Automatic in-car video recording apparatus for recording driving conditions inside and outside a car

• US 8,174,577 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tech-Cast Mfg. Corp.
• Original Assignee: Tech-Cast Mfg. Corp.
• Inventors: Chou, Rong-Her
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing
• Assistant Examiner(s): MIAH, RAZU A
• Application Number:
  US12/208,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20100060734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 348143-149
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/406 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0875 using magnetic data carriers

Abstract

An automatic in-car video recording apparatus includes a first and a second image acquiring units, an image processing unit, a control unit, an image access unit, a detecting unit, and a power supply unit. The first and second image acquiring units are synchronized to acquire images of road conditions in front of the car and images of driving conditions inside the car, respectively. The image processing unit integrates the two images on a split screen, and saves the images in the image access unit. The image access unit includes an externally connected memory unit. The control unit periodically stores part of the image data saved in the image access unit on the memory unit. When the detecting unit detects any abnormal condition, the control unit will also copy the image data saved in the image access unit to the memory unit. Therefore, driving conditions of the car are automatically recorded.

Claims

1. An automatic in-car video recording apparatus for installing in a car to record and save images of driving conditions inside and outside the car when the car is started, the automatic in-car video recording apparatus comprising:

a first image acquiring unit for acquiring images of road conditions in front of the car;

a second image acquiring unit synchronized with the first image acquiring unit for acquiring images of conditions inside the car;

an image display unit;

an image processing unit integrating the images synchronously acquired by the first and the second image acquiring unit, so that images showing conditions inside and outside the car are simultaneously presented as a single image, wherein the image processing unit is electrically connected to the image display unit;

an image access unit for saving the synchronized images inside and outside the car that have been processed by the image processing unit, and further including an externally connected memory unit;

a control unit for periodically storing part of the image data saved in the image access unit on the memory unit at preset time intervals;

a detecting unit for detecting abnormal driving conditions, and driving the control unit to copy the image data saved in the image access unit to the memory unit when any abnormal condition is detected by the detecting unit, wherein all images acquired by said first and second image acquiring units are continuously copied to the memory unit by the control unit after an unusual driving condition is detected; and

a power supply unit for supplying power needed by all other units to operate normally.

2. The automatic in-car video recording apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory unit is selected from the group consisting of a removable memory card and a storage device.

3. The automatic in-car video recording apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detecting unit is electrically connected to an in-car airbag sensor.

4. The automatic in-car video recording apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detecting unit is electrically connected to an in-car vibration sensor.

5. The automatic in-car video recording apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detecting unit is electrically connected to an in-car ABS sensor.

6. The automatic in-car video recording apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image display unit is an in-car LCD screen.

7. The automatic in-car video recording apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a push button and a remote control switch, allowing a user to selectively manually or remotely control the control unit to copy the image data saved in the image access unit to the memory unit.

8. The automatic in-car video recording apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an antitheft sensor unit for driving the control unit to copy the image data saved in the image access unit to the memory unit when the antitheft sensor unit detects that an in-car antitheft system is triggered.

9. The automatic in-car video recording apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a wireless transceiver module unit electrically connected to the image access unit and the control unit.