Surveillance data recording device and method

• US 8,416,295 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TriaSys Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: TriaSys Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, S. Bert, Kenworthy, Gary R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thieu, Benjamin M
• Application Number:
  US12/179,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20100020171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348148-149, 348/153, 348/159
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19667 Details realated to data compression, encryption or encoding, e.g. resolution modes for reducing data volume to lower transmission bandwidth or memory requirements
• 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 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A surveillance data recording device includes a display, a digital tuner, and a control mechanism. The display displays a received surveillance data signal over a first bandwidth. The control mechanism allows a user to select a frequency band of interest. The digital tuner truncates the received signal to produce a narrowband signal comprised only of portions of the received signal that are within the frequency band of interest. A digital storage unit, such as a fixed or removable hard drive or solid state storage device, stores the narrowband signal over a period of time.

Claims

1. A surveillance data recording device, comprising:

a display configured to display a received surveillance data signal over a first bandwidth;

a digital tuner and control mechanism, wherein the control mechanism is configured to select a frequency band of interest, and the digital tuner truncates the received signal to produce a narrowband signal comprising portions of the received signal within the frequency band of interest; and

a digital storage unit that stores the narrowband signal over a first period of time.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an analog signal conditioner that filters interference from the narrowband signal.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an integral global positioning system receiver that generates time codes and location codes;

wherein the digital storage unit stores the time codes and the location codes and in a manner that correlates the time codes and the location codes with the narrowband signal over the first period of time.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a snapshot buffer that stores a representation of a second bandwidth of the received signal over a second period of time, wherein the second bandwidth is at least ten times wider than a width of the frequency band of interest.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an assigned network address; and

a communications port that enables the unit to operate as a networked server in communication with other similar units.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the digital storage unit comprises a removable hard drive or solid state storage device.

7. A surveillance data recording device, comprising:

a communications port that obtains a surveillance data signal from an external receiver;

a display configured to display a first bandwidth of the surveillance data signal;

a digital tuner configured to select a frequency band of interest and truncate the surveillance data signal to produce a narrowband signal comprising portions of the received signal within the frequency band of interest;

an analog signal conditioner configured to filter interference from the narrowband signal;

an integral global positioning system receiver configured to generate GPS time codes and location codes; and

a digital storage unit that stores the narrowband signal, the GPS time codes and the location codes over the first period of time.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising:

a snapshot buffer that stores a representation of a second bandwidth of the surveillance data signal over a second period of time, wherein the second bandwidth is of a narrower width than a width of the frequency band of interest.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising a sampling rate selector that allows a user to select a sampling rate for the stored representation of the second bandwidth of the surveillance data signal over a second period of time.

10. The device of claim 7, further comprising an internal clock, wherein the clock generates clock time codes, and the digital storage unit stores the clock time codes if the global positioning system receiver fails to generate an expected GPS time code signal.

11. The device of claim 7, further comprising:

a user input device that enables the user to enter information during the first period of time;

wherein the digital storage device stores the narrowband signal on a first track, and the digital storage device also stores the user-entered information on a second track so that the user-entered information is correlated in time to the narrowband signal and the GPS time codes.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising a playback selector that enables a user to select one of the tracks and a time point for playback of stored data.

13. A method of isolating and recording a signal, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal over a radio frequency spectrum;

displaying the signal over the radio frequency spectrum;

receiving a user selection of a frequency band of interest;

isolating the frequency band of interest from the received radio frequency spectrum to produce a narrowband frequency specific signal; and

recording the narrowband frequency specific signal on a digital storage device thereby producing a recorded data signal representing any activity on said isolated frequency band over a first period of time.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of recording time codes and location codes associated with the narrowband frequency specific signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the time codes and location codes are generated by a global position service receiver.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of storing a representation of the received radio frequency spectrum in a snapshot buffer over a second period of time.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second period of time is significantly shorter than the first period of time.