US 12,309,475 B2
Modular camera
Jeremy R. Schueler, Columbia, IL (US); and Grant S. Ray, Omaha, NE (US)
Assigned to I&EyeEnterprises, LLC, Fairway, KS (US)
Filed by I&Eye Enterprises, LLC, Fairway, KS (US)
Filed on Apr. 29, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/649,938.
Application 18/649,938 is a continuation of application No. 17/860,677, filed on Jul. 8, 2022, granted, now 12,035,025.
Prior Publication US 2024/0284024 A1, Aug. 22, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04N 23/54 (2023.01); G01F 23/296 (2022.01); G03B 17/08 (2021.01); H01M 50/202 (2021.01); H01M 50/247 (2021.01); H01M 50/296 (2021.01); H04N 23/50 (2023.01); H04N 23/56 (2023.01); H04N 23/57 (2023.01); H04N 23/66 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 23/54 (2023.01) [G01F 23/296 (2013.01); G03B 17/08 (2013.01); H01M 50/202 (2021.01); H01M 50/247 (2021.01); H01M 50/296 (2021.01); H04N 23/56 (2023.01); H04N 23/57 (2023.01); H04N 23/66 (2023.01); H01M 2220/30 (2013.01); H04N 23/555 (2023.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A camera comprising:
(A) a battery pack module comprising:
a battery;
a mounting flange for mounting the camera in a fixed location;
a first connector that provides at least one power connection from the battery to a camera module and a plurality of data connections between the battery pack module and the camera module; and
a removable media slot coupled to the plurality of data connections, wherein the removable media slot receives and is coupled to a removable media device to which the camera module can store information including a plurality of photos;
(B) the camera module comprising:
at least one processor;
a memory coupled to the at least one processor;
camera operational logic residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor that provides at least one operational mode for the camera module;
a battery pack interface on the camera module that includes a water-tight connection for removably coupling the battery pack to the camera module and that further includes a second connector that mates to the first connector in the battery pack when the battery pack is coupled to the camera module to provide the power connection from the battery pack module to the camera module and to provide the plurality of data connections between the battery pack module and the camera module, wherein the removable media slot in the battery pack module is inside the water-tight connection when the battery pack is coupled to the battery pack interface; and
at least one external device interface for connecting the camera module to at least one external device that provides input to the camera module, wherein the at least one external device interface comprises a float switch binary interface that receives a binary signal from a binary float switch wired to the float switch binary interface, wherein the binary float switch is in physical proximity to the fixed location, wherein the binary signal from the binary float switch has a first of two binary values when the float switch is in a first state and has a second of the two binary values when the float switch in in a second state.