Automobile Alert System for Recording and Communicating Incidents to Remote Monitoring Devices

• US 20140285337A1
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mark Anthony Gebhardt
• Original Assignee: Mark Anthony Gebhardt
• Inventors: Gebhardt, Mark Anthony
• Application Number:
  US14/221,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20140285337A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/521
• 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 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital 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 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems

Abstract

Provided is a system and method for affecting remote control of a vehicle incident reporting system. The system has a remote server, one or more client mobile devices, a subsystem of recording devices and sensor units forming a detecting and recording system, and a network via which the component elements communicate. The system is deployed within a vehicle, either at the time of manufacture or as after market upgrades. The detection and recording system perceives threats to the vehicle and initiates recording of multimedia recording devices. Captured data is then sent to the remote server. Transmissions are retained on a storage media associated with the server. Database entries for a user account linked to the vehicle are updated to include incident information and the received data communications. The server also transmits a notification to a mobile device linked to the user account, to inform the user about the incident.

Claims

1. An incident reporting system for a vehicle, comprising:

one or more remote servers, having a communications module adapted to send and receive data, server storage, a user account database, and an authentication module;

one or more client mobile devices having a communications module, client storage, and a stored application, wherein said stored application includes an authentication module and a playback module;

a detection and recording subsystem installed in a vehicle and comprising a plurality of sensory units, a plurality of recording devices, a transceiver, a processing unit, and a vehicle storage;

a network, wherein each of said one or more remote servers, one or more client mobile devices, and detection and recording subsystem is configured to communicate over said network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensory units comprise one or more of an impact sensor, a motion detector, an entry breach sensor, or a fire detector.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein activation of said sensory units results in initiation of recording by said recording devices.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein data recorded by said recording devices is stored on said vehicle storage and transmitted via said transceiver.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more remote servers are operable to receive communications from said detection and recording system, or said one or more client mobile devices, wherein said communications include a set of credentials.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said set of credentials includes a unique vehicle identifier and a user account identifier when communicated from said detection and recording system.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said set of credentials includes a password and a user account identifier.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said server storage is configured to retain data received from said detection and recording subsystem, and to update said user account database with information regarding data received from said detection and recording subsystem.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more remote servers are configured to transmit an alert notification to said one or more client mobile devices upon receipt of data from said detection and recording subsystem.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more client mobile devices stored application is configured to receive data from said one or more remote servers regarding an incident perceived by said detection and recording subsystem.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said stored application is configured to enable playback of data transmitted from said one or more remote servers subsequent to transmission from said detection and recording subsystem.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said stored application is configured to transmit a request to said one or more remote servers, and said one or more remote servers in turn are configured to transmit an initiation control signal to a target detection and recording subsystem in response to receipt of said request.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein data collected by said detection and recording subsystem is transmitted by one of said detection and recording subsystem, said one or more client mobile devices, or said one or more remote servers to emergency responder authorities.

14. A method of remotely viewing data collected by a vehicle monitoring system, comprising:

detecting an incident at a vehicle, by a detection and recording system installed on said vehicle;

initiating recording via a plurality of recording devices of an environment proximal to said vehicle;

storing data recorded by said plurality of recording devices on a local storage;

transmitting said data to one or more remote servers;

receiving and storing said data at said local storage on said one or more remote servers;

updating an entry linked to said vehicle in a user account database with said data;

transmitting an alert notification to one or more client mobile devices;

receiving and displaying said alert notification at said one or more client mobile devices;

prompting a user to review playback of said data;

playing said data back via output elements of said one or more client mobile devices.

15. A method of initiating recording of an environment surrounding a vehicle from a remote device comprising:

initiating a request for recording from an application stored on a client mobile device;

transmitting said request to one or more remote servers;

receiving said request at said one or more remote servers;

accessing a user account database for vehicle contact information associated with an account linked to said client mobile device;

transmitting an initiation control signal to a detection and recording system associated with said vehicle contact information;

initiating recording by a plurality of recording devices of an environment proximal to said vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting data recorded by said plurality of recording devices to said one or more remote servers;

receiving and storing said data on a local storage at said one or more remote servers;

transmitting said data to said client mobile device;

receiving and playing back said data on said client mobile device via said stored application.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said data transmitted from said one or more remote servers to said client mobile device is transmitted via streaming.