VEHICLE-MOUNTED VIDEO SYSTEM WITH DISTRIBUTED PROCESSING

• US 20160236621A1
• Filed: 04/25/2016
• Published: 08/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Ally Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Digital Ally Incorporated
• Inventors: Haler, Robert D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,730,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0033 Rear-view mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/53 of electronic viewfinders, e.g. rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks 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 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted system for recording video and audio. The system uses distributed processing, including encoding the video and audio at their source(s), and a high-speed, e.g., Ethernet, bus connecting the various system components and external devices. The system may include a display monitor which is integrated into the same housing as a rear view mirror of the vehicle, with the display monitor being located behind the mirror and video displayed on the monitor being visible through the mirror.

Claims

1. A method of recording synchronized video of a law enforcement event, comprising the steps of:

recording, using a first video camera mounted on a law enforcement vehicle, first video of the law enforcement event, wherein the first video includes pre-event video from the first camera and a unique identifier for the first video camera;

recording, using a second video camera, second video of the law enforcement event, wherein the second video includes pre-event video from the second camera and a unique identifier for the second video camera;

displaying one of the first video and the second video on the display of a smartphone carried by a law enforcement officer;

transmitting the first video and the second video to a central control unit;

timestamping, using the central control unit, the first video and the second video; and

uploading the timestamped first video and timestamped second video to a remote computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

recording audio corresponding to one of the first video and the second video; and

uploading the audio to the remote computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first video includes additional data captured from an external device installed in the law enforcement vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the external device installed in the law enforcement vehicle is a vehicular speed detector.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the external device installed in the law enforcement vehicle is a module for automatic license plate recognition.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the external device installed in the law enforcement vehicle is a location-determining device for the law enforcement vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying one of the first video and the second video on a monitor installed in the law enforcement vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first video and the second video incorporates an electronic watermark to prevent tampering or alteration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first video and the second video camera communicate wirelessly with the central control unit.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

recording, using a third video camera mounted on the law enforcement vehicle, third video of the law enforcement event, wherein the third video includes pre-event video from the third camera and a unique identifier for the third video camera;

transmitting the third video to the central control unit;

timestamping, using the central control unit, the third video; and

uploading the timestamped third second video to the remote computer.

11. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instruction that, when executed by a processor, perform a method of recording synchronized video of a law enforcement event, comprising the steps of:

recording, using a first video camera mounted on a law enforcement vehicle, first video of the law enforcement event, wherein the first video includes pre-event video from the first camera;

encoding the first video such that the first video includes a unique identifier for the first video camera and a timestamp for the first video;

recording, using a second video camera, second video of the law enforcement event, wherein the second video includes pre-event video from the second camera;

encoding the second video such that the second video includes a unique identifier for the second video camera and a timestamp for the second video;

displaying one of the first video and the second video on the display of a smartphone carried by a law enforcement officer;

uploading the first video and second video to a remote computer.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the first video camera and the second video camera are synchronized such that the timestamp for the first video corresponds to the timestamp for the second video.

13. The media of claim 11, wherein the second video includes location data obtained by a location-determining device associated with the second video camera.

14. The media of claim 11, wherein the second video includes audio data obtained by a microphone associated with the second video camera.

15. The media of claim 11, wherein the first video includes speed information from a vehicular speed detector installed in the law enforcement video.

16. The media of claim 11, wherein the first video includes license plate information for a vehicle appearing the in the first video from a module for automatic license plate recognition.

17. The media of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises steps of:

recording, using a third video camera mounted on the law enforcement vehicle, third video of the law enforcement event, wherein the third video includes pre-event video from the third camera;

encoding the third video such that the third video includes a unique identifier for the third video camera and a timestamp for the third video;

uploading the third video to the remote computer.

18. The media of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first video and the second video incorporates an electronic watermark to prevent tampering or alteration.

19. The media of claim 11, wherein the steps of encoding the first video, encoding the second video, and uploading the first video and the second video are performed by a central control unit communicatively coupled to the first video camera and the second video camera.

20. The media of claim 19, wherein the first video and the second video camera communicate wirelessly with the central control unit.