Transmission of event markers to data stream recorder

• US 20050038794A1
• Filed: 08/14/2003
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Piersol, Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 7,685,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream

Abstract

An information stream (media stream) can be “bookmarked” with event markers to note points in time in the information stream of occurrences of interesting events. Repeat occurrences of an event are noted with the same event marker. The events of interest need not be a priori determined. In fact, unexpected events can be readily noted.

Claims

1. A method for recording information comprising:

producing a first information stream;

receiving event markers, the event markers indicative of selections of markers from among a plurality of predetermined markers;

for each received event marker, incorporating a representation of the event marker into the first information stream to produce a second information stream, wherein each of the event markers is synchronized to the first information stream with respect to its time of selection from among the plurality of predetermined markers; and

storing the second information stream as recorded information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving event markers includes receiving a transmitted signal representative of the event markers.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of predetermined markers comprises a printed sheet of barcode indicia and the transmitted signal is a signal produced by scanning a barcode scanner over one or more of the barcode indicia.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined markers are graphics presented on a video display.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the event markers comprises an encrypted component, the encrypted component being produced at a time during selection of one of the predetermined markers.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising employing an asymmetric encryption technique to produce the encrypted component.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising employing a symmetric encryption technique to produce the encrypted component.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of incorporating includes encrypting the event marker using an asymmetric encryption technique.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of incorporating includes encrypting the event marker using a symmetric encryption technique.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of producing includes creating the first information stream, wherein the event markers are produced during production of the first information stream.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of producing includes playing back a previously recorded information stream, wherein the event markers are received during playback of the previously recorded information stream.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first information steam is a previously recorded information stream being played back, and the event markers are previously generated event markers.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein each event marker is associated with metadata, wherein the step of incorporating includes associating the metadata with the first information stream.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving event markers includes receiving first event markers from a first user and receiving second event markers from a second user.

15. A method for recording information comprising:

producing a first information stream;

receiving event markers, the event markers being representative of spoken phrases;

for each received event marker, incorporating a representation of the event marker into the first information stream to produce a second information stream, wherein each of the event markers is synchronized to the first information stream with respect to a time when its corresponding spoken phrase was spoken; and

storing the second information stream as recorded information.

16. A method for recording information comprising:

receiving a first information stream;

receiving a first timestamp;

incorporating a representation of the first timestamp into the first information stream at a point in time in the first information stream synchronous with a time of receiving the first timestamp;

receiving additional timestamps;

incorporating the additional timestamps into the first information stream in the same manner as for the first timestamp, thereby producing a second information stream; and

presenting portions of the second information stream, comprising;

grouping portions of the second information based on event markers contained in the timestamps;

producing images representative of each of the portions of the second information stream; and

presenting the images on a visual medium, wherein images corresponding to those portions of the second information stream associated with the same event marker are grouped together,

wherein each of the timestamps is produced by selecting a marker from among a plurality of predetermined markers.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of receiving a first information stream includes receiving a signal from a recording device that is recording an event.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of receiving a first information stream includes playing back a previously recorded information stream.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein each of the timestamps comprises a first encrypted component, the first encrypted component being produced with a first encryption key, the first encryption key being associated with a timestamp device for generating the timestamps.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the timestamp device is a barcode scanner device.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the first encrypted component is encrypted using an asymmetric encryption technique.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the first encrypted component is encrypted using a symmetric encryption technique.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the method is performed in a recording device, wherein the steps of incorporating include encrypting the timestamp with a second encryption key, the second encryption key being associated with the recording device.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the first encrypted component is produced using a first encryption technique and the step of encrypting the timestamp with a second encryption key is performed using the first encryption technique.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the first encrypted component is produced using a first encryption technique and the step of encrypting the timestamp with a second encryption key is performed using a second encryption technique different from the first encryption technique.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of encrypting the timestamp with a second encryption key is performed using an asymmetric encryption technique.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of encrypting the timestamp with a second encryption key is performed using a symmetric encryption technique.

28. The method of claim 16 wherein each timestamp further contains a device identifier which identifies a source of the timestamp.

29. The method of claim 16 wherein each timestamp further contains biometric information relating to a user.

30. The method of claim 16 wherein each timestamp further contains user identification information.

31. A recording device for recording an information stream comprising a data processing component operable to perform the method steps of:

producing at least a first information stream;

receiving a plurality of first event markers, wherein the first event markers represent selections of markers from a plurality of predetermined markers;

incorporating marker information representative of the first event markers into the first information stream, wherein the marker information is synchronized with the first information stream based on times of selections of the markers; and

storing the first information stream along with the marker information.

32. The recording device of claim 31 wherein the step of producing is a step of creating the first information stream.

33. The recording device of claim 31 wherein the step of producing is a step of playing back a previously recorded information stream.

34. The recording device of claim 31 wherein the event markers are representative of scanned barcodes.

35. The recording device of claim 31 wherein receiving a plurality of first event markers includes receiving additional information associated with each event marker, the additional information being incorporated into the first information stream.

36. The recording device of claim 35 wherein the additional information comprises one or more of a first device identifier that identifies a source of an event marker, biometric information representative of a user, and a second device identifier that identifies the recording device.

37. The recording device of claim 31 wherein the additional information includes a device identifier that identifies the recording device, wherein the data processing component is further operable to incorporate only those event markers which device identifiers match the recording device.

38. The recording device of claim 31 wherein the data processing component is further operable to encrypt the event markers.

39. The recording device of claim 38 wherein the event markers are encrypted using one of an asymmetric encryption technique and a symmetric encryption technique.

40. The recording device of claim 39 wherein the event markers each comprises an encrypted component.

41. The recording device of claim 40 wherein the encrypted component is encrypted with an encryption key that is associated with a device used to produce the event markers.

42. The recording device of claim 31 wherein the information stream comprises one of a multimedia data stream, an analog stream, a plurality of image frames, and a stream of sensor data.

43. Apparatus for accessing an information stream comprising:

means for receiving an information stream, the information stream comprising information representative of a plurality of timestamps, each timestamp being associated with a point in time in the information stream, each timestamp representative of an associated event marker;

means for accessing portions of the information stream at the points in time associated with the timestamps;

means for generating representations of accessed portions of the information stream; and

means for forming images of the representations and for presenting the images,

wherein the associated event marker is produced by a selection of a marker from among a plurality of predetermined markers.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein the images are grouped together based on the event markers.

45. The system of claim 43 wherein each timestamp further has an associated user identifier, wherein the images are grouped together according to the user identifiers and the event markers.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein each timestamp is further associated with a user identifier, wherein the images are further grouped together based on the user identifier, whereby first images associated with a first user identifier are grouped together, and the first images are in turn grouped based on the event markers.

47. The system of claim 43 wherein the timestamps each comprises an encrypted portion, wherein the means for accessing includes means for decrypting the encrypted portion.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein an event marker associated with each timestamp comprises an encrypted portion, wherein the means for accessing further comprises means for decrypting the encrypted portion of the event marker.

49. The system of claim 43 further comprising means for receiving additional timestamps and for incorporating the timestamps into the information stream to produce a second information stream.

50. The system of claim 43 wherein the means for forming images is a printer.

51. The system of claim 43 wherein the means for forming images is a visual display device.