Emergency rescue system and method having video and IMU data synchronization

• US 8,296,063 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Exelis Incorporated (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baillot, Yohan
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le H
• Application Number:
  US12/434,899
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.03, 701/213, 701/2, 701/212, 701/434, 701/433, 701/439, 701/454, 340/539.13, 361/36, 600/587, 600/594
• US Class Current: 701/434
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1656 with passive imaging devices, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation

Abstract

Systems and methods for collecting and recording video data and inertial motion unit (IMU) data associated with the video data representative of a path of traversal, transmitting the video data and IMU data associated with the video data to a rescue device that includes a display, and subsequently replaying the video data on the display of the rescue device along with viewable indicia, based on the IMU data associated with the video data, that is indicative of the motion of a user when the video data was collected and recorded.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

collecting video data representative of a path of traversal of a user;

collecting inertial motion unit (IMU) data associated with the video data;

transmitting the video data and IMU data associated with the video data to a rescue device that includes a display; and

subsequent to the transmitting step, replaying the video data on the display of the rescue device along with viewable indicia, based on the IMU data associated with the video data, that is indicative of motion of the user when the video data was collected.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the display an arrow indicative of a direction in which the user was moving when the video data was collected and recorded.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising accelerating a replay speed of the video data and viewable indicia.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step comprises sending the video data and the IMU data associated with the video data wirelessly.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the IMU data associated with the video data comprises at least one of speed data, acceleration data, direction data, or tilt data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading a plurality of rescue devices with the video data and IMU data associated with the video data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing a video frame speed, during the step of collecting video data, with a speed of a user collecting the video data.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising setting the video frame speed to a fixed frame rate.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating a difference in speed between a speed provided in the IMU data associated with the video data and a current speed of a user operating the rescue device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a measure of elapsed time of the video data being replayed, and of a time a rescuer is operating the rescue device.

11. A locating system, comprising:

a display;

an inertial motion unit (IMU) that is configured to generate real-time IMU data; and

a processor that is configured to receive the real-time IMU data along with video data and IMU data associated with the video data, and further configured to synchronize the real-time IMU data with the video data and IMU data associated with the video data such that indicia representative of the synchronization are displayed on the display when the video data is played.

12. The locating system of claim 11, wherein the display is part of a handheld computing device.

13. The locating system of claim 11, further comprising control buttons.

14. The locating system of claim 13, wherein the control buttons include fast forward and rewind.

15. The locating system of claim 11, wherein the system is configured to receive the video data and the IMU data associated with the video data from a base station.

16. The locating system of claim 15, wherein the video data and the IMU data associated with the video data are received wirelessly.

17. The locating system of claim 11, wherein the system calculates and displays a difference in direction between a user of the system and that of a person who collected the video data.

18. The locating system of claim 11, further comprising a camera and associated IMU.

19. The locating system of claim 18, wherein the camera is mounted to a helmet.

20. The locating system of claim 11, wherein the indicia comprises an arrow indicative of a direction of travel.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein the indicia comprises an indication that doorway has been passed through.

22. The system of claim 11, wherein the indicia comprises a measure of elapsed time.

23. The system of claim 11, wherein the indicia comprises an indication of a speed difference between a user of the system and that of a person who collected the video data.

24. A rescue apparatus, comprising:

a user device configured to collect and transmit video data and inertial motion unit (IMU) data associated with the video data; and

a rescue device configured to receive the video data and IMU data associated with the video data transmitted by the user device, to play the video data on a display, and further configured to present viewable indicia, based on the IMU data associated with the video data, that is indicative of the motion of a user when the video data was collected by the user device.