Remote controlled studio camera system
View Patent ↗A system for remotely controlling a camera is disclosed. The system includes five major subsystems; a first subsystem collocated with the camera; a second subsystem which serves as a gateway between the camera and the third subsystem; a third subsystem to remotely monitor the studio and control the camera; a fourth subsystem located at the destination of the video stream; and a fifth subsystem to receive and re-transmit a video control stream. This system allows the camera to be monitored and controlled by one location, while the primary video stream is transmitted to a different location. In some embodiments, the control video stream is a lower bandwidth signal than the primary video stream. Furthermore, the fifth subsystem is capable of receiving and re-transmitting control video streams from a plurality of cameras simultaneously. The second subsystem allows remote access to the first subsystem, based on approved credentials.
1. A remote controlled studio camera system, comprising:
a video source, comprising a camera and a module for creating a primary video stream and a control video stream and a network interface for simultaneously transmitting said primary video stream and said control video stream over the internet in real time, wherein said control video stream is different than said primary video stream and wherein said control video stream and said primary video stream are transmitted to different destinations;
a video target, in communication with the internet, which receives said primary video stream from said video source, whereby said primary video stream is transmitted from said video source with an indication of an identity of said video target; and
a computer, in communication with the internet, adapted to receive said control video stream from said video source, and comprising means of controlling said camera.
2. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 1 , further comprising a relay server, in communication with the internet, said relay server comprising software adapted to:
authenticate said computer before allowing said computer to control said camera; and
communicate with said video source and said video target so as to create a link between said video source and said video target, whereby said link is created by transmitting the indication of the identity of said video target to said video source.
3. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 1 , wherein said control video stream is transmitted to a video control stream server, which then retransmits said control video stream to said computer.
4. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 1 , wherein said means of controlling said camera comprises an application programming interface (API), such that said video source receives generic commands from said computer and translates said generic commands to device specific instructions.
5. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 1 , wherein said video source comprises a storage device adapted to store output from said camera for later transmission.
6. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 1 , wherein said primary video stream has a higher bandwidth than said control video stream.
7. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of video sources, wherein said computer is granted access to one or more of said plurality of video sources after said authentication, and said computer selects one of said video sources as a desired source.
8. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of video targets, wherein said computer is granted access to one or more of said plurality of video targets after said authentication, and said computer selects one of said video targets as a desired target.
9. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 1 , wherein said computer comprises a microphone, and audio is transmitted over the internet from said computer to said video source.
10. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 1 , wherein said video sources transmits audio to said video target over the internet.
11. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 2 , wherein said relay server serves a plurality of web pages to said computer.
12. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 11 , wherein one of said web pages is used to perform said authentication.
13. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 11 , wherein one of said web pages is used to display said control video stream originating from said video source.
14. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 11 , wherein one of said web pages is used to allow said computer to control said video source.
15. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 11 , wherein one of said web pages is used to allow said computer to associate a video source and a video target.
16. The remote controlled studio camera system of claim 2 , further comprising a control stream server, adapted to receive said control video stream from said video source and transmit said control video stream to said computer.