Apparatus and method for initiating and sharing incident information in a communication system

• US 8,805,431 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Vasavada, Pranav L., Bedford, Patrice A., Capota, Ovidiu A., Charlier, Michael L., Tran, Chi T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US13/562,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20140038668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/418, 455/420, 455/414.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/459, 455/517, 455/518, 455/519, 455/575.9, 340/573.1, 340/426.1, 340/531, 348/14.01, 348/14.02, 348/143, 348/211.2
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems

Abstract

A communication system (100) provides automated incident alerts to a radio, automated video recording of the incident, dynamic formation of a talkgroup, and automatic sharing of the incident information amongst members of the talkgroup. The automated alert triggers video recording of incident information from a portable radio, radio accessory or vehicular radio (102). The recorded information of the incident scene is used to dynamically form a talkgroup (102, 104, 106, 108) based on members having the appropriate skills or equipment to handle the particular incident. As members of the talkgroup (104, 106, 108) proceed to the incident scene, each member is able to view real-time video of events occurring at the scene using their portable radios, vehicular radios, or radio accessory. The recordings may also be logged and stored for future analytics.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a radio having a camera, the radio being responsive to an incident event trigger, the camera automatically recording video in response to the incident event trigger; and

at least one more radio forming a talkgroup with the radio having the camera in response to both the incident event trigger and content of the recorded video, the video being automatically shared amongst radios of the talkgroup.

2. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising a central control station for forming the talkgroup in response to the incident event trigger based on the incident causing the trigger and content of the recorded video.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein sensor data is collected in response to the incident event trigger, and the recorded video and the sensor data are shared amongst radios of the talkgroup.

4. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising:

a central control station; and

wherein the radio embeds log in information into the video recording and transmits the video to the central control station.

5. The communication system of claim 4, wherein the log in information comprises at least one of:

an emergency ID, a radio ID, location stamp, and time stamp.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the talkgroup is dynamically formed based on at least one of:

job function, skill set, equipment, and location.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the video is buffered locally at the radio and transferred to a central control station for retransmission to the talkgroup.

8. The communication system of claim 1, wherein video of an incident scene associated with the incident event trigger is provided in real-time to the talkgroup and stored for later retrieval after the incident.

9. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the video is automatically logged without user input to the radio.

10. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising:

a radio accessory coupled to the radio, and the radio accessory comprises the camera.

11. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the radio having the camera comprises a vehicular two-way radio.

12. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the camera operates as an accessory to the radio.

13. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the incident event trigger comprises at least one of:

a physical event, an audio event, and a sensed event.

14. The radio of claim 1, wherein the radio further comprises a sensor, and sensor data is embedded in the video.

15. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the radio comprises an active microphone which automatically adjusts audio level of a speaker based on level of ambient noise.

16. A radio, comprising:

a camera operatively coupled thereto for recording video of incident scene information in response to an incident event alert received at the radio, the incident event alert triggering formation of a talkgroup for viewing the video of the incident scene information in real-time, wherein the formation of the talkgroup is based on both an incident causing the trigger and content of the recorded video.

17. The radio of claim 16, wherein the radio comprises a handheld portable two-way radio or a vehicular two-way radio.

18. The radio of claim 16, further comprising a radio accessory coupled to the radio, the camera being located in the radio accessory.

19. The radio of claim 18, wherein the radio accessory comprises remote speaker microphone.

20. The radio of claim 16, wherein the radio receives sensor data indicating a hazardous condition which triggers the incident event alert.

21. The radio of claim 16, wherein the radio comprises a sensor and sensor data is embedded in the video.

22. The radio of claim 16, further comprising an active microphone which automatically adjusts audio level of a speaker based on level of ambient noise.

23. A method for sharing information in a communication system, comprising:

receiving a trigger at a radio of the communication system, the trigger indicating that an incident has occurred;

automatically recording video, by the radio, of the incident;

dynamically forming a talkgroup within the communication system based on both the incident causing the trigger and content of the recorded video; and

automatically sharing the video amongst the formed talkgroup.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

recording video using radios of the talkgroup responding to the incident; and

transmitting the video recorded by the talkgroup to a central control station.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

transmitting the video recorded by the talkgroup to the radio at the incident.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the talkgroup is formed by a central control station based on the type of incident that caused the trigger and content of the recorded video.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the talkgroup is formed based on the type of incident event that caused the trigger and content of the recorded video, and sensor data.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

logging and storing the shared video at a central control station.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the radio comprises an active microphone which automatically adjusts audio level of a speaker based on level of ambient noise.