CA2270003A1 - Video camera with eyeglass interface - Google Patents
Video camera with eyeglass interface Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2270003A1 CA2270003A1 CA 2270003 CA2270003A CA2270003A1 CA 2270003 A1 CA2270003 A1 CA 2270003A1 CA 2270003 CA2270003 CA 2270003 CA 2270003 A CA2270003 A CA 2270003A CA 2270003 A1 CA2270003 A1 CA 2270003A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- camera
- user
- video
- recording
- display
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Landscapes
- Studio Devices (AREA)
Abstract
A video camera and display device includes an eyeglass unit, a camera device mounted to the eyeglass unit for producing a video signal, and a display screen mounted on the eyeglass unit for displaying images in response to the video signal. The display screen device is positioned to display the images within a field of view of the user while simultaneously allowing the user to directly view the scene being captured by the camera device. The video signal can be transmitted to a remote recording and control device for recording. The eyeglass unit can include two lenses, the display screen device being positioned behind one of said lenses.
Description
-1_ VIDEO CAMERA WITH EYEGLASS INTERFACE
This invention relates to portable video cameras.
Portable video cameras have been around for some time. However, such systems are often bulky and require that the user hold and aim the camera with at least one hand, which can be tiring after extended periods of time. Despite modem picture stabilization techniques, hand held cameras often produce a shaky picture as a result of movement of the user's hand. Hand held cameras can also be subject to being sporadically directed away from the user's line of site if the user is momentarily distracted. Some video camera devices have been conceived in attempts to solve these problems. For example, U.S. patent No. 4,516,157 issued May 7, 1985 to M. G. Campbell discloses a video recording device an~anged to be worn by the user like a pair of spectacles. A miniature camera is mounted on the spectacle frame to record the scene in front of the user. A view finder is provided on one of the lenses of the spectacles for indicating what portion of the scene is available to the television camera. However, the view finder consists only of physical markings located on one of the lenses, and the user is unable to see the actual video image being recorded by the video camera while making the recording..
U.S. patent No. 5,583,571 issued December 10, 1996 to M. Friedland discloses a hands free video camera system which includes a headband that allows a compact camera to be strapped to a user's head. Again, the video camera system disclosed in this patent does not provide the user with real time viewing of the images being recorded.
It is therefore desirable to provide a compact, hands free video camera device which will track the user's line of sight while allowing the user to view a real time image of what is being filmed by the video camera. It is also desirable to provide such device which allows the user to view the scene directly while simultaneously looking at the generated image.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a video camera and display device comprising an eyeglass unit adapted to be worn on a user's head, a camera device mounted to the eyeglass unit for creating a video signal representing scenes captured by the camera device, and a display screen device mounted on the eyeglass unit for displaying images in response to the video signal, the display screen device being positioned to display the images within a field of view of the user while simultaneously allowing the user to directly view the scene being captured by the camera device.
Preferably, the display screen device is positioned to display said image only within the field of view of one of the user's eyes and the field of view of the user's other eye is substantially unobstructed. The eyeglass unit can include a frame with two lenses having forward and rearward surfaces, the lenses being arranged so that in use one of the lenses will be positioned in front of one of the user's eyes and the other of the lenses will be positioned in front of the other of the user's eyes, the display screen device having a screen located behind the rearward surface of one of the lenses, the other lens being substantially transparent.
The video camera and display device can include a video recording and control device remote from the eyeglass unit, and transmission means for transmitting and receiving signals between the camera device and the remote video recording and control device such that the video signal can be recorded by, and the operation of the camera device controlled from, the remote video recording and control device. Preferably, the camera device has zoom capability that can be controlled by the user through the remote recording and control device.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a video camera and display device comprising an eyeglass unit adapted to be worn on a user's head, a camera device mounted to said eyeglass unit for creating a video signal representing scenes located in front of the camera device, a display screen device mounted on said eyeglass unit for displaying images in response to the video signal, the display screen device being positioned to display the images within a field of view of the user while simultaneously allowing the user to directly view the scene located in front of the camera device, and transmission means for transmitting the video signal to a remote recording device.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a video camera and recording device comprising an eyeglass unit adapted to be worn on a user's head, a camera device mounted to the eyeglass unit and arranged to create a real-time video signal representing a portion of a nonmal field of view of the user, a display screen device mounted on the eyeglass unit for displaying a real-time image in response to the video signal, the display screen device being positioned to display the image within a field of view of the user, and a recording and control device in communication with the camera device for recording the video image and controlling the operation of the camera device.
Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view taken from the front of a video camera and display device of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the video camera and display device of Figure 1 taken from the rear and the right side;
Figure 3 is a front view of an electronic circuit module of the video camera and display device;
Figure 4 is a cross sectional detail showing a display screen, this cross section being taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a cross sectional detail showing a camera device, this cross section being taken along the line V-V of Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portable remote video recording device for use with the video camera and display device;
Figure 7 illustrates cables that can be used to connect the remote video recording device to the video camera and display device;
Figure 8 is another perspective view of the video recording device of Figure 6 showing the device in an upright position and showing the use of an LCD
viewing panel; and Figure 9 is a perspective view of a remote control device for controlling the operation of the video recording device.
With reference to Figure 1, the video camera and display device of the present invention includes an eyeglass unit, indicated generally by 10, having a frame 11 which houses a first lens 12 and a second lens 14. Two rearwardiy extending side arm supports 16 and 18 are connected by flexible connectors 19 to the frame 11. The side arm supports 16 and 18 are configured to hook around the user's ears in conventional eyeglass manner in order to secure the eyeglass unit 10 to the user's head. The frame 11 includes a central bridge section 20 designed to rest on the user's nose.
Mounted in the bridge section 20 of the frame 11 is a forwardly directed camera lens 22. The first lens 12 of the eyeglass unit is constructed of transparent or substantially transparent material so that when the eyeglass unit 10 is worn by a user, the user's eye that is positioned behind the first lens 12 will have a largely unobstructed field of view. An electronic circuit module 24 (shown in phantom in Figure 1) is mounted on the back of the second lens 14 and the bridge section 20.
The electronic circuit module 24 includes one or more populated circuit boards, and a moulded plastic cover to which the circuit boards are secured. The circuit module 24 is shaped so that it substantially confornls to the back of the lens and bridge section 20. The electronic circuit module 24 substantially blocks the field of view which would otherwise be provided through the second lens 14.
1~0 With reference to Figure 3, mounted on a circuit board of module 24 is an image capture device 26 positioned behind the camera lens 22 for capturing images provided by light entering the lens 22 (see Figure 5). Image capture device 26 is preferably a commercially available solid-state charge-coupled device (CCD) which uses discrete light sensing elements to convert light photons into a voltage signal representing the image received by the CCD. Module 24 also includes a frame grabber chip 28 that is connected to the CCD 26 for receiving the voltage signal output by the CCD 26. The frame grabber chip 28, CCD 26, and lens 22 together provide a video camera device 25 which can create a real time video signal representing the image in front of the lens 22.
The electronic circuit module 24 also includes a display screen device 30 which is connected to the frame grabber chip 28 for displaying a real-time image in response to a video signal output by the frame grabber chip 28. As best seen in Figures 2 and 4, the display screen device 30 includes a rearward facing display screen 32 for displaying the real time video image. The display screen 32 is positioned so that it can be viewed by the user through the user's eye which is located behind the second lens 14 when the eyeglass unit is worn by the user, which allows the user to view the image that is being captured by the video camera device of the eyeglass unit 10. The display screen device 30 is preferably a commercially available device having circuit means for converting the video signal output of the frame grabber chip 28 into a series of real-time images displayed on the video screen 32, which is preferably a small LCD screen.
The electronic circuit module 24 further includes an audio microphone 34 positioned above the CCD 26. As best seen in Figure 1, a forward portion of the microphone 34 is located within a slot 36 provided through the bridge 20 of the eyeglass frame 11. An infrared detector 38 is also included in the electronic circuit module 24 beneath the CCD 26. As best seen in Figure 1, a hole is provided through the bridge 20 to accommodate a forward end of the infrared detector 3 8.
The electronic circuit module 24 includes a number of lead lines 40 leading from each of the electronic devices 26, 28, 30, 34 and 38 to four electrical connectors 42 through 48, which are located along the side of the electronic circuit module 24 that is located closest to the side arm support 18. The electrical connector 42 is connected to the audio microphone 34, the electrical connector 44 is connected to each of the electronic devices 26, 28, 30 and 34 for providing power to these devices, and the electrical connector 46 is connected to the frame grabber chip 28, which in turn is connected to the CCD 26. The electrical connector 48 is connected to the infrared detector 38.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a number of electrical ports are arranged along one side arm support of the eyeglass unit 10. The electrical ports 50, 52, 54 and 56 are each connected by flexible (not shown) conductors to the electrical connectors 42, 44, 46 and 48, respectively. These ports are provided to allow the eyeglass unit 10 to be connected by conductors 60 (shown in Figure ~ to a remote recording and control device 58, shown in Figures 6 and 8. The recording and control device 58 comprises a generally box-like housing 62, which is small and light enough to be easily carried at the user's side by means of a carrying strap 64 _7_ (or by some other carrying means such as a belt attachment). The housing 62 houses a video recording device 66, which in the preferred embodiment is a digital video disk (DVD) recording device, although other types of recording devices would be suitable as well.
An audio port 68, a power supply port 70, a video signal port 72 and an infrared port 74 are provided on the housing 62 for connection by electrical conductors 60 to the ports 50, 52, 54 and 56, respectively, of the eyeglass unit 10.
These connections allow the recording and control device 58 to control the operation of, and receive signals from, the video camera device 25, microphone and infrared detector 3 8 which are mounted in the electronic circuit module 24 of the eyeglass unit 10.
The recording and control device 58 includes a removable battery 76 which functions as the power supply for the recording and control device 58 and also the electronic components of the eyeglass unit 10. The battery 76 is preferably detachably mounted to the housing 62 so that it can be replaced and recharged as required.
As best illustrated in Figure 8, the recording and control device 58 preferably includes an integrally mounted LCD screen 78. The screen 78 is mounted to the housing 62 in such a manner that it can be rotated as indicated by the arrows 80 in order to facilitate viewing, and also folded flat against the housing 62 when not in use. An audio speaker 82 is also included in the recording device. With reference to Figure 6, a further strap 84 may be mounted on one side of the housing 58 through which the user's hand can be extended. A number of control buttons 86, 88 and 90 are preferably located on the housing 58 in such a manner that they can be activated by a user who has his or her hand inserted through strap 84. The button 90 is preferably a main power switch which activates _$.
and deactivates the recording and control device 58 and the electronic circuitry of the eyeglass unit 10. The button 86 is a recording button which controls the recording function of the recording and control device 58. Button 88 is a three position switch which allows the user to zoom in and zoom out on a particular scene being captured by the CCD 26. A further lock/standby/record button 92 is also located on the housing to allow the recording and control device 58 to be operated in various modes. In lock mode, the device will not record at all, even if the recording button 86 is pressed. In standby mode, recording will occur when the recording button 86 is pressed. In recording mode, recording will occur continuously regardless of whether the recording button 86 is pressed. The recording and control device 58 also includes a variety of conventional play-back controls, illustrated generally by 94 for playing back and editing an image which has been recorded by DVD 66. The recording and control device 58 is preferably constructed in a manner similar to well known video camera recording devices which are commonly available, and thus the actual electronic circuitry of the device 58 will not be disclosed in any greater detail.
The lens 12 and 14 of the eyeglass unit 10 are preferably mirrored or darkened so that the presence of the electronic circuit module 24 behind the lens 14 is not readily apparent to other persons. The infrared detector 38 is provided to allow the operation of the recording and control device 58 to be controlled by a wireless remote infrared controller 96 (see Figure 9). The infrared detector relays commands received from controller 96 to recording and control unit 58 via ports 56 and 74 and a conductor 60.
Preferably, the video camera device 25 of the present invention includes a zoom facility which is achieved electronically by having the frame grabber chip 28 select a smaller or larger area of the image captured by the CCD 26. In this regard, the CCD must have sufficient light sensing elements to provide acceptable resolution. Preferably, the lens 22 is a single element lens having a short focal length so that the camera device 25 does not need to have focal adjustment.
With reference to the figures, the operation of the present invention will now be described. In use, the user would place the eyeglass unit 10 on his head.
Power to and control of the functions of the electronic circuit module 24 would be provided by the recording and control device 58 via electrical connectors 60 extending from the ports 68 through 72 on the recording and control device 58 to the ports 50 through 54 located on the support arm 18. When the switch 90 is in the "on" position, the camera device 25 will capture images located in the direction in which the user points his head. In this regard, it will be appreciated that the camera device 25 is effectively capturing a portion of the image which would normally be in the field of view of the user. The signals generated by the CCD are provided to the frame grabber chip 28 which outputs a video signal suitable for display by the display screen device 30. The video signal provided to the display screen device 30 is also provided, via port 46, to the recording and control device 58. It will be understood that the image displayed by the display screen device 30 is the same image that will be recorded by the DVD recording device 66, and that the image displayed by the display screen device 30 is et~ectively a real time representation of the image being captured by CCD 26.
Thus, the eyeglass unit 10 allows the user to have a substantially unobstructed direct field of view with one eye through lens 12, while simultaneously allowing the user's other eye to view the images that are being sent by the camera device 25 to the recording and control device 58. This allows the user to record the exact images which he wants to obtain without requiring the user to hold a video camera up to his eye. Thus, the user is able to record for long periods of time without worrying about arm fatigue.
The recording and control device 58 can be operated by the buttons located on its housing 62, or by the infrared control device 96 in a conventional manner in order to record the images being provided by the video camera device 25.
Activating the zoom button 88 on the housing 62 causes frame grabber chip 28 to capture the signal from a greater number of the light sensing elements of the CCD
26 (in the case of zoom-out) and fewer of the signals generated by light sensing elements of the CCD 26 (in the case of zoom-in). The result of the zoom-in or zoom-out operation is immediately displayed by display screen device 30. In addition to recording the video signal output by the eyeglass unit 10, the recording and control device 58 is also able to record an audio signal to accompany the video signal, via the audio microphone 34.
The video picture which has been recorded by DVD recording device 66 can be played back at any time for display on the I,CD screen 78 that is mounted to the housing 62. Accompanying audio playback is provided by speaker 82.
Preferably, the recording and control device 58 and electronic circuit module are configured so that the recorded signal can be transmitted to the electronic circuit module 24 and viewed through the display screen device 30.
It will be appreciated that the eyeglass unit 10 could take a number of different configurations other than that described above and still allow the user to view a scene directly and also at the same time view the images being captured by the camera device 25. For example, the eyeglass unit 10 could have a single front wrap around lens rather than separated lenses 12 and 14. Furthermore, the camera lens 22 could be provided in a different location, such as behind lens 14 for example. Additionally, the eyeglass unit 10 could be packaged as a visor for a helmet. Also, the module 24 could be constructed so that it did not entirely obstruct the view from behind lens 14, thus allowing the eye behind lens 14 to view screen 32 and also the real world beyond the lens 14.
Although as described above, power for the electronic circuit module 24 is provided by a battery contained in the remote recording and control device 58, it will be appreciated that the eyeglass unit 10 could be constructed with a local power source such as a battery removably mounted on unit 10. Having a local power source would allow the electronic circuit module 24 to use transmission means other than physical wires 60 for communicating with the recording and control device 58. For example, radio wave transmission and reception devices could be located on each of the eyeglass unit 10 and the recording and control device 58 to allow them to communicate. In such a situation, it may not even be necessary for the user to carry around the recording and control device 58, as the user could use remote infrared control device 96 to control the functions of the recording and control device 58 within a certain physical range.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the following claims.
This invention relates to portable video cameras.
Portable video cameras have been around for some time. However, such systems are often bulky and require that the user hold and aim the camera with at least one hand, which can be tiring after extended periods of time. Despite modem picture stabilization techniques, hand held cameras often produce a shaky picture as a result of movement of the user's hand. Hand held cameras can also be subject to being sporadically directed away from the user's line of site if the user is momentarily distracted. Some video camera devices have been conceived in attempts to solve these problems. For example, U.S. patent No. 4,516,157 issued May 7, 1985 to M. G. Campbell discloses a video recording device an~anged to be worn by the user like a pair of spectacles. A miniature camera is mounted on the spectacle frame to record the scene in front of the user. A view finder is provided on one of the lenses of the spectacles for indicating what portion of the scene is available to the television camera. However, the view finder consists only of physical markings located on one of the lenses, and the user is unable to see the actual video image being recorded by the video camera while making the recording..
U.S. patent No. 5,583,571 issued December 10, 1996 to M. Friedland discloses a hands free video camera system which includes a headband that allows a compact camera to be strapped to a user's head. Again, the video camera system disclosed in this patent does not provide the user with real time viewing of the images being recorded.
It is therefore desirable to provide a compact, hands free video camera device which will track the user's line of sight while allowing the user to view a real time image of what is being filmed by the video camera. It is also desirable to provide such device which allows the user to view the scene directly while simultaneously looking at the generated image.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a video camera and display device comprising an eyeglass unit adapted to be worn on a user's head, a camera device mounted to the eyeglass unit for creating a video signal representing scenes captured by the camera device, and a display screen device mounted on the eyeglass unit for displaying images in response to the video signal, the display screen device being positioned to display the images within a field of view of the user while simultaneously allowing the user to directly view the scene being captured by the camera device.
Preferably, the display screen device is positioned to display said image only within the field of view of one of the user's eyes and the field of view of the user's other eye is substantially unobstructed. The eyeglass unit can include a frame with two lenses having forward and rearward surfaces, the lenses being arranged so that in use one of the lenses will be positioned in front of one of the user's eyes and the other of the lenses will be positioned in front of the other of the user's eyes, the display screen device having a screen located behind the rearward surface of one of the lenses, the other lens being substantially transparent.
The video camera and display device can include a video recording and control device remote from the eyeglass unit, and transmission means for transmitting and receiving signals between the camera device and the remote video recording and control device such that the video signal can be recorded by, and the operation of the camera device controlled from, the remote video recording and control device. Preferably, the camera device has zoom capability that can be controlled by the user through the remote recording and control device.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a video camera and display device comprising an eyeglass unit adapted to be worn on a user's head, a camera device mounted to said eyeglass unit for creating a video signal representing scenes located in front of the camera device, a display screen device mounted on said eyeglass unit for displaying images in response to the video signal, the display screen device being positioned to display the images within a field of view of the user while simultaneously allowing the user to directly view the scene located in front of the camera device, and transmission means for transmitting the video signal to a remote recording device.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a video camera and recording device comprising an eyeglass unit adapted to be worn on a user's head, a camera device mounted to the eyeglass unit and arranged to create a real-time video signal representing a portion of a nonmal field of view of the user, a display screen device mounted on the eyeglass unit for displaying a real-time image in response to the video signal, the display screen device being positioned to display the image within a field of view of the user, and a recording and control device in communication with the camera device for recording the video image and controlling the operation of the camera device.
Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view taken from the front of a video camera and display device of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the video camera and display device of Figure 1 taken from the rear and the right side;
Figure 3 is a front view of an electronic circuit module of the video camera and display device;
Figure 4 is a cross sectional detail showing a display screen, this cross section being taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a cross sectional detail showing a camera device, this cross section being taken along the line V-V of Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portable remote video recording device for use with the video camera and display device;
Figure 7 illustrates cables that can be used to connect the remote video recording device to the video camera and display device;
Figure 8 is another perspective view of the video recording device of Figure 6 showing the device in an upright position and showing the use of an LCD
viewing panel; and Figure 9 is a perspective view of a remote control device for controlling the operation of the video recording device.
With reference to Figure 1, the video camera and display device of the present invention includes an eyeglass unit, indicated generally by 10, having a frame 11 which houses a first lens 12 and a second lens 14. Two rearwardiy extending side arm supports 16 and 18 are connected by flexible connectors 19 to the frame 11. The side arm supports 16 and 18 are configured to hook around the user's ears in conventional eyeglass manner in order to secure the eyeglass unit 10 to the user's head. The frame 11 includes a central bridge section 20 designed to rest on the user's nose.
Mounted in the bridge section 20 of the frame 11 is a forwardly directed camera lens 22. The first lens 12 of the eyeglass unit is constructed of transparent or substantially transparent material so that when the eyeglass unit 10 is worn by a user, the user's eye that is positioned behind the first lens 12 will have a largely unobstructed field of view. An electronic circuit module 24 (shown in phantom in Figure 1) is mounted on the back of the second lens 14 and the bridge section 20.
The electronic circuit module 24 includes one or more populated circuit boards, and a moulded plastic cover to which the circuit boards are secured. The circuit module 24 is shaped so that it substantially confornls to the back of the lens and bridge section 20. The electronic circuit module 24 substantially blocks the field of view which would otherwise be provided through the second lens 14.
1~0 With reference to Figure 3, mounted on a circuit board of module 24 is an image capture device 26 positioned behind the camera lens 22 for capturing images provided by light entering the lens 22 (see Figure 5). Image capture device 26 is preferably a commercially available solid-state charge-coupled device (CCD) which uses discrete light sensing elements to convert light photons into a voltage signal representing the image received by the CCD. Module 24 also includes a frame grabber chip 28 that is connected to the CCD 26 for receiving the voltage signal output by the CCD 26. The frame grabber chip 28, CCD 26, and lens 22 together provide a video camera device 25 which can create a real time video signal representing the image in front of the lens 22.
The electronic circuit module 24 also includes a display screen device 30 which is connected to the frame grabber chip 28 for displaying a real-time image in response to a video signal output by the frame grabber chip 28. As best seen in Figures 2 and 4, the display screen device 30 includes a rearward facing display screen 32 for displaying the real time video image. The display screen 32 is positioned so that it can be viewed by the user through the user's eye which is located behind the second lens 14 when the eyeglass unit is worn by the user, which allows the user to view the image that is being captured by the video camera device of the eyeglass unit 10. The display screen device 30 is preferably a commercially available device having circuit means for converting the video signal output of the frame grabber chip 28 into a series of real-time images displayed on the video screen 32, which is preferably a small LCD screen.
The electronic circuit module 24 further includes an audio microphone 34 positioned above the CCD 26. As best seen in Figure 1, a forward portion of the microphone 34 is located within a slot 36 provided through the bridge 20 of the eyeglass frame 11. An infrared detector 38 is also included in the electronic circuit module 24 beneath the CCD 26. As best seen in Figure 1, a hole is provided through the bridge 20 to accommodate a forward end of the infrared detector 3 8.
The electronic circuit module 24 includes a number of lead lines 40 leading from each of the electronic devices 26, 28, 30, 34 and 38 to four electrical connectors 42 through 48, which are located along the side of the electronic circuit module 24 that is located closest to the side arm support 18. The electrical connector 42 is connected to the audio microphone 34, the electrical connector 44 is connected to each of the electronic devices 26, 28, 30 and 34 for providing power to these devices, and the electrical connector 46 is connected to the frame grabber chip 28, which in turn is connected to the CCD 26. The electrical connector 48 is connected to the infrared detector 38.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a number of electrical ports are arranged along one side arm support of the eyeglass unit 10. The electrical ports 50, 52, 54 and 56 are each connected by flexible (not shown) conductors to the electrical connectors 42, 44, 46 and 48, respectively. These ports are provided to allow the eyeglass unit 10 to be connected by conductors 60 (shown in Figure ~ to a remote recording and control device 58, shown in Figures 6 and 8. The recording and control device 58 comprises a generally box-like housing 62, which is small and light enough to be easily carried at the user's side by means of a carrying strap 64 _7_ (or by some other carrying means such as a belt attachment). The housing 62 houses a video recording device 66, which in the preferred embodiment is a digital video disk (DVD) recording device, although other types of recording devices would be suitable as well.
An audio port 68, a power supply port 70, a video signal port 72 and an infrared port 74 are provided on the housing 62 for connection by electrical conductors 60 to the ports 50, 52, 54 and 56, respectively, of the eyeglass unit 10.
These connections allow the recording and control device 58 to control the operation of, and receive signals from, the video camera device 25, microphone and infrared detector 3 8 which are mounted in the electronic circuit module 24 of the eyeglass unit 10.
The recording and control device 58 includes a removable battery 76 which functions as the power supply for the recording and control device 58 and also the electronic components of the eyeglass unit 10. The battery 76 is preferably detachably mounted to the housing 62 so that it can be replaced and recharged as required.
As best illustrated in Figure 8, the recording and control device 58 preferably includes an integrally mounted LCD screen 78. The screen 78 is mounted to the housing 62 in such a manner that it can be rotated as indicated by the arrows 80 in order to facilitate viewing, and also folded flat against the housing 62 when not in use. An audio speaker 82 is also included in the recording device. With reference to Figure 6, a further strap 84 may be mounted on one side of the housing 58 through which the user's hand can be extended. A number of control buttons 86, 88 and 90 are preferably located on the housing 58 in such a manner that they can be activated by a user who has his or her hand inserted through strap 84. The button 90 is preferably a main power switch which activates _$.
and deactivates the recording and control device 58 and the electronic circuitry of the eyeglass unit 10. The button 86 is a recording button which controls the recording function of the recording and control device 58. Button 88 is a three position switch which allows the user to zoom in and zoom out on a particular scene being captured by the CCD 26. A further lock/standby/record button 92 is also located on the housing to allow the recording and control device 58 to be operated in various modes. In lock mode, the device will not record at all, even if the recording button 86 is pressed. In standby mode, recording will occur when the recording button 86 is pressed. In recording mode, recording will occur continuously regardless of whether the recording button 86 is pressed. The recording and control device 58 also includes a variety of conventional play-back controls, illustrated generally by 94 for playing back and editing an image which has been recorded by DVD 66. The recording and control device 58 is preferably constructed in a manner similar to well known video camera recording devices which are commonly available, and thus the actual electronic circuitry of the device 58 will not be disclosed in any greater detail.
The lens 12 and 14 of the eyeglass unit 10 are preferably mirrored or darkened so that the presence of the electronic circuit module 24 behind the lens 14 is not readily apparent to other persons. The infrared detector 38 is provided to allow the operation of the recording and control device 58 to be controlled by a wireless remote infrared controller 96 (see Figure 9). The infrared detector relays commands received from controller 96 to recording and control unit 58 via ports 56 and 74 and a conductor 60.
Preferably, the video camera device 25 of the present invention includes a zoom facility which is achieved electronically by having the frame grabber chip 28 select a smaller or larger area of the image captured by the CCD 26. In this regard, the CCD must have sufficient light sensing elements to provide acceptable resolution. Preferably, the lens 22 is a single element lens having a short focal length so that the camera device 25 does not need to have focal adjustment.
With reference to the figures, the operation of the present invention will now be described. In use, the user would place the eyeglass unit 10 on his head.
Power to and control of the functions of the electronic circuit module 24 would be provided by the recording and control device 58 via electrical connectors 60 extending from the ports 68 through 72 on the recording and control device 58 to the ports 50 through 54 located on the support arm 18. When the switch 90 is in the "on" position, the camera device 25 will capture images located in the direction in which the user points his head. In this regard, it will be appreciated that the camera device 25 is effectively capturing a portion of the image which would normally be in the field of view of the user. The signals generated by the CCD are provided to the frame grabber chip 28 which outputs a video signal suitable for display by the display screen device 30. The video signal provided to the display screen device 30 is also provided, via port 46, to the recording and control device 58. It will be understood that the image displayed by the display screen device 30 is the same image that will be recorded by the DVD recording device 66, and that the image displayed by the display screen device 30 is et~ectively a real time representation of the image being captured by CCD 26.
Thus, the eyeglass unit 10 allows the user to have a substantially unobstructed direct field of view with one eye through lens 12, while simultaneously allowing the user's other eye to view the images that are being sent by the camera device 25 to the recording and control device 58. This allows the user to record the exact images which he wants to obtain without requiring the user to hold a video camera up to his eye. Thus, the user is able to record for long periods of time without worrying about arm fatigue.
The recording and control device 58 can be operated by the buttons located on its housing 62, or by the infrared control device 96 in a conventional manner in order to record the images being provided by the video camera device 25.
Activating the zoom button 88 on the housing 62 causes frame grabber chip 28 to capture the signal from a greater number of the light sensing elements of the CCD
26 (in the case of zoom-out) and fewer of the signals generated by light sensing elements of the CCD 26 (in the case of zoom-in). The result of the zoom-in or zoom-out operation is immediately displayed by display screen device 30. In addition to recording the video signal output by the eyeglass unit 10, the recording and control device 58 is also able to record an audio signal to accompany the video signal, via the audio microphone 34.
The video picture which has been recorded by DVD recording device 66 can be played back at any time for display on the I,CD screen 78 that is mounted to the housing 62. Accompanying audio playback is provided by speaker 82.
Preferably, the recording and control device 58 and electronic circuit module are configured so that the recorded signal can be transmitted to the electronic circuit module 24 and viewed through the display screen device 30.
It will be appreciated that the eyeglass unit 10 could take a number of different configurations other than that described above and still allow the user to view a scene directly and also at the same time view the images being captured by the camera device 25. For example, the eyeglass unit 10 could have a single front wrap around lens rather than separated lenses 12 and 14. Furthermore, the camera lens 22 could be provided in a different location, such as behind lens 14 for example. Additionally, the eyeglass unit 10 could be packaged as a visor for a helmet. Also, the module 24 could be constructed so that it did not entirely obstruct the view from behind lens 14, thus allowing the eye behind lens 14 to view screen 32 and also the real world beyond the lens 14.
Although as described above, power for the electronic circuit module 24 is provided by a battery contained in the remote recording and control device 58, it will be appreciated that the eyeglass unit 10 could be constructed with a local power source such as a battery removably mounted on unit 10. Having a local power source would allow the electronic circuit module 24 to use transmission means other than physical wires 60 for communicating with the recording and control device 58. For example, radio wave transmission and reception devices could be located on each of the eyeglass unit 10 and the recording and control device 58 to allow them to communicate. In such a situation, it may not even be necessary for the user to carry around the recording and control device 58, as the user could use remote infrared control device 96 to control the functions of the recording and control device 58 within a certain physical range.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the following claims.
Claims (18)
1. A video camera and display device comprising:
an eyeglass unit adapted to be worn on a user's head;
a camera device mounted to said eyeglass unit for creating a video signal representing scenes captured by said camera device; and a display screen device mounted on said eyeglass unit for displaying images in response to said video signal, said display screen device being positioned to display said images within a field of view of the user while simultaneously allowing the user to directly view the scene being captured by said camera device.
an eyeglass unit adapted to be worn on a user's head;
a camera device mounted to said eyeglass unit for creating a video signal representing scenes captured by said camera device; and a display screen device mounted on said eyeglass unit for displaying images in response to said video signal, said display screen device being positioned to display said images within a field of view of the user while simultaneously allowing the user to directly view the scene being captured by said camera device.
2. A video camera and display device according to claim 1 wherein said display screen device is positioned to display said image only within the field of view of one the user's eyes, and the field of view of the user's other eye is substantially unobstructed.
3. A video camera and display device according to claim 1 or 2 including a video recording and control device remote from said eyeglass unit and transmission means for transmitting and receiving signals between said camera device and said remote video recording and control device such that said video signal can be recorded by, and the operation of said camera device controlled from, said remote video recording and control device.
4. A video camera and display device according to claim 3 wherein said camera device has zoom capability that can be controlled by the user through said remote recording and control device.
5. A video camera and display device according to claim 3 or 4 wherein said display screen device is arranged to receive a video signal from said remote recording and control device so that video playback can be observed on said display screen device.
6. A video camera and display device according to any one of claims 3 to 5 further including an infrared control device, said eyeglass unit having an infrared detector located thereon for receiving commands from said infrared control device and transmitting said commands over said transmission means to said video recording and control device.
7. A video camera and display device according to any one of claims 3 to 6 wherein said remote video recording and control device includes a local video screen and a DVD video recording device.
8. A video camera and display device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said eyeglass unit includes a frame with two lenses having forward and rearward surfaces, said lenses being arranged so that in use one of said lenses will be positioned in front of one of the user's eyes and the other of said lenses will be positioned in front of the other of the user's eyes, said display screen device having a screen located behind the rearward surface of one of said lenses, the other of said lenses being substantially transparent.
9. A video camera and display device according to claim 8 wherein said eyeglass unit includes a bridge section located between said two lenses, a lens of said camera device being positioned on said bridge.
10. A video camera and display device comprising:
an eyeglass unit adapted to be worn on a user's head;
a camera device mounted to said eyeglass unit for creating a video signal representing scenes located in front of said camera device;
a display screen device mounted on said eyeglass unit for displaying images in response to said video signal, said display screen device being positioned to display said images within a field of view of the user while simultaneously allowing the user to view directly the scene located in front of said camera device; and transmission means for transmitting said video signal to a remote recording device.
an eyeglass unit adapted to be worn on a user's head;
a camera device mounted to said eyeglass unit for creating a video signal representing scenes located in front of said camera device;
a display screen device mounted on said eyeglass unit for displaying images in response to said video signal, said display screen device being positioned to display said images within a field of view of the user while simultaneously allowing the user to view directly the scene located in front of said camera device; and transmission means for transmitting said video signal to a remote recording device.
11. A video camera and display device according to claim 10 wherein said eyeglass unit includes two rearwardly extending side arm supports adapted to engage the user's ears and said transmission means includes an electrical port that is positioned on one of said side arm supports and that is electrically connected to said camera device.
12. A video camera and display device according to claim 10 or 11 wherein said camera device includes a charge coupled device and a frame grabber circuit.
13. A video camera and display device according to any one of claims 10 to 12 wherein said eyeglass unit includes two lenses, said display screen device being positioned on behind one of said lenses.
14. A video camera and display device according to any one of claims 10 to 13 wherein said display screen device includes an LCD display screen.
15. A video camera and recording device comprising:
an eyeglass unit adapted to be worn on a user's head;
a camera device mounted to said eyeglass unit and arranged to create a real-time video signal representing a portion of a normal field of view of the user;
a display screen device mounted on said eyeglass unit for displaying a realtime image in response to said video signal, said display screen device being positioned to display said image within a field of view of the user; and a recording and control device in communication with said camera device for recording the video image and controlling the operation of said camera device.
an eyeglass unit adapted to be worn on a user's head;
a camera device mounted to said eyeglass unit and arranged to create a real-time video signal representing a portion of a normal field of view of the user;
a display screen device mounted on said eyeglass unit for displaying a realtime image in response to said video signal, said display screen device being positioned to display said image within a field of view of the user; and a recording and control device in communication with said camera device for recording the video image and controlling the operation of said camera device.
16. A video camera and recording device according to claim 15 wherein said display screen device is positioned to display said real-time image only within the field of view of one the user's eyes and the field of view of the user's other eye is substantially unobstructed.
17. A video camera and recording device according to claim 15 or 16 wherein said eyeglass unit includes two lenses, said display screen device being positioned behind one of said lenses.
18. A video camera and recording device according to any one of claims 15 to 17 wherein said camera device has zoom capability that can be controlled by the user through said recording and control device.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US7161698A | 1998-05-01 | 1998-05-01 | |
| US09/071,616 | 1998-05-01 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2270003A1 true CA2270003A1 (en) | 1999-11-01 |
Family
ID=29709275
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2270003 Abandoned CA2270003A1 (en) | 1998-05-01 | 1999-04-23 | Video camera with eyeglass interface |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2270003A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US8681256B2 (en) | 2006-10-16 | 2014-03-25 | Sony Corporation | Display method and display apparatus in which a part of a screen area is in a through-state |
| NL2017964B1 (en) * | 2016-12-09 | 2018-06-19 | Opticon Sensors Europe B V | Device for capturing bar code information |
-
1999
- 1999-04-23 CA CA 2270003 patent/CA2270003A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US8681256B2 (en) | 2006-10-16 | 2014-03-25 | Sony Corporation | Display method and display apparatus in which a part of a screen area is in a through-state |
| US9182598B2 (en) | 2006-10-16 | 2015-11-10 | Sony Corporation | Display method and display apparatus in which a part of a screen area is in a through-state |
| US9846304B2 (en) | 2006-10-16 | 2017-12-19 | Sony Corporation | Display method and display apparatus in which a part of a screen area is in a through-state |
| NL2017964B1 (en) * | 2016-12-09 | 2018-06-19 | Opticon Sensors Europe B V | Device for capturing bar code information |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US6549231B1 (en) | Image recording apparatus | |
| US7697035B1 (en) | Rotating camera attachment | |
| US6088053A (en) | Digital record and replay binoculars | |
| WO1996014641A1 (en) | Modular binocular electronic imaging system | |
| US20030020807A1 (en) | Hand-held electronic stereoscopic imaging system with improved three-dimensional imaging capabilities | |
| US6487012B1 (en) | Optically multiplexed hand-held digital binocular system | |
| KR20050055481A (en) | Camcorder having a connecting/seperating display unit | |
| JP3399698B2 (en) | Recording device with camera | |
| US20020034004A1 (en) | Optically multiplexed hand-held digital binocular system | |
| WO2001052531A1 (en) | Digital record and replay binoculars | |
| JPH09215012A (en) | Stereoscopic video photographing device and stereoscopic video photographing recording and reproducing device using the same | |
| GB2292038A (en) | Video camera with head mounted display | |
| CA2270003A1 (en) | Video camera with eyeglass interface | |
| JPH0965188A (en) | Video camera | |
| JP2807616B2 (en) | Camera-integrated recording device with monitor | |
| JPH11155092A (en) | Remote monitor device and image pickup system | |
| JP3108805B2 (en) | Video camera | |
| JPS59178084A (en) | Video recorder incorporated with camera | |
| JPH07333552A (en) | Head mount display | |
| JP3345946B2 (en) | Video integrated camera | |
| KR0124336Y1 (en) | Apparatus for recording and regenerating video & audio | |
| KR19990070097A (en) | Personal display with camera and image display method | |
| KR100261598B1 (en) | A digital still camera with detachable picture display device | |
| JPH0964777A (en) | Radio video signal transmitter-receiver | |
| JP3372534B2 (en) | Recording / playback display device |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| FZDE | Dead |