Abstract: An in-car video apparatus and method is provided where a real time continuous video supplied by a vehicle-mounted camera and an audio microphone is processed for storage in a memory in a time-sequential manner for a pre-set time interval to create a time-delayed video stream. Upon activation of the in-car video system by a law enforcement officer (which occurs at an arbitrary reference time), a vehicle-mounted recording device records the time-delayed video stream to create a video recording of the events captured by the video camera. Because the time-delayed video stream is recorded rather than the real time video stream, the start time of the video recording precedes the reference time by the pre-set time interval. The invention provides an ability to create a complete record of a police-citizen encounter, including the initial incident that prompted the officer's subsequent activation of the in-car video system.

Abstract: The apparatus can manage transfers of video recording media bearing machine readable registration codes. This media is adapted to record video from a vehicle-mounted camera. The management apparatus (and the methods) operate with a user identification key carrying at least one machine readable, identification code, as well as a supplemental code. The apparatus has a port for reading and writing to the key, a registration device, and a processor. The port can provide in response to the key, an identification signal and supplemental signal corresponding to the identification and supplemental code. The registration device can read the registration codes borne by the video recording media and can provide in response thereto a registration signal.