Video recorder for detection of occurrences

• US 7,505,673 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Assets 192 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kreiner, Barrett Morris, Page, Joseph E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhao; Daquan
• Application Number:
  US10/674,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,995 Days
• Field of Search: 386/49, 386/64, 386/95, 386/104
• US Class Current: 386/239
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19606 Discriminating between target movement or movement in an area of interest and other non-signicative movements, e.g. target movements induced by camera shake or movements of pets, falling leaves, rotating fan
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19676 Temporary storage, e.g. cyclic memory, buffer storage on pre-alarm
• 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 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs 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 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A video recorder is disclosed for recording audio and video data of an event. The video recorder includes a processor communicating with memory. The memory stores audio and/or video data of an event. The video data includes a series of picture frames. A set of rules is also stored in the memory. The set of rules specifies either i) multiple regions of interest and/or ii) multiple regions of disinterest within a single picture frame. The set of rules dynamically varies a bitrate of the audio/video data associated with each region of interest and with each region of disinterest. The audio/video data is stored in the memory according to the bitrate specified by the set of rules.

Claims

1. A video recorder, comprising:

a processor communicating with memory, the memory storing at least one of i) video data of an event and ii) audio data of the event, the video data comprising a series of picture frames;

a loop buffer also storing at least one of the audio data and the video data of the event, the loop buffer also storing at least one of time-delayed audio data and time-delayed video data that precedes the event; and

a set of rules stored in the memory, the set of rules specifying i) at least one of a region of interest and a region of disinterest within a single picture frame, ii) an occurrence that causes transfer of at least one of the time-delayed video data and the time-delayed audio data from the loop buffer to the memory, and iii) a first time and a second time, wherein if the occurrence happens within the at least one of the region of interest and the region of disinterest within a single picture frame at the first time, the set of rules further specifies that at least one of the time-delayed video data and the time-delayed audio data is transferred from the loop buffer to the memory, and if the occurrence happens within the at least one of the region of interest and the region of disinterest within a single picture frame at the second time, the set of rules further specifies that at least one of the time-delayed video data and the time-delayed audio data is not transferred from the loop buffer to the memory.

2. A video recorder according to claim 1, wherein the set of rules further specifies a first bitrate associated with the region of interest and a second bitrate associated with the region of disinterest;

and

wherein if the occurrence happens within the region of interest, the set of rules further specifies that at least one of the time-delayed video data and the time-delayed audio data is transferred from the loop buffer to the memory at the first bitrate, and if the occurrence happens within the region of disinterest, the set of rules further specifies at least one of the time-delayed video data and the time-delayed audio data is transferred from the loop buffer to the memory at the second bitrate.

3. A video recorder according to claim 1, wherein the set of rules further specifies an other occurrence;

and

wherein if the other occurrence is happening when the occurrence happens within the at least one of the region of interest and the region of disinterest within a single picture frame, then the set of rules further specifies that the other occurrence is stopped to verify that the occurrence is caused by the other occurrence.

4. A video recorder according to claim 3, wherein the other occurrence includes operation of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system.

5. A video recorder according to claim 1, wherein the memory stores real-time video data of the event and provides the time-delayed video data, the time-delayed video data preceding the occurrence that causes transfer of at least one of the time-delayed video data and the time-delayed audio data from the loop buffer to the memory.

6. A video recorder according to claim 1, wherein the memory stores real-time audio data of the event and provides the time-delayed audio data of the event, the time-delayed audio data preceding the occurrence that causes transfer of at least one of the time-delayed video data and the time-delayed audio data from the loop buffer to the memory.

7. A video recorder according to claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a mass-storage device, the mass storage device storing the video data of the event.

8. A video recorder according to claim 1, wherein the memory comprises an optical storage device.

9. A video recorder according to claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a memory card.

10. A video recorder according to claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a flash memory storage device.

11. A video recorder according to claim 1, wherein the video recorder interfaces with means for sensing the occurrence and initiates video data of the event.

12. A video recorder according to claim 1, wherein the video recorder interfaces with means for sensing the occurrence and initiates audio data of the event.

13. A video recorder according to claim 1, further comprising an interface to a communications network.

14. A video recorder according to claim 1, wherein the set of rules tags the video data with metadata, the metadata providing a description of a rule that caused the video data to be stored in the memory.

15. A video recorder according to claim 1, wherein the set of rules tags the region of interest with metadata, the metadata providing a description of a rule that caused the video data to be stored in the memory.

16. A video recorder according to claim 1, wherein the set of rules tags the region of disinterest with metadata, the metadata providing a description of a rule that caused the video data to be stored in the memory.

17. A video recorder, comprising:

a processor communicating with memory, the memory storing at least one of audio data and video data of an event, the video data comprising a series of picture frames;

a loop buffer also storing at least one of the audio data and the video data of the event, the loop buffer also storing at least one of time-delayed audio data and time-delayed video data that precedes the event; and

a set of rules stored in the memory, the set of rules specifying i) a first occurrence that causes transfer of at least one of the time-delayed video data and the time-delayed audio data from the loop buffer to the memory and ii) a second occurrence, wherein if the first occurrence happens, then the set of rules further specifies determining whether the second occurrence is also happening, and if the second occurrence is also happening, then the set of rules further specifies that at least one of the time-delayed video data and the time-delayed audio data is not transferred from the loop buffer to the memory.

18. A video recorder according to claim 17, further comprising an interface to a communications network, the interface allowing the video recorder to transfer the audio data and the video data to a remote location via the communications network.

19. A video recorder according to claim 17, further comprising a user interface for configuring the video recorder.

20. A video recorder according to claim 17, wherein if the second occurrence is happening when the first occurrence happens, then the set of rules further specifies that the second occurrence is stopped to verify that the first occurrence is caused by the second occurrence.