Surveillance camera

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12394289-B2
Application number	US-202418645215-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2024
Priority date	Apr 29, 2021
Publication date	Aug 19, 2025
Grant date	Aug 19, 2025

Abstract

A camera assembly may include a camera and one or more heat sinks configured to dissipate heat generated by the camera. The heat sinks being in thermal contact with a printed circuit board including the camera. A housing of the camera assembly may be configured to maintain the camera in a fixed position while the camera assembly is mounted on a medical device such as a dispensing cabinet. The camera in the fixed position may have a deterministic field of view that includes a first area in which interactions with the medical device and adjacent medical devices occurs or is expected to occur. The deterministic field of view of the camera may further exclude a second area where surveillance is unsuitable, prohibited, and/or unnecessary. Images captured by the camera may be analyzed to detect anomalous behavior such as diversion, medical error, hazardous behavior, and protocol noncompliance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a housing;
a camera within the housing;
a printed circuit board within the housing and communicatively coupled with the camera; and
a heat sink configured to dissipate heat generated within the housing;
wherein the housing is configured to maintain the camera in a fixed position while the apparatus is mounted on a medical device, the housing having a first portion configured to be inserted into a cavity within a panel of the medical device, the first portion of the housing being further configured to receive one or more fasteners for securing the apparatus to the medical device, the housing having a second portion configured to remain outside of the cavity and form a flush mounting between the apparatus and an exterior surface of the panel of the medical device, the camera in the fixed position having a deterministic field of view that comprises a first area in which a first interaction with the medical device occurs or is expected to occur, wherein the heat sink comprises an indentation in the housing, and wherein the indentation is configured to engage with a flange in the panel of the medical device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing maintains the camera at an angle from which the deterministic field of view of the camera comprises the first area.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing maintains the camera at an offset from which the deterministic field of view of the camera comprises the first area.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is mounted at a height and/or an orientation from which the deterministic field of view of the camera comprises the first area.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deterministic field of view of the camera further excludes a second area.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the camera comprises one or more wide angle lenses or ultra wide angle lenses.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the housing has a first height, wherein the second portion of the housing has a second height less than the first height such that the first portion of the housing extends above the second portion of the housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first portion of the housing extends upward against a front exterior surface of the panel of the medical device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second portion of the housing extends inward and is secured against one or more interior surfaces of the panel of the medical device.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the cavity in the panel accommodating the second portion of the housing is sealed around the housing to minimize accessibility to the one or more fasteners.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the cavity in the panel is sealed by one or more fascia panels covering the front exterior surface of the panel.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tamper detector configured to detect tampering at the apparatus and generate a signal in response to detecting a threshold level of tampering at the apparatus, the tampering comprises at least one of a removal of the one or more fasteners securing the apparatus and a change in the deterministic field of view of the camera.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the tamper detector comprises an optical sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the tamper detector comprises:
at least one data processor; and
at least one memory storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one data processor, result in operations comprising:
performing an analysis of an image of a current field of view of the camera by at least comparing the image to a reference image of a field of view of the camera; and
detecting, based at least on the analysis indicating an above-threshold difference between the image and the reference image, the threshold level of tampering at the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the analysis comprises identifying one or more objects present in each of the image and the reference image, and comparing a location of the one or more objects in each of the image and the reference image.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the analysis comprises comparing a first color histogram of the image and a second color histogram of the reference image.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the camera is disabled in response to the signal indicating the threshold level of tampering at the apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a visual indicator configured to indicate a status of the camera, wherein the status comprises camera calibration being performed at the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing is formed of a thermally conductive material.

20. A dispensing cabinet, comprising:
an enclosure for storing one or more medications or medical supplies;
a camera assembly comprising:
a housing;
a camera within the housing;
a printed circuit board within the housing and communicatively coupled with the camera; and
a heat sink configured to dissipate heat generated within the housing;
wherein the housing is configured to maintain the camera in a fixed position while the camera assembly is mounted on the dispensing cabinet, the housing having a first portion configured to be inserted into a cavity within a panel of the dispensing cabinet, the first portion of the housing being further configured to receive one or more fasteners for securing the camera assembly to the dispensing cabinet, the housing having a second portion configured to remain outside of the cavity and form a flush mounting between the camera assembly and an exterior surface of the panel of the dispensing cabinet, the camera in the fixed position having a deterministic field of view that comprises a first area in which a first interaction with the dispensing cabinet occurs or is expected to occur, wherein the heat sink comprises an indentation in the housing, and wherein the indentation is configured to engage with a flange in the panel of the dispensing cabinet.

Assignees

• Carefusion 303 Inc

Inventors

• Hoard David
• Yusufi Mustafa
• Greuel Benjamin
• Padilla Mariano

Classifications

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/52

  Elements optimising image sensor operation, e.g. for electromagnetic interference [EMI] protection or temperature control by heat transfer or cooling elements · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• G08B13/19613 Primary

  Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion · CPC title

• G08B13/06

  by tampering with fastening · CPC title