Forensic video recording with presence detection

• US 10,964,351 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2015
• Issued: 03/30/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Ally Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Digital Ally Incorporated
• Inventors: Ross, Stanton E., Han, Peng, Dick, Jeremy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US14/880,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20160035391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,996 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/80 Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/026 by using processor, e.g. microcomputer
• 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 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 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/106 Packet or message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/47 using near field communication [NFC] or radio frequency identification [RFID] modules

Abstract

At a high level, embodiments of the invention relate to augmenting video data with presence data derived from one or more proximity tags. More specifically, embodiments of the invention generate forensically authenticated recordings linking video imagery to the presence of specific objects in or near the recording. One embodiment of the invention includes video recording system comprising a camera, a wireless proximity tag reader, a storage memory and control circuitry operable to receive image data from the camera receive a proximity tag identifier identifying a proximity tag from the proximity tag reader, and store an encoded frame containing the image data and the proximity tag identity in the storage memory.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for associating image data for an event with a presence of a law enforcement officer at the event, wherein execution of the computer program by at least one processor performs the following steps:

receive an item of image data from an image data recording device mounted on one of the law enforcement officer and a law enforcement vehicle;

receive an item of proximity tag data from a proximity tag reader, wherein the item of proximity tag data comprises information indicative of an identity of the law enforcement officer and a signal strength received at the proximity tag reader, wherein the law enforcement officer is associated with a proximity tag,

wherein the proximity tag is a device that radiates an identifying signal that can be read by a corresponding the proximity tag reader;

combine, using a combiner, the item of image data and the item of proximity tag data including the received signal strength into an augmented frame,

wherein the item of proximity data is stored as metadata in a header of the augmented frame; and

after the item of image data and the item of proximity tag data are combined into an augmented frame, store the augmented frame in a video recording to thereby associate the presence of the law enforcement officer with the event and determine positional information of the proximity tag within the video recording based on the received signal strength.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1,

wherein the law enforcement officer is a first law enforcement officer, the item of image data is a first item of image data, the image data recording device is a first image data recording device, and the proximity tag is a first proximity tag,

wherein execution of the computer program by the at least one processor performs the following steps:

receive a second item of image data from a second image data recording device, and

receive information indicative of an identity of a second law enforcement officer, wherein the second law enforcement officer is associated with a second proximity tag; and

store the second item of image data and information indicative of the identity of the second law enforcement officer into the video recording to thereby further associate the presence of the second law enforcement officer with the event.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the second image data recording device is mounted on another of the law enforcement officer and the law enforcement vehicle.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein execution of the computer program by the at least one processor performs the step of receiving sensor data from at least one sensor associated with the event, wherein said video recording further comprises the sensor data to thereby associate the sensor data with the event.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

a microphone, a clock, a global positioning receiver, a breath analyzer, a fingerprint reader, an accelerometer, and a holster event.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the sensor data and the information indicative of the identity of the law enforcement officer are stored as metadata for the event.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the sensor data and the information indicative of the identity of the law enforcement officer are stored as metadata for the event.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the proximity tag associated with the law enforcement officer is associated with at least one of a law enforcement vehicle, a law enforcement badge, a weapon carried by the law enforcement officer, and officer identification carried by the law enforcement officer.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the proximity tag associated with the law enforcement officer is associated with at least one of handcuffs, a breath analyzer, a radar or lidar gun, and an evidence bag.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the generation of the video recording is in response to a triggering event.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

activation of the law enforcement vehicle'"'"'s siren or light bar, an acceleration or velocity reading associated with the law enforcement vehicle, a position reading of either the law enforcement officer or the law enforcement vehicle, a holster event, and a biometric stress indicator associated with the law enforcement officer.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein execution of the computer program by the at least one processor performs the steps of creating a digital signature corresponding to the generated video recording.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein execution of the computer program by the at least one processor performs the steps of creating a digital signature corresponding to the video recording.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for associating data for an event with a presence of a law enforcement device or person at the event, wherein execution of the computer program by at least one processor performs the following steps:

receive a first item of image data from a first image data recording device associated with the event, wherein the first image data recording device is any one of a body-mounted video recording device for a first law enforcement officer, a body-mounted video recording device for a second law enforcement officer, and an in-vehicle video recording device for a law enforcement vehicle;

receive a second item of image data from a second image data recording device associated with the event, wherein the second image data recording device is any one of said body-mounted video recording device for the first law enforcement officer, said body-mounted video recording device for the second law enforcement officer, and said in-vehicle video recording device for the law enforcement vehicle,

wherein the first image data recording device is different than the second image data recording device;

receive an item of proximity tag data from a proximity tag reader, wherein the item of proximity tag data comprises information indicative of an identity of a law enforcement officer selected from the set consisting of the first law enforcement officer and the second law enforcement officer, wherein the law enforcement officer is associated with a proximity tag,

wherein the proximity tag is a device that radiates an identifying signal that can be read by a corresponding the proximity tag reader,

wherein the proximity tag data further comprises a signal strength received at the proximity tag reader;

combine, using a combiner, the first item of image data, the second item of image data, and the item of proximity tag data including the received signal strength into an augmented frame,

wherein the item of proximity data is stored as metadata in a header of the augmented frame; and

store the augmented frame including the first and second items of image data and the item of proximity tag data a video recording to thereby associate the presence of the law enforcement officer with the event and determine positional information of the proximity tag within the video recording based on the received signal strength.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the proximity tag is further associated with at least one of the law enforcement vehicle, a law enforcement badge, a weapon carried by either of the first and the second law enforcement officer, and officer identification carried by either of the first and the second law enforcement officer.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the proximity tag is further associated with at least one of handcuffs, a breath analyzer, a radar or lidar gun, and an evidence bag.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein execution of the computer program by the at least one processor performs the step of receiving sensor data from at least one sensor associated with the event, wherein said video recording further comprises the sensor data to thereby associate the sensor data with the event.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

a microphone, a clock, a global positioning receiver, a breath analyzer, a fingerprint reader, an accelerometer, and a holster event.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the generation of the video recording is in response to a triggering event.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

activation of the law enforcement vehicle'"'"'s siren or light bar, an acceleration or velocity reading associated with the law enforcement vehicle, a position reading of either one of the first and the second law enforcement officers or the law enforcement vehicle, a holster event, and a biometric stress indicator associated with one of the first and the second law enforcement officers.