Wearable imaging sensor for communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9374509-B2
Application number	US-201213717254-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2012
Priority date	Dec 17, 2012
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

A wearable image sensor is described. In one example, an apparatus includes a camera to capture images with a wide field of view, a data interface to send camera images to an external device, and a power supply to power the camera and the data interface. The camera, data interface, and power supply are attached to a garment that is wearable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a camera to capture images with a wide field of view;
a data interface to send camera images to an external device for analysis and to receive an analysis from the external device, the analysis including information related to the image;
a power supply to power the camera and the data interface; and
a processor and image recognition software to process additional images captured by the camera before sending by the data interface, the processing to determine if a scene in the images has significantly changed in a new image and to send a new image to the remote device if there is a significant change in the scene,
wherein the, camera, data interface, and power supply are attached to a garment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the camera is integrated into the garment.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the camera is attached to the garment using a pin.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the camera is sewn to the garment.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the camera has a panoramic field of view.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the camera has a 180 degree horizontal field of view.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data interface is an optic fiber interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data interface is a wireless interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the external device is a cellular telephone.

10. An imaging and communication system comprising:
a camera to capture images and to send the images through a short range wireless interface;
a data interface to receive the images from the camera through the short range wireless interface;
a processor coupled to the data interface to process the images for analysis; and
a long range wireless interface coupled to the processor to send a new image to a remote device if there is a significant change in the scene.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the long range wireless image is further to receive information about the sent images from the remote device.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a display coupled to the processor to display the received information about the images.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a control interface coupled to the display to allow user control of the displayed information.

14. A method comprising:
capturing an image in a camera attached to a garment, the images having a wide field of view;
sending the image through a data interface connected to the camera to an external device for analysis;
processing additional images captured by the camera to determine if a scene in the images has significantly changed in a new image;
sending a new image through the data interface to the remote device if there is a significant change in the scene;
receiving the analysis from the external device through the data interface, the analysis including information related to the image; and
presenting the analysis to a user of the garment.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein sending the image comprises sending the image to a local portable device and the local portable device sending the image to a remote server.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the local portable device is also attached to the garment.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the local portable device is a cellular telephone.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein sending the image further comprises sending additional information about the image including time and location.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein presenting the analysis comprises presenting information about the image on a display that is movable independent of the camera.

Assignees

• Pillarisetty Ravi
• Agraharam Sairam
• Guzek John S
• Jezewski Christopher J
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Pillarisetty Ravi
• Agraharam Sairam
• Guzek John S
• Jezewski Christopher J

Classifications

• A41D1/002

  adapted to accommodate electronic equipment (patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085) · CPC title

• H04N23/631

  Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• H04N23/661 Primary

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

• H04N23/00 Primary

  Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof · CPC title