Abstract: A video entertainment system by which human viewers conduct simulated voice conversations with screen actors or cartoon characters in a prerecorded branching movie shown on a television screen. The actors and cartoons reply responsively with lip-sync sound to words spoken by viewers. Different audio and video frames are addressed on a videodisc to provide one of several alternative replies or alternative actions at each branch point in the movie, depending on what the viewer says to a speech-recognition unit. A simple speech-recognition unit can be used because the number of words to be recognized at each branch point is restricted to just a few words. A menu of prompting words is displayed on a hand-held unit to inform viewers of what words they can use at each branch point. The prompting words are programmed to be phonetically distinct to be easily distinguishable from each other. Viewers can input questions or make other remarks by speaking a displayed code word which stands for a whole sentence.

Abstract: A sound motion picture camera capable of overlapping exposures by automatically controlling the sequence of a first step beginning with stopping of the take-up spool in a film cassette from further rotation in response to initiation of an overlapping exposure operation and terminating with a predetermined length of film being accumulated in the cassette in the form of a slack loop, a second step of rewinding the length of the looped film without further exposing the film and a third step of transporting the rewound film in the forward direction again while exposing the film again, characterized by the provision of control means for allowing release of a head pad from pressure contact against the magnetic head when the above second step starts.

Abstract: Flutter in an audio signal recorded on a magnetic tape is reduced by sampling the audio at a rate determined by the frequency of a reference signal also recorded on the tape, reading the samples into respective cells of a memory, and reading out respective cells of the memory at a substantially constant rate that is independent of rapidly changing short duration variations in tape speed. The read-out rate is isolated from tape speed by introducing a time delay between the read-in and read-out of the same sample, the amount of the delay changing in accordance with differences in speed between the tape and a fixed reference. Changes in the delay between read-in and read-out of the same sample generate an error signal that is used to control the speed of the capstan motor that drives the tape past a transducer.

Abstract: A video amusement system by which one or more viewers influence the course of a motion picture as if each viewer were a participant in a real-life drama or dialog. A speech-recognition unit recognizes a few spoken words such as "yes" and "run" spoken by a viewer at branch points in the movie, thus simulating a dialog between the screen actors and the viewer. The apparatus may read an optical videodisc containing independently addressable video frames, blocks of compressed audio, and/or animated cartoon graphics for the multiple story lines which the movie may take. A record retrieval circuit reads blocks of binary-coded control information comprising a branching structure of digital points specifying the frame sequence for each story line. A dispatcher circuit assembles a schedule of cueing commands specifying precisely which video frames, cartoon frames, and portions of audio are to be presented at which instant of time.

Abstract: A method and system of blending the effective audio sensation in a theater having a plurality of audio speakers driven by a single program signal recorded on a motion picture film strip as the film strip is being projected in the theater, which method and system includes the driving of each of the speakers in the theater with a common program signal through an amplifier having a gain controlled by an analog electrical signal whereby the level of the analog signal determines the volume of the program signal at each of the speakers and creating a digital gain control signal for each of the speakers in response to a control signal recorded periodically on the film strip at locations on the film strip determined by the desired volume of a given speaker at a given time which digital gain control signal is converted to an analog signal and is used for controlling the driving amplifiers of each of the speakers in the theater in which the film is being projected.

Abstract: A cinematographic system including a programmable viewing apparatus by which an exposed photographic film strip in a multipurpose cassette may be processed, viewed by projection, and rewound, either entirely or for a selected film length for replay, without removal from the viewing apparatus. A control circuit is provided which continuously measures the position of the film strip in the cassette and precludes projection of the leading end of the film strip in response to signals received from the electronic logic system of the viewing apparatus. The signals condition the circuit to count in either the forward or reverse direction depending upon the direction of film strip movement. The count, which corresponds to the position of the film strip, is continuously displayed by the viewing apparatus. When the count is at or below a predetermined number corresponding to the length of the leading portion, the circuit will prevent the projection lamp from turning on during a project cycle.

Abstract: An electronic system is disclosed that is particularly useful for synchronizing motion picture and sound recordings. The system includes a sensor that is positioned contiguous to a movie camera during filming and contiguous to a movie projector during film playback to sense a characteristic indicative of film movement and, responsive thereto, producing an electrical output signal. During filming, a sensor, such as a microphone or induction coil, may be positioned contiguous to the movie camera such as by placing the sensor in a cylinder screwed into a camera tripod socket. During playback, the sensor, such as a light sensor, may be positioned to sense light bursts of a running movie projector. A control unit receives the electrical output signal from the sensor and utilizes the same in controlling operation of an associated tape recorder.

Abstract: The film is provided with an audio track comprised of recorded sections alternating with unrecorded sections. An adjustable mixer having first and second inputs is connected to the input of the sound-reproducing unit. A first signal-transmission path extends from the output of the audio head for the audio track to the first input of the mixer. A second signal-transmission path extends to the second input of the mixer and transmits a second audio signal thereto. A control head located upstream of the audio head senses the presence or absence of recorded information on the audio track and controls the operation of an attenuator connected in the second signal-transmission path. The control head is connected to the attenuator via a time-delay circuit which introduces a time delay corresponding to the distance between the two heads.

Abstract: A sound motion picture camera, capable of using a film strip having a main stripe of magnetic recording material along one side edge of one surface and a balance stripe of magnetic recording material along the other edge of the same surface as well as its motion picture. The camera has a recording magnetic head arranged in correspondence with the main stripe and a second recording magnetic head arranged in correspondence with the balance stripe. Thus the same sound signal can be recorded on both the main and the balance stripe through first and second recording magnetic heads. Separate from the camera a sound recording/reproducing device for cooperation with the aforementioned film is provided with a sound recording/reproducing head and an erase magnetic head in a position corresponding to the main stripe and a sound reproducing head in a position corresponding to the balance stripe. A sound signal recorded on the balance stripe is reproduced by the sound reproducing head and heard through a speaker.

Abstract: A recording projector for sound motion-picture film is used to do dubbing or rerecording work. The operator presses a store button to store the frame count of the frame being projected, and in this way stores all the frame counts for the starts and ends of several scenes, after which dubbing work is done on the thusly defined scenes. The current frame count of the film is indicated using an electronic multi-digit display unit having a row of controllable digit zones each of the 7-segment type and having controllable decimal point places. The multi-digit display unit is mounted upside-down, so that the decimal-point places are near the tops of the digit zones. The frame count is displayed on the digit zones with conventional appearance. The number of decimal-point places made visible at any given time indicates the number of the scene involved, both during initial frame-count storing work and during post-storing work on the scenes.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for generating a low-frequency sound program for play during the performance of a motion picture film to produce a physical effect on the theater audience. Rather than to use random low-frequency noise or some other low-frequency source which is unrelated to the audible sound program, the low-frequency program is derived by shifting down in frequency a selected portion of the audible sound program. The final low-frequency program contains frequency components below 40 Hz, at least 50% of the total energy of which is derived from the shifted-down audible program. By so harmonically relating the audible and low-frequency programs, the audio/visual and vibrational sensations are perceived in a less disjointed fashion.

Abstract: A portable slating device comprises a light-tight housing having a lens on the front thereof and a copyholder on the rear thereof. When the lens on the front end of the housing is positioned adjacent the lens of a movie camera whose scene takes are to be identified by slating information, the housing lens functions as a supplementary close-up lens cooperating with the camera lens to sharply focus the information in the copyholder onto the film in the movie camera. When the filming of a scene-take starts, the operator closes a switch for simultaneously energizing a synchronizing light bulb located within the housing and an audio signal device mounted on the housing to provide for synchronizing the visual action of the film with the sound track.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the resynchronization of the transport of movie film (image carrier) with the movement of another information-carrying medium such as sound tape film. Speed control and synchronization signals are produced by means of sensing the sound tape movement which provides control synchronization signal, monitoring the image frames for each sequence on the movie film by means of a counter, and comparing in a coincidence circuit the image frame count signal with the signal from the sound tape. Desynchronization of the movie film and tape is indicated by the absence of a predetermined relationship between the number of image frames in a given sequence and the signal from the sound tape, whereupon the coincidence circuit energizes an appropriate control means via a switching mechanism, such as a gate circuit, which produces a resynchronization of the film and the sound tape.

Abstract: A single integrated machine for editing, dubbing, mixing, transferring and resolving on and with a sound motion picture film. The machine contains a first two track audio tape section, a second two track audio tape section and a film transport section including an audio stripe read head. All three of these sections are mechanically coupled together to provide a frame by frame correspondence between audio tracks and film track. The audio tracks are all electronically coupled together to permit transferring of sound from any one audio track to any other audio track on a frame by frame basis. One of the audio tracks is used as a cue track to provide cue signals for the location of scenes and for the transfer of any portion of a scene from one audio track to another selected audio track.

Abstract: This specification discloses a motion picture projector device as audio-visual aid and an audio-visual system using the same. The device uses a film structure including an image information recording zone, a row of perforations along one side edge of the film, and a balance zone juxtaposed with said row of perforations along the one side edge of the film and having various signals recorded thereon in a straight line. These signals include a non-normal projection mode speech information signal, a transfer instruction signal for instructing the transfer of said non-normal projection mode speech signal to a record information member, a transfer stop instruction signal for stopping the transfer, and a reproduce instruction signal for instructing a reproduce mechanism to reproduce the non-normal projection mode speech information signal transferred to said record member.

Abstract: A special effects system for simulating physical sensations in an audience during the presentation of a motion picture. Relatively high intensity, very low frequency random noise is acoustically coupled to a theater space to produce psychological and physiological sensations, much as earthquake movements, in the audience. The special effects are controlled by a control sub-channel which is either frequency multiplexed onto a conventional optical audio track or, in a magnetic stripe film format, the control sub-channel is placed on an accompanying optical track. The presence and amplitude of two control frequencies in the sub-channel are detected and logically combined, providing four separate digital function control signals and two analog control signals which are variable in amplitude.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a system for providing a substantially noise free audio intelligence signal for a sound-movie camera. The system comprises first and second microphones mounted on the camera, the first microphone being arranged for detecting camera noise and audio intelligence for providing a first electrical signal having camera noise and audio intelligence components and the second microphone being arranged for detecting substantially only camera noise for providing a second electrical signal having substantially only a noise component. The second microphone is mounted nearer to the camera noise source than the first microphone so that the second signal is in advanced phase relation relative to the first signal. The system also includes a delay means and inverting means for delaying and inverting the second signal to provide a delayed inverted second signal which is in phase with the first signal.

Abstract: If a cine film is to be projected to the accompaniment of a sound track on a separate tape it is necessary to cheek that the film and the sound track are correctly coordinated. This is ensured by reading a code mark from the sound track and using it to slow or stop the motion of the film. The point at which the film motion is slowed or stopped is used to evaluate the relative position of the film with respect to the sound track and thus check that correct coordination is present. This evaluation may take place visually or automatically. In the latter case the prolonged presence of a correlation marking on the film in a sensing position can be used to signal the existence of correlation whereas the absence of such marking may energize a warning lamp or deactivate the film drive.

Abstract: A special effects system for simulating physical sensations in an audience during the presentation of a motion picture. Relatively high intensity, very low frequency random noise is acoustically coupled to a theater space to produce psychological and physiological sensations, much as earthquake movements, in the audience. The special effects are controlled by a control sub-channel which is either frequency multiplexed onto a conventional optical audio track or, in a magnetic stripe film format, the control sub-channel is placed on an accompanying optical track. The presence and amplitude of two control frequencies in the sub-channel are detected and logically combined, providing four separate digital function control signals and two analog control signals which are variable in amplitude.