Patent Application
20160352389
Surveillance cameras are frequently used to deter crime and to document unwanted trespass upon private or business property. Unfortunately, surveillance cameras require costly and complex wiring to transmit video feeds and the vast majority of homes and properties do not have the necessary wiring for surveillance in place.
One technique for transmitting footage from a surveillance camera without the necessary complex wiring would be to transmit the data over a wireless network. However, there are multiple drawbacks to this approach. Wireless communication can be unreliable and insecure. Additionally, the transfer of large amounts of data over wireless communication would monopolize a user's home network and bandwidth.
Accordingly, alternative technologies for transmitting video and camera footage from a camera are needed.
While devices, adapters, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media are described herein by way of examples and embodiments, those skilled in the art recognize that devices, adapters, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for transmitting camera data over a power-line are not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood that the drawings and description are not intended to be limited to the particular form disclosed. Rather, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Any headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used herein, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to) rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include,” “including,” and “includes” mean including, but not limited to.
The Applicant has discovered devices and methods to efficiently transmit data to and from a camera which utilize the wiring of existing light fixtures and electrical connections. These devices and methods effectively eliminating the need for additional wiring and allow for high speed transfer of camera data over existing power lines.
The camera can be any type of camera or video-camera and can incorporate a variety of features. For example, the camera can have a 2.8 mm wide view, a fisheye 360 degree view, high definition (HD) image capture and video capture (such as HD 3 Megapixel 24 frames-per-second quality), infra-red night vision, and/or motion light assisted illumination.
The power-line adapter also includes a power interface coupled to the communication interface and configured to connect to a power line via a power-line connector. The power interface is also configured to transmit data received from the camera via the communication interface over the power line through the power-line connector. Additionally, the power interface is configured to transmit data that is received over the power line (through the power-line connector) to the camera via the communication interface (and the communication connector).
The power-line connector used to connect the power interface of the power-line adapter to the power line can take a variety of forms. As shown in
Returning to
The communication interface can receive data from the camera through the communication connector. The communication interface can also send this data to the power interface which can then transmit the data through the power-line connector and over the power line. For example, data including a surveillance feed (such as video and/or images) can be transmitted from the camera to the communication interface and from the communication interface to the power interface. The data can then be transmitted by the power interface through the power-line connector and over power line. The power interface can thereby transmit data received by the power-line adapter from the camera over the power line. On the receiving end, a computing device communicatively coupled to the power line can receive the data and display the surveillance feed to a user on a suitable display device. Alternatively, the data can be received and displayed by a display device communicatively coupled to the power line.
Similar to the power interface of
The communication interface, in turn, is configured to provide power to the camera via the communication connector (in addition to having bidirectional communication with the camera). Once again, the power and data connections between the communication interface and the communication connector in
The communication interface can also transmit data (and optionally power) to one or more additional devices via one or more additional communication connectors. In this case, the communication interface will also receive data from the one or more additional devices via the one or more additional communication connectors.
The one or more additional devices can include a motion sensor or trigger, a light, a speaker, a microphone, or any other device which can be used in conjunction with the camera. For example, if the additional devices include a motion sensor, then data from that motion sensor can be transmitted through a communication connector to the communication interface.
The motion sensor or trigger can be a motion based trigger which detects any movement with a particular area or field of view and triggers an alert message or response. The trigger can also be a schedule trigger which activates or initiates some action or alert based on some predefined schedule (for example, a schedule trigger to activate lights or monitoring a predetermined time every day).
The light can be any type of light, such as a light-emitting diode, and include a variety of customizable options. For example, the light can have color temperatures in the range from 2700K-6000K, the light can have colored red-green-blue components, the light can be dimmable, and/or the light can be configured to flash, such as in response to an alert or some intrusion detection.
Additionally, the one or more additional devices can be integrated with the camera or a housing of the camera. For example, an outdoor integrated device can include a motion sensor light with a surveillance camera or sconce with a motion sensor and surveillance camera. Similarly, an indoor integrated device can include a 6 inch recessed light with surveillance camera or a 4 inch recessed light with surveillance camera.
The power-line adapter of
Also shown in
Additionally,
The power interface can include a splitter which can be used to split the power and data signal received over the power-line connector and provide power and/or data to one or more of the passthrough, the AC adapter, the voltage adapter, and the communication interface.
Of course, the components of the power-line adapter can be used in a variety of configurations and combinations, and these examples are not intended to be limiting. Additionally, some components may contain parts of other components. For example, the voltage adapter can include an AC adapter to first transform the high voltage DC power to AC before transforming it into lower voltage DC power. Furthermore, many of the components shown in
As shown in
Another signal can be sent from the splitter to an AC adapter, which converts the AC signal to DC and then transmits the converted DC signal over a DC connector to a direct current powered device, such as any of the additional devices previously discussed herein.
Another signal is sent from the splitter to a Power Over Ethernet (PoE) converter. The PoE converter can convert the AC power signal received from the splitter into DC power and data packets. The PoE converter can then transmit data to and from a camera over an RJ-45 connector, which can be the communication connector. In this example, the communication interface is the interface of the PoE converter which is coupled to the RJ-45 connector and which transmits and receives data over the RJ-45 connector.
The data received from the camera over the RJ-45 connector can be received by the interface of the PoE converter which is coupled to the RJ-45 connector (the communication interface), converted back into an AC power signal by the PoE converter, and sent back to the splitter, which routes it to the power line over the power-line connector. Since the RJ-45 connector also allows for the transmission of power, DC power can also be transmitted from the PoE converter to the camera over the same RJ-45 connector.
Alternatively, as shown in
Of course, any of the connectors shown in
Additionally, if the only device being connected to the power line is a camera and the camera is powered by PoE, then the power interface and the communication interface can both be part of the PoE converter. In this case, the interface of the PoE converter which couples with the power-line connector would be the power interface and the interface of the PoE converter which couples with the communicator connector (such as an RJ-45 connector) would be the communication interface.
At step 701, data from a camera is received by a communication interface of a power-line adapter. At step 702, the data is transmitted over a power line by a power interface of the power-line adapter which is coupled to the communication interface. At step 703, additional data is received over the power line by the power interface of the power-line adapter. At step 704, the additional data is transmitted to the camera by the communication interface of the power-line adapter.
The first power-line adapter provides bi-directional communications with the camera, and also provides power to the camera and to a light and/or a motion detector and can correspond to any of the power-line adapters previously described in this application (such as those shown in
When some unwanted activity or potential intrusion is detected, either by the camera, the motion sensor or trigger, or by a computer which receives data from the camera and/or the additional devices, an alert sequence can be initiated. The alert sequence can include flashing of lights (such as those lights located near the camera) or audible alerts such as warnings, beeps, or sirens. The audible alerts can be transmitted via speakers connected to computing device or via one or more speakers which are integrated with the camera or otherwise connected to the first power-line adapter. The alert sequence can also trigger remote notifications to authorities, to a user or homeowner, or to an alarm company. Remote notifications can be transmitted over text message (SMS), email, or any other form of communication.
One or more of the above-described techniques can be implemented in or involve one or more computer systems.
With reference to
A computing environment may have additional features. For example, the computing environment 900 includes storage 940, one or more input devices 950, one or more output devices 960, and one or more communication connections 990. An interconnection mechanism 970, such as a bus, controller, or network interconnects the components of the computing environment 900. Typically, operating system software or firmware (not shown) provides an operating environment for other software executing in the computing environment 900, and coordinates activities of the components of the computing environment 900.
The storage 940 may be removable or non-removable, and includes magnetic disks, magnetic tapes or cassettes, CD-ROMs, CD-RWs, DVDs, or any other medium which can be used to store information and which can be accessed within the computing environment 900. The storage 940 may store instructions for the software 980.
The input device(s) 950 may be a touch input device such as a keyboard, mouse, pen, trackball, touch screen, or game controller, a voice input device, a scanning device, a digital camera, remote control, or another device that provides input to the computing environment 900. The output device(s) 960 may be a display, television, monitor, printer, speaker, or another device that provides output from the computing environment 900.
The communication connection(s) 990 enable communication over a communication medium to another computing entity. The communication medium conveys information such as computer-executable instructions, audio or video information, or other data in a modulated data signal. A modulated data signal is a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media include wired or wireless techniques implemented with an electrical, optical, RF, infrared, acoustic, or other carrier.
Implementations can be described in the general context of computer-readable media. Computer-readable media are any available media that can be accessed within a computing environment. By way of example, and not limitation, within the computing environment 900, computer-readable media include memory 920, storage 940, communication media, and combinations of any of the above.
Of course,
Having described and illustrated the principles of our invention with reference to the described embodiment, it will be recognized that the described embodiment can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. It should be understood that the programs, processes, or methods described herein are not related or limited to any particular type of computing environment, unless indicated otherwise. Various types of general purpose or specialized computing environments may be used with or perform operations in accordance with the teachings described herein. Elements of the described embodiment shown in software may be implemented in hardware and vice versa.
In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of our invention may be applied, we claim as our invention all such embodiments as may come within the scope and spirit of the following claims and equivalents thereto.
