Mobile device wireless camera integration with a vehicle

• US 8,818,626 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Bowden, Upton B., Wingrove, Theodore C., Ciatti, Anthony J., Eichbrecht, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Application Number:
  US13/529,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20130345929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 348/148, 348/207.99, 386/224
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/22 for viewing an area outside the vehicle, e.g. the exterior of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/29 for viewing an area inside the vehicle, e.g. for viewing passengers or cargo
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/406 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8006 for monitoring and displaying scenes of vehicle interior, e.g. for monitoring passengers or cargo
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8013 for child monitoring

Abstract

A vehicle monitoring system includes a vehicle, a mobile camera device, a transmitter or transmitting transceiver, a receiver or receiving transceiver, and an integrated vehicle cockpit display. The mobile camera device, comprising a processor and a camera, is located within the vehicle or attached to the vehicle for taking an image or video within or outside the vehicle. The transmitter or transmitting transceiver is in communication with the mobile camera device for transmitting the image or the video taken by the mobile camera device. The receiver or receiving transceiver is for receiving the image or the video, taken by the mobile camera device, from the transmitter or the transmitting transceiver. The integrated vehicle cockpit display, built into the vehicle, is in communication with the receiver or the receiving transceiver for displaying the received image or the received video taken by the mobile camera device.

Claims

1. A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

a vehicle;

a mobile camera device located within the vehicle or attached to the vehicle for directly shooting itself an image or video within or outside the vehicle, the mobile camera device comprising a mobile phone, an MP3, a tablet, or a hand-held portable device having a processor;

a transmitter or transmitting transceiver in communication with the mobile camera device for transmitting the image or the video directly shot by the mobile camera device itself;

a receiver or receiving transceiver for receiving the image or the video, directly shot by the mobile camera device itself, from the transmitter or the transmitting transceiver; and

an integrated vehicle cockpit display, built into the vehicle, in communication with the receiver or the receiving transceiver for displaying the received image or the received video directly shot by the mobile camera device itself.

2. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the integrated vehicle cockpit display comprises a center-stack, an instrument cluster, an infotainment system, or a navigational system.

3. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the mobile camera device is located within the vehicle and positioned to directly shoot itself the image or the video of an occupant inside the vehicle.

4. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 3 wherein the mobile camera device is positioned to directly shoot itself the image or the video of a back-seat occupant inside the vehicle.

5. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the mobile camera device is attached to a seat of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the mobile camera device is positioned to directly shoot itself the image or the video of a person outside of and adjacent to the vehicle, an object outside of and adjacent to the vehicle, an activity outside of and adjacent to the vehicle, or a condition outside of and adjacent to the vehicle.

7. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter or the transmitting transceiver is operable to transmit wirelessly using Bluetooth, DLNA, Wi-Fi, Infrared, or radio frequency waves.

8. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising an integrated vehicle cockpit control in communication with the mobile camera device for controlling the mobile camera device by wirelessly transmitting control signals from the integrated vehicle cockpit control to the mobile camera device.

9. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising a mobile camera holding device attached to the vehicle holding the mobile camera device.

10. A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

a vehicle;

a mobile camera holding device attached to the vehicle and sized to hold a mobile camera device, the mobile camera device comprising a mobile phone, an MP3, a tablet, or a hand-held portable device having a processor;

a receiver or receiving transceiver for receiving image or video directly shot by the mobile camera device itself when the mobile camera device is secured to the mobile camera holding device; and

an integrated vehicle cockpit display, built into the vehicle, in communication with the receiver or the receiving transceiver for displaying the received image or the received video directly shot by the mobile camera device itself when the mobile camera device is secured to the mobile camera holding device.

11. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 10 wherein the integrated vehicle cockpit display comprises a center-stack, an instrument cluster, an infotainment system, or a navigational system.

12. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 10 wherein the mobile camera holding device is positioned so that when the mobile camera device is secured to the mobile camera holding device the mobile camera device will directly shoot itself the image or the video of an occupant inside the vehicle.

13. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 12 wherein the mobile camera holding device is positioned so that when the mobile camera device is secured to the mobile camera holding device the mobile camera device will directly shoot itself the image or the video of a back-seat occupant inside the vehicle.

14. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 10 wherein the mobile camera holding device is attached to a seat of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 10 wherein the mobile camera holding device is positioned so that the mobile camera device will directly shoot itself the image or the video of a person outside of and adjacent to the vehicle, an object outside of and adjacent to the vehicle, an activity outside of and adjacent to the vehicle, or a condition outside of and adjacent to the vehicle.

16. A method of vehicle monitoring comprising:

directly shooting an image or video within or outside a vehicle using a mobile camera device itself while the mobile camera device is located within the vehicle or attached to the vehicle, the mobile camera device comprising a mobile phone, an MP3, a tablet, or a hand-held portable device having a processor; and

displaying the image or the video directly shot by the mobile camera device itself on an integrated vehicle cockpit display built into the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising transmitting the image or the video directly shot by the mobile camera device itself, using a transmitter or transmitting transceiver in communication with the mobile camera device, to a receiver or receiving transceiver in communication with the integrated vehicle cockpit display.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the integrated vehicle cockpit display comprises a center-stack, an instrument cluster, an infotainment system, or a navigational system.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising the mobile camera device directly shooting itself the image or the video of an occupant inside the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising the mobile camera device directly shooting itself the image or the video of a person outside of and adjacent to the vehicle, an object outside of and adjacent to the vehicle, an activity outside of and adjacent to the vehicle, or a condition outside of and adjacent to the vehicle.