SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VIDEO CAPTURE, USER FEEDBACK, REPORTING, ADAPTIVE PARAMETERS, AND REMOTE DATA ACCESS IN VEHICLE SAFETY MONITORING

• US 20150081135A1
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: GOMPERT, Jeff M., ASHMORE, Chad, DURIE, William E. Jr., REID, C. Shane
• Granted Patent: US 9,311,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/73 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/59 inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• 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: G11B 31/006 with video camera or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A method for vehicle data management according to embodiments of the present invention includes receiving an accelerometer signal from an accelerometer mounted in a vehicle, determining an accelerometer specific force based on the accelerometer signal, receiving a speed signal from a speed sensor or GPS or other source on the vehicle, wherein the speed signal indicates a speed of the vehicle, determining an instantaneous acceleration of the vehicle by calculating a rate of change of the speed based on the speed signal, selecting a current observed acceleration as a lower value of the accelerometer specific force and the instantaneous acceleration, capturing video footage with a camera mounted on the vehicle, and flagging the video footage corresponding to a time when the current observed acceleration exceeds a preset safe force value.

Claims

1. A system for vehicle data management, the system comprising:

a specific force sensing device located on an emergency vehicle, the specific force sensing device configured to indicate a specific force undergone by the emergency vehicle, wherein the emergency vehicle has a front cabin configured to seat a driver, and a rear cabin configured to accept a patient and at least one emergency medical technician;

a speed sensing device located on the emergency vehicle, the speed sensing device configured to indicate a speed of the emergency vehicle;

a video capture device located in the emergency vehicle and configured to capture visual information about one or more of the emergency vehicle, the driver, the patient, and the at least one emergency medical technician; and

a vehicle data management device communicably coupled to the specific force sensing device, the speed sensing device, and the video capture device, the vehicle data management device configured to establish a vehicle record, wherein the vehicle record comprises video footage captured by the video capture device, wherein the vehicle data management device is further configured to;

determine whether a particular safety situation exists with the emergency vehicle based on the visual information,

select a speed limit and a specific force limit, wherein the speed limit and the specific force limit are both lower if it is determined that the particular safety situation exists, and are both higher if it is not determined that the particular safety situation exists,

calculate whether one or both of the speed is higher than the speed limit and the specific force is higher than the specific force limit, and

create a flag in the vehicle record based on the calculation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle data management device is configured to automatically determine whether the particular safety situation exists based on the visual information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle data management device is configured to prompt the driver or the at least one emergency medical technician to confirm that a safety situation exists based on the visual information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the video capture device is located in the rear cabin, and wherein the safety situation is a person standing in the rear cabin.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the video capture device is located in the rear cabin, and wherein the safety situation is a patient laying in the rear cabin.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a first vehicle, wherein the video capture device is located externally of the first vehicle at or near a rear of the first vehicle, and wherein the safety situation is a second vehicle following too closely to the first vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a first vehicle, wherein the video capture device is located externally of the first vehicle at or near a front of the first vehicle, and wherein the safety situation is the first vehicle following too closely to a second vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle data management device is further configured to interpret gestures captured by the video capture device and to determine whether a particular safety situation exists with the emergency vehicle by interpreting the gestures.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific force sensing device is an accelerometer.

10. A method for vehicle data management, the method comprising:

receiving a specific force value from a specific force sensing device located on an emergency vehicle, the specific force value indicating a specific force undergone by the emergency vehicle;

receiving a speed value from a speed sensing device located on the emergency vehicle;

receiving visual information from a visual capture device located on the emergency vehicle, wherein the visual information includes visual information about one or more of the emergency vehicle, the driver, the patient, and the at least one emergency medical technician;

establishing a vehicle data record including at least a portion of the visual information;

determining whether a particular safety situation exists with the emergency vehicle based on the visual information,

selecting a speed limit and a specific force limit, wherein the speed limit and the specific force limit are both lower if it is determined that the particular safety situation exists, and are both higher if it is not determined that the particular safety situation exists,

calculating whether one or both of the speed is higher than the speed limit and the specific force is higher than the specific force limit, and

creating a flag in the vehicle record based on the calculation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the particular safety situation exists comprises automatically determining whether the particular safety situation exists based on the visual information.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising prompting the driver or the at least one emergency medical technician to confirm that a safety situation exists based on the visual information.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the video capture device is located in the rear cabin, and wherein the safety situation is a person standing in the rear cabin.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the video capture device is located in the rear cabin, and wherein the safety situation is a patient laying in the rear cabin.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle is a first vehicle, wherein the video capture device is located externally of the first vehicle at or near a rear of the first vehicle, and wherein the safety situation is a second vehicle following too closely to the first vehicle.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle is a first vehicle, wherein the video capture device is located externally of the first vehicle at or near a front of the first vehicle, and wherein the safety situation is the first vehicle following too closely to a second vehicle.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the visual information comprises gestures, and wherein determining whether the particular safety situation exists comprises automatically interpreting the gestures.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the specific force sensing device is an accelerometer.

19. A system for vehicle data management, the system comprising:

a specific force sensing device located on an emergency vehicle, the specific force sensing device configured to indicate a specific force undergone by the emergency vehicle;

a speed sensing device located on the emergency vehicle, the speed sensing device configured to indicate a speed of the emergency vehicle;

a condition indicator located on the emergency vehicle, the condition indicator configured to indicate information about presence or absence of a condition;

a vehicle data management device communicably coupled to the specific force sensing device, the speed sensing device, and the condition indicator, wherein the vehicle data management device is configured to establish a vehicle record, and is further configured to;

determine whether the condition is present or absent based on the information from the condition indicator,

adjust a speed limit and a specific force limit based on the determination,

create a flag when one or both of the speed is higher than the speed limit and the specific force is higher than the specific force limit.

20. A method for vehicle data management, the method comprising:

receiving a specific force value from a specific force sensing device located on an emergency vehicle, the specific force value indicating a specific force undergone by the emergency vehicle;

receiving a speed value from a speed sensing device located on the emergency vehicle;

receiving information about presence of absence of a condition from a condition indicator;

establishing a vehicle data record;

determining whether the condition is present or absent based on the information from the condition indicator;

adjusting a speed limit and a specific force limit based on the determination;

creating a flag in the vehicle record when one or both of the speed is higher than the speed limit and the specific force is higher than the specific force limit.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein creating the flag in the vehicle record comprises creating the flag in the vehicle record when one or both of the speed is higher than the speed limit and the specific force is higher than the specific force limit for a preset grace period time.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the condition indicator is a windshield wiper indicator, wherein adjusting the speed limit and the specific force limit comprises lowering the speed limit and the specific force limit.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the condition indicator is an emergency siren indicator, wherein adjusting the speed limit and the specific force limit comprises raising the speed limit and the specific force limit.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the condition indicator is an emergency lights indicator, wherein adjusting the speed limit and the specific force limit comprises raising the speed limit and the specific force limit.