Wearable camera system, and video recording control method for wearable camera system

• US 10,356,371 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: I-Pro Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Kazuhiko, Yokomitsu, Yasushi, Tagawa, Haruo, Tanabiki, Ryoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahaman, Mohammed S
• Application Number:
  US15/818,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20180077390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A wearable camera system includes a wearable camera, an in-car recorder, and an in-car camera. One of the in-car recorder and the wearable camera transmits video recording starting information including information indicating that video recording has been started to the other of the in-car recorder and the wearable camera when one of the in-car recorder and the wearable camera starts the video recording. The other of the in-car recorder and the wearable camera starts video recording after the video recording starting information is received.

Claims

1. A wearable camera for recording video data in cooperation with an in-car camera system mounted on a vehicle, the wearable camera comprising:

a capture, which, in operation, captures videos;

a communicator, which, in operation, performs communication with an in-car camera system as a communication partner;

a recorder, which, in operation, records video data captured by the capture;

a storage, which, in operation includes first identification information; and

a storage, which, in operation, includes an operation mode of the wearable camera, the operation mode chosen from a car mode and an officer mode, wherein in the car mode, the first identification information and a second identification information are identification information of the vehicle and in the officer mode, the first identification information and the second identification information are identification information of a user who rides in the vehicle; and

a processor, which, in operation, determines the operation mode of the wearable camera by referring to the operation mode included in the storage that includes the operation mode,

wherein, when the communicator establishes a communication link with the in-car camera system and receives the second identification information from the in-car camera system, and when the first identification information in the storage that includes the first identification information and the second identification information received from the in-car camera system match each other, the wearable camera cooperates with the in-car camera system to record the video data.

2. The wearable camera of claim 1, further comprising an acceleration sensor, wherein, when the acceleration sensor detects a change in acceleration of a predetermined threshold value or greater, recording of video data is started.

3. The wearable camera of claim 2,

wherein the detection of a change in the acceleration by the acceleration sensor includes detection of a user starting to run and falling.

4. The wearable camera of claim 1,

wherein, when the first identification information and the second identification information do not match each other, the wearable camera does not cooperate with the in-car camera system to record the video data.

5. A method for using a wearable camera to perform recording of video data in cooperation with an in-car camera system mounted on a vehicle;

capturing video by a capture of the wearable camera;

performing communication between the wearable camera and the in-car camera system;

recording video data captured by the capture;

retrieving an operation mode of the wearable camera from a storage of the wearable camera that includes the operation mode, the operation mode chosen from a car mode and an officer mode;

receiving by the wearable camera, second identification information from the in-car camera system; and

retrieving first identification information from a storage of the wearable camera that includes the first identification information,

wherein, when the first identification information stored in the storage including the first identification information and the second identification information received from the in-car camera system are compared with each other and match each other, the wearable camera cooperates with the in-car camera system to record the video data, and

wherein in the car mode, the first identification information and the second identification information are identification information of the vehicle, and in the officer mode, the first identification information and the second identification information are identification information of a user who rides in the vehicle.

6. The method for using a wearable camera of claim 5, wherein when the first identification information and the second identification information do not match each other, the wearable camera and the in-car camera system do not cooperate to record the video data.

7. A method for using an in-car camera system mounted on a vehicle to perform recording of video data in cooperation with a wearable camera, the method comprising:

capturing video by a capture of the in-car camera system;

performing communication between the wearable camera and the in-car camera system;

recording video data captured by the capture;

retrieving an operation mode of the in-car camera system from a storage of the in-car camera system that includes the operation mode, the operation mode chosen from a car mode and an officer mode;

receiving by the in-car camera system, first identification information from the wearable camera; and

retrieving second identification information from a storage of the in-car camera system that includes the second identification information, wherein, when the second identification information stored in the storage including the second identification information and the first identification information received from the wearable camera are compared with each other and match each other, the in-car camera system cooperates with the wearable camera to record the video data, and

wherein in the car mode, the first identification information and the second identification information are identification information of the vehicle, and in the officer mode, the first identification information and the second identification information are identification information of a user who rides in the vehicle.

8. The method for using an in-car camera system of claim 7, wherein when the first identification information and the second identification information do not match each other, the wearable camera and the in-car camera system do not cooperate to record the video data.

9. An in-car camera system mounted on a vehicle for recording video data in cooperation with a wearable camera, the in-car camera system comprising:

a capture, which, in operation, captures videos;

a communicator, which, in operation, performs communication with the wearable camera as a communication partner;

a recorder, which, in operation, records video data captured by the capture;

a storage, which, in operation, includes second identification information; and

a storage, which, in operation, includes an operation mode of the in-car system, the operation mode chosen from a car mode and an officer mode, wherein in the car mode, the first identification information and a second identification information are identification information of the vehicle and in the officer mode, the first identification information and the second identification information are identification information of a user who rides in the vehicle; and

a processor, which, in operation, determines the operation mode of the in-car camera system by referring to the operation mode included in the storage that includes the operation mode,

wherein, when the communicator establishes a communication link with the wearable camera and receives the first identification information from the wearable camera, and when the second identification information in the storage that includes the second identification information and the first identification information received from the wearable camera match each other, the in-car camera system cooperates with the wearable camera to record the video data.

10. The in-car camera system of claim 9, wherein, when the first identification information and the second identification information do not match each other, the in-car camera system does not cooperate with the wearable camera to record the video data.