RU2307476C2 - System and method for identification of web-camera - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: system and method for identification of web-camera.

SUBSTANCE: system uses web-camera, client computer and server web-site. In web-camera, authentication password and video-communication application are stored. Server web-site has authentication module for identification of web-camera and a functional module. After the client computer installs video application, provided by web-camera, web-camera may connect to server web-site through client computer. Server web-site authenticates possible usage of web-camera by checking authentication password. After passage of authentication web-camera may receive services provided by functional module.

EFFECT: expanded functional capabilities.

3 cl, 5 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system and method for identifying a webcam, in particular it relates to a webcam in which an application is stored.

State of the art

People need visual communication through computers and the Internet. Currently, there are two prevailing methods for installing a video communication application in a computer. One way is to install the installation disc, and the other is to install using the remote installation application over the Internet. However, most users are not familiar with the installation process, because they do not have training in computer systems or installation methods. Even computer scientists need to perform many complex operations in order to install a video communications application.

Disclosure of invention

The present invention is based on the task of creating a system and method for identifying a web camera. An application is stored in the webcam of the present invention to simplify the installation process.

The aforementioned problem is solved by the proposed webcam identification system comprising a server website, a client computer, and a webcam. The server website has an authentication module and a functional module. The webcam is connected to the client computer and has a non-volatile memory for storing the authentication password and connection activation password. The client computer communicates with the server website using the connection activation password, and then downloads the communication application for installation. The authentication module of the server’s website checks the authentication password of the webcam to determine whether the webcam is allowed to receive the services provided by the functional module.

The above problem is also solved by the proposed webcam identification system comprising a server website, a client computer and a webcam. The server website has an identification module and a functional module. The webcam is connected to the client computer and has a non-volatile memory for storing the authentication password and video communication application. The client computer communicates with the server website to transfer video communication data after installing the video communication application from the web camera. The authentication module of the server’s website checks the authentication password of the webcam to determine whether the webcam is allowed to receive the services provided by the functional module.

The above problem is also solved by the proposed method for identifying a web camera, which is as follows. The webcam stores an authentication password. The webcam is connected to the server website via a client computer. The server website authenticates the ability to use the webcam by verifying the authentication password. After passing the authentication, the webcam receives the services provided by the server website.

It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are intended to illustrate the invention and references, but they are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The aspects described above and many of the advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

figure 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a webcam according to the present invention,

figure 3 illustrates another preferred embodiment of a webcam according to the present invention,

4 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a server website according to the present invention, and

5 illustrates an algorithm for performing a preferred embodiment of a method according to the present invention.

The implementation of the invention

1 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The drawing shows a webcam identification system configured to operate in a master-slave mode, which comprises a webcam 10, a client computer 20, and a server website 40. The webcam stores the application and is connected to the client computer via the USB interface. Client computer 20 connects to the server website 40 via the Internet. The server website 40 identifies the webcam 10 to determine whether the webcam 10 can be used and whether it is allowed to receive services such as video communications or related video applications provided by the server website 40.

There are two embodiments of a webcam according to the present invention, which are shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the webcam 10 comprises a non-volatile memory 12 configured to store authentication password 121 and connection activation password 122. The authentication password 121 is used so that the server website 40 can determine the possibility of using the webcam 10. The connection activation password 122 is used so that the client computer 20 can automatically connect to the server website 40 and download a video communication application from it for installations.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the webcam 11 also comprises a non-volatile memory 12 configured to store authentication password 121 and video communication application 123 data. The authentication password 121 is used so that the website 40 of the server can determine the use of the webcam 11 The video communication application 123 is installed in the client computer 21. Therefore, the client computer should not be connected to the server website 40 to download a video communication application from it, as in those shown in Figure 2.

Therefore, the installation of the video communication application according to the present invention can be carried out either in the same way as in the webcam 10 of FIG. 2, i.e. by connecting to the server’s website 40 to download a video communication application from it, or in the same way as in the webcam 11 of FIG. 3, which itself installs the video communication application 123.

4 shows a preferred embodiment of a server website according to the present invention. The server website 40 includes an authentication module 41, a functional module 42, and a database 43. The authentication module 41 verifies the authentication password 121 of the webcam 10 or 11. After the webcam 10 or 11 passes the check, it is allowed to receive the services provided by the website 40 of the server. The functional module 42 of the website 40 of the server responds to the operations of the installed video communications application. Functional module 42 may also provide a service for downloading a video communication application to the webcam 10 of FIG. 2. Database 43 is configured to store data associated with the history of the webcam 10 or 11.

Figure 5 presents the algorithm for performing a preferred embodiment of the method according to the present invention. First, the webcam identification method determines whether the webcam connected to the client computer has a video communication application stored therein (S501). If the answer is no, then this webcam has the design shown in Fig.2, or the webcam is a regular webcam without an authentication password, which requires the client computer to connect to the server website using the activation password connection or via manual input to download the video communication application (S513). If the answer is yes, then this webcam has the design shown in Fig.3. The client computer can receive the video communication application from the webcam. When the client computer connects to the server’s website through the installed video communication application, the server’s website checks whether the webcam can be used, i.e. the server website authentication module verifies the webcam authentication password (S503). If the webcam passes the test, it is allowed to receive the services provided by this server website (S505). If the webcam does not pass the check, the user can enter the password manually so that the webcam without the authentication password can also receive the services provided by the server website (S507). Then, the password entered by the user is checked (S509). If the verification is successful, the method proceeds to step S505. If the verification result is negative, the webcam cannot receive the services provided by the server website (S511).

Returning to FIG. 1: when the webcams 10 and 11 respectively connect to the client computers 20 and 21, they both pass the test, and if the client computers 20 and 21 have a video communication application installed in them, then the client computers 20 and 21 can transmit each other to a friend, communication data over the Internet using webcams 10 and 11.

From the above description it is seen that the proposed system and method for identifying webcams provide the following advantages.

1. The webcam in which the application is stored can shorten the process of installing the application and increase its speed. This makes work easier.

2. A webcam with an authentication password can connect to any computer and allows you to replace the computer’s video communications software with a new version by accessing information stored in the webcam through a master-slave network.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments is intended to clearly disclose the essential features of the invention, but should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Numerous modifications and changes that can be made to the invention without changing its nature will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the foregoing disclosure should be construed as limited only by the scope of the claims.

Claims (7)

1. A webcam identification system comprising a server website having an authentication module and a functional module, a client computer and a web camera connected to the client computer and having non-volatile memory for storing the authentication password and video application for installation on the client computer, moreover, the client computer communicates with the server’s website to transmit video after installing the video application, and the authentication module of the server’s website checks the authentication password of the webcam to determine whether this webcam is allowed to receive services provided by the functional module. 2. The webcam identification system of claim 1, wherein the webcam is connected to a client computer via a USB interface. 3. The webcam identification system according to claim 1, wherein the server website further comprises a database for storing data related to the history of the webcam. 4. A webcam configured to operate on a master-slave network, the webcam being connected to the client computer and also connected to the server website via the client computer, the webcam has a non-volatile memory for storing the authentication password so that the server’s website can identify it, and a video application designed to be installed on the client computer, to connect to the server’s website in order to transmit video data. 5. The method of identifying a webcam, namely, that store the authentication password in the non-volatile memory of the webcam, connect the webcam to the server website through the client computer, performing authentication on the webcam password by checking the authentication password through the authentication module of the server website, receive the services provided by the functional module of the server’s website if the webcam is authenticated to provide web services, and in case the webcam did not pass the authentication successfully, provide the ability to enter the password of the server website for re-authentication of the webcam. 6. The webcam identification method according to claim 5, the webcam provides a connection activation password to a client computer for connecting to a server website and downloading a video application. 7. The method of identifying a webcam according to claim 5, further comprising providing a video application via a webcam for installation in a client computer for transmitting video data to a server website.

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