Patent ID: 8666590

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for monitoring, recording and storing various types of event data detected during operation of a vehicle in a manner that facilitates retrieval of stored event data by selecting for a particular vehicle retrieval of one or more types of events related to at least one of i) operation of the vehicle, ii) use of vehicle equipment, iii) operator behaviors while in the vehicle, or iv) passenger behaviors while in the vehicle, the computer-implemented method comprising: detecting at one or more sensors installed in a vehicle one or more parameters from which data is derived that defines various types of events related to at least one of i) operation of the vehicle, ii) use of vehicle equipment, iii) operator behaviors while in the vehicle, or iv) passenger behaviors while in the vehicle; for each type of event, configuring a time period over which a triggered event is to be recorded; receiving at a processing system inputs from said one or more sensors, the inputs from said one or more sensors being analyzed by one or more processors of the processing system to determine triggering events that determine when an event type is to be recorded and stored; recording at one or more digital video monitors installed in the vehicle one or more behaviors for at least one of the vehicle operator, the vehicle passenger, a view inside the vehicle, or a view outside the vehicle; for each instance of a triggering event, storing in a data storage device a portion of digital video recorded over the configured time period for the triggered event, and storing the recorded portion of digital video in a digital format that is identified by the type of event that is triggered; and for a given vehicle, and for a selected type of event, retrieving from data storage for separate presentation all stored instances of the recorded digital video for a selected type of event over a given time period.