Wireless microphone for use with an in-car video system
First Claim
1. A remotely activated microphone for use with a vehicle-mounted base station in a vehicle-mounted surveillance system including a video recording device, comprising:
- a microphone for capturing audio;
an RF receiver arranged to receive an RF activation signal from the vehicle-mounted base station, the RF activation signal being generated by the base station when an operational status signal indicative that the video recording device is recording is received by the base station from the surveillance system, the RF activation signal switching the microphone into a transmit mode from a standby mode when received; and
an RF transmitter for transmitting the captured audio as an RF data signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An in-car video system and method is provided where a wireless microphone is configured with bi-directional communications capability. In response to a received RF activation signal, the wireless microphone is automatically switched on to capture (and transmit back to the in-car video system) an audio soundtrack that accompanies the images captured by the car-mounted video camera. A wireless microphone controller mounted in the car transmits the RF activation signal to the wireless microphone. The wireless microphone controller is arranged to transmit the RF activation signal when the VCR starts recording.
In an illustrative embodiment of the invention, the wireless microphone receives information, including a confirmation that the VCR is recording, from an RF information signal received from the wireless microphone controller mounted in the car. The wireless microphone displays the information to the officer on a display screen. The wireless microphone sounds an audible alert when it receives the RF activation or information signals.
153 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A remotely activated microphone for use with a vehicle-mounted base station in a vehicle-mounted surveillance system including a video recording device, comprising:
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a microphone for capturing audio; an RF receiver arranged to receive an RF activation signal from the vehicle-mounted base station, the RF activation signal being generated by the base station when an operational status signal indicative that the video recording device is recording is received by the base station from the surveillance system, the RF activation signal switching the microphone into a transmit mode from a standby mode when received; and an RF transmitter for transmitting the captured audio as an RF data signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A remotely activated microphone for use with a vehicle-mounted base station in a vehicle-mounted video surveillance system including a video recording device, comprising:
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a wireless transmitter for transmitting audio captured by a microphone as an RF data signal; and a controller for activating the wireless transmitter to switch the microphone into a transmit mode from a standby mode in response to a received RF activation signal, the RF activation signal being generated by the base station when an operational status signal indicative that the video recording device is recording is received by the base station from the surveillance system, the RF activation signal being transmitted from the base station to the remotely activated microphone. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of operating a wireless microphone used with an in-car video system including a car-mounted camera, a base station, and a video recording device, the method comprising the steps of:
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in response to a received RF activation signal that indicates the video recording device is recording, capturing audio with the wireless microphone, the RF activation signal being generated by the base station when an operational status signal indicative that the video recording device is recording is received by the base station from the video recording device, the RF activation signal being transmitted from the base station to the wireless microphone; and transmitting the captured audio to the video recording device to provide a recordable audio soundtrack corresponding to an image captured by the car-mounted camera. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification