Abstract: A camera system securable within a motor vehicle includes a rear-view mirror assembly and a video camera. The rear-view mirror assembly includes an adjustable mirror subassembly pivotally connected to a rigid arm. The mirror subassembly includes a rear surface and a front-facing, generally oblong mirror. The mirror subassembly defines a longitudinal axis that passes perpendicularly through a center of the mirror. The rigid arm is attachable to a windshield of the motor vehicle. The video camera is secured to or forms part of the rear surface of the mirror subassembly. A lens of the video camera is positioned such that an optical axis of the lens is fixedly oriented at an angle in a range of about 5° to about 11° toward an expected position of an operator of the motor vehicle relative to an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mirror subassembly.

Abstract: Suspicious activity detection methods and systems serve to notify persons of suspicious activity, including potential threats. According to one embodiment, a video processing system (VPS) receives video data in real time or near real time from at least one video camera. Each video camera captures images of a respective video capture area proximate a person. The VPS determines whether received data representing a first set of video frames includes data representing one or more predefined patterns. If so, the VPS tracks the predefined pattern(s) within the video data, and determines whether data representing a second set of later-in-time video frames includes data representing the one or more predefined patterns. If the second set of video frames includes data representing the one or more predefined patterns, the VPS determines whether the one or more tracked patterns have changed position in a suspicious manner. If so, the VPS communicates an alert.

Abstract: A video processing system (VPS) receives video data from at least one video camera included with an emergency vehicle. The VPS also receives audio data from at least one microphone operating in conjunction with the video camera(s). The VPS determines whether received data representing a first set of video frames includes a predefined image pattern. If so, the VPS tracks the image pattern within the video data and determines whether data representing a second set of later-in-time video frames includes the tracked image pattern. If the second set of video frames includes the tracked image pattern, the VPS determines whether the tracked image pattern has changed position suspiciously. If so, the VPS communicates an alert. The VPS also determines whether received audio data includes a predefined audio pattern. If so, the VPS inserts a digital marker within the video data at the time at which the audio pattern commenced.

Abstract: A processor of a video processing system receives video data from a video camera pivotally mounted within a motor vehicle. The processor also receives sensor data from a motion-sensing subsystem mounted in or to the vehicle. The processor determines, based upon the sensor data, a reference longitudinal axis and an orientation of an optical axis of the camera's lens. The processor then determines an angular difference between the orientation of the camera lens' optical axis and the reference longitudinal axis. The processor further determines, based upon the angular difference, a location of a target capture area within horizontal and vertical fields of view of the camera's lens. The processor then selects a portion of the received video data corresponding to the target capture area, determines whether the selected video data includes data representing one or more predefined patterns, and if so, tracks the predefined pattern(s) within the selected video data.

Abstract: Suspicious activity detection methods and systems serve to notify persons of suspicious activity, including potential threats. According to one method, a video processing system (VPS) receives video data in real time/near real time from at least one camera. The VPS determines whether received data representing a first set of video frames includes data representing both an image of a person to be notified and one or more predefined patterns. If so, the VPS tracks the person's image and the predefined pattern(s) within the video data, and determines whether data representing a second set of later-in-time video frames includes data representing the person's image. If the second set of frames excludes the person's image, the VPS continues tracking the predefined pattern(s) in data representing a third set of later-in-time video frames and alerts the person if the tracked pattern(s) is positioned suspiciously relative to the person's current or prior position.