Camera with wireless power transmitter
A camera device includes a camera module that captures a scene corresponding to a field of view of the camera module. A wireless power transmitter of the camera devices transmits wireless power to a battery-powered external sensing device. A transceiver is further operable for receiving from the external sensing device sensed data. A network module transmits the image and sensed data to an external networked device. A power supply receives power over a wired connection and supplies power to the camera module, transceiver, networking module and wireless transmitter. The external sensing device may be an access control device that includes a sensor for sensing the presence of a machine readable toke and reading an identifier of the physical token. The access control device further includes a lock controller for selectively locking and unlocking a physical lock.
1. A method comprising:
generating image data with respect to a captured scene corresponding to a field of view of a camera;
transmitting wireless power from a wireless power transmitter of the camera to a battery-powered external sensing device;
receiving, at the camera, sensed data from the external sensing device that is pertaining to at least one condition sensed therefrom;
transmitting the image data and data pertaining to the at least one sensed condition to an external networked device; and
receiving power at the camera, over a wired connection, and
wherein an effective powered space of the wireless power transmitter of the camera substantially overlaps with the field of view of the camera.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein data transmission between the camera and the external networked device is over the wired connection.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image data generated at a given time is logically associated to respective sensed data generated by the external sensing device at least substantially the same time.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing video analytics on the image data; and
determining an occurrence of a video analytics event based on a combination of two or more results of the performed video analytics and the sensed data.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, at the camera, information pertaining to a battery status of the external sensing device.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the wireless power transmitter operates to adjust the transmission of wireless power to the external sensing device based on the received information pertaining to the battery status.
7. A method comprising:
generating image data with respect to a captured scene corresponding to a field of view of a camera;
transmitting wireless power from a wireless power transmitter of the camera to a battery-powered external sensing device, and wherein the transmitted wireless power has a power coverage cone in which a respective space coverage is defined in part by an orientation of the wireless power transmitter;
receiving, at the camera, sensed data from the external sensing device that is pertaining to at least one condition sensed therefrom;
transmitting the image data and data pertaining to the at least one sensed condition to an external networked device;
receiving power at the camera, over a wired connection; and
changing the orientation of the wireless power transmitter so as to change a first space covered by the power coverage cone to a second different space.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein data transmission between the camera and the external networked device is over the wired connection.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the image data generated at a given time is logically associated to respective sensed data generated by the external sensing device at least substantially the same time.
10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
performing video analytics on the image data; and
determining an occurrence of a video analytics event based on a combination of two or more results of the performed video analytics and the sensed data.
11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising receiving, at the camera, information pertaining to a battery status of the external sensing device.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wireless power transmitter operates to adjust the transmission of wireless power to the external sensing device based on the received information pertaining to the battery status.
13. A method comprising:
generating image data with respect to a captured scene corresponding to a field of view of a camera;
transmitting the image data to an external networked device that is a part of a same system as the camera;
transmitting wireless power from a wireless power transmitter of the camera to a battery-powered external device, the battery-powered external device being located apart from the camera but within an effective powered space of the wireless power transmitter;
receiving power at the camera, over a wired connection, and
wherein the effective powered space of the wireless power transmitter of the camera substantially overlaps with the field of view of the camera.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the system is a combined video surveillance and access control system.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein data transmission between the camera and the external networked device is over the wired connection.
16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
performing video analytics on the image data; and
determining an occurrence of a video analytics event based at least in part on results of the performed video analytics.
17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving, at the camera, information pertaining to a battery status of the battery-powered external device.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the wireless power transmitter operates to adjust the transmission of wireless power to the battery-powered external device based on the received information pertaining to the battery status.