Method and system for peer-to-peer operation of multiple recording devices

1. A method comprising, by a particular recording device in a peer-to-peer recording system comprising a plurality of networked recording devices:

receiving a first status message from a first recording device of the plurality of networked recording devices, wherein the first status message comprises:

an indicator of a decision by the first recording device to initiate a first recording; and

a first recording identifier that is specific to the first recording;

determining to initiate a second recording on the particular recording device based, at least in part, on the first status message and configuration settings stored in memory on the particular recording device, wherein the configuration settings comprise a parameter related to whether the particular recording device will participate in group event recording;

initiating a second recording on the particular recording device responsive to the determining;

creating a second recording identifier that is specific to the second recording;

storing information related to the first recording identifier and the second recording identifier in a metadata file for the second recording; and

transmitting a second status message for receipt by other recording devices of the plurality of networked recording devices, the second status message comprising:

an indicator of a decision by the particular recording device to initiate the second recording; and

the second recording identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

receiving a third status message from a third recording device of the plurality of networked recording devices;

wherein the third status message comprises:

an indicator of a decision by the third recording device to initiate a third recording; and

a third recording identifier that is specific to the third recording; and

storing information related to the third recording identifier in the metadata file for the second recording.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

receiving a stop-recording status message from the first recording device, the stop-recording status message comprising:

an indicator of a decision by the first recording device to stop the first recording; and

the first recording identifier;

determining to stop the second recording based, at least in part, on the stop-recording status message and the configuration settings; and

stopping the second recording.

4. The method of claim 3 , comprising:

receiving a third status message from a third recording device of the plurality of networked recording devices;

wherein the third status message comprises:

an indicator of a decision by the third recording device to initiate a third recording; and

a third recording identifier that is specific to the third recording;

determining to initiate a fourth recording on the particular recording device based, at least in part, on the third status message and the configuration settings;

determining that a local condition on the particular recording device is unacceptable for initiating recording;

maintaining a holding state during which the particular recording device periodically checks whether the unacceptable local condition has been resolved; and

responsive to a determination that the unacceptable local condition has been resolved, initiating the fourth recording on the particular recording device.

5. The method of claim 3 , comprising:

receiving a third status message from a third recording device of the plurality of networked recording devices;

wherein the third status message comprises:

an indicator of a decision by the third recording device to initiate a third recording; and

a third recording identifier that is specific to the third recording; and

determining not to initiate recording on the particular recording device based, at least in part, on the third status message and the configuration settings.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration settings comprise a parameter that indicates whether the particular recording device is allowed to stop recording based, at least in part, on decisions by other recording devices to stop recording.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration settings comprise a parameter that indicates whether a user is allowed to manually stop a recording that is triggered by group event recording.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first recording device and the particular recording device is a mobile device that communicates wirelessly.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second status message is transmitted before the second recording is initiated.

10. A network device comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processor and memory in combination are operable to implement a method comprising:

receiving a first status message from a first recording device of a plurality of networked recording devices, wherein the first status message comprises:

an indicator of a decision by the first recording device to initiate a first recording; and

a first recording identifier that is specific to the first recording;

determining to initiate a second recording on the network device based, at least in part, on the first status message and configuration settings stored in memory on the network device, wherein the configuration settings comprise a parameter related to whether the network device will participate in group event recording;

initiating a second recording on the network device responsive to the determining;

creating a second recording identifier that is specific to the second recording;

storing information related to the first recording identifier and the second recording identifier in a metadata file for the second recording; and

transmitting a second status message for receipt by other recording devices of the plurality of networked recording devices, the second status message comprising:

an indicator of a decision by the network device to initiate the second recording; and

the second recording identifier.

11. The network device of claim 10 , the method comprising:

receiving a third status message from a third recording device of the plurality of networked recording devices;

wherein the third status message comprises:

an indicator of a decision by the third recording device to initiate a third recording; and

a third recording identifier that is specific to the third recording; and

storing information related to the third recording identifier in the metadata file for the second recording.

12. The network device of claim 10 , the method comprising:

receiving a stop-recording status message from the first recording device, the stop-recording status message comprising:

an indicator of a decision by the first recording device to stop the first recording; and

the first recording identifier;

determining to stop the second recording based, at least in part, on the stop-recording status message and the configuration settings; and

stopping the second recording.

13. The network device of claim 12 , the method comprising:

receiving a third status message from a third recording device of the plurality of networked recording devices;

wherein the third status message comprises:

an indicator of a decision by the third recording device to initiate a third recording; and

a third recording identifier that is specific to the third recording;

determining to initiate a fourth recording on the network device based, at least in part, on the third status message and the configuration settings;

determining that a local condition on the network device is unacceptable for initiating recording;

maintaining a holding state during which the network device periodically checks whether the unacceptable local condition has been resolved; and

responsive to a determination that the unacceptable local condition has been resolved, initiating the fourth recording on the network device.

14. The network device of claim 12 , the method comprising:

receiving a third status message from a third recording device of the plurality of networked recording devices;

wherein the third status message comprises:

an indicator of a decision by the third recording device to initiate a third recording; and

a third recording identifier that is specific to the third recording; and

determining not to initiate recording on the network device based, at least in part, on the third status message and the configuration settings.

15. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the configuration settings comprise a parameter that indicates whether the network device is allowed to stop recording based, at least in part, on decisions by other recording devices to stop recording.

16. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the configuration settings comprise a parameter that indicates whether a user is allowed to manually stop a recording that is triggered by group event recording.

17. The network device of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first recording device and the network device is a mobile device that communicates wirelessly.

18. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the second status message is transmitted before the second recording is initiated.

19. A computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method on a particular recording device in a peer-to-peer recording system comprising a plurality of networked recording devices, the method comprising:

receiving a first status message from a first recording device of the plurality of networked recording devices, wherein the first status message comprises:

an indicator of a decision by the first recording device to initiate a first recording; and

a first recording identifier that is specific to the first recording;

determining to initiate a second recording on the particular recording device based, at least in part, on the first status message and configuration settings stored in memory on the particular recording device, wherein the configuration settings comprise a parameter related to whether the particular recording device will participate in group event recording;

initiating a second recording on the particular recording device responsive to the determining;

creating a second recording identifier that is specific to the second recording;

storing information related to the first recording identifier and the second recording identifier in a metadata file for the second recording; and

transmitting a second status message for receipt by other recording devices of the plurality of networked recording devices, the second status message comprising:

an indicator of a decision by the particular recording device to initiate the second recording; and

the second recording identifier.

20. The computer-program product of claim 19 , the method comprising:

receiving a third status message from a third recording device of the plurality of networked recording devices;

wherein the third status message comprises:

an indicator of a decision by the third recording device to initiate a third recording; and

a third recording identifier that is specific to the third recording; and

storing information related to the third recording identifier in the metadata file for the second recording.