The system described in this invention can be used for monitoring and analyzing real time visual and non-visual information pertaining to the occupant, vehicle, and surroundings prior to, during and post eccentric operating conditions for a given period of time The system stores vehicle and occupant data from sensors throughout the vehicle and also makes use of existing vehicle sensors that may already be present in the vehicle The invention also includes a video recording module that makes use of a fish-eye camera to capture video from the inside and the outside of the vehicle Real-time data analysis is performed to detect and to recognize vehicle occupants, and recognize impending eccentric events Vehicle, occupant, and video data are stored in circular buffers When an eccentric event, a collision for example, has been detected, the device continues to record data and video for a fixed period of time Once this time has elapsed, the data is transferred from volatile to non-volatile memory for later retrieval A computer may be used to retrieve and display the vehicle and occupant data in a synchronization with the video data for the purposes of accident recreation, driver or vehicle monitoring

Vehicle visual and non-visual data recording system

The present invention relates to a vehicle recorder system that is configured with a video camera, a light weight memory system, and a radio communications facility suitable for use in conjunction with an moving vehicle. An automobile equipped with such video recorder system that is used throughout a day of service provides a video record of unusual events which may occur from time-to-time. For example, events such as accidents, near-misses, and excessive speed, among others, trigger a system to preserve video images collected before and after the moment of the event. Replaying these images provides information regarding the cause and true nature of the event. These systems are particularly suitable for vehicle fleets, or other groups of vehicles that can communicate with a common system.

Vehicle event recorder systems

Systems and methods for scoring individual and groups of drivers and providing vehicle ratings based on captured driving event data are provided. The system comprises an event capture device that records both audio and video of an event. The event data, which includes the audio, video, and other related information, is provided to an evaluation server where it is compiled and analyzed to identify correlations between events, driving behavior, vehicles, circumstances of events, individual drivers, and other event attributes. These correlations are continuously updated and can be weighted in order to provide a comprehensive analysis of the tendencies and characteristics of an individual driver or group of drivers. Event data particular to an individual or group is compiled and analyzed to provide an individualized driver or group score that can be used as a basis to rate the driver or group for customized insurance coverage.

System and Method for Reducing Driving Risk With Foresight

A diagnostic platform includes a processor, storage media and user interfaces, including a display screen, the processor being coupled to engine analyzer hardware and adapted to be coupled to a scanner for downloading data from vehicle on-board computers. The system stores libraries of information regarding vehicle identifications, drivability symptoms exhibited by vehicles, vehicle system and component tests and service codes which can be registered by the vehicle on-board computer. System software permits the user to input an identification of the vehicle under test and, in one mode of operation, displays a library of faults, such as symptoms or service codes, from which the user can select those exhibited by the vehicle, whereupon the system selects from the test library those tests pertinent to diagnosis of the causes of the selected faults and displays them in a hierarchically ranked order based on likelihood of successful diagnosis of the faults. The user can then select and initiate any displayed test. In other modes, the system initially displays one of the libraries of system or component tests, from which the user selects those deemed appropriate, whereupon the system highlights icons which can be selected for initiating pertinent test procedures. Selected test procedures may include links to the engine analyzer or scanner hardware or other appropriate test modules.

System for dynamic diagnosis of apparatus operating conditions

Vehicle event recorder systems are arranged to be in constant communication with remote servers and administrators via mobile wireless cellular networks. Vehicle event recorders equipped with video cameras capture video and other data records of important events relating to vehicle use. These data are then transmitted over special communications networks having very high coverage space but limited bandwidth. A vehicle may be operated over very large region while maintaining continuous communications connections with a remote fixed server. As such, systems of these inventions may be characterized as including a mobile unit having: a video camera; a microprocessor; memory; an event trigger; and mobile wireless transceivers, and a fixed network portion including: mobile wireless cellular network, a protocol translation gateway, the Internet and an application-specific server.

Vehicle event recorder systems and networks having integrated cellular wireless communications systems

A method stores a plurality of sequentially ordered data samples in a plurality of sequential storage segments such that one of the plurality of sequentially ordered data samples is stored at one of the plurality of sequential storage segments which is non-sequential to another of the plurality of sequential storage segments in which an immediately preceding one of the plurality of sequentially ordered data samples is stored. Another one of the stored plurality of sequentially ordered data samples, other than a first ordered one of the plurality of sequentially ordered data samples, is overwritten with a further data sample, the further data sample being immediately sequential to a last ordered one of the plurality of sequentially ordered data samples.

Data storage with overwrite

A compact video image recording device for recording video images before and after a triggering event and which utilizes no moving parts is disclosed. The recording device includes at least one camera wherein each camera comprises a lens and a video image sensor. Each video image sensor generates an electronic signal representative of a video image impinging the respective sensor. The output of each image sensor is processed, compressed and generally employed to produce frame data which are successively stored in a successive frame locations of a semiconductor memory organized as a circular buffer memory. Upon the occurrence of a triggering event, a additional frames are stored in the buffer memory and further storage of frames then terminates. A video record is thus created of video images received both before and after the triggering event via a device which contains no moving parts and which can withstand substantial shock and vibration.

Walter A. Hiatt

Papers

Data storage with overwrite

Video recording device responsive to triggering event