Automobile web cam and communications system incorporating a network of automobile web cams

• US 20020184641A1
• Filed: 06/05/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Johnson, Steven M., Szalankiewicz, Camille M., Hayashi, Kikuo, Ashcraft, Kevin Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,100,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A communications system incorporating a plurality of vehicle mounted web cams that collect video information and transmit the video information together with other local information via a wireless network to a server. The video streams from the web cams and associated information are available to users on a internet web page. Each camera has a specific identifier to permit users to access the video of specific individual cameras. Optimization software permits users to take virtual trips along predetermined routes. The system also permits sequential access to multiple video feeds from desired locations. Multiple alternative one way and two way video communication methods taking advantage of the network of mobile web cams are described.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

a plurality of vehicles;

a plurality of web cameras, each of said cameras being disposed in one of said vehicles and being active when the vehicle is running;

means for transmitting information from said vehicles via a wireless network, said transmitted information including video information from said web cameras;

a server for receiving the video information and displaying a plurality of images.

2. The communications system according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining said vehicles'"'"' locations and wherein said transmitted information includes information on said vehicles'"'"' locations.

3. The communications system according to claim 2, wherein said server is operable to display the vehicles'"'"' locations.

4. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein said transmitted information includes an identifier for each of said web cams.

5. The communications system according to claim 4, wherein said server is operable to display said identifier such that specific web cams may be selected by a user.

6. The communications system according to claim 1, further comprising means for turning said web camera off when said vehicle is within a predetermined distance of a location designated by the vehicle'"'"'s owner.

7. The communications system according to claim 6, wherein said server displays a predetermined image in place of said web camera video when said web camera is turned off.

8. The communications system according to claim 2, wherein said transmitted information includes an identifier for each of said vehicle web cams.

9. The communications system according to claim 8, wherein said server is operable to display the location and identifier for each web cam.

10. The communications system according to claim 2, further comprising means for turning said web camera off when said vehicle is within a predetermined distance of a location designated by the vehicle'"'"'s owner.

11. The communications system according to claim 9, further comprising means for turning said web camera off when said vehicle is within a predetermined distance of a location designated by the vehicle'"'"'s owner.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein each of said web cams is disposed in a vehicle and is operable only when said vehicle is operating.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising the further steps of:

for each vehicle, collecting further information specific to said vehicle and said vehicle web cam, said further information being selected from the group consisting of;

vehicle location, vehicle speed, and camera orientation;

transmitting said further information to said server; and

,

displaying said further information together with said video information on said web page.

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising the further steps of:

inputting user-selected parameters for desired web camera displays;

searching said further information to determine which of said web cams satisfy said user-selected parameters; and

,

permitting display of video information from said web cams satisfying said user-selected parameters.

16. The method according to claim 12, comprising the further steps of:

associating an individual identifier with each web cam;

transmitting said individual identifier to the server together with said video information;

permitting a user to search for a desired individual identifier such that video information from the web cam having said individual identifier is displayed.

17. The method according to claim 14, comprising the further steps of:

searching said further information to identify vehicles in a desired geographic location and,

displaying video information from web cams in said desired geographic location.

18. The method according to claim 14, comprising the further steps of:

inputting a first geographic location and a second geographic location;

searching said further information to identify vehicles in a desired range of geographic locations between the first geographic location and the second geographic location,

organizing the video information corresponding to said identified vehicles; and

,

displaying said video information such that the video information is shown sequentially from said first geographic location to said second geographic location.

20. The communications system according to claim 19, wherein at least some of said web cams are secured to a vehicle.

21. The communications system according to claim 20, wherein the transmitted information is selected from the group consisting of video, audio, temperature, elevation, speed, direction, and location information.

22. The communications system according to claim 19, wherein optical searching is performed on said transmitted information to locate video information containing desired information.

23. The communications system according to claim 22, wherein locations of web cams having desired video information are displayed for the user'"'"'s convenience.

24. The communications system according to claim 23, wherein the user may select a geographic area in which the optical searching of web cam transmitted information is to be performed.

12. A method for collecting, organizing, and displaying video information from a plurality of sources, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of web cams, each of said web cams being operable to communicate video information;

transmitting said video information from each of said web cams, via a wireless network, to a server;

collecting and organizing the transmitted video information;

displaying the collected and organized video information on a web page.

19. A communications system comprising:

a plurality of mobile web cams;

means for transmitting information from said web cams;

means for searching said transmitted information to find video information corresponding to desired parameters;

means for displaying said video information.