Vehicle event recorder systems

• US 10,878,646 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Issued: 12/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Plante, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Shanker, Julie M
• Application Number:
  US11/296,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 5,500 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera

Abstract

Vehicle recorder systems are arranged in configured with a video camera, light-weight memory systems, and radio communications facility suitable for use in conjunction with an automobile. An automobile equipped with these video recorder systems used normally throughout the service today, provides a video record of unusual events which may occur from time-to-time. Events such as accidents, near-miss incidents, driving of use, among others, trigger a system to preserve video images collected before and after the moment of the event. Replay of these images yield information regarding cause and true nature of the event. These systems are particularly arranged about, and in support of fleet use of vehicles. That is, groups of vehicles are arranged and coupled together whereby a plurality of such vehicles may communicate with a common system providing a fleet manager advanced fleet management tools.

Claims

1. A vehicle fleet management system comprising:

vehicle event recorder units coupled with vehicles, the vehicle event recording units being wirelessly coupled to a network and being configured to communicate via the network, the vehicle event recorder units including one or more vehicle sensors and video recording equipment, the one or more vehicle sensors being configured to detect vehicle events while the vehicles are operating, the vehicle events being related to the operation of the vehicles, wherein individual ones of the vehicle event recorder units are configured to;

responsive to detection of the vehicle events, generate vehicle event information, the vehicle event information including video information and operation information, the video information being captured by the video recording equipment from an environment about the vehicles, the operation information being conveyed by output signals generated by the one or more vehicle sensors during the vehicle events; and

a server, the server being coupled to the network, the server being configured to;

receive and electronically store the vehicle event information;

receive external information, the external information describing external conditions present during the vehicle event from one or more external computing systems;

associate the external information with the vehicle event information;

determine a frequency of the vehicle events that are detected for a particular section of a roadway, wherein the determination is based on the vehicle event information;

generate a roadway-specific safety indicator based on the determined frequency of the vehicle events and the external information, the roadway-specific safety indicator conveying safety information of the roadway travelled during the vehicle events, and wherein the safety indicator represents an indication of safety of the particular section of the roadway; and

facilitate presentation of the vehicle event information, the external information, and the roadway-specific safety indicator to an end user for analysis by the end user via a remote computing system associated with the end user to facilitate analysis of the vehicle events by the end user.

2. The vehicle fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to receive the vehicle event information from an individual one of the one or more vehicle sensors associated with a vehicle on-board databus system.

3. The vehicle fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to receive the vehicle event information from environmental sensors of the vehicle event recorder units that include one or more of an audio microphone, an accelerometer, a location sensor, or a panic button.

4. The vehicle fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to facilitate presentation of one or more of the vehicle event information, the external information, or the roadway-specific safety indicator to the end user for analysis responsive to a request from the remote computing system associated with the end user.

5. The vehicle fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to determine ambient weather conditions during the vehicle events, the ambient weather condition determination based on the vehicle event information and the external information.

6. A vehicle fleet management system comprising:

a first vehicle event recorder unit coupled with a first vehicle, the first vehicle event recorder unit including one or more vehicle sensors, the first vehicle event recorder unit being wirelessly coupled to a network and configured to communicate via network, the one or more vehicle sensors of the first vehicle event recorder unit being configured to detect a first vehicle event related to operation of the first vehicle, the first vehicle event being detected at a first point in time while the first vehicle is operating, wherein the first vehicle event recorder unit is further configured to;

responsive to detection of the first vehicle event, generate first vehicle event information, the first vehicle event information including information generated by the one or more vehicle sensors of the first vehicle event recorder unit during the first vehicle event, wherein the first vehicle event information further includes information related to a particular section of roadway travelled by the first vehicle during the first vehicle event;

a second vehicle event recorder unit coupled with a second vehicle, the second vehicle event recorder unit including one or more vehicle sensors, the second vehicle event recorder unit being wirelessly coupled to the network and configured to communicate via the network, the one or more vehicle sensors of the second vehicle event recorder unit being configured to detect a second vehicle event related to operation of the second vehicle, the second vehicle event being detected at a second point in time while the second vehicle is operating, wherein the second vehicle event recorder unit is further configured to;

responsive to detection of the second vehicle event, generate second vehicle event information, the second vehicle event information including information generated by the one or more vehicle sensors of the second vehicle event recorder unit during the second vehicle event, wherein the second vehicle event information further includes information related to the same particular section of the roadway travelled by the second vehicle during the second vehicle event; and

a server, the server being coupled to the network, wherein the server is configured to;

receive and electronically store the first vehicle event information;

receive and electronically store the second vehicle event information;

receive external information describing external conditions present during the first vehicle event and the second vehicle event from one or more external computing systems;

associate the external information with the first vehicle event information and the second vehicle event information;

generate a roadway-specific safety indicator based on the first vehicle event information, the second vehicle event information, and the external information, wherein the roadway-specific safety indicator is further based on a time period in which both the first vehicle event and the second vehicle event were detected, wherein the roadway-specific safety indicator conveys safety information of the particular section of the roadway travelled by the first vehicle during the first vehicle event and by the second vehicle during the second vehicle event, and wherein the roadway-specific safety indicator represents an indication of safety of the particular section of the roadway; and

facilitate presentation of the first vehicle event information, the second vehicle event information, the external information, and the roadway-specific safety indicator to an end user for analysis by the end user via a remote computing system associated with the end user to facilitate analysis of the first vehicle event and the second vehicle event by the end user.

7. A vehicle fleet management system comprising:

a first vehicle event recorder unit coupled with a first vehicle, the first vehicle event recorder unit including one or more vehicle sensors, the first vehicle event recorder unit being configured to communicate via a network, the one or more vehicle sensors of the first vehicle event recorder unit being configured to detect a first vehicle event related to operation of the first vehicle while the first vehicle is operating at or near a particular section of a roadway, wherein the first vehicle event recorder unit is further configured to;

responsive to detection of the first vehicle event, generate first vehicle event information, the first vehicle event information including information related to the particular section of the roadway travelled by the first vehicle during the first vehicle event;

a second vehicle event recorder unit coupled with a second vehicle, the second vehicle event recorder unit including one or more vehicle sensors, the second vehicle event recorder unit being configured to communicate via the network, the one or more vehicle sensors of the second vehicle event recorder unit being configured to detect a second vehicle event related to operation of the second vehicle while the second vehicle is operating at or near the same particular section of the roadway as the first vehicle during the first vehicle event, wherein the second vehicle event recorder unit is further configured to;

responsive to detection of the second vehicle event, generate second vehicle event information, the second vehicle event information including information related to the same particular section of the roadway travelled by the second vehicle during the second vehicle event; and

a server, the server being coupled to the network, wherein the server is configured to;

receive the first vehicle event information;

receive the second vehicle event information;

receive external information describing external conditions present during the first vehicle event and the second vehicle event from one or more external computing systems;

associate the external information with the first vehicle event information, the second vehicle event information, and the particular section of the roadway;

generate a roadway-specific safety indicator for the particular section of the roadway, wherein the roadway-specific safety indicator is based on the first vehicle event information, the second vehicle event information, and on a duration of a period of time in which the first vehicle event and the second vehicle event were detected, wherein the roadway-specific safety indicator conveys safety information of the particular section of the roadway travelled

(i) by the first vehicle during the first vehicle event, and

(ii) by the second vehicle during the second vehicle event, and wherein the roadway-specific safety indicator represents a road safety issue regarding the particular section of the roadway; and

facilitate presentation of the first vehicle event information, the second vehicle event information, and the roadway-specific safety indicator to an end user for analysis by the end user via a remote computing system associated with the end user to facilitate analysis of the first vehicle event and the second vehicle event by the end user.