DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERA WITH RETRACTABLE DATA CONNECTOR AND RESIDENT SOFTWARE APPLICATION
A digital video camera may include a digital video image sensor for capturing digital video footage to be stored on an internal memory. The digital video image sensor and internal memory may be housed in a camera body. A retractable arm having a data connector may be attached to the camera body. The arm can be extended from and retracted into the camera body, while the data connector can be used to transfer digital video footage to an external device, such as a computer. The data connector may conform to a standard for connecting peripheral devices, such as the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard or the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394 (IEEE 1394) standard.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
a digital video image sensor;
a camera body configured to contain the digital video image sensor;
a moveable arm permanently attached to the camera body; and
a data connector that adheres to a standard for connecting peripheral devices permanently attached to the moveable arm to transfer digital video footage to a device external to the camera body.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the data connector is characterized by an insertion axis, the apparatus further comprising an actuation mechanism configured to extend the moveable arm from the camera body to the device external to the camera body by swiveling about an axis perpendicular to the insertion axis of the data connector.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the actuation mechanism includes:
a sliding latch on the camera body configured to lock the data connector in a retracted position; and
a spring mechanism configured to extend the moveable arm from the camera body to an extended position.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the actuation mechanism further includes a locking mechanism configured to hold the moveable arm in the extended position.
5 . The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the actuation mechanism is further configured to retract the moveable arm toward the camera body.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the data connector is characterized by an insertion axis, the apparatus further comprising an actuation mechanism configured to extend the moveable arm from the camera body to the device external to the camera body along the insertion axis of the data connector.
7 . The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the actuation mechanism is further configured to retract the moveable arm into the camera body.
8 . The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the actuation mechanism includes a spring mechanism configured to extend the moveable arm from the camera body to an extended position.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the actuation mechanism further includes a locking mechanism configured to hold the moveable arm in an extended position.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the data connector conforms to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard for connecting peripheral devices.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the data connector conforms to an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 standard for connecting peripheral devices.
12 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises an internal memory that is configured to store the digital video footage captured by the digital video image sensor.
13 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising only the following user input elements:
a playback element configured to enable viewing of the digital video footage;
a delete element configured to enable deletion of the digital video footage;
a record element configured to control capturing of the digital video footage;
a power element configured to enable a power supply; and
a rocker switch having soft-key functions determined by a mode in which the apparatus is operating.
14 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an internal memory, wherein the device external to the camera body comprises a computer system, the apparatus further comprising a resident software application stored in the internal memory, wherein the resident software application contains code scripted to present a graphical user interface on a display of the computer system connected to the data connector to facilitate at least one of displaying the digital video footage or transferring the digital video footage to the computer system.
15 . The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the resident software application contains code scripted to install compression-decompression software in the computer system connected to the data connector upon connection of the data connector to the computer system.
16 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a television connector configured to connect the apparatus to a television; and
a playback user input element configured to cause a displaying of the digital video footage on the television.
17 . The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a delete user input element configured to delete the digital video footage.
18 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an internal memory and software code scripted to create a thumbnail image associated with each digital video file, wherein the software code is stored in the internal memory.
19 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the digital video image sensor has a range of operation from approximately 10 lux to 10,000 lux.
20 . A method for transferring video content from a digital video camera to an external device, the digital video camera having a camera body, an arm permanently attached to the camera body, and a data connector permanently attached to the arm, wherein the data connector adheres to a standard for connecting peripheral devices to the external device, the method comprising:
extending the arm from the camera body;
inserting the data connector into a receptacle in the external device; and
transferring video content from the digital video camera to the external device.
21 . The method of claim 20 wherein the camera body includes:
a digital video image sensor; and
an internal memory.
22 . The method of claim 21 further comprising accessing the internal memory using the external device when the external device is connected to the digital video camera.
23 . The method of claim 21 wherein the internal memory is configured to store the video content captured by the digital video image sensor.
24 . The method of claim 20 wherein the video content comprises digital video footage.
25 . The method of claim 20 wherein extending the arm comprises swiveling the arm about an axis in a first direction.
26 . The method of claim 25 further comprising retracting the arm into the camera body after the video content is transferred to the external device.
27 . The method of claim 26 wherein retracting the arm comprises swiveling the arm about the axis in a second direction opposite the first direction.
28 . The method of claim 20 wherein the external device comprises a personal computer.
29 . The method of claim 20 wherein the data connector conforms to a USB standard for connecting peripheral devices.
30 . The method of claim 20 further comprising automatically executing a resident software application on the digital video camera after the external device is connected to the digital video camera.
31 . The method of claim 20 wherein the digital video camera further comprises:
a playback user input element configured to enable viewing of the video content;
a delete user input element configured to enable deletion of the video content;
a record user input element configured to control capturing of the video content;
a power user input element configured to enable a power supply; and
a rocker switch having soft-key functions determined by a mode in which the digital video camera is operating.