US 9,179,104 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for managing a camera network

AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.

InventorsJames Fan, Thomas Barrett, Jennifer K. Lam

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Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, receiving location information associated with a mobile communication device, determining a first location of the mobile communication device based on the location information, selecting a first camera from a group of cameras based on the determined first location, receiving at least one first image from the selected first camera that captures at least a portion of the first location, performing image recognition on at least one second image to identify a user associated with the mobile communication device, selecting another camera from the group of cameras based on a determined position of the identified user, and receiving at least another image from the selected other camera. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A server comprising:

a memory to store instructions;
and
a controller circuit coupled to the memory, wherein the controller circuit, responsive to executing the instructions, performs operations comprising:
receiving location information from a mobile communication device;
determining a first location of the mobile communication device based on the location information;
selecting a first camera from a group of cameras based on the first location;
receiving a first image from the first camera, wherein the first image captures at least a portion of the first location;
receiving wireless signals associated with the mobile communication device;
determining a second location of the mobile communication device based on the wireless signals;
determining a second group of cameras according to the second location;
transmitting information associated with the second group of cameras to the mobile communication device;
receiving a selection from the mobile communication device of a second camera from the second group of cameras;
receiving a second image of the second location from the second camera of the group of cameras responsive to the selection of the second camera;
performing first image recognition including facial recognition on the second image to identify a user associated with the mobile communication device as an identified user and to determine a position of the user at the second location;
selecting a third camera from the group of cameras based on the position of the identified user;
receiving a third image from the third camera, wherein the third image captures at least a portion of the second location;
storing the first image and the third image;
performing a second image recognition on one image of the first image, the second image, or the third image to identify a product image present in the one image;
modifying the product image in the one image to generate a selectable product image;
transmitting the one image to a media device for presentation at the media device;
receiving, from the media device, a selection of the selectable product image from the one image being presented of the media device;
transmitting a website link to media device responsive to receiving the selection;
receiving a request from the mobile communication device to share an image of the first image, the second image, the third image, or any combination thereof with a second mobile communication device;
and
streaming the image to the second mobile communication device responsive to the request,
wherein the group of cameras is associated with the user in accordance with a user subscription to a networked service,
wherein the location information comprises information regarding a first object being observed by the user, and
wherein the first image comprises an image of the first object.

25 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving first location information from a mobile communication device;
determining a first location of the mobile communication device based on the first location information;
selecting a first camera from a group of cameras based on the first location;
receiving a first image from the first camera, wherein the first image captures at least a portion of the first location;
receiving second location information from the mobile communication device;
determining a second location of the mobile communication device based on the second location information;
determining a second group of cameras according to the second location;
transmitting information associated with the second group of cameras to the mobile communication device;
receiving a selection from the mobile communication device of a second camera from the second group of cameras;
receiving a second image from the second camera, wherein the second image captures at least a portion of the second location;
receiving audio content;
performing voice recognition on the audio content to generate user notations, the voice recognition being performed by a server;
analyzing the user notations using recognition libraries to determine a subject matter of the user notations, the user notations being analyzed by the server;
associating the user notations with the first image or the second image based on the subject matter;
performing an image of the first image or the second image to identify a product image present in the one image;
modifying the product image in the one image to generate a selectable product image;
transmitting the one image to a media device for presentation at the media device;
receiving, from the media device, a selection of the selectable product image from the one image being presented of the media device;
transmitting a website link to media device responsive to receiving the selection;
enabling remote access by communication devices to personal content that includes one of the first image, the second image, notation information representative of the audio content, or any combination thereof;
receiving a request from the mobile communication device to share an image of the first image, the second image, or any combination thereof with a second mobile communication device;
and
streaming the image to the second mobile communication device responsive to the request,
wherein the group of cameras is associated with a user subscription,
wherein the first location information comprises information regarding an object being observed by the user, and
wherein the first image comprises an image of the object.

23 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving location information associated with a mobile communication device;
determining a group of cameras according to the location information;
transmitting information associated with the group of cameras to the mobile communication device;
receiving a selection from the mobile communication device of a first camera from the group of cameras;
receiving a first image from the first camera;
performing first image recognition on the first image to identify a user associated with the mobile communication device and to identify an object being observed by the user;
selecting a second camera from the group of cameras based on the object;
receiving a second image from the second camera that captures the object;
storing the second image in a memory, wherein the location information comprises information regarding the object being observed by the user;
performing a second image recognition on one image of the first image or the second image to identify a product image present in the one image;
modifying the product image in the one image to generate a selectable product image;
transmitting the one image to a media device for presentation at the media device;
receiving, from the media device, a selection of the selectable product image from the one image being presented of the media device;
and
transmitting a website link to media device responsive to receiving the selection.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/272,552Filed 13 Oct 2011
Published: US 2013/0093897 A118 Apr 2013
Granted: 3 Nov 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification23 codes

H04N 7/181
Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast: for receiving images from a plurality of remote…
G06Q 30/0214
Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates: referral reward systems
G06Q 30/0257
Targeted advertisements: user requested
G06T 11/60
Two-dimensional [2D] image generation: creating or editing images; Combining images with text