Abstract:
A system for recording, storing, manipulating, retrieving and displaying video images of events. The system has the capability of accepting video and audio input from a number of sources, processing and storing the input in the digital format, and combining it with previously captured material for the production on demand of video tapes or other media. Manual controls and automated sensors govern the video collection process. Remote monitoring and control is accomplished through networks or modem connections.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/108,906 filed Nov. 18, 1998 entitled “Video Recording and Production System”. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention is a system for recording, storing, manipulating, retrieving and displaying video images of events. 
   2. Description of Prior Art 
   Numerous innovations have been provided in the prior art for video production systems. In many situations, a person participating in an event and wishing to obtain a customized video record of the event can rely on a second person to operate a video camera. Events may include an athletic contest, or a ride on an attraction at an amusement park. However, there are situations in which this procedure is not convenient. If the event requires simultaneous operation and focusing of a camera, it is best depicted from a number of different points of view, or is best depicted from a location that a human observer cannot safely reach, a single operator may not be able to produce an adequate video record. 
   Systems have been developed that overcome some of these difficulties. Multiple video cameras may be employed so that an event can be captured from various points of view. A centralized video system may be employed to integrate video clips from these cameras. 
   Though these systems may be suitable for specific individual purposes that they address, a need remains for a video recording and production system capable of rapidly combining video signals or data from a number of sources, recording them in real time by switching among sources of data, collecting the video data in one pass, and recording the data in a single pass. A need also exists for a system that requires no action on the part of a subject for the video recording of an event, but that produces a finished product only on request of the subject. 
   Additional needs also exist for a video recording and production system that performs censoring functions, provides separate storage for video clips depicting celebrities, and displays customized video clips to the correct participants at a desired location. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   In order to meet these needs, the present invention is a system for recording, storing, manipulating, retrieving and displaying video images of events. The invention includes a computer designated as the capture workstation devoted to video capture. This computer contains a central processing unit, memory, storage devices, a media control interface card and peripherals, including a monitor. It is equipped with a video capture card, a digital analog converter and a programmable logic control to control video and audio input via switching devices, manual controls and sensors, and a network connection. It is linked to video sources through the video capture card, and linked to a networking hub or switch through the network connection. Another computer, the playback workstation, allows for the manipulation of video images captured by the capture workstation. It contains a central processing unit, memory, storage devices, a media control interface card and peripherals, including a monitor. It is equipped with a video capture card, a modem for remote monitoring and control of the playback workstation, a network connection, and media recording devices for production of video materials, such as video cassettes, CD-ROMs or digital video disks. It is linked to the networking hub or switch through the network connection. The system can accommodate the addition of a CENWS (censor workstation) computer to eliminate entire clips, blur portions of clips, or to mask audio prior to the transmission of the clips to the playback workstation. The system can also accommodate the addition of a DISPWS (display workstation) computer capable of displaying clips to a video monitor such that the proper clip is played for a potential customer. 
   In the operation of the system, video and audio input is received from at least one camera. Selecting and controlling of video and audio input is accomplished by switches controlled by a programmable logic control unit responding to sensors and manual controls. The resulting video input is stored in databases. Video images corresponding to the video input are retrieved, processed, displayed, and recorded on video media. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of the video recording and production system; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of the software residing in, and the linkages to, the playback workstation; and 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of the software residing in, and the linkages to, the capture workstation. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1  illustrates the layout of a video “capture”, i.e., recording and production system, according to the invention. Capture workstation  10  is a computer devoted to video capture. It contains a central processing unit, memory, a hard drive, and a CD-ROM disk and floppy disk, and other peripherals represented by  12 . It also contains a video capture card  14 . A digital analog converter  16  coordinates input and output with manual controls and other sensors located outside of the computer. Network interface card  18  provides a linkage to a network on which one or more computers may be connected for manipulation of data. Monitor  20  is devoted to control of the capture workstation  10 . Keyboard  22  and mouse  24  are used for input and control of programs run on the capture workstation  10 . 
   Video sources  26  provide input to the computer in audio and visual form. Programmable logic control (PLC)  28  controls video and audio switches  29  to permit the selection of an audio and video signal from among video sources  26 . The switches  29  are driven by PLC  28  in response to signals from manual controls and sensors  34  (via digital analog converter  16 ). One or more monitors  30  are used for displaying the video signal captured by the capture workstation  10 . Manual controls and sensors  34  are used in the video collection process to start or stop video collection and to provide other controls, such as camera focus and camera movement. Sensors may include, for example, proximity and limit switches. Networking device  40  provides connectivity with other computers to which the capture workstation  10  may be connected. Network connection  42  allows computers connected to the network to be operated and controlled in a remote fashion. Uninterruptable power supply  50  provides a constant power supply to the computers connected to the system. 
   Playback workstation  60  allows for manipulation of video images captured by capture workstation  10 . Playback workstation  60  contains processors, memory and storage devices, such as hard drives and floppy disks, represented by  62 . Video capture card  64  allows display of video material after it has been manipulated or processed. Modem  66  allows for monitoring and control of the playback workstation  60  in a remote fashion. Network interface card  68  links the playback workstation  60  to the network through hub  40 . Monitor  70  is connected to playback workstation  60  and is used to display information involved in system control. Keyboard  72  and mouse  74  allow information to be entered and control to be maintained over playback workstation  60 . 
   One or more monitors  80  are connected to the playback workstation  60  through video capture card  64 . These allow for the display of video and other information after it has been manipulated on the playback workstation  60 . One or more media recording devices  82  for production of video materials, such as video cassettes, CD-ROMs or digital video disks are connected to the video capture card  64 . Controls for remote monitoring  84  are connected through modem  66  to the playback workstation  60 . Color printer  78  is connected to playback workstation  60  through a line printer control card  76 . 
   The system can accommodate the addition of a CENWS (censor workstation)  90  to eliminate entire clips, blur portions of clips, or mask audio prior to the transmission of the clips to the playback workstation  60 . The CENSW also allows for the storage of celebrity clips separate from the main stream clips for private viewing and output to media without presentation to the general public. 
   The system can also accommodate the addition of a DISPWS (display workstation)  92  capable of displaying clips to a video monitor such that the proper clip is played for the correct passengers or participants of a ride or attraction at a desired point such as the exit prior to reaching the point of sale. Sensors  94  can be used to control the video monitor display. 
   The CENWS and the DISPWS use an appropriately modified version of the software used for the playback workstation  60 , run on a capture workstation hardware platform. 
   For low performance applications, both the capture workstation  10  and playback workstation  60 , as well as optional CENWS  90  and DISPWS  92 , can be housed on a single computer. For more demanding applications, the design of the system is scalable and can be installed on two or more workstations with dedicated servers over a suitable network. 
     FIG. 2  represents the software and data stored on the playback workstation  60 . Playback workstation  60  makes use of a suite  100  of software routines and data to accomplish video capture operations. The CPWSApp routine  102  coordinates the activities of the entire video playback workstation. The CFrameWindow routine  104  controls the playback workstation user interface, generating the screen display viewed by the PWS operator. The CPWSView routine  106  executes user requests, and operates in conjunction with a media control interface card  108  which allows the decoding and display of video files captured by video capture card  64 . SnapShot List  112  and FileList  114  are lists of stills and video sequences stored in the form of stored video  150 . The FileList routines  114  name and manage files with video and audio content, and remove old files. Preferably, the FileList routines are written to manage files in the AVI format, a common format for the storage of video and audio material in a tagged and compressed format. A database PFInfo  116  contains information for locating and describing video sequences, and related information. The CDoc routine  118  contains the common code for database logging activity. Specific routines making use of this common code include PWSStat/LogBase  120 , PWSStat/LogSet  122 , and CWSStat/LogQuerySet  124 . These routines handle all database logging activity and are customizable for each application so that information such as ride times, numbers of videos produced, numbers of videos previewed, and the times at which the PWS was in operation can be logged. The Settings routines  126  control the playback of video information in conjunction with view software  106 . Information of a statistical nature and database access activity is contained in Stat Database  140  and Log Database  142 . Stored Video  150  may be of a single frame or video sequence nature. 
     FIG. 3  depicts the software and data housed on the capture workstation  10 . The capture workstation  10  makes use of a suite  200  of software routines and data to accomplish video capture operations. A CPWSApp routine  202  coordinates the activities of the entire video capture workstation. A CFrameWindow routine  204  controls the capture workstation user interface, generating the screen display viewed by the CWS operator. A CPWSView routine  206  executes user requests. It also monitors and reacts to manual controls and sensors  34 , and operates in conjunction with a media control interface card  208  which allows the decoding and display of video files captured by video capture card  14 . Video capture card  14  is connected to the capture workstation  10  through media control interface card  208 . A CWSIOCard  212  sets card parameters for DAC I/O card  16 , and, through DAC I/O card  16 , controls programmable logic control  28  and video +audio switching devices  29  for the selection of audio and video sources. CWSIOCard  212  and I/O Card  214  respond to sensor signals  260 . A component of CPWSView software  216  controls viewing of stored video  250 . A CDoc routine  118  contains the common code for database logging activity. Specific routines making use of this common code include CWSStat/JumpBase  220 , CWSStat/JumpSet  222 , and CWSStat/QuerySet  224 . These routines handle all database logging activity and are customizable for each application so that information such as ride times, times at which the CWS was in operation, and the number of rides per day can be logged. Settings  226  control the display of video information. A CWSCapParams routine  228  contains customizable settings for the videocapture procedure, and a CWSCapFile routine  230  performs file handling-functions. 
   In the operation of the system, one or more video and/or audio sources  26  serve as input to the video capture card  14  in capture workstation  10 . The video sources may be standard or wireless video sources such as S-Video/composite and/or other video sources. The audio sources may be standard or wireless audio sources such as camera microphones, standalone microphones and/or sound systems. The operation of the video and/or audio sources can be controlled by manual controls and/or sensors  34  such as proximity sensors or limit switches. These sensors and switches provide signals converted by digital analog converter input/output card  16  which can trigger such tasks as turning cameras on or off, focusing cameras, switching among cameras or aiming cameras. The recording process can be carried out manually or automatically. Programmable logic control  28  is used to control audio and video switches  29  to accomplish switching among video and audio sources. Preferably, switching is accomplished in a manner that produces a single stream of video and audio input to the capture workstation  10  that is processed in real time. Captured video is monitored on one or more monitors  30  as well as the computer screen  20 . Video images are stored in digitized form and can be transferred through computer network hub  40  to playback workstation  60 . Database information concerning video data, such as the time at which the video images were recorded or the length of a video segment, can be transferred to the playback workstation  60  in a similar fashion. 
   Playback workstation  60  allows an operator to manage stored video recordings. Stored videos can be displayed on monitors  80  or used to generate video tapes, CD-ROMs, digital video tapes, or other video output  82 . All activity is logged to databases such as Stat Database  140  and Log Database  142 . Information logged to databases may include the number of purchases or the number of video tapes made. Optionally, the playback workstation  60  can extract single frames of video output; these can be displayed on monitors  80  or sent through a printer port  76  to a color printer  78 . The output from the playback workstation  60  may also be used for motion analysis, as in the study of a golf swing or a figure skating routine. The playback workstation  60  can also insert prerecorded video clips at different points of video media  82  for promotional purposes. 
   The system offers a number of advantages over currently existing systems. Control through sensors allows automated operation. For example, distance sensors may control camera focus, proximity switches may be used to turn the system on and off and triggering devices may allow recording of single events, instead of constantly running the camera(s) and recording equipment. The system also provides ease of transfer of video information as it is transferred from one computer to another in a digitized format. The digital format also results in ease of manipulation of captured images. The use of a computer in the playback workstation allows video information to be recorded on videocassette tapes, CD-ROMs, digital video disks or printed on a color printer. The computer databases expedite retrieval of video sequences and individual frames. The wireless video input option offers ease of connection and permits video information to be obtained from locations where direct connections would constitute obstructions or hazards. Remote monitoring and control through networks and modem connections provides flexibility in the location of the system operator. 
   It is anticipated the above-described system will be useful for recording events, such as:
         individuals on amusement rides   athletic events and/or training   karaoke   security surveillance   scientific research, such as animal behavior study   education and training, such as development of job interview or speaking skills.       

   The system provides a nearly instantaneous recording (such as a video tape) of the event to provide, for example, an on-the-spot souvenir to an amusement park rider. 
   In a preferred embodiment, the above-described system is configured to work on a single amusement ride or attraction. It is configured to produce video tapes quickly in a sequence of one-pass recording and one-pass output to media. All recording is done from a single video-audio stream. Camera and audio source changes are accomplished through the use of audio and video switches  29  controlled by programmable logic control (PLC)  28  that interfaces with sensors  34  on the ride and the digital analog converter  16  in capture workstation  10 . Use of the combination of programmable logic control  28  and digital analog converter  16  enable the system to be customized to each specific attraction. This feature also enables one capture workstation  10  to record multiple video sources to reduce the amount of hardware required. For example, one capture workstation  10  may record, from different cameras, different cars on a track to generate tapes for different riders or may record different camera angles of the same car. After this single stream is recorded the playback workstation  60  generates a playback stream to a media recording device  82  which can include prerecorded audio and video. The system monitors one or more sensors  34  and programmable logic control  28  and, based on the results, automatically records a video. All riders are recorded; video tapes or other media are produced only when a rider purchases them. No rider intervention is required for recording. 
   Having described the currently preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.