ON-VEHICLE EMERGENCY CALL APPARATUS

• US 20080225118A1
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takeyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,154,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/302 using recording means, e.g. black box
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

An on-vehicle emergency call apparatus includes: a camera capturing an image of an interior of a vehicle; a capturing controller controlling the camera; and a transmitter transmitting an image capturing result obtained by the capturing camera to an emergency information center. The capturing controller controls the camera so as to capture images while switching alternately between an instant capturing shutter speed for capturing an instant image of a subject and a translocation capturing shutter speed for capturing a translocation image of the subject, in which instant capturing shutter speed and the translocation capturing shutter speed are different from each other. An image superimposer can superimpose the instant image and the translocation image to produce the image capturing result. An incident detector can detect an incident involving the vehicle whereupon the image superimposer superimposes the instant image and the translocation image to produce the image capturing result when the incident detector detects an incident involving the vehicle.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle emergency call apparatus comprising:

a camera capturing an image of an interior of a vehicle;

a capturing controller controlling the camera; and

a transmitter transmitting an image capturing result obtained by the capturing camera to an emergency information center, wherein

the capturing controller controls the camera so as to capture images while switching alternately between an instant capturing shutter speed for capturing an instant image of a subject and a translocation capturing shutter speed for capturing a translocation image of the subject, in which instant capturing shutter speed and the translocation capturing shutter speed are different from each other.

2. The on-vehicle emergency call apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image superimposer superimposing the instant image and the translocation image to produce said image capturing result.

3. The on-vehicle emergency call apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an incident detector detecting an incident involving the vehicle;

and wherein the image superimposer superimposes the instant image and the translocation image to produce said image capturing result when the incident detector detects an incident involving the vehicle.

4. An on-vehicle emergency call apparatus comprising:

a means for capturing an image of the interior of a vehicle;

a means for controlling the capturing means; and

a means for transmitting an image capturing result obtained by the capturing means to an emergency information center, wherein

the controlling means controls the capturing means so as to capture images while switching alternately between an instant capturing shutter speed for capturing an instant image of a subject and a translocation capturing shutter speed for capturing a translocation image of the subject, in which the instant capturing shutter speed and the translocation capturing shutter speed are different from each other.

5. The on-vehicle emergency call apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a means for superimposing the instant image and the translocation image to produce said image capturing result.

6. The on-vehicle emergency call apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a means for detecting an incident involving the vehicle;

and wherein the image superimposing means superimposes the instant image and the translocation image to produce said image capturing result when the incident detector detects an incident involving the vehicle.

7. An on-vehicle emergency call method comprising:

capturing an image of the interior of a vehicle;

controlling a camera; and

transmitting an image capturing result obtained by the camera to an emergency information center, wherein

the controlling of the camera is by switching alternately between an instant capturing shutter speed for capturing an instant image of a subject and a translocation capturing shutter speed for capturing a translocation image of the subject, in which the instant capturing shutter speed and the translocation capturing shutter speed are different from each other.

8. The on-vehicle emergency call method according to claim 7, further comprising superimposing the instant image and the translocation image to produce said image capturing result.

9. The on-vehicle emergency call method according to claim 8, further comprising detecting an incident involving the vehicle;

and wherein the superimposing of the instant image and the translocation image to produce said image capturing result occurs when an incident involving the vehicle is detected.