GB2599356A

GB2599356A - Video capture device for attaching to an article of clothing

Info

Publication number: GB2599356A
Application number: GB2014591.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Haddad Nafeesa
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-09-16
Filing date: 2020-09-16
Publication date: 2022-04-06
Also published as: GB202014591D0

Abstract

A video capture device 100 attached to an article of clothing and comprising a first 120 and second module 140. The first module has an image sensing unit 122 for capturing video, such as a camera, and is removably attachable to a first area of the clothing by first attachment means. The second module comprises a power source 142 for powering the image sensing unit, and is removably attached to a second area of the clothing by second attachment means. The first and second modules are connected by electrical connectors 214 attached to the article of clothing. Also claimed is a corresponding article of clothing with first and second mounts for mounting the first and second modules. A method of live streaming from a mounted camera by capturing and transmitting live video data to a remote server and then to a user device. Preferably, the image sensing unit is mounted in a movable housing which slidably engages with a casing of the first module.

Description

VIDEO CAPTURE DEVICE FOR ATTACHING TO AN ARTICLE OF

CLOTHING

Field of the Invention

[1] The present disclosure relates generally to wearable technology, and particularly to a video capture device which may be worn by an athlete to capture a live view of their environment for video streaming purposes.

Background

[2] Watching sport is a mainstay hobby across the world, whether a person's specific interest lies in football (soccer), hockey, rugby, cricket, tennis, or any other sport. As technology has progressed, aficionados have benefitted significantly from advances in camera technology which allow for broadcasting live sporting events into living rooms with ever higher detail, thereby providing ever greater immersion to viewers.

[3] One aspect of sporting immersion that has so far eluded viewers, however, is the ability to watch a live perspective view from of an individual player.

[4] In recent years, technologies have emerged which allow individuals to record their point of view by e.g. attaching a camera to a head mount to be worn during an activity; by way of example, one need think only of the now well-known GOPROTM camera. It will be appreciated however that such technology is not suitable to provide a live point of view recording for a sportsperson or athlete. For example, some existing head mounted cameras store data on an internal storage for later retrieval, which while allowing for later viewing of their point of view, is not useful for broadcasting such data live. Other head mounted cameras are designed to connect to a nearby cellular device, such as a mobile phone, which can then either store the data or upload content to the internet via mobile networks or Wi-Fi connections. While this may solve the problem of live viewing, it will be readily apparent that it is not appropriate for an athlete to carry around a mobile phone while they are performing. At the very least it would be cumbersome for them to do so. Also, attaching a camera device to a wearable head mount would not be appropriate for athletes in a wide range of sports. Firstly, many sporting events occur over several hours, and head mounts are not known for their comfort over extended periods. Secondly, wearing a head mount is highly likely to impair an athlete's ability to perform, for example in games where the athlete's head is an important tool with which to play the game (such as football/soccer).

[5] Along with people consuming an ever-greater amount of content over the internet, there has also grown a greater desire for more personal and immersive experiences generally. In the context of sporting events, it is now highly desirable to develop a camera device which is able to provide a live point of view of an athlete to be streamed over the internet.

[6] The example embodiments have been provided with a view to addressing at least some of the difficulties that are encountered with current wearable cameras, whether those difficulties have been specifically mentioned above or will otherwise be appreciated from the discussion herein.

Summary

[7] The present invention is defined according to the independent claims. Additional features will be appreciated from the dependent claims and the description herein. Any embodiments which are described but which do not fall within the scope of the claims are to be interpreted merely as examples useful for a better understanding of the invention.

[8] It is an object of the present invention to overcome at least one of the above or other disadvantages.

[9] In one aspect of the invention there may be provided a video capture device for attaching to an article of clothing, such as clothing worn by an athlete. The video capture device comprises a first module removably attachable to a first area of the article of clothing by first attachment means, and a second module removably attachable to a second area of the article of clothing by second attachment means. The first module comprises an image sensing unit for capturing video, and the second module comprising a power source for powering the image sensing unit, and the first module and second module are connectable by electrical connectors attached to the article of clothing. Advantageously the weight of the video capture device may be spread across the two areas of the clothing to which the video capture device is attached. Also, each of the modules may be smaller than if all components were part of a single housing, thus allowing each module to have a smaller size thereby improving its form factor and making the video capture device more ergonomic for an athlete to wear.

[10] The image sensing unit may be mounted within a moveable housing, and such housing may slidably engage with a casing of the first module. In this way an angle at which the image sensing unit is oriented may be easily changed when the video capture device is attached and in use.

[11] The attachment means may cooperatively engage the article of clothing to provide a more secure fit and orient the modules in a particular direction. The attachment means may magnetically couple to the article of clothing, for example by a plurality of magnetic connectors which to a plurality of like connectors on the article of clothing. In this way fast and easy attachment and removal of the first and second modules may be achieved.

[12] The attachment means may electronically couple to the article of clothing, for example by including brass electrical connectors, such that the electrical connects may be provided as part of the article of clothing, thereby allowing for the first and second modules to be distinct items that are not connected to each other until attached to the article of clothing.

[13] The image sensing unit may comprise a wide-angle lens in order capture as much of the athlete's field of view as possible. The power source may be a lithium ion battery, which is cheap and readily available, and may have a power rating of at least 2000 milliamp hours so as to power the image sensing unit (and any other components) for many hours.

[14] The first and second modules may be are formed from an impact resistant material, which is beneficial for the video capture device's intended use in sports whereby the device will be prone to knocks and drops, etc. One such example material is Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, which may be conveniently injection moulded so that the modules may be readily mass produced.

[15] The first module may further comprise an audio sensing unit, such as one or more microphones arranged to capture left-right audio. The microphones may be arranged in pairs, and may be angled upwards (i.e. towards the athlete's head/ears) & pointing away from each other so as to better capture what the athlete is hearing. The first module may comprise a noise protecting mesh in front of the one or more microphones.

[16] The second module may further comprise a mobile communication modem and antenna and/or a Wi-Fi communication module. Thus, the video capture device may transmit the captured video to be streamed over the internet to a viewer. The second module may also comprise an internal storage for temporaneous or longer-term storage of the video.

[17] In another aspect of the invention there may be provided an article of clothing for attaching to the aforementioned video capture device. The article of clothing comprises a first mount and second mount which respectively removably engage the first module and second module of the video capture device. The article of clothing may be, for example, a compression vest typically worn by athletes.

[18] The first and second mounts may magnetically couple to the first and second module of the video capture device, for example via one or more magnetic connectors, such that the article of clothing may be easily attached/removed to/from the video capture device. The first and second mounts may also electronically couple to the first and second module.

[19] The first mount and second mount may cradle the first module and second module to better maintain the first module and second module in engagement with the article of clothing. The first mount and second mount may be formed from a flexible material and machine washable material, such as rubber.

[20] The article of clothing may further comprise electrical connectors, such as wires, connecting the first mount to the second mount, which may be fixedly attached to the article of clothing, such as by stitching. Thus, the video capture device may rely on the article of clothing to connect its separate modules. The electrical connectors may be covered with a layer of insulation, such as a silicon sheet, to protect the wearer of the clothing.

[21] The first mount may be provided on a part of the article of clothing which faces forward relative to a wearer, so as to orient the first module to capture a field of view of the athlete. The second mount may be provided on a part of the article of clothing which faces rearward relative to a wearer, so as to position the second module on an opposite side of the athlete to the first module, thereby making the video capture device more comfortable to wear. The mounts may be fixedly attached to the article of clothing, such as by stitching.

[22] In another aspect of the invention there is described a method for live streaming a video of from an aforementioned video capture device attached to an aforementioned article of clothing, the method comprising capturing live video data by the first module, transferring the live video data to the second module, transmitting the live video data to a remote server, and subsequently transmitting the live video data to a user device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[23] For a better understanding of the present disclosure reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings, in which: [24] Fig. 1 shows an example video capture device in use; [25] Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of an example video capture device; [26] Fig. 3 shows an example first module of an example video capture device; [27] Fig. 4 shows an example second module of an example video capture device; [28] Fig. 5 shows an example article of clothing to which an example video capture device can attach; Fig. 5A shows a front view while Fig. 5B shows a rear view; [29] Fig. 6 shows a storage container & charger for the video capture device; and [30] Fig. 7 shows a method of streaming content data from the video capture device to a viewer.

Detailed Description

[31] At least some of the following example embodiments provide an improved video capture device, and an article of clothing which is specifically adapted for the video capture device to attach to. The example embodiments conveniently provide an ergonomic wearable video camera which capture a video of an athlete's point of view without unduly burdening the athlete and hindering their ability to perform. Many other advantages and improvements will be discussed in more detail herein.

[32] Figure 1 shows an example video capture device 100 in use during a sporting event. Figure 2 shows a schematic view of the example video capture device 100. With reference to Figures 1 & 2, there is shown a video capture device 100 attached to an article of clothing 200 which is worn by the athlete 10 while they are performing their chosen sport; e.g. football. The article of clothing 200 is envisaged as being any article of clothing that the athlete 10 would normally wear, particularly a form fitting article of clothing. For example, the article of clothing 200 may be a compression vest worn underneath a 'team kit' or may be the 'team kit' itself Moreover, in the examples described herein the article of clothing 200 is envisaged as being worn on a torso of the athlete 10, but it will be appreciated that other locations for articles of clothing (such as shorts) will also be appropriate.

[33] The video capture device 100 is arranged to capture a video of the surrounding environment of the athlete 10, in particular a point of view of the athlete 10. Suitably the video capture device 100 comprises a camera element which is arranged to point substantially in a direction of facing of the athlete 10. It is envisaged that the captured point of view image will be uploaded substantially instantaneously (or at least, in as few processing steps as possible) to a content streaming service for live viewing of the sporting event, as will be explored in more detail below.

[34] The video capture device 100 is configured to be modular, so that different components of the video capture device 100 may be worn on different areas of the article of clothing 200. In this way the bulk and weight of the video capture device 100 may be spread across the athlete 10, thereby making the device more ergonomic; e.g. by keeping components of the video capture device 100 away from areas of the body commonly used by the athlete 10.

[35] In this example, the video capture device 100 is suitably divided into at least two separate modules, a first module 120 and a second module 140, which are removably attachable to different areas of the article of clothing 200. More specifically, the video capture device 100 may be considered to comprise a first module 120 removably attachable to a first area of the article of clothing by first attachment means, and a second module 140 removably attachable to a second area of the article of clothing by second attachment means. It may be suitable forthe video capture device 100 to comprise additional modules (e.g. third, fourth, fifth modules, etc) depending on the use case of the video capture device 100.

[36] The first module 120 may generally comprise any peripheral devices/components which can be utilised to capture content by the video capture device 100, such as an image sensing unit 122. In the context of providing a video from the point of view of the athlete 10, the first module is preferably attached to a front part of the article of clothing 200. Further preferably the first module 120 is attached to an upper front part of the article of clothing 200, so as to be closer to the eyes of the athlete 10, thereby better capturing a similar perspective to the athlete 10.

[37] It will however be appreciated that in some cases it may be desirable to capture video from different directions other than the point of view of the athlete 10, in which case the first module 120 may be attached to a different part of the article of clothing 200, such as a side or rear part, accordingly. Also, it may be desirable to capture multiple views from an athlete position simultaneously, in which case it may be suitable to provide multiple modules which comprise peripheral components; e.g. multiple copies of the first module. Put another way, the video capture device 100 may comprise a plurality of modules equivalent to the first module.

[38] The second module 140 may generally comprise any components which may be utilised to support the peripherals housed in the first module 120. In particular, the second module 140 is envisaged as housing the bulkier components of the video capture device 100; for example, components to power the first module 120, such as a power source 142. Put another way, the second module 140 is envisaged as housing any part of the video capture device 100 which is not a peripheral device used to capture content. It will be however appreciated that multiple equivalent 'second modules' may be also be provided as determined by the usage of the video capture device 100 (e.g. if there are multiple equivalent 'first' modules).

[39] Suitably, the second module 140 may be attached to a rear part of the article of clothing 200, so that a majority of the weight of the video capture device 100 is born on the back of the athlete 10. Preferably the second module 140 may attach to an upper part of the athlete 10, e.g. between the shoulder blades. It is more usual for humans to bear weight on their backs than their fronts, and so this arrangement makes the video capture device 100 more comfortable to wear for the athlete 10. Thus, the weight of the video capture device 100 is spread more evenly across the athlete 10, thereby providing them with a more ergonomic experience and reducing any hinderance to the athlete 10.

[40] The first module 120 and second module 140 are suitably electrically connected to each other. More specifically, the modules 120, 140 are electrically connectable by electrical connectors 214 (such as wires) attached the article of clothing 200. To maintain the ergonomic usage of the video capture device 100, the electrical connectors are attached in such a way so as to not hinder movement of the athlete 10. Preferably the connectors 214 are fixedly attached to the article of clothing 200, as is be explored in more detail below. Furthermore, in an example (not shown) with multiple similar 'first' modules (e.g. third, fourth, fifth modules which comprise peripheral components) then it will be appreciated that connectors 214 may suitably run from the second module 140 to each of the additional modules.

[41] Figure 3 shows the example first module 120 in further detail in the form of an exploded view of its components. Owing to its function as the content capture aspect of the video capture device 100, the first module 120 may be more generally termed a vision module, and will be referred to as such hereafter.

[42] The vision module 120 comprises an image sensing unit 122 to capture a live image. The image sensing unit 122 may be suitably formed from at least an image sensing unit chip 124 and a lens 126. The image sensing chip 124 may be any photosensitive device capable of capturing data representing an optical image formed on (/projected onto) the surface of the chip 124. Suitably the lens 126 serves to focus an image onto the image sensing unit chip 124. It will be appreciated that the image sensing unit 122 may comprise more than one lens 126 (e.g. a telephoto lens system) and, in particular, in the preferred example the lens 126 is a wide angled lens so as to capture a greater field of view corresponding to the athlete 10 point of view as possible.

[43] The image sensing unit 122 may be mounted within a moveable housing 128. In this example, the movable housing 128 slidably engages with a casing 130 of the vision module 120. Here slidable engagement is achieved by providing the movable housing 128 with runners 129 which slot into grooves 131 provided on the casing 130. The runners 129 are designed to be in contact with the grooves 131 such that while the movable housing 128 is slidable it can also be maintained in position by friction between the runners 129 and grooves 131. Furthermore, the runners 129 and grooves 131 are preferably curved in a convex fashion relative to a direction of facing of the vision module 120 (i.e. in the direction of field of view of the image sensing unit 122) such that the moveable housing moves along an arc. The runners 129 and grooves 131 are arranged such that the movable housing 128 may move in a substantially vertical axis relative to the vision module 120: that is, in the preferred example whereby the vision module 120 is wom on a torso, then the movable housing 128 may move substantially up and down the torso. In this way the athlete 10 may position the image sensing unit 122 to better align with their point of view, based on for example the exact position of the vision module 120 on the article of clothing 200 and the shape of their body. The casing 130 and moveable housing 128 may be formed from any suitably impact resistant material, such as by injection moulded Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene 'ABS'.

[44] The vision module 120 may also comprise an audio sensing unit arranged to capture a sound that the athlete 10 would be hearing. The sensing unit may be microphones 132 arranged to capture left-right audio (e.g. two microphones). That is, an even number of microphones 132 may be arranged in pairs on either side of the vision module 120. In this way the microphones 132 may capture sound from each side of the athlete 10 substantially corresponding to what the athlete 10 would hear on their left and right side. The microphones 132 may be angled upwards towards the ears of the athlete 10, and may also be angled pointing away from each other, to better capture sounds from the left and right directions of the athlete. The casing 130 of the vision module 120 may be suitably provided with a microphone mesh 133 (e.g. a nylon mesh) to provide noise protection (e.g. a windscreen).

[45] The image sensor 122, microphones 132, and any additional peripherals may be suitably attached to a printed circuit board 134 housed within the vision module 120. Suitably one or more micro controllers 135 may be provided on the PCB 134 to provide power and data connectors for the image sensing unit 122 and microphones 132 (and/or other peripherals).

[46] The vision module 120 also comprises means by which to removably attach to the article of clothing 200. Preferably such means take the form of one side of a cooperative engagement 136, with the opposite side of the mechanism being provided on the article of clothing 200. Further preferably, the cooperative engagement means 136 electronically couple the vision module 120 to the article of clothing 200. In other words, it is preferred power and data may be transmitted between the vision module 120 and the article of clothing 200 when the means 136 are engaged. Suitably the vision module 120 may be easily replaced with an alternative module should it develop a fault, and the present system also allows for the vision module 120 to be removed when not in use such that the article of clothing 200 is easily washable.

[47] The engagement means 136 may be unidirectional, such that the vision module 120 engages the article of clothing 200 in the same orientation every time it is attached. Such an arrangement may be particularly beneficial where the vision module is provided with microphones 132 in order to ensure the microphones point in the right direction (i.e. towards the ears of an athlete 10 and not toward the ground).

[48] In this example the vision module 120 comprises a plurality of magnetic connectors 137 which are designed to magnetically couple to a plurality of like connectors provided on the article of clothing 200. The magnetic connectors 137 may be suitably formed from any strong magnetic material, such as neodymium, and may take any suitable form; for example, the magnetic connectors are preferably formed as a strip along the long axis of the vision module 120. The vision module 120 may further comprise electrical connectors 138 which are maintained in contact with respective counter parts on the article of clothing 200 when the magnetic connectors are engaged. Suitably the electrical connectors 138 may comprise data and power lines. The electrical connectors 138 may be formed from any suitable conducting material, preferably brass.

[49] The magnetic connectors 137 and electrical contacts 138 may be formed directly onto the PCB 134, with a suitable hole for the connectors/contacts 137, 138 provided in the casing 130, or the connectors/contacts 137,138 may be provided directly on the casing 130, with suitable further connections being made between the PCB 134 and electrical contacts 138.

[50] Figure 4 shows an example second module 140 in greater detail, which may be more helpfully termed a battery module 140. The battery module 140 comprises a power source 142 which is suitably for powering the components of the video capture device. For example, the power source 142 may be a lithium ion battery (although it will be appreciated that other power sources / batteries could also be used). It is envisaged that a lithium ion battery used as a power source 142 would have a power rating of at least 2000 milliamp hours, as testing by the applicant has shown that this should be sufficient to run a an image sensing unit 122 and microphones 132 as described herein for around three hours. This is a suitable length of time to ensure that batteries will not need replacing for the duration of many sports; for example, football and rugby. The modular nature of the video capture device however means that it is very convenient to simply replace a battery when it reaches zero charge, and thus the present system is also appropriate for sports with extended play periods over three hours such as cricket, tennis, American football, etc. [51] The battery module 140 may further comprise a mobile communication modem 144 (e.g. a GSM module) and corresponding antenna 146. Suitably the mobile communication modem 144 may be utilised to transmit data received from the image sensing unit 122 (and optionally the microphones 132) via a mobile network. In this way image (and audio) data captured by the vision module 120 may be substantially instantaneously transmitted from the video capture device 100 and streamed live to a viewer over the internet.

[52] The battery module 140 may also comprise a VVi-Fi communication module 148. The function of this VVi-Fi module 148 is substantially identical to the function of the mobile communication modem 144 just described, except that instead of transmitting data via mobile networks, data may be optionally transmitted via a Wi-Fi network instead if one is present. Both communication modules 144, 148 may be provided within the video capture device 100 in order to maintain flexibility, or alternatively only one of the communication methods may be provided in order to streamline manufacture (and reduce costs) when it is known that the video capture device will only be used in an environment where one of the communication protocols will be required by its use case.

[53] The battery module may also comprise an internal storage (not shown) onto which the captured video data may be stored. Example storages include temporary buffers, re-writeable fast memory, solid state discs, etc. For example, the video data may be stored temporaneously while waiting to be transmitted, or may be stored for later retrieval from the battery module 140. Although this latter case is not useful for live streaming, it may be helpful for example training staff, who have the time and capacity to retrieve the data after the sporting event.

[54] The power source 142, communication modules 144, 148, antenna 146, and indeed any other components of the battery module 140 may be suitably to a printed circuit board 154 housed within the vision module 120. Suitably one or more controllers 155 may be provided on the PCB 154 to provide power and data connectors.

[55] As with the vision module 120, the battery module 140 comprises means 150 to removably attach to an article of clothing 200 (along with example magnetic connectors 151 and electrical connectors 152). Such means function essentially identical to as already described with reference to vision module 120, and so a repeat description is omitted. More visible in Figure 3 however is that two magnetic connectors 151 are arranged in strips aligned along a major (i.e. long) axis of the module, and that the electrical connectors 152 are preferably arranged in between the magnetic connectors 151. In this way the electrical contacts are better held in position (i.e. harder to dislodge) when attached to a counterpart on the article of clothing 200. In this case the means 150 are suitably formed as part of a casing 156 of the battery module 140; as above the casing may be formed from a suitably impact resistant material such as injection moulded ABS.

[56] Figure 5 shows an example article of clothing for attaching to the example video capture device 100. Put another way, Figure 5 shows an article of clothing 200 to which may be mounted a video capture device 100 consistent with the above disclosure. In general, the article of clothing 200 may comprise one or more mounts each comprising means to removably attach the article of clothing to the video capture device 100. More specifically, each mount provided on the article of clothing 200 may be configured to engage with a particular module of the video capture device 100.

[57] In this example, the article of clothing 200 comprises a first mount 202 which is removably engageable with the first module 120 of the video capture device 100 -i.e. the vision module 120 -via first engagement means 204. Suitably the first mount 202 may be provided on a forward-facing pad of the article of clothing 200 (e.g. a torso area), as in Figure 4A.

[58] The first mount 202 may magnetically couple to the video capture device 100. Suitably the first mount 202 may be provided with one or more magnetic connectors 205. In particular, the first mount 202 may be arranged to comprise plural magnetic connectors 205 which correspond to the plural magnetic connectors 137 of the vision module 120. The first mount 202 may further electronically couple to the vision module 120. Suitably the first mount may comprise one or more electrical connectors 206 which contact respective electrical connectors on the video capture device 100 when the magnetic connectors 205 (or other type of attachment means) is engaged -e.g. the electrical connectors 138.

[59] The first mount 202 may be provided with a shape which substantially cradles the first module 120. For example, the first mount 202 may comprise a rim, or baffle, 208 which at least partially surrounds and contacts the first module 120 when it is engaged in the first mount 202. In this way lateral motion of the first module 120 is less likely to dislodge the first module 120 from its attachment to the first mount 202.

[60] In this example the article of clothing 200 suitably comprises a second mount 210 which removably engages the second module 140 -i.e. the battery module 140 -via second engagement means 212. As with the first mount 202, the second mount 210 preferably magnetically couples to the second module 140 via a plurality of magnetic connectors 213 corresponding to magnetic connectors 151 of the second module 140, and also preferably electronically couples to the second module 140 via a plurality of electrical connectors 214 which contact corresponding connectors 152 on the second module 140. Preferably the second mount 210 is attached to the article of clothing 200 on an area of the torso which would sit between the shoulder blades of an athlete 10, as shown in Figure 4B.

[61] The second mount 210 may be provided with a shape which substantially cradles the second module 140, and may include a rim or baffle 216 which contacts side surfaces 158 of the second module 140. In this way the second module may be better supported in its position and may better maintain contact between the second module 140 and second mount 210 during exertion by the athlete 10.

[62] The first mount 202 and second mount 210 are preferably envisaged as permanent fixtures of the article of clothing 200. That is, the first mount 202 and second mount 210 may be regarded as fixedly attached to the article of clothing 200. For example, the mounts 202, 210 may be stitched onto the article of clothing 200, although other means of fixedly attaching the mounts 202, 210 may be employed. In this way the mounts 202, 210 provide a stable fixed platform onto which the modules 202, 210 of the video capture device 100 me be mounted.

[63] The first mount 202 and second mount 210 may be formed from a flexible material. The first mount 202 and second mount 210 may be further formed from a machine washable material. Suitably the mounts 202, 210 may be formed from rubber (apart from those aspects of the mounts which are necessarily metallic), as this is a material which is both flexible and machine washable. In this way the mounts are fully washable along with the rest of the article of clothing 200 and are able to somewhat flex to a body shape and/or movement of an athlete 10.

[64] The article of clothing 200 may further comprise one or more electrical connectors 218, such as wires, for connecting the first mount 202 to the second mount 210. As discussed above, the video capturing aspects of the video capture device 100 are provided in the vision module 120 (attached to the first mount), while power and control components are housed within the battery module 140 (attached to the second mount). Accordingly, the wires 218 may be formed from any suitable combination of power line connectors and data connectors as appropriate for each specific video capture device 100.

[65] As with the mounts 202, 210, the wires 218 are preferably fixedly attached to the article of clothing 200. Preferably, the wires 218 are stitched into the fabric of the article of clothing 200. To prevent electrical contact to the athlete 10, a segment of the clothing 200 on which the wires 218 are attached may be suitably provided with a layer of insulation 220 on an inside and outside of the clothing 200, thereby covering the wires 218. For example, an insulating silicon sheet 220 may be provided on either side of the wires 218 (i.e. inside and outside the clothing). Silicone is beneficially flexible, thereby allowing the insulation to follow the form and contours of a body shape of the athlete 10 and so reducing possible impairment to movement. It will be appreciated that other flexible insulators could also be used.

[66] Thus, the article of clothing 200 may advantageously provide the power and data connections for running the image sensing unit 122 and microphones 132 (or indeed any other peripheral) of the video capture device 100, thereby removing the need to house power and control components within the vision module 120. That is, the presently disclosed system allows for a modular build to a wearable video capture device, and removes the need to provide all components within a single housing as is generally known.

[67] Figure 6 shows an example container 300 for the video capture device 100. The container 300 may be formed from two separate parts 302, 304 which may be hingedly attached. Suitably the container 300 may comprise a hinge 306 and means for keeping the container closed such as a clasp 308. Suitably the parts 302, 304, may be provided with cut outs 310 which in combination (i.e. when the container 300 is closed) substantially match a shape of the vision module 120 and the battery module 140 so as to provide a snug fit for the modules 120, 140 to limit damage by motion within the container 300. To further secure the vision module 120 and battery module 140 within the container 300, the cut outs 310 may be provided with magnetic connectors 312 (or other engagement means, as appropriate) to couple with the magnetic connectors 137 and 151.

[68] Advantageously, the container 300 may also serve as a charging dock for the power source 142, and suitably a cut out 310a which comprises the magnetic connector for the battery module 140 may further comprise a plurality of electrical contacts 314 which couple with the electrical contacts 152 of the battery module 140. Accordingly, the container 300 may be provided with a port (not shown) for connecting the container 300 to mains power: for example, a USB-C or a Thunderbolt connector, among others that will be known to those in the art.

[69] Figure 7 shows an example method for capturing a video to be viewed as part of a live stream.

[70] At step 701, the video capture device 100 captures data of an athlete's 10 environment through sensors provided in the vision module 120. For example, the video capture device 100 captures a video of the environment in front of the athlete 10 through the image sensing unit 122 and also captures audio of what the athlete 10 is hearing via the microphones 132.

[71] At step 702, the video data captured by the vision module 120 is transferred via electrical connectors to the battery module 140. The data from the vision module 120 may be temporaneously stored on a local buffer of the microcontroller 155 or maybe more permanently stored on an internal storage.

[72] At step 703, the second module transmits the stored image and audio data to a remote server via a mobile network or Wi-Fi connection. This transmission may be substantially instantaneous in the context of providing a live stream to a potential viewer. In an example where the battery module 140 is provided with a storage device, it is possible for onward transmission of the video data to occur some time after its original capture. It will also be appreciated that, where video data is stored on a storage and not transmitted substantially instantaneously for live streaming, that transmission to a remote server, or indeed any other type of computer device, may be achieved using the physical connectors provided on the battery module 140.

[73] At step 704 the remote server transmits the live video data to a user device such as a computer to be viewed by said user, preferably after appropriate authentication has occurred between the user and the remote server (such as by the user accessing the remote server through a subscription service or the like). Preferably the live video data is transmitted via the internet, although it will be appreciated that other methods of transmitting the live video data may be employed, such as a television broadcast.

[74] In summary, exemplary embodiments of an improved video capture device and an article of clothing for attaching to that video capture device have been described.

[75] The video capture device is attach-able to an article of clothing such as that worn by an athlete during live sport. The video capture device is modular, comprising at least two modules which are removably attachable to different areas of the article of clothing. The first module comprises at least an image sensing unit for capturing live image data and the second module comprises at least a power source. The first module and second module are connected by electrical connections which span between the two different locations on the article of clothing to which the first module and second module are attached. The article of clothing includes first and second mounts which couple to the first module and second module of the video capture device. Thus the exemplary embodiments provide for a wearable video capture device which is ergonomic to facilitate easy usage of the video capture device by an athlete.

[76] The described exemplary embodiments are convenient to manufacture and straightforward to use. The example video capture device and article of clothing may be manufactured industrially, as will be appreciated from the discussion above.

[77] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

[78] Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

[79] All of the features disclosed in this specification, and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

[80] Each feature disclosed in this specification may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

[81] The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification, or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A video capture device for attaching to an article of clothing, comprising a first module removably attachable to a first area of the article of clothing by first attachment means, and a second module removably attachable to a second area of the article of clothing by second attachment means, the first module comprising an image sensing unit for capturing video, and the second module comprising a power source for powering the image sensing unit, and wherein the first module and second module are connectable by electrical connectors attached to the article of clothing.
2. The video capture device of claim 1, wherein the image sensing unit is mounted within a moveable housing.
3. The video capture device of claims 1 or 2, wherein the moveable housing slidably engages with a casing of the first module.
4. The video capture device of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the attachment means cooperatively engage the article of clothing.
5. The video capture device of claim 4, wherein the attachment means orient the first and second modules when attached
6. The video capture device of claims 4 or 5, wherein the attachment means magnetically couples to the article of clothing.
7. The video capture device of any preceding claim, wherein the attachment means electronically couples to the article of clothing.
8. The video capture device of any preceding claim, wherein the image sensing unit comprises a wide-angle lens.
9. The video capture device of any preceding claim, wherein the power source is a lithium ion battery.
10. The video capture device of any preceding claim, wherein the first and second modules are formed from an impact resistant material.
11. The video capture device of any preceding claim, wherein the first module comprises an audio sensing unit.
12. The video capture device of claim 11, wherein the first module comprises a pair of microphones arranged to capture left-right audio. [The microphones angled upwards & angled pointing away from each other]
13. The video capture device of claims 11 or 12, wherein the first module comprises a noise protecting mesh in front of the one or more microphones.
14. The video capture device of any preceding claim, wherein the second module further comprises a mobile communication modem and antenna.
15. The video capture device of any preceding claim, wherein the second module further comprises a Wi-Fi communication module.
16. An article of clothing for attaching to a video capture device according to claims 1-15, the article of clothing comprising a first mount and second mount which removably engage the first module and second module of the video capture device respectively.
17. The article of clothing of claim 16, wherein the first and second mount magnetically couple to the first and second module, respectively.
18. The article of clothing of claims 16 and 17, wherein the first and second mount electronically couple to the first and second module, respectively.
19. The article of clothing of any of claims 16 to 18, wherein the first mount and second mount cradle the first module and second module, respectively.
20. The article of clothing of claims 16 to 19, wherein the first mount and second mount are formed from a flexible material and machine washable material.
21. The article of clothing of claims 16 to 20, further comprising electrical connectors connecting the first mount to the second mount.
22. The article of clothing of claims 16 to 21, wherein the electrical connectors are covered with a layer of insulation.
23. The article of clothing of claims 16 to 22, wherein the first mount is provided on a part of the article of clothing which faces forward relative to a wearer.
24. The article of clothing of claims 16 to 23, wherein the second mount is provided on a part of the article of clothing which faces rearward relative to a wearer.
25. A method for live streaming a video of from a video capture device according to any of claims 1 to 15 attached to an article of clothing according to any of claims 16 to 24, comprising: capturing live video data by the first module, transferring the live video data to the second module, transmitting the live video data to a remote server, and subsequently transmitting the live video data to a user device.