System for recording and modifying behavior of passenger in passenger vehicles
First Claim
1. A monitoring system for a vehicle such as a school bus including a driver area and a passenger seating area, the monitoring system comprising housing mean and video tape recording means, the video tape recording means including camera means, video cassette recorder means, and power means, the housing means being disposed within the vehicle and including housing means for containing the camera means therein, housing means for containing the video cassette recorder means therein, and means for connecting the camera means and the video cassette recorder means to the power means whereby a video history can be made of activity occurring in the passenger seating area, said housing means for the camera means including a cover having a window therein and the system including adjustable bracket means for accommodating mounting of the housing means for the camera means above the driver area in varying models of buses, said bracket means including adjustable mounting means for permitting adjustment of a viewing direction of the camera means contained within the housing means for the camera means, said housing means for the video cassette recorder means including indicator light mean for indicating when the system is on, indicator light means for indicating whether a cassette tape in the video cassette recorder means is full, cover means with a seal, filtered openings for permitting passage of cooling air to the video cassette recorder means, and means to secure the housing means for the video cassette recorder means relative to the vehicle.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for modifying behavior of passengers in passenger vehicles includes housings and video tape recording equipment. When the system is used with a plurality of vehicles there is at least one fully operational vide recording arrangement in housings in one of the vehicles along with empty housings set up to have the appearance of being operational arrangements in the other vehicles. The operational video recording arrangement is for keeping a video taped record of activity in a passenger area of the vehicle. The empty housings set up to appear operational help reduce the expense of the system and complement the operational arrangement to deter undesirable behavior of passengers in the passenger areas of the vehicles.
198 Citations
17 Claims
- 1. A monitoring system for a vehicle such as a school bus including a driver area and a passenger seating area, the monitoring system comprising housing mean and video tape recording means, the video tape recording means including camera means, video cassette recorder means, and power means, the housing means being disposed within the vehicle and including housing means for containing the camera means therein, housing means for containing the video cassette recorder means therein, and means for connecting the camera means and the video cassette recorder means to the power means whereby a video history can be made of activity occurring in the passenger seating area, said housing means for the camera means including a cover having a window therein and the system including adjustable bracket means for accommodating mounting of the housing means for the camera means above the driver area in varying models of buses, said bracket means including adjustable mounting means for permitting adjustment of a viewing direction of the camera means contained within the housing means for the camera means, said housing means for the video cassette recorder means including indicator light mean for indicating when the system is on, indicator light means for indicating whether a cassette tape in the video cassette recorder means is full, cover means with a seal, filtered openings for permitting passage of cooling air to the video cassette recorder means, and means to secure the housing means for the video cassette recorder means relative to the vehicle.
- 4. A monitoring system for a vehicle such as a school bus including a driver area and a passenger seating area, the monitoring system comprising housing mean and video tape recording means, the video tape recording means including camera means, video cassette recorder means, and power means, the housing means being disposed within the vehicle and including housing means for containing the camera means therein, housing means for containing the video cassette recorder means therein, and means for connecting the camera means and the video cassette recorder means to the power means whereby a video history can be made of activity occurring in the passenger seating area, said school bus including a key operated ignition system and a control panel connected to an electrical generating system in the school bus, a wiring panel on the housing for the video cassette recording means connected to the control panel, and said power means including a power inverter connected to the wiring panel for supply 120 volts of power to the video cassette recorder means.
-
6. A monitoring system for a vehicle such as a school bus including a driver area and a passenger seating area, the monitoring system comprising housing mean and video tape recording means, the video tape recording means including camera means, video cassette recorder means, and power means, the housing means being disposed within the vehicle and including housing means for containing the camera means therein, housing means for containing the video cassette recorder means therein, and means for connecting the camera means and the video cassette recorder means to the power means whereby a video history can be made of activity occurring in the passenger seating area, said housing means for the camera means including a heating means for keeping condensation from forming on lenses of the camera means.
-
7. Apparatus for housing a video tape recording system in a passenger vehicle including a passenger seating area, the apparatus comprising camera housing means including window means disposed within said vehicle, bracket means for mounting the camera housing means in said vehicle, video cassette recorder housing means having at least one indicator light means, means interconnecting said camera housing means and said video cassette recorder housing means, and power means for energizing said indicator light means thereby giving the apparatus for housing the appearance of being a fully operational monitoring system, said apparatus for housing being mounted in a school bus and said video cassette recorder housing means including a wiring panel connected to an electrical generating system in the bus, and power converter means interconnected to said camera housing means by way of said wiring panel on said video cassette recorder housing means.
- 8. A system for modifying behavior of passengers in school buses wherein there is a plurality of buses and each bus of said plurality includes a driver area and a passenger seating area, the system comprising apparatus for housing a video tape recording system for each bus of said plurality of buses, said apparatus for each bus including camera housing means having lens window means, bracket means for mounting the camera housing means, video cassette recorder housing means having at least one indicator light means, and power means for energizing said indicator light means thereby giving said apparatus for housing the appearance of being a fully operational monitoring system, and wherein at least one bus of said plurality of buses includes an operational video camera in said camera housing means, an operational video cassette recorder in said video cassette recorder housing means, and power means for supplying power as needed to operate said video tape recording system wherein a video taped history of activity in the passenger seating area can be kept for said at least one bus.
-
16. Apparatus for housing a video tape recording system in a passenger vehicle including a passenger seating area, the apparatus comprising camera housing means including window means disposed within said vehicle, bracket means for mounting the camera housing means in said vehicle, indicator light means visible from said passenger seating area, and power means for energizing said indicator light means thereby giving the apparatus for housing the appearance of being fully operational monitoring system.
-
17. A system for modifying behavior of passengers in school buses wherein there is a plurality of buses and each bus of said plurality includes a driver area and a passenger seating area, the system comprising apparatus for housing a video tape recording system for each bus of said plurality of buses, said apparatus for housing for each bus including camera housing means having lens window means, bracket means for mounting the camera housing means, indicator light means visible from said passenger seating area, and power means for energizing said indicator light means to thereby give said apparatus for housing the appearance of being a fully operational monitoring system, and wherein at least one bus of said plurality of buses includes an operational video tape recording system including a video camera in the camera housing means in said at least one bus and power means for supplying power as needed to operate said video tape recording system wherein a video taped history of activity in the passenger seating area can be kept for said at least one bus.
Specification