IP Library Granted Patent US 8,068,637
Granted Patent B2
US 8,068,637 · App. 12/781,434 · Granted Nov 29, 2011

Embedded appliance for multimedia capture

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,068,637
App. No.
12/781,434
Granted
Nov 29, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A multimedia device includes input ports dedicated to receiving a real-time media signal and a processor system dedicated to capturing the real-time media signal. The processor system defines an embedded environment. The input ports and the processor system are integrated into the multimedia capture device. The input ports include an audio input port and at least one of a visual-capture input port or a digital-image input port.

Claims (44)

1. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to be executed by a processor system within an embedded environment, the code comprising code to cause the processor system to:

receive a schedule configured to trigger capture and compression of an audio signal and capture and compression of at least one of a visual-capture signal or a digital-image signal, the schedule being received from a control device separate from a device having the processor system;

capture the audio signal and capture the at least one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal based on the schedule;

compress the audio signal and the at least one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal based on a compression variable associated with the schedule to produce a compressed signal; and

send the compressed signal after the compressed signal is produced.

2. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein:

the compression variable associated with the schedule including at least one of a frame rate, a bit rate, a frequency, a resolution, a color or a stabilization, assocociated with at least one of the audio signal, the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal.

3. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein:

the code to compress includes code to compress the at least one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal into a lossy format based on the schedule.

4. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein:

the code to compress includes code to compress the at least one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal into a first format and a second format simultaneously based on the schedule.

5. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein:

the code to compress includes code to compress the at least one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal into a first format at a first time and a second format at a second time different from the first time based on the schedule.

6. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the processor system included within a specific-purpose embedded appliance and dedicated to at least capturing and compressing the audio signal and the at least one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal, and sending the compressed signal.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of input ports including (1) an audio input port configured to receive an audio signal and (2) at least one of a visual-capture input port configured to receive a visual-capture signal or a digital-image input port configured to receive a digital-image signal, the plurality of input ports configured to receive a plurality of media signals including the audio signal and at least one of the digital-image signal or the digital-image signal; and

a processor system within an embedded environment and coupled to the plurality of input ports, the plurality of input ports and the processor system collectively being within a multimedia capture device, the processor system configured to receive a schedule from a control device separate from the multimedia capture device,

the processor system configured to capture the plurality of media signals based on the schedule, the processor system configured to compress the plurality of media signals based on a compression variable associated with the schedule to produce a plurality of compressed signals, the processor system configure to send the plurality of processed signals after the processed signal is produced.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the compression variable associated with the schedule including at least one of a frame rate, a bit rate, a frequency, a resolution, a color or a stabilization, assocociated with the plurality of media signals.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor system is configured to compress the plurality of media signals into a lossy format based on the schedule.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:

the processor system is configured to receive the schedule from the control device,

the processor system is configured to send the compressed signal to the control device.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:

the processor system is configured to receive the schedule from the control device,

the processor system is configured to send the compressed signal to a device separate from the control device and the multimedia capture device.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a scheduler implemented in at least one of a memory or a processor, the scheduler configured to send to an appliance a schedule associated with (1) a start indicator configured to trigger the appliance to capture of a first plurality of media signals, (2) a compression variable associated with a format for capture of the first pluralty of media signals, and (3) a send indicator configured to trigger the appliance to send a second plurality of media signals that have been compressed based on the compression variable and the first plurality of media signals;

an index module configured to process the second plurality of media signals to produce a plurality of index points; and

a synchronizer coupled to the index module and configured to synchronize the second plurality of media signals based on the plurality of index points.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the compression variable associated with the schedule includes at least one of a frame rate, a bit rate, a frequency, a resolution, a color or a stabilization, assocociated with the first plurality of media signals.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the scheduler is configured to send the schedule to the appliance such that the appliance compresses the first plurality of media signals into a lossy format based on the schedule.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:

the scheduler is configured to send the schedule to the appliance such that the appliance simultaneously compresses the first plurality of media signals into the second plurality of media signals having a first format and a third plurality of media signals having a second format,

the plurality of index points is a first plurality of index points,

the index module is configured to process the third plurality of signals to produce a second plurality of index points,

the synchronizer is configured to synchronize the third plurality of media signals based on the second plurality of index points.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:

the schedule is configured to send the schedule to the appliance such that the appliance compresses the first plurality of media signals at a first time into the second plurality of media signals having a first format and compresses the first plurality of media signals at a second time a third plurality of media signals having a second format,

the plurality of index points is a first plurality of index points,

the index module is configured to process the third plurality of signals to produce a second plurality of index points,

the synchronizer is configured to synchronize the third plurality of media signals based on the second plurality of index points.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the scheduler, the index module and the synchronizer are within a control device.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the scheduler is within a first device, the index module and the synchronizer module are within a second device separate from the first device.

Assignments (12)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2025
From: TURNING TECH INTERMEDIATE, INC.; TURNING ACQUISITION, INC.; ECHO 360, INC.; ECHO 360 HOLDINGS, INC.; ECHO 360 CONTINUING EDUCATION, LLC; TURNING TECH LLC; TURNING TECH HOLDINGS, LLC; TURNING TECHNOLOGIES, LLC; RESPONSE TOOLS, LLC; INKLING SYSTEMS, INC.; SPEAKWORKS, INC.; RESPONSIVE INNOVATIONS, LLC
To: ADVANTAGE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 071276/0781 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2024
From: RUNWAY GROWTH CREDIT FUND INC.
To: ECHO 360, INC.
Reel/Frame 067286/0797 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2024
From: ECHO 360, INC.; ECHO 360 CONTINUING EDUCATION, LLC; ECHO 360 HOLDINGS, INC.; TURNING ACQUISITION, INC.; TURNING TECH INTERMEDIATE, INC.; TURNING TECH LLC; TURNING TECH HOLDINGS, LLC; TURNING TECHNOLOGIES, LLC; RESPONSIVE INNOVATIONS, LLC; RESPONSE TOOLS, LLC; INKLING SYSTEMS, INC.
To: ADVANTAGE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, AS ADMINSTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 067289/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2019
From: MULTIPLIER CAPITAL II, LP
To: ECHO360, INC.
Reel/Frame 049096/0255 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2019
From: ECHO 360, INC.
To: RUNWAY GROWTH CREDIT FUND INC.
Reel/Frame 049103/0766 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 5, 2018
From: ECHO360, INC.
To: MULTIPLIER CAPITAL II, LP
Reel/Frame 045451/0946 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 5, 2018
From: PACIFIC WESTERN BANK
To: ECHO 360, INC.
Reel/Frame 045451/0654 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2014
From: ECHO 360, INC.
To: SQUARE 1 BANK
Reel/Frame 033453/0693 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 12, 2011
From: ECHO360, INC.
To: SQUARE 1 BANK
Reel/Frame 026744/0813 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2011
From: ALLEN, GEOFFREY BENJAMIN; GEYER, STEVEN LEE; MCELRATH, RODNEY DALE
To: ANYSTREAM, INC.
Reel/Frame 026182/0663 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2011
From: ANYSTREAM, INC.
To: ANYSTREAM EDUCATION, INC.
Reel/Frame 026182/0693 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 26, 2011
From: ANYSTREAM EDUCATION, INC.
To: ECHO 360, INC.
Reel/Frame 026183/0325 →