Computerized vehicle log
First Claim
1. An accident recording system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a digital camera;
a flash memory having a limited number of sectors for recording digital images, one image per sector;
a microcontroller connected to the digital camera and the flash memory; and
an interrupter connected to the microcontroller;
wherein the microcontroller accesses images from the digital camera periodically, stores the images sequentially in the sectors of the flash memory, and, after the last sector in the sequence is stored, overwrites the oldest sector with each new image, and wherein the interrupter terminates operation of the vehicle accident recording system, thereby providing a visual record of a specific and limited period of time immediately preceding an accident.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle accident recording system employs a digital camera connected to a controller, a non-volatile memory, and an accident-sensing interrupter. The controller accesses images from the digital camera periodically and stores the images in a limited space of n sectors. After all n sectors are filled, each new image is overwritten to the oldest stored image. In the event of an accident, the interrupter causes the operation of storing images to cease. The result is a recorded history of n images spanning a time period up to the incidence of an accident of the number of images stored times the average time period between images. In a preferred embodiment the system has a communication port whereby the stored images may be downloaded after an accident to a digital device capable of displaying the images, thereby providing a visual record of the time period immediately preceding an accident. In alternative embodiments vehicle operating data is recorded, positional information is accesses and recorded, and on-board control routines convert raw data to meaningful information.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An accident recording system for a vehicle, comprising:
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a digital camera; a flash memory having a limited number of sectors for recording digital images, one image per sector; a microcontroller connected to the digital camera and the flash memory; and an interrupter connected to the microcontroller; wherein the microcontroller accesses images from the digital camera periodically, stores the images sequentially in the sectors of the flash memory, and, after the last sector in the sequence is stored, overwrites the oldest sector with each new image, and wherein the interrupter terminates operation of the vehicle accident recording system, thereby providing a visual record of a specific and limited period of time immediately preceding an accident. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for providing a visual record of events leading to a vehicle accident, comprising steps of:
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(a) mounting a digital camera to focus in the direction of vehicle travel; (b) connecting the digital camera to a controller, a non-volatile memory having a limited number of sequential sectors for storing images from the digital camera, and an interrupter; (c) storing digital images sequentially in sectors of the non-volatile memory periodically; (d) after all of the limited number of sectors of the non-volatile memory are filled, overwriting the oldest stored sector with each new image stored; and (e) stopping storing of images by action of the interrupter sensing an accident. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A computerized vehicle log system comprising:
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a CPU; a digital camera; a flash memory having a limited number of sectors for recording digital images, one image per sector; a non-volatile memory connected to the CPU; an interrupter connected to the CPU; and one or more transducers connected to the CPU and adapted for sampling vehicle operating characteristics; wherein the microcontroller accesses images from the digital camera periodically, stores the images sequentially in the sectors of the flash memory, and, after the last sectors in the sequence is stored, overwrites the oldest sector with each new image stored, and wherein the interrupter terminates operation of the vehicle accident recording system, thereby providing a visual record of a period of time immediately preceding an accident, and wherein the CPU periodically polls the one or more transducers and stores time-related snapshots of vehicle operating characteristics in the non-volatile memory. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification