Computer program, method, and system for managing multiple data recording devices

• US 8,781,292 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Ally Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Digital Ally Incorporated
• Inventors: Ross, Stanton E., Bowlin, Troy D., Andrews, Matthew R.
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US14/040,233
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 386200-234, 386358-362, 386239-248
• US Class Current: 386/223
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/023 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/026 by using processor, e.g. microcomputer
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/027 Remotely controlled remote control systems in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/006 with video camera or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/00 Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast
• 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 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

A multiple recording device management system including an intermediate multiple recording device managing apparatus, a vehicle recording device mounted in a police vehicle and synced to the managing apparatus, and a personal recording device carried by a police officer and wirelessly synced to the managing apparatus. The managing apparatus is operable to detect when the vehicle recording device, personal recording device, or any other synced device in range has begun recording and to transmit a communication signal to any synced recording device in range indicating that the recording device should begin recording and to further transmit a time stamp to synced recording devices for corroborating recorded data.

Claims

1. A recording device manager for use in a multiple recording device management system, the recording device manager comprising:

a controller including at least one receiver and at least one transmitter,

wherein said at least one receiver is operable to receive a first communication signal from a first recording device indicating the first recording device is recording or has been instructed to record a first set of record data related to an event,

wherein the first recording device includes a first input for receiving the first set of record data, and wherein the received first set of record data is recorded on a first computer-readable medium associated with the first recording device,

wherein said at least one transmitter is operable to transmit a second communication signal to a second recording device instructing the second recording device to begin recording a second set of record data related to the event,

wherein the second recording device includes a second input for receiving the second set of record data, and wherein the received second set of record data is recorded on a second computer-readable medium associated with the second recording device,

wherein the first recording device is different from the second recording device, such that the first set of record data recorded by the first recording device is different than the second set of record data recorded by the second recording device,

wherein the second communication signal is transmitted to the second recording device in response to the receiver receiving the first communication signal from the first recording device indicating the first recording device is recording or has been instructed to record, such that the recording device manager insures the first recording device records the first set of record data using the first input, and the second recording device records the second set of record data using the second input.

2. The recording device manager of claim 1, wherein the recording device manager is operable to be pre-synced with predetermined recording devices, is operable to compare a recording device identifier of a recording device with identifiers in a list of pre-synced recording devices, and is operable to selectively transmit communications only to the predetermined recording devices.

3. The recording device manager of claim 1, wherein the recording device manager includes at least one universal serial bus (USB) port for connecting the recording device manager to an external computer.

4. The recording device manager of claim 1, wherein the second communication signal is encrypted.

5. The recording device manager of claim 1, wherein the recording device manager is communicatively coupled to the first recording device via a control area network (CAN) bus.

6. The recording device manager of claim 1, further comprising an indicator for indicating whether the management system is operating in a low power mode or a power on mode.

7. The recording device manager of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of indicators; and

an input such as a switch or button operable to temporarily disable the indicators so that the recording device manager enters a covert mode when the input is activated.

8. The recording device manager of claim 1, wherein the record data is selected from a group consisting of video images and audio recordings.

9. The recording device manager of claim 1, wherein the recording device manager has a wireless communication range, and the recording device manager is operable to transmit the second communication signal to the second recording device upon the second recording device being within the wireless communication range.

10. The recording device manager of claim 9,

wherein the recording device manager is operable to receive a third communication signal from the first recording device indicating that the first recording device has been manually instructed to stop recording, and

wherein upon receiving the third communication signal, the recording device manager transmits to the second recording device a fourth communication signal instructing the second recording device that it may stop recording.

11. The recording device manager of claim 10, wherein the recording device manager has at least one parameter that is variable and that is operable to be changed via one or both of the first and second recording devices.

12. A recording device manager for use in a multiple recording device system, the recording device manager comprising:

a controller including at least one receiver and at least one transmitter; and

an internal clock,

wherein said at least one receiver is operable to receive a first communication signal from a first recording device indicating the first recording device is recording or has been instructed to record an event,

wherein said at least one transmitter is operable to transmit a second communication signal to a second recording device instructing the second recording device to begin recording the event,

wherein the second communication signal is transmitted to the second recording device in response to the receiver receiving the first communication signal from the first recording device indicating the first recording device is recording or has been instructed to record, such that the recording device manager insures the first and second recording devices both record the event,

wherein said controller is operable to obtain a time reading from the internal clock and create a time stamp corresponding to the time reading,

wherein the transmitter is operable to transmit a first time stamp to the first recording device corresponding to a specific time reading for a first item of recorded data,

wherein the transmitter is operable to transmit a second time stamp to the second recording device corresponding to said specific time reading for a second item of recorded data,

wherein said first and second items of recorded data occurred at the same time, and

wherein as a result of the first and second time stamps identifying the same specific time reading, said first item of recorded data recorded by the first recording device has the same time stamp as said second item of recorded data recorded by the second recording device so as to correlate the respective particular items of recorded data between the first and second recording devices.

13. The recording device manager of claim 12, wherein the recording device manager is operable to be pre-synced with predetermined recording devices, is operable to compare a recording device identifier of a recording device with identifiers in a list of pre-synced recording devices, and is operable to selectively transmit communications only to the predetermined recording devices.

14. The recording device manager of claim 12, wherein the controller is further operable to transmit a first unique serial number to the first recording device and a second unique serial number to the second recording device when the controller transmits the respective time stamps to the recording devices, the first and second unique serial numbers being identical and indicating that the recording device manager is the source of the time stamps so that an accurateness of the correlation between the first and second recording devices can be verified.

15. The recording device manager of claim 14, wherein the transmitter is operable to transmit metadata to the first and second recording devices, such metadata selected from the group consisting of:

identification of a source of the time stamp, a triggering event, a date, and a location of the recording device manager.

16. The recording device manager of claim 12, wherein the recording device manager has a wireless communication range, and the recording device manager is operable to transmit the second communication signal to the second recording device upon the second recording device being within the wireless communication range.

17. The recording device manager of claim 16,

wherein the recording device manager is operable to receive a third communication signal from the first recording device indicating that the first recording device has been manually instructed to stop recording, and

wherein upon receiving the third communication signal, the recording device manager transmits to the second recording device a fourth communication signal instructing the second recording device that it may stop recording.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for managing multiple recording devices, wherein the computer program instructs a processor to perform the following steps:

receive, by a recording device manager, a first communication signal from a first recording device indicating the first recording device is recording or has been instructed to record a first set of record data related to an event,

wherein the first recording device includes a first input for receiving the first set of record data, and wherein the received first set of record data is recorded on a first computer-readable medium associated with the first recording device; and

transmit, by the recording device manager, a second communication signal to a second recording device instructing the second recording device to begin recording a second set of record data related to the event,

wherein the second recording device includes a second input for receiving the second set of record data, and wherein the received second set of record data is recorded on a second computer-readable medium associated with the second recording device,

wherein the first recording device is different from the second recording device, such that the first set of record data recorded by the first recording device is different than the second set of record data recorded by the second recording device,

wherein the second communication signal is transmitted to the second recording device in response to receiving the first communication signal from the first recording device indicating the first recording device is recording or has been instructed to record, such that the recording device manager insures the first recording device records the first set of record data using the first input and the second recording device records the second set of recording data using the second input.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the processor is further operable to perform the steps of:

obtain, by the recording device manager, a time reading from an internal clock associated with the recording device manager;

create, by the recording device manager, a time stamp corresponding to the time reading;

transmit, by the recording device manager, a first time stamp to the first recording device corresponding to a specific time reading for a first item of recorded data; and

transmit, by the recording device manager, a second time stamp to the second recording device corresponding to said specific time reading for a second item of recorded data,

wherein said first and second items of recorded data occurred at the same time, and

wherein as a result of the first and second time stamps identifying the same specific time reading, said first item of recorded data recorded by the first recording device has the same time stamp as said second item of recorded data recorded by the second recording device so as to correlate the respective particular items of recorded data between the first and second recording devices.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the record data is selected from a group consisting of video images and audio recordings.