Automated integration of video evidence with data records

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11237918-B2
Application number	US-201514687483-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2015
Priority date	Mar 3, 2015
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A computer system receives event data associated with data records in a database, receives metadata corresponding to a digital media content file (e.g., a video, audio, or image file), compares the event data with the metadata, automatically identifies a matching event based on the comparison, and automatically tags the content file by modifying the metadata based on event data associated with the matching event. In one usage scenario, the digital media content file may be used as evidence in a criminal investigation. The event data may be provided in the form of a summary or snapshot of the database, which may include data records covering a limited period of time. The digital media content file can be recorded by any suitable digital media device, such as a video camera. The computer system may further include a dock configured to upload digital media content received from the digital media device.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A method performed by a computer system for automatically integrating digital media content with data records relating to events, the method comprising:
receiving, by the computer system over a network, event data associated with a plurality of data records in a database, the event data including fields for each data record in the plurality of data records, one or more of the fields for each data record populated with a value generated from the database, the database stored separately from the computer system at a location remote from the computer system, and the plurality of data records in the database correspond to different incidents to which a law enforcement agency responded, wherein the event data is received in a form of a summary of the plurality of data records in the database generated at once from the database;
receiving, by the computer system, metadata corresponding to a digital media content file, the digital media content file including digital media content, the digital media content recorded by a digital media device at a location of an incident, the metadata including a value generated by the digital media device, wherein the digital media device is separate from the computer system, and wherein the event data is received by the computer system separately from the metadata;
performing a comparison of at least the value in one of the fields of the event data with at least the value in the received metadata;
based on the comparison, automatically identifying a matching event for the digital media content file, wherein the matching event is associated with at least one of the data records and not associated with another data record of the plurality of data records with which the received event data is associated; and
after the matching event is identified, automatically modifying the received metadata based on event data associated with the matching event, wherein modifying the received metadata includes adding or updating at least one field of the received metadata based on one or more of the values in the fields of the event data associated with the matching event.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the comparison comprises:
comparing a user identifier in the received metadata with a user identifier in the event data; and
comparing a time frame in the event data with a time frame in the received metadata.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the comparison comprises at least one of the following:
comparing a user identifier in the received metadata with a user identifier in the event data;
comparing a time frame in the event data with a time frame in the received metadata; and
comparing a location in the event data with a location in the received metadata.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically modifying the received metadata comprises adding to the received metadata at least one of the following: an event identifier, an event type, and a location.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the database comprises a records management system database or a computer-aided dispatch database.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital media content file comprises a video file.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital media content file comprises an audio file.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital media content file comprises an image file.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the received metadata is included in the digital media content file.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the event data is included in a database snapshot.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the database snapshot is generated periodically at a regular time interval.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the database snapshot includes data in a look-back window that exceeds the regular time interval.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising analyzing the modified metadata in response to a search query.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the search query comprises a search parameter, and wherein the modified metadata includes metadata corresponding to the search parameter.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising providing a search result based on the analysis of the modified metadata.

16. A computer-implemented method for automated integration of digital media content with data records relating to events, the method comprising:
detecting event data in a destination folder, wherein the event data is associated with a plurality of data records in a database, the detection is performed by a server computer, and the data records are associated with different events to which a law enforcement agency responded, and wherein the event data comprises different information for the different events to which the law enforcement agency responded, and wherein the event data associated with the plurality of data records in the database is exported from the database at a same time;
in response to the detecting, uploading the event data to a service provider computer system, the uploading being performed by the server computer;

by the service provider computer system, receiving metadata corresponding to a digital media content file, the digital media content file generated by a digital media device, the digital media device being separate from the server computer and the database, and wherein the event data is received by the service provider computer system separately from the metadata;
by the service provider computer system, performing a comparison of at least a portion of the event data with at least a portion of the received metadata;
by the service provider computer system, automatically identifying a matching event for the digital media content file based on the comparison, wherein the matching event is associated with at least one of the data records and not associated with a second data record of the plurality of data records for which the event data was detected in the destination folder and uploaded to the service provider computer system;
by the service provider computer system after the matching event is identified, automatically modifying the received metadata based on event data associated with the matching event, the modification including adding or updating at least one field of the received metadata based on one or more values in the event data associated with the matching event.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the event data is included in a database snapshot.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the database snapshot is generated periodically at a regular time interval.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising encrypting the event data prior to uploading the event data.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising, by the service provider computer system, decrypting the event data prior to performing the comparison.

21. A computer system for automatically integrating digital media content with data records relating to events, the computer system comprising a service provider computing device having one or more processors and computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions configured to cause the service provider computing device to:
receive event data associated with a plurality of data records in a database, the event data including fields for each data record in the plurality of data records, one or more of the fields for each data record populated with a value generated from the database, the database stored se

Assignees

• Taser Int Inc
• Axon Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Hickman Glenn M
• Bohlander Michael J
• Menghani Manish
• Mersereau Alexander
• Smith Patrick W
• Olligschlaeger Andreas M

Classifications

• G06F16/78 Primary

  Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually · CPC title

• G06F16/2477

  Temporal data queries · CPC title

• G06F16/252

  between a Database Management System and a front-end application · CPC title

• G06F11/1461 Primary

  Backup scheduling policy · CPC title

• G06F16/71

  Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures · CPC title