SURFBOARD-MOUNTED CAMERA

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a surfboard-mounted camera system.

Since the beginning of photography, users and manufacturers have faced the problem of conveniently carrying, accessing, and using a camera under various operating conditions. The advent of digital cameras has made it easier to take action photographs or videos while participating in fast-paced physical activities such as surfing, snorkeling, skiing, mountain biking, kayaking, rafting, among others.

To accommodate photography or videography during such physical activities, digital camera manufacturers have produced cameras that are simple to operate, low cost, lightweight, and have compact form factors. These cameras can be secured using various mounts, harnesses, or straps to allow a user to keep one or more hands free for the physical activity. For example, camera wrist strap systems are available that provide a compact and lightweight camera together with a strap for securing the camera to a user's wrist. This configuration allows the user to easily access, operate, and then quickly secure the camera. Furthermore, the camera is small and light enough that it does not handicap the user while engaging in physical activity. Alternatively, helmet style camera systems allow a user to mount a compact and lightweight camera to a helmet. Other types of camera systems may include mounts for securing a camera to a bumper or windshield of a car to capture images or video while driving.

SUMMARY

A system for capturing a surfing experience includes a camera mounted on a surfboard with a camera mount providing at least three degrees of freedom to position the camera to capture a preview picture or video; and a web server coupled to the camera to render pictures or videos during a surf session. The camera may be a low profile camera that can be flushed with the surfboard or having same shape as the surface of the surfboard. The camera may capture 3D images and may capture normal or panoramic images.

Advantages of the camera may include one or more of the following. The camera includes a number of benefits and advantages. The camera can easily be used by a photographer to carry, access, and securely hold and use a camera even while participating in fast-paced board related activities such as surfing, snowboarding, skiing, and so on. Additionally, the camera mount will keep a camera attached to the board even if the user falls or encounters some circumstance that forces him or her to let go of the camera while taking a photograph or video. The mount can be easily used with a wide range of camera types, sizes, and dimensions and can likewise be adjusted to fit a wide range of users. Moreover, the mount may interoperate with other devices, for example, video cameras, binoculars, monoculars, cell phones, personal digital assistants, music players (e.g., Mp3 players or radio devices), game devices, and the like. Further still, such board-mounted camera will allow its user to take photographs or videos while participating in such activities that might otherwise have prohibited or made difficult the act of photography or videography. Moreover, the camera is advantageously secured while providing quick access for the user to the device attached to the harness so that the user can, for example, move a camera from a front view in a secured position to the rear view secured position, take a photograph/video, and then re-secure the camera in the front view secured position. In addition, the system is advantageously configured so that the device, e.g., camera, remains secured to the harness even if the user is unable to return the device from the first secured position to the second secured position. The camera may be configured with fewer numbers of parts, and therefore, is more reliable due to fewer potential failure points and may be less expensive to manufacture. Further, the camera system may be configured using lightweight material and may also be configured or shaped for attaching to a wide range of boards such as snowboards and surfboards. Hence, the camera is advantageous for a wide range of potential users. The camera can easily be used by a photographer to carry, access, and securely hold and use a camera even while participating in fast-paced board related activities such as surfing, snowboarding, skiing, and so on. Additionally, the camera mount will keep a camera attached to the board even if the user falls or encounters some circumstance that forces him or her to let go of the camera while taking a photograph or video or combinations thereof. The mount can be easily used with a wide range of camera types, sizes, and dimensions and can likewise be adjusted to fit a wide range of users. Moreover, the mount may interoperate with other devices, for example, video cameras, binoculars, monoculars, cell phones, personal digital assistants, music players (e.g., Mp3 players or radio devices), game devices, and the like. Further still, such board-mounted camera will allow its user to take photographs while participating in such activities that might otherwise have prohibited or made difficult the act of photography.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary process for operating a surfboard camera.

FIG. 2A shows an exemplary visual feedback system for the camera, while FIG. 2B shows an exemplary 3D camera, FIG. 2C shows another 3D camera embodiment, and FIG. 2D shows a camera with front and back lenses.

FIG. 3A shows an exemplary process for manual control of the camera.

FIG. 3B shows an exemplary display with left, right, mode, and record/stop buttons.

FIG. 3C shows an exemplary user interface for swapping modes with the mode button. The modes can be switched from video record, video playback, and music playing.

FIG. 3D shows an exemplary recording user command sequence.

FIG. 3E shows exemplary user commands to manage video contents, from recording to playing of video and deletion of videos.

FIG. 3F shows exemplary user commands to navigate a music player in the camera.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary camera that can be head-mounted or surfboard mounted.

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary surfboard mounted camera configuration.

FIGS. 6A-6E shows exemplary views of alternative surfboard mounted camera embodiments.

FIG. 7A shows two exemplary low profile camera designs.

FIG. 7B shows the front and back views of design 1.

FIG. 7C shows the front and back views of design 2.

FIG. 8A shows an exemplary digital camera schematic.

FIG. 8B shows an exemplary remote watch schematic.

DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary process 20 for operating a surfboard camera (cam) 40 to record images and videos while mounted to a surfboard 36. The cam 40 is mounted on the surfboard 36 on which a surfer 34 can stand or rest thereon. In this process, a remote control device such as a watch can be worn on the user to remotely control the camera in 22. The user then inserts the camera 40 into a camera mount and secures the camera to the board in 24. In 26, the surfer goes out to the water and starts recording in 28. The surfer enjoys the wave in 30 and when done stops the recording in 32.

Turning to FIG. 2A, an exemplary visual feedback system is shown for the camera 40. The camera 40 includes one or more visual feedback devices 42 such as LEDs. A plurality of buttons are 44 and 46 are provided to receive commands from the surfer. A lens 50 captures light and focuses the image onto an imager inside the camera 40. In this process, one exemplary visual feedback sequence can include the following: constant on to indicate recording, flash 3 times to indicate device turning off, flashing light to indicate Bluetooth communication, low battery or low memory. If the device has a problem, the light can show alternating colors.

FIG. 2B shows an exemplary 3D camera with two lenses placed side by side for stereoscopy. Stereoscopy creates the illusion of three-dimensional depth from given two-dimensional images. Human vision, including the perception of depth, is a complex process which only begins with the acquisition of visual information taken in through the eyes; much processing ensues within the brain, as it strives to make intelligent and meaningful sense of the raw information provided. One of the very important visual functions that occur within the brain as it interprets what the eyes see is that of assessing the relative distances of various objects from the viewer, and the depth dimension of those same perceived objects. The brain makes use of a number of cues to determine relative distances and depth in a perceived scene. The two cameras allow the images to be played using a 3D viewing software to provide a 3D video experience.

FIG. 2C shows another 3D camera embodiment. In this embodiment, the suit is made of a light stretchable foam material designed to float. The suit and base are in brighter color such as yellow or orange for better recognition on water surface.

FIG. 2D shows a camera with front and back lenses. The front camera can capture stills with 16 megapixels, record video at 1080p resolution and has a large f/2.0 aperture for better performance in low light. All that adds up to better surfing portraits and improved video capture. The front camera has a wide-angle ability that captures up to triple the area of other front-facing cameras—making sure the user can get more of the surfing entourage in group shots. The back camera can be used for commenting or taking rear images simultaneously.

FIG. 3A shows an exemplary process for manual control of the camera. In this process, the user performs pre-surf preparation such as charging the battery and clearing memory cards (60). Shortly before surfing, the user inserts fresh battery and empty memory card into the camera 40 and then mounts the camera on the surfboard (62). The user swims to a spot and waits for a wave (64). Meanwhile, he or she can listen to music or watch previous surf sessions on a camera screen (66). When the right wave approaches, the user presses a record button to start recording (68) and surfs the wave (70). When done, the user presses the stop button to stop the recording session (72). The user can preview the captured videos on the screen of the camera (74). Upon finishing the surf session (76), the user can upload images and videos to a computer (78). The battery and memory card can be removed (80) for recharging and data loading, respectively (82). The files are transferred for editing for uploading to a web site for social networking or sharing purposes (84).

FIG. 3B shows an exemplary display with left, right, mode, and record/stop buttons. FIG. 3C shows an exemplary user interface for swapping modes with the mode button. The modes can be switched from video record, video playback, and music playing. FIG. 3D shows an exemplary recording user command sequence. FIG. 3E shows exemplary user commands to manage video contents, from recording to playing of video and deletion of videos. FIG. 3F shows exemplary user commands to navigate a music player in the camera. The user interface (UI) of FIGS. 3B-3F can be used on a camera with a built-in display or for cameras without displays, the UI can reside on a remote control device such as a wristwatch with displays, for example.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary camera with a curved body 300 that can be head-mounted or surfboard-mounted. Although the disclosed embodiments secure a camera for surfing purposes, the camera can be used in various sports including sports that use a board, for example a surfboard, windsurfing board, kite surfing board, skateboard, snowboard, skis, or a wakeboard. The head-mounted camera is also useful for any type of sports including skiing, snowboarding, horse riding, snorkeling, skiing, mountain biking, kayaking, and rafting, among others. For ease of description, references will be made to surfing, but the principles described herein are understood to be applicable to other sports.

The camera includes a moveable arm 310 that rotates out to expose one or more connectors 312 on either side of the camera body. The arm 310 can be a side rubber strip or other suitable materials that provide a seal or waterproof protection for the connectors 312 when the arm 310 is closed. The arm also allows the camera to stand on a desktop. The camera 300 has a lens 314 that is optimized for capturing surfing images or videos. In one embodiment, the lens 314 is fixed, and in another embodiment, a servomotor can adjust the focus for improved sharpness. In one embodiment, the camera can have two lenses to capture stereo or 3D images of the surfing experience. One or more buttons 316 is positioned on the body 300 to allow the user to control the camera such as to start and stop recording videos, among others. One or more openings 319 are positioned at each corner of the camera body 300 to allow the user to see the outputs of display devices such as LED displays. These displays may be turned on in a predetermined sequence to indicate that filming is on or that a setting has been selected, for example. A magnetic ring 318 is positioned at one end of the lens for subsequent attachment to a helmet, head band, or bandana to secure the camera to the head. Such helmets and bandanas require no effort in carrying the camera and are convenient for surfers to use while securing the camera to the surfer.

FIG. 5 shows a surf-board mounted camera. Although the disclosed embodiments include a mount for attaching a camera to a sporting board, for example a surfboard, windsurfing board, kite surfing board, skateboard, snowboard, skis, or a wakeboard. For ease of description, references will be made to a surfboard, but the principles described herein are understood to be applicable to other sporting boards.

Turning now to FIG. 5, the camera body 300 is inside of a protective enclosure 330 that provides an access port to the lens 314 and button 316, among others. The protective enclosure 330 has an attachment base 328 that is suitably hinged to connect to an elevation adjustment structure 326 which is surrounded by buttons 324 and positioned on a post 322. To adjust the elevation of the camera, the user pushes down on the adjustment structure 326. To tilt the camera, the user squeezes the buttons 324 and tilts the camera body 300. The unit can be flipped back to aim at the surfer. The post 322 is mounted on top of a base 320 and rotates on the base 320 to prevent scratching the surfboard. Once mounted, the camera can point in the same direction as the surfer's view, or alternatively can point the other way to capture images of the surfer.

In various embodiments, the camera mount can be placed on the front of the surfboard or the rear of the surfboard. Furthermore, the mount can be configured to face either forwards or backwards to capture images and/or video from different viewpoints while surfing. Moreover, the mount can include a pivoting joint to allow a user to rotate the camera either upward or downward and then secure the camera at a fixed angle to capture images and/or video from different angles. Beneficially, the camera mount allows a user to securely, safely, and easily carry a camera while surfing in a manner which does not handicap the user's participation in surfing.

FIGS. 6A-6E show another exemplary embodiment. In particular FIGS. 6D-6E show a low profile mount embodiment. In this embodiment, the unit can still be rotated back to aim at the surfer. The surf mount is rotatable with latches to secure the camera to the desired camera position in 3D space, and a post rotates on the base to prevent scratching the surfboard. In one embodiment, the latch can be squeezed to release the grip and allow the camera to be moved. FIG. 6B shows another embodiment of a surfboard mounted camera. In this embodiment, the camera is enclosed in a gel suit with a wide selection of colors and/or patterns. Further, the camera has a rotatable base mounts on the board, and the camera angle is adjustable. Moreover, the camera can be flexible positioned, through various panning, tilting, and flipping options.

One of skill in the art can appreciate that the camera can easily be used by a photographer to carry, access, and securely hold and use a camera even while participating in fast-paced board related activities such as surfing, snowboarding, skiing, and so on. Additionally, the camera mount will keep a camera attached to the board even if the user falls or encounters some circumstance that forces him or her to let go of the camera while taking a photograph/video. The mount can be easily used with a wide range of camera types, sizes, and dimensions and can likewise be adjusted to fit a wide range of users. Moreover, the mount may interoperate with other devices, for example, video cameras, binoculars, monoculars, cell phones, personal digital assistants, music players (e.g., Mp3 players or radio devices), game devices, and the like. Further still, such board-mounted camera will allow its user to take photographs or videos while participating in such activities that might otherwise have prohibited or made difficult the act of photography.

FIG. 7A shows two exemplary low profile camera designs that are designed to attach to the surfboard. In one embodiment, these cameras include displays so that the surfer can review video, play music, and interact with the camera directly using the UI of FIGS. 3A-3F without a remote control such as a watch, for example. Each camera is powered by a battery 302. In each design, control electronics printed circuit boards 300 process data from an imager receiving light through lens 304. The boards 300 receive commands from a button mounting board 308. FIG. 7B shows the front and back views of design 1, while FIG. 7C shows the front and back views of design 2. Design 1 is lower profile than design 2, but requires more real estate. Design 2 is more compact, at the expense of height.

FIG. 8A shows an exemplary camera schematic. A processor 502 communicates over a bus with memory such as RAM 504 and ROM 506. The processor (CPU) 502 also communicates with a USB transceiver 508 to allow the user to transfer data from memory to a remote computer. The processor 502 also communicates with a wireless transceiver 510 such as Bluetooth to allow wireless data transfer with the remote phone, tablet or computer. In one embodiment, the camera is completely sealed to provide waterproofing. In another embodiment, the camera has a flash memory receptacle 507 that allows common flash modules to be inserted into the camera to provide high capacity video storage and expandability. The CPU 502 also controls a servo motor 512 to adjust the focus of the lens 318. Light captured by an image sensor 500 is processed by the CPU 502. Additionally, one or more displays 514 can be driven by the CPU 502. In one embodiment, the displays 514 can be LEDs positioned at four corners of the camera to provide visual feedback to the surfer. In another embodiment, an OLED display can be provided to show the user the image or video being captured.

The image sensor 500 can be a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device. Both CCD and CMOS image sensors convert light into electrons. Once the sensor converts the light into electrons, it reads the value (accumulated charge) of each cell in the image. A CCD transports the charge across the chip and reads it at one corner of the array. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) then turns each pixel's value into a digital value by measuring the amount of charge at each photo site and converting that measurement to binary form. CMOS devices use several transistors at each pixel to amplify and move the charge using more traditional wires. The CPU 502 can be a low power processor such as an ARM processor and can run Android as an embedded operating system in one embodiment.

The camera body 300 may also include a battery to supply operating power to components of the system including the processor, ROM/RAM, flash memory, input device, microphone, audio transducer, H.264 media processing system, and sensor(s) such as accelerometers and GPS unit.

The processor controls the image processing operation; and, it controls the storage of a captured image in storage device such as RAM or flash. The processor also controls the exporting of image data (which may or may not be color corrected) to an external general purpose computer or special purpose computer. The processor also responds to user commands (e.g., a command to “take” a picture or capture video by capturing image(s) on the image sensor and storing the image(s) in memory or a command to select an option for contrast enhancement and color balance adjustment). Such commands may be verbal and recognized through speech recognition software, or through the remote watch 400. In one embodiment, the processor can be an ARM processor with integrated graphical processing units (GPUs). The GPUs can perform panorama stitching so that 3 inexpensive cameras can be used to provide a 180 degree immersive view.

In some embodiments, the processor is configured to continuously capture a sequence of images; to store a predetermined number of the sequence of images in a buffer, to receive a user request to capture an image; and to automatically select one of the buffered images based on an exposure time of one of the buffered images. The sequence of images may be captured prior to or concurrently with receiving the user request. The processing system while automatically selecting one of the buffered images is further configured to determine an exposure time of one of the buffered images, determine whether the exposure time meets predetermined criteria based on a predetermined threshold exposure time, and select the most recent image if the exposure time meets the predetermined criteria. The processing system is also configured to initiate the continuously capturing and the storing after the data processing system enters an image capture mode. While automatically selecting one of the buffered images, the processor can determine a focus score for each buffered image and to select a buffered image based on the focus score if the exposure time fails to meet the predetermined criteria. The processing system while selecting a buffered image based on the focus score is further configured to determine a product of the focus score and the weighted factor for each of the buffered images and select a buffered image having a highest product if the exposure time fails to meet the predetermined criteria.

FIG. 8B shows an exemplary wristwatch schematic. A processor 552 communicates over a bus with memory such as RAM 554 and ROM 556. The processor (CPU) 552 also communicates with a USB transceiver 558 to allow the user to transfer data from memory to a remote computer. The USB port can also be used for charging a battery that powers the watch. The processor 552 also communicates with a wireless transceiver 560 such as Bluetooth to allow wireless data transfer with the camera's processor 502. A display 564 can be driven by the CPU 502. In one embodiment, the display 564 can be an OLED display to show the user the image or video being captured by the image sensor 500, for example.

The wristwatch and the camera can use H.264 encoder and decoder to compress the video transmission between the units. H.264 encoding can be essentially divided into two independent processes: motion estimation and compensation, and variable length encoding. The motion estimation sub module of the core consists of two stages: integer pixel motion estimation followed by a refining step that searches for matches down to ¼ pixel resolution. The integer search unit utilizes a 4 step search and sums of absolute difference (SAD) process to estimate the motion vector. Similar to the case of motion estimation, SADs are used to search for the intra prediction mode that best matches the current block of pixels. The resultant bitstream is assembled into NAL units and output in byte stream format as specified in Annex B of the ITU-T H.264 specification. In the encoder, the initial step is the generation of a prediction. The baseline H.264 encoder uses two kinds of prediction: intra prediction (generated from pixels already encoded in the current frame) and inter prediction (generated from pixels encoded in the previous frames). A residual is then calculated by performing the difference between the current block and the prediction. The prediction selected is the one that minimizes the energy of the residual in an optimization process that is quite computationally intensive. A linear transform is then applied to the residual. Two linear transforms are used: Hadamard and a transform derived from the discrete cosine transform (DCT). The coefficients resulting from the transformations are then quantized, and subsequently encoded into Network Abstraction Layer (NAL) units. These NALs include context information—such as the type of prediction—that is required to reconstruct the pixel data. The NAL units represent the output of the baseline H.264 encoding process. Meanwhile, inverse quantization and transform are applied to the quantized coefficients. The result is added to the prediction, and a macroblock is reconstructed. An optional deblocking filter is applied to the reconstructed macroblocks to reduce compression artifacts in the output. The reconstructed macroblock is stored for use in future intra prediction and inter prediction. Intra prediction is generated from unfiltered reconstructed macroblocks, while inter prediction is generated from reconstructed macroblocks that are filtered or unfiltered. Intra prediction is formed from pixels that were previously encoded. Two kinds of intra predictions are used: intra16×16 and intra4×4. In intra16×16, all the pixels already encoded at the boundary with the current block can be used to generate a prediction. These are shown shaded in the figure below. The core can generate the four modes of the intra16×16 prediction. In intra4×4, 16 4×4 blocks of prediction are generated from the pixels at the boundaries of each 4×4 prediction block and boundary pixels are used in intra16×16 and intra4×4 intra prediction modes. The inter prediction is generated from motion estimation. At the heart of video compression, motion estimation is used to exploit the temporal redundancy present in natural video sequences. Motion estimation is performed by searching for a 16×16 area of pixels in a previously encoded frame so that the energy of the residual (difference) between the current block and the selected area is minimized. The core can search an area 32×32 pixels wide, down to ¼ pixel of resolution (−16.00, +15.75 in both X and Y direction). Pixels at ¼ resolution are generated with a complex interpolation filter described in the ITU-T H.264 specification. The Hadamard transform and an integer transform derived from the DCT and their descriptions can be found in the ITU-T H.264 standard, the content of which is incorporated by reference. Both transforms (and their inverse functions) can be performed by using only additions, subtractions and shift operations. Both quantization and its inverse are also relatively simple and are implemented with multiplication and shifts.

The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure. Those of skill in the art will understand the wide range of structural configurations for one or more elements of the present invention. For example, certain elements may have square or rounded edges to give it a particular look. Further, particular elements of the present invention that are joined or attached to one another in the assembly process can be made, molded, machined, or otherwise fabricated as a single element or part. In addition, certain elements of the present invention that are fabricated as a single element or part can be fabricated as separate elements or in a plurality of parts that are then joined or otherwise attached to one another in the assembly process. Certain elements of the present invention that are made of a particular material can be made of a different material to give the device a different appearance, style, weight, flexibility, rigidity, reliability, longevity, ease of use, cost of manufacture, among others.

Some portions of this description describe the embodiments of the invention in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on information. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are commonly used by those skilled in the data processing arts to convey the substance of their work effectively to others skilled in the art. These operations, while described functionally, computationally, or logically, are understood to be implemented by computer programs or equivalent electrical circuits, microcode, or the like. Furthermore, it has also proven convenient at times, to refer to these arrangements of operations as modules, without loss of generality. The described operations and their associated modules may be embodied in software, firmware, hardware, or any combinations thereof.

Any of the steps, operations, or processes described herein may be performed or implemented with one or more hardware or software modules, alone or in combination with other devices. In one embodiment, a software module is implemented with a computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium containing computer program code, which can be executed by a computer processor for performing any or all of the steps, operations, or processes described.

Embodiments of the invention may also relate to an apparatus for performing the operations herein. This apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes, and/or it may comprise a general-purpose computing device selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a tangible computer readable storage medium or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions, and coupled to a computer system bus. Furthermore, any computing systems referred to in the specification may include a single processor or may be architectures employing multiple processor designs for increased computing capability.

Embodiments of the invention may also relate to a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, where the computer data signal includes any embodiment of a computer program product or other data combination described herein. The computer data signal is a product that is presented in a tangible medium or carrier wave and modulated or otherwise encoded in the carrier wave, which is tangible, and transmitted according to any suitable transmission method.

Finally, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments of the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention.

While the above description contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope, but rather as an exemplification of preferred embodiments thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure should be determined not by the embodiment(s) illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

SURFBOARD-MOUNTED CAMERA

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