Viewing device with replay feature

• US 7,064,730 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2001
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: McGowan, Steven B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US09/981,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20030071801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 9, 345/704, 345/723, 345/730, 345/545, 345/32, 348/79, 348/157, 348/207.1, 348/231.99, 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/296, 34833301- 5, 348/333.05, 348/333.11, 348/207.99, 358/906, 358/909.1, 715/704, 715/723
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence

Abstract

A viewing device may be utilized to facilitate viewing of a scene or event. The viewing device may continuously record a sequence of frames of predetermined duration. At periodic intervals, the sequence of frames overwrite previously stored sequence of frames. When the user wishes to watch a replay of a previous sequence of frames of predetermined duration, the user can continue looking through the device to see a stored sequence of frames rather than a real time display of an ongoing event.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an image sensor to capture frames;

a storage to store one sequence of frames of predetermined duration as a first loop and another, separately accessible sequence of frames of predetermined duration as a second loop, the length of the first and second loops set prior to storage of a first sequence of frames, said storage coupled to said sensor;

a display coupled to said storage to display the sequence of frames; and

a controller to store successive sequences of frames of the predetermined duration as a first loop, said controller to save the sequence of frames currently stored as said first loop and store the next successive sequence of frames as a second loop in response to a user input other than a replay input, and said controller to selectively play back either said first loop or said second loop in response to another user input.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller, at the end of the one sequence, loops back to the beginning of the one sequence and overwrites the one sequence of frames with ensuing sequence of frames.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said storage has the capacity to store an integral number of sequences of frames of predetermined duration as a plurality of loops, the length of the loops optionally set by a user prior to storage of a first sequence of frames.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said device is a camera.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said device is a telescope.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said device is a microscope.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said device is binoculars.

8. The device of claim 1 including an optics element that includes a beam splitter, said beam splitter arranged to pass light from said scene or to pass light from said display for viewing by the user.

9. The device of claim 8 including a shutter to control viewing access to said optics element.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said device selectively enables the user to view said display or a scene through said optics element.

11. The device of claim 1 including an optics element which is in light communication with said image sensor and the only way to view a scene through said optics element is by way of said display.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller enables the user to select when to display a sequence of frames of predetermined duration.

13. A method comprising:

recording a sequence of frames of predetermined duration as a first loop or a second loop;

overwriting said sequence of frames with an ensuing sequence of frames of substantially the same duration; and

in response to a user selection other than a replay selection, marking the loop in which a sequence of frames is currently being recorded as used to save the current sequence of frames from being overwritten and advancing to an unused loop to enable recording of successive sequences of frames, the user being enabled to selectively view either said first loop or said second loop.

14. The method of claim 13 including, at the end of said first sequence, looping back to the beginning of the first sequence and overwriting said first sequence with a third sequence of frames.

15. The method of claim 13 including storing a integral number of sequences of frames of predetermined duration as separately accessible loops.

16. The method of claim 13 including enabling the user to selectively view a scene or a recorded sequence of frames of predetermined duration.

17. The method of claim 13 including displaying a real time image on a display and selectively enabling the user to replace the real time display with the display of a stored sequence of frames.

18. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that, if executed, enable a processor-based system to:

record a sequence of frames of a predetermined duration as a first loop or a second loop;

overwrite said recorded sequence of frames with an ensuing sequence of frames of substantially the same duration; and

in response to a user selection other than a replay selection, mark the loop in which a sequence of frames is currently being recorded as used to save the current sequence of frames from being overwritten and advancing to an unused loop to enable recording of successive sequences of frames, the user being able to view either the first loop or the second loop.

19. The article of claim 18 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to, at the end of said first sequence, loop back to the beginning of the first sequence and overwrite said first sequence with a third sequence of frames.

20. The article of claim 18 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to store an integral number of sequences of frames of predetermined duration as separately accessible loops.

21. The article of claim 18 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to enable the user to selectively view a scene or a recorded sequence of frames of predetermined duration.

22. The article of claim 18 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to display a real time image on a display or selectively enable the user to replace the real time display with the display of a stored sequence of frames.

23. A method comprising:

recording a sequence of frames of predetermined duration as a first loop or a second loop;

overwriting said sequence of frames with an ensuing sequence of frames of substantially the same duration while displaying the images captured on said ensuing sequence of frames; and

in response to user selection, enabling the user to selectively view either said first loop or said second loop.

24. The method of claim 23 further including storing an integral number of sequences of frames of predetermined duration as a corresponding number of loops, the length of the loops optionally preset by a user prior to storage of a first sequence of frames.

25. The method of claim 23 further including sensing the orientation of a recording device and automatically stopping said recording based on the orientation of said device.

26. The method of claim 23 further including marking said first loop or said second loop as used to prevent the marked loop from being overwritten.