Systems, apparatuses and methods for multiplexing and synchronizing audio recordings

• US 10,152,859 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coban Technologies Incorporated (Safe Fleet Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Coban Technologies Incorporated (Safe Fleet Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Boykin, Terry W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siegel, David
• Application Number:
  US15/438,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20170323663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/44 Event detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19621 Portable camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19641 Multiple cameras having overlapping views on a single scene
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00 Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00137 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00148 Storage information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 : involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 : Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 : Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 : Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 : for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/15 : Aspects of sound capture and related signal processing for recording or reproduction

Abstract

Techniques for multiplexing audio recordings. Systems and methods for multiplexing and synchronizing audio recordings using data markers in the recorded files.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

recording audio data using a first device comprising a body-worn camera (BWC);

transferring the recorded audio data from the first device to a second device comprising an in-car video (ICV) camera and configured to receive audio data;

multiplexing the transferred audio data with at least one data file contained in the second device;

synchronizing the transferred audio data with the at least one data file; and

creating an identifier associating the transferred audio data with the at least one data file;

wherein the synchronizing the transferred audio data with the at least one data file comprises (a) selecting either the transferred audio data file or the at least one data file, (b) rolling back in time the selected file to a specific marker point, and (c) automatically synchronizing the transferred audio data file and the at least one data file by marking points in the selected file where markers in the selected file match with data in the file that was not selected; and

wherein the selecting is performed based on comparing recording durations of the transferred audio data file and the at least one data file, the selected file being whichever of the transferred audio data file and the at least one data file has a shortest recording duration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one data file comprises audiovisual data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronizing the transferred audio data with the at least one data file comprises synchronizing the audio data using one or more markers selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a time stamp;

(ii) a watermark;

(iii) an event identifier;

(iv) GPS data; and

(v) other metadata.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiplexing the transferred audio data with the at least one data file comprises replacing audio data from the at least one data file with audio data from the transferred audio data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiplexing the transferred audio data with the at least one data file comprises establishing the transferred audio data as the audio data for the at least one data file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording audio data comprises creating a file in the first device containing visual data recorded by the first device and audio data recorded by the first device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording audio data comprises creating an audiovisual data file and a separate audio track of the audio data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording audio data comprises creating an audio track of the audio data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the audio track comprises one or more markers configured for use to synchronize audio data transferred from the audio track with the at least one data file.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the markers are selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a time stamp;

(ii) a watermark;

(iii) an event identifier;

(iv) GPS data; and

(v) other metadata.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly transmitting the recorded audio data to a remote device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

uploading the audio data to the cloud;

uploading the at least one data file from the second device to the cloud; and

in the cloud, multiplexing the audio data with the at least one data file to synchronize the audio data with the at least one data file.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording audio data comprises recording an audiovisual data file and a separate audio file of the audio data, the audiovisual data file comprising audio data and visual data.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device and the second device were activated at respective different times to record the audio data and the at least one data file, respectively.

13. A system, comprising:

a first device comprising a body-worn camera (BWC) configured to record audio data; and

a second device comprising an in-car video (ICV) camera and configured to;

(a) hold or store at least one data file, (b) receive audio data from the first device, (c) multiplex the audio data received from the first device with the at least one data file held or stored by the second device, and (d) synchronize the received audio data with the at least one data file held or stored by the second device, (e) and create an identifier associating the audio data received from the first device with the at least one data file held or stored by the second device;

wherein the received audio data is synchronized with the at least one data file by;

(a) selecting either the received audio data file or the at least one data file, (b) rolling back in time the selected file to a specific marker point, and (c) automatically synchronizing the received audio data file and the at least one data file by marking points in the selected file where markers in the selected file match with data in the file that was not selected; and

wherein the selecting is performed based on comparing recording durations of the received audio data file and the at least one data file, the selected file being whichever of the received audio data file and the at least one data file has a shortest recording duration.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one data file held or stored by the second device comprises audiovisual data.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the second device is configured to synchronize the audio data received from the first device with the at least one data file held or stored by the second device using one or more markers selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a time stamp;

(ii) a watermark;

(iii) an event identifier;

(iv) GPS data; and

(v) other metadata.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the second device is configured to multiplex the audio data received from the first device with the at least one data file held or stored by the second device to replace audio data from the at least one data file held or stored by the second device with audio data from the received audio data.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the second device is configured to multiplex the audio data received from the first device with the at least one data file held or stored by the second device to establish the received audio data as the audio data for the at least one data file held or stored by the second device.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the first device is configured to create a file containing visual data recorded by the first device and audio data recorded by the first device.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the first device is configured to create an audiovisual data file and a separate audio track of the audio data recorded by the first device.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the first device is configured to create an audio track of the audio data.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the audio track comprises one or more markers configured for use to synchronize audio data transferred from the audio track with the at least one data file held or stored by the second device.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the first device is configured to wirelessly transmit the recorded audio data to the second device or to another device.

29. The system of claim 13, wherein the first device is configured to record an audiovisual data file and a separate audio file of the audio data, the audiovisual data file comprising audio data and visual data.

30. The system of claim 13, wherein the first device and the second device were activated at respective different times to record the audio data and the at least one data file, respectively.

23. A method, comprising:

recording audio data using a first device comprising a body-worn camera (BWC);

transferring the recorded audio data from the first device to a second device comprising an in-car video (ICV) camera and configured to receive audio data;

multiplexing the transferred audio data with at least one data file contained in the second device; and

synchronizing the transferred audio data with the at least one data file,

wherein the synchronizing the transferred audio data with the at least one data file comprises (a) selecting either the transferred audio data file or the at least one data file, (b) rolling back in time the selected file to a specific marker point, and (c) automatically synchronizing the transferred audio data file and the at least one data file by marking points in the selected file where markers in the selected file match with data in the file that was not selected, and

wherein the selecting is performed based on comparing recording durations of the transferred audio data file and the at least one data file, the selected file being whichever of the transferred audio data file and the at least one data file has a shortest recording duration.

24. A method, comprising:

recording audio data using a first device comprising a body-worn camera (BWC);

simultaneously with the recording audio data using the first device, wirelessly transmitting the audio data from the first device to a second device comprising an in-car video (ICV) camera and configured to receive audio data;

recording the transmitted audio data using the second device;

rendering the transmitted audio data audible using a speaker associated with the second device; and

synchronizing the transmitted audio data with at least one data file,

wherein the synchronizing the transmitted audio data with the at least one data file comprises (a) selecting either the transmitted audio data file or the at least one data file, (b) rolling back in time the selected file to a specific marker point, and (c) automatically synchronizing the transmitted audio data file and the at least one data file by marking points in the selected file where markers in the selected file match with data in the file that was not selected; and

wherein the selecting is performed based on comparing recording durations of the transmitted audio data file and the at least one data file, the selected file being whichever of the transmitted audio data file and the at least one data file has a shortest recording duration.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising multiplexing the transmitted audio data with at least one data file contained in the second device to synchronize the transmitted audio data with the at least one data file.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the synchronizing the transmitted audio data with the at least one data file comprises synchronizing the audio data using one or more markers selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a time stamp;

(ii) a watermark;

(iii) an event identifier;

(iv) GPS data; and

(v) other metadata.