{
  "patent_number": "US 8675084",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "Controlling a Camera on Your Phone with a Separate Gadget",
  "original_title": "Systems and methods for remote camera control",
  "summary": "Apple's 2014 patent describes how a separate device, like a remote control, can talk to a phone to take pictures and videos, and show them on the remote.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent explains how a separate gadget, called an 'accessory,' can control the camera built into a 'portable media device' (like a smartphone). The accessory registers with the phone to get updates about the camera's status, such as when it's ready to take a photo or has just finished recording a video. Based on these updates, the accessory changes its own state to show if it's ready for a photo, or if a photo or video is ready to be viewed on the accessory's screen. The accessory can also send commands to the phone to change camera modes or take pictures at set intervals.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Controlling the camera directly from the portable media device itself, without an accessory.",
    "Accessories that cannot receive notifications about the camera's state.",
    "Accessories that do not automatically change their own state based on camera status.",
    "Controlling cameras that are not part of a portable media device.",
    "Methods where the accessory and the portable media device cannot control the camera at the same time."
  ],
  "filed": "2009-09-04",
  "granted": "2014-03-18",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Apple Inc",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/apple-inc",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "David J. Rempel",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/david-j-rempel"
    },
    {
      "name": "Shailesh Rathi",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/shailesh-rathi"
    },
    {
      "name": "Peter T. Langenfeld",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/peter-t-langenfeld"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sylvain R. Y. Louboutin",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/sylvain-r-y-louboutin"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lawrence G. Bolton",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/lawrence-g-bolton"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 210,
  "tags": [
    "consumer_electronics",
    "software",
    "telecommunications"
  ],
  "abstract": "A camera capable of capturing still images and video and included in a portable media device can be controlled remotely using an accessory. The accessory can register with the PMD to automatically receive notifications whenever there is a change in the camera state. The camera states can include mode, operation status, and configuration settings. The accessory can send instructions to a camera application that interfaces with the camera to control the camera. The accessory can remotely activate the camera, change camera mode, and send instructions to operate the camera. The accessory and the PMD can concurrently control the camera. The PMD can send the captured still images and recorded video to the accessory for preview and receive instructions from the accessory on disposition of the still images and the video.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8675084/facetime-video-calling",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8675084/facetime-video-calling/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US8675084",
  "relatedPatents": []
}