Mobile digital video recording system

• US 7,768,548 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Utility Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Digital Security Controls
• Inventors: Huang, Joseph, Silvernail, William Bradford, Snow, Jody, Kehle, Paul, Glenn, John, Church, Christopher, Ridgway, David, Singla, Olivier
• Primary Examiner(s): Aggarwal; Yogesh K
• Assistant Examiner(s): GEBRIEL, SELAM T
• Application Number:
  US11/269,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20070035632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,728 Days
• Field of Search: 348/117, 348/118, 348/123, 348/124, 348/148, 348/152, 3482111-21115, 701/35
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/28 Mobile studios
• 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 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/877 by assembling picture element blocks in an intermediate memory

Abstract

The Improved Mobile Digital Video Recorder (IMDVR) system is a ruggedized, multiple camera video and audio recording system that is installed within a public transit vehicle to record, store, and manage an integrated data stream of data captured within and exterior to the transit vehicle. The system is focused on multiple person vehicles and the capture of an integrated data stream for use in transit security, liability, and evidentiary processes.

Claims

1. A mobile, ruggedized, high-resolution, high-capacity, multicamera digital video and audio recording and storage system comprising:

a high-resolution digital video recorder ruggedized for installation within a mobile, mass transit vehicle;

a plurality of high-resolution cameras installed on and within said mass transit vehicle and separably connected to said digital video recorder through wired means, said cameras aimable to capture video information data within said mass transit vehicle and video information data of exterior views in proximity of said mass transit vehicle;

a high-resolution display for displaying imagery of views composed from video information data within and of the exterior proximity of said mass transit vehicle, wherein said imagery is provided as input to said displays from said digital video recorder;

a plurality of high quality microphones connected to said digital video recorder and capturing audio data, wherein said audio data is converted to digital format and synchronized with said imagery data;

means for integrating captured audio, video and meta-data information into one data stream;

at least one high-capacity storage device for storage of all captured video, audio and input data and including meta-data wherein said meta-data comprises at least analytic and telemetry data;

an information bus electrically interconnecting each of the components of the system one with another wherein interprocess communication and data transfer to and from each component of the system occurs through the electrical connections maintained by said information bus;

a power supply module electrically connected to the power supply system of said mass transit vehicle and containing a separate battery wherein said power supply module is configured to transform vehicle power into a plurality of power levels and said battery is configured to maintain a smooth power profile necessary for proper operation of said mobile digital video system;

a general purpose input and output interface and control module;

user controls and a user interface display;

means for processing video image data and video information data for storage and transmission over wired or wireless communication channels;

a plurality of interface connection access points for a plurality of separably attachable external and internal standardized components and information bus connections, wherein said standardized components and information bus connections are supplied by third-party vendors;

a microprocessor-based server comprising software modules for at least the archiving of said audio, video, data and meta-data to a storage device within or outside of said mass transit vehicle and controlling the transfer of said data over wired or wireless communications channels;

said microprocessor-based server also comprising a software module for executing rules from a rules engine wherein said rules comprise rules for monitoring system operational parameters, performing system administration tasks, and providing system alert settings and alert indicators;

and said microprocessor-based server comprising at least a software module for processing audio and video data as said data is collected in real-time, a software module configured to transfer said data within or exterior to said mass transit vehicle, and a software module configured to stream said collected data in real-time to a display located within or exterior to said mass transit vehicle.

2. The digital video and audio recording and storage system according to claim 1, wherein the system is ruggedized to meet the environmental requirements recited in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standard J1455 or equivalent.

3. The digital video and audio recording and storage system according to claim 1, further comprising at least two, and as many as eight, RJ45 camera input connections.

4. The digital video and audio recording and storage system according to claim 1, further comprising at least two, and as many as eight, high-resolution cameras.

5. The digital video and audio recording and storage system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one 8:

1 video multiplexer.

6. The digital video and audio recording and storage system according to claim 5, further comprising a first video multiplexer to route analog video data to an operating analog video monitor display, and at least two additional video multiplexers to route analog video data to a plurality of video decoders.

7. The digital video and audio recording and storage system according to claim 6, further comprising a plurality of video decoders wherein each video decoder receives video input from one of said video multiplexers and each of the video decoders is associated with either a camera or a streaming video data output channel.

8. The digital video and audio recording and storage system according to claim 7, wherein said means for processing video image data and video information data further comprises a plurality of Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) wherein each DSP receives the video image data and video information data output from two video decoders.

9. The digital video and audio recording and storage system according to claim 1, further comprising an audio codec with a plurality of input connections for said microphones and a plurality of audio output connections wherein said output connections include at least an external audio channel and an audio data connection to any one of a plurality of DSPs through any of said video multiplexers.

10. The digital video and audio recording and storage system according to claim 9, further comprising synchronizing said audio data with said video data.

11. The digital video and audio recording and storage system according to claim 1, further comprising a high-capacity storage device wherein the storage device is at least one of a hard disk drive or high-capacity flash memory.

12. The digital video and audio recording and storage system according to claim 11, further comprising means for integrating audio, video, data and meta-data information into a single integrated data construct wherein said construct is stored in said high-capacity storage device.

13. The digital video and audio recording and storage system according to claim 1, further comprising power supply output levels of at least 1.4V, 1.5V, 3.3V, 5V, 9.5V and 12V.

14. The digital video and audio recording and storage system according to claim 1, further comprising system connections for externally provided devices that comprise any of a keypad, a wireless modem, an analog monitor, or an LCD display.

15. The digital video and audio recording and storage system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of interface connection access points that comprise any of Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors, SMA connectors, 10/100 Ethernet connectors, Giga-bit Ethernet connectors, DB-15 connectors, and DB9 connectors, wherein said connectors provide for electrical connectivity between external devices and said digital video and audio recording and storage system.

16. A digital video and audio recording and storage process for installation in a mobile platform comprising the steps of:

collecting audio, video, data and meta-data information;

executing rules from a rules engine to monitor system operational parameters, perform system administration tasks, and record system alert indicators;

transforming audio, video, data and meta-data into digital format;

combining said transformed audio, video, data and meta-data into a single, integrated data stream;

storing said integrated data stream in a high-capacity digital data storage construct;

communicating said integrated data stream to a computer server over wired or wireless communication means;

wherein said integrated data stream is continuously recorded and stored from the moment said process is initialized and wherein said integrated data stream is indexed for later retrieval and use in security and surveillance activities;

the recording step further comprising means for recording and storing said integrated data stream in a normal mode and an event mode wherein data storage files produced during normal mode recording and storage are smaller in size than data storage files produced during event mode recording and storage;

wherein said normal recording mode is the standard means for recording said integrated data stream during ongoing system operation;

means for recording said integrated data stream in event mode as a result of a trigger event;

means for continuing event mode recording until event mode is terminated as a result of reaching the end of a pre-set event trigger time period; and

wherein said pre-set event trigger time period is configurable.

17. A digital video and audio recording and storage process according to claim 16, the collecting process step further comprising:

means for collecting data including system status, maintenance data, operations data, alert data and indicator data;

means for collecting meta-data comprising analytic, telemetry, and function control data.

18. A digital video and audio recording and storage process according to claim 16, the executing rules step further comprising:

means for executing rules to create meta-data associated with analytic measurements from system operation, administration, and alert rules processing.

19. A digital video and audio recording and storage process according to claim 16, the transforming step further comprising:

means for transforming audio data from an analog input format into digital audio format by processing through an audio codec;

means for transforming video data from an analog input format into digital video format by processing through a DSP,

and means for transforming meta-data into digital format wherein such meta-data is not already in digital format.

20. A digital video and audio recording and storage process according to claim 16, said communicating step further comprising:

means for streaming a live or stored integrated data stream to an external user over wired or wireless communication means.

21. A digital video and audio recording and storage process according to claim 20, the live streaming further comprising a set of function commands to setup, play, pause, and teardown the streaming session.

22. A digital video and audio recording and storage process according to claim 20, the stored streaming further comprising a set of function commands to retrieve and buffer stored video data wherein said function commands operate to provide a smooth display of said stored video data.