Gun shot digital imaging system
AssigneeThe Johns Hopkins University
InventorsBrett D. Lapin, Nicholas D. Beser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method for recording one or more images of a source area where an impulse sound has initiated. The recording is performed by at least one of a plurality of units that include a camera, a computing device, and a connection to a network. The method comprises the steps of detecting and calculating a range and direction of the impulse sound source; slewing the camera to align its optical axis with a direction of the impulse sound; determining whether the impulse sound was a gunshot; recording images of the source area; and alerting a plurality of neighboring units to perform the recording step.
Claims19
A method of recording one or more images of a source area of an impulse sound by at least one of a plurality of units including a camera, a computing device, and a connection to a network, said method comprising the steps of:
- detecting the impulse sound;
- calculating a range and direction of the impulse sound source;
- slewing the camera to align its optical axis with a direction of the impulse sound
- determining whether the impulse sound was a gunshot;
- recording images of the source area;
- and,
- alerting a plurality of neighboring units to perform the recording step.
A system for recording one or more images of a source area emitting an impulse sound comprising:
- a) one or more detection observation units including a plurality of acoustic sensors, at least one camera, a microphone, a computing device having storage media and a connection to a network;
- b) a gunshot detection module for receiving acoustic sensors' data and calculating a range and an angle at which the camera of the unit is to record images;
- c) a slew and zoom setting module for accepting the range and angle information and providing instructions for slewing and zooming the camera;
- d) an initiating and alerting module for initiating recording of images by the current detection observation unit and for alerting and passing coordinates to other detection observation units located in a vicinity of source area to initiate recording of images;
- and,
- e) a field of view (FOV) resolution evaluation module for continuously readjusting the focus of the camera.
A computer program device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for a method of recording one or more images of a source area of an impulse sound by at least one of a plurality of units including a camera (still or video), a computing device, and a connection to a network, said method comprising the steps of:
- detecting the impulse sound;
- calculating a range and direction of the impulse sound source;
- stewing the camera to align its optical axis with a direction of the impulse sound
- determining whether the impulse sound was a gunshot;
- recording images of the source area;
- and
- alerting a plurality of neighboring units to perform the recording step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.