TOUCH SCREEN VIDEO PRODUCTION AND CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20120198500A1
• Filed: 02/15/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Legrand AV Inc. (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Legrand AV Inc. (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Sheeley, Robin
• Application Number:
  US13/027,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20120198500A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/61
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching

Abstract

The present invention is a video production and control system that uses a touch screen display and user interface, managed by a controller, for video source control and video switching. The video source control component may include a set of touch screen windows that display feeds from sources of video information. For a selected feed window, the system displays a set of representations of preset configurations of the video source, which might be a camera, a video recorder, a handheld device, a storage device, a computer, or other source of video data. The representations may be thumbnail images of a view through the video source when it has the corresponding configuration. Selecting a different thumbnail using the touch screen will cause a controller to send control data through an output port that directs the video source to assume the newly chosen preset configuration. Some combination of controls in the touch screen user interface and control panel allow a user to manually reconfigure a video source, and optionally create a new corresponding preset thumbnail. The video switching component is used to select Preview and Program video feeds from a set of video input feeds. The video source configuration for some of the feeds may have been selected using touch screen video source control technology. Over time, the user can use the touch screen controls to switch which feeds are then designated as the Preview and Program feeds. The evolving Program signal is sent to a Program output connection for consumers of the Program, possibly after some reformatting. The current Program feed may be promoted from the current Preview feed. User controls determine the type of transition, such as cut or crossfade, that will apply to a transition from Preview to Program.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a) a touch screen;

b) a set of video source interfaces, each video source interface including a video feed connection and a corresponding video source control connection;

c) a Program output connection; and

d) a controller, which

(i) displays the content of video feeds from the video feed connections in respective windows on the touch screen,

(ii) displays the content of one of the video feeds in a Program window as a Program feed, and transmits the content of the Program feed through the Program output connection,

(iii) displays the content of one of the video feeds in a Preview window as a Preview feed, and

(iv) interprets certain types of touch screen event as requests, respectively, to

(A) promote the current Preview feed to become the Program feed,

(B) select one of the video feeds to become the Preview feed, or

(C) select one of the video feeds for configuration, and send control data through the video source control connection that corresponds to the video feed which is selected for configuration, and

(v) upon receiving a touch screen event, execute the respective request.

2. An apparatus, comprising:

a) a touch screen having a touch screen user interface; and

b) a controller that displays video information on the touch screen, and executes commands that are indicated through the touch screen user interface, the apparatus thereby providing a Program video output feed by video switching from among a plurality of feeds input through video source interfaces, the commands including a command that sends configuration information through a video source interface.

3. A method, comprising:

a) displaying video information on the touch screen having a user interface;

b) receiving commands through the touch screen user interface, and executing the commands using controller logic;

c) providing a Program video output feed by video switching from among a plurality of feeds input through video source interfaces; and

d) receiving a command through the touch screen user interface to send configuration information through one of the video source interfaces.