Automated upload of content based on captured event

• US 7,734,724 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2001
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Digital Life, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rezvani, Babak, Chen, Jack L., Jalili, Reza, Kalin, Edward B.
• Primary Examiner(s): ISMAIL, SHAWKI SAIF
• Application Number:
  US09/775,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20030140090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,413 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-226, 709217-220, 709/203, 707/1, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• 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 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• 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 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatically capturing, uploading, and publishing content. The system may include one or more monitoring modules for providing captured content to a remote site.

Claims

1. A method for providing remote access to captured content, comprising:

automatically registering a capture device with a remote computer over a communications network, wherein the automatic registration associates the capture device with user information;

locally capturing content for an event using the capture device;

automatically encapsulating the content with metadata, wherein the metadata includes information about the capture device, the content, the event, and the user information;

automatically transmitting the content encapsulated with metadata from the capture device to the remote computer over the communications network;

processing the metadata encapsulating the content at the remote computer, wherein the processing comprises;

automatically associating the content with a user account according to the user information included with the metadata;

automatically publishing the content on the remote computer according to the information about the capture device, the content, and the event included with the metadata, wherein the remote computer comprises a database comprising locally captured content associated with user accounts and publishing the content comprises updating the database with the content;

automatically generating a textual notification at the remote computer in response to publishing the content, wherein the notification indicates that the published content has been published on the remote computer and includes the information about the event included with the metadata;

automatically transmitting the generated textual notification from the remote computer to a user associated with the user account;

allowing the user to access the published content and current status information for the capture device on the remote computer with a user access device, wherein the current status information comprises data on a state of the capture device;

allowing the user to send a command from the user access device to the capture device via the remote computer in order to change the state of the capture device;

wherein;

the capture device has an associated virtual interface;

the metadata includes information about the virtual interface; and

publishing the content on remote computer comprises providing the user with access to the content using the virtual interface according to the metadata.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein capturing content comprises capturing content without persistently storing the content.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein:

publishing the content further comprises automatically publishing the content to a plurality of user accounts on the remote computer; and

providing the content further comprises providing the content to user access devices of users associated with the plurality of user accounts.

4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein:

the method further comprises detecting the event with a sensor; and

locally capturing content comprises automatically capturing the content in response to the detection of the event by the sensor.

5. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the sensor is a motion sensor, a contact sensor, a smoke sensor, a humidity sensor, a water emersion sensor, a radon sensor, a temperature sensor, an audio sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, an infrared sensor, or a radiation sensor.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the capture device is a video camera, a still camera, a microphone, or a temperature gauge.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the content includes picture, video, or text.

8. A system for providing remote access to captured content comprising:

a capture device configured to locally capture content;

a monitoring module configured to;

automatically register the capture device with a remote computer over a communications network, wherein the automatic registration associates the capture device with user information;

automatically encapsulate the content with metadata, wherein the metadata includes information about the capture device, the content, the event, and the user information; and

automatically provide the content to the remote computer from the capture device over the communications network;

the remote computer configured to process the metadata encapsulating the content, wherein the processing comprises;

automatically associating the content with a user account according to the user information included with the metadata eel;

automatically publishing the content according to the information about the capture device, the content, and the event included with the metadata, wherein the remote computer comprises a database comprising locally captured content associated with user accounts and publishing the content comprises updating the database with the content;

automatically generating a textual notification in response to publishing the content, wherein the notification indicates that the published content has been published on the remote computer and includes the information about the event included with the metadata; and

automatically transmitting the generated textual notification to a user associated with the user account;

a user access device configured to;

allow the user to access the published content and current status information for the capture device on the remote computer, wherein the current status information comprises data on a state of the capture device;

allow the user to send a command from the user access device to the capture device via the remote computer in order to change the state of the capture device;

wherein;

the capture device has an associated virtual interface;

the metadata includes information about the virtual interface; and

the remote computer is further configured to publish the content according to the information about the virtual interface.

9. The system defined in claim 8 wherein the capture device captures content without persistently storing the content.

10. The system defined in claim 8 wherein:

the remote computer is further configured to automatically publish content to a plurality of user accounts on the remote computer; and

the user access device is further configured to provide content to users associated with the plurality of user accounts.

11. The system defined in claim 8 wherein:

the system further comprises a sensor configured to detect an event; and

the capture device is further configured to locally capture the content in response to the detection of the event by the sensor.

12. The system defined in claim 11 wherein the sensor is a motion sensor, a contact sensor, a smoke sensor, a humidity sensor, a water emersion sensor, a radon sensor, a temperature sensor, an audio sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, an infrared sensor, or a radiation sensor.

13. The system defined in claim 8 wherein the capture device is a video camera, a still camera, a microphone, or a temperature gauge.

14. The system defined in claim 8 wherein the content includes picture, video, or text.

15. A system for providing remote access to captured content comprising:

means for automatically registering a capture device with a remote computer over a communications network, wherein the automatic registration associates the capture device with user information;

means for locally capturing content for an event using the capture device;

means for automatically encapsulating the content with metadata, wherein the metadata includes information about the capture device, the content, the event, and the user information;

means for automatically transmitting the content encapsulated with metadata to he remote computer over the communications network;

means for processing the metadata encapsulating the content at the remote computer, wherein the means for processing comprises;

means for automatically associating the content with a user account according to the user information included with the metadata;

means for automatically publishing the content to the remote computer according to the information about the capture device, the content, and the event included with the metadata, wherein the remote computer comprises a database comprising locally captured content associated with user accounts and publishing the content comprises updating the database with the content;

means for automatically generating a textual notification at the remote computer in response to publishing the content, wherein the notification indicates that the published content has been published on the remote computer and includes the information about the event included with the metadata;

means for automatically transmitting the generated textual notification from the remote computer to a user associated with the user account;

means for allowing the user to access the published content and current status information for the capture device on the remote computer with a user access device, wherein the current status information comprises data on a state of the capture device;

means for allowing the user to send a command from the user access device to the capture device via the remote computer in order to change the state of the capture device;

wherein;

the capture device has an associated virtual interface;

the metadata includes information about the virtual interface; and

the means for publishing the content on the web site comprises means for providing the user with access to the content using the virtual interface according to the metadata.

16. The system defined in claim 15 wherein the means for capturing content without persistently storing the content comprises the capture device.

17. The system defined in claim 15 wherein:

the means for automatically publishing the content further comprises means for publishing the content to a plurality of user accounts on the remote computer; and

the means for providing the content further comprises means for providing the content to user access devices of users associated with the plurality of user accounts.

18. The system defined in claim 15 wherein:

the system further comprises means for detecting the event; and

the means for locally capturing content comprises means for automatically capturing the content in response to the detection of the event by the means for detecting.

19. The system defined in claim 18 wherein the means for detecting comprises a motion sensor, a contact sensor, a smoke sensor, a humidity sensor, a water emersion sensor, a radon sensor, a temperature sensor, an audio sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, an infrared sensor, or a radiation sensor.

20. The system defined in claim 15 wherein the means for capturing comprises a video camera, a still camera, a microphone, or a temperature gauge.

21. The system defined in claim 15 wherein the content comprises picture, video, or text.