Video camera and remote recording system

• US 20060104616A1
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Shellshear, Andrew John
• Granted Patent: US 7,817,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/224
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A system for recording audio and video comprises at least one video camera device (100), each camera device comprising a subsystem for capturing (112) at least video data, a storage device (107) upon which at least the video data is stored, a wireless interface (108) for communicating with at least one further recording device (200), an internal clock(106) for recording at least a time at which the video data was recorded, and a connecting port (108, 110) enabling connection to a remote-control device (eg. 200). The system also has at least one of the further recording devices (200), each comprising a microphone (215) for capturing audio information and a storage device upon which corresponding audio data is recorded, a wireless interface (208) for communicating with the video camera device, an internal clock (206) for recording at least a time at which the audio data was recorded, and a connection port (208,210) enabling connection to the video camera device.

Claims

1. A system for recording audio and video, said system comprising:

at least one video camera device, each said camera device comprising a subsystem for capturing at least video data, a storage device upon which at least said video data is stored, a wireless interface for communicating with at least one further recording device, an internal clock for recording at least a time at which said video data was recorded, and a connecting port enabling connection to a remote-control device; and

at least one said further recording device, each said further recording device comprising at least one microphone for capturing audio information, a storage device upon which corresponding audio data is recorded, a wireless interface for communicating with said video camera device, an internal clock for recording at least a time at which said audio data was recorded, and a connection port enabling connection to said video camera device.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein one said further recording device is adapted to be physically and detachably coupled to one said video camera device for at least audio recording operations at the video camera device and, when detached, for audio recording operations at a location remote from said video camera device.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein said further recording device comprises a remote control device for controlling operation of said video camera device.

4. A system for recording audio and video data, said system comprising:

a video camera device comprising a subsystem for capturing at least video data, a storage device upon which at least said video data is stored, a wireless interface for communicating with at least one remote controller, and an internal clock for recording at least a time at which said video data was recorded; and

at least one said remote controller, each said remote controller comprising at least one microphone for capturing audio data, a storage device upon which said audio data is stored, a wireless interface for communicating with said video camera device, and an internal clock for recording at least a time at which said audio data was recorded, wherein said remote controller transmits reproduced audio data to said video camera device, and makes said video camera device record said reproduced audio data relating to said video data in accordance with each said internal clock of said remote controller and said video camera device.

5. A method for recording audio and video, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) physically connecting an audio device having an internal clock to a video device having a complementary internal clock, thereby synchronizing and associating the two devices;

(b) physically disconnecting the devices;

(c) instructing the audio device to record audio data that contains or is at least associated with a current time presented by the internal clock on the audio device, thereby causing the audio device to commence recording;

(d) instructing the video device to record video data that contains or is at least associated with a current time presented by the internal clock on the video device, thereby causing the video device to commence recording;

(e) instructing the audio device to stop recording;

(f) instructing the video device to stop recording; and

(g) physically connecting the audio device to the video device, thereby causing audio data and associated or embedded time data stored on the audio device to be transferred to the video device.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the audio device in step (c) sends a wireless instruction to the video device to commence recording, said wireless instruction being received by said video device in step (d) to automatically trigger recording by said video device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the audio device in step (e) sends a wireless instruction to the video device to stop recording, said wireless instruction being received by said video device in step (f) to automatically stop recording by said video device.

8. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the video device in step (d) sends a wireless instruction to the audio device to commence recording, said wireless instruction being received by said audio device in step (c) to automatically trigger recording by said audio device.

9. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the video device in step (f) sends a wireless instruction to the audio device to stop recording, said wireless instruction being received by said audio device in step (e) to automatically stop recording by said video device.

10. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein step (g) further comprises comparing the internal clock of the video device with the internal clock of the audio device and applying a correction to the time data associated with or embedded in the audio data according to any difference that may have accumulated between the two internal clocks.

11. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein during step (g), the video device recharges a battery on the audio device.

12. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the audio device wirelessly instructs the video device to record, the further step of providing at least one of a visual or audible warning should the video camera fail to (i) wirelessly respond that recording has commenced, or (ii) wirelessly respond that recording cannot commence.

13. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein when the audio device is recording, the further step of the audio device wirelessly sending information regarding at least one audio signal level to the video device.

14. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the audio device is recording, the further step of the audio device providing at least one of an audible or visual warning of the stored energy capacity of the battery of the audio device.

15. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the audio device is recording, the further step of the audio device providing at least one of an audible or visual warning should the memory of the audio device be running low.

16. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the audio device is recording, the further step of the audio device wirelessly sending information regarding the battery level of the audio device to the video device.

17. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the audio device is recording, the further step of the audio device wirelessly sending information regarding the memory level of the audio device to the video device.

18. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the audio device is recording, the further step of the audio device wirelessly sending audio data with attached or embedded time data to the video device.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the wirelessly sent audio data is sent asynchronously and requires confirmation from the video device that the audio data has successfully arrived.

20. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein audio data and associated or embedded time data that has been successfully wirelessly sent from the audio device to the video device are subsequently deleted from the memory of the audio device.

22. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein when the audio device is recording, the further step of the audio device wirelessly sending synchronization data to the video device by including time data indicating what the audio device considers to be the current time, and that the video device wirelessly responds in kind, and that the devices exchange a plurality of synchronization data messages to obtain a measure of the difference between the internal clock of the audio device and the internal clock of the video device, without a need to physically connect the two devices.

21. A method as claimed in 13, wherein the video device wirelessly instructs the audio device to alter the audio recording levels.