Portable device for capturing image and sound data including compact memory and board arrangement

• US 6,714,724 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1999
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bradley Steven Cook
• Original Assignee: Bradley Steven Cook
• Inventors: Cook, Bradley Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCCIO, VINCENT F
• Application Number:
  US09/368,968
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5225, 386/46, 386/117, 386/120, 386/52, 386/55, 386/125, 386/126, 348/207, 348/232, 348/552, 348/231, 348/722, 348/373, 348/374, 358/906, 358/909.1
• US Class Current: 386/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A device to encode motion and sound data directly into a computer recognizable format and save the encoded data on a hard disk drive in real time includes a housing having operator controls. A lens and at least one microphone are also on the housing. Processor circuitry within the housing communicates with the operator controls and the at least one microphone. The processor circuitry generates motion data in response to light entering the housing via the lens and captures sound data via the at least one microphone in response to user input made via the operator controls. The processor circuitry includes an encoder to encode the motion and sound data directly into a computer recognizable format. The encoded motion and sound data is saved on a hard disk drive within the housing in real time.

Claims

1. A portable device for encoding and saving image and sound data comprising:

a housing including operator controls;

a lens on said housing;

at least one microphone on said housing;

memory within the housing to which encoded image and sound data is saved;

an image processor mounted on a first board within said housing, said image processor capturing image and sound data; and

a main processor mounted on a second board within said housing, said main processor receiving captured image and sound data from said image processor and saving said image and sound data to said memory, wherein said memory is sandwiched between said first board and said second board in a compact arrangement.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said image processor includes an image sensor, a video decoder and an MPEG codec, said video decoder digitizing image data received from an external source, said MPEG codec encoding image data output by said image sensor and by said video decoder.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said MPEG codec includes high and low resolution modes, said MPEG codec being conditioned by said main processor to one of said high and low resolution modes in response to user input made via said operator-controls, said image processor capturing continuous image data when said MPEG codec is in one of said high and low resolution modes.

4. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said main processor includes a central processing unit and an audio encoder communicating with said at least one microphone, said audio encoder digitizing sound data received via said at least one microphone, said central processing unit executing MPEG encoding software and encoding digitized sound data received from said audio encoder.

5. A device as defined in claim 3 wherein said MPEG codec further includes a still capture mode, said MPEG codec being conditioned by said main processor to said still capture mode in response to user input made via said operator controls, said MPEG codec capturing discrete image frames when said MPEG codec is in said still capture mode.

6. A device as defined in claim 3 wherein said MPEG codec encodes said image data into MPEG-1 format.

7. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said operator controls include a plurality of manually actuable keys on said housing, said plurality of keys including a record key and a mode select key, said main processor conditioning said MPEG codec to one of said high resolution, low resolution and still capture modes in response to manual actuation of said mode select key and conditioning said image processor to capture and encode image data in response to manual actuation of said record key.

8. A device as defined in claim 7 wherein said plurality of keys further includes a new file key, said main processor storing encoded image and sound data in separate files to said hard disk drive in response to manual actuation of said new file key.

9. A device as defined in claim 3 wherein said housing includes at least one output port to enable encoded image and sound data saved to said hard disk drive to be downloaded to a host.

10. A device as defined in claim 9 wherein said at least one output port includes at least one of a universal serial bus, a PCMCIA slot and an Ethernet port.

11. A device as defined in claim 10 wherein said host is a base station, said device and base station being connected by a cable coupled to a universal serial bus connector on each of said device and base station.

12. In combination, a portable device for encoding and saving image and sound data and a base station including a processor and a removable hard disk drive on which data saved by said device is downloaded and saved, said device comprising:

a housing including operator controls;

a lens on said housing;

at least one microphone on said housing;

a hard disk drive within the housing on which encoded motion and sound data is saved;

an image processor mounted on a first board within said housing, said image processor capturing image and sound data;

a main processor mounted on a second board within said housing, said main processor receiving captured image and sound data from said image processor and saving said image and sound data to said memory, wherein said memory is sandwiched between said first board and said second board in a compact arrangement; and

at least one output port for coupling to said base station to allow encoded and sound data saved on said hard disk drive to be downloaded to said base station.