Wall mount camera

• US 8,031,264 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Iwamura, Ryuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Giles; Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Calderon; Cynthia
• Application Number:
  US11/680,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20080136915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/373
• US Class Current: 348/373
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A wall-mounted security camera is provided. A camera unit captures video within a field of vision of the camera unit. A base module couple to a power outlet, controls the camera unit, receives an input video signal from the camera unit, and transmits an output video signal across a network. A configurable rod is in communication with the camera unit and the base module. A first end of the configurable rod is mounted on the base module and a second end of the configurable rod is mounted on the camera unit. The configurable rod is movable between a first position where the camera unit is a maximum distance from the base module and a second position where the camera unit is disposed adjacent to the base module.

Claims

1. A wall-mounted security camera, comprising:

a camera unit to capture video within a field of vision of the camera unit;

a base module coupled directly to a wall-mounted power outlet, the based module configured to control the camera unit, receive an input video signal from the camera unit, and transmit an output video signal across a network, wherein the base module comprises a housing having prongs to directly couple to the wall-mounted power outlet, and further comprises circuitry to convert AC power from the power outlet to DC power to provide power to the camera unit; and

a configurable rod in communication with the camera unit and the base module configured to position the camera unit with respect to the base module, wherein a first end of the configurable rod is mounted on the base module and a second end of the configurable rod is mounted on the camera unit, the configurable rod being movable between a first position where the camera unit is positioned a maximum distance from the base module and a second position where the camera unit is disposed adjacent to the base module.

2. The camera system of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a power line network accessible via the power outlet.

3. The camera system of claim 1, wherein the input video signal is an analog signal and the output video signal is a digital signal, and the base module comprises an analog-to-digital converter to convert the input video signal into the output video signal for transmission across the network.

4. The camera system of claim 1, wherein at least three electrical signal paths are disposed within the configurable rod, a first electrical signal path being utilized to transmit power from the base module to the camera unit, a second electrical path being utilized to transmit a ground reference from the base module to the camera unit, and a third electrical path being utilized to transmit the input video signal from the camera unit to the base module.

5. The camera system of claim 1, wherein the power outlet is an A/C outlet.

6. The camera system of claim 1, further comprising a microphone to capture audio, wherein the base module is adapted to receive an input audio signal from the microphone and transmit a corresponding output audio signal across the network.

7. The camera system of claim 1, wherein the configurable rod is one of:

a retractable rod, a foldable rod, a flexible gooseneck rod, and a combination thereof.

8. The camera system of claim 1, wherein the camera unit comprises at least one of a tilt mechanism and a panning mechanism.

9. The camera system of claim 1, wherein the output video signal is transmitted over a power line network when the base module is coupled to the power outlet.

10. A surveillance system, comprising:

a network;

at least two security cameras, each of the at least two security cameras comprising;

a camera unit to capture video within a field of vision of the camera unit;

a base module coupled directly to a wall-mounted power outlet, the base module configured to control the camera unit, receive an input video signal from the camera unit, and transmit an output video signal across a network, wherein the base module comprises a housing having prongs to directly couple to the wall-mounted power outlet, and further comprises circuitry to convert AC power from the power outlet to DC power to provide power to the camera unit;

a configurable rod in communication with the camera unit and the base module configured to position the camera unit with respect to the base module, wherein a first end of the configurable rod is mounted on the base module and a second end of the configurable rod is mounted on the camera unit, the configurable rod being movable between a first position where the camera unit is positioned a maximum distance from the base module and a second position where the camera unit is disposed adjacent to the base module; and

a server to receive the output video signal from a network.

11. The surveillance system of claim 10, wherein the network comprises a power line network accessible via the power outlet.

12. The surveillance system of claim 10, wherein the input video signal is an analog signal and the output video signal is a digital signal, and the base module comprises an analog-to-digital converter to convert the input video signal into the output video signal for transmission across the network.

13. The surveillance system of claim 10, wherein the power outlet is an A/C outlet.

14. The surveillance system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the at least two security cameras further comprises a microphone to capture audio, wherein the base module is adapted to receive an input audio signal from the microphone and transmit a corresponding output audio signal across the network.

15. The surveillance system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the at least two security cameras further comprises at least one of a tilt mechanism and a panning mechanism.

16. The surveillance system of claim 10, wherein the configurable rod is one of:

a retractable rod, a foldable rod, a flexible gooseneck rod, and a combination thereof.

17. A method of operating a wall-mounted security camera having a base module coupled to a wall-mounted power outlet, a camera unit, and a configurable rod coupled to the base module and to the camera unit, the method comprising:

changing a distance between the base module and the camera unit by manipulating the configurable rod;

capturing video within a field of vision of the camera unit;

sending an input video signal from the camera unit to the base module, wherein the base module comprises a housing having a prong to directly couple to the power outlet; and

transmitting a corresponding output video signal across a network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the manipulating the configurable rod comprises one of:

at least partially extending the configurable rod, at least partially retracting the configurable rod, at least partially folding the configurable rod, and at least partially unfolding the configurable rod.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the input video signal is an analog signal and the output video signal is a digital signal, the method further comprising converting the input video signal into the output video signal for transmission across the network.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the transmitting is performed via the power outlet.