Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to earlier filed U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/529,460, filed Dec. 12, 2003, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This present invention relates generally to disc jockey equipment and more specifically to video players for disc jockeys. Video players and DVD players have been known in the art for quite some time, however, no DVD player unit on the market exists that has been designed with the disc jockey in mind. Disc jockeys are expanding their repertoire from music alone to performances incorporating video clips. Therefore, there is a perceived need for a video player unit designed for the disc jockey. 
     Moreover, because disc jockeys must be able to arrange their performance on the fly, the video equipment must include two video sources to allow the disc jockey to play media form one unit for his audience while simultaneously load and ready for play media in a second video player unit. The video equipment must also have the ability to switch between the video signals of the two video players to facilitate a seamless performance for the audience. Also, two video sources are commonly mixed to generate unique visual effects. 
     Video sources are typically displayed using video players, such as DVD optical drives. However, these consumer video player units on the market currently lack important features for disc jockeys. First, the units are not built ruggedly enough for transportation between performances. Second, the units lack a second video player unit and often lack critical features to a disc jockey such as being able to set “cue” and “loop points” to allow replay of segments of video and audio. Third, the units lack the ability to immediately play media without any pause due to latency problems in the playback device. Fourth and most importantly, the consumer units lack the ability to synchronize the playback of dual sources of video to enable seamless transition from one video signal to the other. 
     Additionally, the video player unit must be easy to use for the disc jockey so he or she may concentrate on the content of the performance rather than on the operation of the equipment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a custom video player device that solves the deficiencies of the prior art. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, dual video drives in a single rugged chassis are provided with easy to use and comprehensive playback features that the modern disc jockey needs to have an exciting performance. 
     The video player includes a first housing and a second housing. The first housing has a control unit contained therein. The control unit has a first interconnection, a second interconnection. A first user interface, having a selectable setting, is connected to the control unit and is in control of the first interconnection. A second user interface, having a selectable setting, is also connected to the control unit and is in control of the second interconnection. The second housing has a first video drive and a second video drive, and an output contained therein. The first video drive has a first video signal and is connected to the first interconnection. Operation of the first video drive is controlled by the control unit via the first user interface and the first interconnection. The second video player has a second video signal and is connected to the second interconnection. Operation of the second video player is controlled by the control unit via the second user interface and the second interconnection. The first video signal and the second video signal are selectively mixed and routed through the output of the second housing according to the respective settings of the first user interface and the second user interface. 
     Accordingly, among the objects of the instant invention is to provide a video player having a video playback unit with dual video drives for providing two independent video sources, and a control unit connected to the video playback unit. The control unit has two interfaces to control each of the video players in the playback unit, and the interfaces are arranged substantially in a format that is particularly well suited for use by disc jockeys. 
     Another object of the instant invention is to provide a dual video player capable of reading DVD optical media. 
     Yet, another object of the instant invention is to provide a dual video player capable of reading CD optical media. 
     Yet, another object of the instant invention is to provide a dual video player capable of reading MP3 format. 
     Yet, another object of the instant invention is to provide a dual video player having functions to set “cue” and “loop points” to facilitate seamless looping of audio and video. 
     Yet, another object of the instant invention is to provide a dual video player having pitch-bend functions to enable the disc jockey to synchronize the video playback between the two video players. 
     Yet, another object of the instant invention is to provide a dual video player where the video playback and control units are in separate rack-mountable housings. 
     Yet, another object of the instant invention is to provide a dual video player wherein the playback of video is immediate upon activating the play controls of the device. 
     Yet, another object of the instant invention is to provide a dual video player that is compatible with NTSC and PAL television systems. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the instant invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the instant invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of the preferred embodiment of the instant invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a close-up front view of the first interface of the instant invention of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a close-up view of the display of the instant invention of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the figures, the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown generally in  FIGS. 1–3  at  10 . As will hereinafter be more fully described, the present invention is a dual video player for disc jockeys having a video playback unit  100  and a control unit  200 . The playback unit has a first video drive  110  and a second video drive  112 . The control unit  200  is connected to the playback unit  100  and controls the operation thereof. The control unit has two interfaces  210 ,  212  to allow independent control of each of the video drives  110 ,  112 . The interfaces  210 ,  212  are arranged substantially in a format for ease of use by disc jockeys. In particular, the video drives  110 ,  112  are positioned side-by-side in a single housing  202  with displays positioned proximal thereto with pitch controls included for easy mixing of the outputs of the video drives  110 ,  112 . 
     The playback unit  100  of the present invention has playback housing  102  with a front and a rear panel  104 ,  106 . Extending from the edges of the playback housing are rack mounts  108 . The rack mounts  108  and playback housing  102  are configured so that the playback unit  100  is mountable within a standard nineteen-inch rack, which disc jockeys commonly use. Within the housing of the playback unit  100  are a first and second video drives  110 ,  112 , which are preferably DVD optical drives, but could be other removable-media type video drives such as VCD and 5VCD compatible optical drives. The first and second video drives  110 ,  112  could also be CD+G format compatible to facilitate Karaoke performances. It should be understood that video is meant to include associated audio, if desired. 
     The appropriate media (e.g. DVD, VCD, 5VCD, or CD+G discs) is loaded into one of the video drives  110 ,  112  through the front panel  104  of the playback unit  100  by activating the appropriate first and second eject controls  114 ,  116 , which are located on the front panel  104  and between the first and second video drives  110 ,  112 . To turn the dual video player  10  on and off, a power switch  118  is located on the front panel  104  of the playback unit  100  and just below the eject controls  114 ,  116 . 
     Another unique feature of the video player  10  is the ability for the system to be upgraded by using the video drives  110 ,  112 . The disc jockey loads media pre-loaded with an upgrade package into the video drives  110 ,  112  and then the video player  10  will automatically detect and install the upgrade. The disc jockey may obtain an upgrade either by downloading it through the internet and storing it on appropriate media, obtaining a copy from a distributor, or ordering it direct from the manufacturer. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the rear panel  106  of the playback unit  100  includes a number of connectors including a power input  120 , master video output  122 , a first and second S-video outputs  124 ,  126 , a first and second composite video outputs  128 ,  130 , a first and second RCA audio outputs  132 ,  134 , a first and second coaxial digital audio outputs  136 ,  138 , and a first and second control connectors  140 ,  142 . Collectively, the outputs  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130 ,  132 ,  134 ,  136 ,  138  mentioned above, are all internally connected to the respective video drive  110 ,  112 . The power input  120  is connected to a power source (not shown) via a standard power cable (not shown) commonly used for consumer electronic devices. The first and second control connectors  140 ,  142  are connected to the control unit  200 , described in more detail below, to enable the control unit  200  to operate the playback unit  100 . The digital audio outputs  136 ,  138  are also capable of transmitting raw output in addition to digital output, such as Dolby 5.1 audio, depending on the audio source. 
     Referring back now to  FIGS. 1–3 , the control unit  200  of the present invention has a control unit housing  202  with a front and a rear panel  204 ,  206 . Extending from the edges of the control unit housing  202  are rack mounts  208 . The rack mounts  208  and control unit housing  202  are configured so that the control unit  200  is mountable within a standard nineteen-inch rack, which disc jockeys commonly use. The control unit has a first and a second interfaces  210 ,  212  located on the front panel  204 . Each interface  210 ,  212  independently controls a corresponding video drive  110 ,  112  of the playback unit  100  via a number of controls that are arranged in substantially the same format as the other interface  210 ,  212 . Each interface also has a display  214 ,  216 , described in more detail below, to inform the disc jockey of operation statistics, modes and content of the dual video player  10 . On the rear panel  206  of the control unit housing  202  of the control unit  200 , are first and second control connectors  201 ,  203 . The first and second control connectors  201 ,  203  are connected to the respective first and second control connectors  140 ,  142  on the rear panel  106  of the playback unit housing  102  of the playback unit  100  via a pair of control cables (not shown). 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a close-up view of the first interface is  210  shown and will be discussed in detail. It is to be understood, however, that this discussion is equally applicable to the second interface  212  and is merely explained only once as a matter of convenience. The first interface  210  has a set of menu navigation controls  218  including a menu control  220 , arrow controls  222  and an enter control  224 . The menu navigation controls  218  enable the disc jockey to navigate through menus that may exist in video media content such as DVDs. Specifically, the menu control  220  activates the menu section of a DVD, for compatible DVDs. The adjacent arrow controls  222  enable the disc jockey to navigate through the menu to find the content he or she wishes to view. Typically, such content is organized according to track and chapter. Activation of the enter control  224  allows selection of the content for viewing. The arrow controls  224  also have the additional functions of adjusting the viewable portion of the video content that has been magnified or “zoomed,” editing and creating play lists, and setting the dual video player&#39;s 10 settings. These functions will be more fully described below. 
     Also, on the first interface  210  of the control unit  200  are a set of playback controls  226 . The playback controls  226  include play  228 , pause  230 , cue  232 , fast-forward  234 , rewind  236 , next track  238 , previous track  240 , slow motion  242 , and program  244  controls. Each of the identified playback controls  226  operates the first video drive  110  of the playback unit  100  according to its namesake. Accordingly, the play control  228  starts playback of video on the first video drive  110  and the pause control  230  pauses playback of video on the first video drive  110 . The play and pause controls  228 ,  230  also have the function of setting an initial cue point (not shown) within the video playback of the first video drive  110 . During playback, the cue control  232  will return the video playback to the last cue point set by either the play or pause controls  228 ,  230 . The fast-forward and the rewind controls  234 ,  236  start playback of video at high speed either in forward or reverse play, respectively. Activating either the fast-forward or the rewind controls  234 ,  236  repeatedly will cycle through playback speeds of X 2 , X 4 , X 8 , X 16 , and X 32 . Activating either control  234 ,  236  while set at speed X 32  will restart the cycle at the beginning. The slow motion control  242 , which slows forward playback of the first video drive  110 , can be cycled through four speed settings. The next track and previous track controls  238 ,  240  advance forward or backward by one track or chapter the playback of video from the first video drive  110 . The program control  244  activates a menu where the disc jockey can use the menu navigation controls  218  to reorder the order of play of the tracks and chapters on media within the first video drive  110 . 
     The first interface  210  also has a pitch fader  246  for fine adjustment of the playback pitch/speed. This feature is incredibly important to the performance of the disc jockey because it enables him or her, when used in conjunction with the other pitch controls, to synchronize the tempo of the playback of the first and second video drives  110 ,  112  with each other. Synchronizing the tempo allows the disc jockey to seamlessly switch from the playback of first video drive  110  to playback from the second video drive  112  and vice versa. 
     Complimentary to the pitch fader  246  are the pitch bend control  248   a ,  248   b , and pitch activation control  250 . The pitch activation control  250  disables and enables the pitch fader  246  and the pitch bend control  248   a ,  248   b . This keeps the disc jockey from accidentally bumping the pitch fader  246  or the pitch bend control  248   a ,  248   b  during performance after he or she has already selected the desired settings. The pitch bend control  248   a ,  248   b  momentarily increases or decreases, as desired, the tempo of the playback of the first video drive  110 . This enables the disc jockey, once he or she has synchronized the tempo of the playback of both video drives  110 ,  112  using the pitch fader  246 , to match the bass beats of both video drives  110 ,  112 . 
     Just below the pitch activation  250  is the loop control  252 . When activated a first time during playback, the loop control  252  sets a loop-start point. Activating the loop control  252  a second time simultaneously sets a loop-end point and immediately restarts playback at the loop-start point. The video playback will then continuously play between the loop-start and loop-end points until the loop control  252  is activated a third time. 
     The first interface  210  also has a setup control  254 , which activates a menu (not shown) where the disc jockey can set equipment settings and parameters using the menu navigation controls  218 . The setup menu is split into several sub-menus including language setup, screen setup, audio setup, custom setup features and settings (including a parental lock feature). These features are standard on most consumer electronic devices and are not critical to the present invention. Therefore, they will not be discussed in detail. 
     The first interface  210  also has a set of function controls  256 . The function controls  256  include title  258 , subtitle  260 , volume adjust  262   a ,  262   b , key adjust  264   a ,  264   b , angle  266 , and zoom  268  controls. The title function control  258  activates the title menu content of a DVD if such content exists. Similarly, the subtitle function control  260  activates any subtitle content on subtitle compatible DVDs. The volume adjust control  262   a ,  262   b  adjusts the output volume up or down as desired. The key adjust control  264   a ,  264   b  adjusts the key of the audio up or down as desired for compatible DVDs. The angle function control  266  cycles through multiple angles of compatible DVDs. Finally, the zoom function control  268  allows the picture to be enlarged by a factor of X 2  or X 4 . Activating the zoom function control  268  multiple times cycles through these choices. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , located on the first interface is a first display  214 , which displays information to the disc jockey about the current settings of the dual video player  10  and media being played in the playback unit  100 . The first display  214  and second display  216  are identical in all respects with the exception that the first display  214  displays relevant statistics and settings of the first video drive  110 , and the second display  216  does likewise for the second video drive  112 . Therefore, only the first display  214  will be described solely as a matter of convenience and it is to be understood that this discussion is equally applicable to the second display  216 . 
     The first display  214  has a number of indicators including a media type  270 , play mode  272 , title number  274 , chapter/track number  276 , total  278 , program  280 , Dolby Digital/DTS  282 , angle  284 , elapsed time  286 , and parental lock  288  indicators. The media type indicator  270  displays the type of media (e.g. DVD, CD, or VCD) in the first video drive  110 . The play mode indicator  272  indicates if the first video drive  110  is playing or paused, and shows the repeat modes that are currently in use, if any. If the video drive  110  is stopped, the entire screen will display “STOP.” The title number indicator  274  shows the title number of the current media being played. The chapter/track number indicator  276  shows the current chapter or track number. The total indicator  278  indicates if the time is the total elapsed time on the media or track/chapter. The program indicator  280  indicates is the dual video player  10  is currently in a set program. The Dolby Digital/DTS indicator  282  indicates if a compatible DVD has Dolby Digital or DTS audio enabled. The angle indicator  284  indicates if a separate angle is in use (as set by the angle function control  266  described above) while the media in playing. The elapsed time indicator  286  indicates the elapsed time for the media. Finally, the parental lock indicator  288  indicates if the parental locking feature is engaged as set through the custom setup features menu of the setup control  254 . 
     Referring back to  FIG. 4  now, located on the front panel  104  of the control unit  200  and between the interfaces  210 ,  212 , is a master video switch  290  for controlling the output of the playback unit  100 . The master video switch  290  is a critical component to the disc jockey because it enables him or her to select the video that will be displayed during the performance. Alternatively, the disc jockey can display a black screen instead of video. This feature is useful to the disc jockey because it allows the disc jockey to display nothing during the performance when the disc jockey needs to switch the media that is loaded in the video drives  110 ,  112 , or when the disc jockey needs an intermission between sets. No other video player currently on the market incorporates such a video switch. 
     The master video switch  290  has a first and second output switch  292 ,  294 , a first and second On Screen Display (“OSD”) controls  296 ,  298 , a blackout control  300 , and three indicators (vid 1  indicator  302 , vid 2  indicator  304 , and a black indicator  306 ). Activating either the first or second output switch  292 ,  294  selects the first or second video drives  110 ,  112 , respectively, to output through the master video output  116 . Activating the blackout control  300  blacks out output of the master video output  116 . The indicators vid 1   302 , vid 2   304  and black  306 , indicate which output control  292 ,  294 ,  300  has been selected for output through the master video output  116 . The OSD controls  296 ,  298  suppress any text generated from the video drive  110 ,  112  themselves from displaying through the master video output  116 . This is useful to a disc jockey to prevent the video drive&#39;s  110 ,  112  functions (e.g. play, pause, fast forward, rewind, etc.) from being displayed to the audience during the disc jockey&#39;s performance. 
     The first interface  210  also has an eject control  308 , which ejects media from the first video drive  110  of the playback unit  100 . This control is in addition to and functions the same as the eject control  114  located on the playback unit  100 . This extra eject control  308  has been added for the convenience of the disc jockey. 
     The first interface  210  also has a random control  310 , which when activated selects from among the available titles on the current media within the first video drive  110  at random. Once activated, titles will continually be selected at random. Activating the random control  310  a second time disables this feature and resumes normal sequential play. 
     The first interface  210  also has a repeat control  312  with four modes: disabled, chapter/track, title, and entire media. The repeat control enables continuous repeat play of either the entire media within the first video drive  110 , the current title, or the current chapter/track. The disabled mode resumes normal play. Activating the repeat control  312  repeatedly cycles through the modes of play. 
     The first interface  210  also has a display control  314 , which toggles the elapsed time indicator  286  to display the time elapsed in the track, the time remaining in the track, and the total time remaining. Activating the display control  314  repeatedly cycles through these display modes. 
       FIG. 6  shows an alternative embodiment of a video player  400  of the present invention where the control unit  402 , first video player  404 , and second video player  406  are contained within a single main housing  408 . It should be understood that the functionality of the video player  400  is the same as the video player  10  of the preferred embodiment of the present invention as discussed in detail above. Some users of the present invention may prefer a single housing  408  rather than the separate housings  102 ,  202  of the preferred embodiment  10 . Similarly, monitor units for the disc jockey could be incorporated in the housing  202  the control unit  200  of the preferred embodiment or the main housing  408  of the alternative embodiment  400 . 
     While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Category: 5