Video camera system with distributed control and methods for use therewith

• US 9,641,869 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Laksono, Indra, Daub, Sally Jean, Pomeroy, John, Zhao, Xu Gang
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Kieu Oanh T
• Application Number:
  US14/677,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20160295246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a video camera system that includes a first subset of video cameras that are configured to generate at least one broadcast video signal of an event, and a second subset of video cameras that are each individually controllable in response to subscriber control data from a corresponding one of a plurality of video player systems to generate a plurality of processed video signals of the event. A video access server receives the subscriber control data from the video player systems corresponding to a plurality of subscribers for control of the second subset of video cameras, and for routing the processed video signals of the event such that each of the plurality of processed video signals of the event is routed to the corresponding one of the plurality of video player systems. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A video camera system comprising:

a plurality of video cameras including a first subset of video cameras that are configured to generate at least one broadcast video signal of an event, and wherein the plurality of video cameras include a second subset of video cameras that are each individually controllable by a corresponding one of a plurality of subscribers of the video camera system via subscriber control data from a corresponding one of a plurality of video player systems to generate a corresponding one of a plurality of processed video signals of the event; and

a video access server configured to receive the subscriber control data from the plurality of video player systems corresponding to a plurality of subscribers for control of the second subset of video cameras, and for routing the plurality of processed video signals of the event such that the corresponding one of the plurality of processed video signals of the event is routed to the corresponding one of the plurality of video player systems;

wherein the second subset of video cameras includes a plurality of camera drones, wherein each of the plurality of camera drones is individually controllable in response to the subscriber control data from the corresponding one of the plurality of video player systems, and wherein the video access server limits a position of each of the plurality of camera drones to be within a restricted area of the event.

2. The video camera system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of video player systems are configured to display the corresponding one of the plurality of processed video signals of the event contemporaneously with the broadcast video signal of the event.

3. The video camera system of claim 1 wherein the subscriber control data from the corresponding one of the plurality video player systems includes a group identification signal that identifies at least one associated video player system that is authorized to view the corresponding one of the plurality of processed video signals of the event, and wherein the video access server further routes the corresponding one of the plurality of processed video signals of the event to the at least one associated video player system.

4. The video camera system of claim 3 further comprising:

a messaging server configured to exchange messaging data between the corresponding one of the plurality video player systems and the at least one associated video player system.

5. The video camera system of claim 4 wherein the corresponding one of the plurality of video player systems is configured to display the corresponding one of the plurality of processed video signals of the event contemporaneously with the messaging data.

6. The video camera system of claim 1 wherein the video access server further limits the position of each of the plurality of camera drones to avoid collision with others of the plurality of camera drones.

7. The video camera system of claim 1 wherein a number of video cameras in the second subset of video cameras is selected to correspond to a number of the plurality of sub scribers.

14. The video camera system of claim 1 wherein each of the second subset of video cameras is at least one of:

positioned, oriented, panned, or zoomed in response to the subscriber control data from the corresponding one of the plurality of video player systems.

8. A method comprising:

generating at least one broadcast video signal of an event via a first subset of a plurality of video cameras;

receiving subscriber control data from a plurality of video player systems corresponding to a plurality of subscribers;

generating a plurality of processed video signals of the event by individually controlling a second subset of the plurality of video cameras of the event in response to the subscriber control data from corresponding ones of the plurality of video player systems, wherein the second subset of the plurality of video cameras includes a plurality of camera drones, wherein each of the plurality of camera drones is individually controllable in response to the subscriber control data from the corresponding one of the plurality of video player systems;

limiting a position of each of the plurality of camera drones to be within a restricted area of the event and to avoid collision with others of the plurality of camera drones; and

routing the plurality of processed video signals of the event such that each of the plurality of processed video signals of the event is routed to the corresponding one of the plurality of video player systems.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of video player systems are configured to display a corresponding one of the plurality of processed video signals of the event contemporaneously with the broadcast video signal of the event.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the subscriber control data from the corresponding one of the plurality video player systems includes a group identification signal that identifies at least one associated video player system that is authorized to view a corresponding one of the plurality of processed video signals of the event, and wherein the method further comprises:

routing the corresponding one of the plurality of processed video signals of the event to the at least one associated video player system.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

communicating messaging data between the corresponding one of the plurality of the plurality video player systems and the at least one associated video player system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the corresponding one of the plurality of video player systems is configured to display the corresponding one of the plurality of processed video signals of the event contemporaneously with the messaging data.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein a number of video cameras in the second subset of the plurality of video cameras is selected to correspond to a number of the plurality of sub scribers.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein each of the second subset of the plurality of video cameras is at least one of:

positioned, oriented, panned, or zoomed in response to the subscriber control data from the corresponding one of the plurality of video player systems.

16. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

limiting the position of each of the plurality of camera drones to avoid collision with others of the plurality of camera drones.