Abstract:
This invention relates to a method to obtain an image from the perspective of a pacifier user. The method involves the steps of providing a digital camera mounted on pacifier apparatus  90  and capturing the image. This can be accomplished in one embodiment by providing an apparatus made of a perpendicular mounting member  30  or linear mounting member  35  that has a plurality of grooved prongs shaped to secure the ring  20  of a pacifier; and a digital camera  40  attached to the perpendicular mounting member  30.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a non-provisional of U.S. Ser. No. 62/119,356, which as filed Feb. 23, 2015 under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) and is incorporated herein by the reference. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM (EFS-WEB) 
       [0004]    Not Applicable. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR 
       [0005]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0007]    This disclosure relates to point-of-view (POINT OF VIEW CAMERA) cameras, in particular to an integrated hands-free, POINT OF VIEW CAMERA action camera attached to a pacifier that is configured for remote, image acquisition and viewing. 
         [0008]    2. Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
         [0009]    Integrated hands-free, point of view action sports video cameras are known in the art. Concealed “nanny cameras” are available for surveillance of child care workers. A need exits in the industry to provide child care facilities or camps, the ability of providing pictures from the point of view of a child to relatives of the child. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    This invention relates to an apparatus with a pacifier attached to a digital camera. The digital camera is oriented to provide a point of view picture of the user of the pacifier. This invention, in another embodiment, relates to a digital camera that is attached to the pacifier by a ferrous material and magnet combination. 
         [0011]    This invention, in another embodiment, relates to a perpendicular or linear mounting member having a plurality of snap-in-finger projections, each of the plurality of snap-in-finger projections having a detent notch configured to retain the ring portion of a pacifier and a digital WI-FI capable camera attached to the perpendicular mounting member. 
         [0012]    This invention, in another embodiment, relates to a method to obtain an image seen by a pacifier user. The steps of this method include: providing a digital camera mounted on pacifier apparatus, capturing, storing the image and proving the image to an interested party. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         [0013]    The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0014]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate front and back perspective views of an embodiment of a pacifier with a point of view camera mounted. 
           [0015]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate front and back perspective views an embodiment of a pacifier with a point of view camera mounted. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 3A-3C  illustrate perspective views of an embodiment of a pacifier with a point of view camera mounted on a tether. 
           [0017]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate an embodiment of a pacifier with a point of view camera mounted on a tether with a decorative cover. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram showing the flow of data from the camera to a work-station. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  illustrates the delivery of an image, obtained from a pacifier with a point of view camera, to various data storage devices. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  illustrates the delivery of au image, obtained from a pacifier with a point of view camera, to various data storage devices. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  illustrates an embodiment of a pacifier with a point of view camera mounted on a tether. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    The present invention may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of the invention. It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific devices, methods, conditions or parameters described herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting of the claimed invention. Also, as used in the specification including the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural, and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” one particular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will he understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. These and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will be understood with reference to the detailed description herein, and will be realized by means of the various elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the invention are exemplary and explanatory of preferred embodiments of the inventions, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , an illustrative embodiment is provided showing two views of a pacifier  10  connected to a perpendicular mounting member  30 . The perpendicular mounting member  30 , in this illustrative embodiment has a plurality of snap-in-finger projections  32 . Each of the plurality of snap-in-finger projections  32  has a detent notch  33  configured to retain pacifier ring  20  of the pacifier  10 . 
         [0024]    A digital camera  40 , preferably WI-FI capable, is attached to or integral with the perpendicular mounting member  30 . A tether  50  is attached to the digital WI-FI capable camera  40  or alternatively to the perpendicular mounting member  30 . The tether  50  has a mounting clip  60 . The mounting clip  60  has a USB  70  attached. A cable (not shown in this figure) connects the digital WI-FI capable camera  40  to the USB  70 . The cable (not shown in this figure) runs through the tether  50 . 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , an illustrative embodiment is provided showing two views of a pacifier  10  connected to a linear mounting member  35 . The linear mounting member  35 , in one illustrative embodiment, has a plurality of snap-in-finger projections  32 . Each of the plurality of snap-in-finger projections  32  has a detent notch  33  configured to retain pacifier ring  20  of the pacifier  10 . 
         [0026]    In an alternative embodiment, the plurality of snap-in-finger projections  32  snaps into shield portion  38  of the pacifier  10 . A digital WI-FI capable camera  40  is attached to or integral with the linear mounting member  35 . A tether  50  is attached to the digital WI-FI capable camera  40  or alternatively to the perpendicular mounting member  30 . The tether  50  has a mounting clip  60  to attach a USB  70 . A cable (not shown in this figure) connects the digital WI-FI capable camera  40  to the USB  70 . The cable (not shown in this figure) runs through the tether  50 . A pacifier assembly  90  is made of a mounting member configured to connect to a pacifier and a digital WI-FI capable camera  40  positioned to obtain a point-of-view image from the perspective of a pacifier user. A pacifier user  100  ( FIG. 7 ) is, for example, a baby or toddler. 
         [0027]    Now referring to  FIGS. 3A-3C , an embodiment of a pacifier  10  is illustrated with a digital WI-FI capable camera  40  mounted on a tether  50 , wherein the pacifier  10  and the digital WI-FI capable camera  40  are directly connected. this embodiment, a first magnetic element  34  is integral (attached or integrated) with the pacifier body  22  and a second magnetic element  36  is attached or integrated in to digital WI-FI capable camera  40 . It is understood that the term magnetic element means one of either the magnet or the ferrous material to form a combination that attaches the pacifier  10  to digital WI-FI capable camera  49 , such that the digital WI-FI capable camera  40  provides an image from the point of view of the user of the pacifier  10 . In one embodiment, the first magnetic element  34  is a magnet and it connects to second magnetic element  36 , such as a ferrous plate attached to the digital WI-FI capable camera  40 . In another exemplary embodiment, the first magnetic element  34  of the pacifier  10  is a ferrous plate and it connects to second magnetic element  36 , such as a magnet attached to the camera  40 . 
         [0028]    Now referring to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , a decorative cover  80 , such as a bear or monkey, is configured to cover the housing  41  of the, digital WI-FI capable camera  40 , but the decorative cover  80  is configured to leave the lens  42  of digital camera  40  exposed. In one embodiment, this can be accomplished by providing a decorative cover  80  including a mount  85 . The mount  85  is sized to accommodate the housing  41  and to position the decorative cover  80  around the housing  41  of the digital camera  40 , but to leave the lens  42  exposed to take pictures or videos from the point of view of a user. 
         [0029]    Now referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , this illustrative embodiment represents how the camera image  101  transfers takes place in a typical environment that connects to a public Internet  99  and transfer to and from a Cloud Storage server  105 . In such an environment, every location must have a router ( 102 ,  104 ,  106 ) for the three routers at the three different locations: the camera  40  location, the Cloud Storage server  105  location and the Data Retrieval workstation&#39;s location  107  (a PC or phone or tablet). Each router has two IP addresses—an internal one of the form 192.168.x.y that is seen by all of the devices at that location, and an external one of the form nnn.mmm.xxx.yyy that is assigned by the internet provider, such as Comcast or AT&amp;T. 
         [0030]    The internal IP addresses are referred to as R 1 . 1 , R 2 . 1  and R 3 . 1  and the external IP addresses are referred to as E 1 . 1 , E 2 . 1 , E 3 . 1 . Each device has an IP address and that is assigned to it by its local router. These are referred to here as C. 1  for the camera  40 , S 1 . 1  for the Cloud Storage server  105  and W 1 . 1  for the retrieval workstations  107 , and each has a port number on its router (CP, SP and WP) that is part of the source information, so packets coming back to a router can know what device on the router receives that packet. All of the communication is done in what the internet calls “digital packets”—each consisting of a header and a body. The header holds a source IP address and a destination IP address and PORT and the body holds the digital information that in this case is the digitize photo to create a digital photograph or video. The camera  40  takes the picture or video and digitizes it into a form readable by computers, i.e. “digital data.” It places this into a packet with C 1 . 1  as the source IP address and E 2 . 1  as the destination IP address (the storage system&#39;s router&#39;s external IP) and a port number that R 2  knows represents a specific server (SP). It transmits this through its wireless transmitter (WIFI) to the receiver of the wireless router (R 1 ). This router (R 1 ) will take the packet, save the C 1 . 1  source IP into an internal table and then over-write it with E 1 . 1  as the new source packet and the CP port number and send it out over the internet. Through the internet cloud  103 , this is routed to the Cloud Storage&#39;s router  104  (R 2 ) which saves the E 1 . 1  source IP and CP port into a table and over-writes the destination IP with S 1 . 1  and then sends the packet onto the Cloud Storage server  105  (S 1 ) where it is placed into a storage device with electronic tiles and folders. This Cloud Storage server  105  responds hack to the camera  40  with a short acknowledgement packet whose source IP is S 1 . 1  and destination IP is E 1 . 1  and the port CP. This arrives back at router  102  R 1  that replaces the destination address with the camera&#39;s C 1 . 1  IP then sends it on to the camera  40  (C 1 ). The camera  40  now knows the transmission was successful and ends its transmission program. 
         [0031]    Now referring to  FIG. 6 , when someone wishes to retrieve one of the pictures or videos from the Cloud Storage server  105  (S 1 ) they must use a workstation  107  (W 1 ) such as a PC or phone or tablet. This workstation  107  device communicates with the internet through its own local router  106  (R 3 ). W 1  sends a request packet with its IP as the source IP and the Cloud Storage servers  105  S 1 . 1  IP as the destination along with the SP port number. Router  106  R 3  receives this and replaces the source IP with R 3 . 1  and a port number WP. This is sent into the cloud and received by router  104  R 2  which uses the SP port number to know how to route this to the storage server&#39;s S 1 . 1  IP address now with R 2 . 1  as the source IP but WP is still the source port. The Cloud Storage server  105  (S 1 ) processes the request, retrieves the desired image, and places it into a packet with S 1 . 1  as the source IP and E 3 . 1  as the destination packet and WP as the destination port. The R 2  router  104  receives this and routes it onto the workstation&#39;s R 3  router  106  through the cloud after replacing the source IP with R 3 . 1  and the SP port. The R 3  router  106  receives this packet and using the WP source port ID, routes this onto the workstation after over-writing the destination IP with W 1 . 1 . 
         [0032]    In an alternative embodiment, the digital camera  40  connects directly to a PC, phone or tablet  112  via a USB cable  110 . In this embodiment, the digital camera  40  functions as an external storage device, such as a thumb drive that can provide data, i.e. the image  101  to a PC, phone or tablet  112 . 
         [0033]    Now referring to  FIG. 8 , a pacifier user  100  employs the pacifier assembly  90  to obtain an image of scene  200  from the point of view of the user  100 , that can be distributed by wireless transmission to a relative or interested person of the user  100 . 
         [0034]    Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result. It is believed that the system and method of the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.