DISPATCH-BASED RESPONDER CAMERA ACTIVATION

• US 20170142316A1
• Filed: 11/12/2015
• Published: 05/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axon Enterprise, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taser International Incorporated
• Inventors: Fortna, Raymond T., Huang, Anthony G., Jolma, Jeffrey P., Weiss, Julianne C., Deluca, Aerianna K., Bohlander, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,321,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/735 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19654 Details concerning communication with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• 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: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A method of automatic activation of a responder camera to begin capturing a video can be performed by a computing device. The computing device receives an indication of a location or an event. The computing device determines a geographic area associated with the location or event. The computing device receives a dispatch acknowledgement from a responder, where the dispatch acknowledgement indicates that the responder is at the geographic area or that the responder is en route to the geographic area. The computing device automatically sends a camera activation signal to a responder camera associated with the responder in response to receiving the dispatch acknowledgement from the responder. The responder camera is configured to begin capturing a video in response to receiving the camera activation signal.

Claims

1. A method of activating a responder camera, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, an indication of a location or an event;

determining, by the computing device, a geographic area associated with the location or event;

receiving, by the computing device, a dispatch acknowledgement from a responder, the dispatch acknowledgement indicating that the responder is at the geographic area or that the responder is en route to the geographic area; and

in response to receiving the dispatch acknowledgement from the responder, automatically sending, by the computing device, a camera activation signal to a responder camera associated with the responder;

wherein the responder camera is configured to begin capturing a video in response to receiving the camera activation signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to receiving the dispatch acknowledgement from the responder, sending, by the computing device, a dispatch request to the responder.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, the video from the responder camera.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the video is received from the responder camera after the responder camera has finished capturing the video.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the video is received from the responder camera as a streaming video.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the streaming video is received from the responder camera before the responder camera finishes capturing the video.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

storing, by the computing device, the video received from the responder camera.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispatch acknowledgement is received from the responder via a responder computing device associated with the responder.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein automatically sending the camera activation signal to the responder camera associated with the responder comprises automatically sending, by the computing device, the camera activation signal to the responder computing device, wherein the responder computing device is configured to relay the camera activation signal to the responder camera.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the dispatch acknowledgement from the responder comprises receiving, by the computing device, the dispatch acknowledgement from the responder via a device other than the responder computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically sending the camera activation signal to the responder camera associated with the responder comprises automatically sending, by the computing device, the camera activation signal directly to the responder camera activation signal via one or more communication networks.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispatch acknowledgement indicates that the responder is en route to the geographic area, and wherein automatically sending the camera activation signal to the responder camera causes the responder camera to begin capturing the video prior to the responder arriving at the geographic area.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, the video from the responder camera as a streaming video, wherein at least a portion of the streaming video is received from the responder camera prior to the responder arriving at the geographic area.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispatch acknowledgement includes geospatial information of one or more of the responder camera or a responder computing device associated with the responder.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the computing device, camera activation signals to a plurality of responder cameras in response to determining that each of a plurality of responders associated with the plurality of responder cameras is at the geographic area or en route to the geographic area.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a streaming video from each of the plurality of responder cameras; and

simultaneously displaying at least two streaming videos received from the plurality of responder cameras.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions embodied thereon for activating a responder camera, wherein the instructions, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive an indication of a location or an event;

determine a geographic area associated with the location or event;

receive a dispatch acknowledgement from a responder, the dispatch acknowledgement indicating that the responder is at the geographic area or that the responder is en route to the geographic area; and

in response to receiving the dispatch acknowledgement from the responder, automatically send a camera activation signal to a responder camera associated with the responder;

wherein the responder camera is configured to begin capturing a video in response to receiving the camera activation signal.

18. A computing device for activating a responder camera, the computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium having instructions embodied thereon, wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, cause the computing device to;

receive an indication of a location or an event,

determine a geographic area associated with the location or event,

receive a dispatch acknowledgement from a responder, the dispatch acknowledgement indicating that the responder is at the geographic area or that the responder is en route to the geographic area, and

in response to receiving the dispatch acknowledgement from the responder, automatically send a camera activation signal to a responder camera associated with the responder,

wherein the responder camera is configured to begin capturing a video in response to receiving the camera activation signal.

19. The computing device of claim 18, further comprising:

at least one display device;

wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, further cause the computing device to;

receive the video from the responder camera, and

display the received video on the at least one display device.

20. The computing device of claim 18, further comprising:

at least one memory;

wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, further cause the computing device to;

receive the video from the responder camera, and

store the received video in the at least one memory.