RECORDING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CAPTURING IMAGES OF DRIVING CONDITIONS AND DRIVING IMAGES IDENTIFICATION METHOD

• US 20080316010A1
• Filed: 06/23/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Appro Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Appro Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Ching-Shan
• Application Number:
  US11/767,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20080316010A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A recording system for capturing images of driving conditions of a vehicle is provided. The vehicle has a plurality of sensors and an instrument panel for displaying situations of the sensors. The recording system includes at least a first camera module disposed in front of the instrument panel for capturing an image of the instrument panel to generate a first image data. Since the driving conditions are captured in the form of an image, the driving conditions can be easily understood by reading the first image data. A recording method for capturing images of the driving conditions of the vehicle is also disclosed. Furthermore, a driving image identification method for identifying the driving conditions is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A recording system, suitable for capturing driving conditions of a vehicle, the vehicle having a plurality of sensors and an instrument panel for displaying situations of the sensors, the recording system comprising:

at least a first camera module, disposed in front of the instrument panel for capturing an image of the instrument panel to generate a first image data.

2. The recording system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first camera module transmits the first image data via cable or wireless transmission mode.

3. The recording system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a storage unit disposed inside the first camera module or in the vehicle for storing the first image data.

4. The recording system as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a first processing unit disposed inside the first camera module or in the vehicle for storing the first image data into the storage unit and or reading the first image data stored in the storage unit.

5. The recording system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least a second camera module disposed inside the vehicle for capturing an image outside the vehicle to generate a second image data.

6. The recording system as claimed in claim 5 further comprising a storage unit disposed inside the second camera module or in the vehicle for storing the second image data.

7. The recording system as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a second processing unit disposed inside the second camera module or in the vehicle for storing the second image data in the storage unit and/or reading the second image data stored in the storage unit.

8. The recording system as claimed in claim 5 further comprising an image combination unit for combining the first image data with the second image data.

9. A recording method for capturing images of driving conditions of a vehicle, the vehicle having a plurality of sensors and an instrument panel for displaying situations of the sensors, the recording method comprising:

disposing at least a first camera module in front of the instrument panel for capturing an image of the instrument panel to generate a first image data.

10. The recording method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising disposing at least a second camera module in the vehicle for capturing an image outside the vehicle to generate a second image data.

11. The recording method as claimed in claim 10 further comprising synchronously reading the first image data and the second image data, and combining the first image data and the second image data to generate an output data.

12. The recording method as claimed in claim 11 further comprising decoding the combined output data to generate separately the first image data and the second image data.

13. A driving image identification method for identifying driving conditions of a vehicle, the vehicle having a plurality of sensors and an instrument panel for displaying the situations of the sensors, the identification method comprising:

disposing at least a first camera module in front of the instrument panel for capturing a plurality of images of the instrument panel at different time points to generate the corresponding plurality of the first image data; and

identifying the plurality of the first image data captured by the first camera module at different time points for judging the variations in the states of the sensors on the instrument panel to generate the readable data of the driving conditions.

14. The identification method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising outputting a notification signal when the variations in the states of the sensors displayed on the instrument panel complies with a preset reference standard.

15. The identification method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the variations in the states of the sensors comprises the variations of the pointers on the instrument panel, the variations of the indicators on the instrument panel and the variations of the digits on the electronic display panel.

16. The identification method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising disposing at least a second camera module in the vehicle for capturing an image outside the vehicle to generate a second image data.

17. The identification method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising synchronously reading the first image data and the second image data, and combining the first image data and the second image data to generate an output data.