Stop-arm mounted camera system and method for mounting same

• US 20080157945A1
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Bowler, Keith M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,633,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/433
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/50 for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules

Abstract

A system and method for discouraging stop-arm violations is provided having a image recording means positioned on a stop-arm of a bus, ice cream truck or other such vehicle. The image recording means may be a digital still camera or video camera and is connected to a storage unit, such as a video cassette recorder (VCR), a digital video recorder (DVR) or solid-state memory storage. The image recording means is configured to activate and begin recording images when the stop-arm is fully extended and cease recording of images once the stop-arm is fully retracted.

Claims

1. An apparatus, mountable on a motor vehicle, for recording stop sign violations, said assembly comprising:

a stop-sign assembly mountable to an external surface of a motor vehicle, said stop-sign assembly including a stop sign and a mechanism for moving said stop sign between an open position and a close position;

at least one image acquisition device for acquiring images of a region proximate to said motor vehicle when said stop sign is in said open position, said at least one image acquisition device being mounted on a portion of said stop sign; and

a storage device for storing said images acquired by said at least one image acquisition device.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said at least one image acquisition device is adapted for acquiring continuous video during a duration in which said stop arm is in said open position.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said at least one image acquisition device is adapted for acquiring still images at predetermined intervals during a duration in which said stop arm is in said open position.

4. The apparatus as in claim 1, comprising at least two image acquisition devices, each of said at least two image acquisition devices having a field of view substantially non-overlapping.

5. The apparatus as in claim 4, comprising at least one image acquisition device having a field of view forward of said stop sign, and at least one image acquisition device having a field of view rearward of said stop sign.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein a date and time stamp is embedded in said acquired images.

7. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said storage device is selected from a group consisting of video cassette recorder (VCR), digital video recorder (DVR), CD/DVD recorder, hard drive and solid-state memory storage.

8. The apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a rotation mount for rotating said at least one image acquisition device.

9. The apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said rotation mount of said image acquisition device is manually controlled by a driver of said motor vehicle, and said assembly further comprising:

a video display for displaying to said driver real-time images acquired by said at least one image acquisition device; and

a manual rotation controller configured for accepting inputs from said driver and, based on said inputs, providing control outputs to said rotation mount for controlling the position of said at least one image acquisition device.

10. The apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising a rotation controller for rotating said at least one image acquisition device between two positions at a predetermined rate.

11. A method for recording stop sign violations, said method comprising:

mounting a stop-sign assembly to an external surface of a motor vehicle, said stop-sign assembly including a stop sign;

actuating said stop sign between an open position and a close position;

acquiring images of a region proximate to said motor vehicle when said stop sign is in said open position, said image acquisition being performed by at least one image acquisition device mounted on a portion of said stop sign; and

storing said images acquired in said image acquiring step.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein said at least one image acquisition device is a digital camera.

13. The method as in claim 11, wherein said image acquiring step acquires continuous video during a duration in which said stop sign is in said open position.

14. The method as in claim 11, wherein said image acquisition device acquires still images at predetermined intervals during a duration in which said stop sign is in said open position.

15. The method as in claim 11, wherein images acquired in said image acquiring step include a date and time stamp embedded therein.

16. The method as in claim 11, wherein said storing step stores said images in a storage device selected from a group consisting of video cassette recorder (VCR), digital video recorder (DVR), CD/DVD recorder, hard drive and solid-state memory storage.

17. The method as in claim 11, further comprising rotating said at least one image acquisition device.

18. The method as in claim 17, wherein a driver of said motor vehicle manually controls rotation of said at least one image acquisition device.

19. The method as in claim 18, further comprising displaying to said driver real-time images acquired by said at least one image acquisition device.

20. The method as in claim 17, further comprising automatically controlling rotation of said at least one image acquisition device between two positions at a predetermined rate.