Power management systems for automotive video event recorders

• US 20080122288A1
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lightner, Bruce, Kasavaraju, Ramesh, Plante, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,649,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/02 non-automatically; dependent on position of personal controls of engine, e.g. throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/12 in graphical form
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera

Abstract

Video event recorders are coupled to a vehicle power source via an on-board diagnostic system including its power bus, data bus, and scanner port connector. Video event recorders are provided with a power input arranged in conjunction with a standard ODBII type “D” connector. Systems further include an extension cable between the connector and the vehicle event record to accommodate mounting needs associated with each. In advanced versions, both OBD power and data networks are coupled to the vehicle event recorded such that data relating to vehicle diagnostic systems can be captured in a triggered event along with video data. In addition, some versions are provided with special detection mechanism to determine the use state of a vehicle and adjust application of power accordingly. Thus an “in-use” detector is coupled to the vehicle and/or OBD systems to provide feedback which helps to conserve power and regulate the power connections.

Claims

1. ) Automotive electrical power management systems comprising:

a DC electrical power source;

an on-board diagnostics system; and

a video event recorder,

said DC electrical power source is coupled to said on-board diagnostic system to supply direct current electrical power thereto on a prescribed power bus,

said video event recorder having a power input electrically coupled to said on-board diagnostic system power bus.

2. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 1, said video event recorder is comprised of a cable not less than 8 inches in length with a terminating “

D”

-type connector suitable for coupling with standard OBDII systems, a video event recorder power supply line is coupled to the OBDII power bus on pin 16.

3. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 2, said video event recorder comprising data couplings to systems data on either of a plurality of data buses supported on the OBDII system.

4. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 2, said video event recorders further comprise an auxiliary female “

D”

connector arranged in parallel and suitably adapted to receive therein a standard OBDII scanner.

5. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 1, further comprising a power management module, said power management module electrically coupled to said on-board diagnostic system power bus and arranged between said on-board diagnostics system and a camera unit of said video event recorder.

6. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 5, said video event recorder is comprised of a cable not less than 8 inches in length with a terminating “

D”

-type connector suitable for coupling with standard OBDII systems, said power management module is arranged on said cable nearer to the OBD connector than to the said camera unit.

7. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 5, said power management module comprises an auxiliary female “

D”

connector arranged in parallel and suitably adapted to receive therein a standard OBDII scanner.

8. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 5, said power management module comprises an in-use detector, and a switch,

said in-use detector having a binary output arranged to toggle the switch, the switch arranged between the OBD power supply line and the camera unit of the video event recorder.

9. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 8, said power management module is arranged as an under-dash mountable unit contained in a durable housing.

10. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 8, said in-use detector is arranged to sense at least one physical parameters of the vehicle and OBDII systems and compare a measurement value with a prescribed threshold value to provide a switch toggle signal in the event of a threshold being exceeded.

11. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 10, said sensed physical parameter includes a voltage level on the vehicle power bus.

12. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 10, said sensed physical parameter includes detection of motion.

13. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 10, power management module includes a ‘

turn-off’

delay whereby the system is maintained in an ‘

on’

state for a prescribed period despite sensed physical parameters returning to below threshold values.

14. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 10, said in-use detector is comprised of a comparator having one input coupled to the DC electrical power source and one input coupled to a reference voltage and an output to coupled to the switch.

15. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 14, said power manager module comprises a prescribed threshold set at 13.2 volts.

16. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 10, said in-use detector is a motion sensor.

17. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 10, said in-use detector is a data traffic sensor coupled to a data bus of the OBD system and arranged to provide a switch toggle signal in the event that a prescribe type of data traffic is present on the data bus.

18. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 10, said in-use detector is a combination of:

motion sensors, voltage sensors, and data traffic sensors and associated thresholds whereby any two or more of these thresholds are coupled to a logic circuit having a single binary output coupled to said switch.

19. ) Automotive electrical power management systems of claim 4, includes a switch to disable data communications to and from said camera unit while a auxiliary scanner is detected as being connected at the auxiliary port.