Internet-based camera focusing method and apparatus

1. An apparatus comprising:

an installer indicator device;

an adjustable image capture device;

a focus engine circuit;

a user interface circuit, the focus engine circuit coupled to the adjustable image capture device, the user interface circuit coupled to the focus engine circuit and to the installer indicator device, whereby

the installer indicator device is controlled by the user interface circuit to cue an apparatus installer to manually adjust the adjustable image capture device or to stop manually adjusting the adjustable image capture device;

a pixel sum accumulator;

a pixel sum comparator;

a dark counter and comparator;

a reset counter and comparator; and

control logic circuits, the pixel sum comparator coupled to the pixel sum accumulator, and coupled to the dark counter and comparator, whereby the dark counter is enabled to count while the pixel sum is not above its threshold, and the dark counter is reinitialized while the pixel sum is above its threshold, the dark counter and comparator further couples to the installer indicator device and

a reset counter and comparator, whereby the installer indicator device displays a reset state for a fixed period following initialization of the reset counter when the dark counter has detected a maximum delay, the reset counter is further coupled to the installer indicator device and to

a best seen focus store, for to clear the reset state display and to reinitialize the best seen focus store,

whereby a focus process may be initialized or reinitialized by an installation technician without access to a server or to a network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a network interface, whereby the apparatus receives a focus command transmitted by a server coupled through a public network to the apparatus and wherein the apparatus does not have a locally accessible port to view images.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a client circuit, coupled to the network interface, wherein the client circuit comprises a processor adapted to initiate a first session with a server, the first session comprising a first hyper text transfer protocol connection to request a command and subsequently to terminate the first session and initiate a second session.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the client circuit comprises: a processor adapted to initiate a first hyper text transfer protocol post method connection to a server, to transfer as least one video image transfer encoded in chunks, to report status of the camera and of a previously received command.

5. An apparatus comprising:

an installer indicator device;

an adjustable image capture device;

a focus engine circuit; and

a user interface circuit, the focus engine circuit coupled to the adjustable image capture device, the user interface circuit coupled to the focus engine circuit and to the installer indicator device, whereby

the installer indicator device is controlled by the user interface circuit to cue an apparatus installer to manually adjust the adjustable image capture device or to stop manually adjusting the adjustable image capture device;

a first delay device and

a second delay device;

a times negative two scaler circuit;

a three input summer circuit;

a focus accumulator circuit;

a pixel sum accumulator circuit; and

a ratio circuit, the ratio circuit coupled to the focus accumulator circuit and the pixel sum accumulator circuit for to determine a current focus value for each frame of the adjustable image capture device, the first delay device and the second delay device coupled in series between the circuit input and the pixel sum accumulator circuit, the times negative two scaler circuit coupled between the first delay device and the three input summer circuit, the three input summer circuit further coupled to the second delay device and the circuit input and further coupled to the focus accumulator circuit.

6. An apparatus comprising:

an installer indicator device;

an adjustable image capture device;

a focus engine circuit; and

a user interface circuit, the focus engine circuit coupled to the adjustable image capture device, the user interface circuit coupled to the focus engine circuit and to the installer indicator device, whereby

the installer indicator device is controlled by the user interface circuit to cue an apparatus installer to manually adjust the adjustable image capture device or to stop manually adjusting the adjustable image capture device,

wherein the installer indicator device comprises at least one electrically operable visible output device, and

wherein the user interface circuit comprises

a current focus value store,

a best seen focus store,

a latch control, and

an approximate equality circuit; the approximate equality circuit coupled to the current focus value store and the best seen focus store, and further coupled to the installer indicator device, for to determine and indicate to the installer the condition that the current focus is within a range of the best seen focus, the latch control coupled to the current focus value store and the best seen focus store, for to latch the current focus value into the best seen focus store on the condition that the best seen focus is less than the current focus value, and the current focus value store coupled to the ratio device for to receive a degree of quality measure for each frame.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the installer indicator device comprises

a plurality of electrically operable visible output devices, and wherein the approximate equality circuit comprises:

a fine bit mask having at least one least significant bit,

a gross bit mask having at least two significant bits, and

logic circuits, whereby the installer indicator device indicates a first state of the current focus value being within a range of the best seen focus and a second state of the current focus value being substantially equal to the best seen focus.

8. An apparatus comprising

a user interface circuit, the user interface circuit coupled to and controlling a first indicator to start adjusting or to stop adjusting an adjustable digital image capture device, and coupled to and controlling a second indicator of improving or not improving measure of quality;

a current focus store, and

a best seen focus store, coupled to

a circuit to determine when the difference between the current focus store value and the best seen focus store value is less than a certain range, wherein the best seen focus store comprises

a latch recording the highest value of the current focus store for all adjustments of the digital image capture device; and

a focus engine circuit coupled to the adjustable digital image capture device and coupled to the user interface circuit, said focus engine circuit comprising

a high pass filter coupled to the adjustable digital image capture device and

a comparison circuit coupled to the input of the high pass filter and to the output of high pass filter, and

means for storing the output of the comparison circuit into the current focus store, whereby the high pass filter detects the sharpness of edges and when compared with a sum of the unfiltered same image provides a degree of quality measure; and

the adjustable digital image capture device coupled to the user interface circuit.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising

a network interface and

a client circuit for to establish a client session with a server, report status of the apparatus, and receive a command to focus the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising

an encryption circuit coupled to the digital image capture device and

wherein no local connection on the apparatus provides access to an unencrypted image.

11. A method for operation of an Internet-based camera apparatus, the method comprising:

establishing a first client session with a server through a network interface coupled to a public wide area network;

transmitting camera status;

receiving a command from the server to focus the camera;

cueing an installer through an indicator to begin adjusting a digital image capture device,

cueing said installer through said indicator to stop adjusting said digital image capture device, and

concluding said first client session and

transmitting a camera status and a status on the command to focus the camera in a second client session.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising

enabling a focus mode by receiving a pattern presented to the digital image capture device of the Internet-based camera apparatus.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein cueing comprises controlling a first visual indicator and a second visual indicator to illuminate in a certain pattern wherein a certain pattern comprises one of blinking at a first rate of speed, blinking at a second rate of speed, illuminated or not illuminated, independently for each visual indicator.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising

zeroing stored values; and

restarting a camera focus sequence, on the conditions that a command to focus the camera is valid and no image has been captured for a certain period.

15. An Internet-based camera apparatus comprising:

a network interface whereby a client session may be established with a server to transmit status and request commands, at least

one output indicator whereby an installer receives feedback on his recent inaction or action,

a user interface driver circuit coupled to the at least one output indicator and further coupled to

a focus engine circuit, the focus engine circuit coupled to a digital image capture device and further coupled to the network interface and to the user interface driver circuit, wherein the focus engine circuit comprises

an image processing high pass filter coupled to a focus accumulator circuit;

a raw pixel sum accumulator circuit coupled to an unfiltered video frame pixel input of the focus engine circuit; and

a ratio circuit coupled to both the focus accumulator circuit and to the raw pixel sum accumulator which compares accumulated raw image data and accumulated filtered image data to determine an output value for the focus engine circuit.

16. The Internet-based camera apparatus of claim 15 further comprising

means for indicating that a current focus is within 5% of the best seen focus and

means for indicating that a current focus is within 1% of the best seen focus.

17. The Internet-based camera apparatus of claim 15 further comprising

means for determining a degree of quality measurement,

means for storing the degree of quality measurement, and

means for comparing a later degree of quality measurement with a previous degree of quality measurement without display of either measurement value in an output indicator.