Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Cubic Corporation

Other

Paul Berenberg

Ilya Vladimirovich Brailovskiy

Anatoli Gostev

Igor Ryshakov

Emmanuel J M Laffon De Mazieres

Peter Van Tuyl Bentley

Georgi Danielyan

Mike Baumgartner

Andrew Jay Roths

Noam Sorek

Ilia Vitsnudel

Marcus-Alan Gilbert

Amir Frenkel

Dmitry Svetlov

Dongyan Chen

This application describes techniques for controlling an apparatus that includes a camera both locally and remotely. The camera apparatuses described herein may include obfuscation components that function to selectively obfuscate a view of the camera at the request of a user. For instance, one particular camera apparatus may include a lens cap and an actuator to move the lens cap from a position in which the lens cap at least partially obfuscates the view of the camera to a position in which the lens cap does not (and vice versa). The camera apparatus may include a physical control to allow a user to locally request to open or close the lens cap, and may also include a network interface to communicate with a user device, thus allowing a user to remotely request to open or close the lens cap.

Local and remote video-camera control

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for generating stitched video data by combining video data from multiple image capture devices. For example, video data from a first image capture device and a second image capture device located near the first image capture device may be combined to generate unique panoramas. The system may determine transitions between the video data based on a focus distance to improve the stitched video data. The system may remove individual objects from first video data by substituting corresponding portions of second image data. The system may determine depth information associated with a first object represented in the video data and may add additional objects in front of or behind the first object, properly scaling and masking the additional object. The system may generate a virtual environment by weighting images from individual image capture devices and the virtual environment may be three dimensional.

Multiple camera panoramic images

Features are disclosed for a security camera including automated identification of disabled privacy indicators based on feedback included in monitored data (e.g., images). The features include generating a random number and adjusting light emitted by the privacy indicator to signal the random number. The camera may detect subtle changes (e.g., brightness, color, hue, intensity) in the image, a sequence of images, or portions thereof that can be decoded and compared to the random number. If there is a discrepancy between the random number and decoded value, an indication of tampering with the privacy indicator may be provided.

Feedback for a privacy indicator on a security camera

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed that detect and interpret the meaning of visual and/or audio indicators of devices, and provide information, solutions to potential malfunctions, and/or automatic ordering of consumable products to users. For example, sequences of visual indicators (such as LEDs) and/or audio indicators (such as speakers that output beeps) generated by home electronics and other devices may be monitored using an image capture component (such as a camera) or audio capture component (such as a microphone), and the sequences may be interpreted to provide users with information of what is wrong with a device, how to fix a device, purchase a new device, offer repair services, etc. The systems and methods may also provide users with notifications relating to such indicators when the user is away from home.

Detection and interpretation of visual indicators

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed that detect and mask visual artifacts in image and video data. Such artifacts may result from stitching segments of images from two different cameras due to the parallax effect. In this respect, stitching errors may be determined and compared to a threshold to decide whether an area results in an undesirable artifact that should be masked. Such artifacts may then be masked with various graphical elements such as artistic type objects/images to provide a pleasant looking image to a viewer.

Image artifact masking

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed that detect and interpret the meaning of visual indicators (such as LEDs) of devices, and provide information and solutions to potential malfunctions to users. For example, image data of the visual indicators can be captured by an image capture device (such as a camera). The image data may then be analyzed to identify an object captured in the image data. Luminescence of pixel values in the image data corresponding to a visual indicator of the object may be used to determine a sequence of the visual indicator. Then, information corresponding to the meaning of the sequence may be sent to a device of a user or owner of the object.

Features are disclosed for accurately and efficiently identifying whether a location is secured after unattended delivery of an item. The features include receiving, from an access control device, information identifying a secured state for the access control device. The features include capturing, via a monitoring device at the physical location, monitoring data of the physical location such as one or more images. The features include determining that the monitoring data includes a representation of at least a portion of a surface indicium such as a one-dimensional barcode. Features are described for transmitting, to at least one communication device, a message identifying an error state for the physical location such as an alert that the physical location may be unsecured.

Secured location confirmation

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for improving a field of view of video data by combining video data from multiple image capture devices. For example, video data from a first image capture device and a second image capture device located above or below the first image capture device may be combined to increase a field of view. The boundary between the first video data and the second video data may be determined based on objects visible in the video data. In addition, if the first image capture device and the second image capture device include two or more cameras, the vertical overlap between the first image capture device and the second image capture device may be used to horizontally stitch video data from the two or more cameras.

Increasing field of view using multiple devices

Systems and methods that enable scalable, cost-effective payment reconciliation between owners of devices at least temporarily connected in or to a particular low-power, ad hoc mesh network.

Payment reconciliation in mixed-ownership low-power mesh networks

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for improving encoding techniques for mobile devices by adaptively controlling a resolution or frame rate of content to reduce power consumption while maintaining image quality. For example, a local device may determine when the content may be downscaled without degrading a final image quality and may downscale the content prior to encoding and transmitting the encoded content to a remote device. The remote device may decode and upscale the content to the original resolution prior to displaying the content on a display. As downscaling the content is not power intensive, the local device may reduce a power consumption associated with encoding and transmitting the content to the remote device while maintaining the final image quality of the content.

Adaptive power and quality control for video encoders on mobile devices

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for creating a self-organized time-synchronization network, enabling accurate synchronization. For example, multiple devices may wirelessly broadcast and receive beacon signals and self-organize into an ad hoc network. The wireless ad hoc network may be optimized as individual devices choose new connections to reduce a number of hops to a source device. Individual devices may include a counter that may increment continuously for timing purposes, and counters may be synchronized between connected devices. For example, a local device may adjust contents of a local counter on the local device based on a drift between the local counter and a remote counter on a remote device. Thus, counters between connected devices may be synchronized, beginning at the source device and propagating through the ad hoc network. Based on the synchronization, the devices may offer additional functionality and/or more sophisticated applications.

Self-organized time-synchronization network

Embodiments of methods and devices are disclosed for enabling network devices to join a network. These embodiments generally include a first network device, which is joined to the network, sending authentication information. If the authentication information is determined as valid by a second network device, the second network device sends a join request toward the first network device. During or after the joining process, the first and second network devices can share scheduling information. These embodiments enable a network to have additional security while consuming low amounts of power.

Low power wireless network for transportation and logistics

Methods of telecommunicating and systems configured to perform the methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods include establishing a primary communications link, determining that a backup communications link is to be established, and determining a plurality of candidate network nodes. The method also includes selecting one of the candidate network nodes with which to establish the backup communications link, where the selected candidate network node is selected based at least in part on the selected candidate network node being in a foreign network, establishing the backup communications link with a selected candidate network node, and communicating using the backup communications link.

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Paul Berenberg