Patent Publication Number: US-2021176402-A1

Title: Image Capture Eyepiece

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/937,463 for an “Image Capture Eyepiece,” filed Nov. 19, 2020, and currently co-pending, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains generally to image capture device for use in photography and video. More particularly, the present invention pertains to an image and video capture eyepiece with social media capabilities. The Present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, useful as a device for content creation and sharing. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Venues for sporting events, concerts, and other forms of entertainment often sell tickets at prices corresponding to proximity to the locus of the event (the field, stage, etc.), or corresponding to quality of the view of the event from the location corresponding to the ticket. Thus, the most inexpensive tickets generally correspond to the seats furthest from the action. In order to compensate for the distance, handheld magnifying aids such as binoculars are sometimes used. However, the magnification of such handheld apparatus is limited, since more than 3- to 5-fold magnification can also prevent a good view due to the apparatus shaking from small, involuntary hand movements. Moreover, handheld apparatus are often difficult to use with a separate camera, so even when a spectator in a distant seat is enabled to get a better view of the event, the spectator is often still unable to capture photographs of the event. 
     The combination of camera and ubiquitous Internet access in modern smartphones has, together with social media networks, created an increase in media creation and sharing among the public that would be hard to overstate. No longer is the widespread distribution of photographs or video limited to the work of a professional class. Anyone with a mobile phone can take a photograph or video and publish it to the world through popular social websites, and an extraordinary number of people do so. 
     As the smartphone has become universal, a need has arisen for new media creation devices for novelty, aesthetic appeal, and to overcome shortcomings of the smartphone, such as the difficulty of implementing optical zoom in the smartphone form factor, or for providing a simplified user interface or alternative convenient form factors. 
     In light of the above, it would be advantageous to provide an image capture device that provides the aforementioned benefits while allowing convenient sharing of content to social media. It would be further advantageous to provide an image capture device with image filtering, image effects, and meme generation capabilities to allow for the creation and upload of more varied content. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Disclosed is an eyepiece with image capture, recording, processing and transmission capabilities. Various embodiments provide various form factors, including eyeglasses, sunglasses, snow and swim goggles, monocles, monoculars, and binoculars. 
     A set of preferred embodiments have a binocular form factor, which provides the benefit of providing extra room for more powerful electronics, greater battery capacity, and zoom capabilities than can be implemented in more restrained form factors such as eyeglasses and sunglasses. At the same time, binoculars are not uncommon at sporting events, certain tourist attractions such as national parks, and even some other forms of entertainment such as operas, which allows the binocular-type image capture eyepieces to be used in a variety of situations without seeming out of place. At least one preferred embodiment extends on the binocular form factor by providing the binoculars in a design of a pair of beverage bottles, resulting in a unique aesthetic appeal for situations such as sporting events. 
     The image capture eyepiece of the present invention provides a user interface that is engaged by the user to perform operations such as capturing an image, applying filters or effects to a captured image, uploading the captured image—with filters or effects if applied—to social media, capturing an image and immediately uploading it to social media, and capturing and streaming live video to social media. In some embodiments, the user engages the user interface to perform these and other operations through voice commands received through a microphone on the image capture eyepiece. In other embodiments, these operations are performed when the user engages the user interface by pressing a button located on the eyepiece and associated with the desired operation. The user interface in some embodiments is engaged with both voice commands and one or more buttons. In some embodiments, one or more buttons are programmable by the user to be associated with operations that the user desires to be performed when the button is pressed. 
     A communications feature, which includes a communications port such as a USB port, a Bluetooth radio, a Wi-Fi radio, or a combination thereof, allows the image capture eyepiece to connect to the Internet and to an external computing device such as a mobile phone or a personal computer. The external computing device is used to connect the image capture eyepiece to the user&#39;s social media accounts or other cloud services for the uploading of images and video, and also to configure other settings on the image capture eyepiece as desired by the user. As mentioned above, some embodiments of the image capture eyepiece have at least one button (preferred embodiments have anywhere from zero to ten buttons). The button or buttons can each be associated with an operation desired by the user through the configuration feature provided by the external computing device. Once configured, the user can perform that operation at any time by pressing the corresponding button on the eyepiece. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a conceptual diagram of image capture, storage, and sharing features of a preferred embodiment of an image capture eyepiece of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a conceptual diagram of venue-related features of a preferred embodiment of an image capture eyepiece of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an image capture eyepiece of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an image capture eyepiece of the present invention showing a pop-up display; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an alternate preferred embodiment of an image capture eyepiece of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is an illustration of a computing device user interface for configuring social network and storage preferences for an image capture eyepiece; and 
         FIG. 7  is an illustration of a computing device user interface for configuring button press actions for an image capture eyepiece. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , an image capture eyepiece  100  has at least one camera that has a lens  110  and digital imaging circuitry  112  made with charge-coupled devices (CCD), active-pixel sensors (APS), or other digital image sensors. A microphone  113  is used for capturing audio, both during video and for processing voice commands. A CPU  114  and memory  116  allow for the storage and processing of captured images and video. An I/O component  118  includes a Bluetooth radio  120 , a Wi-Fi radio  122 , or, in preferred embodiments, both. Some preferred embodiments further include a wired I/O port  146  (shown in  FIG. 3 ), such as a USB port, which is a standard, mini, micro, or type-C USB port, depending on the embodiment. 
     Bluetooth radio  120  provides a convenient form of I/O communication with mobile devices  124  such as smartphones, and provides image capture eyepiece  100  with an indirect connection to the Internet  126  when connected through 
     Bluetooth to an Internet-connected mobile device  124 , which normally connects to the Internet  126  through a cell tower  128 . Wi-Fi radio  122  allows image capture eyepiece  100  to connect to the Internet  126  through a wireless access point, allowing a user to upload images and video to social media  132 , online storage  134 , or some other Internet  126  host  136  without a Bluetooth connection to an Internet-connected mobile device  124 . Host  136  may be a privately-owned or rented server running software such as MediaGoblin or other media hosting or streaming software, a news website, or other Internet  126  site. Some embodiments of image capture eyepiece  100  allow a user to save images and video to a local network, for example, to a shared drive on a local network device. In such embodiments, Wi-Fi radio  122  also provides access to the local network through the wireless access point. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , image capture eyepiece  100  is illustrated at a particular venue  137 , representing a location in which a user might want to take photographs or video. Venue  137  could be a stadium or arena for a sporting event, a concert hall, a national park, or any other location in which a user of image capture eyepiece  100  might desire to use an image capture eyepiece  100 . 
     Some preferred embodiments of image capture eyepiece  100  receive venue content  138 . Venue content  138  may consist of policies or rules to be automatically implemented by image capture eyepiece  100 , such as a prohibition on photography in certain places, or a prohibition on flash photography. For example, venue  137  might be a museum which includes a policy against flash photography among the venue content  138 ; upon entry into venue  137 , image capture eyepiece  100  would receive the venue content  138 , including the policy against flash photography, and would not use flash inside the venue  137 . As another example, venue  137  might be a protected park area or natural preserve which requests visitors not to provide the location for photographs of certain sites on social media, or to provide only the park or preserve name rather than specific location data. Venue content  138  could provide a policy supporting that request by preventing image capture eyepiece  100  from including location information in image metadata. Venue content  138  may also include advertisements intended for visitors to venue  137 . 
     In some embodiments, venue content  138  is provided to image capture eyepiece  100  over the Internet  126  from a predetermined server. In other embodiments, the venue  137  provides venue content  138  through its own equipment, such as an Internet server, or through a local wireless network, a local radio signal, or other predetermined form of transmission. Geofencing technology may also be used to identify when image capture eyepiece  100  is in venue  137  and affect the operation of image capture eyepiece  100 . In order to prevent unauthorized manipulation or control of image capture eyepiece  100 , or unwanted advertisements from third parties impersonating a venue  137 , when venue content  138  is provided from a specific venue  137 , SSL-based certificate technology or similar security measures are used to identify venue  137  before image capture eyepiece  100  accepts venue content  138 . Some preferred embodiments of image capture eyepiece  100  have recognized certificates preinstalled, which are updated from a trusted source from time to time. Moreover, some embodiments of image capture eyepiece  100  use a database of known venues  137  in refusing all venue content  138  when not in a location corresponding to a known venue  137 . 
     Venue  137  may have a local content display  139 . For example, where venue  137  is a stadium, a jumbotron may be present and act as a local content display  139 . Some venues  137  accept photographs and video from image capture eyepieces  100 , or from mobile devices  124  connected to image capture eyepieces  100 . The venue  137  selects from the received photographs and video for display on local content display  139 . Likewise, some embodiments of image capture eyepiece  100  allow a user to share photographs and video with a broadcast network  130 , such as a network with a license to broadcast sporting events from a particular league, from which the broadcast network  130  selects content to include in its programming. Where broadcast licensing is involved, venue content  138  may include rules limiting livestreaming during events to be performed through the appropriate licensed broadcast network  130  for the duration of the event. A particular venue  137  may also have a particular policy in venue content  138  limiting all livestreaming from image capture eyepieces  100  to one or more specific livestream hosts having an agreement with the venue  137 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, image capture eyepiece  100  is configured to receive services from a particular predetermined primary host  136 A that provides venue content  138  or security certificates for identifying trusted providers of venue content  138 , firmware updates, and other features. In some embodiments, the primary host  136 A also provides social networking and gamification features, such as image and video sharing, contests based on photo or video uploads, the ability to sell captured photographs and video as stock imagery and video, an application programming interface (API) for venues  137  to provide venue content  138  to image capture eyepiece  100  via the primary host  136 A, APIs for additional features and services provided by third parties through the primary host  136 A, or other features. 
     An API may also be provided by the image capture eyepiece  100  itself in order to allow third party applications to provide additional features to the image capture eyepiece  100 . In some embodiments, such third party applications run on connected mobile device  124 ; in other embodiments, the applications run on the hardware of image capture eyepiece  100  itself. In some embodiments, separate APIs are provided, allowing third party developers to develop applications for the image capture eyepiece  100  that run on the mobile device  124  and applications that run on the hardware of the image capture eyepiece  100 . 
     In some embodiments, a website associated with primary host  136 A provides relevant, up-to-the-minute content related to ongoing events by aggregating photos, videos, memes, and comments from users of image capture eyepieces  100  for each venue  137 . Where a rights-holding broadcast network  130  is involved, the website may direct users to a website associated with broadcast network  130  with similar features. This allows an event such as a sports competition to be covered by many cameras, potentially hundreds or thousands, in addition to the limited number of professionally operated cameras filming the event. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , an exemplary preferred embodiment of an image capture eyepiece  100  is illustrated, in which the image capture eyepiece  100  has the form of binoculars designed to look like beverage bottles. Various embodiments have the appearance of different types of beverage bottles, standard binoculars, and other objects. A preferred embodiment has a single camera with a lens  110  and digital imaging circuitry  112 ; the lens  110  may be formed into an end of one of the beverage bottle designs as shown, or may be on a separate piece of hardware attached to the beverage bottle portion of the image capture eyepiece  100 . Viewports  140  display the image being detected by the digital imaging circuitry  112 , and, after an image capture or while using editing features (for example, applying filters or effects, or meme generation) the viewports  140  display the captured image, including any applicable alterations made during editing. 
     Some alternative preferred embodiments provide two lenses  110  with associated digital imaging circuitry  112 , allowing for the creation of stereoscopic or 3D image and video creation. In capturing a stereoscopic image, a left frame image and a right frame image are taken. These may be processed to generate an anaglyph or other presentation format either through onboard software on the image capture eyepiece  100  for immediate upload to social media, or through an external computing device. 3D video is created in a similar manner, capturing a left frame image and a right frame image for each video frame, and processing it into an appropriate video format, such as a two channel video for viewing with a pair of polarized projectors and eyeglasses with polarization filters, anaglyph, alternating frames for use with active shutter glasses, or other 3D video formats known in the art. 
     Other preferred embodiments have two lenses  110  with one lens  110  being a wide-angle or ultra-wide-angle lens, and the other lens  110  providing standard and long-focus views. 
     Some preferred embodiments of image capture eyepiece  100  have buttons  142  for performing common operations such as taking a photograph. An embodiment has a single button  142 , while some other embodiments have a greater number of buttons  142 . In preferred embodiments, these buttons  142  are programmable by the user to be associated with desired operations. 
     A zoom capability is present in some preferred embodiments of image capture eyepiece  100 . In preferred embodiments with zoom capability, at least a portion of the zoom capability is performed by altering the focal length of lens or lenses  110  (“optical zoom”) rather than through digital image processing in order to provide a better optical resolution of the captured image. The zoom feature is activated through zoom buttons  144 . Image stabilization is used to avoid “camera shake,” allowing a user to clearly view and take clear photographs even when the zoom feature is activated. 
     Some preferred embodiments also provide ultra-wide-angle capabilities, allowing image capture eyepiece  100  to capture a wide field of view, generally one-hundred degrees or greater, and in some embodiments up to one-hundred-eighty degrees. Among the benefits of an ultra-wide-angle view is the ability for users in the closest seats to an athletic event to view and photograph the entire field. 
     A physical I/O port  146  in some preferred embodiments allows the image capture eyepiece  100  to communicate with an external computing device when connected using a data cable. The physical I/O port is often used when connecting an image capture eyepiece  100  to a personal computer or laptop without Bluetooth capabilities, or in situations in which Bluetooth is unavailable or undesired for connecting to a mobile device. A wired connection, as with a Bluetooth or other wireless connection, allows for configuration of the image capture eyepiece  100  as discussed in conjunction with  FIGS. 3 and 4  below, as well as transfer of images and video between the image capture eyepiece  100  and the connected device. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , certain preferred embodiments of image capture eyepiece  100  also have a popup screen  148  that rests against the image capture eyepiece  100  in a closed configuration and opens outward to be viewable by a user in an open configuration. A preferred embodiment of screen  148  is a seven-inch screen. Screen  148  combined with zoom features of the image capture eyepiece  100  provide a user with a close-up view of the action in a venue  137 , even when the user has a seat distant from the event itself. Unlike the display on a jumbotron, or viewing the event from a television at home or at a restaurant, popup screen  148  on image capture eyepiece  100  allows the user to zoom in and out at will, and focus on specific portions of the activity according to the user&#39;s own desires. Popup screen  148  combined with zoom and image stabilization features allows the user to get a clear, stable view of the action. In embodiments with ultra-wide-angle capabilities, a user in close-up seating at an event is enabled to see more of the action on popup screen  148 , such as an entire football field, and, as desired, film or photograph the wider view. 
     Popup screen  148  also provides a medium for the display of local advertisements or other notifications from venue content  138 . For example, venue  137  may provide an advertisement for a restaurant located inside or near venue  137 , or safety information, or other content to be displayed on popup screen  148 . 
     A harness  149  is present in some preferred embodiments and allows a user to wear the image capture eyepiece  100  while viewing the popup screen  148 . In a preferred embodiment, harness  149  is designed to be worn around the chest, and holds the image capture eyepiece  100  at a position away from the user&#39;s chest comfortable for viewing popup screen  148 . In an alternate preferred embodiment, harness  149  is designed to be worn on the head, and positions image capture eyepiece  100  upside-down so that popup screen  148  folds downward into a position visible to the user. The user can then move the user&#39;s head to view on the screen  148  a desired object at a desired level of magnification. As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , another preferred embodiment of harness  149  is designed to be worn around the neck, and allows the image capture eyepiece  100  to be angled as needed to record the desired activity. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , an alternate preferred embodiment of an image capture eyepiece  100  of the present invention is illustrated, wherein the eyepiece  100  is shaped like a single bottle. Alternate single-lens embodiments have other bottle shapes, telescope shapes, or are shaped like other objects. In the depicted embodiment and the aforementioned alternate single-lens embodiments, eyepiece  100  has a single lens  110 . A harness  149  (not shown in  FIG. 5 ) and a popup screen  148  (not shown in  FIG. 5 ) adapted to the size of single-lens image capture eyepiece  100  are also present in some embodiments. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , an exemplary user interface  150  is shown in order to illustrate the storage and sharing capabilities of an image capture eyepiece  100  and their configuration. Interface  150  displays categories  152  of destinations to which image capture eyepiece  100  can transfer media. In each category  152  is displayed individual destinations  154 , such as a social media site, a cloud storage host, or other place to post, upload, or otherwise transfer media items such as images and video from the image capture eyepiece  100 . A configuration element  156  is engageable by the user to enter or update settings for that destination  154 , such as a username and password, and any other information that might be necessary to enable image capture eyepiece  100  to transfer media to the corresponding destination  154 . A user may no longer wish to use a particular destination  154 , and so may engage a removal element  158  corresponding to the destination  154  that is no longer desired. A new destination  154  may be added by engaging an add element  160 . The particular details of the interface provided upon engaging an add element  160  depend on the category  152  to which the add element  160  pertains. Alternatively, there may be a single add element  160  for all categories, and the interface shown upon engagement of the add element  160  would adapt as the user selects a category  152  or a destination  154  corresponding to a particular category  152 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the add element  160  corresponding to the social network or social media category  152 , when activated, presents a list of social networks from which the user selects the desired social network to be added, and then provides the user&#39;s login credentials. Likewise, the add element  160  corresponding to the cloud storage category  152 , when activated, presents a list of cloud storage hosts from which the user selects a host and provides credentials. Other types of hosts for which a category  152  is provided in some embodiments have corresponding interfaces requesting the appropriate information. The add element  160  corresponding to the local network storage category  152  presents a slightly different interface when activated in preferred embodiments, since it must request information about the type of storage desired, for example, whether the user wishes to transfer the data to a mobile device (e.g. via Bluetooth), or to a shared drive or file server on the local network, or some other local network storage option. The user then must indicate the particular device desired to be added as a destination  154 , which in some instances will be selectable from an automatically populated list, and in other cases must be entered by the user as a host name, IP address, or some other identifier. Whether a selection list can be automatically populated or whether the user has to enter a previously known identifier will depend on the protocol used, the local network settings, the type of host being selected as a destination  154 , and other factors that vary between specific networks, protocols, and devices. Once a particular storage option is selected as a destination  154 , credentials are entered, if needed, in order that the image capture eyepiece  100  will be able to transfer media to that destination  154 . 
     In some preferred embodiments, the image capture eyepiece  100  will transfer media to all appropriate destinations  154  upon receipt of a user command that includes transferring media. That is, the media will transfer to all destinations  154  configured for receipt of the particular type of media being transferred. For example, in most cases video will be transferred to all destinations  154 , while images will be transferred to all destinations  154  except for video hosting services that don&#39;t support still images. Some alternative preferred embodiments include a toggle element  162  for each destination  154 , which allows a user to temporarily deactivate the corresponding destination  154  without entirely deleting it via the removal element  158 . While a destination  154  is deactivated, media transfer commands will not transfer media to the deactivated destination  154 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , an exemplary user interface  170  is shown in order to illustrate the button  142  programming capabilities of some preferred embodiments of image capture eyepiece  100 . Interface  170  includes an identifier  172  corresponding to each button  142  present on the image capture eyepiece  100 , although identifier  172  may not be present in some embodiments in which image capture eyepiece  100  only has a single programmable button. Associated with each identifier  172  is a user command or action  174 , if an action has been configured for the button  142  corresponding to the particular identifier  172 . The action  174  is a user command that causes the image capture eyepiece  100  to perform an action, such as taking a photo, or a series of actions, such as taking a photo and uploading it to destinations  154  (shown in  FIG. 6 ). An action  174  can be associated with an identifier  172  and its button  142 , removed, or changed by engaging a configuration element  176 . When engaged, configuration element  176  presents an interface allowing a user to add, change, or remove an action  174  with respect to a button  142  identified by the identifier  172  corresponding to the configuration element  176 . In a preferred embodiment, the action  174  that the user desires to associate with the button  142  is selected from a list, which may include an option for no action if the user desires to remove the action  174  associated with that button  142 . 
     While there have been shown what are presently considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.