Burglarproof and event-recording apparatus for vehicle and method for the same

• US 6,753,764 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EJT Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Kuo, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US10/134,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20030201875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.2, 340/426.25, 340/426.24, 340/428, 340/541, 307/10.5, 701/300
• US Class Current: 340/426.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera

Abstract

A burglarproof and event-recording apparatus for a vehicle comprises at least one camera arranged on the vehicle to surveil an environmental image for the vehicle and store the image to an image-storing and logic-controlling unit until an alarm flag is set to 1 by the image-storing and logic-controlling unit. The apparatus will raise alarm and set the alarm flag to 1 once the vehicle is intruded. At this time, the image is stored in a currently-used memory block of the image-storing and logic-controlling unit and the intrusion condition is formed to the vehicle owner.

Claims

1. A vehicle security event-recording method comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing at least first and second memory blocks in a vehicle;

(b) automatically surveilling an area of the vehicle to continually acquire and pre-store images of said area selectively in at least one of said first and second memory blocks, said pre-storing of images being continued in the other of said first and second memory blocks when one is full;

(c) setting an alarm indication upon an unauthorized intrusion of the vehicle; and

(d) transmitting an informational signal to a user responsive to said alarm indication, at least a portion of said images pre-stored prior to said alarm indication being accessible to the user.

2. The vehicle security event-recording method as recited in claim 1, wherein said automatic surveilling is executed by video camera.

3. The vehicle security event-recording method as recited in claim 1, wherein said pre-storing of images continued in the other of said first and second memory blocks when one is full includes the step of overwriting earlier stored data in said other of said first and second memory blocks.

4. The vehicle security event-recording method as recited in claim 1, wherein said informational signal is transmitted by a mobile communication system in one of a GSM mobile communication format, a GPRS mobile communication system format, and a 3G mobile communication formats.

5. An event-recording security system for a vehicle comprising:

(a) a memory unit having at least first and second memory blocks;

(b) at least one camera unit;

(c) a control unit coupled to said memory and camera units, said control unit being operable to automatically actuate said camera unit to continually acquire and pre-store images of an area of the vehicle selectively in at least one of said first and second memory blocks, said pre-storing of images being continued in the other of said first and second memory blocks when one is full, said control unit being operable to set an alarm indication upon an unauthorized intrusion of the vehicle; and

(d) a communication unit coupled to said control unit for transmitting an informational signal to a user responsive to said alarm indication, at least a portion of said images pre-stored prior to said alarm indication being accessible to the user.

6. An event-recording security system as recited in claim 5, wherein said communication unit is a GSM mobile phone.

7. An event-recording security system as recited in claim 5, wherein said informational signal includes at least a portion of said pre-stored images.