Granted Patent B2

US 11,450,159 · App. 17/144,907 · Granted Sep 20, 2022

Inventors: Karthikeyan Krishnakumar (Austin, TX); Hin Loong Wong (Singapore, SG)

Assignee: Dell Products L.P.

G07C9/00182H04N5/232

Abstract

Claims (57)

1. A method of controlling states of a shutter, the method comprising:

receiving a signal indicating to adjust a shutter of a camera module of an information handling system from an open state to a closed state to prevent access to a camera of the camera module;

in response to the signal, mechanically adjusting the shutter of the camera module from the open state to the closed state;

after adjusting the state of the shutter of the camera module from the open state to the closed state, receiving a signal indicating that a state of a pin indicates that a lock latch is engaged with the shutter to mechanically interfere with movement of the shutter from the closed state to the open state, the pin in contact with the shutter;

detecting an attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter;

in response to detecting the attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter and based on the state of the pin, preventing mechanical adjustment of the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising in response to detecting the attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter:

providing a notification to a display device of the information handling system indicating the attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the signal indicating to adjust the shutter of the camera module further comprises receiving the signal from a computer-implemented application executing on the information handling system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the signal indicating to adjust the shutter of the camera module further comprises receiving the signal in response to a keypress of a keyboard input device of the information handling system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter includes an unauthorized attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter from an authorized source.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein mechanically adjusting the shutter of the camera module from the open state to the closed state further comprises:

providing a signal to a motor to mechanically adjust a positioning of the shutter within the camera module from the open state to the closed state;

receiving a signal from a sensor detecting a positioning of the shutter within the camera module to indicate that the shutter is in the closed state; and

in response to the signal from the sensor detecting the positioning of the shutter within the camera module to indicate that the shutter is in the closed state, providing a signal to the motor to cease adjusting the positioning of the shutter with the camera module.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a signal indicating to adjust the shutter of the camera module of the information handling system from the closed state to the open state to provide access to the camera module;

determining that the state of the pin indicates that the lock latch is disengaged from the shutter; and

in response to determining that the state of the pin indicates that the lock latch is disengaged with the shutter, mechanically adjusting the shutter of the camera module from the closed state to the open state.

8. A system for controlling states of a shutter, the system comprising:

a camera module including a camera and a shutter;

a lock latch;

a pin in contact with the lock latch;

a processor having access to memory media storing instructions executable by the processor to perform operations comprising, comprising:

receiving a signal indicating to adjust the shutter of the camera module of an information handling system from an open state to a closed state to prevent access to a camera of the camera module;

in response to the signal, mechanically adjusting the shutter of the camera module from the open state to the closed state;

after adjusting the state of the shutter of the camera module from the open state to the closed state, receiving a signal indicating that a state of the pin indicates that the lock latch is engaged with the shutter to mechanically interfere with movement of the shutter from the closed state to the open state;

detecting an attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter;

in response to detecting the attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter and based on the state of the pin, preventing mechanical adjustment of the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state.

9. The system of claim 8 , the operations further comprising in response to detecting the attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter:

providing a notification to a display device of the information handling system indicating the attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein receiving the signal indicating to adjust the shutter of the camera module further comprises receiving the signal from a computer-implemented application executing on the information handling system.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein receiving the signal indicating to adjust the shutter of the camera module further comprises receiving the signal in response to a keypress of a keyboard input device of the information handling system.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter includes an unauthorized attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter from an authorized source.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein mechanically adjusting the shutter of the camera module from the open state to the closed state further comprises:

providing a signal to a motor to mechanically adjust a positioning of the shutter within the camera module from the open state to the closed state;

receiving a signal from a sensor detecting a positioning of the shutter within the camera module to indicate that the shutter is in the closed state; and

in response to the signal from the sensor detecting the positioning of the shutter within the camera module to indicate that the shutter is in the closed state, providing a signal to the motor to cease adjusting the positioning of the shutter with the camera module.

14. The system of claim 8 , the operations further comprising:

receiving a signal indicating to adjust the shutter of the camera module of the information handling system from the closed state to the open state to provide access to the camera module;

determining that the state of the pin indicates that the lock latch is disengaged from the shutter; and

in response to determining that the state of the pin indicates that the lock latch is disengaged with the shutter, mechanically adjusting the shutter of the camera module from the closed state to the open state.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving a signal indicating to adjust a shutter of a camera module of an information handling system from an open state to a closed state to prevent access to a camera of the camera module;

in response to the signal, mechanically adjusting the shutter of the camera module from the open state to the closed state;

after adjusting the state of the shutter of the camera module from the open state to the closed state, receiving a signal indicating that a state of a pin indicates that a lock latch is engaged with the shutter to mechanically interfere with movement of the shutter from the closed state to the open state, the pin in contact with the shutter;

detecting an attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter;

in response to detecting the attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter and based on the state of the pin, preventing mechanical adjustment of the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , the operations further comprising in response to detecting the attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter:

providing a notification to a display device of the information handling system indicating the attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein receiving the signal indicating to adjust the shutter of the camera module further comprises receiving the signal from a computer-implemented application executing on the information handling system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein receiving the signal indicating to adjust the shutter of the camera module further comprises receiving the signal in response to a keypress of a keyboard input device of the information handling system.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter includes an unauthorized attempt to adjust the state of the shutter of the camera module to the open state from the closed state while the lock latch is engaged with the shutter from an authorized source.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein mechanically adjusting the shutter of the camera module from the open state to the closed state further comprises:

providing a signal to a motor to mechanically adjust a positioning of the shutter within the camera module from the open state to the closed state;

receiving a signal from a sensor detecting a positioning of the shutter within the camera module to indicate that the shutter is in the closed state; and

in response to the signal from the sensor detecting the positioning of the shutter within the camera module to indicate that the shutter is in the closed state, providing a signal to the motor to cease adjusting the positioning of the shutter with the camera module.

Assignments (9)

Continuity (1)