Patent Application
20160006940
A portion of the disclosure of this patent contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for aiming a digital video recorder. In particular, the present invention relates to a device which can be attached to a digital video recorder and used to aim the digital recorder while continuing to observe the action being recorded.
2. Description of Related Art
With the introduction of digital video recorders, such as camcorders, cell phones/smartphones, digital cameras with video capability, etc., and their ease of use and cost effective price, we now see video recording devices almost everywhere. These new devices are designed for the average user, and hence have concentrated on being user friendly. A trip to a local youth soccer game will quickly show the ubiquity of these video recording devices.
Aiming the digital video recorder (DVR), that is, the framing of the view that will appear on the finished video, is classically done by one of two means. Aiming is conventionally accomplished with use of either an electronic or optical viewfinder. An electronic viewfinder produces a digital image on a screen, much like the finished video product, and it is not uncommon to currently see two inch to three inch LCD screens for viewing the action as it is recorded. The alternative is the older optical system, where, through a series of optical lenses, an approximation or actual view through the lens is accomplished to indicate the framing of what is being recorded. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,265, issued Mar. 24, 1992, to Lee, a combination optical and electronic viewfinder is provided, which gives the user the option of which system to use with one device. Many DVRs have both devices as separate viewfinding devices.
A problem with viewfinders in general is that the image is so small on the viewfinder that, while it is possible to frame the action while filming, it is virtually impossible to actually watch the action going on while filming it. Watching a youth soccer game and recording it at the same time can be extraordinarily frustrating, if not impossible.
It has been discovered that, by positioning an open framed aiming device on a DVR, the open frame can be sighted through or aimed through, such that the view through the open frame is essentially the same as the area the DVR will film. And thus, this allows the user to aim, film, and continue to watch the scene being filmed, as well as watch the adjoining scene not being filmed. With the present device, there is no need to use electronic or optical viewfinders, which make watching the scene being filmed almost impossible.
Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention is a digital video recorder (DVR) aiming device for use by an individual with a DVR having a lens with a sight line and a viewfinder, the aiming device comprising:
These and other objects of the present invention will be clear when taken in view of the detailed specification and disclosure in conjunction with the appended figures.
Nothing in the drawings is intended to be limiting, and the full scope of the invention is to be interpreted in view of the claims and the specification as further disclosed herein.
It has been discovered that by mounting a framing device on the DVR lens or body, and positioning one's self at the proper distance, that the view through the open frame is essentially the same as the view in the DVR viewfinder. By aiming the DVR using the aiming device, the DVR user cannot only aim the DVR, but can also view the video and the surrounding action at the same time in real time, and not just through a tiny viewfinder.
While this invention is susceptible to embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will herein be described in detail, specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure of such embodiments is to be considered as an example of the principles and not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described. In the description below, like reference numerals are used to describe the same, similar, or corresponding parts in the several views of the drawings. This detailed description defines the meaning of the terms used herein and specifically describes embodiments in order for those skilled in the art to practice the invention.
The terms “about” and “essentially” near ±10 percent.
The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or as more than one. The term “plurality”, as used herein, is defined as two, or more than two. The term “another”, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having”, as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled”, as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.
References throughout this document to “one embodiment”, “certain embodiments”, and “an embodiment” or similar terms means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of such phrases in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments without limitation.
The term “or” as used herein is to be interpreted as an inclusive or meaning any one or any combination. Therefore, “A, B or C” means any of the following: “A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C”. An exception to this definition will occur only when a combination of elements, functions, steps or acts are in some way inherently mutually exclusive.
As used herein, the phrase “digital video recorder”, refers to small handheld digital type video recording devices designed for video and, possibly, still photography. They include camcorders, smartphones/cell phones, digital cameras, all with digital recording capabilities. These DVRs consist of a lens that is either fixed, or has either optical or digital zoom, and having permanent or removable lens. Typically, DVRs are fitted with both a digital screen viewfinder as well as some form of optical lens (either through the lens or not) viewfinding system, although smartphones may only have digital screen viewing. These focusing and aiming devices require looking at a very small picture, such that the detail is almost impossible to discern, and it is almost impossible to not have to constantly look up and back, causing very jerky video recordings and making it almost impossible to film a live action event. The current DVRs record a rectangular picture, usually in either a 4:3 format or 16:9 format.
As used herein, an “aiming” device refers to a means for determining what is being shot on the video on a DVR in terms of what is in the recording and what is not. Also called a framing device, the viewfinder is one means of aiming the DVR and seeing exactly what the DVR will be or is recording, but the viewfinder is small and usually difficult to use for video.
As used herein, “open frame” refers to a see-through frame made of bent wire, plastic, wood, alloys, carbon resin, laminate, a composite, or the like, that is shaped proportional to the video picture. The frame can be an entire shape, or partially open, for example, as uprights with an open top. In one embodiment, the frame is a rectangle, but in other embodiments, the frame can be square, circular, oval, trapezoidal, diamond, have additional shapes or the like as desired. Where the DVR has a zoom lens on it, there can be one open frame corresponding to the widest angle, and another open frame positioned concentric with the larger open frame, representing the relationship in sizes for zooming in all the way. In other words, one would aim with the larger frame in wide angle mode and the concentric frame for zoomed in mode. There could be a plurality of concentric open frames, in one embodiment, in a sort of bull's eye dart board configuration. The exact size can easily be determined from the disclosure herein; however, in one embodiment, the frame is as small as three inches across by two inches, or as large as twelve inches across. Manufacture of the device of the present invention is within the skill in the art with the disclosure of the invention in front of them. For example, wire frame devices can be made of stiff wire and bent to shape using conventional means.
The present invention's open frame is attached to a DVR such that, when sighting across the top of the DVR, or at about the level of the DVR lens, one will be looking through the open frame. The general positioning can be seen further in examples of the appended figures for both camcorders and smartphones. One skilled in the art can build a frame for attachment in view of the disclosure herein. The device is attached (removably in one embodiment) to the DVR by attachment to the lens, or by attachment to the DVR body. The lens attachment can be by any convenient means, such as to existing mounts on the DVR, or by clips, framing material, elastic means, Velcro® type hook and loop devices, screw-on means, or the like. The present invention device can also be attached to the DVR body in similar means. An attachment means, in one embodiment, is to provide a hot shoe attachment means, such that the devices attach directly or indirectly to the hot shoe attachment, if there are any on the DVR. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is an attachment means wherein the present invention screws into the DVR lens filter threading, or onto a filter screwed onto the lens. In yet another embodiment, there is an attachment means wherein the device attaches to a tripod mount on the bottom of a DVR, as does the DVR on a tripod.
In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the device of the present invention is removably attached, and, in yet another embodiment, the device is not removably attached.
Now referring to the drawings,
Attachment means 3 to attach the aiming device 1 to a DVR is depicted, in this embodiment, as the bent wire lens attachment 5 and elastic means 6. The elastic means 6, such as an elastic strap rubber band or the like, holds the wire in place, as can be seen in
In
In
Yet another embodiment wherein the device is attached to the body of the camera as shown in
An aiming device was made as follows: a piece of wire was bent into the shape shown in
A device made according to
A device as shown in
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 13/420,889 filed on Mar. 15, 2012, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 12/102,001 filed on Apr. 13, 2008, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 12/027,257 filed on Feb. 6, 2008.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13420889 | Mar 2012 | US |
| Child | 14851379 | US | |
| Parent | 12102001 | Apr 2008 | US |
| Child | 13420889 | US | |
| Parent | 12027257 | Feb 2008 | US |
| Child | 12102001 | US |
