Vehicle data recorder

A vehicle-mounted device for capturing video imagery in response to a triggering event, comprising:

• a housing having a generally elongated shape;
• a rear-view mirror mounted to said housing and having a generally elongated shape;
• an image sensor mounted to said housing, said image sensor sensing optical phenomena representing said video imagery;
• a data sensor circuit within said housing and in part responsive to said triggering event;
• and
• a capture circuit within said housing;
• said capture circuit comprising:
• a non-volatile memory;
• and
• a volatile, random-access memory configured as a continuous-loop buffer;
• said volatile memory coupled to said non-volatile memory and coupled to said image sensor;
• said volatile memory capturing a signal representing said video imagery from said image sensor in a first-in, first-overwritten manner, and, responsive to said data sensor circuit sensing a triggering event, terminating capture of said signal and copying the captured signal representing said video imagery to said non-volatile memory.

A method for capturing video imagery in a vehicle-mounted system in response to a triggering event, said system comprising a rear-view mirror device mounted upon a windshield of a vehicle, said rear-view mirror device having a housing with a generally elongated shape, a mirror assembly mounted to said housing and having a generally elongated shape, an image sensor mounted to said housing and sensing optical phenomena representing said video imagery, a data sensor circuit within said housing, and a capture circuit within said housing;

• said capture circuit comprising:
• a non-volatile memory;
• and a volatile, random-access memory configured as a continuous-loop buffer, said volatile memory coupled to said non-volatile memory, the method comprising the steps of:
• using said image sensor sensing optical phenomena transmitted through a portion of said mirror assembly and representing said video imagery;
• using said capture circuit capturing said video imagery in said volatile, random-access memory in a first-in, first-overwritten manner, and, responsive to said data sensor circuit sensing a triggering event, terminating capture of a signal representing said video imagery and copying the captured signal representing video imagery to said non-volatile memory.

A method for capturing video imagery in a vehicle-mounted system in response to a triggering event, said system comprising a rear-view mirror device mounted upon a windshield of a vehicle, said rear-view mirror device having a housing with a generally elongated shape, a mirror assembly mounted to said housing and having a generally elongated shape, an image sensor mounted to said housing and sensing optical phenomena representing said video imagery, a data sensor circuit within said housing, and a capture circuit within said housing;

• said capture circuit comprising:
• a non-volatile memory;
• and a volatile, random-access memory configured as a continuous-loop buffer;
• said volatile memory coupled to said non-volatile memory, the method comprising the steps of:
• using said image sensor sensing optical phenomena representing said video imagery impinging upon it from a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of elongation of said housing and forwardly through said windshield of said vehicle and said video imagery impinging upon it from a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of elongation of said housing and rearwardly with respect to said vehicle;
• using said capture circuit capturing said video imagery in said volatile, random-access memory in a first-in, first-overwritten manner, and, responsive to said data sensor circuit sensing a triggering event, terminating capture of a signal representing said video imagery and copying the captured signal representing video imagery to said non-volatile memory.

A method for mounting a system for capturing video imagery in response to a triggering event, comprising the steps of mounting upon a vehicle windshield a device comprising a housing, an image sensor mounted to said housing to sensing optical phenomena representing said video imagery, a data sensor circuit within said housing responsive to said triggering event, and a capture circuit within said housing;

• said capture circuit comprising:
• a non-volatile memory;
• and a volatile, random-access memory configured as a continuous-loop buffer;
• said volatile memory coupled to said non-volatile memory and coupled to said image sensor using;
• using said volatile memory capturing a signal representing said video imagery from said image sensor in a first-in, first-overwritten manner, and, responsive to said data sensor circuit sensing a triggering event, terminating capture of said signal and copying the captured signal representing said video imagery to said non-volatile memory.