow a client device application that is associated with the user all access, some access, or no access to the recorded video data based on a subscription level corresponding to the camera device.

2. The cloud-based service as recited in claim 1, wherein the subscription levels comprise at least a first subscription level that provides access to the video as captured live by the camera device, and a second subscription level that provides access to both the video as captured live by the camera device and the recorded video data.

3. The cloud-based service as recited in claim 1, wherein the subscription level corresponding to the camera device is funded by the user who owns the camera device.

4. The cloud-based service as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the client device application is a third-party application implemented to execute on a client computing device of the user; and

the service application is configured to receive a request from the third-party application to access the recorded video data.

5. The cloud-based service as recited in claim 4, wherein the service application is configured to said allow the third-party application access to the requested recorded video data based on the subscription level corresponding to the camera device.

6. The cloud-based service as recited in claim 4, wherein the service application is configured to prevent the third-party application access to the requested recorded video data based on the subscription level corresponding to the camera device.

7. The cloud-based service as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the server device is configured to maintain camera data associated with the camera device, the camera data comprising at least an identifier of the camera device and an operational status of the camera device; and

the service application is configured to allow the client device application the all access, some access, or no access to the camera data based on the subscription level corresponding to the camera device.

8. The cloud-based service as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an application program interface (API) that can be invoked by the client device application to request at least one of the video and the recorded video data associated with the camera device.

9. The cloud-based service as recited in claim 8, wherein the service application is configured to:

receive a request from the client device application to access at least one of the video and the recorded video data associated with the camera device; and

said allow the client device application access to the requested video and the recorded video data via the API based on the subscription level corresponding to the camera device.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving video from a camera device owned by a user;

recording the video, which is maintained as recorded video data;

managing subscription levels associated with the user of the camera device, the subscription levels each delineating a level of access to the recorded video data associated with the camera device; and

allowing a client device application that is associated with the user all access, some access, or no access to the recorded video data based on a subscription level corresponding to the camera device.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the subscription levels comprise at least a first subscription level providing access to the video as captured live by the camera device, and a second subscription level providing access to both the video as captured live by the camera device and the recorded video data.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein:

the client device application is a third-party application executing on a client computing device of the user;

the method further comprising;

receiving a request from the third-party application to access the recorded video data; and

one of;

said allowing the third-party application access to the requested recorded video data based on the subscription level corresponding to the camera device;

or

preventing the third-party application access to the requested recorded video data based on the subscription level corresponding to the camera device.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

maintaining camera data associated with the camera device, the camera data comprising at least an identifier of the camera device and an operational status of the camera device; and

allowing the client device application the all access, some access, or no access to the camera data based on the subscription level corresponding to the camera device.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a request from the client device application to access at least one of the video and the recorded video data associated with the camera device via an application program interface (API) that is invoked by the client device application to initiate the request.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

said allowing the client device application access to the requested video and the recorded video data via the API based on the subscription level corresponding to the camera device.

16. A camera system, comprising:

a camera device owned by a user, the camera device configured to capture video and communicate the video to a cloud-based service that records and maintains the video as recorded video data;

a subscription program managed at the cloud-based service, the subscription program including subscription levels associated with the user of the camera device, the subscription levels each delineating a level of access to the recorded video data associated with the camera device, the subscription levels comprising at least a first subscription level that allows access to the video as captured live by the camera device, and a second subscription level that allows access to both the video as captured live by the camera device and the recorded video data.

17. The camera system as recited in claim 16, wherein one or more of the subscription levels are funded by the user who owns the camera device effective to allow access by a client device application to at least one of the video as captured live by the camera device and the recorded video data.

18. The camera system as recited in claim 17, wherein the client device application is a third-party application implemented to execute on a client computing device of the user and request access the recorded video data;

and one of;

the third-party application is allowed all access or some access to the requested recorded video data based on a subscription level corresponding to the camera device;

or

the third-party application is prevented access to the requested recorded video data based on the subscription level corresponding to the camera device.

19. The camera system as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

camera data associated with the camera device, the camera data comprising at least an identifier of the camera device and an operational status of the camera device; and

wherein

the subscription levels corresponding to the camera device further delineate the level of access to the camera data, including allowing a client device application all access, some access, or no access to the camera data based on the subscription level corresponding to the camera device.

20. The camera system as recited in claim 19, wherein:

one or more of the subscription levels allow the client device application the all access, some access, or no access to the camera data; and

one of;

the client device application is allowed access to the camera data based on a subscription level corresponding to the camera device;

or

the client device application is prevented access to the camera data based on the subscription level corresponding to the camera device.