Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
BP#7413-002 ~1191~ ~
Title: Booth for Recording Video Images
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to audio and video
recording apparatus, and more particularly is concerned
with a booth, for recording video images or sequences,
which is capable of operating remotely and automatically,
and is compact and portable, so as to be transportable on
conventional transport trucks and the like.
R~rRGROuND OF THE INVENTION
At least in Canada, the concept of providing a
booth for a video recording is known. The assignee of the
present invention has for sometime operated a television
station as City-TV, in the Metropolitan Toronto area. As
part of this operation, there is provided a booth at City-
TV's main premises, at which any interested passerby may
record a message. This provides a video camera, a video
tape recorder, a control unit, and related lights and the
like.
The unit includes a coin box and requires the
deposit of selected coins to activate it. This is
intended to prevent casual misuse and abuse of the device,
with any funds collected being donated to charity. The
intention is to enable viewers of the station or anyone
else, to record messages on topics of interest. The
station operators can then review and select messages
suitable for broadcasting.
While this installation provides this function,
it suffers from a number of significant disadvantages.
Firstly, it is a substantial, permanent installation,
which is costly to create. It is immobile, and
necessarily requires the interested person to make his or
her way to the TV station, in order to record a message.
Practically, this means that it is often used by people
who are resident close to the TV station, or who otherwise
can readily access the booth.
It is desirable to provide a recording booth for
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recording video sequences or images, which is capable of
remote and automatic operation. The booth should be light
and capable of easy transportation, to enable it to be
transported around and left at different locations, i.e.
at locations of major pedestrian traffic, to encourage its
use. The booth should be compact so that it will readily
be accepted for use in a variety of different locations.
SUNMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there
is provided a booth, for making a recording, the booth
being portable and comprising: a housing defining a
compartment for at least one user; a video camera directed
to record a user in the compartment; and image recording
means connected to the video camera for recording an image
from the video camera; and a video monitor connected to
the image recording means and mounted externally on the
housing for displaying the image received by the video
camera.
Preferably, the booth includes advertising
recording means for storing an advertising recording, for
playback over the video monitor for attracting users to
the booth. The control unit would then play such a
recording when the booth is inactive, but when the booth
is in use switches to the recording being made within the
booth. This will then enable the user's friends and
others to stand outside and watch the recording being made
inside.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES
For a better understanding of the present
invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried
into effect, reference will now be made, by way of
example, to the accompanying drawings, which show a
preferred embodiment of the present invention and in
which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portable
booth in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic view of an interior
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panel of the booth in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a schematic view, similar to Figure
2, showing components of the booth in Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the control
apparatus of the present invention; and
Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a lighting
control system of the booth of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first to Figure 1, this shows a booth
10, which has generally rectangular sides, front, back and
top. As shown, it can have rounded corners, but the exact
external shape is not critical.
The booth 10 is a self-contained, portable unit,
which is constructed so as to be readily liftable and
transportable. It would include a single connection lead,
for connection to a standard 110V AC outlet.
On either side, the booth 10 has sliding doors
12, providing access. The doors 12 can be provided with
windows 14. On the exterior, there is a video monitor 16
with corresponding speaker system indicated schematically
at 18.
In the interior, the front approximately 1/4 of
a booth is occupied by the electronic equipment. The
dotted line at 20 in Figure 1 indicates a division between
the front quarter and the remaining 3/4 which forms a
compartment for the user.
Figure 2 shows the dividing wall 22, which here
would be irregularly shaped, separating the space with the
electronic equipment from the user's compartment. The
wall 22 has top and bottom, raised panels 23 and 24.
Facing the wall 22 is a seat 15, shown in outline, for a
user
In the bottom panel 24, there is an opening of
a coin box, as part of a coin acceptance mechanism,
indicated at 26.
Above this, in the top panel 23, there is a
video camera 30 and lights for the camera, shown at 32.
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Signs 34 and 36 can be illuminated to indicated,
respectively, "Standby" and "You're On". Microphones 38
are provided for the audio soundtrack. Additionally,
there is a numerical display 40, for giving a time
indication.
- Figure 3 shows the equipment behind the dividing
wall 22. Thus, this shows the video monitor 16, an
advertising video tape recorder 42, an image video tape
recorder 44 and a control unit 46. An amplifier and
speaker assembly 48 and a suitable deflector 50 and a
related audio processor 47 are provided.
As Figure 4 shows, the control unit 46 is
connected to, and controls, the video monitor 16, the
image VTR 44, the camera lights 32 and the coin box and
acceptance mechanism 26. It is also connected to a light
controller 52, which in turn is connected to lights for
the status signs 34 and 36, and also to a light for a TAPE
FULL sign 37, which could be provided either internally or
externally. It provides an indication to the user that
the tape of the VTR is full so that no further recordings
can be made.
As shown in Figure 4, the audio processor 47 is
connected between the microphones 38 and the recorder VTR
44, and the camera 30 is also connected to the recorder
VTR 44. Both the image recorder VTR 44 and the
advertising VTR 42 are connected to the video monitor 16.
The monitor 16 is also connected to the amp and speaker
assembly 48.
As Figure 5 shows in greater detail, the control
unit 46 is connected to the light controller 52. This in
turn controls relays indicated at 56 for the lights for
the status signs 34, 36 and the tape full sign 37. It
also controls the camera lights 32 and fluorescent lights
54. The fluorescent lights 54 would be the regular
illumination within the recording booth. Via a driver 53,
it controls the numerical display 40.
The VTR 44 and the coin box and coin acceptance
BP#7413-002
mechanism 26 have respective control units 45 and 27.
In use, the user, or possibly two or more users,
access the cab or space by sliding open one of the doors
12, entering the booth, and then closing the door behind.
When seated on the seat 15, the user would see the
configuration of Figure 2. A list of instructions would
be provided clearly on the dividing wall 22.
To start the device, a dollar or other
predetermined coin is inserted into the coin acceptance
mechanism 26.
The coin box acceptance mechanism 26 checks the
coin to ensure that it is a proper dollar coin. If so,
the coin box 26 checks with the control unit 46 whether
all systems are operational and ready for recording. For
example, the tape on the VTR 44 may be full, in which case
control unit 46 would give a negative answer and the coin
would be released.
The control unit in turn, when it receives the
status inquiry from the coin box 26, checks the numerical
display counter 40 to ensure it is 0 and ready to operate,
and also checks that the VTR 44 is ready to operate.
Assuming all such units are ready to operate, the provides
a positive signal to the coin box 26.
If the control unit 46 indicates that all
systems are operational, i.e. a positive signal, the coin
is accepted and the control unit 46 is given a signal to
proceed.
When the control unit 46 receives the proceed
signal from the coin box 26, it resets the numerical
display counted to 10 seconds, and turns on the standby
light 34. The display 40 flashes and counts down the 10
seconds.
Then, the standby light 34 is turned off and the
"YOU'RE ON" light is turned on. The counter on display 40
then counts down from 2 minutes. Recording starts, and
the VTR 44 is turned on to record.
Simultaneously, and unlike any other known unit,
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the advertising or informational tape in VTR 42 is
disconnected from the monitor 16, and the image being
recorded by camera 30 is connected to the video monitor
16. The audio, recorded by microphones 38, is muted
during this time to avoid feedback. However, the audio
sensed by microphones 38 is recorded simultaneously with
the image from camera 30 on the VTR 44.
The recorder video tape recorder 44 is a 3/4"
tape recorder.
The recorder video tape recorder 42 is provided
with a continuous loop of tape providing advertising or
information. In particular, it would include some
sequence indicating the purpose of the booth, how to
operate it, and what coin or coins would be required to
activate it. It would be intended to entice passers by to
use the booth. This would be run continuously, when the
booth is not in use, and provide both a continuous audio
and video image to the monitor 16 and the amplifier and
speaker 48. As indicated above, when recording is taking
place, the audio is muted and the video image from the
camera 30 is connected to the monitor 16. This would
enable friends of the user of the booth to stand outside
and watch the message being recorded within the booth.
Known apparatus of this sort typically provide
little or no privacy, and further they provide no
opportunity for friends or acquaintances of a user to
watch a message being recorded. Frequently, a group of
people will approach such device together with the
intention that one of them will record a message. The
other members of the group will often be strongly
interested in watching the message as it is being
recorded, which is now possible with this booth.
