360 degree camera apparatus with monitoring sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12200326-B2
Application number	US-202017008933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2020
Priority date	Apr 14, 2015
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods include a camera apparatus. The camera apparatus includes a mounting base and a plurality of sensors. The mounting base is adapted to mount to a structure. The plurality of sensors includes an array of image sensors arranged to simultaneously capture a combined 360 degree view around the camera apparatus. The plurality of sensors also includes at least one of infrared sensors, sound sensors, and motion sensors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camera apparatus, comprising:
a mounting base adapted to mount to any of a structure and a track mechanism adapted to facilitate movement of the camera apparatus;
a plurality of sensors including
an array of image sensors arranged to simultaneously capture a combined 360 degree view around the camera apparatus, and
at least one infrared sensor, sound sensor, lidar sensor, and motion sensor, a network interface and a processor communicatively coupled to one another; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to
perform continuous monitoring via the plurality of sensors;
generate a model of a location in which the camera apparatus is located based on data from the plurality of sensors; and
responsive to the at least one infrared sensor detecting a temperature greater than a threshold, issue an alert, the alert including associated data comprising images captured at the time of the alarm, thermal images captured at the time of the alarm, sounds recorded at the time of the alarm, power levels of equipment associated with the alarm, and identification of equipment associated with the alarm, wherein the alert is displayed within the model of the location with associated data displayed therein.

2. The camera apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one infrared sensor is configured to simultaneously capture a 360 degree view of thermographic data around the camera apparatus.

3. The camera apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image sensors and the motion sensors are configured to detect motion within the combined 360 degree view around the camera apparatus.

4. The camera apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sound sensor is configured for communicating with an individual within the combined 360 degree view and monitoring sounds emanating from equipment within the combined 360 degree view.

5. The camera apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the camera apparatus is configured to issue an alert in response to the sound sensors detecting a sound above a predetermined threshold.

6. The camera apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes one or more RF sensors configured to receive and monitor cellular signals, and wherein issuing an alarm is based on the monitoring of cellular signals.

7. A monitoring system for monitoring a commercial location, the monitoring system comprising:
a camera apparatus including
a mounting base adapted to mount to any of a structure and a track mechanism adapted to facilitate movement of the camera apparatus, and
a plurality of sensors including
an array of image sensors arranged to simultaneously capture a combined 360 degree view around the camera apparatus, and
at least one infrared sensor, sound sensor, lidar sensor, and motion sensor; and

a server including
a network interface and a processor communicatively coupled to one another; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to
perform continuous monitoring via the plurality of sensors to obtain data from the plurality of sensors including the combined 360 degree view around the camera apparatus,
generate a model of the commercial location in which the camera apparatus is located based on data from the plurality of sensors,
facilitate access to the model and the combined 360 degree view to a user to monitor the commercial location using the data, and
responsive to the at least one infrared sensor detecting a temperature greater than a threshold, issue one or more alerts, the one or more alerts including associated data comprising images captured at the time of the alarm, thermal images captured at the time of the alarm, sounds recorded at the time of the alarm, power levels of equipment associated with the alarm, and identification of equipment associated with the alarm, wherein the alert is displayed within the model of the location with associated data displayed therein.

8. The monitoring system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one infrared sensor is configured to simultaneously capture a 360 degree view of thermographic data around the camera apparatus.

9. The monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to
obtain a plurality of images from the combined 360 degree view around the camera apparatus,
generate a model of the commercial location using the data,
display information from the model within images from the combined 360 degree view to a user while a user is viewing the images in real time, and
display thermographic information with the information from the model including identification of equipment being displayed along with a temperature of the equipment being displayed.

10. The monitoring system of claim 7 , wherein the image sensors and the motion sensors are configured to detect motion within the combined 360 degree view around the camera apparatus, and wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to issue an alert in response to motion detected by at least one of the image sensors and the motion sensors.

11. The monitoring system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one sound sensor is configured for communicating with an individual within the combined 360 degree view and monitoring sounds emanating from equipment within the combined 360 degree view, and wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to issue an alert in response to the sound sensors detecting a sound above a predetermined threshold.

12. The monitoring system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes one or more RF sensors configured to receive cellular signals, and wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to monitor the cellular signals, and wherein issuing an alarm is based on the monitoring of cellular signals.

13. A method for monitoring a commercial location, comprising:
obtaining a data from a camera apparatus including a plurality of images captured using an array of image sensors arranged to simultaneously capture a combined 360 degree view around the camera apparatus and at least one infrared sensor, sound sensor, lidar sensor, and motion sensor;
monitoring the commercial location using the data from the array of image sensors and the at least one infrared sensor, sound sensor, lidar sensor, and motion sensor; and
responsive to the at least one infrared sensor detecting a temperature greater than a threshold, issuing one or more alerts, the one or more alerts including associated data comprising images captured at the time of the alarm, thermal images captured at the time of the alarm, sounds recorded at the time of the alarm, power levels of equipment associated with the alarm, and identification of equipment associated with the alarm, wherein the alert is displayed within the model of the location with associated data displayed therein.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the data includes a 360 degree view of thermographic data around the camera apparatus captured simultaneously by the at least one infrared sensor.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
obtaining a plurality of images from the combined 360 degree view around the camera apparatus;
generating a model of the commercial location using the data;
displaying information from the model within images from the combined 360 degree view to a user while a user is viewing the images in real time; and
displaying thermographic information with the information from the model including identification of equipment being displayed along with an temperature of the equ

Assignees

• Etak Systems Llc

Inventors

• Terry Charlie
• Perry James
• Priest Lee

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U20/87

  Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals · CPC title

• B64U10/14

  with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title