Vehicle data recorder
DCFirst Claim
1. A vehicle-mounted device for capturing video imagery in response to a triggering event, comprising:
- a housing;
an image sensor mounted to said housing, said image sensor sensing optical phenomena representing said video imagery;
a data sensor circuit within said housing and in part responsive to said triggering event; and
a capture circuit within said housing;
said capture circuit comprising;
a non-volatile memory;
a volatile, random-access memory configured as a continuous-loop buffer, said volatile memory coupled to said non-volatile memory and coupled to said image sensor;
said volatile memory capturing a signal representing said video imagery from said image sensor in a first-in, first-overwritten manner, and, responsive to said data sensor circuit sensing a triggering event, terminating capture of said signal and copying the captured signal representing said a video imagery to said non-volatile memory.
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Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A self-contained device for capturing video imagery in response to a triggering event may include a mirror and be mounted to a vehicle windshield in place of a conventional rear-view mirror. The device includes a housing in which the electronics and related elements of the invention are contained. These elements include one or more data sensors, at least one of which is an image sensor,. Also included are a data sensor circuit and a capture circuit. The data sensor circuit responds to the triggering event, and may include data sensors coupled to vehicle systems such as a speedometer, tachometer, brake, turn signals or the like, or other data sensors such as an accelerometer or a vehicle position sensor. The triggering event may be, for example, a sudden change in acceleration indicative of an impending collision, or it may be a change in the signal provided by any such data sensor, including the image sensor. The capture circuit is coupled to the image sensor and captures a signal representing the video imagery by recording it in a digital memory, by transmitting it to a remote location, or by other suitable means. The capture circuit terminates capture of the signal in response to the data sensor circuit sensing a triggering event. The captured data thus describe circumstances leading up to the time of the triggering event. The data can be analyzed to help police, insurance or other investigative personnel understand those circumstances.
491 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A vehicle-mounted device for capturing video imagery in response to a triggering event, comprising:
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a housing;
an image sensor mounted to said housing, said image sensor sensing optical phenomena representing said video imagery;
a data sensor circuit within said housing and in part responsive to said triggering event; and
a capture circuit within said housing;
said capture circuit comprising;
a non-volatile memory;
a volatile, random-access memory configured as a continuous-loop buffer, said volatile memory coupled to said non-volatile memory and coupled to said image sensor;
said volatile memory capturing a signal representing said video imagery from said image sensor in a first-in, first-overwritten manner, and, responsive to said data sensor circuit sensing a triggering event, terminating capture of said signal and copying the captured signal representing said a video imagery to said non-volatile memory.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
said data sensor circuit further comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver identifying a geographic position of said vehicle-mounted device; and
said capture circuit further records a signal representing said geographic position.
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16. The vehicle-mounted device claimed in claim 1, wherein:
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said data sensor circuit further comprises a microphone; and
said capture circuit further records a signal representing a sound impinging upon said microphone.
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17. A vehicle-mounted device for capturing video imagery in response to a triggering event, comprising:
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a housing having a generally elongated shape;
a rear-view mirror mounted to said housing and having a generally elongated shape;
an image sensor mounted to said housing, said image sensor sensing optical phenomena representing said video imagery;
a data sensor circuit within said housing and in part responsive to said triggering event; and
a capture circuit within said housing;
said capture circuit comprising;
a non-volatile memory; and
a volatile, random-access memory configured as a continuous-loop buffer;
said volatile memory coupled to said non-volatile memory and coupled to said image sensor;
said volatile memory capturing a signal representing said video imagery from said image sensor in a first-in, first-overwritten manner, and, responsive to said data sensor circuit sensing a triggering event, terminating capture of said signal and copying the captured signal representing said video imagery to said non-volatile memory.- View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
said data sensor circuit further comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver identifying a geographic position of said vehicle-mounted device; and
said capture circuit further records a signal representing said geographic position.
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32. The vehicle-mounted device claimed in claim 17, wherein:
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said data sensor circuit further comprises a microphone; and
said capture circuit further records a signal representing a sound impinging upon said microphone.
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33. A method for capturing video imagery in a vehicle-mounted system in response to a triggering event, said system comprising a rear-view mirror device mounted upon a windshield of a vehicle, said rear-view mirror device having a housing with a generally elongated shape, a mirror assembly mounted to said housing and having a generally elongated shape, an image sensor mounted to said housing and sensing optical phenomena representing said video imagery, a data sensor circuit within said housing, and a capture circuit within said housing;
- said capture circuit comprising;
a non-volatile memory; and
a volatile, random-access memory configured as a continuous-loop buffer, said volatile memory coupled to said non-volatile memory, the method comprising the steps of;using said image sensor sensing optical phenomena transmitted through a portion of said mirror assembly and representing said video imagery;
using said capture circuit capturing said video imagery in said volatile, random-access memory in a first-in, first-overwritten manner, and, responsive to said data sensor circuit sensing a triggering event, terminating capture of a signal representing said video imagery and copying the captured signal representing video imagery to said non-volatile memory.- View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
- said capture circuit comprising;
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36. A method for capturing video imagery in a vehicle-mounted system in response to a triggering event, said system comprising a rear-view mirror device mounted upon a windshield of a vehicle, said rear-view mirror device having a housing with a generally elongated shape, a mirror assembly mounted to said housing and having a generally elongated shape, an image sensor mounted to said housing and sensing optical phenomena representing said video imagery, a data sensor circuit within said housing, and a capture circuit within said housing;
- said capture circuit comprising;
a non-volatile memory; and
a volatile, random-access memory configured as a continuous-loop buffer;
said volatile memory coupled to said non-volatile memory, the method comprising the steps of;using said image sensor sensing optical phenomena representing said video imagery impinging upon it from a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of elongation of said housing and forwardly through said windshield of said vehicle and said video imagery impinging upon it from a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of elongation of said housing and rearwardly with respect to said vehicle;
using said capture circuit capturing said video imagery in said volatile, random-access memory in a first-in, first-overwritten manner, and, responsive to said data sensor circuit sensing a triggering event, terminating capture of a signal representing said video imagery and copying the captured signal representing video imagery to said non-volatile memory.- View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
- said capture circuit comprising;
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39. A method for mounting a system for capturing video imagery in response to a triggering event, comprising the steps of mounting upon a vehicle windshield a device comprising a housing, an image sensor mounted to said housing to sensing optical phenomena representing said video imagery, a data sensor circuit within said housing responsive to said triggering event, and a capture circuit within said housing;
- said capture circuit comprising;
a non-volatile memory; and
a volatile, random-access memory configured as a continuous-loop buffer;
said volatile memory coupled to said non-volatile memory and coupled to said image sensor using;
using said volatile memory capturing a signal representing said video imagery from said image sensor in a first-in, first-overwritten manner, and, responsive to said data sensor circuit sensing a triggering event, terminating capture of said signal and copying the captured signal representing said video imagery to said non-volatile memory. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
- said capture circuit comprising;
Specification