Technical Field

The utility model concerns video surveillance and security systems, and to wireless control and management systems for various structures, such as private residential houses, office buildings, apartments, industrial and economic facilities, engineering equipment etc., and can be used in so-called "smart home" technologies.

Background Art

Based on its technical specification, the auto-rotating home robot for video surveillance and electrical household appliances control is the closest prior art for the utility model. The prototype is based on the magnetic levitation phenomenon and is made up of a -shaped immobile base unit and a levitating spherical compartment rotating around its vertical axis.

With the purpose of supplying the levitation, the electromagnets are installed in the lower part of the base unit, while a magnet is fixed at the upper part of it. Permanent magnets are installed in the lower and upper parts of the levitating compartment, whereby the magnets of the base unit and the levitating compartment are placed with the same polarity towards each other. A processor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, host module, magnet position sensor and Hall element are also installed in the base unit. Besides the magnets, there is also a video camera and a power supply source in the levitating compartment (WO 2017012225, IPC G05B 19/418, H04N7/18, published on 26.01.2017).

The video surveillance in a "smart home" technology is one of the most important components. For the visual field control, several video cameras are installed. The closest prior art solves this problem using a single video camera that rotates together with the levitating compartment and ensures 360-degree video surveillance across the whole area. However, the closest prior art has several disadvantages.

The main disadvantage of the closest prior art is its limited functional capability, namely: 1. The installation of the processor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, receiver module, magnet position sensor, Hall element in the base unit makes the separate usage of the levitating compartment impossible.

2. Impossibility of two-way audio communication.

3. The absence of an infrared (IR) signal transmitter makes it impossible to control other household appliances, which are controlled by an IR signal.

Another disadvantage of the closest prior art is its complexity which is due to the following. For levitation stability maintenance, the main block base is made r -shaped, at the lower part of which there are electromagnets and a permanent magnet at the upper part. Accordingly, permanent magnets are placed at the top and bottom of the levitating compartment. Such a structure not only makes the device complicated but also supposes that the side wall should be made transparent to allow a 360-degree visual coverage of the whole area by the video camera, or that the device will be used only near a wall of the room.

Disclosure of the utility model

The task of the utility model is the enhancement and simplification of the functional capabilities.

The essence of the utility model is a video surveillance, monitoring and control device for a "smart home" system, comprising a fixed base unit, a levitating spherical compartment rotating around its vertical axis, a processor, a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor, a source of power and means of communication. The base unit comprises an electromagnet and a permanent magnet, the compartment comprises a video camera and a permanent magnet, the permanent magnets are installed with like poles facing each other. According to the utility model the permanent magnet of the base unit is made circular and covers the electromagnet. The permanent magnet of the compartment is installed in its bottom part. The processor, the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor are installed in the compartment, wherein microphones and a loudspeaker are additionally installed.

The essence of the utility model is also in that the compartment additionally comprises a USB Type-C connector for power supply, an infrared transmitter for remote control of household appliances controlled by an infrared signal, an ambient light sensor, infrared emitting diodes to provide an image in case of insufficient illumination.

The essence of the utility model is also in that the device comprises a station for wireless charging, the transmitting flat coil of which is installed in the top part of the base unit, and the receiving flat coil is installed in the bottom part of the compartment.

Brief description of drawings

Figure 1 schematically illustrates the proposed device, viewed from the front. Figure 2 illustrates the levitating compartment, viewed from behind.

The mode of carrying out the utility model

In an example of embodiment, the main block (1) consists of a horizontally mounted frame made of non-magnetic material, wherein an electromagnet (2), a permanent magnet (3) and a power supply block (4) suitable for an input voltage of 5 V are installed. The embodiment of the base unit in this way provides a stable levitation capability to the spherical compartment.

The levitating compartment (5) has a spherical frame also made of a non-magnetic material, in the lower part of which a permanent magnet (6) is installed for providing magnetic levitation. A video camera (7) is mounted on the compartment, said video camera having an image sensor (a CMOS sensor is used in this embodiment) and a compression module for reducing the volume of information transmitted from the server.

To ensure the autonomous functioning of the levitating compartment, a lithium-ion battery (8) is placed in the compartment (5). The device has an induction (wireless) charging station the transmitting flat coil (9) of which is located in the upper part of the base unit and which generates an alternating electromagnetic field for transmitting to the receiver flat coil (10) located in the lower part of the levitating compartment (5). The charging station can serve both for charging the battery and as a power source for the levitating compartment.

Besides the battery, the power supply of the compartment (5) (as well as the charging of the battery) can be achieved via a USB Type-C cable, for which a USB Type-C connector (11) is installed on the frame of the levitating compartment (5). This type of connection can also be used to transfer data and video to any external device. At the bottom part of the compartment (5) a rubber cover (12) is made for absorbing the force of impact caused by magnetic attraction.

Thanks to magnetic levitation, the spherical frame rotates and the video camera (7), which rotates with the levitating compartment (5), provides a 360-degree video surveillance across the whole area. Besides, the device has an ability to control and manage all household appliances controlled by an IR signal. The above-mentioned control and management is performed by a mobile and/or web application via the proprietary application called "Moon Commander".

The image from the video camera is transmitted to the printed circuit board (PCB) (13); several modern sensors suitable for monitoring the environment are installed in the levitating compartment, namely a relative humidity sensor (14), an ambient light sensor (15) and a temperature sensor (16). Infrared emitting diodes (18) are placed around the video camera lenses (17) for providing an image in case of insufficient illumination. In the levitating compartment, three microphones (19) are placed on different sides of the compartment (5) for transmitting voice signals cleared from noise. The microphones (19) also serve to determine the direction of the sound source, which is then used to rotate the video camera in that direction. A speaker for two-way communication (20) and a connector for an external microSD card (21) are also installed in the compartment (5).

Unlike the closest prior art, wherein the magnetic levitation stability is ensured by means of creating a magnetic field in the upper and lower parts of the spherical compartment, the magnetic levitation stability in the proposed utility model is maintained by the above-mentioned arrangement of a permanent magnet and an electromagnet in the base unit, which perform the role of a controller. This significantly simplifies the base unit and ensures 360-degree video surveillance from any part of the room. The enhancement of the functionality of the proposed device is also due to the autonomy of the spherical compartment from the base unit, which is thanks to the placement of the communication means (Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave and Bluetooth), the sensors (temperature, relative humidity, ambient light), the lithium-ion battery, the processor, the video camera, the loudspeaker, the microphones, the USB Type-C connector for power supply and other accessories directly in the spherical frame. This makes the independent functioning of the levitating compartment possible, which means that the compartment can be used in "smart home" technologies independent of the base unit.

Thanks to the microphones and the speaker, the proposed device works also as a two-way communication device. The device has an IR transmitter/receiver for remote control and management of all household appliances controlled by an IR signal.

It should also be noted, that due to the inclusion of Zigbee and Z-Wave network protocol sensors in the device, it may serve as a hub for devices running on the above-mentioned network protocols.