Patent Application
20180278835
The present invention relates generally to security systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for enabling dynamic privacy zones in a field of view of a security camera based on motion detection.
Known security systems and connected home systems include security cameras that monitor areas of a building or home, such as a living room, backyard, front door, window, basement, child's room, and the like. However, home owners may have privacy concerns and not be comfortable with a camera recording them at all times. For example, home owners may prefer times when a security camera does not record their actions.
Some known systems address home owners' privacy concerns by allowing the home owner to preconfigure a privacy zone in the field of view of a camera. However, it is difficult to judge when and where a privacy zone is needed. For example, a home owner may need momentary privacy in an area of a room that has not been preconfigured as a privacy zone, but known systems do not allow the home owner to immediately and instantly enable such privacy without the use of a mobile device to reconfigure a privacy zone or to configure a new privacy zone. For example, as seen in in the field of view 100 of a security camera shown in
Of course, the home owner could simply power off a camera to obtain privacy, but such actions risk the home owner forgetting to power the camera back on to continue home monitoring when the need for privacy has expired.
In view of the above, there is a continuing, ongoing need for improved systems and methods.
While this invention is susceptible of an embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention. It is not intended to limit the invention to the specific illustrated embodiments.
Embodiments disclosed herein can include systems and methods for enabling dynamic privacy zones in a field of view of a security camera based on motion detection. For example, systems and methods disclosed herein can facilitate a user enabling a dynamic privacy zone in the field of view of a security camera on an as needed basis. In some embodiments, systems and methods disclosed herein can enable a dynamic privacy zone responsive to identifying a predetermined gesture or action of the user in the field of view of the camera, and in some embodiments, systems and methods can identify and move enabled privacy zones based on motion or activity detected within the field of view of a camera.
In accordance with disclosed embodiments, after a security camera is installed into a region as part of a security system and a user identifies a need for privacy in the region in which the camera is installed, the user can show a predetermined hand gesture, such as holding up a predetermined number of fingers or holding up the user's hand in any predetermined and recognizable manner, towards the camera. Systems and methods disclosed herein, for example, the camera, can use motion detection processing to identify the gesture, and such identification can trigger systems and methods disclosed herein, for example, the camera, enabling a dynamic privacy zone within the field of view of the camera, for example, by placing a privacy mask within the field of view of the camera.
In some embodiments, different gestures can be configured to trigger different actions or to trigger enabling a dynamic privacy zone for different time intervals. For example, in embodiments in which the predetermined gesture includes holding up a predetermined number of fingers towards the camera, the number of fingers can determine the length of time that the privacy zone is enabled. A gesture that includes a single finger can trigger a privacy zone for 5 minutes, a gesture that includes double fingers can trigger a privacy zone for 10 minute, and so on. In some embodiments, yet another gesture, such as a thumbs down hand gesture, can trigger disabling the dynamic privacy zone. Additionally or alternatively, after expiration of the triggered time interval, systems and methods disclosed herein can automatically disable the privacy zone without further user input.
In some embodiments, instead of or in addition to a physical gesture, systems and methods disclosed herein can detect a predetermined voice command from a user or can detect voice biometric information in a voice command from a user, and such detection can trigger systems and methods disclosed herein enabling a dynamic privacy zone within the field of view of a camera as disclosed and described herein. In some embodiments, instead of or in addition to a physical gesture or a voice command, systems and methods disclosed herein can detect a manual user input, such as a button on a camera, a mobile device, or a keypad being touched or depressed, and such detection can trigger systems and methods disclosed herein enabling a dynamic privacy zone within a field of view of the camera as disclosed and described herein.
In some embodiments, systems and methods disclosed herein can enable a dynamic privacy zone responsive to detecting a physical gesture, voice command, or physical user input of only a predetermined user or a predetermined type of user. For example, systems and methods disclosed herein can enable a dynamic privacy zone responsive to detecting a physical gesture of an adult user, but can refrain from enabling a dynamic privacy zone responsive to detecting the same physical gesture made by a child user. In some embodiments, systems and methods disclosed herein can use face recognition processing to determine whether a detected user is the predetermined user, the predetermined type of user, or any other authorized user. In some embodiments, systems and methods disclosed herein can use voice recognition processing to determine whether a detected voice command that includes a predetermined password was said by the predetermined user, the predetermined type of user, or any other authorized user.
In any embodiment, it is to be understood that the gestures to trigger the enablement of a dynamic privacy zone as disclosed herein can be simple enough that a security camera itself can detect the gesture and execute processing to enable a dynamic privacy zone responsive thereto. Accordingly, systems and methods disclosed herein can be executed even when a camera is not connected to a central monitoring station or control panel via a network. Indeed, systems and methods disclosed herein can be implemented with a standalone security camera.
It is to be understood that, when the security camera or a network connected thereto is accessed or hacked by an unauthorized user, in some embodiments, a video data stream from the security camera can include privacy masks therein in accordance with enabled privacy zones. Nevertheless, in some embodiments, an authorized user can remove a privacy mask from the video data stream using encryption or decryption processing.
In some embodiments, systems and methods disclosed herein can initially enable a dynamic privacy zone in the center of a field of view of a camera. However, systems and methods disclosed herein can continually adjust and resize the privacy zone responsive to motion or activity detected within the field of view of the camera. For example, when systems and methods detect motion or activity outside of the center of the field of view of the camera, systems and methods disclosed herein can move or resize the dynamic privacy zone to cover a first portion of the field of view of the camera in which the motion or activity is detected, which may be wholly or partially outside of the center of the field of view of the camera. Then, when systems and methods detect motion or activity outside of the first portion of the field of view of the camera, systems and methods disclosed herein can move or resize the dynamic privacy zone to a second portion of the field of view of the camera in which the motion or activity is detected, which may be wholly or partially outside of the first portion of the field of view of the camera. In this manner, users can ensure that intended areas are covered with a privacy mask as needed.
As explained above, after expiration of a predetermined time interval associated with the gesture detected by the security camera, systems and methods disclosed herein can automatically disable the privacy zone. However, in some embodiments, when systems and methods fail to detect motion within the same field of view or room in which the privacy zone is enabled prior to expiration of the predetermined time interval, systems and methods disclosed herein can automatically disable the privacy zone prior to the expiration of the predetermined time interval. Furthermore, in some embodiments, when systems and methods detect motion after the predetermined time interval and within the same field of view or room in which the privacy zone was disabled, systems and methods disclosed herein can automatically extend the time interval and, thus, the privacy zone being enabled until systems and methods disclosed herein no longer detect motion or a predetermined person or object within the field of view or room in which the privacy zone is enabled.
In some embodiments, a security camera as disclosed herein can include a visual indicator, such as an LED, to indicate to a user when a dynamic privacy zone within the field of view of the camera is enabled. For example, in some embodiments, the LED can display a first color when no dynamic privacy zones within the field of view of the camera are enabled, and the LED can display a second, different color when a dynamic privacy zone within the field of view of the camera is enabled.
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It is to be understood that a security camera as disclosed and described above or a central monitoring station or control panel connected thereto can include a memory device in communication with control circuitry, one or more programmable processors, and executable control software as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. In some embodiments, the memory device can store an identification of predetermined gestures and the actions or time intervals for privacy zones triggered by each of the gestures. In some embodiments, the executable control software can be stored on a transitory or non-transitory computer readable medium, including, but not limited to, local computer memory, RAM, optical storage media, magnetic storage media, flash memory, and the like, and some or all of the control circuitry, the programmable processors, and the control software can execute and control at least some of the methods described above.
Although a few embodiments have been described in detail above, other modifications are possible. For example, the logic flows described above do not require the particular order described or sequential order to achieve desirable results. Other steps may be provided, steps may be eliminated from the described flows, and other components may be added to or removed from the described systems. Other embodiments may be within the scope of the invention.
From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific system or method described herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover all such modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
