Method and apparatus for hosting a network camera with image degradation
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for providing an improved Internet camera is described. The method of keeping a refreshed image from a camera on a user's system comprises sending the image to the user's system and refreshing the image periodically. The method further comprises after a period of time, degrading the image.
1. A method for displaying an image from a camera on a user's system, the method comprising:
executing, by a processor, at a site remote from the user's system, the steps of:
sending the image to the user's system via a network;
refreshing the image periodically according to a refresh frequency rate;
maintaining a counter of a number of refreshes that have occurred and a timer of a refresh time since the last image refresh, the refresh frequency rate being evaluated based on the counter and the timer;
determining whether the user is inactive, and whether to refresh the image based on a value of the timer and the refresh frequency rate, and incrementing the counter when the image is refreshed;
adjusting image parameters over a period of time to produce a degraded image in response to a determination that the user is inactive;
periodically sending the degraded image, during the period of time, to the user's system via the network when the refresh frequency indicates a time for an image refresh;
re-evaluating the refresh frequency rate when the counter reaches a preset threshold value, wherein the re-evaluation of the refresh frequency rate causes the rate to increase, decrease, or completely stop refreshing of the image; and
increasing quality of the degraded image upon receiving a user request to improve the quality of the degraded image.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein degrading the image comprises reducing the size of the image.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein degrading the image comprises decreasing resolution of the image.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the user is inactive further comprises determining whether a certain period of time has elapsed.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the certain period of time begins when the image was last refreshed.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the certain period of time begins when the image was last sent to the user's system.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the user is inactive further comprises determining whether the user is using the user's system.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the user is inactive further comprises determining whether a screen saver has been activated on the user's system.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the user is active or inactive is performed periodically.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
increasing the quality of the degraded image to produce a less-degraded image upon a determination that the user is active; and
sending the less-degraded image to the user's system.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein refreshing the image is performed more frequently than determining whether to degrade the image.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to degrade the image further comprises determining whether a certain period of time has elapsed, wherein the certain period of time begins upon a determination that the user is inactive.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
increasing the quality of the degraded image to produce a less-degraded image upon a determination that the user is active; and
sending the less-degraded image to the user's system.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network is the Internet.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the user has provided any input into the user's system.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image is captured at a first location, wherein the user is located at a second location, wherein the first location is remote from the second location, wherein the user's system is configured to display the image.
17. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for displaying an image from a camera on a user's system, the method of comprising:
sending the image to the user's system via a network;
refreshing the image periodically according to a refresh frequency rate;
maintaining a counter of a number of refreshes that have occurred and a timer of a refresh time since the last image refresh, the refresh frequency rate being evaluated based on the counter and the timer;
determining whether the user is inactive, and whether to refresh the image based on a value of the timer and the refresh frequency rate, and incrementing the counter when the image is refreshed;
adjusting image parameters over a period of time to produce a degraded image in response to a determination that the user is inactive;
periodically sending the degraded image, during the period of time, to the user's system via the network when the refresh frequency indicates a time for an image refresh;
re-evaluating the refresh frequency rate when the counter reaches a preset threshold value, wherein the re-evaluation of the refresh frequency rate causes the rate to increase, decrease, or completely stop refreshing of the image; and
increasing quality of the degraded image upon receiving a user request to improve the quality of the degraded image.