Mobile multiplexed slow scan video system

• US 6,480,224 B1
• Filed: 08/27/1999
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Brown, Robert V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): SENFI, BEHROOZ M
• Application Number:
  US09/384,673
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 348/118, 348/42, 348/51, 348/148, 348/149, 701/36, 701/35, 701/118, 340/910, 340/431
• US Class Current: 348/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A mobile closed circuit television system in which a pre-existing data communication system in a vehicle is used as a medium for transmitting video data from an on-board television camera (12) to an on-board television monitor. The pre-existing data communication system has a data bus (10) that serves various electric and electronic devices throughout a vehicle, and is embodied in wiring modules, or wiring harnesses, that run throughout the vehicle. The pre-existing data bus utilizes an operating protocol embodied in a published standard that is recognized by the industry, SAE Standard J1939, published by the Society of Automotive Engineers, being the particular one utilized in practice of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mobile vehicle comprising:

a closed circuit television system;

an electronic data link through which various devices in the vehicle communicate according to a defined data transmission protocol for the vehicle;

the closed circuit television system comprising a television camera for observing a field of view and providing signals representing the field of view;

a television monitor for presenting an image of the field of view; and

a processing system for processing the signals from the television camera into signals for the monitor, the processing system comprising a processor that processes the signals from the television camera to create data signals defining video frames corresponding to fields of view observed from time to time by the video camera and conforming to the defined data transmission protocol for the vehicle and that places the created signals on the electronic data link for transmission to the monitor.

2. A mobile vehicle as set forth in claim 1 in which the processing system comprises a user interface for enabling a user to modify certain characteristics of the captured frames for creating desired characteristics in the appearance of the frames on a screen of the monitor.

3. The improvement set forth in claim 1 in which the electronic data link through which various devices in the vehicle communicate according to a defined data transmission protocol for the vehicle utilizes SAE Standard J1939 as the protocol.

7. A mobile vehicle as set forth in claim 1 in which the electronic data link through which various devices in the vehicle communicate according to a defined data transmission protocol for the vehicle comprises an electronic data link utilizing a protocol conforming to a Society of Automotive Engineers standard.

4. A method of equipping a mobile vehicle with a closed circuit television system, the method comprising:

providing a vehicle that has a pre-existing electronic data link through which various devices in the vehicle communicate according to a defined data transmission protocol for the vehicle;

installing in the vehicle a closed circuit television system comprising a television camera for observing a field of view and a television monitor for presenting an image of the field of view;

processing signals from the camera that represent an image frame of the field of view observed by the camera to create data signals conforming to the defined data transmission protocol for the vehicle; and

placing the created signals on the electronic data link for transmission to the monitor.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4 including modifying, by a user interface of the processing system, certain characteristics of the captured frames for creating desired characteristics in the appearance of the frames on a screen of the monitor.

6. A method as set forth in claim 4 in which the step of processing signals from the camera that represent an image frame of the field of view observed by the camera to create data signals conforming to the defined data transmission protocol for the vehicle comprises processing the signals from the camera to create data signals conforming to the protocol of SAE Standard J1939.

8. A method as set forth in claim 4 in which the step of processing signals from the camera that represent an image frame of the field of view observed by the camera to create data signals conforming to the defined data transmission protocol for the vehicle comprises processing the signals from the camera to create data signals conforming to a protocol of a Society of Automotive Engineers standard.