Integrated video data capture system

• US 6,950,122 B1
• Filed: 04/08/2002
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LINX Communications
• Original Assignee: LINX Communications
• Inventors: Mirabile, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): CZEKAJ, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US10/117,202
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 348/149, 348/118, 348/151, 348/152, 340/902, 340/903
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A system integrated onboard a vehicular platform is provided for capturing video and/or audio data. The system (5) includes a plurality of video acquisition units (10) situated on the vehicular platform, at least one audio acquisition unit (20) operable to acquire an audio record within a predetermined region thereby, at least one removable data storage unit (40) for digitally storing the acquired video and audio records, a control unit (30) operably coupled to the video and audio acquisition units (10, 20) and to the removable data storage unit (40), a programmable user interface (50) coupled to the control unit by a local intercommunication link (60), and an intercommunications unit (70) operably coupled to the local intercommunication link (60). Each video acquisition unit (10) is operable to acquire a video record of at least one predetermined monitored area. The control unit (30) is programmably operable to control the video and audio acquisition units (10, 20), and to manage the storage of the acquired video and audio records into the storage unit (40). The user interface (50) includes a display device for displaying various information to the user. The intercommunications unit (70) serves to establish a wireless communications link with a remotely disposed vehicular platform.

Claims

1. A video data capture system integrated onboard a vehicular platform comprising:

(a) a plurality of video acquisition units for the vehicular platform, each said video acquisition unit being operable to acquire a video record of at least one predetermined monitored area;

(b) at least one audio acquisition unit operable to acquire an audio record within a predetermined region thereabout;

(c) at least one removable data storage unit for digitally storing therein said video and audio records;

(d) a control unit operably coupled to said video and audio acquisition units and to said removable data storage unit, said control unit being programmably operable to control said video and audio acquisition units and managing said storage of said video and audio records in said storage unit;

(e) a programmable user interface unit coupled to said control unit by a local intercommunication link, said user interface unit including a display device; and

,

(f) an intercommunications unit operably coupled to said local intercommunication link operable to selectively establish a wireless communication link with a remotely disposed vehicular platform;

wherein said removable data storage unit includes an outer docking cartridge and an erasable storage device operably housed therein;

wherein said removable data storage unit is configured in access restricted manner, said removable storage unit maintaining an access log cumulatively updated with corresponding access information responsive to each attempted read or erase access thereof.

2. The video data capture system as recited in claim 1 wherein said local intercommunication link includes a local area network link.

3. The video data capture system as recited in claim 2 wherein said local area network link is an Ethernet link.

4. The video data capture system as recited in claim 1 wherein said intercommunications unit includes a spread spectrum interface device for selectively transceiving audio and video information in spread spectrum modulated form.

5. The video data capture system as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one said audio acquisition unit includes a wireless spread spectrum transceiver for transceiving audio information to and from said control unit in spread spectrum modulated form.

6. The video data capture system as recited in claim 1 wherein said control unit includes a video switcher for automatically actuating said video acquisition units in selective manner responsive to at least one of a plurality of predetermined triggering inputs, said predetermined triggering inputs including a vehicular event-sensing signal.

7. The video data capture system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a redundant removable data storage unit for digitally archiving said video and audio records therein in substantially contemporaneous manner.

8. The video data capture system as recited in claim 1 wherein said removable data storage unit maintains data in a compressed configuration corresponding to a predetermined compression scheme.

9. The video data capture system as recited in claim 1 wherein said user interface unit includes a mobile data terminal operable to display a programmably configured graphic user interface display, a pointing device, and a control processor coupled thereto.

10. The video data capture system as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said video acquisition units is a digital camcorder device, and at least one of said video acquisition units is covertly disposed.

11. A video data capture system integrated onboard a vehicular platform comprising:

(a) a plurality of video acquisition units for the vehicular platform, each said video acquisition unit being operable to acquire a video record of at least one predetermined monitored area;

(b) at least one wireless audio acquisition unit operable to acquire an audio record within a predetermined region thereabout;

(c) at least first and second data storage units for digitally storing therein said video and audio records, said first data storage unit being removable, said second data storage unit being operable to digitally archive in substantially contemporaneous manner said video and audio records stored in said first data storage unit;

(d) a control unit operably coupled to said video and audio acquisition units and to said first and second data storage units, said control unit being programmably operable to control said video and audio acquisition units and managing said storage of said video and audio records in said first and second data storage units, said control unit being operable to maintain a spread spectrum modulated wireless link with said audio acquisition unit, said control unit including a video switcher for automatically actuating said video acquisition units in selective manner responsive to at least one of a plurality of predetermined triggering inputs, said predetermined triggering inputs including a vehicular event-sensing signal;

(e) a programmable user interface unit coupled to said control unit by an Ethernet local area network link said user interface unit including a display device; and

,

(f) an intercommunications unit operably coupled to said local area network link, said intercommunications unit being operable to selectively establish a spread spectrum modulated wireless communication link with a remotely disposed vehicular platform;

wherein said removable data storage unit includes an outer docking cartridge and an erasable storage device operably housed therein;

wherein said removable first data storage unit is configured in access restricted manner, said removable data storage unit maintaining an access log cumulatively updated with corresponding access information responsive to each attempted read or erase access thereof.

12. The video data capture system as recited in claim 11 wherein said removable first data storage unit maintains data in a compressed configuration corresponding to a predetermined compression scheme.

13. The video data capture system as recited in claim 11 wherein said user interface unit includes a mobile data terminal operable to display a programmably configured graphic user interface display, a pointing device, and a control processor coupled thereto.

14. The video data capture system as recited in claim 11 wherein at least one of said video acquisition units is a digital camcorder device, and at least one of said video acquisition units is covertly disposed.

15. A distributed video data capture system comprising:

(a) a fleet of vehicular platforms; and

,

(b) a plurality of video data capture subsystems respectively integrated onboard said vehicular platforms, each said video data capture subsystem defining a local area network within said vehicular platform thereof, said video data capture subsystems being linkable one with the others for reversible transmission of video and audio data therebetween, each said video data capture subsystem including;

(1) a plurality of video acquisition units coupled to said vehicular platform thereof, each said video acquisition unit being operable to acquire a video record of at least one predetermined monitored area;

(2) at least one wireless audio acquisition unit operable to acquire an audio record within a predetermined region thereabout;

(3) at least first and second data storage units for digitally storing therein said video and audio records, said first data storage unit being removable and including a hard disc drive device, said second data storage unit being operable to digitally archive in substantially contemporaneous manner said video and audio records stored in said first removable data storage unit, said second removable data storage unit including an optically readable disc device;

(4) a control unit operably coupled to said video and audio acquisition units and to said first and second data storage units, said control unit being programmably operable to control said video and audio acquisition units and managing said storage of said video and audio records in said first and second data storage units, said control unit being operable to maintain a spread spectrum modulated wireless link with said audio acquisition unit, said control unit including a video switcher for automatically actuating said video acquisition units in selective manner responsive to at least one of a plurality of predetermined triggering inputs, said predetermined triggering inputs including a vehicular event-sensing signal;

(5) a programmable user interface unit coupled to said control unit by a local area network link, said user interface unit including a display device; and

,

(6) an intercommunications unit operably coupled to said local area network link, said intercommunications unit being operable to selectively establish a spread spectrum modulated wireless communication link with said video data capture subsystem of a remotely disposed one of said vehicular platforms;

wherein said removable first data storage unit is configured in access restricted manner, said removable data storage unit maintaining an access log cumulatively updated with corresponding access information responsive to each attempted read or erase access thereof.

16. The distributed video data capture system as recited in claim 15 further comprising a central station remotely disposed from said vehicular platforms, said central station including a router subsystem for selectively interlinking a plurality of said video data capture subsystems responsive to at least one of said video data capture subsystems.

17. The distributed video data capture system as recited in claim 15 wherein said control unit of a first of said video data capture subsystems is controllably accessible to said user interface unit of a second of said video data capture subsystems interlinked therewith.

18. The video data capture system as recited in claim 17 wherein said local area network link is an Ethernet link.

19. The video data capture system as recited in claim 15 wherein said removable first data storage unit maintains data in a compressed configuration corresponding to a predetermined compression scheme.