Capturing driving risk based on vehicle state and automatic detection of a state of a location

• US 9,344,683 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2012
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
• Inventors: Williams, Christopher S., Nemat-Nasser, Syrus C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor
• Application Number:
  US13/687,163
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 348/118, 348/119, 348/148, 340/436, 340/437, 340/995.1, 340/998, 340/903, 340/937, 701/28, 701/301, 360/5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/23 Testing, monitoring, correcting or calibrating of receiver elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/44 Event detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A system for capturing an event comprises a processor and a memory. The processor was configured to a) determine that a vehicle is approaching a location of interest; b) capture an image of the location; c) analyze the image to determine a state of the location; and d) modify an event criterion based at least in part on the state of the location. The memory is coupled to the processor and is configured to provide the processor with instructions.

Claims

1. A system for capturing an event, comprising:

a processor configured to;

determine that a vehicle is approaching an intersection;

estimate an image capture trigger time, wherein the image capture trigger time comprises a time when the vehicle is approaching the intersection and provides an optimal view of the intersection to determine a state of the intersection, wherein the image capture trigger time is based at least in part on a driver profile;

capture an image of the location at the image capture trigger time, wherein the location comprises the intersection;

analyze the image to determine a state of the location;

modify an event criterion based at least in part on the state of the location;

detect a risky driving event using the modified event criterion;

store the detected risky driving event; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a vehicle position for image capture.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein capturing an image of the location comprises identifying a video frame.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein capturing an image at the location comprises copying an image from a raw image buffer to an event memory.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the state of the location comprises determining that a street sign is present.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the state of the location comprises determining a state of a traffic light.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the state of the location comprises determining a presence of a pedestrian.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the state of the location comprises determining a presence of a vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the state of the location is determined to be one of a set of one or more possible states.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each state of the one or more possible states is associated with one or more event criterion modifications.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying an event criterion comprises modifying a threshold.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying an event criterion comprises activating an alternate event definition.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to record the risky driving event.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein recording the risky driving event comprises recording video.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein recording the risky driving event comprises recording sensor data.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the risky driving event.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the risky driving event is transmitted at one of the following times:

immediately, at a later time, upon a user request, when the vehicle arrives at a home station.

18. A method for capturing an event, comprising:

determining that a vehicle is approaching an intersection;

estimating an image capture trigger time, wherein the image capture trigger time comprises a time when the vehicle is approaching the intersection and provides an optimal view of the intersection to determine a state of the intersection, wherein the image capture trigger time is based at least in part on a driver profile;

capturing an image of the location at the image capture trigger time, wherein the location comprises the intersection;

analyzing the image to determine a state of the location; and

modifying an event criterion based at least in part on the state of the location

detecting a risky driving event using the modified event criterion;

storing the detected risky driving event.

19. A computer program product for capturing an event, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

determining that a vehicle is approaching an intersection;

estimating an image capture trigger time, wherein the image capture trigger time comprises a time when the vehicle is approaching the intersection and provides an optimal view of the intersection to determine a state of the intersection, wherein the image capture trigger time is based at least in part on a driver profile;

capturing an image of the location at the image capture trigger time, wherein the location comprises the intersection;

analyzing the image to determine a state of the location;

modifying an event criterion based at least in part on the state of the location;

detecting a risky driving event using the modified event criterion; and

storing the detected risky driving event.