Embedded appliance for multimedia capture

• US 8,068,637 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Echo360, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Echo360, Incorporated
• Inventors: McElrath, Rodney Dale, Geyer, Steven Lee, Allen, Geoffrey Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): PERUNGAVOOR, SATHYANARAYA V
• Application Number:
  US12/781,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20110122259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42692 for reading from or writing on a volatile storage medium, e.g. Random Access Memory [RAM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3261 : of multimedia information, e.g. a sound signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 : of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 : Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/4448 : for frame-grabbing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0102 : involving the resampling of the incoming video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 : Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence

Abstract

A multimedia device includes input ports dedicated to receiving a real-time media signal and a processor system dedicated to capturing the real-time media signal. The processor system defines an embedded environment. The input ports and the processor system are integrated into the multimedia capture device. The input ports include an audio input port and at least one of a visual-capture input port or a digital-image input port.

Claims

1. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to be executed by a processor system within an embedded environment, the code comprising code to cause the processor system to:

receive a schedule configured to trigger capture and compression of an audio signal and capture and compression of at least one of a visual-capture signal or a digital-image signal, the schedule being received from a control device separate from a device having the processor system;

capture the audio signal and capture the at least one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal based on the schedule;

compress the audio signal and the at least one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal based on a compression variable associated with the schedule to produce a compressed signal; and

send the compressed signal after the compressed signal is produced.

2. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the compression variable associated with the schedule including at least one of a frame rate, a bit rate, a frequency, a resolution, a color or a stabilization, assocociated with at least one of the audio signal, the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal.

3. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the code to compress includes code to compress the at least one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal into a lossy format based on the schedule.

4. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the code to compress includes code to compress the at least one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal into a first format and a second format simultaneously based on the schedule.

5. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the code to compress includes code to compress the at least one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal into a first format at a first time and a second format at a second time different from the first time based on the schedule.

6. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the processor system included within a specific-purpose embedded appliance and dedicated to at least capturing and compressing the audio signal and the at least one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal, and sending the compressed signal.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of input ports including (1) an audio input port configured to receive an audio signal and (2) at least one of a visual-capture input port configured to receive a visual-capture signal or a digital-image input port configured to receive a digital-image signal, the plurality of input ports configured to receive a plurality of media signals including the audio signal and at least one of the digital-image signal or the digital-image signal; and

a processor system within an embedded environment and coupled to the plurality of input ports, the plurality of input ports and the processor system collectively being within a multimedia capture device, the processor system configured to receive a schedule from a control device separate from the multimedia capture device,

the processor system configured to capture the plurality of media signals based on the schedule, the processor system configured to compress the plurality of media signals based on a compression variable associated with the schedule to produce a plurality of compressed signals, the processor system configure to send the plurality of processed signals after the processed signal is produced.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the compression variable associated with the schedule including at least one of a frame rate, a bit rate, a frequency, a resolution, a color or a stabilization, assocociated with the plurality of media signals.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor system is configured to compress the plurality of media signals into a lossy format based on the schedule.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the processor system is configured to receive the schedule from the control device,

the processor system is configured to send the compressed signal to the control device.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the processor system is configured to receive the schedule from the control device,

the processor system is configured to send the compressed signal to a device separate from the control device and the multimedia capture device.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a scheduler implemented in at least one of a memory or a processor, the scheduler configured to send to an appliance a schedule associated with (1) a start indicator configured to trigger the appliance to capture of a first plurality of media signals, (2) a compression variable associated with a format for capture of the first pluralty of media signals, and (3) a send indicator configured to trigger the appliance to send a second plurality of media signals that have been compressed based on the compression variable and the first plurality of media signals;

an index module configured to process the second plurality of media signals to produce a plurality of index points; and

a synchronizer coupled to the index module and configured to synchronize the second plurality of media signals based on the plurality of index points.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the compression variable associated with the schedule includes at least one of a frame rate, a bit rate, a frequency, a resolution, a color or a stabilization, assocociated with the first plurality of media signals.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the scheduler is configured to send the schedule to the appliance such that the appliance compresses the first plurality of media signals into a lossy format based on the schedule.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the scheduler is configured to send the schedule to the appliance such that the appliance simultaneously compresses the first plurality of media signals into the second plurality of media signals having a first format and a third plurality of media signals having a second format,

the plurality of index points is a first plurality of index points,

the index module is configured to process the third plurality of signals to produce a second plurality of index points,

the synchronizer is configured to synchronize the third plurality of media signals based on the second plurality of index points.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the schedule is configured to send the schedule to the appliance such that the appliance compresses the first plurality of media signals at a first time into the second plurality of media signals having a first format and compresses the first plurality of media signals at a second time a third plurality of media signals having a second format,

the plurality of index points is a first plurality of index points,

the index module is configured to process the third plurality of signals to produce a second plurality of index points,

the synchronizer is configured to synchronize the third plurality of media signals based on the second plurality of index points.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the scheduler, the index module and the synchronizer are within a control device.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the scheduler is within a first device, the index module and the synchronizer module are within a second device separate from the first device.