Power management systems for automotive video event recorders

• US 9,554,080 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Plante, James, Kasavaraju, Ramesh, Lightner, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): PECHE, JORGE O
• Application Number:
  US14/177,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20140152828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 701/32.2, 701/33.3, 701/36, 701/69, 342/52, 342/55, 342/70, 342/175, 348/148, 348/149, 348/118, 348/117
• 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: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/02 non-automatically; dependent on position of personal controls of engine, e.g. throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/12 in graphical form
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera

Abstract

Video event recorders are coupled to a vehicle power source via an on-board diagnostic system including its power bus, data bus, and scanner port connector. Video event recorders are provided with a power input arranged in conjunction with a standard ODBII type “D” connector. Systems further include an extension cable between the connector and the vehicle event record to accommodate mounting needs associated with each. In advanced versions, both OBD power and data networks are coupled to the vehicle event recorded such that data relating to vehicle diagnostic systems can be captured in a triggered event along with video data. In addition, some versions are provided with special detection mechanism to determine the use state of a vehicle and adjust application of power accordingly. Thus an “in-use” detector is coupled to the vehicle and/or OBD systems to provide feedback which helps to conserve power and regulate the power connections.

Claims

1. A vehicle electrical power management system coupled with a vehicle, the power management system comprising:

an electrical power source;

an on-board diagnostics system coupled with the electrical power source configured to receive electrical power from the electrical power source via an on-board diagnostics system power bus;

a video event recorder including a power input electrically coupled to the on-board diagnostics system power bus; and

a power management module electrically coupled to the on-board diagnostics system power bus and arranged between the on-board diagnostics system and the video event recorder,

wherein the power management module comprises an in-use detector and a switch, the switch arranged on a power supply line between the electrical power source and the video event recorder, the in-use detector configured to determine whether the vehicle is in use and;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is in use, activate the switch such that power is provided to the video event recorder; and

responsive to determining that the vehicle is not in use, deactivate the switch such that, responsive to the switch being deactivated, the video event recorder is left unpowered.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical power source is an electrical power source of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the in-use detector comprises one or more sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to physical parameters of the vehicle, the physical parameters of the vehicle including one or more of a voltage on the on-board diagnostics system power bus, a vehicle ignition parameter, or a vehicle motion parameter.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the in-use detector is configured to determine one or more physical parameters of the vehicle and compare individual ones of the physical parameters to corresponding threshold values for the physical parameters, and, responsive to one or more of the physical parameters breaching one or more of the corresponding threshold values, determine whether the vehicle is in use and activate the switch.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the in-use detector is configured such that a threshold voltage on the on-board diagnostics system power bus is 13.2 volts.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the in-use detector determines that the vehicle is in use and activates the switch responsive to at least two physical parameters breaching corresponding thresholds.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the in-use detector determines that the vehicle is in use and activates the switch responsive to vehicle ignition and then at least one other physical parameter breaching a corresponding threshold.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the in-use detector is configured to determine that the vehicle is in use and activates the switch responsive to vehicle ignition.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the in-use detector further comprises a comparator having a first input coupled to the electrical power source, a second input coupled to a reference voltage, and an output to coupled to the switch.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the in-use detector is a motion sensor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the in-use detector is a data traffic sensor coupled to a data bus of the on-board diagnostics system configured to provide a switch toggle signal responsive to a prescribed type of data traffic being present on the data bus.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the video event recorder is directly wired to a vehicle bus network of the vehicle and wherein the video event recorder receives power and vehicle data directly from the vehicle bus network.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein in the video event recorder is configured such that the vehicle data includes images from in and/or around the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the video event recorder is configured such that the vehicle data does not include images.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the video event recorder is configured to detect a vehicle event based on images from in and/or around the vehicle detected by a camera unit of the video event recorder and the vehicle data from the vehicle bus network, the vehicle event detected responsive to the images from in and/or around the vehicle and the vehicle data meeting vehicle event criteria, and

wherein, responsive to detecting the vehicle event, the video event recorder is configured to record images from in and/or around the vehicle and the vehicle data from the vehicle bus network associated with the vehicle event in electronic storage.