FleetCam integration

• US 10,134,285 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2017
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Forward Thinking Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Forward Thinking Systems LLC
• Inventors: Isler, David, Lowenstein, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Berardesca, Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/859,196
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00137 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00153 for sharing images with a selected individual or correspondent
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00172 directly from a still digital camera or from a storage medium mounted in a still digital camera H04N1/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00814 according to a detected condition or state of the reading apparatus, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00928 Initialisation or control of normal start-up or shut-down, i.e. non failure or error related
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

A system and method for integrating a vehicular camera system is disclosed. A threshold value for metadata of one or more sensor devices and the vehicular camera system positioned in a first carrier vehicle is determined. Captured metadata is processed to determine whether the threshold value is exceeded, and a plurality of images is captured by one or more cameras of the vehicular camera system for a predetermined period, in response to exceeding the threshold value for metadata of the one or more sensor devices. The plurality of metadata is linked with each image from the plurality of captured images by matching the collection time of the metadata with the collection time for each image from the plurality of captured images, and a first image selected from the plurality of captured images is communicated along with the metadata linked to the first image, to at least one electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for integrating a vehicular camera system, the method comprising:

determining a threshold value for metadata of at least one sensor device;

capturing a plurality of metadata for a predetermined period by the at least one sensor device positioned in a first carrier vehicle;

processing the captured plurality of metadata to determine whether the threshold value is exceeded;

monitoring an occurrence of a compliance rule violation based on a group of compliance rules, the captured plurality of metadata, and an operator driving period;

capturing a first plurality of images by at least one camera positioned in the first carrier vehicle for a predetermined period, in response to exceeding the threshold value for metadata of the at least one sensor device indicative of a compliance rule violation,

wherein the first plurality of images comprises images captured by at least one camera on the first carrier vehicle positioned with a view external to the vehicle, and at least one camera on the first carrier vehicle positioned with a view internal to the vehicle,

wherein the plurality of images with a view external to the vehicle includes representations of events including any road obstructions, traffic conditions, weather conditions, and any markers, and

the plurality of images with a view internal to the vehicle includes representations of events including vehicle operator identification, and vehicle operator physical condition;

linking the plurality of metadata with each image from the first plurality of images by matching a collection time of the metadata with a collection time for each image from the first plurality of images;

aggregating the first plurality of images as evidence to negate the indicated compliance rule violation; and

communicating to at least one electronic device, a first image selected from the first plurality of images, and the metadata linked to the first image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing a second plurality of images for a predetermined period by at least one camera;

communicating a second image from the second plurality of images to at least one electronic device;

matching a collection time of the second image to the collection time of the first image; and

concatenating the second image with the first image based on collection time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second plurality of images is captured from a camera located in a second carrier vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting and performing a storage and image communications protocol conforming to one of;

storing the plurality of images in memory in a high resolution format and communicating at least one image in the high resolution format;

storing the plurality of images in memory in a high resolution format and communicating at least one image in a low resolution format;

storing the plurality of images in memory in a low resolution format and communicating at least one image in a high resolution format;

or

storing the plurality of images in memory in a low resolution format and communicating at least one image in the low resolution format, wherein storing images in a low resolution format reduces memory usage, and communicating images in a low resolution format reduces communications bandwidth.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata comprises g-force data, and GPS data, wherein the g-force data indicates changes in vehicular movement used to indicate atypical acceleration, deceleration, lane change, and vehicle turning, and GPS data indicates geographic location.

6. A system for integrating a vehicular camera system, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled with the processor, the memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, perform a method comprising;

determining a threshold value for metadata of at least one sensor device;

capturing a plurality of metadata for a predetermined period by the at least one sensor device positioned in a first carrier vehicle;

processing the captured plurality of metadata to determine whether the threshold value is exceeded;

monitoring an occurrence of a compliance rule violation based on a group of compliance rules, the captured plurality of metadata, and an operator driving period;

capturing a first plurality of images by at least one camera positioned in the first carrier vehicle for a predetermined period, in response to exceeding the threshold value for metadata of the at least one sensor device indicative of a compliance rule violation,

wherein the first plurality of images comprises images captured by at least one camera on the first carrier vehicle positioned with a view external to the vehicle, and at least one camera on the first carrier vehicle positioned with a view internal to the vehicle,

wherein the plurality of images with a view external to the vehicle includes representations of events including any road obstructions, traffic conditions, weather conditions, and any markers, and

the plurality of images with a view internal to the vehicle includes representations of events including vehicle operator identification, and vehicle operator physical condition;

linking the plurality of metadata with each image from the first plurality of images by matching a collection time of the metadata with a collection time for each image from the first plurality of images;

aggregating the first plurality of images as evidence to negate the indicated compliance rule violation; and

communicating to at least one electronic device, a first image selected from the first plurality of images, and the metadata linked to the first image.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

capturing a second plurality of images for a predetermined period by at least one camera;

communicating a second image from the second plurality of images to at least one electronic device;

matching a collection time of the second image to the collection time of the first image; and

concatenating the second image with the first image based on collection time.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second plurality of images is captured from a camera located in a second carrier vehicle.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

selecting and performing a storage and image communications protocol conforming to one of;

storing the plurality of images in memory in a high resolution format and communicating at least one image in the high resolution format;

storing the plurality of images in memory in a high resolution format and communicating at least one image in a low resolution format;

storing the plurality of images in memory in a low resolution format and communicating at least one image in a high resolution format;

or

storing the plurality of images in memory in a low resolution format and communicating at least one image in the low resolution format,

wherein storing images in a low resolution format reduces memory usage, and communicating images in a low resolution format reduces communications bandwidth.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the metadata comprises g-force data, engine speed, and GPS data, wherein the g-force data and engine speed indicates changes in vehicular movement used to indicate atypical acceleration, deceleration, lane change, and vehicle turning, and GPS data indicates geographic location.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, perform steps of a method, the method comprising:

determining a threshold value for metadata of at least one sensor device;

capturing a plurality of metadata for a predetermined period by the at least one sensor device positioned in a first carrier vehicle;

processing the captured plurality of metadata to determine whether the threshold value is exceeded;

monitoring an occurrence of a compliance rule violation based on a group of compliance rules, the captured plurality of metadata, and an operator driving period;

capturing a first plurality of images by at least one camera positioned in the first carrier vehicle for a predetermined period, in response to exceeding the threshold value for metadata of the at least one sensor device indicative of a compliance rule violation,

wherein the first plurality of images comprises images captured by at least one camera on the first carrier vehicle positioned with a view external to the vehicle, and at least one camera on the first carrier vehicle positioned with a view internal to the vehicle,

wherein the plurality of images with a view external to the vehicle includes representations of events including any road obstructions, traffic conditions, weather conditions, and any markers, and

the plurality of images with a view internal to the vehicle includes representations of events including vehicle operator identification, and vehicle operator physical condition;

linking the plurality of metadata with each image from the first plurality of images by matching a collection time of the metadata with a collection time for each image from the first plurality of images;

aggregating the first plurality of images as evidence to negate the indicated compliance rule violation; and

communicating to at least one electronic device, a first image selected from the first plurality of images, and the metadata linked to the first image.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

capturing a second plurality of images for a predetermined period by at least one camera;

communicating a second image from the second plurality of images to at least one electronic device;

matching a collection time of the second image to the collection time of the first image; and

concatenating the second image with the first image based on collection time.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the second plurality of images is captured from a camera located in a second carrier vehicle.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting and performing a storage and image communications protocol conforming to one of;

storing the plurality of images in memory in a high resolution format and communicating at least one image in the high resolution format;

storing the plurality of images in memory in a high resolution format and communicating at least one image in a low resolution format;

storing the plurality of images in memory in a low resolution format and communicating at least one image in a high resolution format;

or

storing the plurality of images in memory in a low resolution format and communicating at least one image in the low resolution format,

wherein storing images in a low resolution format reduces memory usage, and communicating images in a low resolution format reduces communications bandwidth.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the metadata comprises g-force data, and GPS data, wherein the g-force data indicates changes in vehicular movement used to indicate atypical acceleration, deceleration, lane change, and vehicle turning, and GPS data indicates geographic location.