Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-30
2001-10-02
Zanelli, Michael J. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
C701S045000, C340S937000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298290
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory apparatus for vehicle information data in which the image data representing an ambient drive condition, obtained by an imaging device such as CCD camera, and the data representing a vehicle drive condition obtained from several sensors are memorized in a memory element, thereby enabling a precise analysis of the cause of a traffic accident and a precise inspection of corroborative data regarding the vehicle's conditions before and after a traffic accident, or a traffic control condition.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional recording method for recording a vehicle's condition immediately before an accident includes providing several sensors for sensing a vehicle's speed, a steering angle, a brake pressure, an acceleration and the like of the vehicle, to enable an analysis of the cause of the vehicle's accident.
However, according to the conventional method, the information from the several sensors is merely recorded. Therefore, it is difficult to clearly recognize an accident generation condition, thereby resulting in an insufficient analysis of the cause of the accident.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to solve the problems with the conventional recording method described above, and to provide a memory apparatus for vehicle information data in which there are recorded not only the information of sensors, such as a vehicle speed, but also the image information immediately before an accident, thereby suitably recognizing the accident generation condition and enabling a smooth and accurate analysis of the accident.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a memory apparatus for vehicle information data to facilitate the inspection of the cause of an accident after the accident.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a memory apparatus with memory inhibiting means for continuing the recording of a vehicle's accident until a predetermined condition after the vehicle's accident, releasing means for releasing the memory inhibition, and a function switch for enabling selective recording other than an accident.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
According to a broad aspect of the present invention, a memory apparatus for vehicle information data is provided, comprising: imaging means for imaging a vehicle's condition during a running state, drive information sensing means for sensing the drive information, such as a vehicle's speed, a steering angle, a brake pressure, and an acceleration during the running state, recording means for recording the image information from the imaging means and the drive information sensing means simultaneously, sensors for detecting predetermined conditions, and record information storing means for storing the recorded information of the recording means according to the predetermined conditions detected by the sensors.
The imaging means includes a camera in the vehicle for imaging the drive condition of the inside of the vehicle. The record information storing means has a flash memory, inhibits the information recording in the recording means, and transfers the newest record information to the flash memory. The recording means deletes the oldest information and records the newest information. An image compression section is provided for compressing the image information to record, and an encoder is provided for processing the record information from the flash memory. The recording means includes a video recorder. The sensors include a collision sensor for detecting an occurrence of traffic accidents.
The memory apparatus further includes a function switch for switching a memory processing means of the vehicle's information data, a plurality of imaging devices for imaging an ambient drive state, and a RAM for memorizing the image signals from the imaging devices. A CPU is provided for effecting a sequential memory processing of the signals on the basis of the vehicle drive information transmitted from the sensors to memorize them at the RAM and a flash memory.
The memory apparatus further includes a function switch for switching a memory processing means of the vehicle's information data, and a CPU for feeding and controlling the data of a flash memory. The flash memory generates a reproduction signal of the data of the flash memory based on the signal from the CPU, and the data of the flash memory is composed of an image expansion section and an encoder for outputting a video signal.
The memory apparatus further comprises inhibiting means for inhibiting the memory process to the flash memory in the memory processing section of the CPU by using the signal obtained by detecting a threshold value of the data in a sensor section for vehicle driving information at a calculation processing section of the CPU, and the input of a hold switch signal of the function switch. The function switch has a reset switch for releasing the inhibiting operation for inhibiting the memory process to the flash memory. The function switch is composed of a mode switch for the vehicle driving condition information, a mode switch for a traffic offense control memory, a reproduction switch for outputting the data stored in the flash memory as a video signal, a hold switch for inhibiting the memory process to the flash memory, and a reset switch for releasing the inhibiting operation for inhibiting the memory process to the flash memory.
The sensor section is composed of a collision sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, an acceleration sensor, a brake pressure sensor, a sound sensors and a vehicle interval sensor.
According to another broad aspect of the present invention, a memory apparatus for vehicle information data is provided, comprising: a memory processing section of a CPU for controlling a function switch for switching memory processing means of the vehicle's information data, a plurality of imaging devices for imaging an ambient drive state, a decoder for processing the image signals from the imaging means, an image compression section compressing the data of a luminance signal and a color signal from the decoder, a RAM for temporarily memorizing the signal of the image compressing section, a flash memory for permanently memorizing the signal from the RAM, and an encoder for converting the output signals from the image expansion section into a video signal to output the signal.
The CPU comprises a calculation processing section for introducing the output signals from a sensor section composed of a collision sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, an acceleration sensor, a brake pressure sensor, a sound sensor, and a vehicle interval sensor, and the memory processing section for introducing the output signals from a function switch composed of a mode switch for a drive condition memory, a mode switch for a traffic offense control memory, a reproduction switch, a hold switch, and a reset switch, and the output signals from the calculation processing section of the CPU.
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patent: 09042977A (19
Abe Takeshi
Ezura Tadashi
Gibson Eric M
Kananen Ronald P.
Niles Parts Co., Ltd.
Rader Fishman & Grauer
Zanelli Michael J.
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