Local and remote video-camera control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10306129-B1
Application number	US-201615195650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2016
Priority date	Jun 28, 2016
Publication date	May 28, 2019
Grant date	May 28, 2019

Abstract

This application describes techniques for controlling an apparatus that includes a camera both locally and remotely. The camera apparatuses described herein may include obfuscation components that function to selectively obfuscate a view of the camera at the request of a user. For instance, one particular camera apparatus may include a lens cap and an actuator to move the lens cap from a position in which the lens cap at least partially obfuscates the view of the camera to a position in which the lens cap does not (and vice versa). The camera apparatus may include a physical control to allow a user to locally request to open or close the lens cap, and may also include a network interface to communicate with a user device, thus allowing a user to remotely request to open or close the lens cap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a camera to generate video data representing an environment;
a lens cap configured to cover a lens of the camera;
an actuator to move the lens cap between an open position in the which the lens cap does not cover the lens and a closed position in which the lens cap covers the lens;
a physical control to request to move the lens cap from the open position to the closed position;
a personal area network (PAN) component to enable communications compliant with at least one of the following standards IEEE 802.15.4 (ZigBee), IEEE 802.15.1 (Bluetooth) or IEEE 802.11 (WiFi);
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
receiving, via the PAN component, a signal from an electronic device that is separate from the apparatus, the signal comprising an indication to move the lens cap from the closed position to the open position;
determining that the signal was received via the PAN component; and
causing the actuator to move the lens cap from the closed position to the open position based at least in part on the determining that the signal was received via the PAN component.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a wide area network (WAN) component to enable communications with devices over one or more WAN, and wherein the signal comprises a first signal, the electronic device comprises a first electronic device, and the acts further comprise:
receiving, via the WAN component, a second signal from a second electronic device that is separate from the apparatus, the second signal comprising another indication to move the lens cap from the closed position to the open position;
determining that the second signal was received via the WAN component; and
sending, to the second electronic device and based at least in part on the determining that the second signal was received via the WAN component, a third indication that the lens cap will not be moved from the closed position to the open position.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a wide area network (WAN) component to enable communications with devices over one or more WAN, and wherein the signal comprises a first signal, the electronic device comprises a first electronic device, and the acts further comprise:
receiving, via the WAN component, a second signal from a second electronic device that is separate from the apparatus, the second signal comprising another indication to move the lens cap from the closed position to the open position;
receiving authentication information from the second electronic device; and
causing the actuator to move the lens cap from the closed position to the open position.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus and a mobile device are associated with a common user account, and the acts further comprise:
receiving an indication that the actuator encountered a foreign object and is unable to move the lens cap from the at least one of the closed position to the open position or from the open position to the closed position; and
sending at least one image generated by the camera to the mobile device.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a microphone to generate an audio signal based on sound captured from the environment; and
a speaker, proximate to the microphone, to generate white noise;
and the acts further comprising:
receiving data indicating to mute the microphone; and
causing the speaker to generate the white noise to obfuscate at least a portion of sound from the environment present in the audio signal.

6. An apparatus comprising:
a camera;
an obfuscation component to at least partly obfuscate a view of the camera;
a physical control to request to at least partially obfuscate the view of the camera;
a personal area network (PAN) component to enable communications compliant with at least one of the following standards IEEE 802.15.4 (ZigBee), IEEE 802.15.1 (Bluetooth) or IEEE 802.11 (WiFi);
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
receiving, via the PAN component, from a device, an indication to cease obfuscation of the view of the camera;
determining that the indication was received via the PAN component; and
causing the obfuscation component to cease obfuscation of the view of the camera based at least in part on the determining that the indication was received via the PAN component.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein the acts further comprise:
receiving, via the physical control, a second indication to at least partially obfuscate a view of the camera; and
causing the obfuscation component to at least partly obfuscate the view of the camera.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 , further comprising a wide area network (WAN) component to enable communications with devices over one or more WAN, and wherein the device comprises a first device and the acts further comprise:
receiving, via the WAN component, from a second device, a second indication to cease obfuscation of the view of the camera; and
sending, to the second device, an indication that the obfuscation component will not cease obfuscation of the view of the camera.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein the obfuscation component comprises:
a lens cap configured to physically cover a lens of the camera; and
an actuator configured to move the lens cap between a first position physically covering the lens of the camera and a second position in which the lens cap does not physically cover the lens of the camera.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein the obfuscation component comprises a light-source configured to emit light substantially parallel to an optical axis of the camera, the light-source configured to turn on to at least partially obfuscate the view of the camera and turn off to cease obfuscation of the view of the camera.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein the obfuscation component comprises:
a light-source configured to emit light; and
a lightguide at least partially within the camera to disseminate the light from the light source to at least partially obfuscate the view of the camera.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein the apparatus and a mobile device are associated with a common user account and the acts further comprise:
receiving another indication that the obfuscation component is unable to at least partly obfuscate the view of the camera; and
sending at least one image generated by the camera to the mobile device.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 , further comprising:
a microphone to generate an audio signal based on sound from an environment of the apparatus; and
a speaker, proximate to the microphone;
and the acts further comprising:
receiving a second indication to mute the microphone; and
causing the speaker to generate noise to obfuscate at least a portion of the sound from the environment of the apparatus.

14. A method implemented at least in part by an apparatus that includes a camera, an obfuscation component to at least partly obfuscate a view of the camera, a personal area network (PAN) component to communicate with a device over a PAN, and a physical control to request to at least partially obfuscate the view of the camera, the

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Bentley Peter Van Tuyl
• Berenberg Paul
• Laffon De Mazieres Emmanuel J M

Classifications

• H04N7/183 Primary

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title

• H04N23/661 Primary

  Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet · CPC title

• G03B11/04

  Hoods or caps for eliminating unwanted light from lenses, viewfinders or focusing aids · CPC title

• G03B2206/00

  Systems for exchange of information between different pieces of apparatus, e.g. for exchanging trimming information, for photo finishing · CPC title

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title