Methods and apparatus for creating an individualized record of an event

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to capturing a record of an event which is individualized to a specific event attendee. Event attendees carry a wearable device configured to periodically transmit a payload that may, for example, include an identifier for the wearable device. The device's transmissions may be received by one or more receiver components located at the event venue. Each receiver component may have one or more associated content capture components configured to capture content (e.g., video, audio, text, etc.) relating to the event as it is ongoing. The location of each receiver component over time is known, and so receipt of transmissions from the wearable device by different receiver components over time indicates an approximate location of the attendee over time, and thus the vantage point(s) from which the attendee witnessed the event. The attendee's location over time may be correlated with content captured from different locations during the same time period to create a record of the event which is individualized to the attendee.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising acts of:
 (A) receiving a plurality of transmissions over a period of time, from a device associated with a user, by one or more of a plurality of receiver components each deployed at a location at which an event occurs, the location comprising a plurality of physically separate zones in which distinct event proceedings occur;   (B) determining, based at least in part on a time at which each one of the plurality of transmissions was received by one or more of the plurality of receiver components and a location of each of the one or more receiver components when the one transmission was received, a particular zone of the plurality of zones that was viewable by the user at the time of the one transmission and a vantage point from which the event proceedings in the particular zone were then viewable by the user;   (C) causing content relating to the event proceedings to be captured by a plurality of content capture components each deployed at the location;   (D) identifying at least one portion of the captured content as having been captured from a vantage point and at a time when the event proceedings in the zone represented in the portion of captured content were viewable by the user; and   (E) enabling the user to access the identified portion of captured content.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act (A) comprises receiving the plurality of transmissions by one or more receiver components configured to move within the location over time. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the causing of the capture of content in the act (C) is performed in response to receiving the transmissions in the act (A). 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act (B) involves determining the particular zone and vantage point viewable by the user at the time of the first transmission based at least in part on information discerned by each of multiple receiver components from the one transmission. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act (C) comprises causing content to be captured by a plurality of content capture components, each associated with a particular receiver component. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act (C) comprises causing content depicting the user to be captured. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act (E) comprises enabling at least one of the user and an organizer of the event to access an indication of an amount of time that the user spent in each of the plurality of zones during the event. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the event is a concert, sporting event or exhibition. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act (C) comprises causing content to be captured which includes one or more of video, audio, and text. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the act (A) comprises receiving, by one or more of the plurality of receiver components, an indication of user input having been supplied to the device;   the act (B) comprises determining an approximate location of the device when the user input was supplied;   the act (D) comprises identifying one or more first portions of the captured content as having each been captured by a content capture component of the plurality of content capture components located nearby one of the receiver components at a time when the user input was supplied; and   the act (E) comprises making the identified one or more first portions of captured content available to the user.   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one computer-readable storage medium, having instructions encoded thereon; and   at least one computer processor, programmed via the instructions to:
 access data on a plurality of transmissions received over a period of time, from a device associated with a user, by one or more of a plurality of receiver components each deployed at a location at which an event occurs, the location comprising a plurality of physically separate zones in which distinct event proceedings occur; 
 determine, based at least in part on a time at which each one of the plurality of transmissions was received by one or more of the plurality of receiver components and a location of each of the one or more receiver components when the one transmission was received, a particular zone of the plurality of zones that was viewable by the user at the time of the one transmission and a vantage point from which the event proceedings in the particular zone were then viewable by the user; 
 cause content relating to the event proceedings to be captured by a plurality of content capture components each deployed at the location; 
 identify at least one portion of the captured content as having been captured from a vantage point and at a time when the event proceedings in the zone represented in the portion of captured content were viewable by the user; and 
 enable the user to access the identified portion of captured content. 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to access data on a plurality of transmissions received by one or more receiver components configured to move within the location over time. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to cause the capture of content in response to accessing the data on the transmissions. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to determine the particular zone and vantage point viewable by the user at the time of the first transmission based at least in part on information discerned by each of multiple receiver components from the one transmission. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to cause content to be captured by a plurality of content capture components, each associated with a particular receiver component. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to cause content depicting the user to be captured. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to enable at least one of the user and an organizer of the event to access an indication of an amount of time that the user spent in each of the plurality of zones during the event. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to cause content to be captured which includes one or more of video, audio, and text. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to:
 receive, via one or more of the plurality of receiver components, an indication of user input having been supplied to the device;   determine an approximate location of the device when the user input was supplied;   identify one or more first portions of the captured content as having each been captured by a content capture component of the plurality of content capture components located nearby one of the receiver components at a time when the user input was supplied; and   make the identified one or more first portions of captured content available to the user.   
     
     
         20 . At least one computer-readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method comprising acts of:
 (A) accessing data on a plurality of transmissions received over a period of time, from a device associated with a user, by one or more of a plurality of receiver components each deployed at a location at which an event occurs, the location comprising a plurality of physically separate zones in which distinct event proceedings occur;   (B) determining, based at least in part on a time at which each one of the plurality of transmissions was received by one or more of the plurality of receiver components and a location of each of the one or more receiver components when the one transmission was received, a particular zone of the plurality of zones that was viewable by the user at the time of the one transmission and a vantage point from which the event proceedings in the particular zone were then viewable by the user;   (C) causing content relating to the event proceedings to be captured by a plurality of content capture components each deployed at the location;   (D) identifying at least one portion of the captured content as having been captured from a vantage point and at a time when the event proceedings in the zone represented in the portion of captured content were viewable by the user; and   (E) enabling the user to access the identified portion of captured content.   
     
     
         21 . A method, comprising acts of:
 (A) associating a user with a plurality of locations within an event venue over time, the event venue comprising a plurality of physically separate zones in which distinct event proceedings occur;   (B) causing content relating to event proceedings to be captured, the content comprising a plurality of portions including at least a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being captured from a first vantage point of a first event proceeding in a first zone as the first zone was viewable by the user, the second portion being captured from a second vantage point of a second event proceeding in a second zone as the second zone was viewable by the user; and   (C) making the first portion and the second portion of the captured content available to the user.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the act (A) comprises receiving, by one or more receiver components each deployed within the event venue, transmissions from a device associated with the user over time; and associating the user with a particular location at a particular time based at least in part on a time when a transmission was received by a receiver component and a location of the receiver component when the transmission was received. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the act (B) comprises causing content relating to event proceedings to be captured substantially continuously during the event proceedings. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the user is associated with a device, and wherein the act (B) is performed in response to receiving an indication of affirmative user input to the device. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein causing content relating to event proceedings to be captured in the act (B) comprises causing content depicting event proceedings to be captured. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein causing content relating to event proceedings to be captured in the act (B) comprises causing content depicting the user to be captured. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the act (C) comprises making available to at least one of the user and an organizer of the event an indication of an amount of time that the user spent in each of the plurality of zones. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the event is a concert, sporting event or exhibition. 
     
     
         29 . An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one computer-readable storage medium, having instructions encoded thereon; and   at least one computer processor, programmed via the instructions to:
 associate a user with a plurality of locations within an event venue over time, the event venue comprising a plurality of physically separate zones in which distinct event proceedings occur; 
 cause content relating to event proceedings to be captured, the content comprising a plurality of portions including at least a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being captured from a first vantage point of a first event proceeding in a first zone as the first zone was viewable by the user, the second portion being captured from a second vantage point of a second event proceeding in a second zone as the second zone was viewable by the user; and 
 make the first portion and the second portion of the captured content available to the user. 
   
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to:
 receive data relating to transmissions received from a device associated with the user over time by one or more receiver components each deployed within the event venue; and   associate the user with a particular location at a particular time based at least in part on a time when a transmission was received by a receiver component and a location of the receiver component when the transmission was received.   
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to cause content relating to event proceedings to be captured substantially continuously during the event proceedings. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the user is associated with a device, and wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to cause the content to be captured in response to receiving an indication of affirmative user input to the device. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to cause content depicting event proceedings to be captured. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to cause content depicting the user to be captured. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to make available to at least one of the user and an organizer of the event an indication of an amount of time that the user spent in each of the plurality of zones. 
     
     
         36 . At least one computer-readable storage medium, having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method comprising acts of:
 (A) associating a user with a plurality of locations within an event venue over time, the event venue comprising a plurality of physically separate zones in which distinct event proceedings occur;   (B) causing content relating to event proceedings to be captured, the content comprising a plurality of portions including at least a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being captured from a first vantage point of a first event proceeding in a first zone as the first zone was viewable by the user, the second portion being captured from a second vantage point of a second event proceeding in a second zone as the second zone was viewable by the user; and   (C) making the first portion and the second portion of the captured content available to the user.   
     
     
         37 . A method, comprising acts of:
 (A) associating a first user with a first plurality of locations within an event venue over a time period during which event proceedings occur in the event venue, the first plurality of locations comprising a first location;   (B) receiving content captured by a device associated with the first user relating to the event proceedings, the content comprising a first portion captured from a first vantage point associated with the first location;   (C) associating a second user with a second plurality of locations in the event venue over the time period, the second plurality of locations comprising a second location associated with the first vantage point;   (D) making the first portion of the content available to the second user.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the act (B) comprises capturing a second portion of content relating to the event proceedings using at least one content capture component separate from the device associated with the first user, and the act (D) comprises making the second portion of the content available to the second user. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the act (D) comprises making the first portion of the content and the second portion of the content available to the first user. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the act (B) comprises receiving content captured by a device associated with the second user relating to the event proceedings, the content comprising a third portion, and the act (D) comprises making the first portion of the content and the third portion of the content available to the first user. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the first vantage point from which the content received in the act (B) is captured is a vantage point of the event proceedings. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the first vantage point from which the content received in the act (B) is captured is a vantage point of the first user. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the act (A) comprises receiving, by one or more receiver components each deployed within the event venue, transmissions from a component associated with the first user over the time period, and associating the first user with a particular location at a particular time based at least in part on a time when a transmission was received by a receiver component and a location of the receiver component when the transmission was received. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the event venue comprises a plurality of physically separate zones in which distinct event proceedings occur. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the event proceedings relate to an event at which a plurality of attendees meet, the plurality of attendees including but not limited to the first user and the second user.