Video camera system

• US 20020118284A1
• Filed: 03/13/2002
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1995
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Inventors: Jenkins, Michael D., Newman, Edward G.
• Application Number:
  US10/097,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20020118284A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt

Abstract

This invention involves the use of a body worn mobile computer with a video camera to allow image alignment. Quite frequently a video camera user cannot look directly into the camera because of some obstruction. In these cases, in order to be sure the camera is pointed in the right direction and toward the object to be captured by the image, a head mounted display worn by the user and connected to a computer can simplify this process. An example of where this system can be used is when the camera operator is located in the rear of a crowd watching a parade. He or she can hold the camera viewer above the crowd and view the image in their head mounted display thereby moving the camera viewer in the desired direction. The visible image can then be simultaneously displayed to the viewer (or user) and stored or recorded on the wearable computer or even transmitted via the computer peripherals to a remote location.

Claims

1. A user-supported system for capturing and displaying a camera image to an apparatus apart from said camera, said system comprising image alignment means including a user-supported, self-contained mobile computer in imagewise connection to a user-supported video camera, said user-supported mobile computer comprising a computer housing and hands-free activation means, said user-supported mobile computer being a self-contained computer and comprising connection means for electrical connection to said camera, a processor, and a user-supported display screen, said computer housing having securing means for removably securing the housing to a user, said processor having means to transmit a camera image received via said connection to said display screen and to communicate with other remote computers or systems to display the image recorded to other locations said processor having means to record every Nth frame of said image received and wherein said activating means and commands are selected from the group consisting of audio activation, eye-tracking activation means, electroencephalography activation means and mixtures thereof.

2. The system of claim 1 having means wherein said commands are communicated to other locations in order to request analysis of the images being displayed.

3. The system of claim 1 having means whereby the computer may perform at least one of the following:

1. can overlay other information while viewing the camera image

2. can recall other captured images stored in the computer and compare to the image being reviewed

3. can communicate to remote locations using communication means

4. can process the image to better define what is being viewed

5. the ability to refer back to images that have been captured.

4. A system for image alignment which comprises means for displaying a camera image to an apparatus separated from said camera, said system having image alignment means comprising a hands-free mobile wearable computer with hands-free activation means, said activation means selected from the group consisting of audio activation, eye tracking activation means, brain activation means and mixtures thereof, said mobile wearable computer being a self-contained computer and comprising means for connection to said camera, a processor, and a user-supported display screen, said means for connection to said camera comprising electrical connections or fiber optics connections at one end of said processor and at an opposite end to a connection receiving means in said video camera, said processor having means to transmit a camera image received via said connection to said display screen and to a remote location said processor having means to record a set number of image frames of those received, said video camera, display and self-contained computer being user supported, said self-