VEHICLE DATA RECORDER

• US 20100070129A1
• Filed: 12/03/2007
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Yule, Andrew T.
• Application Number:
  US12/517,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070129A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A vehicle data recorder comprises a front end RF receiver and a memory device for storing sampled satellite positioning signal data from the 5 front end receiver. The memory device stores a block of sampled data corresponding to a time period leading up to the time of an incident involving the vehicle. The data can be stored with a low cost system, and can be analysed after the incident by a remote data processing station.

Claims

1. A vehicle data recorder, comprising:

a front end RF receiver for receiving satellite positioning signal data;

a memory device for storing sampled satellite positioning signal data from, the front end receiver); and

means for controlling the memory device to store a block of sampled satellite positioning signal data corresponding to a time period leading up to the time of an incident involving the vehicle.

2. A vehicle data recorder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the satellite positioning signal data comprises GPS data.

3. A vehicle data recorder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory device is adapted by the controlling means to operate with a circular first in first out function.

4. A vehicle data recorder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory device is adapted to store samples of the frequency down-converted received RF signals.

5. A vehicle data recorder as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a detector for detecting the incident and cease any subsequent replacement of memory data.

6. A vehicle data recorder as claimed in claim 5, wherein the detector is for receiving an airbag actuation signal.

7. A vehicle data recorder as claimed in claim 5, wherein the detector comprises an accelerometer and/or emergency button.

8. A vehicle data recorder as claimed in claim 1 wherein the memory device is adapted by the controlling means to operate with a circular first in first out function only when a vehicle ignition is turned on.

9. A vehicle data recorder as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of antennae, and wherein the memory device is adapted to store sampled satellite positioning signal data from each of the antennae.

10. A vehicle data recorder system, comprising:

a vehicle data recorder as claimed in claim 1; and

a processing system for processing the sampled satellite positioning signal data from the memory device to derive historical speed and position information.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, comprising a plurality of vehicle data recorders each as claimed claim 1,

wherein the processing system is adapted to process together the sampled data from the memory devices of a plurality of vehicle data recorders to derive historical speed and position information.

12. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processing system comprises a memory device for storing historical satellite positioning information to enable the processing of the historical sampled satellite positioning signal data.

13. A method of analysing vehicle data concerning a vehicle involved in an incident, comprising:

in advance of the incident, storing sampled satellite positioning signal data form an RF front end receiver provided on board the vehicle into a memory device on board the vehicle; and

after the incident, processing the sampled satellite positioning signal data from the memory device at a processing site remote from the vehicle to derive historical speed and position information.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein processing the sampled satellite positioning signal data comprises processing together the sampled satellite positioning signal data from the memory devices of a plurality of vehicles.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein processing the sampled satellite positioning signal data comprises using stored historical satellite positioning information to enable the processing of the historical sampled satellite positioning signal data.