Portable digital video camera configured for remote image acquisition control and viewing
A wearable digital video camera ( 10 ) is equipped with wireless connection protocol and global navigation and location positioning system technology to provide remote image acquisition control and viewing. The Bluetooth® packet-based open wireless technology standard protocol ( 400 ) is preferred for use in providing control signals or streaming data to the digital video camera and for accessing image content stored on or streaming from the digital video camera. The GPS technology ( 402 ) is preferred for use in tracking of the location of the digital video camera as it records image information. A rotating mount ( 300 ) with a locking member ( 330 ) on the camera housing ( 22 ) allows adjustment of the pointing angle of the wearable digital video camera when it is attached to a mounting surface.
1. A first video camera, comprising:
a lens;
an image sensor configured to generate first image data from light propagating through the lens;
at least one non-audio data sensor configured to produce first non-audio sensor data associated with the first video camera;
a wireless connection protocol device; and
a processor, comprising:
a video encoder, and
memory,
wherein the processor is configured to:
receive the first image data from the image sensor,
receive the first non-audio sensor data from the at least one non-audio data sensor,
generate at least one encoded video data stream using the video encoder, wherein a data type of the first non-audio sensor data is different from a data type of the at least one encoded video data stream,
send, using the wireless connection protocol device, the at least one encoded video data stream by wireless transmission to a first remote computing device, wherein the first remote computing device is connected to a first data storage medium, and wherein the first remote computing device is configured to store the at least one encoded video data stream on the first data storage medium as a first file,
combine the first non-audio sensor data with the at least one encoded video data stream to form a combined video stream,
communicate at least part of the combined video stream to the memory, wherein the at least one encoded video data stream is stored as a first track and the first non-audio sensor data is stored as a second track that is distinct from the first track, and
generate time-synchronizing data,
wherein the time-synchronizing data is used to synchronize the first track with the second track,
wherein the first video camera is configured as a media server that enables access to the combined video stream.
2. The first video camera of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second data storage medium,
wherein the processor is configured to store the at least one encoded video data stream on the second data storage medium as a second file.
3. The first video camera of claim 2 , further comprising:
a post-processor,
wherein the post-processor receives the combined video stream and associates one or more event categories with the combined video stream based on content of the combined video stream.
4. The first video camera of claim 3 , wherein the one or more event categories associated with the combined video stream are determined based on data gathered from a body of video streams with which event categories have been previously associated.
5. The first video camera of claim 2 , wherein a post-processor receives the combined video stream and associates one or more event categories with the combined video stream based on content of the combined video stream, wherein the post-processor is a second remote computing device.
6. The first video camera of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display,
wherein the processor is configured to cause the display to show the first image data.
7. The first video camera of claim 6 , wherein the at least one non-audio data sensor is a GPS receiver.
8. The first video camera of claim 7 , further comprising:
a microphone; and
an audio encoder,
wherein the microphone is configured to produce audio data,
wherein the audio encoder is configured to produce an encoded audio data stream from the audio data, and
wherein the processor is configured to embed the encoded audio data stream with the at least one encoded video data stream.
9. The first video camera of claim 8 , further comprising:
a switch activator,
wherein the switch activator activates the first video camera.
10. The first video camera of claim 7 ,
wherein at least one second video camera is configured to produce second image data,
wherein the processor is configured to:
receive the second image data from the at least one second video camera, and
communicate at least part of the second image data to the memory.
11. The first video camera of claim 6 , wherein the at least one non-audio data sensor is an automotive sensor comprising an engine sensor.
12. The first video camera of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
send, using the wireless connection protocol device, the combined video stream by wireless transmission to the first remote computing device.
13. A method for capturing video, the method comprising:
receiving first image data from an image sensor of a first video camera, the first video camera comprising a lens and the image sensor;
generating at least one encoded video data stream using a video encoder of a processor,
sending, using a wireless connection protocol device of the first video camera, the at least one encoded video data stream by wireless transmission to a remote computing device, wherein the remote computing device is connected to a first data storage medium, and wherein the remote computing device is configured to store the at least one encoded video data stream on the first data storage medium as a first file,
receiving first non-audio sensor data from at least one non-audio data sensor, wherein a data type of the first non-audio sensor data is different from a data type of the at least one encoded video data stream,
combining the first non-audio sensor data with the at least one encoded video data stream to form a combined video stream,
communicating at least part of the combined video stream to memory of the processor, wherein the at least one encoded video data stream is stored as a first track and the first non-audio sensor data is stored as a second track that is distinct from the first track, and
generating time-synchronizing data,
wherein the time-synchronizing data is used to synchronize the first track with the second track,
wherein the first video camera is configured as a media server that enables access to the combined video stream.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
storing the at least one encoded video data stream as a second file on a second data storage medium connected to the processor.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising displaying the first image data on a display.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first non-audio sensor data is GPS data received from a GPS receiver.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving audio data from a microphone;
producing an encoded audio data stream from the audio data using an audio encoder; and
embedding the encoded audio data stream with the at least one encoded video data stream using the processor.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising activating recording by the first video camera using a switch activator.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first non-audio sensor data is engine data received from an engine sensor.
20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving second image data from at least one second video camera, the at least one second video camera comprising a at least one lens and at least one image sensor; and
communicating at least part of the second image data to the memory of the processor.
21. The method of claim 14 , further comprising producing event category data associated with the first image data using the at least one non-audio data sensor.
22. The method of claim 14 , further comprising producing event category data based on data gathered from a body of image data with which event categories have been previously associated.
23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising sending, using a wireless connection protocol device, the combined video stream by wireless transmission to the remote computing device.
24. A first video camera, comprising:
a lens;
an image sensor configured to generate first image data from light propagating through the lens;
at least one non-audio data sensor configured to produce first non-audio sensor data associated with the first video camera;
a wireless connection protocol device; and
a processor comprising a video encoder and memory,
wherein the processor is configured to:
receive the first image data from the image sensor,
receive the first non-audio sensor data from the at least one non-audio data sensor,
generate at least one encoded video data stream using the video encoder, wherein a data type of the first non-audio sensor data is different from a data type of the at least one encoded video data stream,
send, using the wireless connection protocol device, the at least one encoded video data stream by wireless transmission to a remote computing device, wherein the remote computing device is connected to a data storage medium, and wherein the remote computing device is configured to store the at least one encoded video data stream on the data storage medium as a file,
communicate at least part of the at least one encoded video data stream to the memory, wherein the at least one encoded video data stream is stored as a first track,
communicate at least part of the first non-audio sensor data to the memory, wherein the first non-audio sensor data is stored as a second track that is distinct from the first track,
combine the first non-audio sensor data with the at least one encoded video data stream to form a combined video stream, and
generate time-synchronizing data,
wherein the time-synchronizing data is used to synchronize the first track with the second track,
wherein the first video camera is configured as a media server that enables access to the combined video stream.