Interactive computerized witness interrogation recording tool

• US 6,043,813 A
• Filed: 04/14/1995
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Stickney, Michael E., Kemp, William J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matthew M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US08/422,689
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 364/419.08, 364/419.01, 364/419.04, 395/155, 395/119, 395/127, 395/135, 395/152, 395/159, 395/161, 345/326, 345/333, 345/334, 345/339, 345/340, 345/348, 345/302, 345/419, 345/427, 345/435, 345/473
• US Class Current: 715/727
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects

Abstract

An interactive computerized witness interrogation recording tool (10) which provides a way to rapidly convert verbal descriptions of objects and events into graphical displays. The verbal descriptions are entered into the interrogation recording tool (10) by an operator utilizing a keyboard (16), graphical input device (18) and an icon based control panel (32) in a display device (30). Commands utilized by the operator are stored in a command library (44) or originate from a textual algorithm (54) which can generate a time sequence of objects and events based on the statements. The representation of the object and events are stored in a 3D geometry database (46) which is displayed by using a geometry display generator (52) under control of a command interpreter (42) and on the display device (30). Because the display is created in real time, the individual providing the statements is able to immediately confirm or deny the accuracy of the representation as it is being constructed in its various stages. Further, the textual algorithm (54) can be configured to confirm or deny the plausibility of the statements made.

Claims

1. A method for creating a visual display of a set of objects in response to a person'"'"'s verbal statements describing actual objects and events occurring at different times, said method comprising:

receiving by an operator a plurality of said verbal statements containing descriptions of said objects at different times;

said operator entering information derived from said verbal statements into an interrogation recording tool, said statements being recorded and represented by the interrogation recording tool as graphical representations of the objects and events;

determining a plurality of locations, orientations, and forms of said objects in a temporal sequence corresponding to said description of said objects for at least two different times;

generating a plurality of the graphical representations of said objects in said temporal sequence; and

displaying said plurality of the graphical representations of said objects to illustrate changes between different time periods, wherein the displayed graphical representations allow the person to review the graphical representations in real time immediately after being recorded so as to allow the operator to make changes and modifications to the graphical representations based on subsequent verbal statements made by the person.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining if said verbal statements are implausible based on an inconsistency between said representations produced and said verbal statements.

3. A method for creating a visual simulation of a sequence of events occurring at different times as described by a person'"'"'s speech, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving verbal statements of said person describing said sequence of events by an operator;

said operator entering information into an interrogation recording tool, said information being derived from said verbal statements and including a description of objects and their geometric relationships over a period of time, said statements being recorded and represented by the interrogation recording tool as graphical representations of the events;

encoding the dynamics of geometric object relationships as textual algorithms;

storing a particular configuration of said objects and their geometric relationships in a geometry database;

modifying the objects and their geometric relationships in the geometric database in response to commands from either the operator or the textual algorithm to produce a new configuration of said objects and their geometric relationships; and

displaying the objects and their geometric relationships in a sequence as described by said commands, wherein the displayed objects and geometric relationships allow the person to review the objects and geometric relationships in real time immediately after being recorded so as to allow the operator to make changes and modifications to the objects and geometric relationships based on subsequent verbal statements made by the person.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said verbal statements are statements by a witness in a legal proceeding.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said information which is entered by said operator, encoded in textual algorithms and displayed, includes both two dimensional and three dimensional objects.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said information entered by said operator includes a plurality of viewing angles and said commands include commands to modify said viewing angle, and wherein said step of displaying displays said objects from a plurality of viewing angles.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein said information entered by said operator includes variations in the shape of said objects and said step of modifying modifies the shape of said objects.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein said step of encoding the dynamics includes the step of creating textual algorithms comprising a series of statements representing the objects and their geometric relationships over a period of time.

9. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of viewing by said person the displayed sequence and verifying by said person the accuracy of the displayed sequence.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein said two dimensional objects include text.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein said textual algorithms perform the step of calculating the velocity of said objects based on said information.

12. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of determining if said verbal statements are implausible based on an inconsistency between the encoded dynamics of the geometric object relationships in the textual algorithms and said verbal statements.

13. An interrogation recording tool for creating a visual simulation of a sequence of events occurring at different times as described by a person, said interrogation recording tool comprising:

interface means for permitting an operator to enter information based on verbal statements describing said sequence of events, said information including a description of objects and their geometric relationships over a period of time, said statements being recorded and represented by the interrogation recording tool as graphical representations of the events;

means for encoding the dynamics of said objects and their geometric relationships as textual algorithms;

means for storing a first configuration of said objects and their geometric relationships in a geometric database;

means for modifying the objects and their geometric relationships in a geometry database in response to commands from either the operator or the textual algorithm to produce a second and different configuration of said objects and their geometric relationships;

means for displaying the objects and their geometrical relationships in a sequence, including said first and second configurations, as described by said commands; and

means for calculating and displaying the velocity of a given object as it moves between locations in the first and second configurations in the sequence, wherein the displayed movement of the object allows the person to review the display in real time immediately after being recorded so as to allow the operator to make changes to the movement of the object based on subsequent verbal statements made by the person.

14. The interrogation recording tool of claim 13 wherein said verbal statements are statements by a witness in a legal proceeding.

15. The interrogation recording tool of claim 13 wherein said information which is entered by said operator, encoded in textual algorithms and displayed, includes both two dimensional and three dimensional objects.

16. The interrogation recording tool of claim 13 wherein said information entered by said operator includes a plurality of viewing angles and said commands include commands to modify said viewing angle, and wherein said step of displaying displays said objects from a plurality of viewing angles.

17. The interrogation recording tool of claim 13 wherein said information entered by said operator includes variations in the shape of said objects and said step of modifying modifies the shape of said objects.

18. The interrogation recording tool of claim 13 wherein said step of encoding the dynamics includes the step of creating textual algorithms comprising a series of statements representing the objects and their geometric relationships over a period of time.

19. The interrogation recording tool of claim 13 further comprising the step of viewing by said person the displayed sequence and verifying by said person the accuracy of the display.

20. The interrogation recording tool of claim 15 wherein said two dimensional objects include text.

21. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for determining if said statements are implausible based on an inconsistency between the encoded dynamics of the objects and their geometric relationships in the textual algorithms and said verbal statements.