Camera device and method for controlling a camera device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9794456-B2
Application number	US-201615260804-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2016
Priority date	Jun 16, 2014
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A method for providing enhanced functionalities by an electronic device includes detecting whether a charging stand is attached to or is in proximity to the electronic device; automatically performing a pairing procedure by the electronic device and the charging stand to pair the electronic device with the charging stand when it has been detected that the charging stand is attached to or is in proximity to the electronic device; and operating in a driving recorder mode by the electronic device to provide video recording and positioning functionalities when the pairing procedure has been successful.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an electronic device; and
a charging stand,
wherein the electronic device detects whether the charging stand is attached to or is in proximity to the electronic device, and automatically performs a pairing procedure to pair with the charging stand when it has been detected that the charging stand is attached to or is in proximity to the electronic device, and
wherein the charging stand provides power to the electronic device for charging the electronic device when the pairing procedure has been successful, and
wherein the electronic device is a camera device, and the camera device comprises:
a housing integrally formed in one piece, comprising:
a cylindrical first portion;
a cylindrical second portion; and
a curved portion, being a bent cylindrical sleeve, disposed between the cylindrical first portion and the cylindrical second portion, directly connecting the cylindrical first portion and the cylindrical second portion, and comprising a curved surface;

a lens, disposed on an end surface of the housing;
an image sensor, coupled to the lens for capturing image data through the lens;
a first input unit, disposed on the curved surface of the curved portion and provided as a first input interface for a user; and
a grip sensor, disposed on the cylindrical first portion for sensing whether the cylindrical first portion is held by the user, and sensing orientation of the camera device when being held by the user,
wherein the image sensor operate in a sleep mode by default to reduce power consumption and when the grip sensor senses that the cylindrical first portion is held by the user, the grip sensor generates a sensing signal to wake up the image sensor.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the charging stand comprises a wireless charging circuit to transmit power to the electronic device in a wireless manner.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the charging stand comprises a wired charging circuit to transmit power to the electronic device in a wired manner.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises an image sensor and a GPS positioning module, and when the pairing procedure has been successful, the electronic device operates in a driving recorder mode to provide video recording and positioning functionalities.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the electronic device further comprises a data transmitting unit, and when the electronic device detects a sudden change in moving speed of the electronic device, the data transmitting unit automatically transmits recorded video data and recorded positioning data to a server.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the charging stand comprises a gravity sensor, and when the gravity sensor detects a sudden change in moving speed of the charging stand, the charging stand generates a warning message to warn a user.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises a gravity sensor, and when the gravity sensor detects a sudden change in moving speed of the electronic device, the electronic device generates a warning message to warn a user.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic device further comprises a data transmitting unit, and the electronic device further detects whether the charging stand has been detached from or is no longer in proximity to the electronic device, and when it has been detected that the charging stand has been detached from or is no longer in proximity to the electronic device, the data transmitting unit automatically transmits recorded video data and recorded positioning data to a server.

9. A method for providing enhanced functionalities by an electronic device comprising a housing integrally formed in one piece, a lens, an image sensor, a first input unit and a grip sensor, the housing comprising a cylindrical first portion, a cylindrical second portion and a curved portion, being a bent cylindrical sleeve, disposed between the cylindrical first portion and the cylindrical second portion, directly connecting the cylindrical first portion and the cylindrical second portion, and comprising a curved surface, the lens being disposed on an end surface of the housing, the image sensor being coupled to the lens for capturing image data through the lens, the first input unit being disposed on the curved surface of the curved portion and provided as a first input interface for a user, and the grip sensor being disposed on the cylindrical first portion, the method comprising:
controlling the image sensor to operate in a sleep mode to reduce power consumption;
sensing whether the cylindrical first portion is held by the user via the grip sensor;
sensing orientation of the electronic device when being gripped by the user via the grip sensor;
generating a sensing signal to wake up the image sensor when sensing that the cylindrical first portion is held by the user;
detecting whether a charging stand is attached to or is in proximity to the electronic device;
automatically performing a pairing procedure by the electronic device and the charging stand to pair the electronic device with the charging stand when it has been detected that the charging stand is attached to or is in proximity to the electronic device; and
operating in a driving recorder mode by the electronic device to provide video recording and positioning functionalities when the pairing procedure has been successful.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving power in a wired or wireless manner from the charging stand by the electronic device when the pairing procedure has been successful.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
detecting whether there is a sudden change in moving speed of the electronic device; and
generating a warning message by the electronic device to warn a user when it has been detected that there is a sudden change in the moving speed.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
detecting whether there is a sudden change in moving speed of the charging stand; and
generating a warning message by the charging stand to warn the user when it has been detected that there is a sudden change in the moving speed.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
detecting whether there is a sudden change in moving speed of the electronic device; and
automatically transmitting recorded video data and recorded positioning data to a server by the electronic device when it has been detected that there is a sudden change in the moving speed.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
detecting whether the charging stand has been detached from or is no longer in proximity to the electronic device; and
when the charging stand has been detached from or is no longer in proximity to the electronic device, automatically transmitting recorded video data and recorded positioning data to a server by the electronic device.

Assignees

• Htc Corp

Inventors

• Fu Ping-Kun
• Hsiang Ko-Hsin

Classifications

• H04N23/634

  Warning indications · CPC title

• H04N23/50

  Constructional details · CPC title

• G03B17/02 Primary

  Bodies · CPC title

• H04N23/66

  Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices · CPC title

• H04N23/651

  for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera · CPC title