Method for video/audio recording using multiple resolutions

• US 9,041,803 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coban Technologies Incorporated (Safe Fleet Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Coban Technologies Incorporated (Safe Fleet Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Chen, Allan, Tai, William Chichih, Chang, Hung C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anyikire, Chikaodili E
• Application Number:
  US13/723,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20130156397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/148
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1062 Data buffering arrangements, e.g. recording or playback buffers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention include method and apparatuses that may be utilized to more efficiently use available storage space for a digital video recording system in a law enforcement vehicle and final “backend storage systems.” In one embodiment of the present invention, video and audio data is recorded in one or more buffers when a triggering event is activated, while a digital video recording device accounts for specified pre-event time, a time period before a first triggering event has been activated, and a post-event time, a time period after a second triggering event has been activated. The system will tag the actual start and stop points of events in one or more buffers based on a first and a second triggering event and will then include the pre-event and post-event data along with specified data. The system will then extract the event from one or more buffer files and write the event into final video files to be stored in a hard disk drive. By recording the pre-event and post-event data in multiple buffer files and extracting the final result from selected buffer files based on the nature of the event type, the system ensures that storage device is effectively used and, in this way, useful information is recorded.

Claims

1. A method for recording video data corresponding to an event, comprising:

detecting a first signal indicating a start of a first event, identifying video data related to the first event after detecting the first signal, wherein the identified video data comprises a pre-event recording and an event recording, wherein the identified video data comprises video data recorded in at least two different resolutions simultaneously and stored in at least one buffer file;

assigning a first predefined event category to the identified video data;

selecting a resolution of the identified video data stored in the at least one buffer file corresponding to one of the at least two different resolutions based on the assignment of the first predefined event category, the selecting occurring after detecting a second signal indicating an end of the first event;

determining a first point in the at least one buffer file corresponding with the selected resolution; and

storing data from the first point to a second point in the at least one buffer file in a first storage medium, wherein the second point corresponds with video data recorded at a time after video data corresponding with the first point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one buffer file comprises a first buffer file adapted to record video data at a high resolution and a second buffer file adapted to record video data at a low resolution.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the video data of the first event is stored in the at least two different resolutions in the at least one buffer file in at least two separate areas.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one buffer file comprises a first buffer file adapted to record video data at a high resolution and a second buffer file adapted to record video data at a low resolution.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one buffer file comprises a first buffer area adapted to record video data at a high resolution and a second buffer area adapted to record video data at a low resolution.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predefined event category is selected from the group consisting of:

potential driving while intoxicated and potential license plate expiration.

7. A vehicle-mounted video recording device for capturing video data related to an event comprising:

a storage medium;

a memory buffer comprising at least one buffer file; and

a processing device configured to execute computer instructions to cause the processing device to;

receive an indication of a first signal indicating a start of a first event;

identify video data comprising a pre-event recording of video prior to receipt of the indication and an event recording of video corresponding at a point in time near receipt of the indication, wherein both the pre-event recording and the event recording are each collected in at least two different resolutions simultaneously in the at least one buffer file;

assign a first predefined event category to the identified video data;

select a portion of the video data corresponding to one of the at least two different resolutions based on the assignment of the first predefined event category after detecting a second signal indicating an end of the first event;

identify a first point in the at least one buffer file corresponding to a beginning of the pre-event recording; and

store the selected portion of the video data in the storage medium, the storing beginning at the first point and continuing through a second point in the at least one buffer file, wherein the second point corresponds to a point in time after the beginning of the pre-event recording.

8. The vehicle-mounted video recording device of claim 7, wherein the at least one buffer file comprises a first buffer file containing video data recorded at a high resolution and a second buffer file containing video data recorded at a low resolution.

9. The vehicle-mounted video recording device of claim 7, wherein video data corresponding to the at least two different resolutions is stored in the at least one buffer file in at least two different areas each storing different resolutions.

10. The vehicle-mounted video recording device of claim 9, wherein the at least two different areas comprise a first buffer file and a second buffer file.

11. The vehicle-mounted video recording device of claim 7, wherein the first predefined event category is selected from the group consisting of:

potential driving while intoxicated and potential license plate expiration.

12. The vehicle-mounted video recording device of claim 7, wherein the identified video data further comprises a post-event recording of video after receipt of an indication of a second signal indicating an end of the first event.

13. The vehicle-mounted video recording device of claim 12, wherein the post-event recording comprises video data related to a pre-defined time period after receipt of the indication of the second signal.

14. The vehicle-mounted video recording device of claim 7, wherein the pre-event recording comprises video data related to a pre-defined time period prior to receipt of the indication of the first signal.

15. The vehicle-mounted video recording device of claim 7, wherein assigning the first predefined event category occurs after receipt of an indication of a second signal indicating an end of the first event.

16. The vehicle-mounted video recording device of claim 15, wherein assigning the first predefined event category is based on user input.

17. The vehicle-mounted video recording device of claim 7, wherein the first signal is initiated automatically in response to a law enforcement activity.

18. The vehicle-mounted video recording device of claim 7, wherein the first signal is initiated manually based on user input.