Integrated internet camera system and method

• US 9,197,806 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2014
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alex is the Best LLC
• Original Assignee: Alex is the Best LLC
• Inventors: Clemente, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): EKPO, NNENNA NGOZI
• Application Number:
  US14/578,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20150103167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 339 Days
• Field of Search: 725/37, 725/105, 725/109, 725/113, 725/115, 725/118, 348/14.02, 348/207.1, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00217 only involving computer data transmission protocols, e.g. SMTP, WAP or HTTP communication protocol aspects and techniques in packet data networks H04L69/00; network-specific arrangements or communication protocols supporting networked applications H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2223 being a public access point, e.g. for downloading to or uploading from clients arrangements specially adapted to plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41 Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 : Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 : Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 : for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 : Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An Internet direct device comprises an imaging system to capture at least one of audio, still images and video images, and a microprocessor. The microprocessor transmits at least one of the captured audio, the captured still images and the captured video images to a website archive and review center and/or another Internet direct device upon image capture over a communications network. The Internet direct device automatically connects to the communications network on power-up using one of a plurality of available modes of connection, which is designated as a primary mode of connection. The Internet direct device automatically switches to another available mode of connection when the communications network is unavailable.

Claims

1. An Internet direct device comprising an imaging system to capture at least one of audio, still images and video images;

and a microprocessor to transmit at least one of the captured audio, the captured still images and the captured video images to an account associated with the Internet direct device on a website archive and review center (WSARC) upon capture; and

wherein the Internet direct device automatically connects to a communications network on power-up using one of a plurality of available modes of communications network, which is designated as a primary mode of communication, and wherein the Internet direct device automatically switches to another available mode of communication when the primary mode of communication to the communications network is unavailable.

2. The Internet direct device of claim 1, further comprising a storage device to locally store at least one of the captured audio, the captured still images and the captured video images when the connection to the communications network is unavailable;

and wherein the microprocessor transmits the stored audio, the stored still images and the stored video images to the WSARC when the Internet direct device re-establishes connection to the communications network.

3. The Internet direct device of claim 1, wherein said plurality of available modes of communications network is selected from a group consisting of:

a land line, DSL, cable, satellite, wireless network, cellular, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Max.

4. The Internet direct device of claim 1, wherein the primary mode of communication can be changed to another available modes of communication by an operator of the Internet direct device or from the WSARC by a registered user of the WSARC associated with the Internet direct device.

5. The Internet direct device of claim 1, further comprising a web browser;

and the microprocessor is configured to download live or recorded audio or video images from a website using the web browser the said communications network.

6. The Internet direct device of claim 1, wherein the imaging system further comprises an image pickup;

an optical module to form an image on the image pickup and comprises an auto-focus optical system; and

an image capturing module to capture audio, and digital still and video images from the image pickup.

7. The Internet direct device of claim 1 is a portable camera, a security camera, a cell phone with a camera, a tablet with a camera or a laptop with a camera.

8. The Internet direct device of claim 1 is configured to support voice over IP over the communications network.

9. The Internet direct device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is configured to transmit to and receive from other Internet direct devices at least one of audio, still images and video images over the communications network.

10. A method for transmitting at least one of audio, still images and video images by an Internet direct device associated with a user over a communications network, comprising the steps of:

automatically connecting the Internet direct device to the communications network on power-up using one of a plurality of available modes of connection, which is designated as a primary mode of connection;

capturing at least one of audio, still images and video images by an image capture system of the Internet direct device;

transmitting at least one of the captured audio, the captured still images and the captured video images to an account associated with the Internet direct device on a website archive and review (WSARC) upon capture by a microprocessor of the Internet direct device; and

automatically switching to another available mode of connection by the microprocessor when the primary mode of connection to the communications network is unavailable.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of automatically switching comprises the step of switching to one of the following available modes of connection:

a land line, DSL, cable, satellite, wireless network, cellular, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Max.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of locally storing at least one the captured audio, the captured still images and the captured video images in a storage device of the Internet direct device by the microprocessor when the connection to the communications network is unavailable, and transmitting the stored audio, the stored still images and the stored video images to the WSARC by the microprocessor when the connection to the communications network is re-established.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of accessing the Internet using a web browser of the Internet direct device over the communications network.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of communicating with other Internet direct devices via voice over IP by the Internet direct device associated with the user.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of transmitting at least one of audio, still images and video images to and from other Internet direct devices by the microprocessor of the Internet direct device associated with the user over the communications network.

16. A non-transitory storage medium comprising a program for transmitting at least one of audio, still images and video images over a communications network when executed by an Internet direct device associated with a user to cause the Internet direct device to:

automatically connect to the communications network on power-up using one of a plurality of available modes of connection, which is designated as a primary mode of connection;

capture at least one of audio, still images and video images by an image capture system of the Internet direct device;

transmit at least one of the captured audio, the captured still images and the captured video images to an account associated with the Internet direct device on a website archive and review (WSARC) upon capture by a microprocessor of the Internet direct device; and

automatically switch to another available mode of connection by the microprocessor when the primary mode of connection to the communications network is unavailable.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, the program when executed causes the Internet direct device to receive still or video images and audio from said WSARC over the communications network. the program when executed causes the Internet direct device to locally store the captured still or video images in a storage device when the connection to said communications network is unavailable, and transmits the stored still or video images and audio to said WSARC when the connection to said communications network is re-established.

18. The storage medium of claim 16, the program when executed causes the Internet direct device to automatically switch to one of the following available modes of connection:

a land line, DSL, cable, satellite, wireless network, cellular, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Max.

19. The storage medium of claim 16, the program when executed causes the Internet direct device to transmit and receive at least one of audio, still images and video images to and from other Internet direct devices over said communications network.

20. The storage medium of claim 16, the program when executed causes the Internet direct device to access the Internet using a web browser over the communications network.