Patent ID: 7190882

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a video camera; a microphone; a display; a speaker; an input for receiving status data; a base unit comprising: means for receiving the output signal of said video camera and preparing said output signal for compression; an analog-to-digital converter coupled to convert audio signals from said microphone to digital data; a buffer and merge circuit functioning to merge said status data with the frames of video data output by said means for receiving to generate composite live digital video data, and for buffering the resulting composite live digital video data and for detecting sync intervals in said frames of video data output by said means for receiving and outputting a frame signal, and for receiving at least frame number data that increments with each received frame and merging said frame number data into said composite live digital video data stream; a compression circuit for compressing said composite live digital video data stored in said buffer using any compression algorithm, and for compressing said audio data output by said analog-to-digital converter using any compression algorithm; anti-tampering means for receiving said compressed video and audio data and rendering it tamper proof; a digital video tape recorder or other removable medium recording device for recording whatever data is output by said anti-tampering means; local playback means for receiving said composite live digital video from said buffer and merge circuit and for displaying at least said video frames from said video camera along with a selected number of items of said status data on said display and for playing audio captured by said microphone on said speaker; and means for controlling said base unit including a frame counter for receiving said frame signal and for incrementing a frame count each time said frame signal is received and for supplying said frame count data as status data to said buffer and merge circuit.