Operating a wireless device and image data system

Abstract

A location monitoring system, such as an alarm system employed at a house or other location, can include a wireless, battery operated camera. The camera can have a low power mode in which all components except a low power communication module are deactivated. The camera can be activated by a signal received by the low power communication module and establish a direct communication link with a remote server and send video image data to the remote server. In the event that the camera / server direct communication link is inoperable, a link is established to a local controller and at least a portion of the video image data is sent to the controller which can send a portion of the video image data via an alternative network.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to operating wireless devices and related image data systems, such as those used for security or other building monitoring systems. Background Technology

[0002] As is well known, wireless camera devices, including those capable of transmitting video data without wires or other physical connections, are used in a variety of applications, such as security systems. Such camera devices can be used to record image data from a region of interest, such as the vicinity of a house's front door or in a building or other monitored space and / or nearby locations. Some of these camera devices can be battery-powered, making them easy to install and increasing the range of locations where they can be deployed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In some aspects, a location monitoring system (e.g., an alarm system having sensors and other components at a building or other location to detect and report alarm conditions) may include a camera device arranged to capture video image data and transmit the video image data to a remote server located away from the camera device. This can allow the server to send the video image data to a user device (such as a smartphone), allowing the user to view the video image data, for example, to determine whether a person at the monitored location is known to the user, or to assess the situation at that location. The camera device may include a first communication module arranged to transmit the video image data to the remote server via a first communication network having a first minimum bandwidth. For example, the first communication module may be a Wi-Fi communication module used by the camera device to transmit video image data to the server. For example, the first communication network between the camera device and the server may allow the camera device to transmit video image data directly to the server, meaning that the video image data does not need to be routed through a base station or other controller that controls the operation of the alarm system at that location. Therefore, the camera device can send video image data to the server via a first communication network, which may include Wi-Fi networks, the Internet and other networks, without involving other devices at the monitored location.

[0004] The camera device may include a second communication module arranged to communicate via a second communication network. The second communication module may be a sub-GHz protocol module allowing the camera device to communicate using a sub-GHz protocol network, or it may be a module employing a different communication protocol, frequency, or other network characteristics than the first communication module. The camera device can use the second communication module to communicate with local equipment at the monitored location, such as a base station arranged to communicate with the camera device. The base station may be arranged to communicate with a remote server via a first communication network (e.g., a network including Wi-Fi, the Internet, and other networks) and a third communication network (e.g., a network including cellular networks). Therefore, the base station can communicate with the server via at least two different networks. In some cases, the maximum bandwidth of the third communication network is less than a first minimum bandwidth; for example, the maximum bandwidth of the network between the base station (including cellular networks) and the server may be less than the minimum bandwidth of the network between the camera device and the server.

[0005] The camera device and base station can be adapted to establish a communication link between the camera device and the base station when the communication link between the camera device and the remote server is inoperable when using a first communication network, and to transmit at least a portion of the video image data from the camera device to the base station. The base station can then transmit the video image data, or a portion of the video image data, from the base station to the remote server via a third communication network. This operation allows the system to overcome interruptions in the communication network between the camera device and the server, such as a failure of the Wi-Fi connection between the camera device and the server, which allows the user to still receive at least some video image data to assess the situation at the monitored location. This can enhance security at the monitored location because at least some image data can still be transmitted from that location to the server and / or the user even in the event of a communication network interruption. Enhanced security can also be provided at a relatively low cost because only a portion of the video image data needs to be transmitted over a higher-cost network (such as cellular), and / or because a low-cost network such as sub-GHz can be used at least partially.

[0006] When the first communication network between the camera device and the server becomes inoperable, for example, when the connection fails at a point in the network or the data transmission rate drops below a threshold, video image data can be transmitted from the camera device to the base station in different ways. In some embodiments, the first communication module of the camera device can be adapted to transmit at least a portion of the video image data to the base station, and the base station can be adapted to transmit at least a portion of the video image data to a remote server via a third communication network. For example, the first communication module can be a Wi-Fi module, and a Wi-Fi network can be established between the camera device and the base station for transmitting video image data. In some cases, the base station can be configured to transmit Wi-Fi signals to establish a connection between the camera device and the base station using the first communication module of the camera device. The base station can act as a Wi-Fi access point for the first communication module of the camera device, thereby allowing the camera device to transmit video image data to the base station using a Wi-Fi connection.

[0007] In some implementations, when the first communication network between the camera device and the server is inoperable, a second communication module of the camera device may be adapted to transmit at least a portion of the video image data to the base station. The second communication module may be a low-power device and can operate with significantly less power than the first communication module. This allows the first communication module to enter a sleep or low-power mode, and when the first communication module is in sleep mode, the second communication module may be adapted to communicate with the base station. Therefore, if the camera device is battery-powered, the camera device can conserve battery power by disabling or deactivating the first communication module (and other camera device components), while the second communication module remains active and is able to transmit video image data to the base station (or send / receive other communications with the base station). Alternatively or additionally, this feature may allow the camera device to avoid interfering with communication by using the first communication module and instead use the second communication module. In some cases, the second communication module may be a sub-GHz communication module that communicates with the base station using a sub-GHz communication network or other link.

[0008] In some implementations, the camera device and / or base station may be adapted to send only a portion of the video data to the base station and / or server. For example, the camera device may capture video data including multiple image frames, audio data, etc., and this video data (which may support live video streaming) may have a large bit size. While the first communication module may be adapted to support sending large file-sized video data to the server, the second communication module may not support sending large file-sized video data to the server, or the network connection between the camera device using the first communication module and the base station (e.g., where the base station operates as a Wi-Fi access point for the camera device) may not support sending large file-sized video data to the server. In some cases, the camera device may be adapted to select one or more image frames from the video image data and send only the selected image frames to the base station. The base station may use a third communication network (e.g., including a cellular network) to send the selected image frames to the server, or it may itself select one or more image frames from the video image data received from the camera device to send to the server. In some cases, camera devices and / or base stations may be adapted to select one or more image frames (e.g., one or more still images) based on analysis of video image data. Such analysis may include artificial intelligence or other processes for identifying image frames of interest (e.g., one or more frames including visible faces, recognizable or identified faces, pets, objects, etc.).

[0009] In some aspects, a method for redirecting video data from a battery-operated camera system to a server via a local host base station includes: determining that a first network between the camera system and the server is inoperable, such that image data cannot be sent directly from the camera system to the server without routing the image data via the local host base station. As described above, this may involve determining that a Wi-Fi connection between the camera system and a gateway to the Internet has failed or degraded, and / or determining that an Internet connection between the gateway and the server has failed or degraded, etc. This determination may be made by the camera system, the server, or other components. When this occurs, a message may be sent to the base station to operate the camera system in backup cellular mode. This message may be sent from the camera system, the server, or a user to the base station, which may be configured as a controller for a local alarm system. A communication link may be established between the camera system and the base station to, for example, send messages from the camera system to the base station to operate in backup cellular mode and / or to send video image data from the camera system to the base station. The communication link may be, for example, a Wi-Fi connection (where the base station acts as a Wi-Fi access point for the camera system), a sub-GHz communication link, or other suitable communication link. At least a portion of the image data can be transmitted from the camera device to the base station via a communication link between the camera device and the base station. For example, the camera device can transmit all video data it has recorded over a period of time, or it can transmit only selected images or other portions (e.g., audio clips) from the video image data. At least a portion of the image data can be transmitted to the server via a cellular connection between the base station and the server, and the transmitted image data can be all image data transmitted from the camera device to the base station, or the base station can select one or more image frames or other portions of the image data to transmit to the server.

[0010] In some aspects, a method of operating a camera device system includes determining that a first network used for transmitting image data between the camera device and a server is inoperable. As described above, this may involve determining that a Wi-Fi connection between the camera device and a gateway to the Internet has failed or degraded, and / or determining that an Internet connection between the gateway and the server has failed or degraded, etc. This determination may be made by the camera device, the server, or other components. A message may be received at a base station to operate the camera device system in backup cellular mode. The message may be sent from the camera device, the server, or a user to the base station, which may be configured as a controller for a local alarm system. A communication link may be established between the camera device and the base station. The communication link may be, for example, a Wi-Fi connection (where the base station acts as a Wi-Fi access point for the camera device), a sub-GHz communication link, or other suitable communication link. At least a portion of the image data from the camera device may be received at the base station via the communication link between the camera device and the base station, and at least a portion of the image data may be transmitted to the server via the cellular connection between the base station and the server.

[0011] When operational, the first network can be configured to transmit video image data from a camera device to a server without routing the video image data through a base station. For example, the camera device may have a Wi-Fi connection to a gateway, the gateway may have an Internet or other connection to the server, and this network can be used to transmit the video image data. In some cases, in response to determining that the first network between the camera device and the server is inoperable, a cellular connection is established between the base station and the server. The image data may include portions of multiple image frames based on analysis of the image data, and one or more selected image frames or other portions of video image data may be received by the base station and transmitted to the server.

[0012] In some aspects, a method of controlling a system camera device includes establishing a first communication network between a controller of the system and the camera device equipment of the system. The controller may be a base station or other device operated to control the functions of an alarm system at a monitored location, and the first communication network may be any suitable communication link, such as a Wi-Fi connection, a sub-GHz communication link, or others. Signals indicating activity within the area of ​​interest of the camera device equipment may be received, for example, at the camera device and / or the controller. Signals may be received at the camera device and / or the controller in response to a sensor (e.g., a sensor as part of an alarm system or other monitoring system) detecting motion, the presence of a person or object, sound (glass breaking), or triggering other conditions that would allow video image data to be recorded at the camera device. In some embodiments, signals may be received at the camera device and / or the base station in response to a user indication that image data is desired to be received (e.g., by the user activating an app associated with the user's alarm system, by the user specifically requesting to view images from the monitored location, etc.). Signals can be sent to the camera device to establish a second communication network between the camera device and the server system, such as establishing a Wi-Fi connection to a gateway that has an Internet connection to the server. This allows the camera device to send video image data directly to the server without routing through a controller. Signals can also be sent to the camera device to start recording image or audio data from a region of interest. This signal can be received either inside the camera device or at the camera device, for example, from a base station, user, or server, and cause image or audio data to be recorded and transmitted to the server via the established second communication network. While the systems and methods described herein are generally for capturing and transmitting image or video data, other implementations using techniques, apparatus, and methods for capturing and transmitting audio data are also possible.

[0013] In some cases, signals sent to the camera device to establish a second communication network and record (and transmit) image data can be transmitted from the controller to the camera device using a first communication network, while components of the camera device, including both the second communication module and the imaging module, are in a sleep or low-power mode. For example, the camera device may be battery-powered and typically disables most of its components in low-power or sleep mode to reduce power consumption and extend battery life or time between charging. The camera device may have only a selected set of components (e.g., part of a normally open circuit) that are activated during low-power mode, and such components may include the first communication module and / or a motion detector. This allows the camera device to always receive communication from the controller or elsewhere via the first communication network, and / or detect motion or other conditions that activate the camera device module and the second communication module to record and transmit video image data. For example, the first communication network may be a sub-GHz network or other communication protocol that enables the use of a low-power communication module at the camera device as part of a normally open circuit. The second communication network may be a Wi-Fi network that requires the use of a Wi-Fi module, which may have higher power requirements than a sub-GHz module. Therefore, the camera device can normally be in sleep or low-power mode and can be activated at any time to record and transmit image data based on conditions or actions detected at any location. Furthermore, if a second communication network is found to be inoperable during or before any image data is transmitted to the server, the camera device can transmit at least a portion of the image data to the controller, which can then forward it to the server, for example, via a network including cellular networks or other networks. This can provide a long-life battery-powered camera device with image transmission backup capabilities, which can enhance security at the monitored location.

[0014] In some implementations, when the camera device is activated to record image data, it can do so for a predetermined time period (e.g., 2 to 5 minutes) and / or for a period of time during which motion or other conditions (e.g., activity at a region of interest) are sensed at the monitored location. The sensed conditions can be detected by sensors that are part of the camera device and / or by other remote sensors at the monitored location. For example, in some implementations, the controller is a base station of an alarm system, and the signals indicating activity include signals from sensors of the alarm system when the base station is in standby mode. When the base station is in standby mode, conditions sensed by one or more sensors can cause the base station to determine an alarm state and can cause the base station to send a signal to the camera device to immediately begin recording image data upon receiving the signal indicating activity.

[0015] In some aspects, a method of operating a system camera device connected to a local device network includes establishing a first communication network between a system controller and the system camera device. The controller may be a base station or other device that operates to control the functions of an alarm system at a monitored location, and the first communication network may be a sub-GHz communication link or other low-power communication protocol. This allows the camera device to operate a first communication network device (e.g., a sub-GHz communication module) with relatively low power requirements, thereby enabling the camera device to conserve battery power. A second communication network device of the camera device, such as a Wi-Fi communication module, may be kept disabled, for example, as part of a sleep or low-power mode of the camera device in which only normally open circuit components are activated and / or powered. The first communication network device (e.g., a sub-GHz module) may be part of a normally open circuit. An activation signal may be received at the camera device and from the controller via the first communication network based on a signal received at the controller indicating activity within the area of ​​interest of the camera device. For example, the controller can receive signals from one or more sensors at the monitored location where motion, noise, or other conditions are occurring, and the controller can transmit signals of activity occurring within the area of ​​interest to the camera device via a first communication network (e.g., a sub-GHz link). Alternatively or additionally, the controller can (e.g., in response to user app activation, confirmation of a notification from the controller, or other requests from the user) receive signals from the user that image data will be recorded by the camera device, and the controller can send an activation signal to the camera device. In response, a second communication network device can be activated by the camera device to establish a second communication network between the camera device and the server system; for example, the camera device controller can activate a Wi-Fi module to establish a Wi-Fi connection to a gateway, thereby establishing a network connection to the server system. The imaging device of the camera device can be turned on or otherwise activated in response to the activation signal to capture image data of the area of ​​interest. This image data, or at least a portion thereof, can be transmitted to the server via the second communication network. Image data can be transmitted from the camera device to the server system via the second communication network without routing the image data through the controller. This frees up the controller for other activities, such as managing the operation of components of an alarm system.

[0016] If the second communication network is found to be inoperable during or before any image data is sent to the server, the camera device may send at least a portion of the image data to the controller, which may then forward it to the server, for example, via a network including a cellular network or other networks. Image data may be sent from the camera device to the controller via the first communication network or via a network using the same protocol as the second communication network (e.g., a Wi-Fi connection where the controller operates as a Wi-Fi access point for the camera device).

[0017] In some implementations, when the camera is activated to record image data, it may do so for a predetermined time period (e.g., 2 to 5 minutes) and / or for a period of time during which motion or other conditions (e.g., activity at a region of interest) are sensed at the monitored location. The sensed conditions may be detected by sensors that are part of the camera and / or by other remote sensors at the monitored location. For example, in some implementations, the controller is a base station of an alarm system, and the signals indicating activity include signals from sensors of the alarm system when the base station is in standby mode. When the base station is in standby mode, conditions sensed by one or more sensors can cause the base station to determine an alarm state and can signal the camera to immediately begin recording image data upon receiving the signal indicating activity.

[0018] Other advantages and novel features will become apparent when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims, through the following detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The systems and methods described herein are illustrated with reference to the following figures, in which reference numerals denote the same elements:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a security system that includes wireless camera devices and is suitable for managing video image data.

[0021] Figure 2 This shows the selected features and modules of the components. Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of the system components;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic block diagram of the selected components of the wireless camera device;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the steps in a method for managing the transmission of image data from a wireless camera device to a remote server; and

[0024] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the steps in a method for managing the power and image data transmission of a wireless camera device. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The aspects of the systems and methods described herein are described below through one or more illustrative embodiments. It should be understood that the described illustrative embodiments are not intended to limit these aspects, but rather to help illustrate how one or more aspects can be implemented in a particular example. Furthermore, aspects can be implemented individually and / or in combination with other aspects. For example, some of the aspects below relate to a camera device capable of communicating with a remote server via a first network connection to send image data to the server and then adjusting to send the image data to the server via a base station and another network connection, while other aspects relate to a camera device that operates only a low-power communication module during a low-power mode and activates an imager to record image data when the low-power communication module receives a signal and activates a higher-power communication module to send the image data. These and other aspects can be used together, individually, and / or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0026] In some aspects, location monitoring systems, such as those used in home security systems, include camera devices arranged to capture video image data and transmit it to a remote server. The remote server can perform security monitoring functions to identify alarm states, notify management of alarm conditions at monitored locations, and / or allow users to interact with the camera devices and other sensors or components at the monitored locations. For example, users can interact with the remote server using smartphone apps or other user interfaces to view image data provided by the camera devices, control the camera devices to start or stop image recording, send or receive audio communications (e.g., to allow users to speak to people at the monitored locations), etc. The systems and methods described herein typically include two different technologies for communicating with external devices. As described below, each of these two different technologies can be utilized in various ways to improve camera performance in several ways, including improving battery life, increasing reliability, or providing more efficient (e.g., cheaper) data transmission methods when operating on cellular networks. For this purpose, as mentioned above, camera devices typically have two different communication modules, each with different characteristics and capabilities, such as a high-bandwidth module and a low-bandwidth module. In some cases, high-bandwidth modules may require bidirectional communication between devices to operate, while low-bandwidth modules can operate correctly using only unidirectional communication.

[0027] For example, the camera device may have a first communication module (e.g., a Wi-Fi communication module) configured to transmit video image data to a remote server via a first communication network connection. The first communication network connection may include a Wi-Fi connection from the camera device to a router or gateway located locally on the camera device, and a broadband / Internet connection from the router or gateway to the remote server. Therefore, the first communication network connection can have a relatively high first minimum bandwidth, thereby providing a relatively high-speed connection between the camera device and the server. This allows the camera device to send live video data to the server, which can then be transmitted to the user without significant time delay or interruption of video quality. The first communication network can allow the camera device to send video data directly to the remote server, meaning that image data does not need to be routed through a base station or other monitoring system components at the local monitoring location. This frees up other local controllers at the base station or monitored location for other tasks, such as monitoring sensor data, detecting the presence of alarm conditions, etc.

[0028] The camera device may also have a second communication module arranged to communicate with monitoring system components located locally on the camera device via a second communication network. For example, the camera device can use the second communication module to communicate with a local base station that controls the operation of local system components and with a remote server to, for example, send notifications about alarm conditions at the monitored location, allow users to receive data from system sensors or other components, allow users to adjust system operations, etc. The base station may be arranged to communicate with the remote server via a first communication network (e.g., a Wi-Fi connection and a broadband / Internet connection to a local router / gateway) and a third communication network (e.g., a cellular network). Typically, the base station may use the first communication network (or a network similar to the first communication network, e.g., another Wi-Fi network or a wired Ethernet connection) to communicate with the server, for example, because it provides relatively fast data transmission, but can switch to using the third communication network if the first communication network has problems. Note that communication between the base station and the server using the first communication network is not routed through the camera device, but occurs directly between the base station and the server.

[0029] When the communication link between the camera device transmitting image data using the first communication network and the remote server becomes inoperable—for example, when the internet connection between the camera device and the remote server operates to transmit data below a threshold rate or is completely unable to transmit data (e.g., due to a failed or otherwise inadequately operational Wi-Fi connection, e.g., too low bandwidth)—the camera device and the base station can operate together to transmit at least a portion of the video image or audio data to the server. This allows, for example, a user to obtain at least some image data, such as one or more still image frames selected from the video image data, and / or at least some audio information as part of the video image data, even when the first network connection between the camera device and the remote server is not properly operational. (As used herein, video image data refers to data that includes only image data, or data that includes both image and audio data.) When this occurs, a communication link can be established between the camera device and the base station, and at least a portion of the video image data can be transmitted from the camera device to the base station.

[0030] The communication link between the camera device and the base station can be established in different ways. For example, if the camera device detects a poor or failed connection to the server, it can request the base station to act as a Wi-Fi access point, allowing the camera device to send video data to the base station via Wi-Fi. Alternatively, the base station can receive a signal from a remote server, user, or other device indicating that the connection between the camera device and the remote server is not functioning properly and that the base station should operate as a Wi-Fi access point. As another alternative, the camera device and the base station can use a communication protocol and / or device different from Wi-Fi (e.g., low-power (and low-bandwidth) communication protocol, such as a sub-GHz communication protocol) to establish the communication link, and this can be done when the camera device, server, or other components of the monitoring system are started up.

[0031] As discussed in more detail below, in addition to addressing the loss of Wi-Fi (or other first communication network), the camera device may include sub-GHz communication or other low-power communication modules that operate during the camera device's low-power mode when all other components of the camera device are disabled. The sub-GHz communication module can operate to receive a wake-up signal and enable the camera device to capture video image data and transmit the video image data directly to a remote server via the first network connection. The transmission and / or reception of the wake-up signal can be triggered in various ways, such as based on information from sensors at the monitored location (e.g., motion sensors detecting movement near the camera device), based on a user request for video from the camera device, based on detected alarm conditions, or other conditions. As detailed below, significant power savings can be achieved by operating the camera device in this manner so that a certain set of components (e.g., such as the imager, flash, or relatively high-power components of certain sensors) are not always on. In some cases, a low-power (sub-GHz communication link) and a select few other components (e.g., motion detectors (e.g., imager-based detectors (e.g., infrared sensors))) can be "always on," allowing the camera to maintain communication with the base station but in a significantly reduced power state. Upon notification via the low-power link or from internal sensors, the rest of the camera (e.g., the imager and internal image processing equipment) can be quickly switched on for use. Therefore, a camera typically consumes less power compared to other systems that rely solely on a single such connection (Wi-Fi or other high-bandwidth protocols) to interact with other related devices.

[0032] In some cases, such as when the first network connection between the camera device and the server is inoperable, a sub-GHz communication module or other low-power communication module can be used to transmit video image data from the camera device to the base station. Image data received by the base station from the camera device can be transmitted to the remote server using any suitable network connection, such as cellular networks, internet connections, Wi-Fi connections, etc. This alternative network connection between the base station and the server can have a smaller (in some cases significantly smaller) maximum bandwidth than the connection between the camera device and the server using the first communication network. Therefore, live video may not be enabled between the camera device and the server (and / or between the camera device and a user communicating with the server), but one or more still images can be relayed from the base station to the server. In some implementations, one or more still images can be selected by performing image analysis on the video data captured by the camera device. For example, the camera device may include an image analysis module that analyzes the image data to select image frames including recognizable or identified faces, pets or other animals, sounds, etc., and the selected image frames can be transmitted to the base station and then to the server. By providing smaller image or audio data, the final size of the information sent over a cellular connection can also be reduced, which can lower cellular data consumption and costs.

[0033] Figure 1A schematic diagram of an example location monitoring system 100 is shown. The system 100 is arranged to monitor a location 101, which can be an apartment, a room in a larger building, a building, an outdoor space (e.g., a playground), etc. Monitoring of location 101 can involve any of a variety of different functions, such as detecting and analyzing conditions, such as the use of doors for entering / leaving a building, the opening / closing of windows, noise at the location, fire and / or smoke conditions, movement of people or objects, abnormal high / low temperatures and / or water levels, etc. (As used herein, a condition “at” a location such as a building refers to a condition within and / or near that location; for example, movement of a person “at” a building refers to movement of a person within and / or near that building.) In some embodiments, the monitoring system 100 is a security system for a home or apartment and can monitor the presence of people, sounds, door / window openings, etc., and perform the following functions: identify the presence of an alarm condition and take specific actions in response to the sensed condition, such as notifying a management authority (e.g., police, fire department, building management, etc.) of the condition, notifying a user of the condition, displaying an alarm (e.g., emitting siren noise and emergency lighting at the building), recording video and / or audio conditions at the building, etc. Therefore, although the monitoring system may be referred to herein as an “alarm” system, an alarm system does not necessarily need to display an alarm sound or light at that location, but may only be used to monitor the condition at that location and optionally report the monitored condition.

[0034] Multiple components of the monitoring system 100 may be located locally at location 101, i.e., physically located at location 101, while other components may be located remotely from location 101. In this embodiment, the components located at location 101 include camera devices 1, one or more other sensors 2, and base stations 3 or local controllers, all of which may be part of a security system installed at location 101. Internet or other wide area network connections (such as broadband modems), routers and / or other gateways 4, and Wi-Fi access points may have one or more components (such as Wi-Fi routers) at location 101 and / or one or more remote components (such as satellite-based Wi-Fi components). Gateway 4 provides network connectivity to the Internet or other wide area networks for camera devices 1 and base stations 3, and thus can provide communication links to remote components of system 100. Remote components may include servers 5, which may include multiple servers and / or other data processing and storage devices in distributed locations. Server 5 can provide various monitoring functions, such as receiving data from camera device 1, sensor 2, and / or base station 3; controlling the operation of local components at location 101 (including base station 3); analyzing data from base station 3 and other local components to assess the presence of alarm conditions or other location conditions; and notifying management agencies (e.g., police or fire department) of situations at location 101 that may require attention. Server 5 can also provide information about location 101 to user device 6 (generally referred to herein more simply as a user, and may include smartphones, computers, or other data processing devices, and suitable user interfaces that provide output (e.g., information display) and receive input (e.g., user commands), and receive instructions from user device 6. In addition to being able to communicate with server 5 via a network connection including gateway 4, base station 3 can also communicate with server 5 via a network including cellular network 7. For example, cellular network 7 can be used when the gateway-based network is inoperable.

[0035] The camera device 1 can communicate directly with the server 5 via a first network, which includes a Wi-Fi connection to the gateway 4 and an Internet or other wide area network connection between the gateway 4 and the server 5. Therefore, the camera device 1 can record video image data and send it directly to the server 5 without routing the image data through the base station 3 or other components between the camera device 1 and the gateway 4. The camera device 1 can also communicate with the base station 3 in at least two ways: 1) via a Wi-Fi connection between the camera device 1 and the base station 3 when the base station 3 acts as a Wi-Fi access point, and 2) via a sub-GHz communication network or link between the camera device 1 and the base station 3. (Camera device 1 can also communicate with base station 3 using a Wi-Fi network, where gateway 4 or other devices communicating with gateway 4 (e.g., Wi-Fi routers) act as Wi-Fi access points for both camera device 1 and base station 3.) As discussed in more detail below, when camera device 1 is in low-power mode, a sub-GHz communication link can be used to save battery power, wherein all components of camera device 1 are disabled except for the sub-GHz communication module and other components required to support the sub-GHz communication module. Since the sub-GHz communication module can operate with very low power requirements, when the camera device is almost completely disabled in low-power mode, base station 3 can contact camera device 1, for example, to activate the imaging device of camera device 1 to record image data of the area of ​​interest and send the data directly to server 5. Furthermore, if location 101 has multiple camera devices 1, all camera devices 1 can be activated to record image data in response to a single signal on the sub-GHz protocol sent from base station 3. This is because the sub-GHz activation signal does not necessarily have to be acknowledged by each camera device 1 to cause the camera device 1 to activate.

[0036] Similar to camera device 1, base station 3 can communicate directly with server 5 via a first network, which includes a Wi-Fi connection to gateway 4 and an Internet connection between gateway 4 and server 5. This allows base station 3 to report, for example, conditions detected by sensor 2, and other information such as alarm conditions determined by base station 3 at location 101 to server 5. In the event that the network connection between base station 3 and server 5 via the first network is inoperable (e.g., completely failed or transmitting at a data rate below a threshold), base station 3 can communicate with server 5 via another network including cellular network 7. It is understood that this other network including cellular network 7 may include the Internet and other wired or non-cellular networks. Compared to the first network, the network including cellular network may have a relatively small maximum bandwidth; for example, it may transmit data at a significantly lower rate than using the first network. In some embodiments, the maximum bandwidth of the network including cellular network may be less than the minimum bandwidth of the first network connection between camera device 1 and server 5 (or between base station 3 and server 5). User 6 can use multiple different network connections, including cellular network 7, the Internet, and networks including gateway 4 (such as the Wi-Fi network at location 101), to communicate with various components of system 100 (including server 5 and base station 3).

[0037] Figure 2 It shows from Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of the selected components in the system. In some embodiments, the camera device 1 includes a controller 11, a first communication module 12 (e.g., a Wi-Fi communication module), a second communication module 13 (e.g., a sub-GHz communication module), an imaging module 15, and an image processing module 14. In some embodiments, the base station 3 includes a controller 33 with an image processing module 34, a first communication module 31 (e.g., a Wi-Fi communication module), a second communication module 32 (e.g., a sub-GHz communication module), and a third communication module 35 (e.g., a cellular communication module). It should be understood that... Figure 2The components of the camera device 1 and base station 3 shown are selected for illustrative purposes, and the camera device 1 and / or base station 3 may include one or more other components for performing any suitable function. For example, controllers 11, 33 may include data processing means for implementing software or other computer-implemented instructions, various sensors, indicators or other user interface components, batteries or other power sources, voltage converters, storage devices, and other elements for performing various functions. In some embodiments, the camera device 1 may include a passive infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or other devices capable of detecting the motion and / or presence of various objects, and signals from such sensors may be used by controller 11 to activate imaging module 15 to detect image data from a region of interest (e.g., the field of view of imaging module 15). Such image data may be analyzed, compressed, or otherwise processed by image processing module 14, and relevant information may be stored in the memory of controller 11, for example, for transmission to server 5 at the present or future time. Imaging module 15 may include any suitable components for capturing image data, such as lenses, filters, CMOS or other imaging devices, microphones for capturing audio data combined with the image data to form video image data, etc., as known in the art. Image processing modules 14 and 34 may include one or more software components, artificial intelligence features, or other instructions implemented by controllers 11 and 33 to perform image analysis (such as face recognition, motion detection, object recognition, etc.) or other processing functions (such as generating MPEG, JPEG, or other image data structures).

[0038] The first communication module 12 may include a Wi-Fi communication module with one or more antennas, transceivers, associated microcontroller units, etc., providing communication in a Wi-Fi protocol network as needed. The second communication module 13 may include a sub-GHz communication module with appropriate components for communication in a sub-GHz protocol network or link, such as one or more antennas, associated microcontrollers, signal encoders / decoders, etc. The first communication module 12 may have much higher power requirements than the second communication module 13, and therefore, when the camera device 1 is powered solely by battery power, the controller 11 may disable the first communication module 12 and other camera device components during periods when the camera device 1 is not actively capturing, processing, transmitting, or otherwise processing video image data. During such low-power periods, only the second communication module 13 may be activated, along with other components necessary for its operation and other low-power components that may be used by the camera device 1 to trigger its operation (such as a passive infrared sensor used to trigger the activation of the imaging module 15 to capture image data when the camera device 1 is in low-power mode). Therefore, during low-power periods, the camera device 1 may activate the imaging module 15 in different ways. In some implementations, a sensor (e.g., a passive infrared sensor) at the camera device 1 can be used to trigger image capture. In some implementations, a second communication module 13 (e.g., a sub-GHz communication module) can receive activation signals from the base station 3 and / or sensor 2 of system 100 to trigger the activation of the imaging module 15 and image capture. When the second communication module 13 receives the activation signal, the controller 11 can activate the imaging module 15 and other components as needed. The sensor 2 of system 100 can send activation signals to the second communication module 13 of the camera device 1 based on various criteria, such as the detection of movement in the region of interest, the detection of an open door or window, or other conditions at location 101. The base station 3 can send activation signals based on various criteria, such as information received from one or more sensors 2 (such as an open door), or the base station 3 receiving activation signals from the server 5 and / or the user 6. Activation signals from the server 5 / user 6 can be prompted for various reasons, such as the user wishing to view the region of interest, or the server 5 detecting conditions at location 101 that require the activation of the camera device 1 (such as the inoperability of the network connection between the camera device 1 and the server 5).

[0039] The camera device 1 can be arranged such that when the imaging module 15 is activated and image data is captured, the camera device 1 activates the first communication module 12 and sends the image data directly to the server 5, i.e., without routing the image data through the base station 3 or other monitoring system components at location 101. This enables faster transmission to the server 5, for example, allowing the user 6 to view live video at location 101 while freeing the base station 3 from processing any image data streams to the server 5. Therefore, the base station 3 can be used more for its critical functions, such as detecting alarm events and notifying the server 5 of alarm events. Even if the first network connection between the camera device 1 and the server 5 is inoperable, it may still be necessary to transmit at least some video image data to the server 5. For example, there may be an alarm situation at location 101, such as window damage or forced door opening detected during the first network connection failure, and transmitting at least one image frame (or still image) from the video image data captured by the camera device 1 can be used to determine if a person is involved in the alarm event, and if so, to identify that person. In some cases, base station 3 may have a covert alarm function, wherein if one or more conditions (e.g., movement around the house) are detected at location 101, base station 3 may activate one or more camera devices 1 to record and transmit video image data without notifying management or otherwise triggering an alarm state. This allows notification of activity at location 101 to the user without triggering an alarm state and associated siren noise, notifying management, etc. As an alternative, whenever user 6 activates the application, the application may automatically send a request to base station 3 (either directly or via server 5) to activate camera device 1, record image data, and transmit that data to user 6. When this occurs, camera device 1 may transmit at least a portion of the image data (e.g., a still image) to base station 3, and base station 3 may relay at least a portion of the image data to server 5, for example, via a network connection including cellular network 7. (For example, if the network connection between camera device 1 and gateway 4 is interrupted, for example, due to interference, base station 3 may use a network connection including gateway 4 instead of cellular network 7.)

[0040] Image data can be transmitted from camera device 1 to base station in different ways. For example, camera device 1 can detect that the connection to server 5 is inoperable and send a request to base station 3 to operate as a Wi-Fi access point via first communication module 12 or second communication module 13. A Wi-Fi network connection can then be established between camera device 1's first communication module 12 and base station 3 (e.g., via Wi-Fi communication module 31 in base station 3), and image data can be transmitted from camera device 1 to base station 3. Alternatively, camera device 1 can use second communication module 13 (e.g., sub-GHz communication module) to transmit image data to base station 3. In this case, sub-GHz communication module 32 or other modules at base station 3, operating according to the protocol used by camera device 1's second communication module 13, can establish an appropriate communication network or link with camera device 1 to receive image data. It should also be noted that while camera device 1 can initiate the establishment of a network connection or link between camera device 1 and base station 3 when the network between camera device 1 and server 5 is inoperable, base station 3 can also do so, either on its own prompting or in response to receiving an appropriate signal from server 5 or user 6. For example, server 5 can detect a failure in the communication network connection with camera device 1 and send a signal indicating the connection failure to base station 3, requesting base station 3's first communication module 31 to act as a Wi-Fi access point, or base station 3 can otherwise establish a communication link with camera device 1 to receive image data from camera device 1. Once base station 3 receives the image data, base station 3 can send the image data or a portion thereof to server 5 via any suitable network connection, such as by using cellular network module 35 and a network connection including cellular network 7.

[0041] As described above, the communication link between camera device 1 and base station 3 for transmitting image data, or the network connection between base station 3 and server 5, may have a relatively small maximum bandwidth or other capabilities for transmitting large amounts of data in a fast manner. In this case, a portion of the video image data can be selected to be transmitted from camera device 1 to base station 3, and / or from base station 3 to server 5. In some embodiments, camera device 1 may select a portion of the video image data to be transmitted to base station 3 based on analysis of the image data. For example, image processing module 14 may identify one or more image frames including identifiable or recognized faces and transmit the selected image frame to base station 3. Image frames may be selected in other ways, such as by identifying frames with some other features that make the image useful, such as people, animals, pets, objects, text, or other features. In some embodiments, audio data as part of the video image data may be used to select one or more image frames, such as a set of images corresponding to the time when glass breakage is detected or when a person is heard speaking. Therefore, even when transmitting information via a relatively low bandwidth connection (such as on sub-GHz and / or cellular network connections), camera device 1 is able to transmit useful video image data to base station 3. In other embodiments, base station 3 may, for example, use image processing module 34 to select one or more image frames from the video data received from camera device 1, regardless of whether camera device 1 has sent the entire set of image frames or has sent the selected set of images to the base station. Image processing module 34 of base station 3 may use image analysis or any other suitable technique to identify a portion of the video image data to be sent to server 5.

[0042] Figure 3 A schematic block diagram of selected components of an example wireless camera device 1 is shown. In some embodiments, the controller 11 may include a system-on-a-chip (SOC) data processor or computing device that implements, for example, software and other instructions stored in memory 16 or elsewhere, to perform various control and other functions, including the functions of the image processing module 14. The controller 11 may also include various user interface components 17, such as status LEDs or other indicators, buttons, switches or other user input devices, speakers or microphones for outputting or receiving input regarding audible sound, etc. In some embodiments, the controller 11 may include a battery or other power source, a power management unit (PMU) for adjusting the voltage, current and / or other aspects of power supplied to the various components of the camera device 1, and any other suitable components for performing input / output, control, or other functions. In some embodiments, the imaging module 15 may include an image sensor, one or more filters (e.g., Figure 3The image includes an IR cutoff filter, an optical lens, a motor or other driver for controlling lens focusing or other operations, a light sensor or other exposure control system (ALS), and other components. For example, the imaging device 1 may include an infrared and / or visible light LED or other light emitter 19, which can help illuminate an area for imaging purposes, such as illumination, ranging or other distance determination, focusing operations, etc. In some cases, the light emitter 19 may be used to illuminate an area near the imaging device 1 without imaging occurring; for example, the imaging device 1 may operate as a spotlight.

[0043] As described above, the camera device 1 may have some components that are always active or powered by electricity, and other components that are deactivated or not powered when not needed. In some embodiments, the camera device 1 may include a normally open circuit 20, which includes components that are always active even during the low-power mode of the camera device 1. Other parts of the camera device 1 (e.g., activation circuitry) may be in a sleep or low-power mode, and, for example, when the normally open circuit 20 receives an activation signal, other parts of the camera device 1 may be activated or turned on to put the camera device into an operating mode. In some embodiments, the controller 11 may include a microcontroller unit (MCU) that is part of the normally open circuit 20 and is capable of performing a limited number of functions required to control, act on, and / or receive input from the components of the normally open circuit 20, and, if necessary, activate other parts of the controller 11 to exit the low-power mode. In some embodiments, the normally open circuit 20 may include a sub-GHz communication module 13 or other low-power communication module that is activated to receive communication from a base station 3 or elsewhere, for example, to activate the camera device 1 to record image data. In some cases, a passive infrared sensor (PIR) or other sensor 18 may be included in the normally open circuit 20 to detect motion or other conditions that would cause the camera device 1 to activate the imaging module 15 to capture image data. For example, the PIR sensor 18 may detect the presence or motion of a person in the field of view of the camera device 1 and provide an appropriate signal to the MCU to cause the controller 11 to activate the imaging module 15 and capture video image data.

[0044] In some implementations, when the camera device 1 is in a low-power mode and all components except the normally open circuit 20 are disabled, the camera device 1 can, for example, use the PIR sensor 18 to detect motion or other indications that video image data should be recorded. This causes the controller 11 to activate the imaging module 15 to record video image data and activate the Wi-Fi communication module 12 to establish a network with the gateway 4 and the server 5 to transmit the video image data. Alternatively, the camera device 1 can detect an indication that video image data should be captured by receiving a signal via the sub-GHz communication module 13, which also activates the imaging module 15 and the Wi-Fi module 12. Such a signal can be sent by the base station 3, whether in response to conditions sensed by the sensor 2, signals sent by the server 5, or a request from the user 6 to activate the camera device 1 for some reason. For example, when the base station 3 (e.g., in response to data from the sensor 2) detects the presence of a person or other detected condition at location 101, the base station 3 can send a notification to the user 6. In response, the user 6 can click on the notification, which causes the user 6 to send a request to the base station 3 for an image of the area where the person or other condition was detected. This allows base station 3 to activate camera device 1 via a sub-GHz communication link, enabling it to activate, capture, and transmit the images to base station 3 (e.g., via a Wi-Fi module, where base station 3 acts as an access point) for forwarding to user 6 (e.g., via cellular network 7). Alternatively, camera device 1 can transmit images directly to server 5, which can then relay the images to user 6. In some embodiments of the monitoring system 100 that include multiple camera devices 1, base station 3 can transmit a single activation signal (e.g., via a sub-GHz module) received by all camera devices 1 in the system, activating all camera devices 1 and causing them to record image data. In some cases, camera device 1 can perform image analysis on the video image data and select appropriate images (e.g., images including visible faces) to send to user 6. Camera device 1 can transmit image data to server 5 by establishing a network connection to server 5. However, if the camera device 1 cannot send the image data to the server 5, the camera device 1 can store the image data in the memory 16 for later transmission to the server 5, and / or for transmission to the base station 3 via the Wi-Fi module 12 or the sub-GHz module 13.

[0045] While the example implementations described herein are generally depicted in the context of wireless camera devices, other implementations are possible, and the beneficial systems and methods described herein can be implemented in a variety of other devices that process and transmit data to connected devices, such as tablets, mobile devices, video game systems, communication devices, computer peripherals, audio devices, etc. Furthermore, although some example devices described herein are referred to as wireless, this is not intended to limit the scope of the claims to requiring that wired connections cannot be used to connect these devices to other items. For example, in some cases, some of the techniques and methods described herein can be implemented in, or utilized in, devices that receive power via a wired connection but transmit data wirelessly.

[0046] Figure 4 It describes the method for transmitting image data from the monitored location to, for example, the combination described in this article. Figures 1 to 3 A schematic flowchart illustrating an example method for a server in a described location monitoring system. In step S10, it is determined that a first network connection between the camera device and the server is inoperable. The first network connection is a direct connection between the camera device and the server, meaning that data between the camera device and the router is not routed through a base station or other monitoring system components at the monitored location other than a gateway providing a connection to the Internet or other wide area networks. The first network connection may include a Wi-Fi network connection between the camera device and the gateway, and therefore may include a wireless LAN connection between the camera device and the gateway. For example, the first network connection may be between the first communication module 12 and the server 5, and includes Wi-Fi connections between the first communication module 12 and the gateway 4, and between the gateway 4 and the server 5. An inoperable connection is one where the link or network portion is completely faulty, preventing data transmission from the camera device to the server, or where data is transmitted at a rate below a threshold. For example, the Wi-Fi connection between the first communication module 12 and the gateway 4 may fail or degrade, or the connection between the gateway 4 and the server 5 may fail or degrade. This determination of an inoperable first network connection can be made by the camera device, for example, by the first communication module 12 failing to receive a proper acknowledgment or other signal confirming the establishment or maintenance of a proper network connection between the camera device 1 and the server 5, or by receiving an indication at the first communication module 12 and / or base station 3 that data transmission is occurring at a rate below a threshold. Alternatively, this determination can be made by the server 5, for example, by the server 5 detecting that no data is being received from the first communication module 12 of the camera device 1, or that data is being received at a rate below a threshold. The inoperable first network connection can be determined before any video image data is sent from the camera device to the server, or after at least some video image data has been sent.

[0047] In step S20, a request is made to the base station to send image data from the camera device to the server. This request can be made in different ways. For example, the camera device (e.g., the second communication module 13) can (e.g., via a sub-GHz link) send a request to the base station that the base station act as a Wi-Fi access point and forward the image data to the server. This request can be made using the same communication protocol used by the camera device to send image data directly to the server, for example, a Wi-Fi protocol request sent by the first communication module 12 to the base station 3, which can enable the first communication module 31 of the base station 3 to act as the Wi-Fi access point for the camera device. Alternatively, the camera device can send the request to the base station 3 via a different communication protocol (e.g., the second communication module 13 using a sub-GHz protocol for communication) (the base station 3 uses the second communication module 32 to receive the request). In some embodiments, the server 5 or the user 6 can send a request to the base station 3 to send image data from the camera device 1, and can use any suitable communication network or combination of network connections to send the request, such as including cellular network 7, the Internet, a Wi-Fi network using gateway 4, etc. Therefore, the base station can receive the message to send image data from the camera device to the server. In some implementations, the message sent to or received by the base station may be a request for the base station to operate in backup cellular mode, wherein image data from the camera device is sent from the base station to the server via a network connection including cellular network 7.

[0048] In step S30, a communication link is established between the camera device and the base station. This can also be accomplished in different ways. In some embodiments, the base station can act as a Wi-Fi access point (e.g., using the first communication module 31) and establish a Wi-Fi network connection between the camera device and the base station (e.g., where the camera device 1 uses the first communication module 12). In this case, the base station 3 and the camera device 1 will use the Wi-Fi protocol to send and receive appropriate messages between them to establish a Wi-Fi connection. The base station's operation as a Wi-Fi access point can be accomplished in response to a request received by the base station (e.g., using a Wi-Fi protocol, a sub-GHz protocol, or other communication link) from the camera device, or in response to a request received by the base station from the server 5 / user 6. In some embodiments, the camera device and the base station can establish a sub-GHz communication network or link according to a sub-GHz communication protocol used for sending and receiving video image data or a portion thereof (e.g., using the second communication modules 13, 32). However, other network connections or communication links can be established between the camera device and the base station, and appropriate communication between the camera device and the base station can be used to establish the corresponding connection.

[0049] In step S40, image data is transmitted from the camera device to the base station using the established communication link. Therefore, this step may include transmitting image data from the camera device (e.g., using the first communication module 12) and receiving image data at the base station (e.g., using the first communication module 31). The transmitted image data may be streaming real-time video image data including visual image and audio data, or it may be a portion of video image data captured by the camera device (e.g., using the imaging module 15). A portion of the video image data may be one or more selected image frames or still images that are part of the video image data (e.g., selected by the image processing module 14), or a portion of audio data that is part of the video image data (e.g., selected by the image processing module 14). As will be understood, such image data may be compressed or formatted in any suitable manner (e.g., by reducing the total bit size of the image data via the image processing module 14). In some embodiments, the camera device may (e.g., using artificial intelligence or other image analysis processing at the image processing module 14) select one or more image frames or still images from the video image data to transmit to the base station. This method offers the advantage that the communication link between the camera device and the base station (e.g., a sub-GHz communication link) has relatively low bandwidth, enabling data to be transmitted at a relatively slow rate. The camera device can use image analysis to select one or more image frames, for example, using image processing module 14 to identify frames that include people, human faces, animals, objects, or other features of interest.

[0050] In step S50, at least a portion of the image data is transmitted from the base station to the server. The base station may (e.g., using cellular communication module 35, first communication module 31, or others) transmit all image data received from the camera device to the server, or may selectively (e.g., using image processing module 34) transmit only a portion of the image data received from the camera device to the server. Similar to the case of the camera device, the base station may use image analysis or any other suitable technology (e.g., artificial intelligence or other software-based image analysis) to select one or more image frames from the video data. The base station may use any suitable network connection (e.g., a network connection including cellular network 7 (e.g., using cellular communication module 35)) to transmit a portion of the video image data, whether it is one or more image frames, audio data, a combination of image frames and audio data, etc. As will be understood, the use of a cellular network may involve using one or more other communication networks (e.g., the Internet or other wide area networks) to complete the network connection to the server. In the event that (for example, by camera device 1, server 5, or user 6) requests the base station to operate in cellular backup mode, the base station may be asked to use cellular network 7 to send video data from the base station. However, once the cellular network receives the image data, other networks may be used to send the image data to server 5.

[0051] Figure 5This is a schematic flowchart depicting an example method for controlling a camera device, such as those used in a location monitoring system. In step S60, a first communication network is established between the controller and the camera device (e.g., using appropriate Wi-Fi communication modules 12, 31). In some embodiments, the controller may be a base station 3 at the location, which communicates with various sensors of the monitoring system 100 (such as door and window sensors, the camera device, water sensors, smoke and fire sensors, etc.), detects alarm conditions at the location (or otherwise detects or receives queries or instructions to turn on the camera device to obtain image data for a user, who may include a user accessing an app or web browser to view the image data), and communicates with a remote server regarding alarm conditions and other conditions at the location. The camera device may be a wireless, battery-powered camera device 1 used (e.g., using imaging module 15) to capture video image data about an area of ​​interest at the location (e.g., the area near the door of a house). The first communication network can be any suitable network between the controller and the camera device, such as a sub-GHz communication link or a Wi-Fi connection (e.g., where camera device 1 and base station 3 employ suitable communication modules 12, 13, 31, 32). In some embodiments, a low-power communication link, such as a sub-GHz protocol network, can provide advantages because the camera device can disable all or almost all other components of the camera device except for the sub-GHz communication module (e.g., a component that is part of a continuously connected or otherwise activated (e.g., normally open) circuit 20) and still communicate with the controller. This can help the camera device conserve battery power and thus increase battery life or the time between required charging, while still allowing the controller to communicate with the camera device and activate the camera device to capture image data during its low-power mode. In cases where the camera device has two communication modules, one a relatively high-power module (e.g., Wi-Fi communication module 12) and the other a relatively low-power module (e.g., sub-GHz communication module 13), the camera device can keep the high-power communication module disabled when using the low-power communication module to establish a communication network between the camera device and the base station. For example, the camera device can keep the Wi-Fi communication module 12 in a disabled state, while the sub-GHz communication module 13 remains active to communicate and establish a communication network with the base station.

[0052] In step S70, an instruction is received that the camera device should capture image data at the region of interest. This step may involve receiving a signal at the base station that there is activity in the region of interest of the camera device or a signal that the camera device should capture image data. For example, the base station may receive a message from sensor 2, remote server 5, or user 6 that the camera device should start recording image data. In some embodiments, the base station may receive signals from one or more sensors 2 at the monitored location that some event (e.g., movement, loud noise, etc.) has occurred, and that the signal indicates that there may be activity in the region of interest, and that the camera device should record video image data. In some embodiments, the base station 3 may be in a standby state, wherein information from some sensors 2 (e.g., sensor 2 that detects broken glass) may enable the base station 3 to determine that an alarm state exists. In these embodiments, the reception of sensor 2 information by the base station 3 may be the reception of a signal instructing camera device 1 (or multiple cameras at location 101) to capture image data. In some embodiments, the base station 3 may receive a signal from user 6 in response to user 6 opening an app or otherwise instructing user 6 to receive image data from one or more camera devices 1. The message can be received by any communication network, including Wi-Fi, the Internet, cellular, or other networks. Receipt of such a message by the base station can cause the base station to perform step S60, for example, by sending a signal to the camera device to establish a first communication network. This can be accomplished by the base station using the second communication module 32 (e.g., using a sub-GHz protocol) to send the message received by the second communication module 13 of the camera device 1. The message received by the second communication module 13 can be an indication that image data will be captured by the camera device 1, and causes the camera device 1 to perform step S60 (e.g., by establishing a Wi-Fi network connection with the gateway 4 and the server 5 using the first communication module 12). Therefore, step S70 can also include receiving an activation signal at the camera device that the camera device should capture image data. This activation signal can be received by the camera device when it is in a low-power mode (e.g., using the sub-GHz communication module 13) and when the imaging module 15 and other components such as the high-power communication module (e.g., the Wi-Fi module 12) are disabled. Therefore, the camera device can receive an activation signal via the first communication network, and can do so while keeping the second communication network device (such as a Wi-Fi module) disabled or in a deactivated state.

[0053] In step S80, a second communication network is established between the camera device and the server. This can be accomplished by the camera device receiving an activation signal from the base station, for example via the first communication network (e.g., via sub-GHz module 13), which causes the camera device to activate the second communication network device (e.g., Wi-Fi module 12) and establish a second network connection (e.g., Wi-Fi connection) with the gateway 4 or other devices providing a connection to the server 5. Therefore, step S80 can involve the base station sending a signal to the camera device commanding the camera device to establish the second communication network with the server, and this signal sent by the base station can be an activation signal received by the camera device when the second network communication device is disabled. The second communication network can allow direct communication between the camera device and the server, for example, so that data is not routed through the controller. For example, the first communication module 12 of the camera device 1 can send video image data directly to the server 5 without routing data through the base station 3.

[0054] In step S90, the camera device captures image data. This step S90 may involve a base station sending a signal to the camera device, for example via a first network connection (e.g., a sub-GHz connection), that the camera device should begin capturing image data. In some embodiments, the camera device may begin capturing image data (e.g., using the imaging module 15) in response to establishing a second communication network with the server (e.g., using the Wi-Fi module 12), for example, because if a second network connection is established, the camera device can directly send video image data to the server 5. In any case, step S90 may include the camera device activating its imaging device to capture image data of the region of interest.

[0055] While systems and methods have been described with reference to various illustrative embodiments, such systems and methods are not limited to the described embodiments. Therefore, many alternatives, modifications, and variations of the described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Consequently, the embodiments described herein are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. A premises monitoring system configured to monitor a location, comprising: a camera mounted at the location and arranged to capture video image data and to send the video image data to a remote server at a location remote from the camera, the camera comprising: a first communication module arranged to send the video image data to the remote server via a first communication network having a first minimum bandwidth; and a second communication module arranged to communicate via a second communication network; and a base station mounted at the location and arranged to communicate with the camera and with the remote server, the base station arranged to communicate with the remote server via the first communication network and a cellular telephone network, wherein the camera and the base station are adapted such that when a communication link between the camera and the remote server using the first communication network is inoperable, a communication link between the camera and the base station is established using the first communication module or the second communication module and a portion of the video image data is sent from the camera to the base station and from the base station to the remote server via the cellular telephone network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, the cellular telephone network has a third maximum bandwidth that is less than the first minimum bandwidth.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein, the first communication module is adapted to enter a sleep mode and the second communication module is adapted to communicate with the base station when the first communication module is in the sleep mode.

4. The system of claim 1, when the communication link between the camera and the remote server using the first communication network is operable, the first communication module is adapted to send the video image data to the remote server without routing the video image data through the base station.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein, when the communication link between the camera and the remote server using the first communication network is inoperable, the first communication module is adapted to send a portion of the video image data to the base station and the base station is adapted to send the portion of the video image data to the remote server via the cellular telephone network.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein, the base station is configured to send a wifi signal to establish a connection between the camera and the base station via the first communication module of the camera to send a portion of the video image data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein, when the communication link between the camera and the remote server using the first communication network is inoperable, the second communication module is adapted to send a portion of the video image data to the base station and the base station is adapted to send the portion of the video image data to the remote server via the cellular telephone network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein, the video image data comprises a plurality of image frames and the portion of the video image data comprises only selected image frames from the video image data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein, the camera is adapted to select the selected image frames from the video image data based on an analysis of the video image data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein, the camera is adapted to select the selected image frames as image frames comprising visible faces.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein, The first communication network comprises the Internet.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein, The second communication network comprises a sub-GHz communication system.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein, The video image data comprises one or more still images.

14. A method of redirecting video data from a battery operated video camera to a remote server via a local host base station, the video camera and the base station being part of a premises monitoring system configured to monitor a location at which the video camera and the base station are installed, the method comprising: determining that a first network between the video camera and the server is inoperable, such that the image data cannot be sent directly from the video camera to the server without being routed through the local host base station; sending a message to the base station to operate in a backup cellular mode; establishing a communication link between the video camera and the base station using a first communication module of the video camera or a second communication module of the video camera; sending at least a portion of the image data from the video camera to the base station via the communication link between the video camera and the base station; and sending at least a portion of the image data to the server via a cellular connection between the base station and the server.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The communication link is a wifi network in which the base station acts as a wifi access point.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein, The communication link is a sub-GHz communication link between the video camera and the base station.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein, establishing a cellular connection between the base station and the server in response to determining that the first network between the video camera and the server is inoperable.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein, establishing the communication link between the video camera and the base station comprises establishing a sub-GHz connection between the video camera and the base station using a sub-GHz module.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein, establishing the communication link between the video camera and the base station comprises the video camera communicating with a wifi access point antenna of the base station.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein, The image data comprises a plurality of image frames, and the step of sending at least a portion of the image data comprises sending only selected image frames from the image data from the video camera to the base station.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising: The selected image frames are selected from the image data based on an analysis of the image data.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, The step of selecting the selected image frames comprises selecting the selected image frames as image frames comprising a visible face.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein, The first network comprises the Internet.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein, The first network comprises a wifi network.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein, The image data comprises one or more still images.

26. A method of operating a premises monitoring system for monitoring a location, the method comprising: determining that a first network for sending image data between a video camera and a server is inoperable, the video camera being installed at the location; receiving a message at a base station to operate the premises monitoring system in a backup cellular mode, the base station being installed at the location; establishing a communication link between the video camera and the base station using a first communication module of the video camera or a second communication module of the video camera; receiving, at the base station, at least a portion of the image data from the camera via a communication link between the camera and the base station; and sending at least a portion of the image data to the server via a cellular connection between the base station and the server.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein, the first network is arranged for sending video image data from the camera to the server without routing the video image data through the base station.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein, the communication link is a wifi network in which the base station acts as a wifi access point, and wherein the step of receiving a message comprises receiving a message from the camera requesting the base station to act as a wifi access point.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein, the communication link is a sub-GHz communication link between the camera and the base station.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein, establishing a cellular connection between the base station and the server in response to determining that the first network between the camera and the server is inoperable.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein, establishing the communication link between the camera and the base station comprises using a sub-GHz module to establish a sub-GHz connection between the camera and the base station.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein, the image data comprises a plurality of image frames, and the step of receiving at least a portion of the image data comprises receiving only selected image frames from the image data from the camera to the base station.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein, the selected image frames are selected from the image data based on an analysis of the image data.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein, the selected image frames are selected as image frames comprising a visible face.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein, the first network comprises the internet.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein, the first network comprises a wifi network.

Images