Hybrid remote digital recording and acquisition system

• US 20090207247A1
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Global Communications, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Post, Robert, Sanders, Mark, Presicci, Joseph, Zampieron, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,345,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A surveillance system includes an event module that receives an event detection signal that indicates an event external to the surveillance system. The system also includes a power control module that selectively operates a data recording device at least partially concurrent with the event based on the event detection signal. The system also includes a selection module that selects a portion of data recorded by the data recording device based on content of the data. A data transmission module transmits the portion over a remote communication link.

Claims

1. A surveillance system, comprising:

an event module that receives an event detection signal that indicates an event external to the surveillance system;

a power control module that selectively operates a data recording device at least partially concurrent with said event based on said event detection signal;

a selection module that selects a portion of data recorded by said data recording device based on content of said data; and

a data transmission module that transmits said portion over a remote communication link.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising said data recording device, wherein said data recording device records at least one of video and audio data.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said power control module selectively operates said data recording device by switching said data recording device between power modes, wherein said power modes include at least two of an off mode, a sleep mode, an idle mode and an active mode.

4. The system of claim 2 further comprising an analysis module that determines said content of said data based on at least one of detecting motion and detecting objects in said video data.

5. The system of claim 2 further comprising an analysis module that determines said content of said data based on at least one of detecting sound modulation and detecting specific sounds within said audio data.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein said portion includes at least one of a video frame and an audio clip.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said selection module selects said video frame to be one or more frames of video that include a comparatively largest image of an object that is moving in said video data, a sharpest image within said video data, and an object that is closest to the center of a frame of said video data.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said selection module selects said audio clip to include at least one of a comparatively loudest sound in said audio data, a specific harmonic, recognized speech, and a specific frequency.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said data transmission module transmits via a digital wireless communications protocol.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a monitoring device and a remote command node running a situational awareness application that receives said portion over said remote communication link.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said remote command node requests said data recorded by said data recording device based on said portion and said event detection signal.

12. The system of claim 10 further comprising an encryption module that encrypts said portion prior to transmission over said remote communication link, and wherein said remote command node decrypts said portion following said transmission.

13. The system of claim 10 further comprising a secondary device, wherein said command node downloads said data recorded by said data recording device to said secondary device via a secondary communication link that has a higher bandwidth than said remote communication link.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a digital data storage device that stores said data.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising a tamper protection module that automatically erases said data storage area in response to at least one of tampering and disabling at least one component in the system.

16. The system of claim 1 further comprising a sensor node comprising a plurality of detectors.

17. A surveillance system, comprising:

a data recording device that digitally records at least one of video and audio data;

a control module that comprises

a detection module that receives an event detection signal that indicates an event external to the surveillance system,

a power control module that selectively switches said data recording device into an active mode from at least one of a low-power mode and an off mode based on said event detection signal, and

a selection module that selects a portion of said one of video and audio data based on at least one of detection of motion within said video data, detection of an object within said video data, detection of sound modulation in said audio data, and detection of a specific sound in said audio data; and

a data transmission module that transmits said portion over a remote communication link.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a sensor node comprising a plurality of detectors, wherein said sensor node generates said event detection signal based on communications with said detectors.

19. The system of claim 17 further comprising at least one of a standard military radio, a standard military pack radio, and a remote command node running a situational awareness application that receives said portion over said remote communication link and that request said data based on said portion and said event detection signal.

20. A method for providing data within a surveillance system, comprising:

receiving an event detection signal that indicates an event external to the surveillance system;

selectively switching a data recording device into an active mode from at least one of a low-power mode and an off mode based on said event detection signal;

digitally recording at least one of video and audio data;

selecting a portion of said one of video and audio data based on at least one of detection of motion within said video data, detection of an object within said video data, detection of sound modulation in said audio data, and detection of a specific sound in said audio data; and

transmitting said portion over a remote communication link.