Camera Tap Switch

Abstract

Various embodiments provide a wearable camera that can be worn by a user. The wearable camera includes an accelerometer that can be used to detect camera motion. Input can be provided to the camera in the form of one or more taps which have an associated motion profile, as sensed by the accelerometer. The tap or taps can be mapped to camera functionality to activate the functionality.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computing device comprising:
 a housing;   a camera lens configured to enable capture of image data;   a processor configured to:
 detect one or more taps to the housing of the computing device; 
 responsive to detection of the one or more taps to the housing of the computing device, activate a camera functionality of the camera lens that is associated with the one or more taps. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein different tap patterns are mapped to different camera functionalities of the camera lens. 
     
     
         3 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device further comprises a microphone configured to sense a noise profile associated with the one or more taps, and wherein the processor is configured to detect the one or more taps to the housing based at least in part on the noise profile associated with the one or more taps. 
     
     
         4 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device further comprises a motion detector configured to receive one or more motion inputs corresponding to the one or more taps, and wherein the processor is further configured to detect the one or more taps to the housing based at least in part on the one or more motion inputs corresponding to the one or more taps. 
     
     
         5 . The computing device of  claim 4 , wherein the motion detector comprises an accelerometer. 
     
     
         6 . The computing device of  claim 4 , wherein the motion detector comprises an accelerometer, and wherein the processor is further configured to ascertain whether the one or more motion inputs are one or more taps by analyzing the accelerometer data to ascertain whether the motion profile associated with the one or more motion inputs matches or resembles one or more stored tap profiles. 
     
     
         7 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises a wearable device. 
     
     
         8 . The computing device of  claim 7 , further comprising a fastening device on the housing, the fastening device configured to enable the wearable device to be worn by a user. 
     
     
         9 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to enter a camera mode that enables video to be automatically captured by the camera lens, and wherein the camera functionality comprises functionality enabling the video that is automatically captured by the camera lens to be bookmarked. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 receiving, with a device, one or more motion inputs;   ascertaining whether the one or more motion inputs are one or more taps to a housing of the device; and   responsive to ascertaining that the one or more motion inputs are one or more taps to the housing of the device, activating a camera functionality that is associated with the one or more taps.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the camera functionality comprises functionality enabling automatically captured video to be bookmarked. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said ascertaining is performed using an accelerometer on the device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said ascertaining is performed by:
 detecting the one or more motion inputs using an accelerometer;   producing associated accelerometer data; and   analyzing the accelerometer data to ascertain whether   the motion profile associated with the one or more motion inputs matches or resembles one or more stored tap profiles.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein different tap patterns are mapped to different camera functionalities. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the device comprises a wearable device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the wearable device is configured to be worn on a user's clothing 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the wearable device is configured to be worn on a location other than a user's clothing 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 capturing, with a camera of a device, image data at predefined time intervals;   saving the image data to a circular memory buffer;   determining whether the circular memory buffer is full; and   responsive to determining that the circular memory buffer is full, deleting the oldest image data.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the device comprises a wearable device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the wearable device is configured to be worn on a user's clothing