"Black-box" video or still recorder for commercial and consumer vehicles
OwnerVernon Lawrence Kleininventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for monitoring an automobile is disclosed. A centralized black box receives and stores images from different image sensors positioned on the vehicle. In one example, digital pixel sensors are used to provide image data. One of the features in the digital pixel sensors is the multi-capturing image capability that ensures that the image data is non-saturated. As a result, details can be captured in the image data regardless an automobile drives constantly from a bright condition to a dark condition or vice versa.
Claims18
A monitoring system for a ground transportation vehicle, the system comprising:
- an imaging device employing a digital pixel sensor for monitoring an environment of the vehicle, the digital pixel sensor producing multiple images within a predetermined exposure time, the images read out respectively at a set of time periods within the exposure time to produce digital image data, wherein a longest time period of the set of time periods does not exceed the exposure time;
- a controlling circuit for initiating and terminating a measurement activity for the imaging device;
- and
- an electronic storage medium for storing a succession of the digital image data from the digital pixel sensor.
A ground transportation vehicle monitoring method, the method comprising:
- collecting image information about surrounding driving conditions of the vehicle, wherein the image information is produced in an imaging device employing a sensor capable of generating multiple images within a predetermined exposure time, the images read out respectively at a set of time periods within the exposure time to produce the image information, and wherein, a longest time period of the set of time periods does not exceed the exposure time;
- transmitting said image information to a base unit on the vehicle;
- and
- storing said information in an electronic storage medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.