Digital in-car video surveillance system
A digital video surveillance system includes a video server in a law enforcement vehicle which allows recording to digital optical media including DVD RAM disks, a removable hard disk drive, and other media such as compact flash memory. Shock-mounting and environmental assistance may be provided. The system includes a memory buffer that is recording at all times. When the recorder is activated, the memory buffer contents, including video and audio, are recorded onto the media before the system starts recording directly from the video camera. Recording rates and compression formats may be user-selectable. A method may also be provided to capture or receive snapshots and output them to or receive them from a wireless transmitter such as a cellular modem for missing persons or suspect identification, for example.
1 . A digital video surveillance system for a law enforcement vehicle comprising:
a video camera for generating video signals of an accident, said video camera mounted on said law enforcement vehicle and positioned to view an incident;
a memory buffer for recording said video signals from said video camera;
a controller for selectively generating record and playback signals to record and to display said video signals; and
a digital video recorder responsive to said record signal to record said video signals from said memory buffer on an optical medium at an operator-selected resolution and video compression, said video recorder responsive to said playback signal to reproduce video signals recorded on said optical medium.
2 . A digital video surveillance system for a law enforcement vehicle comprising:
a video camera for generating video signals of an accident, said video camera mounted on said law enforcement vehicle and positioned to view an incident;
a memory buffer for recording said video signals from said video camera;
a controller for selectively generating record and playback signals to record and to display said video signals; and
a digital video recorder responsive to said record signal to record said video signals from said memory buffer on a storage medium selected from the group consisting of a DVD disk, a removable hard disc drive, and a compact flash, said video recorder responsive to said playback signal to reproduce video signals recorded on said storage medium.
3 . A digital video surveillance system for a law enforcement vehicle comprising:
a video camera for generating video signals, said video camera being mounted on said law enforcement vehicle and positioned to view an incident;
a history buffer for continuously recording said video signals from said video camera to provide a video history of predetermined duration;
a controller for selectively generating a record signal and a playback signal;
a digital video recorder having a memory drive and responsive to said record signal for receiving and recording said video history on compact flash and for receiving and recording ensuing video signals from said history buffer, and responsive to said playback signal for reproducing video signals recorded on said medium; and
a display selectively responsive to said video signals from the video camera and said video signals reproduced by said video recorder for displaying a video image.