AUTOMOTIVE IMAGING SYSTEM FOR RECORDING EXCEPTION EVENTS

• US 20120105635A1
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Erhardt, Herbert J., Guidash, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,836,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A motor vehicle system for automatically reporting exception events, comprising: one or more digital cameras, at least one digital camera having a primary function; an image memory system for storing digital images; means for detecting exception events; and a wireless communications system for communicating with a central reporting service. A program memory stores executable instruction for causing a processor to perform the steps of: using at least one of the digital cameras to periodically capture digital images at a specified capture frequency; storing the periodically captured digital images in the image memory for a specified period of time; and receiving input from the means for detecting an exception event. In response to the detection of an exception event a communication link is opened to the central reporting service using the wireless communications system, and one or more of the captured digital images are transmitted to the central reporting service.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle system for automatically reporting exception events, comprising:

motor vehicle;

one or more digital cameras, at least one digital camera having a primary function;

an image memory system for storing digital images captured by the one or more digital cameras;

means for detecting exception events;

wireless communications system for communicating with a central reporting service;

a processor; and

a program memory storing executable instruction for causing the processor to perform the steps of;

using at least one of the digital cameras in a secondary function different from its primary function to periodically capture digital images at a specified capture frequency;

storing the periodically captured digital images in the image memory for a specified period of time;

receiving input from the means for detecting an exception event; and

in response to the detection of an exception event;

opening a communication link to the central reporting service using the wireless communications system, and

transmitting one or more of the stored periodically captured digital images to the central reporting service over the communications link.

2. The motor vehicle system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the digital cameras is a digital video camera for capturing a video sequence of digital images, and wherein the program memory further stores executable instruction for transmitting live video images from at least one of the digital video cameras to the central reporting service over the communication link in response to the detection of an exception event.

3. The motor vehicle system of claim 1 wherein the program memory further stores executable instruction for causing the one or more digital cameras to capture one or more digital images in response to detecting an exception event;

and wherein one or more of the digital images captured in response to the detection of the exception event are transmitted to the central reporting service.

4. The motor vehicle system of claim 1 wherein the one or more digital cameras include a digital video camera for capturing a video sequence of digital images;

and wherein the transmitted digital images include a transmitted video sequence of digital images.

5. The motor vehicle system of claim 1 wherein the exception event is a motor vehicle accident event.

6. The motor vehicle system of claim 5 wherein the means for detecting the motor vehicle accident event is an accelerometer, or an air bag deployment sensor.

7. The motor vehicle system of claim 1 wherein the exception event is triggered by detecting that a trailed vehicle has become disengaged or is weaving erratically.

8. The motor vehicle system of claim 1 wherein the exception event is an unauthorized mode of operation event.

9. The motor vehicle system of claim 8 wherein the unauthorized mode of operation event is triggered by detecting that the motor vehicle is traveling at an excessive speed, detecting operation of the motor vehicle at an unauthorized time of day or at an unauthorized location, detecting that the motor vehicle is being driven by an unauthorized person, or detecting that the motor vehicle is being operated erratically.

10. The motor vehicle system of claim 1 wherein the exception event is a security system event.

11. The motor vehicle system of claim 10 wherein the security system event is a theft event or a hijacking event.

12. The motor vehicle system of claim 10 wherein the security system event is initiated by a user-activated panic button on a fob, a user-activated panic button located at a fixed location within the motor vehicle, or by a user calling a prespecified phone number using a cellular telephone.

13. The motor vehicle system of claim 10 wherein the theft event is initiated to detecting a theft of the motor vehicle, theft of contents of the motor vehicle, or theft of objects external to the motor vehicle.

14. The motor vehicle system of claim 1 wherein the means for detecting exception events includes processing inputs received from a plurality of sensing devices.

15. The motor vehicle system of claim 1 wherein the motor vehicle is an automobile, a motorcycle, an all-terrain vehicle, a recreational vehicle a boat, or an airplane.

16. The motor vehicle system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the digital cameras captures digital images of the surroundings of the motor vehicle.

17. The motor vehicle system of claim 1 wherein the primary function of the one or more digital camera is terminated in response to the detection of an exception event.

18. The motor vehicle system of claim 1 wherein the capture frequency varies responsive to operational parameters related to the motor vehicle operation.

19. The motor vehicle system of claim 18 wherein the operational parameters include motor vehicle location, speed or road conditions.