Video on demand for audio/video recording and communication devices

• US 10,567,710 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Modestine, John, Roth, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Luo, Kate H
• Application Number:
  US15/898,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20180176517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 731 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: H04L 45/026 Details of "hello" or keep-alive messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 67/12 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: 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 constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• 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 23/651 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 7/186 Video door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 : Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

In an A/V recording and communication device, the power configuration of the device is considered when determining a setting for a keep-alive interval of the device. If the device is connected to a reliable and continuous source of power, such as AC mains, then the keep-alive interval may be set to a very short duration, thereby reducing or eliminating any latency that the user might experience when attempting to remotely access the camera of the device. By contrast, if the device relies solely on a rechargeable battery for power, then the keep-alive interval may be set to a longer duration, thereby reducing the rate at which the rechargeable battery will be discharged. And, if the device is connected to an intermittent source of power, such as a solar panel, then the keep-alive interval may be set to a moderate duration to balance the competing interests of reducing latency and conserving battery life.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium of an audio/video recording and communication device (A/V device) storing a program for increasing battery life of the A/V device, the program executable by at least one processor of the A/V device, the program comprising sets of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the A/V device to:

send a current charge level of a battery of the A/V device to a backend network device;

receive a signal from the network device for adjusting a length of transition intervals between a low-power mode and an active mode of the at least one processor of the A/V device;

increase the length of transition intervals when the signal is indicative of increasing the length of transition intervals;

decrease the length of transition intervals when the signal is indicative of decreasing the length of transition intervals;

determine that a transition interval between the low-power mode and the active mode of the at least one processor of the A/V device has elapsed; and

transition the at least one processor from the low-power mode to the active mode.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program comprises further instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the A/V device to send the current charge level of the battery by sending an inquiry signal to the network device inquiring whether the network device has received a request from a client device associated with the A/V device to access a camera of the A/V device.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the program comprises further instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the A/V device to send the inquiry signal to the network device by:

determining whether a video-on-demand option is enabled for the A/V device; and

sending the inquiry signal to the network device when the video-on-demand option is enabled.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the program comprises further instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the A/V device to disable the video-on-demand option when the signal received from the network device for adjusting the length of transition intervals is indicative of disabling the video-on-demand option.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 3, wherein when the video-on-demand feature is disabled, the at least one processor of the A/V device does not transition from the low-power mode to the active mode until the current charge level of the battery is above a threshold level.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program comprises further instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the A/V to send the current charge level of the battery by sending, in addition to the current charge level of the battery, a signal to the network device inquiring whether the network device has received a request from a client device associated with the A/V device to access a camera of the A/V device.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the program comprises further instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the A/V device to:

receive a signal from the network device indicating that the client device has requested access to the camera of the A/V device;

capture video images within a field of view of the camera; and

send the captured video images to the network device to be forwarded from the network device to the client device.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the A/V device comprises a video doorbell and the client device comprises a cellphone associated with the video doorbell.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the length of transition intervals depends on the current charge level of the battery of the A/V device.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the length of transition intervals changes to a different value when a source of power for the A/V device changes from the battery to a different source.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the length of transition intervals changes to a lower value when the source of power changes to Alternating Current (AC) mains.

12. A method for increasing battery life of an audio/video device (A/V device), the method comprising:

sending a current charge level of a battery of the A/V device to a network device wherein sending the current charge level of the battery further comprises, in addition to the current charge level of the battery, sending an inquiry signal to the network device inquiring whether the network device has received a request from a client device associated with the A/V device to access a camera of the A/V device;

receiving, based on the current charge level, a command from the network device for adjusting a length of transition intervals between a low-power mode and an active mode of at least one processor of the A/V device;

increasing the length of transition intervals when the command is a first command; and

decreasing the length of transition intervals when the command is a second different command.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein sending the current charge level of the battery of the A/V device to the network device comprises:

determining that a transition interval between the low-power mode and the active mode of the at least one processor of the A/V device has elapsed; and

transitioning the at least one processor from the low-power mode to the active mode.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving a signal from the network device indicating that the client device has requested access to the camera of the A/V device;

capturing video images within a field of view of the camera; and

sending the captured video images to the network device to be forwarded from the network device to the client device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein when the network device has received the request from the client device associated with the A/V device to access the camera of the A/V device, the A/V device receives a command to power up the camera from a powered-off state.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein sending the inquiry signal to the network device comprises:

determining whether a video-on-demand option is enabled for the A/V device; and

sending the inquiry signal to the network device when the video-on-demand option is enabled.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising disabling the video-on-demand option when the signal received from the network device for adjusting the length of transition intervals is indicative of disabling the video-on-demand option.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein when the video-on-demand feature is disabled, the at least one processor of the A/V device does not transition from the low-power mode to the active mode until the current charge level of the battery is above a threshold level.