Video on demand for audio/video recording and communication devices

• US 9,930,299 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bot Home Automation Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bot Home Automation Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Modestine, John, Roth, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUNG HOANG JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US15/380,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20170171516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19689 Remote control of cameras, e.g. remote orientation or image zooming control for a PTZ camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0291 Door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/73 Battery saving arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In a battery-powered audio/video recording and communication device having a camera, the length of a preset interval (the interval between instances of the device sending a request to a network to check whether any user requests to access the camera have been received) may be adjusted upward or downward in order to balance the competing interests of reducing latency (e.g. reducing the delay that the user may experience when trying to access the camera) and conserving battery life. The present embodiments advantageously balance these competing interests by initially setting the length of the preset interval to be relatively short to reduce latency, but automatically increasing the length of the preset interval as the battery charge is depleted, thereby extending battery life. The present embodiments also advantageously enable the length of the preset interval to be increased after the battery is recharged, thereby reducing latency.

Claims

1. A method for an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device, the device including a processor, a camera, and a battery, the method comprising:

the processor transitioning from a low-power state to an active state, and then sending a data request to a network device to determine whether a user request to access the camera has been received by the network device;

upon determining that a user request to access the camera has been received by the network device, then the processor receiving a positive response from the network device, and then the camera capturing video images from a field of view of the camera;

upon determining that no user request to access the camera has been received by the network device, then the processor receiving a negative response from the network device, and then the processor reverting from the active state to the low-power state, and then waiting for an interval, and then the processor again transitioning from the low-power state to the active state, and then sending another data request to the network device to determine whether a user request to access the camera has been received by the network device; and

the processor receiving a command from the network device instructing the processor to increase the length of the interval upon determining that an amount of charge left in the battery is below at least one of a first threshold value and a second threshold value less than the first threshold value,

wherein;

the increase in the length of the interval is a first increment when the amount of charge left in the battery is determined to be below the first threshold and above the second threshold; and

the increase in the length of the interval is the first increment plus a second increment when the amount of charge left in the battery is determined to be below the second threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interval is 10 seconds.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the command further instructs the processor to decrease the length of the interval upon determining that the amount of charge left in the battery is above at least one of the first threshold value and the second threshold value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the decrease in the length of the interval corresponds to whether the threshold value is the first threshold value or the second threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon determining that a user request to access the camera has been received by the network device, the device transmitting the video images to the network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon determining that a user request to access the camera has been received by the network device, the camera powering up from a dormant state or powered-off state prior to capturing the video images from the field of view of the camera.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device is a server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data request is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) get.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the positive response from the network device comprises a HTTP 200 status code.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the negative response from the network device comprises a HTTP 404 status code.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a doorbell.

12. An audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device, comprising:

a processor;

a camera; and

a battery;

wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions whereby;

the processor transitions from a low-power state to an active state, and then sends a data request to a network device to determine whether a user request to access the camera has been received by the network device;

upon determining that a user request to access the camera has been received by the network device, then the processor receives a positive response from the network device, and then the camera captures video images from a field of view of the camera;

upon determining that no user request to access the camera has been received by the network device, then the processor receives a negative response from the network device, and then the processor reverts from the active state to the low-power state, and then the processor waits for an interval, and then the processor again transitions from the low-power state to the active state, and then sends another data request to the network device to determine whether a user request to access the camera has been received by the network device; and

the processor then receives a command from the network device instructing the processor to increase the length of the interval upon determining that an amount of charge left in the battery is below at least one of a first threshold value and a second threshold value less than the first threshold value,

wherein the increase in the length of the interval is a first increment when the amount of charge left in the battery is determined to be below the first threshold value but above the second threshold value; and

wherein the increase in the length of the interval is the first increment plus a second increment when the amount of charge left in the battery is determined to be below the second threshold value.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the interval is 10 seconds.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the command further instructs the processor to decrease the length of the interval upon determining that the amount of charge left in the battery is above at least one of the first threshold value and the second threshold value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the decrease in the length of the interval is greater when the amount of charge left in the battery is determined to be above the first threshold value than when the amount of charge left in the battery is determined to be above the second threshold value but below the first threshold value.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions whereby, upon determining that a user request to access the camera has been received by the network device, the device transmits the video images to the network.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions whereby, upon determining that a user request to access the camera has been received by the network device, the camera powers up from a dormant state or powered-off state prior to capturing the video images from the field of view of the camera.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the network device is a server.

19. The device of claim 12, wherein the data request is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) get.

20. The device of claim 12, wherein the positive response from the network device comprises a HTTP 200 status code.

21. The device of claim 12, wherein the negative response from the network device comprises a HTTP 404 status code.

22. The device of claim 12, wherein the device is a doorbell.