Interval Research Corporation

Vulcan Patents LLC

Internal Research Corporation

Kimberly H Johnson

Jonathan R Cohen

David A Burgess

Henry B Strub

David P Reed

William L Verplank

Scott Snibbe

Oliver Thomas Bayley

Karon E MacLean

G Roberto Aiello

The invention enables 'low attention recording,' i.e., recording that need not appreciably affect interaction of a recorder (i.e., a person in control of a recording unit according to the invention) or others with the environment in which the recording is taking place. The low attention recording enabled by the invention can be particularly advantageously employed in 'social recording,' i.e., recording in which multiple participants in an event are recording the event. As described in more detail below, advantageous aspects of the invention can be provided by a small, lightweight, wearable recording unit.

Low attention recording with particular application to social recording

The invention enables a recorder to mark a recording as an event is being recorded. The invention can enable the specification of a mark so that the mark is associated with recording data obtained at a time other than the time at which the mark is specified ('non-contemporaneous marking'), i.e., prior to the time of the mark ('retrospective marking') or after the time of the mark (&#x201c;predictive marking&#x201d;). The invention can also enable the use of multiple types of marks, each type of mark having a particular meaning. Additionally, the invention can enable marking capability to be implemented so that specification of a mark causes predetermined operation of the recording unit in accordance with the type of the mark (&#x201c;augmented marking&#x201d;).

Flexible marking of recording data by a recording unit

Low attention recording, with particular application to social recording

The invention enables &ldquo;low attention recording,&rdquo; i.e., recording that need not appreciably affect interaction of a recorder (i.e., a person in control of a recording unit according to the invention) or others with the environment in which the recording is taking place. The low attention recording enabled by the invention can be particularly advantageously employed in &ldquo;social recording,&rdquo; i.e., recording in which multiple participants in an event are recording the event. As described in more detail below, advantageous aspects of the invention can be provided by a small, lightweight, wearable recording unit. In particular, a &ldquo;hybrid recording unit&rdquo; having the above-described characteristics and advantages is constructed by adding to a portable video recorder (e.g., camcorder, portable dockable videotape recorder (VTR)) one or more devices (an &ldquo;auxiliary device&rdquo;) that provide additional functionality to the portable video recorder. The auxiliary device can advantageously provide, for example, one or more of the following capabilities: marking, position sensing, physiological monitoring and/or biometric identification.

Hybrid recording unit including portable video recorder and auxillary device

A haptic interface device is disclosed. The haptic interface device comprises a haptic display and a resolution input device. The haptic display is configured to provide a haptic sensation to a user in response to an interaction with an environment by the user. The resolution input device is configured to receive from the user an input indicating a resolution desired by the user. The desired resolution defines a desired magnitude of change in the haptic sensation per unit change in the state of one or more aspects of the environment. The haptic display device is configured to use the input to control the haptic sensation provided by the haptic display.

Flexible variation of haptic interface resolution

The invention enables &ldquo;low attention recording,&rdquo; i.e., recording that need not appreciably affect interaction of a recorder (i.e., a person in control of a recording unit according to the invention) or others with the environment in which the recording is taking place. The low attention recording enabled by the invention can be particularly advantageously employed in &ldquo;social recording,&rdquo; i.e., recording in which multiple participants in an event are recording the event. As described in more detail below, advantageous aspects of the invention can be provided by a small, lightweight, wearable recording unit. In particular, a recording unit according to the invention is particularly adapted to enable use of the recording unit to record an event during which the recorder engages in vigorous physical activity (e.g., an athletic activity, such as hiking, snow skiing or ping pong). The recording unit is constructed with a particular emphasis on the wearability characteristics of the recording unit, in order to facilitate freedom of movement by the recorder and minimize distraction to, or encumbrance of, the recorder's participation in the activity.

Low attention recording unit for use by vigorously active recorder

A haptic interface device produces a haptic display in response to a user's interaction with an environment with which the haptic interface device is associated. The invention enables the resolution of the haptic display produced by the haptic interface device to be changed by the user. In particular, the invention can be implemented so that the haptic display resolution can be changed (readily) as the user interacts with the environment using the haptic interface device. Thus, the invention can enable a user to interact with a particular environment at different levels of detail (i.e., different resolutions) and, in particular, can enable the user to immediately change from interacting with the environment at one level of detail to interacting with the environment at a different level of detail. The invention can also enable a user to change the resolution of the haptic display of a haptic interface device by interacting with the haptic interface device and/or an apparatus used by the user to interact with the environment, thus facilitating the ability of the user to change the resolution of the haptic display while simultaneously interacting with the environment and thereby enabling the user to change quickly between different levels of haptic display detail. Additionally, the invention can enable a user to effect continuous change in the resolution of the haptic display of a haptic interface device, thus enabling the user to interact with the environment at any desired level of haptic display detail.

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Kimberly H Johnson