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US 8,194,174 B2Granted
Internet-based camera focusing method and apparatus
AssigneeThird Iris Corp.
InventorSteven Goddard Roskowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An Internet based camera providing cost-effective higher security and easier and quicker installation by internally determining a degree of quality measure and providing low latency feedback to the installer on adjusting focus.
Claims17
An apparatus comprising:
- an installer indicator device;
- an adjustable image capture device;
- a focus engine circuit;
- a user interface circuit, the focus engine circuit coupled to the adjustable image capture device, the user interface circuit coupled to the focus engine circuit and to the installer indicator device, whereby
- the installer indicator device is controlled by the user interface circuit to cue an apparatus installer to manually adjust the adjustable image capture device or to stop manually adjusting the adjustable image capture device;
- a pixel sum accumulator;
- a pixel sum comparator;
- a dark counter and comparator;
- a reset counter and comparator;
- and
- control logic circuits, the pixel sum comparator coupled to the pixel sum accumulator, and coupled to the dark counter and comparator, whereby the dark counter is enabled to count while the pixel sum is not above its threshold, and the dark counter is reinitialized while the pixel sum is above its threshold, the dark counter and comparator further couples to the installer indicator device and
- a reset counter and comparator, whereby the installer indicator device displays a reset state for a fixed period following initialization of the reset counter when the dark counter has detected a maximum delay, the reset counter is further coupled to the installer indicator device and to
- a best seen focus store, for to clear the reset state display and to reinitialize the best seen focus store,
- whereby a focus process may be initialized or reinitialized by an installation technician without access to a server or to a network.
11 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- an installer indicator device;
- an adjustable image capture device;
- a focus engine circuit;
- and
- a user interface circuit, the focus engine circuit coupled to the adjustable image capture device, the user interface circuit coupled to the focus engine circuit and to the installer indicator device, whereby
- the installer indicator device is controlled by the user interface circuit to cue an apparatus installer to manually adjust the adjustable image capture device or to stop manually adjusting the adjustable image capture device;
- a first delay device and
- a second delay device;
- a times negative two scaler circuit;
- a three input summer circuit;
- a focus accumulator circuit;
- a pixel sum accumulator circuit;
- and
- a ratio circuit, the ratio circuit coupled to the focus accumulator circuit and the pixel sum accumulator circuit for to determine a current focus value for each frame of the adjustable image capture device, the first delay device and the second delay device coupled in series between the circuit input and the pixel sum accumulator circuit, the times negative two scaler circuit coupled between the first delay device and the three input summer circuit, the three input summer circuit further coupled to the second delay device and the circuit input and further coupled to the focus accumulator circuit.
11 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- an installer indicator device;
- an adjustable image capture device;
- a focus engine circuit;
- and
- a user interface circuit, the focus engine circuit coupled to the adjustable image capture device, the user interface circuit coupled to the focus engine circuit and to the installer indicator device, whereby
- the installer indicator device is controlled by the user interface circuit to cue an apparatus installer to manually adjust the adjustable image capture device or to stop manually adjusting the adjustable image capture device,
- wherein the installer indicator device comprises at least one electrically operable visible output device, and
- wherein the user interface circuit comprises
- a current focus value store,
- a best seen focus store,
- a latch control, and
- an approximate equality circuit;
- the approximate equality circuit coupled to the current focus value store and the best seen focus store, and further coupled to the installer indicator device, for to determine and indicate to the installer the condition that the current focus is within a range of the best seen focus, the latch control coupled to the current focus value store and the best seen focus store, for to latch the current focus value into the best seen focus store on the condition that the best seen focus is less than the current focus value, and the current focus value store coupled to the ratio device for to receive a degree of quality measure for each frame.
10 more elements
An apparatus comprising
- a user interface circuit, the user interface circuit coupled to and controlling a first indicator to start adjusting or to stop adjusting an adjustable digital image capture device, and coupled to and controlling a second indicator of improving or not improving measure of quality;
- a current focus store, and
- a best seen focus store, coupled to
- a circuit to determine when the difference between the current focus store value and the best seen focus store value is less than a certain range, wherein the best seen focus store comprises
- a latch recording the highest value of the current focus store for all adjustments of the digital image capture device;
- and
- a focus engine circuit coupled to the adjustable digital image capture device and coupled to the user interface circuit, said focus engine circuit comprising
- a high pass filter coupled to the adjustable digital image capture device and
- a comparison circuit coupled to the input of the high pass filter and to the output of high pass filter, and
- means for storing the output of the comparison circuit into the current focus store, whereby the high pass filter detects the sharpness of edges and when compared with a sum of the unfiltered same image provides a degree of quality measure;
- and
- the adjustable digital image capture device coupled to the user interface circuit.
9 more elements
A method for operation of an Internet-based camera apparatus, the method comprising:
- establishing a first client session with a server through a network interface coupled to a public wide area network;
- transmitting camera status;
- receiving a command from the server to focus the camera;
- cueing an installer through an indicator to begin adjusting a digital image capture device,
- cueing said installer through said indicator to stop adjusting said digital image capture device, and
- concluding said first client session and
- transmitting a camera status and a status on the command to focus the camera in a second client session.
4 more elements
An Internet-based camera apparatus comprising:
- a network interface whereby a client session may be established with a server to transmit status and request commands, at least
- one output indicator whereby an installer receives feedback on his recent inaction or action,
- a user interface driver circuit coupled to the at least one output indicator and further coupled to
- a focus engine circuit, the focus engine circuit coupled to a digital image capture device and further coupled to the network interface and to the user interface driver circuit, wherein the focus engine circuit comprises
- an image processing high pass filter coupled to a focus accumulator circuit;
- a raw pixel sum accumulator circuit coupled to an unfiltered video frame pixel input of the focus engine circuit;
- and
- a ratio circuit coupled to both the focus accumulator circuit and to the raw pixel sum accumulator which compares accumulated raw image data and accumulated filtered image data to determine an output value for the focus engine circuit.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.