Video camera assembly for a firearm

Abstract

A video camera assembly for a firearm is disclosed. The video camera assembly is attached to the firearm, and has a frame and a controller located on a circuit board inside of the frame. In operative connection with the circuit board is a memory, a video camera, integrated with a lens, that generates video data to be stored on the memory, a microphone that generates audio data to be stored on the memory, and a power supply. A power switch connects power to the controller from the power supply in an on position and disconnects power to the controller in an off position. The video camera generates video data and the microphone generates audio data when the power switch is in the on position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A video camera assembly for a firearm, comprising:
 the firearm having a firearm frame;   the video camera assembly attached to the firearm, the video camera assembly comprising:
 a frame, 
 a controller located on a circuit board inside of the frame, 
 a memory located on the circuit board in operative connection with the controller, 
 a video camera, integrated with a lens, in operative connection with the controller, the video camera configured to generate video data to be stored on the memory, 
 a microphone in operative connection with the controller, the microphone configured to generate audio data to be stored on the memory, and 
 a power supply in operative connection with the controller; and 
   a power switch configured to connect power to the controller from the power supply in an on position and disconnect power to the controller in an off position, the video camera generating video data and the microphone generating audio data when the power switch is in the on position.   
     
     
         2 . The video camera assembly of  claim 1 , in which the firearm has a rail mount. 
     
     
         3 . The video camera assembly of  claim 2 , in which the rail mount is located on the frame underneath a barrel of the firearm. 
     
     
         4 . The video camera assembly of  claim 2 , in which the rail mount is located on a base of a magazine, and the magazine is attachable to the firearm. 
     
     
         5 . The video camera assembly of  claim 1 , in which the firearm further has a firearm safety, in which the firearm can discharge a bullet when the safety is in a disengaged position, and the firearm is prevented from discharging a bullet when the safety is in an engaged position. 
     
     
         6 . The video camera assembly of  claim 1 , in which the firearm safety is the power switch, and the disengaged position is also the on position, and the engaged position is also the off position. 
     
     
         7 . The video camera assembly of  claim 1 , in which the power switch is located on the video camera assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The video camera assembly of  claim 1 , in which the power switch further has a standby position, and power is supplied to the controller when the power switch is in the standby position. 
     
     
         9 . The video camera assembly of  claim 8 , in which the video camera assembly further has an accelerometer, the accelerometer configured to detect when the firearm is moved from a holstered position to an unholstered position, the video camera generating video data when the unholstered position is detected when the power switch is in the standby position. 
     
     
         10 . The video camera assembly of  claim 8 , in which the firearm further has a heartbeat sensor located on a grip of the firearm or a trigger of the firearm, in which when the power switch is in the standby position and a heartbeat is detected by the heartbeat sensor the video camera generating video data. 
     
     
         11 . The video camera assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a charging holster, the charging holster having a battery in a lining of the charging holster and a first contact point on the interior of the charging holster that is connected to the battery. 
     
     
         12 . The video camera assembly of  claim 11 , in which the video camera assembly has a second contact point located on the outside of the video camera assembly that is in operative communication with the power supply, and when the firearm is holstered in the charging holster the first contact point connects with the second contact point to transfer power from the battery of the charging holster to the power supply. 
     
     
         13 . The video camera assembly of  claim 12 , in which when the firearm is drawn and the first contact point no longer connects with the second contact point, the video camera starts generating video data. 
     
     
         14 . A method of generating video data with a video camera assembly, the method comprising:
 providing the video camera assembly attached to a rail mount of a firearm, the video camera assembly having a frame, a controller located on a circuit board inside of the frame, a memory located on the circuit board in operative connection with the controller, a camera, integrated with a lens, in operative connection with the controller, a microphone in operative connection with the controller, a power supply in operative connection with the controller, and a power switch configured to connect power to the controller from the power supply in an on position and disconnect power to the controller in an off position, in which the camera is configured to generate video data to be stored on the memory, the microphone is configured to generate audio data to be stored on the memory, and the camera generating video data and the microphone generating audio data when the power switch is in the on position; and   turning the power switch to the on position.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , in which the camera is a night vision camera. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , in which in which the power switch further has a standby position, power is supplied to the controller when the power switch is in the standby position, the video camera assembly further has an accelerometer and gyroscope, the accelerometer and gyroscope configured to detect when the firearm is moved from a holstered position to an unholstered position, the video camera generating video data when the unholstered position is detected when the power switch is in the standby position. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , in which the firearm further has a firearm safety, in which the firearm can discharge a bullet when the safety is in a disengaged position, and the firearm is prevented from discharging a bullet when the safety is in an engaged position. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , in which the firearm safety is the power switch, and the disengaged position is also the on position, and the engaged position is also the off position.