Method of and apparatus for automatically controlling operation of a user-mounted recording device based on user motion and event context

• US 9,083,860 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2013
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Sabripour, Shervin, Charlier, Michael L, Tran, Chi T
• Primary Examiner(s): AGGARWAL, YOGESH K
• Application Number:
  US14/049,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20150098687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222.1, 348/14.08, 348/36, 348/61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/006 with video camera or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• 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 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

An event in a public safety (PS) network is recorded by mounting a video recording device for capturing images in a field of view (FOV) on a PS person, by tracking the PS person'"'"'s point of view (POV) by mounting a motion sensor on the PS person'"'"'s head for joint movement therewith to generate an output direction control signal indicative of a direction along which the POV is directed; by determining a context of the event in which the PS person is engaged by generating from a context sensor an output context signal indicative of the context of the event; and by automatically controlling operation of the video recording device based on the context and control signals by controlling one of direction of the FOV, angle of the FOV, size of the images, and resolution of the images.

Claims

1. A method of recording an event, the method comprising:

determining if a user is walking or running via a body-worn motion sensor;

instructing a body-worn camera to enter a rear-viewing mode or a front-viewing mode based on whether or not the user is walking or running, wherein the rear-viewing mode is entered when the user is walking and the front-viewing mode is entered when the user is running.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the body-worn camera is mounted on the user'"'"'s body at a location remote from the user'"'"'s head.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor comprises one of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a magnetic compass.

4. The method of claim 1, the body-worn camera comprises a video camera.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a body-worn motion sensor determining if a user is walking or running;

a body-worn camera entering a rear-viewing mode or a front-viewing mode based on whether or not the user is walking or running, wherein the rear-viewing mode is entered when the user is walking and the front-viewing mode is entered when the user is running.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the body-worn camera is a video camera for capturing images.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the motion sensor is one of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a magnetic compass.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, the body-worn motion sensor and the body-worn camera communicate over wireless communications channels.