# US 12,014,733 B2 · Moment capturing system

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- Number: US 12,014,733 B2
- Document ID: US12014733B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/332,009
- Filed: 2021-05-27
- Published: 2021-12-02
- Granted: 2024-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2020-05-27
- Assignees: Gentex Corporation
- Applicants: Gentex Corporation
- Inventors: Thomas S. Wright; Eric P. Bigoness
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12014733B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path}
- G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
- G06V 20/59: inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
- G10L 15/26: Speech to text systems (G10L15/08 takes precedence)
- G10L 25/72: for transmitting results of analysis
- G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback}
- G10L 2015/221: {Announcement of recognition results}
- G10L 2015/223: {Execution procedure of a spoken command}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING

## Abstract

A vehicle occupant aid system is disclosed. The system may comprise a rearview assembly. Further, the rearview assembly may comprise a button. The system may further comprise one or more data capturing element. Each element may be a microphone, an imager, a location device, and/or a sensor. In some embodiments, a controller may record the data for a predetermined period of time. Further, the controller may transmit information to a remote device based upon initiation of a trigger. The information being based, at least in part, on the data. In other embodiments, the controller may operability record the data in response to a first operation of the button. Further, the controller may transmit information to a remote device based upon a second operation of the button. The information being based, at least in part, on the data recorded between the first and second operations of the button.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a rearview assembly operable to provide a user with a view rearward a vehicle, the rearview assembly comprising
a button;
a microphone;
a display disposed in the rearview assembly, the display operable to display a first image;
an imager operable to capture a second image having a field of view of an interior of the vehicle; and
a controller communicatively connected to the button, the microphone, the display, and the imager, the controller operable to:
record sound from the microphone for a predetermined period of time,
transmit information to a remote device based, at least in part, upon initiation of a trigger, the information based, at least in part, on the recorded sound,
record the second image captured by the imager for a period of time, and
upon initiation of the trigger, transmit the first image to the display, the first image based, at least in part, on the second image.

### Claim 2

A vehicle occupant aid system comprising:
a rearview assembly operable to provide an occupant with a view rearward relative to a vehicle under normal operating conditions, the rearview assembly comprising a button accessible for the occupant to manipulate;
a microphone operable to capture sound from an interior of the vehicle;
a location device operable to determine a position of the vehicle;
a first imager having a field of view of the interior of the vehicle, the first imager operable to capture one or more first images;
a clock; and
a controller in communication with the button, the microphone, the location device, the first imager, and the clock, the controller configured
(a) to determine, from the sound that the microphone captured, a name of a song audible within the interior of the vehicle when the occupant manipulated the button,
(b) to determine, from the one or more first images that the first imager captured, an identity of the occupant and any other occupants that were occupying the vehicle when the occupant manipulated the button, and
(c) to transmit to a mobile personal communications device, as a consequence of the user manipulating the button, (i) the name of the song, (ii) the position of the vehicle when the user manipulated the button, (iii) the one or more first images captured by the first imager corresponding to a predetermined period of time before the occupant manipulated the button, (iv) the identity of the occupant and any other occupants, and (v) a time, from the clock, when the user manipulated the button.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 2 further comprising:
a second imager having a field of view forward of the vehicle, the second imager operable to capture one or more second images,
wherein, the controller is in further communication with the second imager, and
further wherein, the controller is further configured to transmit to the mobile personal communications device, as a consequence of the user manipulating the button, the one or more second images captured by the second imager corresponding to the predetermined period of time before the user manipulated the button.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 2, wherein
the button is a physical hard key button.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 2, wherein
the button is a touchscreen soft key button.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 2, wherein
the controller is further configured to transmit to the mobile personal communications device the sound from the interior of the vehicle that the microphone captured corresponding to the predetermined period of time before the occupant manipulated the button.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 2, wherein
the controller is further configured (i) to convert to text the sound from the interior of the vehicle that the microphone captured corresponding to the predetermined period of time before the occupant manipulated the button and (ii) to transmit to the mobile personal communications device the text.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 2 further comprising:
one or more of an accelerometer, a speedometer, a compass, an ambient light sensor, and a thermometer in communication with the controller,
wherein, the controller is further configured to transmit to the mobile personal communications device, as a consequence of the user manipulating the button, information derived from output from the one or more of the accelerometer, the speedometer, the compass, the ambient light sensor, and the thermometer corresponding to when the occupant manipulated the button.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 2, wherein
the rearview assembly further comprises a display that provides the occupant with the view rearward relative to the vehicle, and
the display is in communication with a camera and is operable to display one or more images captured by the camera.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 9, wherein
the display is in further communication with the controller.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 2, wherein
the rearview assembly is centrally mounted to a headliner or windshield of the vehicle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 2, wherein
the first imager is incorporated into the rearview assembly.

### Claim 13 (depends on 2)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 2, wherein
the controller is incorporated into the rearview assembly.

### Claim 14 (depends on 2)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 2, wherein
the controller is cloud based.

### Claim 15 (depends on 2)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 2, wherein
the location device is a global positioning system unit or cellular triangulation unit.

### Claim 16 (depends on 2)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 2, wherein
the predetermined period of time is within a range of from 10 second to 5 minutes.

### Claim 17

A vehicle occupant aid system comprising:
a rearview assembly operable to provide an occupant with a view rearward relative to a vehicle under normal operating conditions, the rearview assembly comprising a button accessible for the occupant to manipulate with a first push and a second push after the first push;
a microphone operable to capture sound from an interior of the vehicle;
a location device operable to determine a position of the vehicle;
a first imager having a field of view of the interior of the vehicle, the first imager operable to capture one or more first images;
a clock; and
a controller in communication with the button, the microphone, the location device, the first imager, and the clock, the controller configured
(a) to determine, from the sound that the microphone captured, a name of a song audible within the interior of the vehicle during a period of time beginning when the occupant made the first push of the button and ending either (i) when the occupant makes the second push of the button or (ii) a preset period of time after the first push of the button,
(b) to determine, from the one or more first images that the first imager captured, an identity of the occupant and any other occupants that were occupying the vehicle during the period of time, and
(c) to transmit to a mobile personal communications device, as a consequence of the occupant doing the second push of the button, (i) the name of the song, (ii) the position of the vehicle during the period of time, (iii) the one or more first images captured by the first imager corresponding to the period of time, (iv) the identity of the occupant and any other occupants, and (v) a time, from the clock.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 17, wherein
the period of time ends when the user makes the second push of the button.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 17, wherein
the period of time ends the preset period of time after the first push of the button.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The vehicle occupant aid system of claim 17, wherein
the rearview assembly further comprises a display that provides the occupant with the view rearward relative to the vehicle,
the display is in communication with a camera and is operable to display one or more images captured by the camera,
the display is in further communication with the controller,
the button is accessible to the occupant to manipulate with a third push after the second push, and
the controller is further configured to, as a consequence of the user doing the third push of the button, cause the display to display the one or more first images captured by the first imager corresponding to the period of time.