Vehicle intrusion monitoring system and method

• US 7,129,838 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2004
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Shimomura, Toshio, Shimonomoto, Ifushi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAI T
• Application Number:
  US10/972,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20050099273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 340/541, 340/540, 340/426.1, 340/425.5, 340/937, 348/148, 348/152, 348/143
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• 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 vehicle intrusion monitoring system that eliminates unnecessary image capture and transmission by controlling the timing of image capture by a camera installed inside a vehicle. A control ECU in the vehicle intrusion monitoring system issues a first image capture command to a camera triggered by an abnormality detected by a sensor while the system is in watch state. Then, the control ECU issues a second and further image capture commands only when an intrusion detector picks up an intruder inside the vehicle to eliminate unnecessary image capture and transmission.

Claims

1. A vehicle intrusion monitoring system comprising:

at least one camera on a vehicle;

an abnormality detection means that at least detects multiple types of abnormalities of the vehicle including presence of an intruder;

a transmission means that transmits data including captured image data taken by the camera to an external device, outside the vehicle, with wireless communication;

a control means that outputs a capture command to the camera based on a signal from the abnormality detection means when the vehicle is in a watch state, wherein

the control means outputs a transmission command to the transmission means to cause the transmission means to transmit the captured image data acquired by the capture command,

the control means outputs the capture command for the first time whenever the abnormality detection means detects an abnormality regardless of the type of abnormality after the watch state is set on the vehicle; and

subsequent to the capture command being outputted for the first time,

the control means outputs the capture command when the abnormality detection means detects an intruder entering the vehicle;

the control means outputs the transmission command to the transmission means when the abnormality detection means detects an abnormality of the vehicle, and

the data transmitted by the transmission means includes an indication of omission of the captured image data and a reason for the omission of the captured image data when the control means does not output the capture command to the camera.

3. The vehicle intrusion monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein abnormality identification information that indicates which type of abnormality detected by the abnormality detection means triggered the camera to capture the image is included in the data transmitted by the transmission means.

4. The vehicle intrusion monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

an additional camera installed on the vehicle,

wherein camera identification information, which identifies the camera among those installed on the vehicle that originated the captured image data, is included in the data transmitted by the transmission means.

2. A vehicle intrusion monitoring system comprising:

at least one camera on a vehicle;

an abnormality detection means that at least detects multiple types of abnormalities of the vehicle, including the presence of an intruder;

a transmission means that transmits a captured image data taken by the camera to an external device outside the vehicle with wireless communication; and

a control means that outputs a capture command to the camera based on a signal from the abnormality detection means when the vehicle is in a watch state, wherein

the control means has predetermined sets of capture command issuance conditions with regard to the multiple types of abnormalities detected by the abnormality detection means for a first capture command and subsequent capture commands, respectively,

the control means outputs the first capture command to the camera only when at least one predetermined set of capture command issuance conditions for the first capture command is fulfilled, and

the control means outputs subsequent capture commands to the camera only when at least one predetermined set of capture command issuance conditions for the subsequent capture commands is fulfilled.

5. A vehicle intrusion monitoring method, the method comprising:

watching out for an abnormality detection signal from an abnormality detecting means provided in a vehicle;

sending a capture command for a first time to a camera to capture an image when a possibility of an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detecting means;

sending the capture command again to the camera to capture the image only when an intrusion into the vehicle is detected after the capture command has been sent for the first time;

sending notification of the abnormality to a user of the vehicle upon detecting the abnormality;

sending a captured image data to an external device, outside the vehicle, with wireless communication;

receiving a request for the captured image data from the user of the vehicle when the camera captured an image of the abnormality; and

sending data of the captured image together with related information to the user of the vehicle.