System and method of creating digital recordings of live performances

• US 6,917,566 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2003
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Live Nation Worldwide Incorporated (Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Instantlive, LLC
• Inventors: Griner, James C., Griner, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US10/624,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20040095852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 369/1, 369/83, 369/84, 369 2- 8, 369/30.05, 369/30.19, 369/85, 369/53.24, 369/53.37, 369/47.13, 369/30.07, 846/09, 846/03, 846/04, 846/02, 846/06, 846/26, 846/00, 701/215, 360/13, 360/15, 700/87
• US Class Current: 369/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/218 Write-once discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/913 Digital audio tape [DAT] format
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention provides an event recording system that has an event-capture module, an editing module, and a media recording module. The event-capture module captures an event signal, such as an audio signal from a sound event, and transforms the signal into a primary event file that is accessible as it is being formed. The editing module is communicatively connected to the event capture module. It accesses and parses the primary event file into one or more digital track files that can be recorded onto a recording media. Likewise, the media recording module is communicatively linked to the editing module for receiving the one or more digital track files from the editing module. The media recording module has a plurality of media recorders for simultaneously recording the one or more digital track files onto a plurality of recording media. This allows a plurality of recording media, with the entire event recorded upon each media, to be available shortly after the event has ended.

Claims

1. A method of producing a plurality of event recordings available shortly after the event has ended, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a captured event signal;

(b) parsing the received signal into a plurality of discrete event file segments, the sum of which correspond to the event to be recorded;

(c) editing the discrete event file segments, wherein adjacent segments are edited at separate editing stations in an overlapping manner;

(d) sequentially combining the edited discrete event file segments into a resultant event file; and

(e) simultaneously recording at least a portion of the resultant event file onto a plurality of recording media.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of simultaneously recording at least a portion of the resultant event file onto the plurality of recording media includes recording updated portions of the resultant event file that have not yet been recorded onto the plurality of recording media.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of simultaneously recording at least a portion of the resultant event file onto the plurality of recording media includes recording the resultant event file onto the plurality of recording media when the resultant event file is complete.

4. A system for creating a recording of an event, including:

a first module configured to receive a first signal representing an audio component of the event and to store the first signal as a first file; and

a second module associated with the first module, the second module being configured to access the first file during the event to create a track file that corresponds to a portion of the first file in response to a track delimiter inserted by a person at the event;

wherein the system is configured to provide the track file during the event to any of a plurality of media recorders to enable each of the recorders to record the track file onto a recording media.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the track file is recorded onto a plurality of recording media substantially as it is created.

6. The system of claim 4, further including a track length calculator unit configured to monitor the first signal to control the creation of the track file from the first file based upon predefined criteria.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second module includes a primary editing station and a plurality of secondary editing stations, the primary editing station coupled to the track length calculator unit, which provides it with signal information that causes the primary editing station to parse the primary event file according to the predefined criteria.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the secondary editing stations sequentially edit separate, parsed primary event files as they are made available by the primary editing station.

9. A method of producing a plurality of event recordings, including the steps of:

receiving an event signal;

dividing the received event signal into a plurality of segment files;

editing adjacent segment file at separate editing stations;

combining the edited segment files into a combined file; and

recording a portion of the combined file onto a plurality of recording media that are made available shortly after the event has ended.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the recording step includes the step of simultaneously recording the portion onto the plurality of recording media.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the recording step includes the steps of recording a first portion of the combined file before the combined file is complete, and recording a second portion of the combined file before the combined file is complete.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the recording step includes the step of recording substantially all of the combined file after the combined file is complete.

13. A system for creating and distributing recordings of an event, including:

a first module configured to receive an event signal representing an audio component of the event, the first module creating a cumulative event file as the event is occurring;

a second module configured to access the cumulative event file to create a file segment representing a portion of the cumulative event file in response to a track delimiter inserted by a person at the event; and

a third module configured to receive the file segment, the third module being further configured to provide access to the file segment to facilitate duplication of the file segment onto a plurality of recording media that are made available shortly after the event has ended.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the event signal includes a video component.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the audio component of the event signal includes audio signals from a musical instrument and audio signals from an ambient microphone.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the file segment represents a song performed during the event.

17. An event recording apparatus, including:

means for capturing a portion of one of an audio and a video signal from an event wherein the captured portion comprises at least one track delimiter inserted by a person at the event;

means for editing the portion; and

means for recording the edited portion onto a plurality of recording media to be provided to attendees of the event shortly after the event has ended.

18. A method of providing recordings of an event shortly after the event has ended, including the steps of:

capturing an event signal including an output from a microphone;

dividing the captured event signal into a plurality of discrete tracks in response to a track delimiter inserted by a person at the event; and

recording at least a portion of the plurality of discrete tracks onto a plurality of recording media such that the plurality of recording media are available shortly after the event has ended.

19. The method of claim 18, further including the steps of creating a master copy of the discrete tracks and using the master copy to record the portion of the plurality of discrete tracks onto the plurality of recording media.

20. The method of claim 18, further including the step of distributing the plurality of recording media to members of an audience that attended the event.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the recording step includes the steps of determining an expected number of purchasers of the recording media and recording onto a number of recording media that is substantially equal to the expected number of purchasers.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the recording step includes the steps of transferring a copy of the plurality of discrete tracks to a plurality of media recorders suitable for use in commonly available consumer audio equipment.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the dividing step includes the step of manually indicating transitions between portions of the event.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of recording media are recordable optical media.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the recordable optical media are CD-R discs, and further including the step of converting the event signal to correspond to a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz at 16 bits resolution in two channels.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the recording step includes the step of using a plurality of automatic recording media changers.

27. The method of claim 18, further including the step of mixing the microphone output with other audio signals using a soundboard/mixer.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the dividing step includes the step of providing a digital audio editor.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the digital audio editor includes a software program having a graphical interface configured to perform signal processing functions on digital audio files.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the digital audio editor is further configured to combine separate digital audio files into a single file, and to provided video integration and synchronization.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein the dividing step includes receiving an input from an audio technician indicating a beginning of a track.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein the recording step includes the step of employing disc at once copying.

33. The method of claim 18, further including the step of editing content of the event signal.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the editing step includes the step of automatically applying an audio editing step performed on one track to a successive track.