Abstract:
A wireless image capture apparatus includes an image sensor, a backend circuit and a radio frequency module. The image sensor converts captured images into digital signals. Subsequently, the backend circuit performs image processing, data compression and format transformation on the digital signals. The output signals of the backend circuit are series-for-mat signals compatible with the radio frequency module. Thus, wireless signals are outputted by the radio frequency module toward the exterior of the apparatus.

Description:
RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not applicable. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention relates to a wireless image capture apparatus, and more particularly, to a wireless image capture apparatus equipped with a Bluetooth wireless transmission interface. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Conventional image capture apparatuses or remote monitors generally utilize electrical cables to transmit captured image data. They can securely and speedily send the data to a host. However, the electrical cables are blocked by obstructions or partitions when a building is not previously equipped with pipes for the cables to pass through. In some cases, the walls or floors of the building need to be drilled or modified so that wireways can be well arranged. Furthermore, once the wireways have been already established, they cannot be easily rearranged to adapt to the change of the fixing position for the image capture apparatus. Therefore, conventional image capture apparatuses cannot satisfy the consumer&#39;s current varied needs. 
         [0006]    Because several wireless transmission technologies are well developed. For instance, IEEE802.11, Wi-Fi, DECT, Wi-MAX and Bluetooth, high-volume image data can be promptly transmitted to a host or a receiver at a high transmission speed. That is, instead of cables, the image capture apparatus utilizes wireless transmission means. Presently, several transceiver devices are equipped with an embedded Bluetooth module, for instance, personal digital assistants (PDA), mobile phones, personal computers and laptop computers. Therefore, the devices with a Bluetooth interface can receive and browse image data wirelessly emitted from an image capture apparatus within a receivable distance. 
         [0007]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , U.S. Pat. No. 6,956,599 proposed a remote monitor system  10  comprising a mobile video phone  11  and an independent camera  14  which communicate with each other. However, either the mobile video phone  11  or the independent camera  14  requires one of connectors  12  and  15  and one of dynamic assistants  13  and  16  to communicate with each other in a wireless manner. The dynamic assistants  13  and  16  respectively include one of Bluetooth modules  131  and  161 . A remotely monitoring user can utilize another mobile video phone  18  or a personal computer  19  to control the camera  14  to capture images and transmit image data (referring to Column 2, lines 54-62 in the specification). The wireless transmission path goes through a wireless network  17 , the mobile video phone  11 , the connector  12 , the Bluetooth module  131  of the dynamic assistant  13 , the Bluetooth module  161  of the dynamic assistant  16 , and the connector  15 . Afterward, the camera  14  simply receives instructions from the remote control side. Therefore, the mobile video phone  11  in the system  10  acts as a repeater or a bridge, and the real image monitor is the mobile video phone  18  rather than the mobile video phone  11 . Apparently, the system  10  can monitor images in a certain location through the Internet, but the necessary repeaters and relay devices are quite complicated. Consequently, most families or individuals will face difficulty when installing and maintaining such a system. 
         [0008]    As a result, there is need of an image capture apparatus compatible with the conventional mobile transceiver to simplify the installation of the monitor system. Furthermore, the fixing position of the image capture apparatus can be effortlessly changed. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    An objective of the present invention is to provide a wireless image capture apparatus integrated with a Bluetooth module so that a receiver device equipped with a Bluetooth communication function can directly display a remote static or dynamic image. 
         [0010]    Another objective of the present invention is to provide an image capture apparatus under remote control. The power switch of the image capture apparatus is under the control of the setting instructions from a radio frequency module. 
         [0011]    To achieve the objective, the present invention discloses a wireless image capture apparatus comprising an image sensor, a backend circuit and a radio frequency module. The image sensor converts the captured image into digital signals. Subsequently, the backend circuit performs image processing, data compression and format transformation on the digital signals. The output signals of the backend circuit are series-format signals compatible with the radio frequency module. Thus, wireless signals are outputted by the radio frequency module toward the apparatus&#39; exterior. 
         [0012]    The radio frequency module is a Bluetooth module, and the backend circuit includes a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) interface which generates series-format signals compliant with Bluetooth protocols. 
         [0013]    The image capture apparatus is compatible with current mobile transceivers capable of displaying images. Therefore, it is suitable for individuals and families wishing to install an on-line monitor system. Furthermore, they can control the power switch of the image capture apparatus through the bidirectional communication of the radio frequency module at a monitor site. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The invention will be described according to the appended drawings. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a diagram of a known remote monitor system. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of an application diagram of a wireless image capture apparatus in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a function block diagram of a wireless image capture apparatus in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is another schematic view of a function block diagram of a wireless image capture apparatus in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]      FIG. 2  is a schematic application diagram of a wireless image capture apparatus in accordance with the present invention. In the applied system  20 , an image capture apparatus  21  is placed at a predetermined location, and its orientation is adjusted to capture preferred images. For example, the image capture apparatus  21  is placed in a bedroom to monitor the activity or sleep of an infant. The image capture apparatus  21  converts the captured images into radio frequency signals and emits the signals outwards. The radio frequency signals are wireless signals detected by a mobile phone  23  and a PDA  22  as Bluetooth signals. Therefore, the screen of the mobile phone  23  or the PDA  22  is utilized to monitor the current captured images sent from the remote image capture apparatus  21 . Furthermore, a laptop computer  24  with a wireless transmission interface card  241  can also be utilized to receive the wireless signals and show the current captured images on its screen. 
         [0020]    Like the mobile phone  23  and the PDA  22 , increasing numbers of such mobile transceiver devices have embedded Bluetooth modules; hence, the image capture apparatus  21  integrated with a Bluetooth module is preferable for consumer requirements. The Bluetooth protocols utilize an ISM (Industrial, Scientific, Medical) band with a central frequency of 2.4 GHz, which is free to use. The corresponding frequency band is divided into 79 different channels, and the frequency band of each channel is 1 MHz. To avoid interference between wireless apparatuses employing the ISM band, a Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) technique is utilized to perform the difficult frequency swap rate of 1,600 times a second. In addition, an encryption technique is utilized so that the data exchange security is highly safe. Accordingly, the effective baud rate of the Bluetooth wireless apparatus is from 432 to 721 Kbps, and the effective transmitting distance is from 10 to 100 meters. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a function block diagram of a wireless image capture apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The image capture apparatus  30  comprises an image sensor  31 , a backend circuit  32  and a radio frequency module  33 , and further comprises a power supply unit  34  powering each of the aforesaid elements. The image sensor  31  converts the optical image signals into digital image signals. An active image sensor fabricated by complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processes the image, or a charge coupled device (CCD) can be employed as the image sensor  31 . 
         [0022]    In order to prevent the transmission speed from being slowed down by digital image signals with high data volumes, the backend circuit  32  can compress the digital image signals. Furthermore, when the captured images need to be modified, the backend circuit  32  changes the brightness and hue of the images, or executes image processes to have special modification effects on the images. The backend circuit  32  includes a UART interface  321  outputting series-format signals for the Bluetooth module  33  to directly convert them into radio frequency signals. In general, there is no need for a repeater or a bridge. The backend circuit  32  can be a multimedia chip apart from the chip of the image sensor  31 . Moreover, the backend circuit  32  and the image sensor  31  can be integrated into a single chip. The mobile phone  23  not only receives the radio frequency signals from the Bluetooth module  33 , but also emits Bluetooth signals towards the antenna  331  of the duplex communication Bluetooth module  33 . The power switch and orientation of the image capture apparatus  30  are controlled by the user via Bluetooth signals. The power supply unit  34  is a battery set or a transformer converting external power to the voltage specifications required by internal circuits. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , in addition to the Bluetooth protocols, a radio frequency module  43  can utilize other wireless transmission technologies such as IEEE802.11, Wi-Fi, DECT and Wi-MAX to receive and transmit wireless signals for an image capture apparatus  40 . The image capture apparatus  40  comprises an image sensor  41 , a backend circuit  42 , a microprocessor  45  and a radio frequency module  43 , and further comprises a power supply unit  44  powering each of the aforesaid elements. The image sensor  41  converts the optical image signals into digital image signals. The backend circuit  42  can process and compress the digital image signals. Because the output signals of the backend circuit  42  are not consistent with the signal format that the Bluetooth module  43  requires, the microprocessor  45  can convert the output signals into Bluetooth-format signals. Finally, the radio frequency module  43  transmits radio frequency signals through an antenna  431 . 
         [0024]    In comparison with the prior art in  FIG. 1 , the image capture apparatus of the present invention does not need any repeater or bridge. Therefore, it is suitable for unrestricted application to monitor systems, and reduces the cost of the system installation. Furthermore, the prior art does not clearly disclose the function blocks of the camera  14 ; hence, the present invention is superior to the prior art especially on novelty and result. 
         [0025]    The above-described embodiments of the present invention are intended to be illustrative only. Numerous alternative embodiments may be devised by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the following claims.