Power-Optimized Image Capture and Push

Abstract

An example security sensor includes a battery power supply, camera coupled to the battery power supply to receive power, activity sensor, processor, and microcontroller. The processor is placed in a sleep state and is wakeable to an awake state. The processor coupled to the battery power supply, and coupled to the camera to receive and process image data including images of an activity within a zone. The microcontroller is coupled to the battery power supply, coupled to the activity sensor to receive interrupts responsive to detection by the activity sensor of the activity within the zone proximate the security sensor, coupled to the processor to send and receive data, and, responsive to receiving a first interrupt from the activity sensor, place the processor in an awake state to signal the camera to capture a set of images and to receive and process the image data including the set of images.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A security sensor comprising:
 a battery power supply;   a camera coupled to the battery power supply to receive power;   an activity sensor coupled to the battery power supply to receive power, the activity sensor configured to detect activity within a zone proximate the security sensor;   a processor placed in a sleep state and wakeable to an awake state, the processor coupled to the battery power supply to receive power, and coupled to the camera to receive and process image data including images of the activity within the zone; and   a microcontroller coupled to the battery power supply to receive power, coupled to the activity sensor to receive interrupts responsive to detection by the activity sensor of the activity within the zone proximate the security sensor, coupled to the processor to send and receive data, and, responsive to receiving a first interrupt from the activity sensor, place the processor in an awake state to signal the camera to capture a set of images and to receive and process the image data including the set of images.   
     
     
         2 . The security sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the processor, upon being placed in the awake state, polls the microcontroller for any events that occurred during the sleep state, determines a motion detection event occurred, sends a capture signal to the camera, and receives and processes the image data including set of images. 
     
     
         3 . The security sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a non-transitory memory coupled to the battery power supply and the processor; and   a transceiver coupled to the battery power supply, the memory, and the processor, wherein, responsive to receiving the image data from the camera, the processor caches the image data in the non-transitory memory and the transceiver retrieves the image data cached in the non-transitory memory and transmits the image data to a security sensor relay for transmission to a security server accessible via the Internet.   
     
     
         4 . The security sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the battery power supply, the camera when idle, the activity sensor when idle, the microcontroller, the processor when in a sleep state, the non-transitory memory, and the transceiver when idle, collectively draw a current of less than or equal to about 100 micro amps. 
     
     
         5 . The security sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a non-transitory memory integrated with the microcontroller that stores state data including operational settings for the activity sensor, wherein upon awaking the processor retrieves the state data from the non-transitory memory integrated with the microcontroller.   
     
     
         6 . The security sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the processor operates on a sleep cycle and includes a sleep timer that routinely wakes the processor from the sleep state based on an expiration of a sleeping period. 
     
     
         7 . The security sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeping period is predetermined or dynamically set. 
     
     
         8 . The security sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the activity sensor is a motion sensor configured to detect motion of a moving object within the zone. 
     
     
         9 . The security sensor of  claim 8 , wherein the motion sensor is a passive infrared sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The security sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the activity sensor is a smoke detector configured to detect smoke within the zone. 
     
     
         11 . A method for controlling operation of a security sensor, comprising:
 placing a processor of a security sensor in a sleep state, the processor being wakeable to an awake state and being coupled to a camera configured to capture a zone of a premises proximate the security sensor;   detecting with an activity sensor activity occurring within the zone;   receiving at a microcontroller a first interrupt from the activity sensor responsive to detection by the activity sensor of the activity within the zone proximate the security sensor; and   responsive to receiving at the microcontroller the first interrupt from the activity sensor, placing the processor in an awake state, signaling the camera to capture a set of images, and receiving and processing the image data including the set of images.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 upon placing the processor in the awake state, polling, with the processor via a communications bus, the microcontroller for any events that occurred during the sleep state;   determining a motion detection event occurred; and   receiving image data including set of images at the processor from the camera and processing the image data.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 responsive to the processor receiving the image data from the camera, caching the image data in a non-transitory memory;   retrieving using a receiver the image data cached in the non-transitory memory; and   transmitting the image data to a security sensor relay for transmission to a security server accessible via the Internet.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a battery power supply, the camera when idle, the activity sensor when monitoring, the microcontroller, the processor when in a sleep state, the non-transitory memory, and the transceiver when idle, collectively draw a current of less than or equal to 50 micro amps. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 storing state data in a non-transitory memory integrated with the microcontroller; and   upon placing the processor in the awake state, retrieving using the processor the state data from the non-transitory memory integrated with the microcontroller.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 operating the processor on a sleep cycle; and   routinely waking the processor from the sleep state using a sleep timer based on an expiration of a sleeping period.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the sleeping period is predetermined or dynamically set. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the activity sensor is a motion sensor configured to detect motion of a moving object within the zone. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the motion sensor is a passive infrared sensor. 
     
     
         20 . A method comprising:
 placing an image sensor of a security sensor in an inactive state, the image sensor positioned to capture images of a zone proximate the security sensor;   receiving a user-initiated interrupt or an activity-sensor-initiated interrupt from a microcontroller at the image sensor;   capturing using the image sensor a set of image frames of a potential threat within a zone proximate to a security sensor;   sending images including the set of image frames to a processor; and   transmitting using a wireless transceiver the image data via a wireless connection to a security relay station.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 sensing using a light sensor to determine available light within the zone;   determining that a flash was not triggered during capture of the set of image frames based on the available light; and   triggering the flash to alert potential threat in the zone that the set of images frames were captured.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 retrieving image sensor settings from the microcontroller; and   configuring the image sensor using settings.