Method and system for recording video data

• US 20050100311A1
• Filed: 02/20/2002
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Earth Television Network AG
• Original Assignee: Earth Television Network AG
• Inventors: Hohenacker, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US10/468,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20050100311A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/210
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/222 Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00

Abstract

The invention relates to a recording method whereby a communication link, preferably specifically in one venue, is established in at least one venue between a telephone, particularly the mobile telephone of a user, and a camera system installed in said venue. The video data is recorded by the camera system, whereby the user can have an interactive function. The invention also relates to a system for recording video data.

Claims

1. Recording method in which

a communication link, in particular a communication link specific to a venue or scene, is set up at at least one venue or scene between a telephone, in particular a mobile telephone of a user and a camera system installed at the scene and

video data are recorded by means of the camera system with a user as a participant.

2. Method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the camera system is called via a telephone number specific to the scene by means of the telephone for the setting up of the communication link.

3. Method in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one, preferably precisely one, telephone number specific to the scene is displayed on a display device, in particular a placard, a poster or a monitor, installed at the scene with the display device in particular being used as a background during the recording.

4. Method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a running recording at the scene is displayed visually and/or acoustically, in particular on a display device.

5. Method in accordance with claim 1, wherein audio data is picked up, and in particular stored, via the telephone and/or in that audio data is picked up, and in particular stored, via a sound recording system installed at the scene.

6. Method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the camera system operates automatically and in particular in accordance with an at least substantially pre-settable recording procedure which can preferably be influenced via the telephone and/or wherein the camera system is activated, deactivated and/or controlled via a recording unit and/or via the telephone.

7. Method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the communication link is set up between the telephone and a recording unit serving for the communication with the camera system and in particular for the control of the camera system.

8. Method in accordance with claim 1, wherein technical recording equipment, in particular for the lighting and/or sound recording, installed at the scene is activated, deactivated and/or controlled subsequent to the setting up of the communication link, in particular via a recording unit and/or via the telephone.

9. Method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a communications unit, in particular in the form of a speech computer, is used for the communication with the user and/or in that voice messages, in particular information, instructions, explanations and/or direction instructions, are preferably communicated to the user via the telephone by menu control.

10. Method in accordance with claim 1, wherein user data, in particular relating to the specific user and/or to the respective recording, are communicated to a recording unit, and in particular stored, via the telephone, in particular via a keypad of the telephone and/or in that a distinction is made by means of stored user data and/or pre-settable criteria between at least temporarily blocked users, on the one hand, and users who are to be accepted and who preferably satisfy pre-settable selection criteria, on the other hand.

11. Method in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least the recorded data including the video data is preferably stored at the scene and/or wherein the recorded data at least including the video data, and in particular recording data stored at the scene, is transmitted via a communication network or a data network, in particular via an existing telephone network, to a place which is preferably spatially separated from the scene, in particular to an Internet server or to a central recording facility and/or wherein the recorded data at least including the video data is broadcast on television and/or made available on the Internet.

12. Method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a live recording of the scene is made available, in particular on the Internet, at times or at least substantially without interruption, by means of the camera system, with definable recording sections with respect to the time of starting and of ending being stored by means of the telephone.

13. Method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the video data is subjected to later processing and is in particular combined with recorded audio data, preferably synchronised.

14. Method in accordance with claim 1, wherein video data are recorded at a plurality of spatially separated scenes and/or wherein the setting up of a communication link is prevented outside of a restricted region containing the respective scene, but no further scene.

15. Method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a publicly accessible place is selected as a scene, in particular a square or a street;

and/or in that a building is selected as the scene, in particular a restaurant, a discotheque, a cinema or an event hall, preferably a building part designed as a stage.

16. System for the recording of video data at at least one scene, in particular for carrying out the method of claim 1, having at least one camera system installed at the scene to which a communication link preferably a scene-specific communication link can be set up with a telephone located at the scene, in particular a mobile telephone of a user and can be operated with an established communication link for the recording of video data with the user as participant.

17. System in accordance with claim 16, wherein

the camera system can be called up by means of the telephone via at least one telephone number specific to the scene.

18. System in accordance with claim 16, wherein

at least one display device is provided which is installed at the scene on which at least one and preferably precisely one telephone number specific to the scene is displayed or can be displayed, with a placard, a poster or a monitor in particular being provided as the display device and/or in that the display device is formed as a recording background.

19. System in accordance with claim 16, wherein

a display unit installed at the scene is provided with which a running recording can be indicated optically and/or acoustically, in particular in the form of a coloured light signal and/or an illuminated written display, with the display unit preferably being integrated into a device for displaying at least one telephone number specific to the scene.

20. System in accordance with claim 16, wherein

audio data transmitted via the telephone of the user can be recorded, and in particular stored, and/or in that a sound recording system installed at the scene is provided for the recording of in particular storable audio data.

21. System in accordance with claim 16, wherein

the camera system is automatically operatable and in particular in accordance with an at least substantially pre-determinable recording procedure, which can preferably be influenced via the telephone.

22. System in accordance with claim 16, wherein

a recording unit is provided which is designed for communication with the telephone and with the camera system, and in particular for the control of the camera system, with the recording unit in particular being installed at the scene and in particular being arranged in the spatial vicinity of the camera system and preferably being integrated into the camera system.

23. System in accordance with claim 22, wherein

the recording unit includes a communication unit, in particular in the form of a speech computer, for the communication with the user, with speech messages, in particular information, instructions, explanations, and/or direction explanations being conveyable to the user, preferably under menu control, in particular by means of the communication unit via the telephone.

24. System in accordance with claim 22, wherein

the recording unit comprises a control unit, in particular a computer-controlled control unit, for the communication with the camera system.

25. System in accordance with claim 16, wherein

user data, in particular user specific data and/or data relating to the respective recording, can be conveyed to a recording unit and are is in particular storable via the telephone, in particular via a keyboard of the telephone and/or wherein an evaluation unit is provided which is designed to distinguish between at least temporarily blocked users on the one hand and users which are to be allowed and which preferably satisfy pre-determinable selection criteria on the other hand, by comparison of transmitted user data of calling users with stored user data and/or pre-determinable criteria, with the evaluation unit preferably being integrated into the recording unit.

26. System in accordance with claim 16, wherein

a storage device is provided for the storage of recording data including at least the video data, in particular in a databank, with the storage device preferably being installed at the scene and in particular being integrated into the camera system or into a recording unit.

27. System in accordance with claim 16, wherein

the recording data including at least the video data and in particular the recording data stored at the scene can be transmitted via a communication network or data network, in particular via an existing telephone network, to a location spatially separate from the scene, with the recording data in particular being transmittable to an internet server spatially separate from the scene and/or wherein the recording data can be transmitted to a recording center spatially separated from the scene.

28. System in accordance with claim 16, wherein

video data stored in particular in a recording unit and/or on an internet server can be called up in reduced image quality for preview and/or selection purposes.

29. System in accordance with claim 16, wherein

a plurality of camera systems are provided which are associated with various scenes and/or in that a common recording center is associated with a plurality of spatially separated scenes.