CN115244336A - Camera module - Google Patents

Abstract

A camera module (10) is described for use in a domestic environment comprising a plurality of domestic appliances. The camera module includes: a camera (22); control circuitry (24) configured to control operation of the camera module (10) and to generate data signals from images taken by the camera (22); a transmitter (26) for wirelessly transmitting the data signal; a power supply (28) for powering the camera module (10); a housing (14) for accommodating the above components; and a fixing device (15) provided on the housing (14) for removably mounting the camera module (10) selectively on any one of the plurality of home appliances.

Description

Camera module

The present invention relates to a camera module, in particular for use with a domestic appliance.

Modern household appliances, in particular household ovens, are sometimes equipped with a camera device for taking images of the oven cavity in order to provide the ability to send image data to a remote device, such as a tablet computer or mobile phone, so that a user may view the cooking process from a remote location.

In WO 2017/032515 A1 a domestic oven with an oven door with a glass window and an oven door are described, wherein a digital camera is mounted in the door handle in order to obtain image data from within the oven cavity through the glass window of the door, which image data can be transmitted via a network interface to an external device, such as a user's mobile computer device, in order to allow the user to perform a remote real-time visual monitoring of the cooking.

Although in a domestic oven, an oven door with a viewing window having a size close to the opening area of the oven cavity is usual, in EP 2515 044 A1 a domestic oven is proposed in which a display is provided instead of such a conventional viewing window, which display is provided with image data from within the oven cavity by a camera mounted in front of a small viewing window on the door, in such a way that a higher thermal insulation capability of the door can be achieved.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera module for use with a domestic appliance, which camera module provides additional flexibility in use.

The present invention solves the above object by providing a camera module as claimed in claim 1.

The camera module of the present invention is configured for use in a home environment comprising a plurality of home appliances, wherein the camera module comprises:

-a camera;

-control circuitry configured to control operation of the camera module and to generate data signals from images taken by the camera;

-a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the data signal;

-a power supply for powering the camera module;

-a housing for accommodating the above components; and

-a fixing means provided on the housing for removably mounting the camera module selectively on any one of the plurality of household appliances.

In contrast to known devices, the camera module of the invention is configured as a stand-alone device which can be used for various household appliances, in particular kitchen appliances, such as ovens, microwave ovens, food cookers, range hoods, refrigerators, etc.

Accordingly, the camera module may be temporarily mounted on the door of the oven to provide picture data from the oven cavity during the cooking operation. When the cooking operation has terminated and thus the camera module is no longer needed at the oven, the camera module may be mounted on another appliance, such as inside a refrigerator, to provide picture data that may be used to determine the contents of the refrigerator.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Thus, the power supply of the camera module may comprise a rechargeable battery.

To allow charging of the battery without having to remove the battery from the camera module in such embodiments, the housing may further comprise at least one connector for connecting the rechargeable battery to a charging voltage.

By connecting the camera module to a standard charging device, the connector for connecting the rechargeable battery to a charging voltage may be configured as a plug receptacle, such as a micro-USB receptacle (i.e. a USB-B receptacle or a USB-C receptacle), a DC receptacle (such as a 2.1mm receptacle), etc., if the battery is to be recharged when the camera module is not in use.

In one aspect, the camera module may be configured for charging in a dedicated charging device, such as a charging stand, in which case the connector for connecting the rechargeable battery to a charging voltage may include spaced contacts configured to engage contacts of the charging device.

In an alternative embodiment of a camera module having a rechargeable battery, the housing may house a coil for inductively coupling the rechargeable battery to a charging device. In such embodiments, the camera module may be charged when in proximity to the charging device without having to provide a physical connection between the camera module and the charging device.

Considering that one of the preferred uses of the camera module is to monitor a food preparation process carried out in an oven, wherein, in order to avoid exposure of the camera module to high temperatures, the camera module is preferably mounted on an external side of the oven door, where the camera takes images of the oven cavity by looking through a window of the oven door, in a preferred embodiment the camera module comprises a retractable or removable reflective shield provided on the housing. When the camera module is mounted on the oven door, a reflection shield can then be used to avoid distortion of the camera image due to reflection of ambient light on the oven door window. On the other hand, when the camera module is used in a household appliance that does not require a reflective shield (such as a refrigerator interior), the reflective shield can therefore be retracted or removed.

Thus, in embodiments having a retractable reflective shield, the reflective shield may be configured to be selectively positioned in a first position in which the reflective shield is extended to obscure the camera, or a second position in which the reflective shield is retracted.

To this end, the reflective shield may comprise one or more retractable elements, such as one or more plate-like elements that may be displaced between the first position and the second position, such as one or more plate-like elements that may be moved or rotated to be positioned alongside the housing, and which are retracted to be at least partially positioned within or overlap with the housing when not in use, such as by positioning at least a portion of the reflective shield below the housing.

The reflective shield may be configured as, for example, a sector element comprising a continuous element with a plurality of foldable portions, or comprising a plurality of individual sheet-type elements that may be unfolded to provide a shielding element.

In a preferred embodiment, the camera module comprises, in addition to a transmitter for wireless transmission of data signals, a receiver for wireless reception of command signals for operating the camera module. That is, while the camera module may be designed to operate according to a preselected mode of operation prior to installation or activation of the camera in the appliance, in a more complex embodiment the camera module is designed to receive command signals from an external unit, such as a home appliance in which the camera module is installed, a remote control unit (such as a server, a personal computer, a mobile phone, or a dedicated control unit). In such embodiments, the camera module may be activated according to certain program parameters, rather than operating the camera according to a predefined program or mode of operation. For example, when a camera module is used in an oven for monitoring and optionally automatically controlling a cooking process, the camera unit is automatically activated only when a certain temperature, humidity, duration, etc. is reached.

Further, the camera module may also be activated according to the user's request. In this way, for example, when the camera module is used to monitor the bread baking process, at the initial stage of the oven operating at low temperature to ferment the dough, the camera may be turned off, or may be operated only for certain time intervals, or operated according to the user's requirements, and wherein during the actual baking process, at least at the expected end of the baking process, the camera is activated to monitor the degree of browning.

Accordingly, the camera module may comprise a controller configured to temporarily activate the camera module, wherein the camera module is deactivated between time intervals of activation. Therefore, the camera can only be activated for a short period of time sufficient to obtain picture data from the oven cavity, and then the camera module is set to a sleep state to save power.

In another aspect, the invention is a home appliance configured for use with a camera module as described above, wherein the home appliance comprises a socket for mounting the camera module.

Thus, the camera module may be configured as an accessory configured for use with a household appliance. The socket may be configured in various ways, for example, as a recess having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of at least a portion of a housing of the camera module, so that the camera module may be mounted simply by inserting the camera module into the recess. In other embodiments, the socket may be designed to provide a form-fitting structural element with the camera module, e.g. a hole designed to receive a corresponding protrusion provided on the camera module and into which the protrusion is inserted for mounting the camera module.

To further ensure the mounting of the camera module, means for locking the camera module relative to the household appliance may be provided, such as by providing the shape of the hole and the protrusion, wherein the camera module assumes a first position or orientation in a first stage of the mounting process, wherein the position or orientation is then changed in order to provide the locking of the camera module relative to the household appliance, such as by providing a bayonet-like connection between the camera module and the household appliance.

The home appliance may be designed to have no visible features for mounting the camera module. That is, if the home appliance is configured as a holder, a plug receptacle, a slot or recess for mounting a camera module, or the like, such a receptacle may be provided at a position invisible to a user, or may be provided with an element allowing hiding of the receptacle, such as a cover.

In a preferred embodiment, the socket may further comprise electrical connectors which, when the camera module is mounted on the socket, contact connectors for connecting the rechargeable battery to a charging voltage. In such an embodiment, the socket is thus not only designed to provide mounting of the camera module, but at the same time provides a charging connection via which the rechargeable battery of the camera module can be connected to a charging voltage.

In an alternative embodiment, where a charging connection should be provided, the domestic appliance comprises a charging coil configured and positioned to induce a charging current in a coil of the camera module when the camera module is mounted on the socket.

The domestic appliance may be a domestic oven comprising a hearth with an oven cavity and a door for providing access to the oven cavity, wherein the door has a viewing window for the oven cavity and mounting means for mounting the camera module at the viewing window. In order to avoid exposure of the camera to the harsh environmental conditions prevailing inside the oven cavity, the oven may be, for example, an electric or gas-fired oven or toaster, a steamer, a microwave oven or a combination oven configured to be heated by different heating techniques, the domestic oven being designed for mounting the camera module in a position outside the oven cavity.

In an embodiment where the household appliance is a domestic oven, a reflex guard may be provided, the reflex guard comprising a recess for accommodating the camera module, a shielding element for covering a portion of the oven door, a viewing window for the camera, and at least one clamp for clamping the reflex guard to a handle of the oven door. In such an embodiment, the reflective shield may thus be configured as an accessory designed as a blind element to be mounted on a door handle, and which accommodates a camera module.

In a preferred embodiment of the domestic appliance, the door comprises a handle and the mounting means of the camera module comprise at least one clamp for clamping the reflective shield to the handle of the oven door, so that the reflective shield can be mounted to the handle without tools.

In such latter embodiments, the door handle may comprise a surface elongated element extending at a distance to the door, and the at least one clamp may be designed to be clamped between the oven door and the door handle. By providing a clamping action between the oven door and the door handle, it is possible to achieve mounting of the reflective shield to the oven door without a clamping element extending around the door handle, but clamping can be achieved at the rear side of the handle, wherein the clamping element neither affects the clamping function nor the appearance of the handle. To this end, the at least one clamp, when in the released state, may be designed to have a dimension measured orthogonal to an outer surface of the oven door that is greater than a distance of the door handle from the oven door. In order to provide locking of the reflective shield in the mounted state, the at least one clip is preferably shaped such that during insertion of the clip, the clip is biased and at least partially released in the fully mounted position, such that a force is required to overcome the bias of the clip in order to remove the reflective shield.

The at least one clamp may have an abutment surface for abutment of the clamp against the door handle, and the abutment surface may be of a shape complementary to the cross-sectional shape of the door handle. Thus, for example, when the door handle has a convex shape in the area which is in contact with the clip during installation of the reflective protection, the clip preferably has a corresponding concave shape which, in the installed state of the reflective protection, provides a form fit of the clip with the door handle. In such embodiments, the concave shape may further provide for locking of the reflective shield in the mounted state, for which reason the clip is designed such that during insertion of the reflective shield between the door and the door handle, the clip deforms until the door handle snaps into the concave portion of the clip.

When the reflection shield is designed as a substantially flat shading element, such as a generally rectangular flat element designed to be clamped between the oven door and the door handle, two clamps may be provided between which a viewing window for the camera is positioned.

In any of the embodiments described above, the reflection shield may be designed as a one-piece component, preferably made of a plastic material.

In embodiments where the door includes a handle and the mounting device of the camera module includes at least one clip for clipping the reflective shield to the handle of the oven door, the handle may include recessed charging contacts and the at least one clip may include contacts protruding from the clip to contact the charging contacts when the camera module is mounted on the door handle. In this way, a charging connection can be provided when the camera module is mounted on the door handle, but wherein, when the camera module is removed, such as mounting the camera module on another household appliance, the charging contacts on the door handle are hidden within the handle and do not affect the grip function of the handle.

In the latter such embodiment, the protruding contacts may further serve as positioning means to find the correct position for the camera module when the camera module is mounted on the door handle.

In another aspect, the invention provides a domestic environment comprising a plurality of domestic appliances as described above, and at least one camera module as described above, and a remote unit connected to or comprising a receiver for receiving data signals from the transmitter, wherein the remote unit has at least one of a display and means for evaluating data.

Depending on the type of household appliance using the camera module, such as an oven, a steamer, a microwave oven, a range hood, a refrigerator, etc., the data transmitted from the camera module to the remote unit may be used for monitoring purposes, such as by sending image data to the user, for example, to let the user visually monitor the progress of a cooking process performed in the oven, to monitor a cooking process performed on a hob arranged below the range hood by means of a camera module mounted on the cooking hob, or to track the contents of a refrigerator using the camera module. In addition to sending only image data, data captured by the camera may also be evaluated, such as by providing picture recognition to evaluate image data taken from the oven cavity, to automatically determine the progress of the cooking process by determining the degree of browning of the food product, to automatically determine the type of food being processed, to provide a user with advice to prepare the food product, and the like. Furthermore, the data may be used to control the household appliance using the camera module, such as by automatically changing the temperature setting or terminating the cooking process when a certain predetermined schedule is reached.

In order to take advantage of the latter option, in a preferred embodiment at least one of the household appliances comprises a receiver for receiving operation data from the remote unit, and the remote unit comprises a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting operation data from said at least one household appliance.

Thus, in embodiments where the camera module is used in an oven, the operating parameters of the oven may be changed by the remote unit, for example, to automatically adjust the settings of the heating system, such as setting the temperature, providing steam addition, controlling additional heating elements (such as grill elements), venting the cavity to more quickly reduce the oven temperature, terminating the cooking program, and the like.

As described above, the remote unit may be configured to automatically control oven settings based on the evaluation of the image data, or to change settings according to user selection. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the remote unit has a user interface that allows images to be displayed, provides image data evaluation, and/or allows a user to change home appliance settings. While the user interface may be configured as a dedicated input and display device, particularly when the remote unit is a smartphone, computer, or tablet computer, the interface may be provided as application software (i.e., an app) running on the remote unit.

Operational data received at the home appliance from the remote unit may also be used to trigger a signal function, such as by providing an alarm in the event that certain predetermined conditions are reached.

A home environment as described above and including at least one home appliance as a home oven may include a receiver for receiving operational data from a remote unit, wherein the remote unit includes a remote server configured to perform a picture evaluation, determine an oven setting based on the picture evaluation, and transmit the determined setting to the oven.

The graphical assessment may include graphical recognition to detect the load within the cavity to determine, for example, the type of food to suggest or automatically adjust oven settings, the size of the food product (such as the size of the grilled meat upon which the processing time is calculated, or the size of the dough upon which the start of the baking process is triggered), the color of the food product (such as the degree of browning). Further, picture recognition may also be used to identify dangerous situations.

Based on the picture recognition performed by the server, the server may provide information, such as the result of the picture recognition, such as an expected time, when food processing may be terminated, or may provide a recommendation for a setting to be made. Alternatively or additionally, based on picture recognition, the server may provide operational data to automatically change oven settings, such as automatically terminating the cooking process.

As in the above embodiments, the server may have or may provide a user interface to allow a user to change settings, control operation of the home appliance, display images received from the camera module and/or display an evaluation of the images, display operating recommendations, such as recommended settings or preparation steps based on the evaluated images.

As in the above embodiments, the remote unit may comprise a personal computing device on which is executed application software that provides at least one of: display of image data from the camera, evaluation of the image data, signal function, determination of operational settings based on the evaluation of the image data, and adjustment of the operational settings. The personal computing device may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a notebook or laptop computer, a personal computer, or a personal computing device that is part of a smart home system. In any such device, the user interface may be provided as application software. While typically the personal computing device may provide the same or similar functionality as the server, the system may also be configured such that the personal computing device serves only as a display for the picture data received from the cavity, such that the user may monitor the food processing operation as if the user were standing in front of a conventional oven having a door window through which the oven cavity may be viewed.

In any of the above device configurations, whether as a camera module, as a home appliance, or as a home environment, various means for activating or deactivating the camera module may be provided, such as a timer (i.e., a physical timer or a timer function implemented in a controller), an acceleration sensor for detecting motion of a door of the home appliance, a light sensor positioned to sense light within the home appliance, an IR receiver provided in the camera module (which is triggered by an IR signal provided by the home appliance), an activation unit for manual activation by a user, and/or a controller provided in the home appliance or a remote unit configured to communicate with the camera module. If in the latter embodiment the camera module communicates via a radio link, such as bluetooth or wireless LAN, the system may be configured such that in idle mode only the receiver unit is active, i.e. operating in "always connected" mode, but the rest of the camera module is inactive or off, wherein an external device, such as a server, a mobile device or the household appliance itself, may activate (i.e. "wake up") the rest of the system via a command received at the receiver unit.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a camera module according to the invention, an

Fig. 2 shows a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a camera module 10 according to the invention, which is designed in particular as a reflective shield, which is adapted to be mounted on a door of a domestic oven comprising an oven door with a window through which an oven cavity can be seen, and a door handle which extends along an upper edge of the door above the window.

In the embodiment illustrated in fig. 1, the camera module 10 is designed as an auxiliary unit that can be used with various household appliances, such as ovens, range hoods, refrigerators, etc. Since the camera module 10 of fig. 1 is configured as a reflective shield, it is designed as a substantially flat component which can be made of a plastic material and which comprises a shielding portion 12 which faces the window of the oven door when the camera module 10 is mounted on the oven door. The camera module 10 further comprises a housing portion 14 which, in the embodiment shown in fig. 1, is arranged in the upper region of the camera module 10 on the other side of the shielding portion 12.

It will be appreciated that the size and shape of the reflection shield will be selected according to the viewing angle of the camera, wherein the reflection shield should cover at least the innermost glass pane area of the oven door visible to the camera in order to effectively block reflected light from reaching the camera.

At the upper end of the camera module 10, the camera module comprises a clamp 15 for clamping the camera module to a door handle of a furnace door. In particular, two pairs of clamps 15 are provided, each pair comprising a straight clamping leg 16 configured to rest on the front surface of the oven door and a curved clamping leg 18 configured to rest on the door handle. In order to provide vertical locking of the clamp 15 at the upper edge of the oven door, the straight clamping leg 16 comprises at its upper end a protruding clamping jaw 20, which abuts against the upper edge of the oven door when the camera module 10 is mounted on the oven door, to prevent the camera module 10 from moving downwards.

The housing portion 14 provides space within it for housing various components of the camera module, including the camera 22, control circuitry 24, shown in phantom in fig. 1 and configured to control operation of the camera module and generate data signals from images captured by the camera 22, a transmitter 26 for wirelessly transmitting the data signals, and a power supply 28 for powering the camera module.

Since the camera module 10 is configured for use with a variety of different household appliances that may involve different environmental conditions in terms of temperature and humidity, the housing portion 14 preferably provides a sealed enclosure, such as a housing that is closed by welding.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, when the camera module is mounted on an oven door with a glass viewing window, the shielding portion 12, which comprises a funnel-shaped recess 30 in which the lens of the camera 22 is mounted, rests against the glass pane to block ambient light.

The camera module 10 is powered by a power supply 28, which preferably comprises a rechargeable battery that can be charged, such as by connecting the camera module 10 to a charging voltage via a plug receptacle 32 by a cable. In a preferred embodiment, the camera module 10 is configured to be charged by a charging voltage provided by a household appliance in which the camera module 10 is installed. For this purpose, a charging coil 34 can be provided, via which the camera module can be inductively coupled to a charger coil provided at the household appliance. In the alternative, the camera module 10 may be provided with charging contacts which contact respective charger contacts of the household appliance, and in the embodiment shown in fig. 1, these charging contacts may be provided, for example, in one or two bent legs 18 of the side facing the oven door handle.

Further, although in the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the charging coil 34 is disposed at a lower portion of the camera module 10, it may also be disposed at an upper portion of the camera module 10, such as below a top wall of the housing portion 14, so as to allow inductive coupling with the charging coil disposed in the door handle of the oven.

Although the clamps 16 and 18 of the camera module 10 are specifically designed for mounting the camera module on an oven door, it should be understood that the camera module may be provided with additional mounting means for mounting the camera module 10 on at least one other type of domestic appliance. For example, the camera module 10 may be provided with a holder or clamp (not shown) for mounting the camera module 10 inside a refrigerator door, such as on or in one of the gantries. Further, to use the camera module 10 in conjunction with a refrigerator, the camera module 10 may include a light sensor 36 configured to activate the camera module 10 when the refrigerator door is opened, thereby also turning on interior lighting, thereby illuminating the refrigerator interior.

Fig. 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a camera module configured for use with an oven. In this embodiment, the camera module 40 comprises a central housing 42 for use with an oven, which is releasably connected to a reflection shield 44, which comprises a substantially flat shielding element 46 at its lower part and two clamp elements 48 at its upper part for clamping the reflection shield 44 to a handle 50 of an oven door 52, which in the embodiment shown in fig. 2 is an elongated element of substantially circular cross-section mounted horizontally on the door 52.

Each clip element 48 includes an abutment surface 54 having a profile complementary to the profile of the door handle 50. The clip element 48 includes an engagement region 56 at its lower free end adapted to facilitate engagement by a user to apply a pushing force by which the clip element 48 may be flexed away from the door handle 50 to remove the reflective shield 44 from the handle. Thus, by exerting a pushing force on the engagement zone 56, the upper arm 58 is slightly bent towards a vertical portion 60 of the reflection shield 44, which extends parallel to a window 62 of the oven door 52 in the mounted state shown in fig. 2.

To facilitate mounting of the reflective shield 44 by inserting the reflective shield 44 into a gap formed between the door handle 50 and the oven door 52, an upper arm 58 is attached to the vertical portion 60 so as to extend slightly downward. As can be seen in fig. 2, the clamp element 48 is shaped to extend beyond the point where the distance between the door handle 50 and the oven door 52 is at a minimum. Thus, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the door handle 50 has a circular cross-section, and the upper end 64 of the abutment surface 54 of the clamp member 48 extends to a level above a horizontal line extending through the center of the cross-section of the door handle 50 such that when the upper end 64 passes through the level, the clamp is at least partially released, thereby locking the clamp member 48 in place.

In the embodiment illustrated in fig. 2, the reflective shield 44 has left and right mounts 66 in its lateral regions below the clamp elements 48, each mount having a rail 68 for receiving correspondingly shaped rails 70 disposed on lateral sides of the center housing 42. Thus, when the camera module is to be used in conjunction with an oven, the center housing 42, which houses the various components of the camera module (including the camera, control circuitry, transmitter and power supply), is coupled to the reflective shield 44 by inserting the rails 70 of the center housing 42 into the rails 68 of the mounts 66 of the reflective shield 44.

As with the embodiment shown in fig. 1, also in the embodiment illustrated in fig. 2, the camera module is configured to be mounted on the door handle 50 of the oven door 52 to be tilted downward toward the window 62 of the oven door to obtain a view of substantially the entire oven cavity.

It will be appreciated that the clamping action may be achieved by clamps of various shapes, with the appropriate shape being selected according to the cross-sectional shape of the door handle. Thus, for example, in the case of a door handle having a rectangular shape, the clip element 48 may be designed with an abutment surface complementary to such a rectangular shape, i.e. instead of the concave abutment surface 54 shown in fig. 2, the clip may be provided with an L-shaped abutment surface, at the upper end of which a short projection is further provided which acts as a lock to prevent the clip from sliding downwards. Instead of providing a lock at the upper end of the abutment surface, a lock may also be provided in an intermediate region of the abutment surface, such as a pin projecting outwardly from the abutment surface into a corresponding hole or recess provided in the door handle.

Since in the embodiment illustrated in fig. 2 the reflection shield and the central housing are configured for releasable connection, in case the camera module is used with different types of household appliances, the camera module can thus be detached by removing the central housing from the reflection shield, wherein the central housing can then be combined with another different mounting which is adapted to mount the camera module onto the respective other type of household appliance.

Similar to the embodiment of fig. 1, in the embodiment of fig. 2, the camera module may be powered by a rechargeable battery. Although the camera module of fig. 2 may also comprise a plug connection and/or an induction coil for charging the battery, in the embodiment of fig. 2 the central housing 42 may comprise charging contacts at a side of the central housing 42 which in the mounted state faces the handle 50 of the oven door. These charging contacts are configured to make electrical contact with contacts provided at the handle, preferably recessed with respect to the handle surface.

As explained above, the camera module is configured to obtain image data from a home appliance with which it is used and to transmit such image data to a central server or mobile device via a wireless connection, such as a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), bluetooth (BTLE) or similar technology, to provide monitoring or control functionality.

Although the camera module may be designed to operate according to a predetermined operating scheme stored within the camera module, which in the simplest case may provide for continuously acquiring image data, a range of different predefined operating states may also be obtained, the camera module may also be designed to be controlled based on or at least also taking into account data received at the camera module from a remote location, which may be a remote control device, such as a controller of a household appliance used with the camera module, a central server, a mobile device, a dedicated control device or a smart home system, or other device providing input data, such as a sensor providing sensor data for controlling the camera module.

In a preferred embodiment, the camera module is driven by a multi-processor/microcontroller system that operates the camera module only during intervals in order to save power, otherwise the camera module is kept in a sleep state. In such embodiments, the camera module may be activated by different activation methods, such as by using a timer that periodically triggers the camera (whether a physical timer or a timing function provided by the controller), by evaluating signals obtained from various sensors, such as signals provided by an acceleration sensor that measures the opening and closing movement of the appliance's door (e.g., in an oven or refrigerator), signals of a light sensor that is triggered by the interior or ambient light of the appliance (e.g., in an oven or refrigerator), signals of a proximity sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, etc., for determining whether a user is present.

List of reference numerals

10. Camera module

12. Shielded portion

14. Housing part

15. Clamp apparatus

16. Straight clamping leg

18. Bending clamping leg

20. Projecting clamping jaw

22. Camera with a camera module

24. Control circuit system

26. Emitter

28. Power supply

30. Funnel-shaped recess

32. Plug and socket

34. Charging coil

40. Camera module

42. Central shell

44. Reflection shield

46. Shielding element

48. Clamp element

50. Handle bar

52. Furnace door

54. Abutting surfaces

56. Bonding region

58. Upper arm

60. Vertical part

62. Window (Refreshment window)

64 54 upper end of the

66. Mounting piece

68. Guide rail

70. Track

Claims (20)

1. A camera module (10) for use in a home environment comprising a plurality of home appliances, the camera module comprising:

a camera (22);

control circuitry (24) configured to control operation of the camera module (10) and to generate data signals from images taken by the camera (22);

a transmitter (26) for wirelessly transmitting the data signal;

a power supply (28) for powering the camera module (10);

a housing (14) for accommodating the above components; and

a fixture (15) disposed on the housing (14) for removably selectively mounting the camera module (10) on any one of the plurality of household appliances.

2. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the power source (28) comprises a rechargeable battery.

3. The camera module of claim 2, wherein the housing (14) further comprises at least one connector for connecting the rechargeable battery to a charging voltage.

4. The camera module of claim 2, wherein the housing (14) further houses a coil (34) for inductively coupling the rechargeable battery (28) to a charging device.

5. The camera module of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a retractable reflective shield disposed on the housing.

6. Camera module according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a receiver for wirelessly receiving command signals for operating the camera module (10).

7. Camera module according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a controller configured to temporarily activate the camera module (10), wherein between time intervals of activation the camera module is deactivated.

8. A household appliance configured for use with a camera module (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a socket for mounting the camera module.

9. The domestic appliance of claims 2 and 8, wherein the socket for mounting the camera module further comprises electrical connectors which contact connectors for connecting the rechargeable battery (28) to a charging voltage when the camera module is mounted on the socket.

10. The domestic appliance of claims 4 and 8, comprising a charging coil configured and positioned to induce a charging current in a coil (34) of the camera module (10) when the camera module is mounted on the socket.

11. The domestic appliance of any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the domestic appliance is a domestic oven comprising:

a furnace chamber having a furnace chamber; and

a door (52) for providing access to the oven cavity, the door having a viewing window (62) for the oven cavity and mounting means for mounting a camera module (10.

12. The household appliance of claim 11, further comprising a reflection shield (44) comprising:

a recess for accommodating the camera module;

a shielding element (46) for covering a portion of the oven door (52),

a viewing window for the camera; and

at least one clamp (48) for clamping the reflective shield to a handle (50) of the oven door (52).

13. The domestic appliance of claim 12, wherein the door (52) comprises a handle (50) and the mounting device of the camera module comprises at least one clamp (48) for clamping the reflection shield on the handle of the oven door.

14. The domestic appliance of claim 13, wherein the door handle (50) comprises an elongate element extending at a distance to a surface of the door (52), and wherein the at least one clamp (48) is designed to be clamped between the oven door and the door handle.

15. The domestic appliance of claim 13 or 14, wherein the handle (50) comprises a recessed charging contact and the at least one clamp (48) comprises a contact protruding from the clamp to contact the charging contact when the camera module is mounted on the door handle.

16. A home environment, comprising:

a plurality of household appliances as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 15;

at least one camera module as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7; and

a remote unit connected to or including a receiver for receiving the data signal from the transmitter, the remote unit having at least one of a display and a means for evaluating the data.

17. The home environment of claim 16 wherein at least one of the home appliances comprises a receiver for receiving operational data from the remote unit, the remote unit comprising a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting operational data from the at least one home appliance.

18. The home environment of claim 17, comprising at least one home appliance of claim 11, comprising a receiver for receiving operational data from the remote unit, wherein the remote unit comprises a remote server configured to: a picture evaluation is performed, oven settings are determined based on the picture evaluation, and the determined settings are transmitted to the oven.

19. The home environment of claims 16-18, wherein the remote unit comprises a personal computing device having application software that provides at least one of: display of image data from the camera, evaluation of image data, signal functions, determination of operational settings based on the evaluation of image data, and adjustment of operational settings.

20. The camera module of claim 7, the domestic appliance of any one of claims 8 to 15, or the domestic environment of any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein, for activating or deactivating the camera module, at least one of the following is provided:

(a) A timer;

(b) An acceleration sensor for detecting a movement of a door of the home appliance;

(c) A light sensor positioned to sense light within the household appliance;

(d) An IR receiver disposed in the camera module, the IR receiver being triggered by an IR signal provided by the household appliance;

(e) An activation unit for manual activation by a user;

(f) A controller disposed in the home appliance or a remote unit configured to communicate with the camera module.

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