Depth triggered auto record
View Patent ↗The invention relates to an underwater digital video camera having an auto record system for automatically starting and stopping video recording at predetermined depths. The camera receives a current depth from a depth gauge and holds a sequence of recent currents depths and auto record settings such as a start trigger depth and a stop trigger depth, wherein the auto record system is adapted to, after the start/stop trigger depth is arrived at or passed for increasing/decreasing depths, start/stop video recording.
1. An underwater digital video camera having an auto record system for automatically starting and stopping video recording, a depth gauge to provide a current depth of the video camera to the auto-record system, and digital storage accessible by the auto record system for holding auto record settings and a sequence of recent currents depths from the depth gauge, wherein the auto record settings in the digital storage comprise:
a start trigger depth; and
a stop trigger depth;
wherein the auto record system is configured to:
after the start trigger depth is arrived at or passed while the current depth is increasing, start video recording; and
after the stop trigger depth is arrived at or passed while the current depth is decreasing, stop video recording.
2. The underwater digital video camera according to claim 1 , wherein the auto record settings in the digital storage further comprise a stop delay, and wherein the auto record system is adapted to stop of video recording a time equal to the stop delay after the stop trigger depth is arrived at or passed for decreasing depths.
3. The underwater digital video camera according to claim 1 , wherein the auto record settings in the digital storage further comprise a start delay, and wherein the auto record system is adapted to start of video recording a time equal to the start delay after the start/stop trigger depth is arrived at or passed for increasing depths.
4. The underwater digital video camera according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the auto record settings can be adjusted by a user.
5. The underwater digital video camera according to claim 1 , wherein the digital storage holds one or more auto-record profiles being sets of auto record settings, which can be selected by a user.
6. A method, performed by an auto record system of an underwater digital video camera, for automatically starting and stopping video recording, the underwater digital video camera comprising a digital storage holding a sequence of recent current depths and auto record settings comprising a start trigger depth and a stop trigger depth, the method comprising the following to be performed repeatedly:
if the video camera is not recording and if the current depth is increasing, determine whether the start trigger depth has been arrived at or passed;
if the start trigger depth has not been arrived at or passed, then determine the current depth and add it to the sequence of recent currents depths;
if the start trigger depth has been arrived at or passed, then start recording;
if the video camera is not recording and if the current depth is decreasing, determine the current depth and add it to the sequence of recent currents depths;
if the video camera is recording and if the current depth is decreasing, determine whether the stop trigger depth has been arrived at or passed;
if the stop trigger depth has not been arrived at or passed, then determine the current depth and add it to the sequence of recent currents depths;
if the stop trigger depth has been arrived at or passed, then stop recording; and
if the video camera is recording and if the current depth is increasing, determine the current depth and add it to the sequence of recent current depths.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the auto record settings comprise a stop delay and wherein recording is stopped a time equal to the stop delay after the stop trigger depth is arrived at or passed for decreasing depths.
8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the auto record settings comprise a start delay and wherein recording is started a time equal to the start delay after the start trigger depth is arrived at or passed for increasing depths.
9. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising determining whether the current depth is increasing or decreasing based at least in part on the sequence of recent current depths.
10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the underwater digital video camera is coupled to a human diver.
11. The underwater digital video camera according to claim 2 , wherein the stop delay is adjustable by a user of the underwater digital video camera.
12. The underwater digital video camera according to claim 2 , wherein the stop delay is a predetermined stop delay greater than or equal to an expected time for a diver to surface from the stop trigger depth.
13. The underwater digital video camera according to claim 1 , wherein the auto record system determines whether the current depth is increasing or decreasing based at least in part on the sequence of recent current depths.
14. The underwater digital video camera according to claim 1 , wherein the auto record settings in the digital storage further comprise:
a start delay, wherein the auto record system is adapted to start video recording a time equal to the start delay after the start trigger depth is arrived at or passed for increasing depths; and
a stop delay, wherein the auto record system is adapted to stop video recording a time equal to the stop delay after the stop trigger depth is arrived at or passed for decreasing depths.