Vehicle-mounted video system with distributed processing

• US 8,520,069 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2008
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Ally Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Digital Ally Incorporated
• Inventors: Haler, Robert D
• Primary Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US12/189,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20090002491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,843 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 348/143, 348/739, 340/293, 340/438, 340/936
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0033 Rear-view mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/53 of electronic viewfinders, e.g. rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• 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 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks 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 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted system (1010) for recording video and audio. The system (1010) uses distributed processing, including encoding the video and audio at their source(s), and a high-speed, e.g., Ethernet, bus (1148) connecting the various system components and external devices. The system (1010) may include a display monitor (1040) which is integrated into the same housing (1020) as a rear view mirror (170) of the vehicle, with the display monitor (1040) being located behind the mirror (170) and video displayed on the monitor being visible through the mirror (170).

Claims

1. A video system for a law enforcement vehicle, the system comprising:

a video camera mounted on the vehicle and operable to capture and encode video for law enforcement applications and to stamp the encoded video with an unalterable unique camera identifier,

wherein the video captured and encoded by the video camera is stamped with the camera identifier to verify and secure an identity of the camera on the video;

a central control unit mounted on the vehicle and operable to receive and decode the encoded video;

a rear view mirror housing;

a mirror mounted in the rear view mirror housing;

a display monitor operable to display the decoded video, the display monitor being mounted in the rear view mirror housing substantially behind the mirror, and the mirror and the display monitor being configured so that the displayed video is viewable through the mirror;

a memory for receiving and storing the captured and decoded video from the central control unit;

a microphone operable to capture and encode audio, wherein the central control unit is operable to receive and decode the encoded audio;

a vehicle interface box mounted on the vehicle and operable to interface an external device to the central control unit, wherein the external device is a radar gun;

a co-processing module mounted on the vehicle and operable to provide processing for an additional feature of the system, wherein the additional feature is selected from the group consisting of a face recognition feature and a license plate recognition feature; and

a recorder operable to make a copy of the captured and decoded video stored in the memory.

2. The video system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the video camera is synchronized with the central control unit so as to provide an accurate time stamp associated with the video.

3. The video system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the video camera is operable to implement a pre-event recording loop.

4. The video system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the video camera and the central control unit are connected by a high speed bus.

5. The video system as set forth in claim 1, wherein there are two or more video cameras connected to a hub, the hub is connected to the central control unit, and the central control unit is operable to receive the encoded video from each of the two or more video cameras simultaneously.

6. The video system as set forth in claim 1, further including a location determining device operable to determine a location of the vehicle when the video is captured, and wherein the memory of the video system is operable to record at a least a portion of the captured video and the location of the vehicle when the video was captured.

7. The video system as set forth in claim 1 having at least one software component for implementing the functionality of the system, wherein said at least one software component of said system is upgradable while said system is located in the field as during normal use of the system.

8. The video system as set forth in claim 7, wherein an upgrade of said at least one software component is performed by use of an external device adapted to interface via a wired connection with said video system.

9. The video system as set forth in claim 7, wherein an upgrade of said at least one software component is performed by use of an external device in wireless communication with said video system.

10. The video system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the system is adapted to verify the identity of a user thereof prior to allowing said user to access the functionality of the video system.

11. The video system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the identity of said user is verified by use of biometric data.

12. The video system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the identity of said user is verified by the user of a dongle possessed by said user, the dongle adapted to interface with the video system.

13. The video system as set forth in claim 1, the video system being adapted to communicate wirelessly with an external computing device.

14. The video system as set forth in claim 13, wherein the external computing device is selected from the group consisting of a PDA, a smartphone, and a laptop.

15. The video system as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of said video camera, central control unit, or display monitor comprises a backup power source for operating said video camera, central control unit, or display monitor in the even a primary power source is lost.

16. The video system as set forth in claim 15, wherein the backup power source is a battery.

17. A video system for a law enforcement vehicle, the system comprising:

a rear view mirror housing;

a mirror mounted in the rear view mirror housing;

a video camera mounted on the vehicle and operable to both capture and encode video for law enforcement applications and to timestamp and store the encoded video;

a central control unit mounted on the vehicle and operable to receive, decode, and timestamp the encoded video;

a memory for receiving and storing the captured, decoded, and timestamped video from the central control unit,

wherein timestamps from the video camera and the central control unit are synchronized, such that a video frame lost during transmission from the video camera to the central control unit can be retransmitted and integrated with the decoded video received and stored by the central control unit;

a recorder operable to make a copy of the captured, decoded, and timestamped video stored in the memory, wherein the recorder is selected from the group consisting of a CD burner and a DVD burner; and

a display monitor operable to display the decoded video, the display monitor being mounted in the rear view mirror housing substantially behind the mirror, and the mirror and the display monitor being configured so that the displayed video is viewable through the mirror;

a microphone operable to capture and encode audio, wherein the central control unit is operable to receive and decode the encoded audio;

a vehicle interface box mounted on the vehicle and operable to interface an external device to the central control unit, wherein the external device is a radar gun; and

a co-processing module mounted on the vehicle and operable to provide processing for an additional feature of the system, wherein the additional feature is selected from the group consisting of a face recognition feature and a license plate recognition feature.

18. The video system as set forth in claim 17, wherein the video camera and the central control unit are connected by a high speed bus.

19. The video system as set forth in claim 17, wherein there are two or more video cameras connected to a hub, the hub is connected to the central control unit, and the central control unit is operable to receive the video from each of the two or more video cameras simultaneously.

20. The video system as set forth in claim 17, further including a location determining device operable to determine a location of the vehicle when the video is captured, wherein the memory of the video system is operable to record at a least a portion of the captured video and the location of the vehicle when the video was captured.