Wearable imaging sensor with wireless remote communications

Abstract

A wearable image sensor is described. In one example an apparatus includes a camera attached to a garment to capture an image of a view of an area surrounding a user that is wearing the garment, the image including an item. A data interface is attached to the garment and coupled to the camera to send the camera image to an external device and to receive description information about the item from the external device. A power supply is attached to the garment and coupled to the camera and the data interface to power the camera and the data interface. The apparatus presents the received description information to a user of the garment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a camera attached to a garment to capture an image of a view of an area surrounding a user that is wearing the garment, the image including an item;   a data interface attached to the garment and coupled to the camera to send the camera image to an external device and to receive description information about the item from the external device; and   a power supply attached to the garment and coupled to the camera and the data interface to power the camera and the data interface,   wherein the apparatus presents the received description information to a user of the garment.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the camera has a panoramic field of view. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the camera has a  180  degree horizontal field of view. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data interface is an optic fiber interface coupled to a local processing device. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the local processing device is a separate mobile device. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data interface is a wireless interface through a mobile device and the external device is a remote server. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a processor and image recognition software to process a sequence of images captured by the camera and to select an image in the sequence that shows a significant change from an image before the selected image and wherein the data interface is to send the selected image to the external device. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a display coupled to the data interface to present the received description information to the user. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a handheld device with a wireless connection to the data interface and wherein the handheld device comprises the display. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the handheld device comprises a long range radio and wherein the data interface sends to the external device through the long range radio of the handheld device. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus presents the received description information as sound. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the description information is historical and status information about the item. 
     
     
         13 . An imaging and communication system comprising:
 a camera attached to a garment to capture images of a view of an area surrounding a user that is wearing the garment, the images including an item, and to send the images through a short range wireless interface;   a handheld device having a data interface to receive the images from the camera through the short range wireless interface;   a processor of the handheld device coupled to the data interface;   a long range wireless interface of the handheld coupled to the processor to send the images to an external device and to receive description information about the item from the external device; and   a display of the handheld device to present the received description information.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a control interface of the handheld device coupled to the display to allow user control of the displayed information. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the description information is historical and status information about the item. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 capturing an image in a camera attached to a garment, the image including an item;   sending the image to an external device for analysis;   receiving description information about the item from the external device; and   presenting the received description information to a user of the garment.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein sending the image comprises sending the image to a local portable device and the local portable device sending the image to a remote server. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the local portable device is also attached to the garment. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein presenting the received description information comprises presenting information about the item on a display of the local portable device 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein sending the image further comprises sending additional information about the image including time and location.