Apparatus, systems and methods for acquiring information from film set devices

• US 8,457,484 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Elliott, David, Newell, Nicholas, Chen, Mi
• Primary Examiner(s): MAHONEY, CHRISTOPHER E
• Application Number:
  US13/115,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20120301127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 396/310, 348/722
• US Class Current: 396/310
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/00 Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2206/00 Systems for exchange of information between different pieces of apparatus, e.g. for exchanging trimming information, for photo finishing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/222 Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00

Abstract

Systems and methods are operable to acquire device information from film set devices used to film a media content event. An exemplary film production information acquisition device has at least a sensor device configured to sense an operation characteristic of a film set device, a film production information management system (IMS) communication interface configured to communicatively couple the film production information acquisition device to a film production information management system, and a processor system communicatively coupled to the film production IMS communication interface and the sensor device, and configured to process the sensed operation characteristic of the film set device into information that is communicated to the film production information management system.

Claims

1. A film production information acquisition device, comprising:

a sensor device configured to sense an operation characteristic of a film set device;

a film production information management system (IMS) communication interface configured to communicatively couple the film production information acquisition device to a film production information management system; and

a processor system communicatively coupled to the film production IMS communication interface and the sensor device, and configured to process the sensed operation characteristic of the film set device into information that is communicated to the film production information management system,

wherein the film production information acquisition device is a stand-alone device that is not an integrated component of its respective film set device, and that is configured to physically couple to its respective film set device.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a gyroscope configured to sense a rotational movement of the film production information acquisition device; and

an accelerometer configured to sense an acceleration movement of the film production information acquisition device,

wherein an orientation of the film set device is determined based on the detected rotational movement and the detected acceleration movement.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) module communicatively coupled to the processor system, and configured to provide location information to the processor system,

wherein a location of the film set device is determined based on the location information, and

wherein the film production information management system is configured to spatially synchronize the location of the film set device with locations of a plurality of other film set devices.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a device clock communicatively coupled to the processor system, and configured to provide time information to the processor system,

wherein a time that the operation characteristic is sensed is determined based on the time information.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a range detector communicatively coupled to the processor system, and configured to provide range information corresponding to a distance between the range detector and an object,

wherein a distance between the object and the film set device is determined based on the range information.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a film set device interface configured to communicatively couple the processor system to the film set device,

wherein supplemental information is received from the film set device, and

wherein the supplemental information received from the film set device is communicated to the film production information management system.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the film production IMS communication interface is a wireless transceiver, and wherein the film production IMS communication interface is configured to communicate the operation characteristic to the film production information management system in a wireless signal.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to communicate over a cellular telephone system, and wherein the operation characteristic is communicated to the film production information management system via the cellular telephone system.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the film production IMS communication interface is configured to communicatively couple to a wire connector, and wherein the film production IMS communication interface is configured to communicate the operation characteristic to the film production information management system via the wire connector.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the wire connector is coupled to a telephony system, and wherein the film production IMS communication interface is configured to communicate the operation characteristic to the film production information management system via the telephony system.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the wire connector is coupled to a cable system, and wherein the film production IMS communication interface is configured to communicate the operation characteristic to the film production information management system via the cable system.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the wire connector is coupled to the Internet, and wherein the film production IMS communication interface is configured to communicate the operation characteristic to the film production information management system via the Internet.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the film set device include a video camera, a still camera, a stage light, a microphone, a boom, a clapperboard, a weather station, a light meter, and a set prop.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving first device information acquired by a first film production information acquisition device associated with a first film set device, wherein the first acquired device information corresponds to at least one operation characteristic of the first film set device;

communicating the first acquired device information from the first film production information acquisition device to a film production information management system;

receiving second device information acquired by a first second film production information acquisition device associated with a second film set device, wherein the second acquired device information corresponds to at least one operation characteristic of the second film set device; and

communicating the second acquired device information from the second film production information acquisition device to the film production information management system,

wherein the first film set device and the second film set device comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a stage light, a microphone, a boom, a clapperboard, a weather station, a light meter, and a set prop.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

communicating, from the first film production information acquisition device to the film production information management system, first time information associated with the first acquired device information; and

communicating, from the second film production information acquisition device to the film production information management system, second time information associated with the second acquired device information,

wherein the first time information and the second time information are used to time synchronize the at least one operation characteristic of the first film set device and the at least one operation characteristic of the second film set device.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

communicating first location information associated with the first film device from the first film production information acquisition device to the film production information management system; and

communicating second location information associated with the second film device from the second film production information acquisition device to the film production information management system,

wherein the first location information and the second location information is used to spatially synchronize a location of the first film set device and a location of the second film set device.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

communicating, from the first film production information acquisition device to the film production information management system, rotational movement information detected by a gyroscope associated with the first film device; and

communicating, from the first film production information acquisition device to the film production information management system, acceleration movement information detected by an accelerometer associated with the second film device;

wherein the detected rotational movement and the detected acceleration movement is used at the film production information management system to determine an orientation of the first film set device.

18. A system configured to acquire information from a plurality of film set devices, comprising:

a film production information acquisition device (IAD) interface configured to receive acquired device information from a plurality of film production information acquisition devices,

wherein one film production information acquisition device is associated with one of the plurality of film set devices,

wherein each film production information acquisition device is communicatively coupled to one of the plurality of film set devices, and

wherein the acquired device information comprises information about at least one operation characteristic associated with the film set device, and

wherein each film production information acquisition device includes global positioning system GPS module configured to provide location information pertaining to a location of the respective film set device;

a memory configured to store the acquired device information received from each of the plurality of film production information acquisition devices; and

a processor system communicatively coupled to the film production IAD interface and the memory,

wherein the processor system is configured to process the acquired device information received from the plurality of film production information acquisition devices into information that is incorporated into production information metadata content, and

wherein the processor system is further configured to spatially synchronize the acquired device information received from the plurality of film production information acquisition devices based on the location information received from the GPS modules of each production information acquisition device such that locations of the respective film set devices are spatially referenced with each other.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a system clock communicatively coupled to the processor system, and configured to provide time information to the processor system,

wherein the processor system is further configured to time synchronize the acquired device information received from the plurality of film production information acquisition devices based on the time information received from the system clock.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a post production system communication interface communicatively coupled to the processor system and a post production system, and configured to communicate the acquired device information to the post production system.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein each of the film production information acquisition devices are a stand-alone device that is not integrated with its respective film set device, wherein each of the film production information acquisition devices are configured to physically couple to its respective film set device.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the film set devices include a stage light, a microphone, a boom, a clapperboard, a weather station, a light meter, and a set prop.