PORTABLE VIDEO AND IMAGING SYSTEM

• US 20170318202A1
• Filed: 07/17/2017
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Ally Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Digital Ally Incorporated
• Inventors: Phillips, Steve, Troxel, Jason R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,257,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/14 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06 ; adjustable mountings employing universal joints for lighting devices F21V21/26 - F21V21/30
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2078 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/04 for supporting on, or holding steady relative to, a person, e.g. by chains , e.g. rifle butt or pistol grip supports, supports attached to the chest or head apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs or for projecting or viewing them G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/566 Accessory clips, holders, shoes to attach accessories to camera if integral part of camera body G03B17/02
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2206/00 Systems for exchange of information between different pieces of apparatus, e.g. for exchanging trimming information, for photo finishing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

A portable video and imaging system includes a camera for capturing video of an event, and a video recording device for recording the captured video of the event. The camera is housed in a first housing, the recording device is housed in a second housing, and the first and second housings are physically separate. Various embodiments provide for the system to be mounted to a user'"'"'s body, an article of clothing, such as a shirt or a hat, to a vehicle, or to an ancillary component carried by the user, such as a firearm.

Claims

1. A portable video and imaging system for law enforcement comprising:

a camera component configured to capture video of an event and to record the captured video of the event to a memory, wherein said recorded video comprises a plurality of video frames of a video file;

an input configured to be actuated by a law enforcement officer in the field and in response to being actuated, generate an activation signal; and

a processing element configured to;

receive said activation signal generated in response to the law enforcement officer actuating the input, and

in response to the activation signal, store a mark in the video file to identify a point in time or location in the video file,

wherein said mark in the video file enables the processing element to perform the following;

in response to a user request upon during playback of the recorded video file, automatically advance the playback of the video file to the marked point in time or location in the video file at which the law enforcement officer actuated the input.

2. The portable video and imaging system of claim 1, wherein said mark in the video file further includes a geolocation for at least one component of the portable video and imaging system when the input was actuated.

3. The portable video and imaging system of claim 1, wherein the camera component is configured to be mounted on the body of the law enforcement officer.

4. The portable video and imaging system of claim 1, wherein the camera component is configured to be mounted in a law enforcement vehicle.

5. The portable video and imaging system of claim 1, wherein the camera component is configured to be mounted on a firearm of the law enforcement officer.

6. The portable video and imaging system of claim 1, wherein the camera component is configured to be mounted on a device carried by the law enforcement officer.

7. The portable video and imaging system of claim 1, wherein the camera component is configured to be selectively mounted on the body of the law enforcement officer and in a law enforcement vehicle.

8. The portable video and imaging system of claim 1, the processing element is further configured to wirelessly transmit the video file to a remote device.

9. The portable video and imaging system of claim 8, wherein the remote device is a mobile communications device configured for viewing the video on the mobile communications device.

10. The portable video and imaging system of claim 1, wherein the processing element is configured to instruct the camera component to begin recording the event in response to receiving information indicative of a triggering event.

11. A portable video and imaging system for law enforcement comprising:

a camera component configured to capture video of an event and to record the captured video of the event to a memory, wherein said recorded video comprises a plurality of video frames of a video file,

wherein the camera component is configured to be interchangeably be mounted on a law enforcement officer'"'"'s body and a law enforcement vehicle and includes a plurality of inputs configured to be actuated by the law enforcement officer in the field; and

a processing element associated with the memory element and the input and configured to;

upon receiving a first actuation signal indicative of a first actuation of the a first input of the plurality of inputs while recording the video file, store a mark in the video file to thereby identify a marked location in the video file,

upon receiving a second actuation signal indicative of a second actuation of a second input of the plurality of inputs while playing back the video file, automatically advance the playback of the video file to the marked location in the video file at which the first actuation signal was received,

wirelessly transmit the video file to a mobile communications device configured for viewing the video on the mobile communications device, and

automatically instruct the camera component to initiate recording the event in response to receiving information indicative of a triggering event.

12. The portable video and imaging system of claim 11, wherein the first input and the second input are distinct.

13. The portable video and imaging system of claim 11, further comprising an identification sensor associated with the law enforcement officer'"'"'s person and wherein the processing element is further configured to determine an identity of the law enforcement officer.

14. The portable video and imaging system of claim 13, wherein the video file further includes the identity of the law enforcement officer.

15. The portable video and imaging system of claim 11, further comprising a Global Positioning System receiver, and wherein said mark in the video file further includes a location for at least one component of the portable video and imaging system when the first input was actuated.

16. The portable video and imaging system of claim 11, wherein the video file is wirelessly transmitted via a cellular communication standard.

17. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing a video file of a law enforcement event, said video file comprising:

a plurality of frames, each frame including video data of an event,

wherein said video data is captured by a portable video and imaging system;

information indicative of a plurality of marks identifying a corresponding plurality of marked frames of the plurality of frames in the video file,

wherein each of said plurality marks is initiated by the law enforcement officer actuating an input the portable video and imaging system,

wherein said plurality of marks in the video file enables, during playback of the video file, successively advancing the video file to each of the plurality of marked frames at which the law enforcement officer actuated the input; and

metadata associated with each marked frame of the the plurality of marked frames,

wherein the metadata for each of the marked frames includes a geographical location of at least one component of the portable video when the marked frame was captured and a time or date when the marked frame was captured.

18. The media of claim 17, further storing information indicative of a triggering signal that initiated recording the video file.

19. The media of claim 17, further storing information indicative of the identity of the law enforcement officer.

20. The media of claim 17, further storing audio of the law enforcement event synchronized to the video file of the law enforcement event.