Device, system and method for aggregating networks and serving data from those networks to computers

• US 10,109,116 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Road-iQ, LLC (Velvac Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Road-iQ, LLC (Velvac Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moeller, Mark M., Meeks, Lester, Mcleod, Rory N., Topolski, Collin J., Dossev, Ilko, Whitehead, Peter John, Porter, Jeffery R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Unelus, Ernest
• Assistant Examiner(s): Modo, Ronald T
• Application Number:
  US15/206,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20170039782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/60 characterised by monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior scenes from a transformed perspective
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/02 with means for discharging refuse receptacles thereinto conveyor construction B65G; loaders separate from vehicles B66F; fluid power control systems in general F15B
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/14 with devices for charging, distributing or compressing refuse in the interior of the tank of a refuse vehicle B65F3/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Disclosed herein, in one example, is a device for aggregating networks in a vehicle and serving data, including video data, from those networks to a computer for integrating information from various systems in a vehicle, processing that information, and presenting the information to a user in a suitable format. The device for aggregating networks, in another example, is specific to a vehicle and serving data, including video data, from those networks to computers.

Claims

1. A video system for a vehicle for serving video data to a computer device, comprising:

a plurality of video cameras mounted on the vehicle and operable to obtain video data of a plurality of areas outside of the vehicle;

the computer device being disposed within a passenger compartment of the vehicle in a position for viewing of a display screen of the computer device by a driver of the vehicle, the computer device being a portable computer device that is selectively removable from the vehicle by a user, the portable computer device including an internal memory within the portable computer device, the portable computer device including an operating system and being configured for executing applications;

a processing unit mounted in the vehicle, the processing unit including a processor, the processing unit being operable to receive the video data from the plurality of video cameras, the processing unit being operable to transmit the video data to the computer device for recording of the video data on the computer device;

the computer device being connected to display video data from selected ones of the plurality of video cameras, the display screen being operable to alternatively display a plurality of layouts of the video data, the display screen being configured to simultaneously display video data from a plurality of video cameras in a corresponding plurality of portions of the display screen, wherein the portable computer device is configured for viewing the stored video data from the video cameras while the portable computer device is removed from the vehicle; and

a plurality of sensors mounted in or on the vehicle, the plurality of sensors being connected to communicate sensor signals to the processing unit, the layout being displayed on the computer device changing between ones of the plurality of layouts depending on a sensor signal received by the processing unit, the plurality of sensors include a blind spot detection sensor connected to the processing unit, the display layouts including a layout on the display screen showing a view of the blind spot to reveal an approaching vehicle or road hazard.

2. A video system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a semi-trailer, the video system being for the semi-trailer.

3. A video system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a wireless transmitter for transmitting the video data from at least one of the video cameras to the processing unit.

4. A video system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the wireless transmitter includes a WiFi wireless communication system for transmitting the video data from at least one of the video cameras to the processing unit.

5. A video system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the video layouts displayed in the display screen include a simulated wide view with video data of multiple ones of the video cameras.

6. A video system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit includes a multiple core processor.

7. A video system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the multiple core processor is a quad core processor.

8. A video system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of video cameras includes at least six video cameras.

9. A video system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of video cameras includes at least eight video cameras, wherein ones of the video cameras are connected to the processing unit via WiFi communication.

10. A video system as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the video cameras is connected to the processing unit by one of an Ethernet connection or a USB connection.

11. A video system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portable computer device is a tablet computer, and wherein the processing unit is configured and operable to configure the video data for display on the tablet computer.

12. A method for display of video in a vehicle, comprising:

displaying video data on a display screen of a portable computer device disposed in a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the video data including video data from a plurality of video cameras mounted on a vehicle, the displaying including simultaneously displaying the video data from a plurality of the video cameras in a corresponding plurality of different portions of the display screen;

sensing a condition of the vehicle;

changing a layout of the video data displayed on the display screen to a first layout upon sensing the condition of the vehicle;

sensing at least one of a lane departure or an object in a blind spot of the vehicle;

changing the layout of the video data displayed on the display screen to a layout showing the video data of the lane departure if the lane departure is sensed or showing the video data of the blind spot if an object in the blind spot is sensed;

recording the video data on an internal memory within the portable computer device; and

configuring the video data of the plurality of video cameras for display on the portable computer device, the portable computer device being a tablet computer having an operating system and being configured for executing applications, the portable computer device being configured for displaying the video data when removed from the vehicle.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sensing of the lane departure is by a lane departure sensor.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sensing of the object in the blind spot is by a blind spot sensor.

15. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting the video data for display of the blind spot via WiFi communication.

16. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting the video data for display of the blind spot via a wired connection, the wired connection including one of Ethernet or USB connection.

17. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

displaying a layout on the display screen that includes a simulated wide view with data of a plurality of video cameras.

18. A video system for a vehicle for serving video data to a computer device, comprising:

a plurality of video cameras mounted on the vehicle and operable to obtain video data of a plurality of areas outside of the vehicle;

the computer device being disposed within a passenger compartment of the vehicle in a position for viewing of a display screen of the computer device by a driver of the vehicle, the computer device being a portable computer device that is selectively removable from the vehicle by a user, the portable computer device including an operating system and being configured for executing applications, the portable computer device being configured to store the video data from the video cameras within the portable computer device, the portable computer device being configured for displaying the stored video data on the display screen when the portable computer device is removed from the vehicle;

a processing unit mounted in the vehicle, the processing unit including a processor, the processing unit being operable to receive the video data from the plurality of video cameras, the processing unit being operable to transmit the video data to the computer device for recording of the video data on the computer device;

the computer device being connected to display video data from selected ones of the plurality of video cameras, the display screen being operable to alternatively display a plurality of layouts of the video data; and

a plurality of sensors mounted in or on the vehicle, the plurality of sensors being connected to communicate sensor signals to the processing unit, the layout being displayed on the computer device changing between ones of the plurality of layouts depending on a sensor signal received by the processing unit, the layouts including a plurality of portions of the display, each layout showing the respective video data only from a given camera in separate portions of the display.