MXPA05002132A

MXPA05002132A - 360 degree automobile video camera system.

Info

Publication number: MXPA05002132A
Application number: MXPA05002132A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Joseph J Mazzilli
Original assignee: Joseph J Mazzilli
Priority date: 2002-08-26
Filing date: 2003-08-21
Publication date: 2005-05-05
Also published as: TR200500680T2; RU2005108592A; CA2496326C; CN1688978A; EP1547367A4; WO2004019601A3; NO20051020L; AU2003265578A1; JP2006518554A; EP1547367A2; KR20050034740A; WO2004019601A2; RU2381629C2; CA2496326A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a video camera system which has a 360o range for digital video recording inside and outside of an automotive vehicle.

Description

AUTOMOTIVE VIDEO CAMERA SYSTEM RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a continuation in part of the application of United States Patent No. 10 / 227,170, filed on August 23, 2002, which in turn is a continuation of United States Patent Application No. 0 / 10 / 186,544, filed July 1, 2002, and which in turn is a continuation in part of the application of United States Patent No. 10 / 005,380, filed December 3, 2001, which is also a continuation in part of application 09 / 494,060, filed on January 28, 2000, which was issued as United States Patent No. 6,333,759 and which is a continuation in part of United States Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60 / 124,624, filed on March 16, 1999, and whose priority is claimed in accordance with 35 USC 120.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a video camera system in an automobile. In particular, the present invention relates to a video camera having a 360 ° range for recording video in and out of an automotive vehicle and thus providing documentation to police officers or vehicle owners.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of videotape systems for a car is well known. U.S. Patent No. 4,789,904 relates to a surveillance system mounted on a vehicle. The system has a camera and a control head inside the patrol and a recorder in a fireproof, armored vehicle box. The system is used as a surveillance system for video recording, the system is located in the trunk of the vehicle. It would be preferable to have a system with a 360 ° range to record a 360 ° area simultaneously on tape, so it is recorded inside and outside the vehicle. It would be preferable to have the ability to retract the camera when it is not in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A main objective of the present invention is to provide a video camera system for a documentary tape recording with a 360 ° range around the location of the camera. Another objective is to provide a camera with a range of 360 ° to be located behind and below a rear view mirror of an automotive vehicle. Also, another goal is a VCR (video cartridge recorder) for an instant image.

Another objective is to provide a commercial VCR system that operates with the automotive vehicle battery. Also, another objective is to locate the multiplexer and the VCR inside the glove box compartment or in the trunk of the automotive vehicle. Another objective is to provide a video camera system that provides documentation of video recording simultaneously, with a range of 360 °, for police officers, documents that will serve as evidence for certain situations, when vehicles and / or people they are within the reach of the patrol. Also, another goal is to provide a video camera system that provides video recording documentation simultaneously with a 360 ° range, for vehicle owners, documentation that serves as evidence of a vehicle theft or police abuse that could occur within the scope of the owner's vehicle. Also, another objective is to provide a video camera system that offers video recording documentation simultaneously, with a 360 ° range for the owners of the vehicle, the documentation serves as backup in case of an accident for insurance purposes , which could occur within the scope of the owner's vehicle. Other objectives will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying Figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a top view of the present invention. Figure 2 is a view of a monitor along line 2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a partial sectional view along lines 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a view in partial section of line 4-4 of Figure 3; Figure 5 is an alternative embodiment of the invention, wherein the chamber has a circular shaped housing. Figure 6 is another alternative embodiment of the present invention, wherein the chamber has a cube-shaped housing. Figure 7 is another alternative embodiment of the present invention, wherein four cameras are constructed within the mirror housing or mirror of the rearview mirror on different sides of the mirror to provide a three hundred sixty degree view around the rear view mirror; Figure 8 is a front view of the embodiment of the Figure 7 where the camera (camera 1 is built on the front surface of the rear view mirror) and two other cameras (cameras 3 and 4 are built on the opposite side surfaces of the rearview mirror.

Figure 9 is a side view of the embodiment of Figure 7, which shows the camera 4 constructed on the side surface of the rear view mirror; and Figure 10 is a rear view of the embodiment of Figure 7, which shows the camera (camera 2) constructed on the rear surface of the rearview mirror.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE MODALITIES PREFERRED With reference now to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a top view of the invention, a video camera system with a 360 ° range within an automotive vehicle 1. The 360 ° camera system includes a camera housing 5, a multiplexer unit 15, and a video cartridge recorder (VCR) 18 and optionally, a monitor 19, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The camera housing 5, as shown in Figure 3, can be mounted on a rearview mirror 8 support mounting of the automotive vehicle 1. As shown in Figure 3, the camera housing 5 can be moved so that it can be retracted and placed behind the rear view mirror 8 in position A when it is not in use or extend below the rear view mirror 8 in position B when It's in use. A hinge mechanism 9 can articulately move the camera in its assembly from position A to position B and vice versa. Alternatively, other mechanical arrangements may be employed such as the camera assembly designed as a telescopic rod to extend and retract the camera behind or below the rearview mirror, respectively. Preferably, the camera housing 5 is formed to accommodate a CCD board 4 or a CMOS series microvideo camera in PC51 series marketed by Super Circuits, Inc., Leander, Texas, which is mounted in a mounting from 2.54 to 5.08 cm, which gives you a 360 degree view inside and outside the vehicle. These miniature video cameras can be color or black and white cameras. However, it should be understood that any other miniature camera system can be used and the invention is not limited to these specific examples. There is a rotating unit for the camera housing 5, which is coupled with the rear view mirror. Preferably, the system includes a 12.7 cm or 15.24 cm LCD video monitor to view the images recorded by the camera (Figure 2). The monitor can be colored or black and white and can slide up or down. The wires run from the camera housing to the multiplexer, which records the date and time, either in color or in black and white, on all four video cameras at the same time. Then the cables run inside the VCR together with the miniature video cameras and the multiplexer operates with the battery 22 of the vehicle, preferably by a wire harness (not shown) to which the wires for the miniature cameras run, the multiplexer 15 and the VCR to the wire harness that connects to the battery 22 of the vehicle. Preferably, the camera housing 5 can be configured in any geometric shape and is not limited to the shapes described herein. Figures 3 to 5 show the chamber housing as a circular or ring-shaped housing with lenses on each side. Preferably, four miniature video cameras are provided on each side of the housing spaced 90 degrees apart, but the number of cameras 11 may vary when desired. The miniature video cameras 11 provide housing 5 of the camera with 360 degree range to record on video what happens around the camera housing 5, namely both inside and outside of the automotive vehicle when recording through of the windshield, the rear and side windows of the automotive vehicle 1. The camera housing 5 and the cameras 11 can operate with the vehicle battery, as shown in Figure 1. The system includes a multiplexer 15 and a VCR 218. The multiplexer 15 allows recording the entire view from each chamber 11 of the camera housing 5 to be placed together to provide a 360 ° image. Thus, in a four-camera arrangement, the multiplexer 15 provides the four camera images placed side by side for a side-by-side deployment as recorded on the VCR 18 and displayed on the monitor 19. The VCR 18 records these images. A multiplexer 15 suitable for the present invention is a Model No. DPX4 for color video tapes and Model No. MX4M for the black and white video tapes available from Advanced Technology Video Inc., of Redmond, Washington. Of course, the present invention is not limited to any particular multiplexer model. The multiplexer 15 and the VCR 18 are placed together and preferably are stacked one on top of the other on either side of the trunk 2 of the automotive vehicle as shown in Figure 1 or in the glove compartment of the automotive vehicle (not shown) . The wiring between the camera housing 5, the multiplexer 15, the VCR 18 and optionally the monitor 19 can be placed behind the panels of the side walls, the roof and the vehicle panel as shown in Figure 1, with the In order to keep the installation of the present invention less cumbersome and the cabling hidden for the purpose of appearance. The monitor 19, the VCR 18 and the multiplexer 15 can operate with the battery of the automotive vehicle. Preferably, the four chambers 11, the multiplexer 15 and the VCR 19 have wires running to a wire harness that connects to the battery 22 of the vehicle. Alternatively, another power supply can be provided as batteries for the camera, the multiplexer and the VCR. Alternatively, the camera housing 5 can be part of the rearview mirror housing. In other words, the camera housing can be incorporated or constructed within the rearview mirror housing (see the embodiment described below with reference to Figures 7 through 10). In another embodiment (not shown), the miniature video camera can be a miniature digital camera and instead of a multiplexer unit and a VCR, the miniature digital camera will be wired within a digital recording system. The digital recording system will be located in the glove compartment or in the trunk instead of the multiplexer unit and the VCR, and similarly, the miniature digital camera is located as described for the location of the camera and the housing. 5 of camera in it. Examples of digital video cameras that may be used with the present invention include, but are not limited to, JVC DVM 90 and Sony DCRPC 9. Examples of digital video cameras that may be used include but are not limited to Sony GVD 300 , Sony GVD 600 and the digital recorder Mobil View II. In another embodiment of the invention, a miniature camera system 4 can be constructed inside the rearview mirror or in its housing. As shown in Figures 7 through 10, the four cameras (cameras 1, 2, 3 and 4) are built into the rear view mirror. As can be seen in Figure 7, camera 1 is built on the front surface of the rear view mirror and cameras 3 and 4 are built on the opposite side surfaces of the rear view mirror (see Figures 8 and 9). Figure 10 illustrates that another camera, camera 2 is built on the rear side of the rearview mirror. In this way, the four cameras built in the rear view mirror provides a view with a range of three hundred and sixty degrees around the rearview mirror. In addition, a monitor can be installed and coupled with the rear view mirror, which can be moved down from the surface for viewing. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the number of cameras shown in the specific locations shown in the drawings. Alternatively, the monitor can be located anywhere in the automotive vehicle (not shown). One or more of these miniature camera systems are designed in adaptive form by SVS (Subsea Video Systems, Inc.), with address in Elizabeth City N.C. These miniature camera systems have the following specifications: 4 miniatures day / night cameras, the rearview mirror in an automotive video system are mounted on a snap externally, the camera has 480 high-resolution lines, a screen of color LCD display, movable down (movable monitor down), with a camera switch (1-5 cameras). The capture element: 1/3"CCD, Snc Internal; AGC: automatic, Video output: Composite (1vp-p); White balance: automatic, Minimum illumination: 0.3 lux., 0.0 lux; Voltage: 10-16 V DC, 150 mA; Dimensions: 1.75 Day X 5.08 cm long .; Weight: 154 grams; Impact: about 1000g; Temperature: -40 degrees C to +50 degrees C; Lens face: tempered Pyrex.

A high resolution 16X color zoom camera is also constructed in an adaptive manner by SVS for the present invention with the following specifications: This high resolution color day / night camera offers a manual or motorized approach lens, with remote control with a 16x or 3.9 to 54.6 mm approach. The lens also incorporates an auto-focus feature, so control functions are minimized. This remote control unit is also included with the camera. As with all our cameras, the AV-Z is waterproof and is rated with our minimum specification of 300 feet deep to the water. The microlens motors do not allow impact levels of 1000g, but with our specialized hardening techniques a continuous impact level of 150g to 0.5 milliseconds can be achieved, which exceeds any other standard of video camera specifications. An optional RS-232 serial data port is available for full computer control with more than 10 controllable functions. This system provides a really robust video camera environment. Specifications for this camera include: Capture element: ¼ "CCD; Snc: internal; AGC: automatic; Video output: composite (1vp-p); White balance: automatic; Minimum illumination: 0.01 lux; Voltage: 10- 16 V DC; Impact: 150 g; Temperature: -40 degrees C to +50 degrees C; Lens face: Tempered Pyrex.

Another embodiment that can be used by camera systems such as those built in adaptive form by SVS uses a DVR or a digital video recorder as the digital recording system and does not require a multiplexer in the present invention. The camera system can be wired for transmission with the DVR or can communicate with the DVR via wireless transmission. The DVR can be located in the automotive vehicle so that the camera system can communicate with the DVR via wireless transmission. Again, the version of this DVR can be built in an adaptable way by SVS as a mobile video recorder, portable that has the following characteristics: MPEG 1 and 2 recording with transmission quality; 1-5 cameras; 30 FPS; Programmable, video compression, optimal recording, recording of 1 audio channel with wireless microphone, interchangeable (600 'of transmission from the car); instant playback of 1-5 cameras while still recording; compatible with NTSC or PAL, simple VCR with remote operation, wireless, Internet access / computer with secure password protection and up to 30 days of recording with the aforementioned camera systems built in adaptive form by SVS: The specifications include: ISO / IEX 13188-3, 2 (MEPG-2); Current types: Elementary, program and transport., PEL Media Accuracy; Video Encoder: Horizontal Resolution-720, 640, 480, 320, 160; Vertical Resolution-480, 240, 112 (NTSC), 576, 288, 144 (PAL); Pre-processor; programmable 2D filter (7x6) for space noise reduction; Movement calculator: images Band-B +/- 100 (H) x +/- 34 (V); Entries: (a) composite video: 1x; Input impedance: 75 Ohm, 1.0 Vp-p standards 525/60 (NTSC), 625/50 (PAL); Audio: 1x; Balanced level - Up to 3V p-p. Although the invention is described in particular for use in automotive vehicles, it can also be used in other vehicles that involve but are not limited to aircraft, ships, trains, etc. Although preferred embodiments have now been described for description purposes, many changes can be made in the arrangement of method steps and parts of the apparatus by those skilled in the art, such changes will be encompassed within the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A video system for an automotive vehicle, characterized in that it comprises: a camera housing located inside the automotive vehicle, which includes a plurality of cameras, located on each side of the housing to provide a 360 ° range for recording received video images by the lenses, the camera housing is incorporated into the rear view mirror of the vehicle; a digital video recorder to multiply and record all the recorded images received from the cameras, which provides a 360 ° environment recording around the camera housing. The video system according to claim 1, characterized in that the camera transmits the recorded images to a digital video recorder by wireless transmission. 3. The video system according to claim 1, characterized in that the cameras transmit recorded images to the digital recorder by means of a wired transmission. 4. The video system in accordance with the claim 1, characterized in that the video recorder is located inside the automotive vehicle. 5. The video system according to claim 1, characterized in that the digital video recorder is located away from the automotive vehicle. 6. The video system according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a downwardly movable monitor coupled with the rearview mirror to display the recorded images. 7. The video system in accordance with the claim 1, characterized in that the chamber housing has a circular shape and each of the chambers is located 90 ° apart from each other. The video system according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing of the chamber is cube-shaped and each side surface of the cube-shaped chamber housing has a lens therein. 9. The video system according to claim 1, characterized in that the digital video recorder is located in the glove box compartment inside a car compartment. 10. The video system according to claim 1, characterized in that the digital video recorder is located in the trunk of the automotive vehicle. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of cameras are constructed inside the rearview mirror so that the rearview mirror is the camera housing for the cameras. A method for recording digital video within an automotive vehicle, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: locating a camera housing within an automotive vehicle including a plurality of cameras located on each side of the housing to provide a range of 360 ° to record images received by the lenses, the camera housing is part of a housing of the rear view mirror of the vehicle; multiply and record images by means of a digital video recorder, which provides a recording of a 360 ° environment that surrounds the camera housing. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the plurality of cameras are constructed inside the rearview mirror so that the rearview mirror is the camera housing for the cameras.