User-Mounted Camera with Motion and Context Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing body-worn and vehicle-mounted cameras used by public safety personnel have limited operational capabilities, including restricted field of view, battery-powered limitations, and the potential for missed recordings due to manual operation, which hinders effective capture of event evidence.
Innovation Solution
A user-mounted recording device system that incorporates motion sensors to track the user's point of view and context sensors to automatically control camera operation based on the event context, allowing for adjustable field of view, recording mode, and image resolution, ensuring comprehensive and timely image capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the body-worn camera is free-running and constantly recording, then the recording coverage is comprehensive, but the battery life is limited and storage capacity is quickly exhausted
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system automatically detects event context through sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, microphone) and autonomously activates recording without manual intervention. The system serves itself by identifying when recording is necessary based on detected events such as falls, impacts, or abnormal movements, thereby eliminating the need for continuous manual monitoring while optimizing battery usage.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the body-worn camera is actuated by pressing a record button, then the battery consumption is reduced, but the officer may forget or be unable to press the record button in critical situations
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system automatically detects event context through sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, microphone) and autonomously activates recording without manual intervention. The system serves itself by identifying when recording is necessary based on detected events such as falls, impacts, or abnormal movements, thereby eliminating the need for continuous manual monitoring while optimizing battery usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors sensor data from accelerometers, gyroscopes, and microphones to detect events and provides feedback control for automatic recording activation. When specific event patterns are detected (such as sudden movements, impacts, or abnormal orientations), the system triggers recording automatically, creating a closed-loop feedback mechanism that ensures reliable activation without manual input.
3Device complexity
If the field of view of the body-worn camera is unidirectionally directed forward, then the device structure is simple, but images in other directions including behind the officer cannot be captured
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system dynamically adjusts its field of view and orientation based on the officer's head movements detected by gyroscopes and accelerometers. The camera can pan, tilt, and rotate to follow the officer's line of sight and capture events in multiple directions including behind the officer, transforming a static unidirectional camera into a dynamic multi-directional recording system.
4Ease of manufacture
If the vehicle-supported camera is unidirectionally directed forward, then the installation is simple, but the camera may not be pointed in the direction of most interest during dynamic events
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle-mounted camera system dynamically adjusts its orientation and field of view based on vehicle motion sensors and event detection algorithms. The camera can automatically pan, tilt, and rotate to track moving targets and capture events in various directions, transforming a static forward-facing camera into an adaptive multi-directional recording system that responds to vehicle dynamics and detected events.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables automatic and adaptive recording capabilities, enhancing the capture of event evidence by expanding the field of view, improving battery life, and ensuring that critical moments are recorded without manual intervention, thereby improving the effectiveness of public safety operations.
Implementation Method 1
mounting a motion sensor, e.g., a gyroscope, and/or an accelerometer, and/or a magnetic compass, on the user's head for joint movement therewith
Implementation Method 2
mounting one or more context sensors on the user, and/or on a vehicle associated with the user, and/or on a communication device operated by the user
Data Source
AI summary
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.