Patent Description:
Cameras have long been used as a part of monitoring and/or surveillance systems. More recently, cameras have been coupled with electronic sensors to detect triggering events, such as a detected motion, to alert the user and/or initiate image or video capturing a transmission of an area once a triggering event has occurred.

In such systems, background motion (traffic, etc.) can produce undesired, repeated false triggering causing undesired transmissions and recording. For this reason, it is known to allow the user to define custom "activity zones" within the camera field-of-view. Such activity zones define a limited area in which triggering will occur and may include areas of interest while avoiding areas where there may be background nuisance motion. In one example, activity zones may be drawn on an image from the camera, for example, positioned to cover a front entranceway, but to exclude a nearby moving tree branch or traffic on the street. Multiple different activity zones can be defined for use at the same time (in different portions of the image) or at different times (for example, during the day or the evening). An example for an interaction between a camera and a motion detector used to define an activity area for providing an alarm to a user is given in <CIT>.

While these monitoring systems are versatile and work very well for their intended purpose of monitoring an area, they have limitations. For example, the activity zone of a given camera can be changed only by user input to a user device. The activity zone cannot be changed or redefined in response to sensed activity outside of the camera's field of view. The system thus if prone to false triggers by activating its activity zone only when motion is detected by the camera's sensor.

The invention is defined in the appended independent claims <NUM> and <NUM>. In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a monitoring system is provided that allows activity zones or sets of activity zones of a camera to be changed dynamically according to sensed activity within a field-of-view different from the camera's field-of-view. For example, the data may be detected by separate passive infrared (PIR) sensors positioned to the left and/or right of the camera. The ability to flexibly redefine the current activity zone sets, based on the environment outside or independent of the camera field-of-view, allows the user to define activity zones that might otherwise be prone to false triggers by activating those activity zones only when predicate motion is detected by a separate sensor.

The system may include a camera having a first field-of-view and a presence detector having a second field-of-view that is not coextensive with the first field of view, i.e., that is at least partly outside of the first field of view. At least one electronic processor receives image data from the camera and a signal from the presence detector to (a) respond to activity in a current activity zone set defining a subset of the first field-of-view to transmit an alert to a user and (b) respond to signal from the presence detector to change the current activity zone set from a first activity zone set defining a first subset of the first field-of-view to a second activity zone set defining a second subset of the first field-of-view.

The presence detector may be a motion detector such as a PIR detector.

The system may include two presence detectors and may respond to a signal from the second detector to change the current activity zone set from the second activity zone set.

A nonlimiting feature of this embodiment is to allow camera activity zones to be changed according to other detected activity to provide a contingent sensitivity that can either reduce false triggering or provide more sophisticated triggering of alerts, for example, by inferring a trajectory of motion.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout, and in which:.

Referring now to <FIG>, in accordance with an aspect of the invention, an electronic system <NUM> for real-time monitoring may include a camera/floodlight assembly <NUM> configured to monitor an area of interest. The system <NUM> may additionally include more than one such camera/floodlight assembly <NUM> and/or other monitoring and/or imaging devices or assemblies such as a stand-alone surveillance camera, a video doorbell, smoke detectors, etc. These devices and assemblies may communicate wirelessly with each other and also may communicate wirelessly with an external server and one or more user devices via a gateway router or simply a router, possibly with the assistance of a base station as described below.

Still referring to <FIG>, the camera/floodlight assembly <NUM> has an escutcheon <NUM>, for example, that may mount against a building wall <NUM>, a soffit, a fence, a light pole, or the like and which provides a support plate for the camera/floodlight assembly <NUM>. The escutcheon <NUM> may have a hollow rear face to receive and cover electrical connections to an electrical main or the like as well as physical connections of the escutcheon <NUM> to the wall <NUM> by screws or bolts as is generally understood in the art.

The front surface of the escutcheon <NUM> may support a number (three in this embodiment) articulated joints18a-18c extending forward therefrom to attach, respectively, to rear surfaces of a first motion detector floodlight 20a, an imaging device or camera module <NUM>, and a second motion detector floodlight 20b. Unless otherwise specified, the presence of a numerical reference character such as "<NUM>," unaccompanied by an alphabetical designator such as "a" or "b," should be understood to refer to any or all of the devices designated by a combination of the numerical and alphabetical components. Hence, "<NUM>" standing alone should be understood to refer to either or both of 20a and 20b and "<NUM>" standing alone should be understood to refer to any or all of 18a, 18b, and 18c.

Each articulated joint <NUM> may provide for a fixed portion attached to the escutcheon <NUM> and a movable portion attached to the rear surfaces of the motion detector, floodlights 20a and 20b, and camera module <NUM>. In one embodiment, the movable portion may be positionable with respect to the escutcheon <NUM> at various angles in elevation and azimuth and may pivot about a central axis <NUM> generally aligned with the axes of sensitivity of the motion detector, floodlights 20a and 20b, and camera module <NUM>. In a typical orientation shown in <FIG>, the elevation will be vertical, the azimuth <NUM> will be horizontal, and central axis <NUM> will extend generally in a horizontal direction when the articulated joint <NUM> is centered in azimuthal and elevational movement.

Referring again to <FIG>, each of the motion detector floodlights 20a and 20b will include an upper floodlight assembly <NUM> that typically has multiple LED emitters directed forwardly to emit in excess of <NUM> lumens generally along the central axis <NUM> when the motion detector floodlight 20a or 20b is centered in azimuth and elevation. Positioned beneath the floodlight assembly <NUM> is a forward-facing passive infrared (PIR) detector <NUM>. The floodlight assembly <NUM> will generally have a greatest extent along a width <NUM> (typically horizontally oriented) matching a greatest width of its illumination pattern <NUM> and also matching a greatest width of the field-of-view (FOV) <NUM> of the associated PIR detector <NUM>.

Referring still to <FIG>, the camera module <NUM> includes at least a video camera <NUM> (<FIG>), and may additionally include other components that may be found in imaging devices of monitoring systems, including one or more of a motion sensor, a microphone, a speaker, and an alarm. The camera <NUM> has a forward-facing wide-angle lens <NUM> providing a camera field-of-view (FOV) <NUM> that may, for example, be greater than <NUM>°, and typically greater than <NUM>° in azimuth. The camera module <NUM> will also include an integrated PIR detector <NUM> having a field-of-view width <NUM> centered on the field-of-view <NUM>. This FOV width <NUM> may be smaller than that field-of-view <NUM>. A light source <NUM> is provided on a front face of the camera module <NUM> that emits infrared or visible light to provide light for the camera <NUM>, but at an intensity generally much lower than the light provided by the floodlight assembly <NUM>. An indicator light <NUM> may be provided indicating activation of the PIR detector <NUM> by motion of an infrared-emitting body, such as an individual passing within the field-of-view width <NUM>. An ambient light sensor <NUM> (<FIG>) is provided, for example, to suppress operation of the floodlight assembly during daylight hours.

Referring now to <FIG>, in one embodiment, the camera module <NUM> may provide for a camera <NUM> with a lens assembly <NUM> for obtaining video images, for example, at <NUM> HDR using a CMOS sensor or other sensing technology. A housing <NUM> of the camera module <NUM> holding the camera may also hold the PIR detector <NUM> with both the PIR detector <NUM> and camera <NUM> communicating with an internal microcontroller <NUM>. The microcontroller <NUM>, for example, may provide for a processor <NUM> and a non-transient electronic memory <NUM> holding a stored program <NUM> to be executed by the microcontroller <NUM>, at least in part, as will be discussed below. As is generally understood in the art, the microcontroller <NUM> may also include one or more interface lines for communicating with the camera <NUM>, the PIR detector <NUM>, the ambient light detector <NUM>, and an interface <NUM> (for example, the I<NUM>C protocol) allowing communication with other elements of the camera/floodlight assembly <NUM>. In particular, the interface <NUM> may communicate with floodlight assemblies <NUM> of each of the motion detector floodlights 20a and 20b to provide signals independently turning the floodlight assemblies <NUM> on and off, and with the PIR detectors <NUM> of each of the motion detector floodlights 20a and 20b to receive signals therefrom. As will be discussed below, the floodlight assemblies <NUM> generally will include necessary driver circuitry so that they can be activated by the camera module <NUM> by remote command or be dependent on the receipt of electrical signals indicating motion from the PIR detectors <NUM> or <NUM>.

Importantly, the microcontroller <NUM> may also communicate with a wireless transceiver <NUM>, for example, using the IEEE <NUM> standards in accordance with the Wi-Fi™ communication protocol. The wireless transceiver <NUM> may communicate with a base station <NUM> or wireless router <NUM>, for example, in the user's home, and via either of these devices, through the Internet <NUM> with remote server <NUM> including one or more computer processors. The remote server <NUM>, which may be a cloud-based server, may in turn communicate with the cellular network <NUM> providing communication with user devices, typically in the form of portable wireless devices <NUM> such as a smart phone, tablet, or laptop. It also could provide communications with one or more stationary devices such as a PC. As is understood in the art, such wireless portable devices <NUM> may include one or more internal processors, a computer memory holding stored programs in the form of applications, a wireless transceiver, and a display such as a touchscreen or the like allowing for inputs from a user and the display of graphical or text information, as well as a speaker and microphone for delivering and receiving voice commands. Such portable wireless devices <NUM> are typically battery-powered so as to be carried by a user if desired during the processing be described herein.

Generally, it will be understood that the logic to be described with respect to the operation of the system <NUM> may be distributed among or performed in any one of the multiple processors variously within the camera module <NUM>, a base station <NUM>, and/or a router <NUM> in the user's house, or the central server <NUM>.

An internal battery <NUM>, provided with recharging capabilities from charger unit <NUM> connected to line voltage <NUM>, may provide power to each of the floodlight assemblies <NUM>, the circuitry of the PIR detectors <NUM> of the floodlights 20a and 20b, and the circuitry associated with the camera module <NUM> within housing <NUM>.

Referring now to <FIG>, when the camera/floodlight assembly <NUM> is attached to a structure <NUM> such as a home, building, post, fence, or the like, the PIR detectors <NUM> and <NUM> in the respective individual motion detector floodlights 20a, 20b and camera module <NUM> may be independently positioned and aligned to define multiple fields-of-view 100a, 100c (of the PIR detectors), and 100b (of the camera <NUM>). These multiple fields-of-view 100a, 100b, and 100c may be located freely at different elevational and azimuthal positions, being generally left, center, and right positions with respect to the structure <NUM>. The multiple fields-of-view 100a, 100b, and 100c may also extend different distances from the structure <NUM>. This is in contrast to a conventional camera-attached, wide-angle PIR, which can provide only a linear contiguous activity zone at a fixed elevation and azimuth with respect to the camera module <NUM>. While the fields-of-view <NUM> are shown as approximately square, in practice they may be much wider than tall. The ability to swivel the PIR detectors <NUM> in their respective motion detector floodlights <NUM> using the pivoting of joint <NUM> allows these elongated zones to be flexibly oriented, for example, angled or rotated.

This freedom of positioning of the motion detector floodlights <NUM> independent of the camera module <NUM> allows additional flexibility in locating the fields-of-view <NUM> discontinuously or at different elevations in areas of interest. In all cases, the second and third FOVs of the PIR detectors <NUM> of the first and second floodlights 20a and 20b are non-coextensive with the first FOV of the camera PIR detector <NUM>, though they may overlap with the first FOV.

It should be noted that the presence detector(s) formed by one or more of the PIR detectors could be replaced by other motion detectors, such as microphone sensors, or even other types of detectors capable of detecting the presence of an object in a defined area, such as microphone or ultrasonic sensors that detects sound.

Referring now to <FIG> and <FIG>, as indicated by process block <NUM>, the program <NUM>, may provide a user interface allowing the definition of one or more activity zone sets 102a and 102b (generally providing one or more activity zones, but here depicting only a single activity zone for each set) within the field-of-view 100b of the camera module <NUM>. This made be done, for example, by presenting the user with an image from the camera, for example, on a display screen, and allowing the user to draw the activity zone sets <NUM> on that image, for example, by defining polygon end points.

As indicated by process block <NUM>, the individual activity zone sets 102a and 102b may then be associated with the field-of-views 100a or 100b of the PIR sensors on floodlights 20a and 20b. Typically, but not necessarily, each activity zone set <NUM> will be associated with the PIR sensor of the floodlight <NUM> to which it is closest (determined either by its center of mass or closest extent) so that the activity zone set 102a is associated with the field-of-view of the PIR sensor of floodlight 20a and the activity zone set 102b is associated with the PIR sensor of the floodlight 20b to which it is closer. This may be a default condition that may be overridden by the user.

When the monitoring system <NUM> is actively monitoring, one of the activity zone sets <NUM> may be selected according to decision block <NUM> to be a current activity zone set, or all activities zone sets <NUM> may be deactivated. Afterwards, the current activity zone set will be selected according to the most recent activity in the fields-of-view 100a and 100c. Thus, for example, if activity was most recently detected in field-of-view 100a, the activity zone set 102a may be active (the current activity zone) meaning that motion is detected in the activity zone set 102a and not in activity zone set 102b. More specifically decision block <NUM>, detecting activity in activity zone set 102a, triggers a monitoring action such as a notification to the user and/or recording of video or images of the field-of-view 100b per process block <NUM>.

The activity zone set 102a will remain active until motion is detected in field-of-view 100c per decision block <NUM> or a predetermined timeout value has elapsed (not shown as a process block), in which case the program returns to decision block <NUM>, which makes the activity zone set 102b active (the current activity zone), simultaneously deactivating the sensitivity of activity zone set 102a so that motion must be detected in that activity zone set 102b at decision block <NUM> to initiate transmit the alert at process block <NUM>.

In this program state, the detection of motion in field-of-view 100a decision block <NUM> (or predetermined timeout value elapsing) will operate to switch the current activity zone back to activity zone set 102a as discussed above.

Referring to <FIG>, in one example situation, an important monitoring zone circumscribed by activity zone set 102a, may, for example, have a nuisance element <NUM>, for example, occasional traffic, moving leaves, etc., that make it undesirable as a static activity zone because it would produce multiple false notifications. By making the response to motion in the activity zone set 102a contingent on motion in field-of-view 100a, however, this region of activity zone set 102a may be monitored with greatly reduced false triggering. Further, a monitoring logic can be implemented, for example, if field-of-view 100a provides part of a walkway or driveway and activity zone set 102a encompasses a later part of the walkway or driveway, as sensitivity can be restricted to people or objects moving along the walkway or driveway.

Referring now to <FIG>, it will be appreciated that more than two activity zone sets can be defined, for example, activity zone sets 102a, 102b, and 102c. For example, activity zone set 102c may be a default activity zone set that is returned to, for example, after a timeout when no motion is detected in fields-of-view 100a and 100b. Motion in field-of-view 100a may then activate activity zone set 102a, and motion in field-of-view 100c may activate activity zone set 102b as discussed above. In this case, each of the activity zone sets 102a-102c may again comprise a single contiguous activity zone. Alternatively, one activity zone set may be formed of activity zone sets 102a and 102b (that is, a set of two activity zones), and a second activity zone set may be activity zone set 102b and 102c. As used herein, an activity zone set must always include at least one activity zone, and the set must include at least one member, as the term would ordinarily be understood outside of the field of mathematics.

As is generally understood to those of ordinary skill in the art, the various processors described including those in the server <NUM>, the camera module <NUM>, and in the portable wireless device <NUM>, may employ any standard architecture and may include, but are not limited to: a central processing unit (CPU), an array processor, a vector processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic array (PLA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable logic circuitry, and a controller. The memory associated with any of these processors can store instructions of the program <NUM> and/or program data as well as video data and the like. The memory can include volatile and/or non-volatile memory. Examples of suitable memory include RAM (Random Access Memory), flash memory, ROM (Read Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), registers, disks, drives, or any other suitable storage medium, or any combination thereof.

An exemplary camera module <NUM> capable of implementing aspects of the invention is commercially available under the Arlo Ultra brand from Arlo Technologies, Inc. in Carlsbad, California, US. An exemplary base station <NUM> capable of incorporating aspects of the invention is commercially available under the Arlo SmartHub brand from Arlo Technologies in Carlsbad, California, US. Alternatively, base station <NUM> may be omitted, and its circuitry and functionality may be provided, at least in part, in the router <NUM>, and in other devices such as the server <NUM> and/or the camera module <NUM>.

Claim 1:
An electronic monitoring system comprising:
a camera (<NUM>) having a first field-of-view (100b) and operating to generate image data of the first field-of-view;
a presence detector (20a,20b) having a second field-of-view and operating to generate a signal upon motion in the second field-of-view (100a,100c), the second field of view being non-coextensive with the first field of view; and
an electronic processor (<NUM>) executing a stored program and receiving the image data from the camera and the motion signal from the motion detector to:
(a) respond to activity in a current activity zone set defining a subset of the first field-of-view to transmit an alert to a user; and
(b) respond to the signal from the presence detector to change the current activity zone set from a first activity zone set defining a first subset of the first field-of-view to a second activity zone set defining a second subset of the first field-of-view.