CAMERA ACTIVATION IN RESPONSE TO FIREARM ACTIVITY

• US 20160173832A1
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yardarm Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Yardarm Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Stewart, Robert J., Glowacki, David, Schaff, James, Howell, Kyle
• Granted Patent: US 10,764,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/063 comprising a transponder
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/20 Grip or stock safeties, i.e. safeties disengaged by clasping the grip or stock thumb-operated sliding safeties F41A17/52, F41A17/62, F41A17/70, F41A17/80
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 35/00 Accessories or details not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/029 combined with electronic devices, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Disclosed herein are apparatuses, systems, methods, and machine readable media for activating a portable camera in response to the activity of a firearm. A communications channel may be established between a firearm telematics sensor and a video camera, sometimes by means of intermediary devices. When the telematics sensor detects that its associated firearm is removed from its holster, or in motion, or being discharged, it may signals the camera to initiate recording.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a camera, comprising:

a local system comprising;

one or more cameras;

a firearm;

a holster for receiving the firearm;

one or more telematics sensors, wherein the telematics sensors may be mounted on the holster and/or the firearm; and

a rule set for defining the behaviors of the one or more cameras and the one or more telematics sensors;

wherein the one or more camera and the one or more telematics sensors are in communication via a personal area network, and wherein the one or more cameras are configured to change status based upon events detected by the one or more telematics sensors.

2. The system of claim 1, the local system further comprising a beacon, wherein the beacon is mounted on a vehicle, and the one or more cameras are configured to change status based upon a detection of proximity to the beacon.

3. The system of claim 1, the local system further comprising a mobile device, wherein the mobile device is in communication with the one or more cameras and the one or more telematics sensors via the personal area network, wherein the mobile device is configured to receive information regarding events from the one or more telematics sensors, and the mobile device is configured to provide instructions regarding camera status to the one or more cameras.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a server that is directly or indirectly in communication with the one or more camera devices and with the one or more telematics sensors using a wide area network.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising an updated rule set received from the server.

6. A user interface on a display of a computing device that includes a processor, comprising:

a display area for displaying the status of a body camera; and

a user control configured to change the status of the body camera,

wherein the status of the body camera may be selected from the group consisting of recording, not recording, powered on, and standby mode.

7. The user interface of claim 6, wherein the computing device is a mobile computing device.

8. A method for activating a camera associated with a user, comprising:

identifying that an event concerning a firearm has occurred;

wirelessly providing, to a camera, an instruction to change the status of the camera;

wirelessly providing, to a remote server, information regarding the changed status of the camera; and

recording metadata regarding the event for association with video recorded by the camera.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the instruction to change the status of the camera was initiated by a remote command center.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving, at one or more of a mobile device, a camera, or a telematics sensor, an updated rule set for defining the behaviors of the camera and the one or more telematics sensors.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the event is selected from the group consisting of:

user exits a vehicle with a firearm, user enters a vehicle with a firearm, holstering a firearm, unholstering a firearm, discharging a firearm, approaching a second user of the system, a firearm is separated from the user, loud noise is detected, and receiving a notification from a second user of the system or dispatch or command.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the event is unholstering a firearm, and the event was detected using a sensor relying on a pulse induction mechanism.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the instruction to change the status of the camera is selected from the group consisting of:

turning on the camera, waking the camera, activating recording of video at the camera, marking existing video to be retained, and/or marking new video to be retained.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least 30 seconds of existing video is marked to be retained.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the camera is mounted on a vehicle, mounted on eyegear, clipped to a vest, or mounted on a lanyard.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the information provided to a remote server includes an alert.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein an alert message is distributed to multiple recipients.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the firearm is a handgun, a Taser, a baton, or a rifle.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein the information provided to a remote server is only provided when the firearm is associated with an on-duty status.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein the metadata comprises a time stamp and the category of event.

21. The method of claim 8, wherein the metadata is selected from one or more of:

date, coordinates, altitude, firearm orientation, movement, translation, bearing.

22. The method of claim 8, wherein the metadata comprises the ammunition type, and/or the ammunition remaining.

23. The method of claim 8, wherein the metadata are provided as one or more tracks that map to a video file.