HEAD-MOUNTED VIDEO RECORDING SYSTEM

• US 20080170838A1
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilcox Industries Corp.
• Original Assignee: Wilcox Industries Corp.
• Inventors: Teetzel, James W., Lemire, Gary M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,531,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/118
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/042 Optical devices night vision goggles G02B23/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording

Abstract

A helmet- or head-mounted video recording system is provided for mounting on a piece of head gear such as a head-protective helmet. The system includes a camera module attachable to the head gear, including a first video camera integrated into the camera module for generating a video signal. A recording module is removably attachable to the head gear and is adapted to receive the video signal and store data representative of the video signal. A power supply module is removably attachable to the head gear and is electrically connectable to the camera module and the recording module.

Claims

1. A head-worn video recording system for mounting on a piece of head gear, comprising:

a camera module attachable to the head gear, including a first video camera integrated into the camera module for generating a video signal;

a recording module removably attachable to the head gear and adapted to receive the video signal and store data representative of the video signal; and

a power supply module removably attachable to the head gear and electrically connectable to said camera module and to said recording module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the head gear is a head-protective helmet.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a strap removably attachable to the head gear;

first and second accessory mounts, each of said first and second accessory mounts adapted to removably attach one of said recording module and said power supply module, each of said first and second accessory mounts further including electrical contacts adapted to electrically couple the power supply module and the recording module.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a pair of electrical conductors in said strap and electrically coupled to a pair of electrical contacts on each of said first and second accessory mounts.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

said first video camera adapted for generating video images under daytime conditions; and

said second video camera adapted for generating video images under low light conditions.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the head gear is a helmet and further comprising:

one or more hooks on said strap for removably engaging a brim of the helmet; and

a tensioning member attached to said strap and removably attachable to the helmet, the tensioning member for selectively increasing and decreasing tension in said strap.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the tensioning member is a ratcheting member.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a night vision system removably attachable to the head gear, said night vision system for generating an output image in human-viewable form under low light conditions;

a second video camera attached to the night vision system, said second video camera electrically coupled to said power supply module and said recorder module; and

a beam splitter positioned along an optical axis of the night vision system for directing a first portion of the night vision system output image to said second video camera and a second portion of the night vision system output image to an eye of a user.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

said recorder module further including an electronic storage medium for storing recorded video information.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said electronic storage medium is a removable storage medium.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said electronic storage medium is a removable storage medium is a flash memory card.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

said recorder module further including a connection port for interfacing the electronic storage medium with a computer-based information handling system.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a light module integrated with said camera module and electrically coupled to said power supply module.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a switch on said recorder module electrically coupled to said light module for selectively actuating said light module.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the light module includes an LED light element.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the LED is a white light LED and further comprising:

a plurality of colored filter elements selectively positionable in an optical path of said LED to selectively adjust a color of the light output by the light module.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said first camera module and said light module are each pivotable about a common pivot axis which extends transversely with respect to an optical axis of said first video camera.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a transversely extending tie rod coupled to said first video camera and said light module, wherein pivoting rotation of one of said first video camera and said light module causes pivoting rotation of the other.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

said light module is adapted to be selectively decoupled from said tie rod wherein when said light module is decoupled from said tie rod, each of said camera module and said light module can pivot about the pivot axis independently of the other.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising either or both of:

said first camera module and said light module pivotable about said common pivot axis so that said first camera will image a scene, subject, or object within a line of sight of a user donning the head gear and an optical path of said light module will extend in a direction generally parallel to the line of sight of the user donning the head gear; and

said first video camera having an optical axis which is substantially parallel to an optical path of said light module for illumination of a scene, subject or object to be imaged.