Low attention recording, with particular application to social recording

• US 6,934,461 B1
• Filed: 04/21/2000
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vulcan Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Interval Research Corporation
• Inventors: Strub, Henry B., Burgess, David A., Johnson, Kimberly H., Cohen, Jonathan R., Reed, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US09/556,723
• Time in Patent Office: 1,950 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/107, 386/96, 386/104, 386/117, 386/118, 386/4, 386/52, 386/55, 386/38, 386/39, 386/54, 348/222.1, 348/231.1, 348/231.4, 348/14.01, 348/14.02, 348/143, 348/151, 358/906, 358/909.1
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/216 Rewritable discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/218 Write-once discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

The invention enables “low attention recording,” i.e., recording that need not appreciably affect interaction of a recorder (i.e., a person in control of a recording unit according to the invention) or others with the environment in which the recording is taking place. The low attention recording enabled by the invention can be particularly advantageously employed in “social recording,” i.e., recording in which multiple participants in an event are recording the event. As described in more detail below, advantageous aspects of the invention can be provided by a small, lightweight, wearable recording unit.

Claims

1. A portable recording unit for recording an event, comprising:

a visual data acquisition device for obtaining visual recording data representing the content of the event;

means for obtaining and/or producing augmenting data in addition to the visual recording data; and

means for mounting one or more of the devices of the recording unit on the body of a recorder;

wherein;

the means for obtaining and/or producing augmenting data comprises means for marking visual recording data;

the marking means further comprises means for enabling the recorder to specify a non-contemporaneous mark; and

the data storage device stores marking data associating the non-contemporaneous mark with visual recording data obtained at a marked time different from the marking time at which the non-contemporaneous mark was specified by the recorder.

2. A portable recording unit as in claim 1, wherein the marking means is adapted to enable specification of a retrospective mark that is associated with visual recording data obtained at a marked time prior to the marking time at which the retrospective mark was specified by the recorder.

3. A portable recording unit as in claim 1, wherein the marking means is adapted to enable specification of a predictive mark that is associated with visual recording data is obtained at a marked time subsequent to the marking time at which the predictive mark was specified by the recorder.

4. A portable recording unit as in claim 1, wherein the marking means further comprises means for specifying multiple types of marks, each type of mark having a different meaning.

5. A portable recording unit as in claim 1, further comprising one or more marking tokens for enabling a person to specify a corresponding type of mark, each marking token adapted to enable physical separation of the marking token from the control interface device.

6. A portable recording unit as in claim 1, wherein the means for obtaining and/or producing augmenting data further comprises a position sensing device for ascertaining the position of the recording unit at any point in time.

7. A portable recording unit as in claim 6, wherein the means for obtaining and/or producing augmenting data further comprises a physiological monitoring device.

8. A portable recording unit as in claim 1, wherein the means for obtaining and/or producing augmenting data further comprises a physiological monitoring device.

9. A portable recording unit as in claim 1, wherein the means for obtaining and/or producing augmenting data further comprises a position sensing device for ascertaining the position of the recording unit at any point in time.

10. A portable recording unit as in claim 9, wherein the means for obtaining and/or producing augmenting data further comprises a physiological monitoring device.

11. A portable recording unit as in claim 1, wherein the means for obtaining and/or producing augmenting data further comprises a physiological monitoring device.

12. A portable recording unit as in claim 1, wherein the means for obtaining and/or producing augmenting data further comprises a biometric device.

13. A portable recording unit as in claim 1, wherein the means for obtaining and/or producing augmenting data further comprises a GPS receiver for receiving a signal representing the current time.