IP camera with wireless relay function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10511375-B2
Application number	US-201715499411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	Apr 28, 2016
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

An IP camera with a wireless relay function includes a lens, a wireless client interface, a wired client interface, a Wi-Fi SoftAP interface, and a bridge interface. The lens receives image data. The wireless client interface transmits the image data to a first wireless client device through a wireless network. The wired client interface transmits the image data to a first wired client device through a wired network. The Wi-Fi SoftAP interface is a virtual interface to be connected to a second wireless client. The bridge interface uses the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface to communicate with the second wireless client, and connects the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface to the wired client interface or the wireless client interface, so that the second wireless client device obtains an IP address and connects to Internet through the wired client interface or the wireless client interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An IP camera with a wireless relay function, the IP camera comprising:
a lens receiving image data;
a wireless client interface transmitting the image data to a first wireless client device through a wireless network;
a wired client interface transmitting the image data to a first wired client device through a wired network;
a Wi-Fi SoftAP interface being a virtual interface to be connected to a second wireless client device; and
a bridge interface, which uses the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface to communicate with the second wireless client device and connect the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface to the wired client interface or the wireless client interface, so that the second wireless client device obtains an IP address and connects to Internet through the wired client interface or the wireless client interface,
wherein transmission on the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface and the bridge interface of the IP camera in a WISP mode is performed through a data communication unit; the data communication unit is implemented using a third-party open-source-tool IP address table (IPTABLE) and a dynamic domain name system (DDNS); the IP camera from a private area network to the IP address is implemented according to a network address translation (NAT) function through the IPTABLE.

2. The IP camera according to claim 1 , wherein the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface receives a broadcast request of the second wireless client device, and the bridge interface forwards the broadcast request to the wired client interface or the wireless client interface, wherein after the wired client interface or the wireless client interface receives a DHCP request according to the broadcast request, the wired client interface or the wireless client interface provides the DHCP request to the second wireless client device, and obtains and provides the IP address to the second wireless client device through the bridge interface.

3. The IP camera according to claim 2 , wherein when the bridge interface forwards the broadcast request to the wired client interface or the wireless client interface, the wired client interface or the wireless client interface finally transmits the broadcast request to a DHCP server corresponding to the wired client interface or the wireless client interface, wherein the DHCP server receives the broadcast request and then replies the DHCP request to the bridge interface.

4. The IP camera according to claim 1 , wherein in the WISP mode, an IP address of the bridge interface is allocated by a superior router to which the IP camera is connected, the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface of the IP camera enables a DHCP server, and the IP address of the second wireless client device accessed through a wireless hotspot is allocated by the IP camera.

5. The IP camera according to claim 1 , wherein after the second wireless client device is connected to the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface of the IP camera, the second wireless client device transmits a DHCP request to the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface, and the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface operates a DHCP server and replies the DHCP request to the second wireless client device to allocate the IP address.

6. The IP camera according to claim 5 , wherein the IP address is private area network information, and an allocated DNS server is designated as the IP address monitored by a DNS relay domain name relay daemon (Dnrd) operated by the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface.

7. The IP camera according to claim 6 , wherein the Dnrd is used to forward a DNS request.

8. The IP camera according to claim 6 , wherein when a user inputs a website address on the second wireless client device, the second wireless client device transmits a DNS request to the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface, the Dnrd receives the DNS request and then forwards the DNS request to a superior DNS server, the superior DNS server receives the DNS request and then returns an analyzed DNS to the Dnrd, the Dnrd receives the analyzed DNS and then forwards the analyzed DNS to the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface, and the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface transmits the analyzed DNS to the second wireless client device to complete a DNS analysis.

9. A wireless relay method applicable to an IP camera, the method comprising:
receiving image data;
transmitting the image data to a first wireless client device through a wireless network;
transmitting the image data to a first wired client device through a wired network; and
providing a bridge interface, and using a Wi-Fi SoftAP interface to communicate with a second wireless client device, and connect the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface to a server of the wired network or a server of the wireless network, so that the second wireless client device obtains an IP address and connects to Internet,
wherein transmission on the Wi-Fi SoftAP interface and the bridge interface of the IP camera in a WISP mode is performed through a data communication unit; the data communication unit is implemented using a third-party open-source-tool IP address table (IPTABLE) and a dynamic domain name system (DDNS); the IP camera from a private area network to the IP address is implemented according to a network address translation (NAT) function through the IPTABLE.

Assignees

• Realtek Semiconductor Corp

Inventors

• Niu Yanpeng
• Wu Mingming
• Cao Yahui

Classifications

• H04N23/661

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

• H04L65/611 Primary

  for multicast or broadcast (systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06) · CPC title

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• H04L12/4625

  Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge · CPC title

• H04N5/44

  Receiver circuitry {for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards} (H04N5/14 takes precedence) · CPC title