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EP0640938A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Personalized image recording system

Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1994-08-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-08-17
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Abstract

Abstract A system for creating still image or video collections for guests of amusement parks and the like a) identifies individuals by a unique tag assigned to the individual, b) automatically records the images of the individuals while they are at various attractions, c) collects the images over a communications network, d) arranges the images in a collection, and e) presents a personal set of collected images to the guest. In one embodiment of the invention, cameras are located throughout an amusement park. Each guest is associated with a unique identifier. This identifier may be contained within a readable tag, e.g., a card, badge or pendant. Tag readers identify guest when they are at a particular location and provide identification and location information to a control system. A communications network is used to interconnect the cameras, tag readers, control system and image recording devices. The control system controls the recording and storage of the appropriate image(s) associated with that guest. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the images of the guest may be associated with prerecorded images of the amusement park. Advantageously, a reporting system captures information on guest traffic patterns throughout their visit.

Inventors

  • 👤 James Gifford Evans
  • 👤 Richard H. Janow
  • 👤 Howard M. Singer
  • 👤 Lee B. Strahs

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 20:13
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B27/00; G11B27/02; G11B27/022; G11B27/028; G06; G06K; G06K17/00; G06K17/0022; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S358/00; Y10S358/906

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 99 words
Apparatus for use in a predefined area, CHARACTERIZED BY a plurality of cameras; a plurality of tag readers, each tag reader being associated with at least one of said cameras for supplying information as to the location of each guest in said predefined area that has a unique tag; a communications network for transporting at least images captured by said cameras; and an image storage system for storing images captured by said cameras that is responsive to information supplied from said tag readers to produce for each guest a personal image collection reflecting his visit to the predefined area.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 23 words
The invention as defined in claim 1 further characterized by means for indicating that the image from a particular camera is being recorded.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 28 words
The invention as defined in claim 1 or 2 further characterized by auxiliary trigger means for controlling the initiation of recording from an associated one of said cameras.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 38 words
The invention as defined in claim 1, 2, or 3 further characterized in that images are recorded for a particular guest only from selected ones of said cameras in response to prestored selections made by said particular guest.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 49 words
The invention as defined in claim 1, 2, 3, or 4 further characterized in that, prior to recording of any images captured by said cameras in response to said tag readers, a media of recording in said image storage system is prerecorded with stock footage of said predefined area.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 22 words
The invention as defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 further characterized in that said tags are passive radio devices.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 63 words
A method comprising the steps of capturing, for each of a plurality of locations, images of individuals detected as being present at said each location; communicating the captured images of at least one of said individuals to a collection point; and assembling at said collection point collections of the images communicated thereto, said collections including images of respective different ones of said individuals.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 26 words
The invention as defined in claim 7 comprising the further step of communicating, along with each communicated image of an individual, an identification of that individual.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 47 words
The invention as defined in claim 7 or 8 comprising the further step of communicating, along with each of the communicated images of said ones of said individuals, respective identifications of those individuals; and wherein said assembling step is carried out as a function of said identifications.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 34 words
The invention as defined in claim 7, 8, or 9 wherein in said capturing step each of said predetermined individuals is detected and individually identified by reading an identifying tag worn by that individual.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 16 words
The invention as defined in claim 10 wherein said tag is a passive radio frequency-interrogable tag.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 31 words
The invention as defined in claim 7, 8, 9, 10, 04 11 wherein, for at least ones of said collections, the images thereof are assembled onto a common physical record medium.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 38 words
The invention as defined in claim 12 wherein in said assembling step, stock footage of at least ones of the locations at which the respective individual was detected is included in the collection of images of that individual.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 39 words
The invention as defined in claim 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, or 13 wherein, for at least ones of said collections, the images thereof are individual photographic images on respective record media assembled into a common physical stack.

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