Vehicle internal image surveillance, recording and selective transmission to an active communications satellite

• US 6,580,450 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2000
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Accurate Automation Corp.
• Original Assignee: Accurate Automation Corp.
• Inventors: Robinson, Timothy W., Pap, Robert M., Kersting, Bernard C, Donovan, David J, Kocher, Melvin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US09/532,737
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 348/144, 348/148, 348/149, 348/143, 348/153
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0053 using visual equipment, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1965 the vehicle being an aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A vehicle imaging surveillance and recording system adapted to monitor conditions prevailing during the course of a trip and provided for this purpose cameras are placed in the control station of the vehicle and about the vehicle. At least two recording devices record the output of the cameras. One device records a thirty minute high resolution image. The second device records a two hour lower resolution image. Both devices compress the data that is to be recorded in storage. The output signals yielded from storage are fed into an on-board transmitter to modulate a carrier that is radiated from the vehicle and intercepted by an active communications satellite. These output signals are being transmitted only under certain conditions. One condition is to provide a switch under the control of a crew member in the control station of the vehicle. The other condition provides for automatically switching on the transmission to the satellite when certain parameters occur.

Claims

1. A vehicle surveillance and recording system adapted to monitor conditions prevailing during the course of a trip by the vehicle and operating in conjunction with an active communication satellite, the vehicle including a control and operation section occupied by an operating crew provided with an instrument panel and controls, said system comprising:

a plurality of cameras positioned at different elected sites in and/or outside the vehicle to yield real-time image signals, one of said cameras being placed in the control and operations section and being focused on said instrument panel and controls, a second of said cameras being placed in the control and operation section to view the faces of the crew, at least one of said cameras incudes an audio function to pick up the voice of the crew;

a transmitter installed in said vehicle which selectively generates a radio frequency carrier and is coupled to an antenna which radiates the carrier so that it can be intercepted by the satellite;

a first means to apply the signals from the cameras to a first loop recorder adapted and constructed to record a short period of recordation before being overwritten, a second means to apply the signals from the camera to a second loop recorder adapted and constructed to compress a relatively long period of recordation before being overwritten, means to apply the signals form the first and second loop recorders to the transmitter to modulate the carrier whereby the satellite retransmits the modulated carrier, said means to apply the signals from the first and second loop recorders being controlled by manual switch means and by automatic switch means, said automatic switch means adapted and constructed to be sensitive to predetermined operating condition of the vehicle;

a ground recording station adapted to receive retransmitted signals form the satellite and to record and store these signals, including those exhibiting the instrument panel and controls as well as the crew and their voices whereby an investigator of an event involving the vehicle, by playing the recording, can then analyze the conditions which prevailed at the time of the event.

2. The vehicle surveillance and recording system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

3. The vehicle surveillance and recording system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the cameras is a video camera.

4. The vehicle surveillance and recording system of claim 1 wherein the inputs from at least one of the cameras is operationally connected to an electronics compressor and then operationally connected to a storage processor.

5. The vehicle surveillance and recording system of claim 1 wherein the first loop recorder operates for a period of about thirty minutes before being overwritten and the second loop recorder operates for a period of about two hours before being overwritten.

6. The vehicle surveillance and recording system of claim 5 wherein the first loop recorder is of relatively high resolution and the second loop recorder is of relatively lower resolution.