Micro video camera usage and usage monitoring

• US 6,292,213 B1
• Filed: 08/14/1998
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jones, Michael J.
• Original Assignee: Jones, Michael J.
• Inventors: Jones, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BRITTON, HOWARD W
• Application Number:
  US09/133,988
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.718, 348/61, 348/77, 348/143, 348/157, 348/158, 348/159, 348/376, 224/181, 224/930, 235/385, 386/118, 705/28, 455/90, 455/575, 455/578
• US Class Current: 348/61
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/18 Measuring a physical parameter, e.g. speed, distance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• 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 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/93 Attached to animate bearer

Abstract

Micro video cameras are sufficiently portable, miniature and weather-resistant for ands-free use by an athlete or vacationer who wishes to wear it (or attach it to a base support structure about him or herself) and self-record his or her own amusement, whether indoors or outdoors, underwater or otherwise. Disclosed usages include an instance of a skier recording hands-free his or her own skiing activity from his or her own perspective. An alternative disclosed usage includes one or more ski instructors video recording a student while actually giving the lesson. Another disclosed usage includes a theme park configuration. In this last configuration, visitors are given a personal storage medium like a cassette. At most rides or attractions, a micro video camera is available just there for loan to the visitor to get a video record just at that ride or attraction. At the end of the ride or attraction, the visitor takes the storage medium along with him or her to the next ride or attraction, and continually adds to the video record of the rides and attractions. Usage monitoring includes a rental network structure as well as supervision of the rental network for efficient sharing of the rental resource, ie., the micro video cameras, as well as a rental-inventory control, allocation and accounting data handling system. Making these micro video cameras viable for rental provides usage opportunities for customers who would like to use them but haven'"'"'t spent the money to actually own one.

Claims

1. A method of sharing rental inventory of micro video camera recorder sets among a network of affiliates who provide rental services of the micro video camera recorder sets to the end-users thereof, comprising the steps of:

providing a global inventory of a rental resource comprising a multiplicity of micro video camera recorder sets;

providing a plurality of network affiliates who provide rental services of the micro video camera recorder sets to the end-users thereof who rent from the network affiliates;

structuring the composition of the network affiliates such that various ones of the network affiliates have fluctuating busy and slack seasons which don'"'"'t all coincide among another;

providing a network supervisor and giving the network supervisor resource-sharing authority over the global inventory of micro video camera recorder sets;

allocating each network affiliate an adjustable local inventory of the micro video camera recorder sets, each which local inventory is drawn from the global inventory and each which local inventory may range from all to none of the micro video camera recorder sets;

generating a data stream on each network affiliate including at least one of historic values of actual rental activity and projected values of prospective rental activity;

sharing the global inventory among the network affiliates based on findings by the network supervisor given the data stream, such that, under the resource-sharing authority of the network supervisor, micro video camera recorder sets are transferable among the network affiliates in periodic adjustment of any given network affiliate'"'"'s local inventory.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of structuring the composition of the network affiliates further comprises selecting network affiliates based on non-coinciding busy seasons such as network affiliates who service diverse end-users as chosen from among snow skiers, water skiers, jet skiers, kayakers, river rafters, surfers, wind-surfers, skin divers, scuba divers, sky divers, hang-glider pilots, and cyclists.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing a global inventory of a rental resource comprising a multiplicity of micro video camera recorder sets further comprises:

providing micro video camera recorder sets of the type having micro video camera heads; and

,

providing waterproof cases for the micro video camera heads, including means for controlling the humidity inside the waterproof cases to prevent fogging.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing a global inventory of a rental resource comprising a multiplicity of micro video camera recorder sets further comprises:

providing micro video camera recorder sets of the type having micro video camera heads and control packs; and

,

providing at least one of the micro video camera heads and the control packs with anti-loss tracking means for tracking lost or stolen inventory.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing a global inventory of a rental resource comprising a multiplicity of micro video camera recorder sets further comprises:

providing micro video camera recorder sets of the type having micro video camera heads; and

,

providing mounting means for mounting the micro video camera heads to a goggle or helmet worn by the end-user to allow hands-free operation.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of providing micro video camera recorder sets further comprises:

providing micro video camera recorder sets of the type including control packs; and

,

providing portable carrying means for wearing by the end-user for portably carrying the control pack therein and thereby further allowing hands-free operation, the portable carrying means including batteries.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating a data stream further comprises:

providing accounting processing and memory circuits for configuring in the micro video camera recorder sets generating and storing in memory a history of at least one accounting parameter which can be downloaded in the format of said data stream.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said at least one accounting parameter comprises a history of recording-function time of the micro video camera recorder set.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of generating a data stream further comprises:

reporting revenue and usage activity by the network affiliates, wherein the data of the at least one accounting parameter in the memory of the accounting processing and memory circuit allows discrepancy auditing.

10. A method by which theme park visitors can acquire a video record of plural activities at a theme park, comprising the steps of:

providing a portable video storage medium to any participating theme park visitor for personal use thereby;

providing a plurality of video-enabled stations in the theme park and supplying each video-enabled station with a local inventory of micro video camera recorder sets;

allowing the participating theme park visitor while visiting a given station chosen from among the plurality of video-enabled stations, optional use of a given micro video camera recorder set chosen from the local inventory;

acquiring a video record of the participating theme park visitor'"'"'s visit to the given station by means including operatively coupling the video storage medium with the given micro video camera recorder set;

completing the video record of that visit to the given station by means including the participating theme park visitor retrieving the video storage medium from the given micro video camera recorder set for personally carrying thereafter for optional use at a visit to any other video-enabled station to allow addition to the video storage medium a video record of such visit to such other video-enabled station.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of providing a plurality of video-enabled stations further comprises providing in some instances stations comprising rides and in other instances stations comprising attractions having any of performers, costumed characters, performing or exhibited animals, displays, crafts and crafts-persons.

12. The method of claim 10 where in the video storage medium comprises one of cassettes, tapes, and diskettes.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the micro video camera recorder sets comprise at least a micro video camera head, and the step of acquiring a video record includes for at least some of the video-enabled stations, providing mounting means for mounting the micro video camera head to a helmet or goggle to allow hands-free recording.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

providing at least one processing center for processing the cumulative video record on any used video storage medium and offering to the participating theme park visitor at least one of editing, generating stills, overlaying musical soundtracks, and overlaying special effects.

15. A method of configuring a micro video camera recorder set whereby a plurality of participants in an activity can acquire a record that synchronizes a single video signal with plural audio signals, comprising the steps of:

denominating one of the participants as the subject participant and the remaining ones of the plurality of participants as assistant participants;

providing a micro video camera head and adorning any one of the plurality of participants with the micro video camera head, wherein the micro video camera head is operative to generate a video signal;

providing a plurality of audio transceivers and adorning each of the plurality of participants with one of the audio transceivers, wherein the audio transceivers are operative to generate audio signals and enable two-way communication among the plurality of participants;

providing signal processing and storage means for signal processing and storage in a record format in which the single video signal is synchronized with the plural audio signals; and

,

signal linking means for linking the signal processing and storage means with the signals generated by the audio transceivers and micro camera head.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

providing mounting means for mounting the micro video camera head to a goggle or helmet worn by the camera-head adorned participant to allow hands-free operation.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the camera-head adorned participant is chosen from one of the assistants to allow acquiring a record of the subject participant'"'"'s participation in the activity.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the camera-head adorned participant is the subject participant to allow acquiring a record of the subject participant'"'"'s perspective of the activity.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the signal processing and storage means are combined for portability together, further comprising:

providing portable carrying means for wearing by any one of the plurality of participants for portably carrying the signal processing and storage means therein and thereby allowing hands-free operation, the portable carrying means including batteries.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the signal linking means includes radio communication.