Method for recording video/audio data in a network

• US 8,792,768 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2004
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Gilge, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADAMS, EILEEN M
• Application Number:
  US10/541,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20060204207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,853 Days
• Field of Search: 348143-161, 348/207.1, 3482111-2113, 348/231.9, 386/1, 386/46, 386/68, 386/95, 386124-126
• US Class Current: 386/210
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19676 Temporary storage, e.g. cyclic memory, buffer storage on pre-alarm
• 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 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A method for recording video/audio data generated by a capturing device including a data memory provides connecting the data memory of the capturing device to at least one recording device that is provided with a greater storage capacity than the data memory of the capturing device, and exchanging data between the data memory and the at least one recording device such that a virtual data memory is created for the capturing device by means of the recording device.

Claims

1. A method for recording at least one of video data and audio data generated by a capturing device having an associated data memory, comprising:

connecting, via a digital network, the data memory of the capturing device to at least one recording device that has a greater storage capacity than the data memory of the capturing device, wherein the at least one recording device is physically remote from the capturing device;

exchanging data between the data memory of the capturing device and the at least one recording device, whereby a virtual data memory is formed for access by the capturing device by operational connection between the data memory of the capturing device and the at least one recording device, the virtual data memory representing a combined data memory capacity formed by the data memory of the capturing device and the at least one recording device;

at the capturing device, receiving a request from a user to access the exchanged data, wherein the request does not differentiate between data stored on the data memory of the capturing device and data stored on the virtual data memory; and

responsive to the request, retrieving the exchanged data stored on the virtual data memory, the retrieving occurring at the capturing device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data memory of the capturing device is a local data memory.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one recording device forms a central data memory.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the capturing device is interconnected with a digital communication network.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the at least one recording device is interconnected with the digital network.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein reading-out of data from the data memory of the capturing device for transmission to the at least one recording device is operationally dependent on input of new data into the data memory of the capturing device.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the new data input into the data memory of the capturing device are more current in time than the data read out from the data memory of the capturing device.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the data transmitted from the data memory of the capturing device are received by the at least one recording device and stored.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the reading-out of data from the data memory of the capturing device for transmission includes copying of the data from the data memory of the capturing device.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein during the input of new data into the data memory of the capturing device, older data are read out from the data memory of the capturing device for transmission.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the new data are input into the data memory of the capturing device at a substantially the same rate as a rate of reading out the data from the data memory of the capturing device.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the data are continually read out from the data memory of the capturing device.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the data are read out from the data memory of the capturing device at specified time intervals.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the data are read out from the data memory of the capturing device at a rate higher rate than a rate of input of the new data into the data memory of the capturing device.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the data are read out from the data memory of the capturing device when a specified threshold is reached.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the specified threshold is determined by the storage capacity of the data memory of the capturing device.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein storing of data in the data memory of the capturing device provides a buffer function for data transmission to the at least one recording device.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the data read out from the data memory of the capturing device and successfully transmitted to the at least one recording device are deleted from the data memory of the capturing device after the successful transmission.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the at least one recording device has a plurality of different storage areas that correspond to a plurality of different data recording time durations.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the plurality of different storage areas are each reserved for a specified data recording time duration.

21. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the plurality of different storage areas are allocated to corresponding one of:

a) a plurality of different capturing devices; and

b) a plurality of different capturing units of a capturing device.

22. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the plurality of different storage areas are allocated to different specified data recording time durations.

23. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the data memory of the capturing device has a data storage capacity corresponding to a specified time duration of data accrual.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein data are transmitted from the data memory of the capturing device to the at least one recording device when a specified time limit threshold for data accrual in the data memory of the capturing device is exceeded.

25. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the at least one recording device that receives the transmitted data from the data memory of the capturing device checks the transmitted data for intactness.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein, if the data from the data memory of the capturing device have been transmitted to the at least one recording device intact, the at least one recording device sends a notification of the intactness of the transmitted data to the capturing device.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein, upon receipt of the notification of the intactness of the transmitted data, the capturing device deletes the transmitted data from the data memory of the capturing device.

28. A data capturing device for at least one of video and audio data, comprising:

a data memory for storing at least one of video and audio data;

a control device for the data memory; and

an interface unit for facilitating communication via a digital network with at least one central recording device which is physically remote from the data capturing device, wherein data are transmitted via the interface unit and the digital network to the at least one central recording device;

wherein reading-out of data from the data memory for transmission to the at least one central recording device is operationally dependent on input of new data into the data memory, and whereby a virtual data memory is formed for access by the capturing device by operational connection between the data memory and the at least one central recording device via the digital network, the virtual data memory representing a combined data memory capacity formed by the data memory of the capturing device and the at least one central recording device, the interface unit being configured to retrieve the transmitted data from the at least one central recording device in response to a request from a user to access the transmitted data, wherein the request does not differentiate between data stored on the data memory and data stored on the at least one central recording device.

29. The data capturing device as recited in claim 28, wherein the reading-out of data from the data memory for transmission includes copying of data from the data memory by the control device.

30. The data capturing device as recited in claim 29, wherein data are continually read out from the data memory by the control device for transmission.

31. The data capturing device as recited in claim 29, wherein data are read out at specified time intervals from the data memory by the control device for transmission.

32. The data capturing device as recited in claim 29, wherein, if the data from the data memory have been transmitted to the at least one central recording device intact, the at least one central recording device sends a notification of the intactness of the transmitted data to the control device.

33. The data capturing device as recited in claim 32, wherein, upon receipt of the notification of the intactness of the transmitted data, the control device deletes the transmitted data from the data memory.

34. The data capturing device as recited in claim 33, further comprising:

at least one of a camera for generating the video data and a microphone for generating the audio data.

35. The data capturing device as recited in claim 33, wherein the interface unit is for interfacing a digital network, whereby data are transmitted on the digital network to the at least one central recording device that is interconnected with the digital network.

36. A recording system for capturing and storing at least one of video and audio data, comprising:

at least one central recording device; and

a data capturing device located physically remote from the at least one central recording device, the data capturing device including;

a data memory for storing at least one of video and audio data;

a control device for the data memory; and

an interface unit for facilitating communication with at the least one central recording device via a digital network, wherein data are transmitted via the interface unit and the digital network to the at least one central recording device;

wherein reading-out of data from the data memory of the data capturing device for transmission to the at least one central recording device is operationally dependent on input of new data into the data memory of the data capturing device, and whereby a virtual data memory is formed for access by the capturing device by operational connection between the data memory and the at least one central recording device via the digital network, the virtual data memory representing a combined data memory capacity formed by the data memory of the data capturing device and the at least one central recording device;

wherein, if the data from the data memory of the data capturing device have been transmitted to the at least one central recording device intact, the at least one central recording device sends a notification of the intactness of the transmitted data to the data capturing device, and wherein, upon receipt of the notification of the intactness of the transmitted data, the data capturing device deletes the transmitted data from the data memory, the interface unit being configured to retrieve the transmitted data from the at least one central recording device in response to a request from a user to access the transmitted data, wherein the request does not differentiate between data stored on the data memory and data stored on the at least one central recording device.