Method for video/audio recording using unrestricted pre-event/post-event buffering with multiple bit and frame rates buffer files

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention include method and apparatuses that may be utilized to more efficiently use available storage space for a digital video recording system in a law enforcement vehicle and final “backend storage systems.” In one embodiment of the present invention, video and audio data is recorded in one or more buffers when a triggering event is activated, while a digital video recording device accounts for specified pre-event time, a time period before a first triggering event has been activated, and a post-event time, a time period after a second triggering event has been activated. The system will tag the actual start and stop points of events in one or more buffers based on a first and a second triggering event and will then include the pre-event and post-event data along with specified data. The system will then extract the event from one or more buffer files and write the event into final video files to be stored in a hard disk drive. By recording the pre-event and post-event data in multiple buffer files and extracting the final result from selected buffer files based on the nature of the event type, the system ensures that storage device is effectively used and, in this way, useful information is recorded.

1 . A vehicle-mounted digital video recording device for capturing video data during an event comprising: 
 a storage medium;    a buffer; and    a processing device configured to record video data for a first pre-determined amount of time into the buffer prior to receiving a signal indicating a start of the event, continue to record video data of the event into the buffer after receiving the signal indicating the start of the event, continue to record video data for a second pre-determined amount of time after receiving a signal indicating an end of the event, and extract the video data from the buffer and store it in a storage medium.    
   
   
       2 . The digital video recording device of  claim 1 , wherein the digital video recording device is configured to set a value for the duration of the first pre-determined amount of time based on a user input.  
   
   
       3 . The digital video recording device of  claim 1 , wherein the digital video recording device is configured to set a value for the duration of the second pre-determined amount of time based on a user input.  
   
   
       4 . The digital video recording device of  claim 1 , wherein the video data is stored simultaneously in a plurality of buffer files.  
   
   
       5 . The digital video recording device of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of buffer files store video data of the same event at different video resolutions.  
   
   
       6 . The digital video recording device of  claim 1 , wherein the digital video recording device tags a first point in the buffer indicating receipt of the signal indicating the start of the event.  
   
   
       7 . The digital video recording device of  claim 6 , wherein the digital video recording device is configured to tag a second point in the buffer indicating the first pre-determined amount of time before the first point.  
   
   
       8 . The digital video recording device of  claim 1 , wherein digital video recording device tags a third point in the buffer indicating receipt of the signal indicating the end of the event.  
   
   
       9 . The digital video recording device of  claim 8 , wherein the digital video recording device is configured to tag a fourth point in the buffer indicating the second pre-determined amount of time after the third point in the buffer.  
   
   
       10 . The digital video recording device of  claim 6 , wherein the digital video recording device is configured to tag the first point in response to a manual pressing of a record button.  
   
   
       11 . The digital video recording device of  claim 8 , wherein the digital video recording device is configured to tag the third point in response to a manual pressing of a stop button.  
   
   
       12 . The digital video recording device of  claim 1 , further comprising: recording audio data that is associated with the video data in the same buffer simultaneously, wherein the recording of the audio data may be deactivated manually by pressing an audio stop button.  
   
   
       13 . The digital video recording device of  claim 1 , further comprising: recording audio data that is associated with the video data in the same buffer simultaneously, wherein the digital video recording device is pre-programmed to activate the recording.  
   
   
       14 . The digital video recording device of  claim 1 , wherein the digital video recording device is configured to resume extracting the video data after the digital video recording device is turned on again at some point in the future, if the digital video recording device was turned off while extracting the video data.  
   
   
       15 . A method for recording video data with a vehicle-mounted digital video capturing device corresponding to an event comprising: 
 recording pre-event video data into a buffer prior to receiving a signal indicating a start of the event;    recording event video data into the buffer after receiving a signal indicating the start of the event;    recording post-event data into the buffer after receiving a signal indicating an end of the event;    extracting the pre-event video data, the event video data and the post-event video data from the buffer after recording a pre-determined amount of video data of the post-event video data into the buffer; and    storing the pre-event video data, the event video data and the post-event video data in a storage medium.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the signal indicating the start of the event and the signal indicating the end of the event are generated by a triggering device in a vehicle.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the signal indicating the start of the event and the signal indicating the end of the event are generated by a pressing of a button in a vehicle.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the vehicle-mounted digital video capturing device is adapted to set time periods for the pre-event video data and post-event video data based on user selections.  
   
   
       19 . A method for recording video data corresponding to an event, comprising: 
 monitoring for a signal indicating a start of an event,    recording video data of the event after detecting the signal indicating the start of the event, wherein the video data of the event is stored at different resolutions in at least two separate buffers;    selecting the video data stored in one of the buffers after detecting a signal indicating an end of the event; and    storing the selected video data in a storage medium.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the at least two separate buffers comprises a first buffer adapted to record video data at a high resolution and a second buffer adapted to record video data at a low resolution.