AUDIO-VIDEO RECORDING SYSTEM

Abstract: An audio-visual recording system having a booth (10) containing a video camera (26) with a microphone (30); a pair of video display screens (18), one within and one mounted on the outside of said booth; and timing means (102) operatively connected to said camera (26) so as to operate it for a predetermined period. Means (76) are provided for rejecting video cassettes not having a signal incorporated thereon.

Description: AUDIO-VIDEO RECORDING SYSTEM Background of the Invention One out of every three homes in the United States is now provided with a video cassette recorder (VCR), and it is expected that more than eight million new VCR's will be sold in 1986. The rapidly increasing use of VCR'S has been made possible because they can be sold at an affordable price. On the other hand, audio-video equipment capable of recording both picture and sound on magnetic tape cassettes is much more expensive than VCR'S, and thus most persons have heretofore not been able to enjoy making video-voice ^ recordings of themselves or their friends for display on home television sets by use of VCR'S. Summary of the Invention The invention disclosed herein relates to an audio-visual recording system. More particularly, the subject invention relates to such a recording system which can conveniently be used by ordinary persons to make audio-video tape cassettes at reasonable cost, the cassettes being of such size that they can be mailed to relatives or friends as remembrances which have greater appeal than letters or greeting cards. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a booth accommodating one or more persons and housing a video camera equipped with a microphone, both the camera and the micro¬ phone being placed in operation for a predetermined period by a timer which is itself actuated when a token and a magnetic tape cassette are inserted into depositories associated with the recording system. The picture signal produced by the video camera and the sound signal produced by the micro¬ phone are recorded on a magnetic tape cassette, and the cassette is thereafter released to the person who has used the system to record his picture and voice. The preferred embodiment of the invention further comprises a pair of video display screens which show the taken picture as it is being recorded, one of these screens being located inside the booth so that the person using the system can see his image thereon and the other screen being placed on an outer wall of the booth so that persons passing the booth will be attracted by its display. A video tape cassette supplied to a customer may be provided with prerecorded video and audio signals which are respectively fed to the video display screen located outside the booth and to a speaker associated therewith, thereby provi¬ ding the customer with instructions or demonstra¬ tion pictures before his own picture is captured inside the booth. Use of an unauthorized tape cassette in the recording system is precluded by means which sense a nonconforming physical charac¬ teristic of such a cassette and consequently pre¬ vent operation of the system. Other advantageous features of the invention will be presented in the following detailed description thereof. Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a pictorial representation of the person accommodating booth used in the preferred embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 is a view illustrating an inside wall of the booth shown in Figure 1. Figures 3, 4 and 5 are diagrammatic represen¬ tations of electronic components of the preferred embodiments of the invention. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment In Figure 1 reference number 10 generally designates a booth having a front wall 12 with a door 14 centrally located therein. Also mounted on the front wall of booth 10 is a television set which is generally designated by reference number 16 and which comprises a display screen 18 and a speaker 20. A partition wall 22 extends across booth 10 adjacent the opening for door 14, this wall also being illustrated in Figure 2 and having therein an opening for the display screen 24 of a second television set which will be further des¬ cribed hereinafter. Wall 22 also includes an open¬ ing for the lens 26 of a video camera generally designated by reference number 28 in Figure 3 and manufactured by General Electric, Model 1CVC6033E. A microphone 30 is positioned adjacent the lens of camera 28 as part of the audio-visual signal gene¬ rating equipment supplied by the named company. Positioned above camera 28 is a light 32, and below the camera is the front panel 34 of a video cas¬ sette recorder which is generally designated as VCR 1 in Figure 3 and which will be further described hereinafter. A seat (not shown) extends across 10 opposite wall 24. All electrical components described herein¬ after are housed in booth 10. The video and audio signals produced by camera 28 and microphone 30 when they are operated are transmitted through a cable 36 to a power supply 38, camera power pack Model 1CVA505, manufactured by General Electric. The video signal then passes through a conduit 40 to VCR 1, which in the described embodiment of the invention is a recorder manufactured by General Electric, Model 9-7100. The audio signal produced by microphone 30 is fed through a conductor 42 to a preamplifier 44 and thence through a lead 46 to VCR 1. Preamplifier 44 is also connected by a lead 48 to a power supply 50, and the latter is connec¬ ted by a lead 52 to a relay 54 which will be referred to hereinafter as the action switch relay. This action switch relay 54 is connected (1) by a lead 56 to a switch 58 which will be referre to hereinafter as the action switch, and (2) by a video record control lead 60 and an audio record control lead 62 to electrical components within VCR 1 which provide for recording of the video and audio signals produced by camera 28 and microphone 30 respectively, as will be more fully described hereinafter. A lead 64 connects VCR 1 to a relay 66 which will be referred to hereinafter as the time expiration relay, and the latter is in turn connected by a lead 68 to a relay 70 which will be referred to hereinafter as the tape relay. Time expiration relay 66 is in addition connected to VCR 1 by a lead 72, a lead 74 connects lead 72 to a relay 76 which will be referred to hereinafter as the illegal tape reject relay, a lead 78 con¬ nects the illegal tape reject relay 76 to tape relay 70, and a lead 80 connects tape relay 70 to a switch 82 mounted in VCR 1. A video lead 84 connects VCR 1 to television set 86 the display screen 24 of which is depicted in Figures 1 and 2, and a lead 87 connects VCR 1 to a green light (not shown) located in wall 22 inside booth 10. As illustrated in Figure 4, VCR 1 is connected by an audio lead 88 and a video lead 90 to a second video cassette recorder which is generally desig¬ nated as VCR 2 in the drawing and which in the des¬ cribed embodiment of the invention is also General Electric's model 9-7100 recorder. VCR 2 is mounted on the front wall 12 of booth 10 with its front panel 91 exposed (see Fig. 1). An operation control lead 92 also extends between VCR 1 and VCR 2, and a lead 94 connects VCR 2 to the television set 16 shown in Figure 1. Another lead 98 connects speaker 20 of television set 16 to an audio control switch 100 which is operated by the closing of door 14, as will be further described hereinafter. As illustrated in Figure 5, the disclosed embodiment of the invention is provided with a timer 102 manufactured by Coinco, model 0316M-1X2RR. A lead 104 connects timer 102 with a combination token-receiving depository and a switch unit 106 which is also manufactured by Coinco, model 35300- 244. Timer 102 is further connected by a lead 108 to a power control switch 110 and by two leads 112, 114 to a second power control switch 116 which will be referred to hereinafter as the illegal tape switch, the latter being in turn connected by a lead 118 to a 110 volt power source. A lead 120 also connects switch 110 to lead 112. Switch 110 is connected to previously named components by the following leads: (1) lead 122 connected to VCR 1;(2) lead 124 connected to camera power supply 38; (3) lead 126 connected to television set 86; (4) lead 128 connected to television set 16; (5) lead 130 connected to power supply 50; (6) lead 132 connec¬ ted to time expiration relay 66; and (7) lead 134 connected to light 32 in booth 10. Illegal tape switch 116 is connected to previously named com¬ ponents by the following leads: (1) lead 136 con¬ nected to time expiration relay 66; and (2) lead 138 connected to illegal tape reject 76. Mode of Operation Insertion of a token into depository and switch unit 106 actuates timer 102 which then ener¬ gizes power switch 110 and illegal tape o-zitch 116 for a predetermined period. More specifically, when power switch 110 is actuated it turns on light 32 to illuminate the interior of booth 10 for the person who has purchased the token. When the cus¬ tomer enters the booth and closes door 14, switch 100 (shown in Figure 4) is actuated to turn off speaker 91 of television set 16, but the picture on screen 18 of the set remains on display. Power switch 110 also supplies power to (1) power supply 124; (2) power supply 50; (3) preamplifier 44; (4) action switch relay 54; and (5) time expiration relay 66. Tape relay 70 can be activated only by insertion of an authorized magnetic tape cassette into VCR 1. This desideratum is accomplished in the preferred embodiment of the invention by pro¬ viding VCR 1 with means which cooperate with a con¬ ductive strip on an authorized cassette to permit operation of the recorder. If an illegal cassette which does not have the conductive strip is in¬ serted into VCR 1, illegal tape switch 116 operates power switch 110 to turn off the previously named components connected therewith and also energizes illegal tape reject relay 76 so that the illegal cassette can be rejected from VCR 1 when the eject button on the latter is pressed. Instruction for operation of the recording system are printed on wall 22 of booth 10. After an authorized tape cassette has been inserted into VCR 1, the customer presses a button on the recorder (this button, like other control buttons mentioned hereinafter, being color coded with the instruc¬ tions) which causes his picture taken by camera 28 to appear on the display screens of television sets 16 and 86. The customer then simultaneously presses record and play buttons on VCR 1 to place the recorder in a "ready to record" mode. When the customer wishes to record his picture and voice on the cassette in VCR 1, he presses action switch 58, which is located adjacent the seat in booth 10, at this time the green light connected to the recorder by lead 87 is turned on to notify the customer that his picture is being recorded. After the recording apparatus has been operated for ten minutes, timer 102 actuates power switch 110 to shut off the sup¬ ply of power to all components connected therewith. At the same time switch 82 on VCR 1 is operated so that the recorded cassette can be ejected from the recorder when its eject button is pressed. The customer may, however, press a button on VCR 1 to stop the recording system before its allowed ten minute period of operation has expired, after which he presses the eject button of the recorder to receive his recorded cassette. As a customer is recording his picture inside booth 10, the picture is displayed on screen 18 outside the booth, thus attracting people to the booth. VCR 2 is arranged by conventional electro¬ nic circuitry so that the customer's picture and voice can be recorded on a second tape cassette if this is desired. A cassette may also be inserted in VCR 2 by the owner of the booth to provide a demonstration display on screen 18 when the booth is not being used by a customer. The tape cassette supplied to a customer may advantageously be pro¬ vided with prerecorded audio and video signals which provide instructions or demons rations of Lho Lypos of recordings that can be made by use of the disclosed ap aratus. I claim : 1. In a pictu e reco ding system, the combi¬ nation compri in : a camera producing a video picture signal when operated; timing means operati ely connected to said camera so as to operate it for a predetermined period; and means operatively connected to said camera so as to record said vi eo picture signal on a recording medium. 2. The combination defined in claim 2 including a booth accommodat one or more ersons and having said camera mou ed therein. 3. The combination defined in claim 2 inclu¬ ding: video display means having a picture dis¬ play screen ; and means for feeding said video picture signal to said video display means so that a pic¬ ture is displayed on the picture display screen thereof during said period. 4. The combination defined in claim 3 wherein said picture display screen is positioned inside said booth. 5. The combination defined in claim 4 including :

Claims: second video display means having a pic¬ ture display screen, located on the exterior of said booth; and means for feeding said video picture signal to said second video display means so that a picture is displayed on the picture display screen thereof during said period. 6. The combination defined in claim 1 inclu¬ ding: video display means having a picture screen; means for feeding said video picture signal to said video display means so that a pic¬ ture is displayed on the picture display screen thereof during said period; and means for feeding an introductory video picture signal to said picture display means so that a demonstration picture is displayed on the display screen thereof before said video picture signal produced by said camera is fed to said picture display means. 7. The combination defined in claim 6 wherein said introductory picture signal is re¬ corded on said recording medium before said pic¬ ture signal produced by said camera is recorded thereon. 8. The combination defined in claim 7 wherein said recording medium has an instructional audio signal precorded thereon and including: a speaker located outside said booth; and means for feeding said instructional audio signal to said speaker before said picture signal produced by said video camera is recorded on said recording medium. 9. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said recording medium comprises a magnetic memory tape in a cassette. 10. The combination defined in claim 9 inclu¬ ding means for preventing operation of said camera if said cassette does not possess a predetermined physical characteristic. 11. The combination defined in claim 1 inclu¬ ding: a microphone producing an audio output signal when operated; and means for recording the audio output signal of said microphone on said recording medium during said period. 12. The combination defined in claim 1 inclu¬ ding a depository associated with said timing means and arranged to operate said camera after a prede¬ termined object is placed in said depository. 13. The combination defined in claim 12 wherein said predetermined object is a token.

Inventors: COGERT HARMON I, COGERT, HARMON, I.
Applicants: COGERT HARMON I, COGERT, HARMON, I.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: H04N5
IPC codes: G11B27, G11B31, H04N5