Vehicle compartment monitor

• US 6,947,071 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2002
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eico Industries, LLC
• Original Assignee: Eico Industries, LLC
• Inventors: Eichmann, Kirstin
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Application Number:
  US10/293,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20040090525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 348142-160, 340/539.1
• US Class Current: 348/142
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/008 allowing the driver to see passengers, e.g. for busses combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/29 for viewing an area inside the vehicle, e.g. for viewing passengers or cargo
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/207 using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8013 for child monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19632 Camera support structures, e.g. attachment means, poles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19689 Remote control of cameras, e.g. remote orientation or image zooming control for a PTZ camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The present invention includes devices, systems, and methods for providing a vehicle compartment monitoring system. The embodiments of the invention generally include a display, a camera, and a mechanism for relaying data signals from the camera to the display.

Claims

1. A vehicle compartment monitoring system, comprising:

a portable display which can be removably positioned within a compartment of a vehicle, where the display can be attached to and removed from a surface of the compartment without altering the surface;

a portable camera removably positioned within the compartment of the vehicle and operable to transmit data signals, where the camera can be attached to and removed from a surface of the compartment without altering the surface; and

means for relaying data signals from the camera to the display.

2. The vehicle compartment monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the portable display is removably positioned on a dashboard of a forward passenger compartment of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle compartment monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the portable display is removably positioned on a visor of the forward passenger compartment of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle compartment monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the portable display is removably positioned on a rearview mirror of a forward passenger compartment of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle compartment monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the portable display is integrated as a windshield display of the forward passenger compartment of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle compartment monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the portable camera is controllable from the display and operable to zoom in and out and pan horizontally, diagonally, and vertically in order to enlarge and reduce an image on the display and to adjust viewing.

7. The vehicle compartment monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the portable camera is removably positioned on a back seat of a rear passenger compartment of the vehicle to view a rearward facing childseat.

8. A vehicle compartment monitoring system, comprising:

a portable display releasably positionable on a number of different surfaces within a compartment of a vehicle, wherein the display can be interchanged between different vehicles without altering an original configuration of a given vehicle;

a first portable camera releasably position able on a number of different surfaces within the compartment of a vehicle and provided to transmit data signals, where the first camera can be interchanged between different vehicles without altering the original configuration of the given vehicle;

a second portable camera releasably positionable on a number of different surfaces within the compartment of a vehicle and provided to transmit data signals, where the second camera can be interchanged between different vehicles without altering the original configuration of the given vehicle;

a first transceiver connected to the first portable camera operable to transmit and receive data signals with the display;

a second transceiver connected to the second portable camera operable to transmit and receive data signals with the display; and

a third transceiver connected to the display operable to transmit and receive data signals with the first and second camera.

9. The compartment monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the portable display is releasably positionable to interchangeably be positioned on a dashboard and a rearview mirror.

10. The compartment monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the first and second cameras are releasably positionable to interchangeably be positioned on a rear passenger cabin window and a backseat.

11. The compartment monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the display can provide a split screen and picture-in-picture to show an image received by the first camera and the second camera simultaneously.

12. The compartment monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the display automatically cycles between images from the first camera and the second camera.

13. The compartment monitoring system of claim 12, wherein a user manually actuate the display to select between images from the first camera and the second camera.

14. A multiple object monitoring system for use in a vehicle, comprising:

a first camera;

a second camera;

a first display; and

wherein each camera is operable to transmit data signals to the first display and the first display is operable to receive the data signals the first display includes one or more controls for selection of which data signal to provide on the first display.

15. The multiple object monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the one or more controls of the first display provides for selection between a split screen, picture in picture, full screen, and cycling display of a first video image from the first camera and a second video image from a second camera.

16. The multiple object monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the first display is operable to switch from displaying the first video image to displaying the second video image based on a timer.

17. The multiple object monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the first display is operable to display the first and second video images simultaneously.

18. The multiple object monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the system further comprises a second display and wherein the first camera and the first display form a first unit and wherein the second camera and the second display form a second unit and wherein the camera component of the first unit is operable to transmit and receive control and data signals with the display component of the second unit;

and wherein the camera component of the second unit is operable to transmit and receive control and data signals with the display component of the first unit.

19. A method of forming a vehicle monitoring system, comprising;

removably positioning a first a portable camera and a first portable display within a forward passenger compartment of a vehicle, where the first portable camera and the first portable display can be removed from a surface of the vehicle without altering the surface;

removably positioning a second a portable camera and a second portable display within a rear passenger compartment of a vehicle, where the second portable camera and the second portable display can be removed from a surface of the vehicle without altering the surface;

operatively coupling the first portable camera in the forward passenger compartment to the second portable display in the rear passenger compartment so that an occupant in the rear passenger compartment can view an image from the first portable camera on the second portable display; and

operatively coupling the second portable camera in the rear passenger compartment to the first portable display in the forward passenger compartment so that an occupant in the forward passenger compartment can view an image from the second portable camera on the first portable display.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein removably positioning the first portable display includes removably positioning the first portable display on a dashboard of the forward passenger compartment of the vehicle.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein removably positioning the first portable display includes removably positioning the first portable display on a visor of the forward passenger compartment of the vehicle.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein removably positioning the first portable display includes integrating the first portable display into a windshield of the forward passenger compartment of the vehicle.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein removably positioning the first portable display includes removably positioning the first portable display on a rearview mirror of the forward passenger compartment of the vehicle.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein removably positioning the second camera includes removably positioning the second camera on a back seat of the rearward passenger compartment of the vehicle and facing forward to view a rearward facing childseat, and includes removably positioning the second camera on a front seat and facing rearward to view a forward facing childseat.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein removably positioning the second camera includes removably positioning the second camera on a side passenger window in the rearward passenger compartment of the vehicle.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising operatively coupling the first portable display to the second portable camera such that the first portable display can transmit control signals to the second portable camera.

27. A method of monitoring a vehicle compartment comprising;

locating a first camera and a first display within a vehicles, where the first camera and the first display can be removed from a surface of the vehicle without altering the surface to store and to prevent theft of the first camera and the first display, and to transfer the first camera and the first display far use in a separate vehicle;

locating a second camera and a second display within the vehicle, where the second camera and second display can be removed from a surface of the vehicle without altering the surface to store and to prevent theft of the second camera and the second display, and to transfer the second camera and the second display for use in a separate vehicle;

communicating data signals from the first camera to the first and the second display; and

communicating data signals from the second camera to the first and the second display.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein communicating data signals includes communicating data signals in real time.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein communicating data signals includes wirelessly communicating data and control signals using a carrier wave technology selected from the group of infrared, Bluetooth, and radio frequency signals.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the method further includes producing a video image on the first display and second display.