Outdoor Camera Assembly With Sensor Heating and Weather Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Video surveillance cameras face challenges in maintaining optimal temperature for image sensors, resisting environmental exposure to rain and sunlight, and providing positional flexibility while ensuring secure and efficient heat dissipation and light management.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of compact all-weather camera systems with on-camera processing, passive cooling, active heating, waterproofing, impact resistance, and features like toroidal lenses for IR illumination, concave front faces for water prevention, and a light ring for visual feedback, along with a mount that encloses wires and offers rotational freedom.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If passive cooling and active heating components are added to maintain image sensor temperature, then temperature stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating component and cooling component are integrated into a single camera assembly housing, combining multiple temperature control functions into one unified device. This merging approach maintains temperature stability while reducing overall system complexity compared to separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
A controller acts as an intermediary between the temperature sensor, heating component, and cooling component. The controller receives temperature data and automatically activates appropriate components, eliminating the need for complex manual control systems and simplifying the overall device architecture.
2Reliability
If waterproofing and environmental protection features are implemented, then reliability in outdoor conditions is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing incorporates waterproof sealing mechanisms and protective coatings that create a barrier against rain and environmental exposure. These thin-film and shell-based solutions provide robust weather protection without adding significant structural complexity to the camera assembly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a mount with rotational freedom is provided, then positional flexibility is improved, but securing the camera against appropriation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The mount incorporates a rotatable joint that allows the camera to be positioned at various angles and orientations after installation. This dynamic mounting mechanism provides flexibility for different mounting locations while maintaining secure attachment through friction-based or latch-based retention features.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These features ensure stable image quality, secure operation, and flexible placement of cameras, while maintaining image sensor temperature and preventing light interference, thus enhancing the reliability and usability of outdoor video surveillance systems.
Implementation Method 1
a heating component configured to continuously maintain the image sensor at a temperature above a threshold temperature
Implementation Method 2
passive cooling
Implementation Method 3
toroidal lenses for IR illumination
Implementation Method 4
concave front faces for water prevention
Data Source
AI summary
The various implementations described herein include a video camera assembly that includes: (1) a housing; (2) an image sensor encased in the housing and configured to capture activity of the smart home environment; (3) a wireless radio configured to transmit video frames captured by the image sensor to an electronic device via a remote server; (4) at least one infrared transmitter configured to selectively illuminate the smart home environment; (5) one or more circuit boards encased in the housing, the one or more circuit boards including at least one processor mounted thereon; and (6) a heating component coupled to the image sensor, the heating component configured to continuously maintain the image sensor at a temperature above a threshold temperature while the image sensor is capturing the activity of the smart home environment.