Video incident capture system

• US 5,677,979 A
• Filed: 02/02/1995
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PATCO Properties, Inc.
• Original Assignee: PATCO Properties, Inc.
• Inventors: Squicciarini, John, Elrom, Itzhak
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US08/382,426
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 358/342, 358/335, 358/310, 360/71, 360/72.1, 360/72.2, 348/149, 348/143, 348/148, 340/936, 386/46, 386/94, 386/95, 386/96, 386/117, 386/118, 386/1, 386/38, 386/39
• US Class Current: 386/224
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• 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 video incident capture system for law enforcement vehicles. The video incident capture system incorporates a video camera, a video recorder, a radar unit, a real time clock, a monitor, a portable wireless microphone and its associated receiver and a system controller integrating the control of the various components to produce a comprehensive, unedited record of the incident. The system controller superimposes the target speed and patrol speed data generated by the radar unit over the video signals generated by the video camera prior to being recorded on the videotape. The portable wireless microphone permits the conversation between the law enforcement and a second party to be made part of the recorded incident. A radar interface will replace the target and/or patrol speed data with error data when an error in the operating parameters of the radar unit is detected. The system controller also provides a control function which prohibits the video recorder from recording over a previously recorded portion of the videotape when the videotape has been either rewound or fast-forwarded from the position where the prior recording was terminated. The system controller and video recorder are enclosed in a temperature controlled sealed vault mounted in the trunk of the law enforcement vehicle.

Claims

1. A video incident capture system for a law enforcement vehicle comprising:

a video camera for generating video signals of an incident, said video camera mounted inside said law enforcement vehicle and positioned to view said incident through a window of said law enforcement vehicle;

a video recorder having means for recording said video signals on a videotape, means for rewinding said videotape, means for fast-forwarding said videotape, and means for playing back said videotape to reproduce the video signals recorded thereon;

monitor means selectively responsive to said video signals generated by said video camera and said video signals reproduced by said video recorder from said videotape to generate a visual picture;

a portable wireless microphone worn by an operator of said law enforcement vehicle, said wireless microphone generating a radio signal modulated by received audio communications;

receiver means for generating electrical signals corresponding to said audio communications received by said wireless microphone in response to said radio signals;

radar means for generating at least target speed data indicative of the speed of a target vehicle;

a remote control to control the operation of said video recorder from a remote location, said remote control having at least a record key for generating a record code, a rewind key for generating a rewind code, a playback key for generating a playback code, a fast-forward key for generating a fast-forward code and a stop key for generating a stop code, said record, rewind, playback, fast-forward and stop codes operative to actuate said video recorder to record said video signals on said videotape, to rewind said videotape, to playback said videotape, to fast-forward said videotape and to stop said video recorder respectively;

a system controller integrating the operation of said video recorder, radar means and said remote control, said system controller having a real time clock generating at least time and date data, on screen display means disposed between said video camera and said video recorder to generate a display block superimposed on said video signal generated by said video camera, said on screen display displaying at least said target speed, said date and said time, means for periodically interrogating said real time clock to transfer said date and time data to said on screen display means, means for periodically interrogating said radar means for transferring said target speed data to said on screen display means, means for periodically interrogating said remote control for transferring said record, rewind, playback, fast-forward and stop codes to a VCR buffer accessed by said video recorder, and means responsive to said record code being transferred to said VCR buffer for inhibiting said video recorder from recording over a previously recorded portion of said videotape.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said radar means comprises a radar unit and a microprocessor controlled radar interface which interfaces said radar unit with said system controller.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said radar unit has at least a 100'"'"'s place, a 10'"'"'s place and a 1'"'"'s place target speed display driver storing said 100'"'"'s place, 10'"'"'s place and 1'"'"'s place target speed data in response to a latch enable signal, and said radar interface has means for transferring said 100'"'"'s place, 10'"'"'s place and 1'"'"'s place target speed data to target speed transmit buffers in response to said latch enable signal.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said means for periodically interrogating said radar means is a means for transmitting a command message to said radar interface, said radar interface including means for transmitting said target speed data stored in said 100'"'"'s place, 10'"'"'s place, and 1'"'"'s place target speed transmit buffers to said system controller in response to said command message sent to said radar interface.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said radar unit further has at least a 10'"'"'s place and a 1'"'"'s place patrol speed display driver storing 10'"'"'s place and 1'"'"'s place patrol speed data in response to said latch enable signal, and said radar interface has means for transferring said 10'"'"'s place and said 1'"'"'s place patrol speed data to patrol speed transmit buffers in response to said latch enable signal generated by said radar unit.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said means for transmitting further transmits said patrol speed data stored in said patrol speed transmit buffers to said system controller in response to said command message sent to said radar interface.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said radar interface includes a microprocessor having a random access memory, and said target speed and patrol speed transmit buffers storing said 100'"'"'s place, 10'"'"'s place and 1'"'"'s place target speed data and said 10'"'"'s place and said 1'"'"'s place patrol speed data are specified memory locations in said random access memory.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said radar unit has a 100'"'"'s place patrol speed display driver, and said means for transferring said 10'"'"'s place and 1'"'"'s place patrol speed data also transfers said 100'"'"'s place patrol speed data to said patrol speed transmit buffers.

9. A video incident capture system for a law enforcement vehicle comprising:

a video camera for generating video signals of an incident, said video camera being mounted on said law enforcement vehicle and positioned to view said incident;

a video recorder having means for recording said video signals on a videotape;

monitor means responsive to said video signals for producing a visual picture;

radar unit means for generating at least target speed data indicative of the speed of a target vehicle;

a radar interface provided with a microprocessor for receiving and storing said target speed data;

a remote control for controlling the operation of said video recorder from a remote location, said remote control having at least a means for generating a record code and a means for generating a stop code, said record and stop codes being operative to actuate said video recorder to record said video signals on said videotape and to stop said video recorder respectively;

a system controller integrating the operation of said video recorder, said radar interface and said remote control, said system controller having a real time clock generating time and date data, on screen display means for generating a display block superimposed on said video signals and displaying at least said target speed, said date and said time, first control means for periodically transferring said date and time data from said real time clock to said on screen display means, second control means for periodically transferring said target speed data from said radar interface to said on screen display means, and third control means for receiving said record and stop codes from said remote control to actuate said video recorder; and

said microprocessor having means for transmitting stored target speed data to said system controller in response to a command message sent to said radar interface by said second control means.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said microprocessor has means for storing at least 100'"'"'s place, 10'"'"'s place and 1'"'"'s place target speed data.

11. A video incident capture system for a law enforcement vehicle comprising:

a video camera for generating video signals of an incident, said video camera being mounted on said law enforcement vehicle and positioned to view said incident;

a video recorder having means for recording said video signals on a videotape, and selectively operable means for rewinding said videotape, fast-forwarding said videotape, or playing back said videotape to reproduce the video signals recorded thereon;

monitor means responsive to said video signals for producing a visual picture;

a remote control for controlling the operation of said video recorder from a remote location, said remote control having a means for generating a record code, a means for generating a rewind code, a means for generating a playback code, a means for generating a fast-forward code, and a means for generating a stop code, said record, rewind, playback, fast-forward and stop codes being operative to actuate said video recorder to record said video signals on said videotape, to rewind said videotape, to playback said videotape, to fast-forward said videotape and to stop said video recorder respectively; and

means for inhibiting said video recorder from recording over a previously recorded portion of said videotape, including means for storing an actual position of said videotape in said video recorder, means for storing a recording terminated tape position corresponding to said actual tape position at a termination of a preceding recording, and means for indexing said videotape to said recording terminated tape position prior to initiating a recording on said videotape in response to said record code.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said video recorder has a tape position display and said video recorder generates pulse signals indicative of predetermined displacement of said videotape which increment said tape position display when said videotape is running in a forward direction and decrement said tape position display when said videotape is running in a reverse direction, said means for storing an actual tape position comprising an actual tape position register, means for incrementing said actual tape position register in response to said pulse signals generated by said video recorder when said videotape is being displaced in a forward direction and means for decrementing said actual tape position register in response to said videotape being displaced in a reverse direction, the content of said actual tape position register being indicative of the current position of said videotape.

13. The record inhibit system of claim 12 wherein said means for storing said recording terminated tape position comprises means responsive to stop code for stopping a recording on said videotape by said video recorder and loading a recording terminated tape position register with the content of said actual tape position register.

14. The record inhibit system of claim 13 wherein said means for indexing said video tape comprises means for actuating said video recorder to rewind said videotape when the content of said actual tape position register is greater than the content of said recording terminated tape position register, means for actuating said video recorder to fast-forward said videotape in response to the content of said actual tape position register being less than the content of said recording terminated tape position register, means for actuating said video recorder to stop said videotape in response to the content of said actual tape position register being equal to said recording terminated tape position register, and means responsive to said recorder being stopped to actuate said recorder to start recording at the tape position identified by the content of said recording terminated tape position register.