Electronic personal viewing device

• US 20030007079A1
• Filed: 06/10/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kerry Pauline Sisselman
• Original Assignee: Kerry Pauline Sisselman
• Inventors: Sisselman, Kerry Pauline
• Application Number:
  US10/166,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20030007079A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• 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 personal hand-held video device that permits the user to view a scene in real time and then manipulate the scene as desired for replay is provided. A memory sequencing scheme permits the viewer to manipulate automatically stored live action video while continuously storing further live action.

Claims

1. A personal viewing device, comprising:

a portable hand-held housing;

a display contained within said portable hand-held housing, an image capture device;

an image processing portion connected to said image capture device, the output of said image processing portion being a digital representation of an image captured by said image capture device;

a memory for storing said digital representation;

a control section to provide signals representative of said digital representation to said display; and

wherein said memory is configured as a circular buffer.

2. The personal viewing device of claim 1, wherein said control section provides said signals to said display in one of a real time mode and a replay mode.

3. The personal viewing device of claim 2, wherein said digital representation is written into said circular buffer and addressed as relating to a particular memory time segment.

4. The personal viewing device of claim 3, wherein said circular buffer comprises a plurality of said memory time segments

5. The personal viewing device of claim 4, wherein said memory time segments are automatically sequentially overwritten when said control section is in said real time mode, prior to entering said replay mode.

6. The personal viewing device of claim 4, including a user interface in communication with said control section to switch said control section between said real time mode and said replay mode.

7. The personal viewing device of claim 6, wherein said user interface provides a signal to said control section indicating the number of said memory time segments to provide to said display as replay time segments.

8. The personal viewing device of claim 7, wherein said memory time segments comprising said replay time segments are isolated from said circular buffer while said control section is in said replay mode.

9. The personal viewing device of claim 8, wherein said remaining memory time segments not comprising said replay time segments continue to be written while in said replay mode.

10. The personal viewing device of claim 8, wherein said remaining memory time segments not comprising said replay time segments form a new circular buffer and continue to be sequentially written and overwritten while in said replay mode.

11. The personal viewing device of claim 1, wherein said image capture section includes an optical zoom lens.

12. The personal viewing device of claim 2, wherein said control section includes a digital zoom for permitting the image to be magnified during replay mode.

13. The personal viewing device of claim 8, wherein said replay time segments may be further manipulated to be provided to said display in one of fast forward, slow motion and pause modes.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said at least one previously written memory time segment is isolated from said circular buffer during said second providing step.

14. A method of providing to a viewer of a personal viewing device with a replay of a previously viewed live image, comprising:

providing a personal viewing device, comprising;

a portable hand-held housing;

a display contained within said portable hand-held housing,

an image capture device;

an image processing portion connected to said image capture device, the output of said image processing portion being a digital representation of an image captured by said image capture device;

a memory for storing said digital representation;

a control section to provide signals representative of said digital representation to said display; and

wherein said memory is configured as a circular buffer;

providing real time captured images to said display when said personal viewing device is on;

writing the captured images to said circular buffer in memory time segments while providing said real time captured images to said display;

receiving a request to replay at least one previously written memory time segment in replay mode;

providing said at least one previously written memory time segment to said display in response to said request.