Abstract:
There is provided a method, which includes providing a multimedia unit configured to capture still images and videos, receiving a triggering signal and capturing a still image and a video containing the still image, in response to the receiving of the triggering signal, where the video spans a window starting before and ending after the still image.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to multimedia communications. More particularly, the present invention relates to multimedia captures and processing. 
         [0003]    2. Background Art 
         [0004]    Today, cameras for capturing multimedia such as pictures and videos are widely incorporated in cellular phones and other portable devices. A person may employ several conventional techniques to appear in a video or image created with his own camera. In one crude technique, the person may hold out the camera at arm&#39;s length, with the camera pointed back toward himself. In this way, the person can capture, for example, a picture of himself and a feature in the place of interest. This technique, while simple, has clear disadvantages. For example, it is difficult for the person to estimate what the camera is pointed at, and it is also difficult for the person to hold the camera steady, and to ensure that the camera is properly focused. Additionally, the resulting picture has limited viewing area because of the length of the person&#39;s arm, and is likely to only capture the person&#39;s facial expression. 
         [0005]    Another conventional technique that allows a person to appear in multimedia created with his own camera is the use of a tripod or similar positioning device. By using a tripod, for example, better pictures can be created than by the first technique. However, there are still several disadvantages. First, the person must carry a cumbersome, compatible tripod. Second, after positioning his camera, the person must move away from the camera to be visible in the picture, thereby exposing the camera to potential damage or theft. Third, the camera can only be positioned in vantage points accessible to the person, when harder-to-reach vantage points might provide better pictures. Finally, positioning the camera in a suitable, accessible vantage point may be an exhausting process. 
         [0006]    Several other conventional techniques allow a person to appear in multimedia with a feature at the place of interest without using his own camera. In these techniques, for example, a camera may be pre-positioned at the place of interest and oriented to face a feature there. The person may trigger a countdown, move to the feature, and wait for the pre-positioned camera to capture a picture. Techniques for triggering the countdown include pressing a button on the pre-positioned camera, or presenting an infrared fob to the pre-positioned camera. These techniques have several advantages over those previously mentioned. A person does not need to own a camera or a tripod, and cameras can be pre-positioned in places that a person might not be able to access. However, systems employing these techniques have disadvantages involving high costs involved with providing and managing infrared fobs, and disadvantages in distributing the resulting multimedia to system users. In addition, these techniques are not very intuitive or interactive, and require careful and thoughtful training of the person to properly use and maintain the provided infrared fob with the pre-positioned camera. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the drawbacks and deficiencies in the art by providing an improved method or system for multimedia captures with remote triggering. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    There are provided methods and systems for multimedia captures with remote triggering, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a diagram of an exemplary system for multimedia captures with remote triggering, according to one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart presenting a method for multimedia captures with remote triggering, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The present application is directed to a method and system for multimedia captures with remote triggering. The following description contains specific information pertaining to the implementation of the present invention. One skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be implemented in a manner different from that specifically discussed in the present application. Moreover, some of the specific details of the invention are not discussed in order not to obscure the invention. The specific details not described in the present application are within the knowledge of a person of ordinary skill in the art. The drawings in the present application and their accompanying detailed description are directed to merely exemplary embodiments of the invention. To maintain brevity, other embodiments of the invention, which use the principles of the present invention, are not specifically described in the present application and are not specifically illustrated by the present drawings. It should be borne in mind that, unless noted otherwise, like or corresponding elements among the figures may be indicated by like or corresponding reference numerals. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  shows a system  100  for multimedia captures with remote triggering, according to one embodiment of the present invention. System  100  includes wireless device  110 , wireless network  120 , and multimedia unit  140 . Wireless device  110  and multimedia unit  140  communicate through wireless network  120 , which in this embodiment is a cellular network, via links  112  and  122 . System  100  additionally includes Internet  150 , kiosk  160 , and Internet server  170 . Multimedia unit  140  communicates with kiosk  160  via link  144  and Internet server  170  through Internet  150  via links  142  and  152 . 
         [0014]    Wireless device  110 , multimedia unit  140 , and kiosk  160  are, in this embodiment, located in a theme park. Other embodiments of the invention might situate wireless device  110 , multimedia unit  140 , and kiosk  160  at a different public or private venue, for example, a shopping mall, a movie theater lobby, a restaurant front, a sporting event, a music concert, or a vacation spot. In this embodiment, multimedia unit  140  and kiosk  160  are permanently installed at fixed locations in the park, but in other embodiments multimedia unit  140  and kiosk  160  may be, for example, portable devices that can be deployed and removed at temporary locations. Wireless device  110  moves around the park in the possession of person  108 , a guest of the park and a user of the system for capturing multimedia. Wireless network  120 , which is in this embodiment a cellular network, may be composed of multiple cell towers and cellular infrastructure components that exist both inside and outside of the park. In this embodiment, wireless network  120  is part of a communication infrastructure that is not controlled by the park owner, but in other embodiments of the invention some part or all of wireless network  120  is controlled by the park owner. Internet  150  and Internet server  170  are, in this embodiment, situated outside the park. 
         [0015]    Wireless device  110  can be a cell phone, a PDA, or any other portable device capable of communication with wireless network  120  over link  112 , which in this embodiment is a bidirectional radio-frequency link using a synchronous or asynchronous messaging protocol. Wireless device  110  in this embodiment comprises multiple elements, including a transmitter configured to transmit a triggering signal on link  112  and a receiver configured to receive MMS and SMS messages on link  112 . Wireless device  110  additionally comprises an input device, such as a keypad, configured for inputting the triggering signal by person  108  and a display configured to acknowledge received messages to person  108 . Finally, wireless device  110  also comprises a memory configured to store user inputs and received messages, as well as a processor configured to execute software for various wireless device  110  functions. 
         [0016]    Wireless device  110  can send and receive Short Message Service (SMS) messages, and may additionally be configured to make ordinary phone calls, to receive Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages, or to engage in Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP) sessions. Wireless device  110  can be additionally configured to establish Bluetooth or Zigbee connections directly to compatible devices, or to communicate directly with compatible devices using NFC (Near Field Communication) or UWB (Ultra Wide Band) local wireless techniques, without using link  112 . In some embodiments, wireless device  110  may also be configured to utilize WiFi, WiMax, GPRS, and EDGE connections. In this embodiment, wireless device  110  is a cell phone in the possession of person  108 . 
         [0017]    As person  108  moves around the park with wireless device  110 , person  108  may enter a zone visible to multimedia unit  140 . In this embodiment, multimedia unit  140  comprises a video camera configured to record videos from which pictures can be extracted. Multimedia unit  140  additionally comprises an LCD screen for displaying identification information, instructions, and countdown information. In other embodiments, multimedia unit  140  can be a camera capable of capturing other types of multimedia, such as still images or audio-visual recordings, and the LCD screen may be a different type of display. Multimedia unit  140  has been pre-positioned to record video of a zone in the park with particular aesthetic qualities, for example, a pleasing landscape. Upon entering the pleasing landscape, person  108  may learn about multimedia unit  140  by reading the LCD screen, and may activate multimedia unit  140  by sending a triggering signal from wireless device  110 . 
         [0018]    Wireless device  110  can be utilized to activate multimedia unit  140  by, for example, transmitting a triggering signal in the form of an SMS message to multimedia unit  140 . Multimedia unit  140  can be implemented so that an SMS short code is displayed on the LCD screen. The SMS short code is a shortened, special-purpose telephone number that is unique to multimedia unit  140 . Person  108  can read the SMS short code and any associated instructions on the LCD screen, and then address and send an SMS message to the SMS short code. The SMS message is routed by wireless network  120  to arrive at multimedia unit  140 . In other embodiments of the invention, person  108  can send a triggering signal by using wireless device  110  to make a phone call to multimedia unit  140  via wireless network  120 , by using wireless device  110  to make a Bluetooth connection directly to multimedia unit  140 , or by utilizing another wireless connection capability of wireless device  110 . 
         [0019]    Multimedia unit  140  is configured to communicate with wireless network  120  over link  122 , with Internet  150  over link  142 , and with kiosk  160  over link  144 . In this embodiment, links  122 ,  142 , and  144  are physical lines, but in another embodiment one or more of links  122 ,  142 , and  144  may be wireless. Upon receiving an SMS message triggering signal over link  122 , multimedia unit  140  initiates a countdown timer, and displays the countdown timer and an identifier, which is a user identification number, on the LCD screen. The countdown timer has a starting value sufficiently high so that person  108 , observing the countdown on the LCD screen of multimedia unit  140 , has adequate time to pose, e.g. ten seconds. The user identification number uniquely identifies wireless device  110 , is derived from the sending phone number of wireless device  110 , and is necessary, for example, in case a second person (not shown) has SMS messaged multimedia unit  140  using a second wireless device. In that case, multimedia unit  140  will receive two triggering signals, and must display a unique user identification number so that person  108  can prepare for video to be taken, and the second person can avoid interfering. 
         [0020]    Multimedia unit  140  may start recording video before the countdown has finished, and may continue recording after the countdown has finished. For example, multimedia unit  140  might countdown for ten seconds, begin recording two seconds before the countdown zero point, and continue recording for two seconds after the zero point. By recording around the zero point in this fashion, multimedia unit  140  captures additional video that person  108  might enjoy more than that video captured precisely at the zero point. For example, if person  108  blinks at the zero point, person  108  might enjoy more an image from the video captured one second sooner or later. In another embodiment of the invention, rather than recording during a four second window around the zero point, multimedia unit  140  may start recording after recognizing a visual trigger during the countdown, such as a hand gesture or other motion by person  108 . From the four-second video recorded, a sequence of pictures can subsequently be extracted. 
         [0021]    Multimedia unit  140 , having finished recording, proceeds to extract pictures from the video. Multimedia unit  140  can extract a sample picture from the video that is small enough to be sent in an MMS message to wireless device  110 . The MMS message containing the sample picture is transmitted to wireless device  110 , on which the sample picture can be reviewed by person  108 , over wireless network  120  via links  122  and  112 . Additionally, person  108  can be informed by the MMS message that additional multimedia can be viewed at a multimedia host, such as, in this embodiment, kiosk  160  or Internet server  170 . 
         [0022]    If wireless device  110  is not configured to receive MMS messages, then multimedia unit  140  will send wireless device  110  an SMS message instead. The SMS message will contain a WAP link to multimedia unit  140 , and multimedia unit  140  will host the extracted sample picture on a WAP site viewable to a WAP browser during a WAP session. Upon receiving the SMS message, person  108  can instruct wireless device  110  to view the WAP site and download the sample picture in that manner. The SMS message, like the MMS message, can also inform person  108  that additional multimedia can be viewed at kiosk  160  or Internet server  170 . 
         [0023]    After sending either an MMS or SMS message to wireless device  110 , multimedia unit  140  can extract high-quality pictures from the video taken by multimedia unit  140  to send to kiosk  160  via system network link  144 , which is in this embodiment a direct link. The extracted high-quality pictures, in this embodiment, can be photorealistic. Kiosk  160 , located in the park, has a built-in multimedia display, such as an LCD screen, suitable for displaying instructions and multimedia. When person  108  arrives at kiosk  160 , person  108  can view the high-quality pictures by entering a unique user identification number, such as the cell phone number of wireless device  110  or an identifier transmitted in the MMS or SMS message. Kiosk  108  is configured to allow person  108  to select one or more high-quality pictures, print out hard copies of the selected pictures, and accept payment. 
         [0024]    In addition to sending high-quality pictures to kiosk  160 , multimedia unit  140  can send the high-quality pictures to Internet server  170  through Internet  150  via system network links  142  and  152 . The MMS or SMS message sent to wireless device  110  by multimedia unit  140  provides instructions for downloading the high-quality pictures on Internet server  170 . Person  108  can leave the park, follow the instructions, and access Internet server  170  from, for example, a client computer such as a home computer (not shown) connected to Internet  150 . Internet server  170  is configured to allow the selection and downloading of the high-quality pictures to the home computer of person  108 , after payment of a fee. 
         [0025]    While in this embodiment of the invention multimedia unit  140  extracts a sample picture from the video and transmits the sample picture to wireless device  110 , in an alternative embodiment kiosk  108  or Internet server  170  can perform these tasks. In the alternative embodiment, after multimedia unit  140  sends high-quality pictures to kiosk  108  or Internet server  170 , kiosk  108  or Internet server  170  can extract a sample picture from the high-quality pictures and transmit the sample picture in, for example, an MMS message to wireless device  110  via wireless network  120 . In such an alternative embodiment, the complexity of multimedia unit  140  is reduced. 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  shows flowchart  200  of an exemplary method for multimedia captures with remote triggering, according to one embodiment of the present invention. Certain details and features have been left out of flowchart  200  that are apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. For example, a step may comprise one or more substeps or may involve specialized equipment or materials, as known in the art. While steps  210  through  232  indicated in flowchart  200  are sufficient to describe one embodiment of the present invention, other embodiments of the invention may utilize steps different from those shown in flowchart  200 . 
         [0027]    In step  210  of flowchart  200 , a theme park guest corresponding to person  108  of  FIG. 1  locates a multimedia unit corresponding to multimedia unit  140 . In this embodiment, the multimedia unit comprises a video camera configured to record videos from which pictures can be extracted, and an LCD screen or electronic display for displaying identification information, instructions, and countdown information. Additionally, the multimedia unit has been pre-positioned to record video of a zone in the park with particular aesthetic qualities, for example, a pleasing landscape. After locating the multimedia unit, the guest interacts with the multimedia unit as described in step  212 . 
         [0028]    In step  212  of flowchart  200 , the guest interacts with the multimedia unit by transmitting a triggering signal in the form of a Short Message Service (SMS) message. After reading instructions on the multimedia unit LCD screen that include, for example, an SMS short code, the guest sends the SMS by utilizing a wireless device corresponding to wireless device  110  in  FIG. 1 . The wireless device may be, for example, a cellular phone, a portable music device, a portable multimedia device, or a PDA. The SMS message is routed by, for example, a cellular network corresponding to wireless network  120  to arrive at the multimedia unit, which then initiates a countdown timer. 
         [0029]    Steps  214 ,  216 ,  218 , and  220  of flowchart  200  together comprise a repeatable loop. In step  214 , a multimedia unit countdown timer has started counting down, and a countdown notifier is displayed on the multimedia unit LCD screen for the guest to observe. In step  216 , the guest poses by moving to a position visible to the multimedia unit. The position might be marked, for example, by a symbol painted on the ground indicating where the guest should stand. In step  218 , the multimedia unit captures video of the guest, from which still pictures can subsequently be extracted. In step  220 , if the countdown is not complete, flowchart  200  returns to step  214 , and repeats the steps for countdown notification, guest posing, and video capture. However, if the countdown is complete, flowchart  200  proceeds to step  222 . 
         [0030]    In step  222  of flowchart  200 , the countdown has finished, and the multimedia unit has recorded a video of the guest from which pictures will be extracted. The multimedia unit may continue recording for a short period of time after the countdown finishes, so that additional pictures can be prepared for the guest. After recording stops, the multimedia unit extracts a sample picture from the video. The sample picture can be displayed to the guest on the wireless device so that the guest can have visual feedback from the recording session. 
         [0031]    In step  224  of flowchart  200 , the multimedia unit chooses a means for sending the sample picture to the wireless device. If the wireless device is capable of receiving Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages, the multimedia unit can send the sample picture in an MMS message to the wireless device in step  226 . Upon receiving the MMS message, the guest can view the sample picture on the wireless device. Alternatively, if the wireless device is not capable of receiving MMS messages, in step  228  the multimedia unit can instead host the sample picture on a WAP site, and send the wireless device an SMS message containing a WAP link to the sample picture. The guest can then view the sample picture on the wireless device by utilizing a WAP browser. After either step  226  or  228 , flowchart  200  proceeds to step  230 . 
         [0032]    In step  230  of flowchart  200 , the multimedia unit has made the sample picture available to the guest, and proceeds to extract high-quality pictures from the video. If the multimedia unit captured a four-second video, then the multimedia unit might, for example, extract five images that are evenly spaced out across the video time span. In this fashion, the multimedia unit creates more than one high-quality picture from each camera session. By doing so, the multimedia unit can present multiple pictures to the guest, so that if one of the pictures is aesthetically displeasing, the guest can choose a different one from the same session. 
         [0033]    In step  232  of flowchart  200 , the multimedia unit transmits the high-quality pictures to a multimedia host kiosk corresponding to kiosk  160  over a system network link corresponding to link  144  in  FIG. 1 , and to a multimedia host corresponding to Internet server  170  over system network links corresponding to links  142  and  152  in  FIG. 1 . If the guest would like to view the high-quality pictures, the guest can go to the kiosk and access the high-quality pictures by entering a unique identifier, which may be, for example, the phone number of the wireless device. The guest also has the option of viewing the high-quality pictures on the Internet server by accessing the Internet server over the Internet by using, for example, a home computer. When viewing the high-quality pictures on the kiosk or the Internet server, the guest may select one or more high-quality pictures to print out or to download, respectively, after payment of a fee. 
         [0034]    Thus, the present application discloses systems and methods for multimedia captures with remote triggering. One embodiment of the system utilizes a multimedia unit, a wireless network, a kiosk, and the Internet to control the interactions between system users and system components. The multimedia unit is pre-positioned to record video of a user in a place of interest, and is activated by user commands in the form of SMS messages. The user can view sample pictures on a wireless device and can view high-quality pictures at a kiosk or on a home computer, by accessing a multimedia host on the Internet. 
         [0035]    From the above description of the invention it is manifest that various techniques can be used for implementing the concepts of the present invention without departing from its scope. Moreover, while the invention has been described with specific reference to certain embodiments, a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but is capable of many rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention.