Smart Camera Power Management via Motion Event Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing home monitoring systems face challenges in accurately identifying and categorizing visitors at entryways, leading to unnecessary alerts and high power consumption in battery-powered devices, as they often send video notifications for all motion events, including trivial ones.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a camera device with three operational modes: snapshot mode for capturing and storing motion events, on-demand video mode for real-time transmission of important events, and review mode for selective playback of stored clips, allowing users to prioritize energy usage and reduce unnecessary data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If video notifications are sent for all motion events, then complete monitoring coverage is achieved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments motion events into different categories (trivial vs. significant) and applies different notification strategies to each segment. Trivial events use low-power text-only notifications or local storage, while significant events trigger video notifications. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing comprehensive monitoring coverage while minimizing power consumption through selective video transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by sending only the necessary portion of information for each event type. For trivial events, only text notifications are sent rather than full video streams. For significant events, video notifications are transmitted. This partial approach to notification based on event classification resolves the power consumption issue while maintaining reliable monitoring.
2Loss of information
If video data is transmitted for every motion event, then all events are communicated to users, but battery life is reduced due to high energy usage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments event information into hierarchical levels: text summaries for all events, and video data only for significant events. This segmentation ensures that users receive complete event information in an energy-efficient manner, as text notifications convey essential information while video transmission is reserved for events requiring detailed visual documentation, thereby extending battery life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential information from motion events for text notifications, and extracts video data only when events are classified as significant. This selective extraction approach maintains information completeness for users while dramatically reducing the energy consumption associated with transmitting unnecessary video data for trivial events.
3Reliability
If motion detection is always active, then no motion events are missed, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by having the motion detection component activate only during specific periods or conditions (such as during nighttime hours or when significant motion patterns are detected). This periodic activation maintains reliable detection of important events while reducing overall power consumption compared to continuous motion detection operation.
Data Source
AI summary
The various embodiments described herein include methods, devices, and systems for power-management on camera devices. In one aspect, a method is performed at a camera device having memory, one or more processors, and an image sensor. The method includes: (1) while a wireless communication component of the camera device is deactivated: (a) capturing a plurality of images containing a motion event; (b) characterizing the motion event; and (c) determining, based on the characterization of the motion event, whether to send video data to a remote computing system; and (2) in accordance with a determination to send video data to the remote computing system: (i) activating the wireless communication component of the camera device; (ii) establishing a wireless connection to the remote computing system via the wireless communication component; and (iii) sending video information to the remote computing system via the established wireless connection.