System and method for acquiring and transmitting environmental information

• US 20030053536A1
• Filed: 09/18/2001
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stephanie Ebrami
• Original Assignee: Stephanie Ebrami
• Inventors: Ebrami, Stephanie
• Application Number:
  US09/956,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20030053536A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.01
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19634 Electrical details of the system, e.g. component blocks for carrying out specific functions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A system and a method for acquiring and transmitting environmental information recorded around a vehicle comprising of including at least one camera. The output from the camera is encoded and stored in a storage device. The encoded signal is also transmitted wirelessly to a remote location or a server for subsequent analysis. The stored signal may also be decoded and displayed on a video display unit.

Claims

1. An environmental recording system for monitoring and transmitting a state of a vehicle to a remote, location, the system comprising:

a camera to monitor a state of a vehicle;

an encoder to compress an image signal delivered by the camera;

a storage device for recording the compressed image from an output of the encoder; and

a transmitter for transmitting the compressed image from the output of the encoder to a remote location.

2. The environmental recording system according to claim 1, wherein the surveillance system further comprises at least one additional camera to monitor the state of a vehicle, said at least one additional camera monitoring the state of a vehicle in a direction substantially different than the direction of monitoring by the other camera.

3. The environmental recording system according to claim 2, wherein the surveillance system further comprises a multiplexer for combining the image signal delivered by the camera with an additional image signal delivered by the additional camera.

4. The environmental recording system according to claim 1, wherein the surveillance system further comprises a decoder, said decoder delivering a decompressed image at an output of the decoder.

5. The environmental recording system according to claim 4, wherein the surveillance system further comprises at least one monitor to display the decompressed image at the output of the decoder.

6. The environmental recording system according to claim 4, wherein the decoder is an MPEG decoder.

7. The environmental recording system according to claim 1, wherein the encoder is an MPEG encoder.

8. The environmental recording system according to claim 1, wherein the surveillance system further comprises at least one motion sensor.

9. The environmental recording system according to claim 1, wherein the surveillance system further comprises an ignition sensor.

10. The environmental recording system according to claim 1, wherein the surveillance system further comprises a video display.

11. The environmental recording system according to claim 1, wherein the storage device operates in a first in-first out mode.

12. The environmental recording system according to claim 1, further comprising a battery level monitor.

13. A method for monitoring and transmitting a state of a vehicle to a remote location, the method comprising the steps of:

sampling a video signal from at least one camera output;

multiplexing the video signal from the at least one camera output to form a first signal;

encoding the first signal to form a second signal;

storing the second signal in a storage device; and

transmitting the second signal through a communications transmitter.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of decoding the second signal to form a third signal.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the multiplexing is performed, additionally, on an output from an additional camera

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of decoding is performed by an MPEG decoder.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein said step of encoding is performed by an MPEG encoder.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the storage device operates in a first in-first out mode.

19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of demultiplexing the third signal to form a plurality of video signals.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of formatting the plurality of video signals to display on a display device.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of displaying the video signals on a display device.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the communications transmitters is a wireless transmitter.

23. A method for monitoring and transmitting a state of a vehicle to a remote location, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a plurality of video signals from a plurality of cameras;

multiplexing the video signals from the camera outputs to form a first signal;

encoding the first signal to form a second signal;

storing the second signal in a storage device;

transmitting the second signal through a communications transmitter;

decoding the second signal to obtain a third signal;

said third signal being substantially similar to the first signal; and

demultiplexing the third signal to yield a demultiplexed plurality of video signals.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of formatting the demultiplexed plurality of video signals onto a video display unit.

25. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of activating or deactivating the acquisition of the video signals.

26. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of converting the acquired plurality of video signals into a plurality of digital video signals.

27. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of converting the demultiplexed video signals into a plurality of analog video signals.

28. The method according to claim 23, wherein the remote location is a police station.

29. The method according to claim 23, wherein the steps of encoding, transmitting, and decoding are performed on a single microprocessor chip.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the steps of multiplexing, demultiplexing, and storing are performed on said single microprocessor chip.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the communications transmitters is a wireless transmitter.

32. A method for providing video signals on a web site server to a customer, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring at least one video signal from at least one video camera;

encoding the at least one video signal by a first encoder;

transmitting the at least one video signal by a wireless communication system to a web site server;

storing the transmitted signal on a storage device at the server;

providing access to a customer to the server;

decoding the stored signal upon request from the customer; and

displaying the decoded signal on a display device of the customer.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising the steps of:

acquiring at least one audio signal from at least one microphone;

encoding the at least one audio signal;

transmitting the at least one audio signal by the wireless communication system to the web site server;

storing the transmitted audio signal on the storage device at the server;

providing access to the customer to the server;

decoding the stored audio signal upon request from the customer; and

rendering the decoded audio signal on a loudspeaker of the customer.

34. An environmental recording system comprising:

a first semiconductor device having a multiplexer for multiplexing a plurality of image signals, said first semiconductor chip further having (i) an encoder for encoding the plurality of image signals, (ii) a wireless transmitter for transmitting the encoded plurality of image signals; and

a second semiconductor device having (i) a receiver for receiving the transmitted plurality of image signals, (ii) a storage device for storing the received plurality of image signals, (iii) a decoder for decoding the stored plurality of image signals.

35. The environmental recording system according to claim 34, further comprising a demultiplexer, located in the second semiconductor device, for demultiplexing the decoded plurality of image signals.

36. The environmental recording system according to claim 35, further comprising a formatter, located in the second semiconductor device, for formatting the image signals on a display device.

37. The environmental recording system according to claim 34, wherein the first semiconductor device has an analog to digital converter.

38. The environmental recording system according to claim 34, wherein the second semiconductor device has a digital to analog converter.

42. The environmental recording system according to claim 37, wherein the surveillance system further comprises a decoder, said decoder delivering a decompressed image at an output of the decoder.

43. The environmental recording system according to claim 42, wherein the surveillance system further comprises at least one monitor to display the decompressed image at the output of the decoder.

44. The environmental recording system according to claim 42, wherein the decoder is an MPEG decoder.

39. An environmental recording system for monitoring and transmitting a state of an object, living or inanimate, to a remote location, the system comprising:

a camera to monitor a state of the object;

an encoder to compress an image signal delivered by the camera;

a storage device for recording the compressed image from an output of the encoder; and

a transmitter for transmitting the compressed image from the output of the encoder to a remote location.

40. The environmental recording system according to claim 39, wherein the surveillance system further comprises at least one additional camera to monitor the state of the object, said additional camera monitoring the state of the object in a direction substantially different than a direction of monitoring of the camera.

41. The environmental recording system according to claim 40, wherein the surveillance system further comprises a multiplexer for combining the image signal delivered by the camera with an additional image signal delivered by the additional camera.

45. The environmental recording system according to claim 39, wherein the encoder is an MPEG encoder.

46. The environmental recording system according to claim 39, wherein the surveillance system further comprises at least one motion sensor.

47. The environmental recording system according to claim 39, wherein the surveillance system further comprises an ignition sensor.

48. The environmental recording system according to claim 39, wherein the surveillance system further comprises a video display.

49. The environmental recording system according to claim 39, wherein the storage device operates in a first in-first out mode.

50. The environmental recording system according to claim 39, further comprising a battery level monitor.

51. The method according to claim 50, wherein the communications transmitters is a wireless transmitter.

52. A method for monitoring and transmitting a state of an object, living or inanimate, to a remote location, the method comprising the steps of:

sampling a video signal from at least one camera output;

multiplexing the video signal from the at least one camera output to form a first signal;

encoding the first signal to form a second signal;

storing the second signal in a storage device; and

transmitting the second signal through a communications transmitter.

53. The method according to claim 52, further comprising the step of decoding the second signal to form a third signal.

54. The method according to claim 52, wherein the multiplexing is performed, additionally, on an output from an additional camera

55. The method according to claim 53, wherein said step of decoding is performed by an MPEG decoder.

56. The method according to claim 52, wherein said step of encoding is performed by an MPEG encoder.

57. The method according to claim 52, wherein the storage device operates in a first in-first out mode.

58. The method according to claim 53, further comprising the step of demultiplexing the third signal to form a plurality of video signals.

59. The method according to claim 58, further comprising the step of formatting the plurality of video signals to display on a display device.

60. The method according to claim 59, further comprising the step of displaying the video signals on a display device.

61. A method for monitoring and transmitting a state of an object, living or inanimate, to a remote location, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a plurality of video signals from a plurality of cameras;

multiplexing the video signals from the camera outputs to form a first signal;

encoding the first signal to form a second signal;

storing the second signal in a storage device;

transmitting the second signal through a communications transmitter;

decoding the second signal to obtain a third signal;

said third signal being substantially similar to the first signal; and

demultiplexing the third signal to yield a demultiplexed plurality of video signals.

62. The method according to claim 61, further comprising the step of formatting the demultiplexed plurality of video signals onto a video display unit.

63. The method according to claim 61, further comprising the step of activating or deactivating the acquisition of the video signals.

64. The method according to claim 61, further comprising the step of converting the acquired plurality of video signals into a plurality of digital video signals.

65. The method according to claim 61, further comprising the step of converting the demultiplexed video signals into a plurality of analog video signals.

66. The method according to claim 61, wherein the remote location is a police station.

67. The method according to claim 61, wherein the steps of encoding, transmitting, and decoding are performed on a single microprocessor chip.

68. The method according to claim 61, wherein the steps of multiplexing, demultiplexing, and storing are performed on said single microprocessor chip.

69. The method according to claim 61, wherein the communications transmitters is a wireless transmitter.