VEHICLE EVENT RECORDING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20170278318A1
• Filed: 06/12/2017
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Palmer, Jason, Sljivar, Slaven, Deninger, Daniel A., Vaidya, Alekh, Griswold, Jeffrey, Freitas, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 10,360,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a system configured to generate synchronized electronic vehicle event records. The synchronized vehicle event records may include vehicle operation information, video information, and/or other information. The synchronized electronic vehicle event records may be generated remotely (e.g., “in the cloud”) from a vehicle. The system is configured to communicate with factory installed and/or other (e.g., third party) vehicle systems to generate the vehicle event information and/or cause other information relevant to a particular vehicle event to be transmitted in addition to the vehicle event information. By communicating with existing vehicle systems and causing these systems to transmit information related to vehicle events themselves, and generating the synchronized electronic vehicle event records remotely from a vehicle the system reduces the amount and/or cost of aftermarket equipment that must be installed in a vehicle for vehicle event monitoring.

Claims

1. ) A system configured to generate a vehicle event record, the system comprising:

one or more physical computer processors located remotely from a vehicle, the one or more physical computer processors being configured by computer readable instructions to;

receive, over a network during a first transmission, vehicle event information from a control unit mounted to the vehicle, the control unit configured to (i) receive vehicle operation information via output signals generated by sensors coupled with the vehicle and (ii) detect vehicle events based on the output signals, the vehicle event information including vehicle operation information that corresponds to the detected vehicle events, the detected vehicle events including a first vehicle event;

receive, over the network during a second transmission, video information corresponding to the first vehicle event from a video system, the second transmission being separate from the first transmission, the video system including a video camera, the video system being mounted to the vehicle and being physically separate and distinct from the control unit, wherein the video information has been captured during periods of time for the detected vehicle events, the periods of time including a first period of time for the first vehicle event, the video information including consecutive frames of visual information representing an environment about the vehicle;

analyze the vehicle event information to identify information indicative of a physical event conveyed by the output signals and analyze the video information to identify information indicative of the physical event;

correlate, by the one or more physical computer processors, the vehicle event information for the first vehicle event with the video information that corresponds to the first vehicle event based on the analysis of the vehicle event information and the video information such that the correlating is performed at a location remote from the vehicle; and

generate a first event record that includes or identifies the video information that corresponds to the first vehicle event and the vehicle event information for the first vehicle event.

2. ) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured such that correlating the vehicle event information and the video information includes identifying and correlating:

first time information associated with the vehicle event information for the first vehicle event and second time information associated with the video information captured during the first period of time.

3. ) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured such that correlating the vehicle event information and the video information includes identifying and correlating:

information indicative of the physical event conveyed by the output signals included in the vehicle event information for the first vehicle event and information indicative of the same physical event conveyed by the video information captured during the first period of time

4. ) The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured such that:

the detected vehicle events have individual start times and individual end times, and

the vehicle event information includes vehicle operation information for periods of time that last from before the individual start times until after the individual end times; and

wherein the video system is configured such that the video information includes video information for periods of time that last from before the individual start times until after the individual end times.

5. ) The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the sensors;

the video system; and

the control unit.

6. ) The system of claim 5, wherein the video system is included in one or more external vehicle systems that generate information about the vehicle.

7. ) The system of claim 1, wherein the video camera is an aftermarket camera.

8. ) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured by computer readable instructions to:

responsive to receiving the vehicle event information, send a message from the remote location to the video system, wherein the message requests that the video system transmits video information that corresponds to the first vehicle event, and wherein the remote location is remote from the vehicle.

9. ) The system of claim 8, wherein the video information is received over the network responsive to the message.

10. ) The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes one or more of an automobile, a truck, a delivery vehicle, a plane, or a train.

11. ) A method for generating a vehicle event record, the method comprising:

receiving, over a network during a first transmission, vehicle event information from a control unit mounted to a vehicle, the control unit configured to (i) receive vehicle operation information via output signals generated by sensors coupled with the vehicle and (ii) detect vehicle events based on the output signals, the vehicle event information including vehicle operation information that corresponds to the detected vehicle events, the detected vehicle events including a first vehicle event;

receiving, over the network during a second transmission, video information corresponding to the first vehicle event from a video system, the second transmission being separate from the first transmission, the video system including a video camera, the video system being mounted to the vehicle and being physically separate and distinct from the control unit, the video information being transmitted from the vehicle separately from the vehicle event information, wherein the video information has been captured during periods of time for the detected vehicle events, the periods of time including a first period of time for the first vehicle event, the video information including consecutive frames of visual information representing an environment about the vehicle;

analyze the vehicle event information to identify information indicative of a physical event conveyed by the output signals and analyze the video information to identify information indicative of the physical event;

correlate, by one or more physical computer processors located remotely from the vehicle, the vehicle event information for the first vehicle event with the video information that corresponds to the first vehicle event based on the analysis of the vehicle event information and the video information such that the correlating is performed at a location remote from the vehicle; and

generate a first event record that includes or identifies the video information that corresponds to the first vehicle event and the vehicle event information for the first vehicle event.

12. ) The method of claim 11, wherein correlating the vehicle event information and the video information includes identifying and correlating:

first time information associated with the vehicle event information for the first vehicle event and second time information associated with the video information captured during the first period of time.

13. ) The method of claim 11, wherein correlating the vehicle event information and the video information includes identifying and correlating:

information indicative of the physical event conveyed by the output signals included in the vehicle event information for the first vehicle event and information indicative of the same physical event conveyed by the video information captured during the first period of time

14. ) The method of claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured such that:

the detected vehicle events have individual start times and individual end times, and

the vehicle event information includes vehicle operation information for periods of time that last from before the individual start times until after the individual end times; and

wherein the video system is configured such that the video information includes video information for periods of time that last from before the individual start times until after the individual end times.

15. ) The method of claim 11, wherein the method is implemented in a system comprising:

the one or more physical computer processors;

the sensors;

the video system; and

the control unit.

16. ) The method of claim 15, wherein the video system is included in one or more external vehicle systems that generate information about the vehicle.

17. ) The method of claim 11, wherein the video camera is an aftermarket camera.

18. ) The method of claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the vehicle event information, send a message from the remote location to the video system, wherein the message requests that the video system transmits video information that corresponds to the first vehicle event, and wherein the remote location is remote from the vehicle.

19. ) The method of claim 18, wherein the video information is received over the network responsive to the message.

20. ) The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle includes one or more of an automobile, a truck, a delivery vehicle, a plane, or a train.