Method and device for recording event data in a vehicle

A device for recording event data in a vehicle, comprising:

• a data provision system;
• a buffer block;
• an event recognition system;
• and
• a data recording system;
• wherein:
• the data provision system is configured to continuously receive vehicle data, to be recorded, from at least one vehicle system, write the vehicle data as event data into data frames having a predefined size, and store individual data frames in at least one volatile memory;
• the buffer block is configured to manage the stored data frames and keep them available in the at least one volatile memory until the event data stored in individual ones of the data frames are older than a predefined maximum pre-event point in time, or to persistently store them in at least one nonvolatile memory in response to a predefined event that is recognized by the event recognition system, the buffer block including a write function and multiple partitions having a predefined size, the write function being configured to determine, as a function of at least one write criterion, one of the partitions as a present write partition, and to write pieces of reference information of the individual data frames that are received from the data provision system into the present write partition, and the buffer block includes a read function, the read function being configured to determine another one of the other partitions as a present read partition in response to a request of the data recording system and as a function of at least one predefined read criterion that includes at least one present event time window for which the event data are to be persistently recorded, and to read out pieces of reference information from data frames contained in the present read partition, containing event data to be persistently recorded, and relay them to the data recording system, and
• the data recording system is configured to persistently store data frames, corresponding to the relayed pieces of reference information, in the at least one nonvolatile memory,
• wherein the multiple partitions in the volatile memory each have a defined time window based on starting and ending time stamps of the stored data frames, and wherein the partitions are managed based on overlap with the present event time window to determine the present write partition and the present read partition.

A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium on which is stored a computer program for recording event data in a vehicle, the computer program, when executed by one or more computers, causing the one or more computers to perform:

• continuously receiving vehicle data from at least one vehicle system;
• writing the received vehicle data as event data into data frames having a predefined size;
• and
• storing individual ones of the data frames in at least one volatile memory, the stored individual data frames being managed and kept available in the at least one volatile memory until the event data stored in the individual data frames are older than a predefined maximum pre-event point in time, or persistently storing individual ones of the data frames in at least one nonvolatile memory in response to a recognized predefined event, the storing or persistently storing including:
• providing multiple partitions having a predefined size,
• determining one of the partitions, as a function of at least one write criterion, as a present write partition, and writing received pieces of reference information of the individual data frames into the present write partition,
• determining another of the partitions as a present read partition in response to a request and as a function of at least one predefined read criterion, which includes at least one present event time window for which the event data are to be persistently recorded,
• reading out and relaying pieces of reference information from data frames contained in the present read partition, containing the event data to be persistently recorded,
• persistently storing the data frames corresponding to the relayed pieces of reference information in the at least one nonvolatile memory,
• wherein the multiple partitions in the volatile memory each have a defined time window based on starting and ending time stamps of the stored data frames, and wherein the partitions are managed based on overlap with the present event time window to determine the present write partition and the present read partition.