Wireless handset interface for video recording camera control

• US 8,941,747 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2013
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axon Enterprise, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Venture Lending & Leasing Vi Inc (Westech Investment Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Boland, Justin, Pereira, Romulus, Mohanran, Narayan
• Primary Examiner(s): MOE, AUNG SOE
• Application Number:
  US13/736,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20130128067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 3482111-21114, 348/376, 348/73, 348/158, 455/569.1, 455/575.2, 386/227, 386/210, 386/224, 386/228
• US Class Current: 348/211.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• 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 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

Video recording where an input image signal is received with one or more optical sensor disposed in a hands-free video recorder. The input image signal is processed into an encoded video data stream with one or more processor disposed in the hands-free video recorder. First frames of the video data stream are relayed over a wireless communication link to a cellular-enabled wireless telephony handset and presented on a display screen of the handset along with a graphical user video control interface. Video control commands are wirelessly sent to the recorder in response to receiving a first input through the video control interface. Second frames of the video data stream are directed by the video control commands to at least one of a plurality of destinations.

Claims

1. A video recording method, the method comprising:

receiving an input image signal with one or more optical sensors disposed in a hands-free video recorder;

processing the input image signal into an encoded video data stream with one or more processors disposed in the hands-free video recorder;

wirelessly relaying first frames of the video data stream over a wireless communication link to a cellular-enabled wireless telephony handset;

presenting the first frames of the video data stream on a display screen of the handset;

presenting a graphical user video control interface on the display screen;

wirelessly transmitting one or more first video control commands to the recorder in response to receiving a first input through the video control interface; and

controlling a destination of second frames of the video data stream by directing the second frames to at least one of a plurality of destinations based on the one or more first video control commands.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein directing second frames of the video data stream to at least one of a plurality of destinations further comprises selecting between at least two of:

storing the second frames in a storage medium disposed in the recorder as a recorded video clip;

or

wirelessly transmitting the second frames from the recorder to the handset;

or

wirelessly transmitting the second frames from the recorder directly to an internet portal device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing the second frames on a remote video data server; and

distributing the second frames based on third party identifications defined in a video distribution database maintained on the remote video data server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein distributing the second frames further comprises transmitting at least an image based on the second frames to a personal computing platform or wireless communication handset associated with a third party identified in the video distribution database.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein controlling the destination of the second frames further comprises wirelessly transmitting the second frames to the internet portal device as a live video data stream from the recorder in response to receiving the first one or more video control commands.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein controlling the destination of the second frames further comprises wirelessly transmitting the second frames from the recorder to the handset, and wherein the method further comprises uploading the second frames from the handset to a wireless telephone base station in a cellular network in response to receiving the first one or more video control commands.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the wirelessly transmitting of the second frames from the recorder to the handset comprises a live video data stream from the recorder, and wherein the uploading of the second frames from the handset to the wireless telephone base station comprises uploading the live video data stream.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting the second frames to one or more third party cellular-enabled wireless telephony handsets through a one-to-one or one-to-many distribution protocol.

9. The video recording method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting one or more second video control commands to the recorder; and

in response to the one or more second video control commands, performing one or more of;

listing video clip files stored in a storage medium disposed in the recorder;

or

downloading frames of the video data stream to the handset in a preview format having a data rate reduced from a full recorded data frame rate;

or

defining a video clip file from frames of the video data stream stored to a storage medium disposed in the recorder, or

deleting a video clip file stored in the storage medium;

or

editing a video clip file stored in the storage medium;

or

configuring video data capture parameters including at least one of recording rate, image format, and zoom;

or

determining management information from the recorder, the management information including charge level of a battery powering the recorder.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises downloading frames of the video data stream to the handset in the preview format at a lower frame-rate than at which the frames were recorded in a storage medium disposed in the recorder.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises defining a video clip file from frames of the video data stream stored to a storage medium disposed in the recorder by:

traversing the stored frames in a direction associated with a video traversal command initiated by input received through the video control interface while displaying a frame in the preview format; and

identifying a logical segment of video data based on frames identified as endpoints through inputs received through the video control interface.

12. The video recording method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting one or more second video control commands to the hands-free video recorder; and

wherein the method further comprises;

identifying a logical segment video data stored in the storage media associated with a predetermined time interval backward in time from receipt or issuance of the one or more second video control commands, and

creating a video clip file containing the logical segment;

associating metadata with the video clip file; and

wirelessly transmitting the video clip file to one or more external destinations.

13. A video recording system, comprising:

a hands-free video recorder, comprising;

one or more storage media;

one or more optical sensors through which the hands-free video recorder is to receive an input image signal;

one or more wireless radios; and

one or more processors coupled to the one or more optical sensors, the one or more storage media and the one or more wireless radios; and

a cellular-enabled wireless telephony handset communicatively coupled to the hands-free video recorder over a wireless communication link;

wherein the hands-free video recorder is to;

process the input image signal into an encoded video data stream;

wirelessly relay first frames of the video data stream to the handset over the link; and

wherein the handset is to;

present the frames of the encoded video data stream received over the link on a display screen of the handset;

present a graphical video control interface on the display screen;

direct second frames of the video data stream to one or more of a plurality of destinations by transmitting one or more first video control commands to the recorder in response to receiving a first input through the video control interface.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of destinations comprises at least two of:

store the second frames in a storage medium disposed in the recorder as a recorded video clip;

or

wirelessly transmit the second frames from the recorder to the handset;

or

wirelessly transmit the second frames from the recorder directly to an internet portal device.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a remote video data server to:

store the second frames;

maintain a video distribution database; and

distribute the second frames based on third party identifications defined in the video distribution database.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote video data server is to distribute the second frames by transmitting at least an image based on the second frames to a personal computing platform or wireless communication handset associated with a third party identified in the video distribution database.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the recorder is to wirelessly transmit the second frames to the internet portal device as a live video data stream.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the handset is further to transmit one or more second video control commands to the hands-free video recorder;

and

in response to the one or more second video control commands, the handset is to;

list video clip files stored in a storage medium disposed in the recorder;

or

download frames of the video data stream to the handset in a preview format having a data rate reduced from a full recorded data frame rate;

or

define a video clip file from frames of the video data stream stored to a storage medium disposed in the recorder, or

delete a video clip file stored in the storage medium;

or

edit a video clip file stored in the storage medium;

or

configure video data capture parameters including at least one of recording rate, image format, and zoom;

or

determine management information from the recorder, the management information including charge level of a battery powering the recorder.

18. The system of 14, wherein the recorder is to wirelessly transmit the second frames to the handset, and wherein the handset is to upload the second frames from the handset to a wireless telephone base station in a cellular network.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the recorder is to wirelessly transmit the second frames to the handset as a live video data stream, and wherein the handset is to upload of the second frames to the wireless telephone base station as a live video data stream.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the handset is to transmit the second frames to one or more third party cellular-enabled wireless telephony handsets through a one-to-one or one-to-many distribution protocol.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

receiving first frames of a video data stream over a wireless communication link to a hands-free video recorder;

presenting the first frames of the video data stream on a display screen of a handset in which the one or more processors are disposed;

presenting a graphical user video control interface on the display screen;

receiving a first input through the video control interface; and

transmitting, in response to in response to the first input, one or more first video control commands to the recorder that control a destination of second frames of the video data stream by directing the second frames to at least one of a plurality of destinations.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein the plurality of destinations specifiable by the one or more first video control commands include at least two of:

a storing of the second frames in a storage medium disposed in the recorder as a recorded video clip;

a wireless transmitting of the second frames from the recorder to the handset;

or

a wireless transmitting of the second frames from the recorder directly to an internet portal device.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein the one or more first video control commands further specify a wireless transmitting of the second frames to the internet portal device as a live video data stream.

25. The medium of claim 23, wherein the one or more first video control commands further specify a wireless transmitting of the second frames to the handset, and wherein the computer readable media further comprises instructions causing the one or more processors to perform the method further comprising uploading the second frames to a wireless telephone base station in a cellular network.

26. The medium of claim 25, wherein the one or more first video control commands further specify the wireless transmitting of the second frames to the handset as a live video data stream, and wherein the uploading of the second frames from the handset to the wireless telephone base station comprises uploading the live video data stream.

27. The medium of claim 25, wherein the computer readable media further comprises instructions causing the one or more processors to perform the method further comprising transmitting the second frames to one or more third party cellular-enabled wireless telephony handsets through a one-to-one or one-to-many distribution protocol.

28. The medium of claim 22, wherein the computer readable media further comprises instructions causing the one or more processors to perform the method further comprising:

transmitting one or more second video control commands to the recorder; and

performing one or more of;

receiving frames of the video data stream to the handset in a preview format having a data rate reduced from a full recorded data frame rate;

or

defining a video clip file from frames of the video data stream stored to a storage medium

disposed in the recorder, or

deleting a video clip file stored in the storage medium;

or

editing a video clip file stored in the storage medium;

or

configuring video data capture parameters including at least one of recording rate, image format, and zoom;

or

determining management information from the recorder, the management information including charge level of a battery powering the recorder.