Patent Publication Number: US-2015070497-A1

Title: Recording apparatus for vehicles and method of recording

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a vehicle, and more particularly to a recording apparatus for vehicles and a method of recording. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In present days, there are plenty of vehicles on the roads, and since the traffic is getting heavier, car accidents occur every day. In order to help clarify the attribution of responsibility in case of car accidents, more and more drivers have a driving recorder installed in their vehicles to record videos while driving. 
     A conventional driving recorder usually saves the video files into a memory card. However, the memory card has a limited capacity, and the capacity may be only sufficient for saving hours of videos, so that the old video files will be overwritten by new files after recording for a period of time. If the driver doesn&#39;t backup the memory card periodically, he/she will loss those videos recorded a couple of days ago. 
     Besides, the length of each video file is usually longer than 30 minutes. However, accidents happen in just a few seconds. Therefore, how to find the critical video segments in the memory card is not an easy job. 
     In conclusion, the conventional driving recorder still needs to be improved. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus for vehicles and a method of recording, which saves the critical video segments as a specific file, and outputs the file via wireless transmission immediately. 
     In order to achieve the objective of the present invention, a recording apparatus for vehicles includes a camera module, a storage module, a trigger, a processor, and a wireless transmission module. The camera module captures images and converts the images into a first video file accordingly. The storage module is electrically connected to the camera module to save the first video file. The trigger generates a start signal. The processor is electrically connected to the storage module and the trigger respectively to receive the start signal from the trigger, to extract a second video file from the first video file, and then to save the second video file into the storage module. The wireless transmission module is electrically connected to the storage module and the processor to transmit the second video file to at least a remote storage device through wireless transmission, and the second video file is saved in the remote storage device. 
     In an embodiment, the trigger has a button electrically connected to the processor to generate the start signal when the button is pressed. 
     In an embodiment, the trigger has an accelerometer electrically connected to the processor, and when the accelerometer detects an instantaneous acceleration larger than a predetermined acceleration value, the trigger generates the start signal. 
     In an embodiment, the processor generates an alarm and sends the alarm out through the wireless transmission module. 
     In an embodiment, the trigger has a touch screen electrically connected to the processor to generate the start signal while a predetermined icon on the touch screen is touched. 
     In an embodiment, the wireless transmission module transmits the second video file via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G, LTE, or WiMAX. 
     In an embodiment, the second video file is read-only. 
     In an embodiment, video content of the second video file starts from a predetermined time prior to a time point when the processor receives the start signal, to the time point when the processor receives the start signal. 
     In an embodiment, the recording apparatus for vehicles further includes a GPS module electrically connected to the processor to generate a location data, and the location data is transmitted to the remote storage device along with the second video file. 
     In an embodiment, the recording apparatus for vehicles further includes a timer electrically connected to the processor to generate a time data, and the time data is transmitted to the remote storage device along with the second video file. 
     The present invention further provides method of recoding and storing videos while driving, which includes the following steps: 
     A. Set connection data for communication with at least a remote storage device; 
     B. Capture images continuously, convert the images into a first video file, and then save the first video file; 
     C. Detect a start signal, and extract a second video file from the first video file if the start signal is detected, and then save the second video file; and 
     D. Automatically connect to the remote storage device according to the connection data, and then transmit the second video file to the remote storage device via wireless transmission, and save the second video file in the remote storage device. 
     In an embodiment, the start signal is generated by pressing a button. 
     In an embodiment, the start signal is generated by touching a predetermined icon on a touch screen. 
     In an embodiment, the start signal is generated if an instantaneous acceleration larger than a predetermined acceleration is detected. 
     In an embodiment, the method further includes the step of generating an alarm when the start signal is received. 
     In an embodiment, the second video file is transmitted via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G, LTE, or WiMAX. 
     In an embodiment, the second video file is read-only. 
     In an embodiment, video content of the second video file starts from a predetermined time prior to a time point when the processor receives the start signal to the time point when the processor receives the start signal. 
     In an embodiment, the connection data includes an IP address or a MAC address of the remote storage device. 
     In an embodiment, the second video file is sent to a plurality of the remote storage devices at the same time. 
     In an embodiment, the second video file is sent to a plurality of the remote storage devices in a predetermined order. 
     The present invention further provides a recording system for vehicles, including at least a remote storage device and a recording apparatus for vehicles. The remote storage device has a first storage module and a communication module electrically connected to the first storage module. The recording apparatus includes a camera module, a second storage module, a trigger, a processor, and a wireless transmission module. The camera module captures images and converts the images into a first video file accordingly. The second storage module is electrically connected to the camera module to save the first video file. The trigger generates a start signal. The processor is electrically connected to the second storage module and the trigger respectively to receive the start signal from the trigger, and to extract a second video file from the first video file, and then to save the second video file in the second storage module. The wireless transmission module is electrically connected to the second storage module and the processor. The wireless transmission module connects to the communication module of the remote storage device automatically to transmit the second video file to the remote storage device via the communication module, and the second video file is saved in the first storage module of the remote storage device. 
     Therefore, the driver may save the critical video segments in the remote storage device automatically. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a recording system for vehicles of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a remote storage device  10  and a recording apparatus  20 . 
     The remote storage device  10  includes a first storage module  12  and a communication module  14 , which is electrically connected to the first storage module  12 . In an embodiment, the remote storage device  10  is a server, the first storage module  12  is a hard disk drive of the server, and the communication module  14  is a network interface card. 
     The driving recorder  20  includes a camera module  21 , a second storage module  22 , a trigger  23 , a processor  24 , and a wireless transmission module  25 . 
     The camera module  21  has a lens  211  and an image processor  212 . The lens  211  captures images continuously to the image processor  212 , and the image processor  212  converts the images into a first video file. 
     The second storage module  22  is electrically connected to the image processor  212  to receive and save the first video file. In an embodiment, the second storage module  22  is a memory card, and it may be a flash memory or a hard disk drive also. 
     The trigger  23  has a button  231  to generate a start signal when the button  231  is pressed. 
     The processor  24  is electrically connected to the image processor  212 , the trigger  23 , and the second storage module  22  respectively, and the processor  24  is able to turn the image processor  212  on or off. When the processor  24  receives the start signal from the trigger  23 , the processor  24  extracts a second video file from the first video file, and video content of the second video file starts from a predetermined time prior to a time point when the processor  24  receives the start signal, to the time point when the processor  24  receives the start signal. The processor  24  then saves the second video file in the second storage module  22  as a read-only file. In an embodiment, the video content of the second video file starts from five minutes prior to the time point when the processor  24  receives the start signal. In practice, the predetermined time may be three minutes, one minute, 30 seconds, and so on. 
     The wireless transmission module  25  is electrically connected to the processor  24  and the second storage module  22  respectively. After the second video file being saved in the second storage module  22 , the wireless transmission module  25  establishes a wireless communication with the communication module  14  of the remote storage device  10  automatically, and then transmits the second video file to the remote storage device  10  for being saved in the first storage module  12 . In an embodiment, the wireless transmission module  25  transmits data via 3G telecommunications technology. In practice, data may be transmitted via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE, or WiMAX, and so on. 
     With the recording system, a method of recording while driving includes the following steps: 
     A. Set connection data for communication with the remote storage device  10 . 
     In an embodiment, the connection data includes an IP address of the communication module  14  of the remote storage device  10 . In practice, the connection data may include a MAC address of the communication module  14  as well as other information that could be used to establish connection. 
     B. Activate the camera module  21  to capture images continuously, convert the images into a first video file, and then save the first video file in the second storage module  22 . 
     C. Detect a start signal. 
     If the start signal is received, extract a second video file from the first video file. The second video file has the video content starting from a predetermined time prior to a time point when the start signal is received, to the time point when the start signal is received. 
     In the present embodiment, the trigger  23  will generate the start signal when the button  231  is pressed, and the start signal is then transmitted to the processor  24 . 
     D. Automatically establish connection between the wireless transmission module  25  and the communication module  14  of the remote storage device  10  according to the connection data provided in the step A, and then transmit the second video file to the remote storage device  10  via wireless transmission for saving it in the first storage module  12 . 
     When a car accident occurs, the driver may press the button  231  to generate the second video file, and to transmit to the remote storage device  10 . Since the video length of the video content of the second video file is only minutes or seconds, so that the file size is too small to cause heavy loading for the remote storage device  10 . Because the second video file is read-only, it could avoid the file being deleted unexpectedly or altered by others. The police office may access the remote storage device  10  to obtain the second video file to find out what happened in the accident. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , a recording apparatus  20  further is provided with a GPS module  26  and a timer  27 , both of which are electrically connected to the processor  24 . In the step D, a location data and time data are sent to the remote storage device  10  along with the second video file, and are saved in the second storage module  12 . That would provide the complete information of the car accident. 
       FIG. 3  shows the trigger  23  has a touch screen  232 , on which a predetermined icon P is shown. While the driver touches the icon P on the touch screen  232 , it will generate the start signal, and if the start signal is detected, the step C and the step D may be performed. In addition, the touch screen  232  may show information of the recording apparatus  20 , such as battery status, memory capacity, and so on. 
       FIG. 4  shows the trigger  23  further having an accelerometer  233 . If the accelerometer  233  detects an instantaneous acceleration larger than a predetermined acceleration value, which means the vehicle got an impact, the trigger  23  will generate a start signal and send it to the processor  24  that makes the recording apparatus send the second video file to the remote storage device  10  automatically. Besides the second video file, the recording apparatus may send an alarm to a specific receiver, such as the car rental company, the car owner, and so on, to inform related people that the car may get an accident. 
     There might be two or more remote storage devices  10  connected to the recording apparatus  20 . The recording apparatus  20  may send the second video file to all of the remote storage devices  10  at the same time, or it may send the second video file to one of the remote storage devices  10  first, and if this remote storage device  10  does not respond, then send it to another remote storage device  10  until the second video file is correctly saved in one of the remote storage devices  10 . 
     In additional to be used for car accidents, sometimes the driver may witness beneficence or bad manner happening on the road, and since the recording apparatus  20  might have recorded it, he/she may press the button to send the second video file to the remote storage device  10 . A specific website may be connected to the remote storage device  10  for uploading the video files, and the website may provide these videos to public for social education purpose. 
     It is noted that besides the server, the remote storage device  10  may be a smart phone, a tablet, a computer, a PDA, a cloud device, or other devices with storage and transmission functions. 
     It must be pointed out that the embodiments described above are only some preferred embodiments of the present invention. All equivalent structures which employ the concepts disclosed in this specification and the appended claims should fall within the scope of the present invention.