Self leveling steering wheel mount assembly for electronic cell phone device having side camera

• US 10,220,798 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2017
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lowell, Thomas A.
• Original Assignee: Lowell, Thomas A.
• Inventors: Lowell, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Newhouse, Nathan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vanterpool, Lester L
• Application Number:
  US15/715,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20180022292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 224276
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0252 for personal computers, e.g. laptops, notebooks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0264 for control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/001 Vehicle control means, e.g. steering-wheel or column
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0063 using adhesive means, e.g. hook and loop fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241

Abstract

A combination of a vehicle including a steering wheel assembly and an electronic cell phone device having a side positioned camera and a mounting system that enables said cell phone device to be mounted on said steering wheel assembly. The camera faces at least one front seat side window of the vehicle allowing handsfree recording and uploading to cloud storage of events inside and outside the vehicle without the necessity of the driver positioning the camera at the area being recorded.

Claims

1. A combination of a vehicle steering wheel assembly having a steering wheel and a steering column and a cell phone device;

comprising;

a dual mounting apparatus that mounts said cell phone device on said steering wheel and vertically maintains said cell phone device thereon at any rotational position of the steering wheel;

said cell phone device characterized by having at least one camera positioned and located on an upper half of said cell phone device above a center of rotation of said steering wheel assembly;

said camera facing a driver'"'"'s side window of said vehicle when mounted on said steering wheel assembly;

said dual mounting apparatus having a first mounting structure including a mounting support located at the center of rotation on said steering wheel and a connector positioned within the lower half of the rear of said cell phone structured to be interconnected with said mounting support on said steering wheel;

said first mounting structure maintaining the cell phone in close proximity to the driver with a front face of the cell phone facing the driver as the steering wheel rotates;

said dual mounting apparatus having a second fixed mounting structure for vertically maintaining said cell phone relative to the steering wheel;

said second fixed mounting structure including an elongated support member for supporting said cell phone in a vertical position, said support member having a first fixed end connected to said steering column of the vehicle and a second end connected to said cell phone device at a position below the rotational center of said steering wheel;

whereby said cell phone camera facing the driver'"'"'s side window is positioned above the rotational center of said steering wheel assembly while said front face of the cell phone remains within a driver'"'"'s field of view of the road.

2. The combination of claim 1 further defined by said mounting support being a mounting stud centrally located on said steering wheel assembly;

and said connector defined as a mounting clip attached on the rear lower half of said electronic cell phone device;

said mounting clip having an opening for engagement with said mounting stud;

said mounting stud characterized by being freely rotationally movable as the steering wheel rotates as said mounting clip remains fixed on said cell phone device whereby at least the upper half of said cell phone device is maintained in a vertical position above the rotational center of the steering wheel at any rotational position of the steering wheel.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said mounting stud is formed with a head and a smaller cylindrical shaft to maintain said mounting clip on said mounting stud;

said mounting clip being formed with a dual opening structure to accommodate said mounting stud including a first opening to accommodate said mounting stud head of said mounting stud and a second opening smaller than said first opening to accommodate said cylindrical shaft of said mounting stud.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said second opening is adjacent said first opening such that said cylindrical shaft rests and is freely rotatable in said second opening when said mounting clip of said device engages said mounting stud.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cell phone is equipped with multiple cameras including at least one on a first side of said cell phone facing a driver side window and a second camera on an opposite second side of said cell phone facing a passenger side window when said cell phone is mounted on said steering wheel assembly.

6. The combination of claim 1 further including a single safety strap to maintain said cell phone device connected to said steering wheel assembly;

said strap having a first portion attached to said mounting apparatus and a second portion attached to said steering wheel;

whereby said cell phone remains tethered in the event of air bag deployment.

7. In combination with a vehicle comprising:

a vehicle steering wheel assembly, including a steering wheel and a steering column;

an electronic cell phone device having at least one driver'"'"'s side front window facing camera positioned on the upper half of said cell phone;

a dual mounting apparatus that enables said cell phone device to be mounted on said steering wheel assembly and maintained thereon in a vertical position at any rotational position of the steering wheel;

said dual mounting apparatus having a first mounting structure allowing the steering wheel to rotate while maintaining the cell phone in a vertical orientation relative to the steering wheel;

said first mounting structure including a stud located on a center of rotation of said steering wheel assembly;

a mounting clip fixedly attached within the lower rear half of said electronic cell phone device;

said mounting clip having a structure for attachment to said mounting stud;

said mounting stud characterized by being freely rotatable within said mounting clip whereby at least the upper half of said cell phone device is maintained in a vertical position above the rotational center of the steering wheel regardless of the rotary position of the steering wheel;

said dual mounting apparatus having a second fixed mounting structure for maintaining said cell phone in a vertical position relative to the steering wheel;

said second fixed mounting structure including an elongated support member for supporting said cell phone in a vertical position, said support member having a fixed end connected to said steering column of the vehicle and a free end connected below the rotational center of said steering wheel to a lower rear half of said cell phone, whereby the upper half of said cell phone is positioned above the rotational center of said steering wheel assembly in a driver'"'"'s field of view of the road; and

, said camera on said cell phone device characterized by being positioned facing the front drivers'"'"' side window of said vehicle when mounted on said steering wheel assembly.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said elongated support member is routed along said steering column and over a lower portion of the steering wheel and wherein said free end of said elongated support member attaches to said mounting clip on said cell phone.

9. The combination of claim 8 further including a cell phone charging cable integrally attached to said support member.

10. The combination of claim 7 wherein said elongated support member is rigid when connected between said cell phone and said steering column preventing movement of said cell phone during rotation of the steering wheel.

11. The combination of claim 7 further including a safety strap to maintain said cell phone device connected to said steering wheel assembly;

said strap having a first portion attached to said first mounting structure and a second portion attached to said steering wheel;

whereby said cell phone remains tethered in the event of an airbag deployment.

12. A method of capturing and preserving video evidence inside and outside a motor vehicle comprising:

mounting a cell phone with a camera on a steering wheel assembly of the vehicle having a steering wheel and a steering column;

positioning said cell phone so that at least an upper half of said cell phone is above a rotational center of the steering wheel;

positioning said camera on an upper half of said cell phone and facing said camera toward a driver'"'"'s side front window with a front of said cell phone facing the driver in the driver'"'"'s frontal view;

maintaining said cell phone in a vertical position at any rotational position of the steering wheel;

initiating a preprogrammed video recording app contained within said cell phone;

recording activity that transpires viewable through or in the direction of the driver'"'"'s front side window;

and, automatically uploading the recorded evidence to the cloud such that it can be accessed only by authorized individuals.

13. The method of claim 12 being further defined by said recorded evidence being produced during a law enforcement vehicle stop.

14. The method of claim 12 further including the step of securing the cell phone to the steering wheel assembly to limit movement thereof in the event of an airbag deployment.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of maintaining said cell phone in a vertical position at any rotational position of the steering wheel further includes the steps of attaching said cell phone to a first mounting structure located at the rotational center of the steering wheel assembly with a complimentary mounting structure attached to the back of said cell phone at a location within a lower rear half of said cell phone whereby said first mounting structure is freely rotatable relative to said complimentary mounting structure;

and, connecting said cell phone to the steering column with a fixed elongated support member maintaining the cell phone in a vertical orientation relative to the steering wheel assembly;

to maintain the cell phone in a fixed, vertical position during movement of the steering wheel;

whereby at least the upper half of said cell phone is positioned at a higher elevation than the rotational center of the steering wheel within a driver'"'"'s field of view of the road while driving thereon.