WO2022067380A1

WO2022067380A1 - Traffic stop camera assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2022067380A1
Application number: PCT/AU2021/051130
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jude Elkanah Permall
Original assignee: Jude Elkanah Permall
Priority date: 2020-09-29
Filing date: 2021-09-28
Publication date: 2022-04-07

Abstract

A camera assembly (10d) comprising an elongated housing (12d) with two wide field of view (FOV) cameras (14d) mounted thereon. The housing (12d) comprises a base (16d), a top wall (18d), end walls (20d), a rear wall (22d) and an opposing outer wall (24d) which is parallel to the rear wall (22d). The outer wall (24d) includes angled end portions (25) adjacent the end walls (20d). The angled end portions (25) are at an angle of about 20° to 65° relative to the middle section of the outer wall (24d). The cameras 14d are respectively mounted to the angled end portions (25). Mounting assemblies (90) extend from the end walls (20d) for mounting the housing (12d) to a windowsill of a vehicle.

Description

TRAFFIC STOP CAMERA ASSEMBLY

Field of the Invention

[1 ] The present invention relates to a camera for a vehicle for recording interactions during traffic stops. The invention is primarily intended for police traffic stops but is not limited to this use, and can also be used for other situations where a person outside of a vehicle is interacting with persons within the vehicle.

Background of the Invention

[2] Any driver who has been pulled over by the police deserves to be treated with respect and dignity whether they made a mistake or not. Currently available dash cams available do not record this interaction with the police officer.

[3] The present invention seeks to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least some of the deficiencies of the prior art, or to at least provide an alternative.

[4] It is to be understood that, if any prior art information is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the information forms part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

Summary of the Invention

[5] According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a camera assembly comprising a housing with at least one wide field of view (FOV) camera mounted thereon, wherein the housing is adapted for mounting in a vehicle and the camera in use faces outwardly directed to a person standing outside the vehicle next to the driver’s side door.

[6] In one embodiment, the camera assembly comprises an elongated housing having an outer wall, the outer wall including inwardly angled end portions adjacent the end walls, wherein the angled end portions respectively have a camera mounted thereto.

[7] Preferably, the distance between the angled end portions is adjustable by having sections of the housing being telescopically adjustable.

[8] Preferably, the camera assembly further includes mounting assemblies extending from the end walls for mounting to a vehicle windowsill, wherein the angle of the housing relative to the mounting assemblies is adjustable.

[9] Preferably, the mounting assemblies each include a threaded rod extending from the end walls and a slotted L-shaped bracket for mounting to a car windowsill. [10] Preferably, the camera assembly further includes a memory card for recording video and audio and wireless connectivity means for connecting to the internet, phone network, and/or a smart device.

[1 1 ] Preferably, video is automatically uploaded and saved to a cloud service.

[12] Preferably, the camera assembly further includes a button which can be pressed to start recording of video and audio via the cameras, wherein during recording, pressing the button does not stop the recording.

[13] Preferably, the camera assembly is paired to a smart device running an application software, and stopping of the recording function can be performed via the application software.

[14] Preferably, the video and audio can be broadcast live to a social media platform as it happens.

[15] Preferably, the camera assembly further includes two spaced cameras in the rear wall, a first camera being directed towards the driver and a second camera being spaced therefrom to be directed towards the passenger and passenger side window.

[16] Preferably, the housing is adapted for mounting to the windowsill of the driver’s side door and has a long slim low height profile.

[17] In another embodiment, the housing comprises a base, a top wall, end walls, a rear wall and an opposing inclined wall, wherein the camera is mounted to the inclined wall.

[18] Preferably, the base comprises an attachment hook for engagement with a mounting hook which is to be attached to a windowsill of a vehicle.

[19] Preferably, the camera assembly comprises multiple cameras, each camera being a wide FOV camera.

[20] Preferably, the inclined wall is adapted to hide the at least one camera.

[21 ] Preferably, the inclined wall is adjustable, such that the direction of each camera can be varied as needed.

[22] Preferably, each camera has respectively adjustable mounts to the inclined wall so that it can be pointed in the respective desired directions as needed.

[23] Preferably, an additional camera or cameras are provided to the rear wall to record the driver’s side of the vehicle.

[24] Preferably, all video and audio is uploaded and saved to the cloud automatically.

[25] In another embodiment, the housing is a circular housing with three cameras which are spaced around the periphery of the housing, the cameras together recording video from substantially all angles of the vehicle, being looking towards the front, looking towards the driver’s side, and looking towards the passenger’s side.

[26] In another embodiment, the housing is a generally tubular housing with a camera at one end wall thereof, the housing being adapted to be mounted to the headrest of the driver’s seat, at which the camera will be directed in the sideways direction towards the driver’s side window.

[27] Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[28] Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[29] Figure 1 shows a camera assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[30] Figure 2 shows a side view of the camera assembly of Figure 1 , with an example mounting means;

[31 ] Figure 3 schematically shows the field of view (FOV) of the cameras of the camera assembly of Figure 1 ;

[32] Figure 4 shows a camera assembly according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[33] Figure 5 shows a camera assembly according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows mounted perspective view, (b) shows side view and (c) shows top view

[34] Figure 6 shows a camera assembly according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention with the following views: (a) front view, (b) top view, (c) rear view, (d) rear isometric view, (e) front isometric view, (f) end views

[35] Figure 7 is an exploded rear isometric view of the camera assembly of Figure 6,

[36] Figure 8 is (a) front isometric view and (b) rear isometric view of the housing body of the camera assembly of Figure 6 at a different tilted angle.

Description of Embodiments

[37] It should be noted in the following description that like or the same reference numerals in different embodiments denote the same or similar features. [38] Figure 1 shows a camera assembly 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The camera assembly 10 comprises an elongated housing 12 with two wide field of view (FOV) cameras 14 mounted thereon. The housing 12 comprises a base 16, a top wall 18, end walls 20, a rear wall 22 and an opposing inclined outer wall 24. The cameras 14 are mounted to the inclined outer wall 24. The outer wall is angled upwardly at between 30° to 60°.

[39] Figure 2 shows an attachment hook 28 of the camera assembly 10 attached to the base 16 thereof. The attachment hook 28 is for engagement with a mounting hook 30 which is to be attached to a windowsill 50 of a vehicle. The windowsill 50 is typically on the driver’s side. The housing 12 is dimensioned for mounting to the windowsill of a vehicle and thus has a slim, long, low height profile.

[40] When attached, the cameras 14 face outwardly and upwardly, directed to a person standing outside the vehicle next to the driver’s side door. The inclined wall 24 directs the cameras 14 in the required direction. Each camera 14 typically has a wide FOV 36 as shown in Figure 3, being about 144° or more. This will ensure interactions with the person or persons outside the vehicle will be captured.

[41 ] The inclined wall 24 can be adapted to hide the cameras 14 so that they are less intrusive.

[42] The inclined wall 24 in a possible modification can be adjustable, such that the direction of the cameras 14 can be varied as needed. The cameras 14 also can have respectively adjustable mounts to the inclined wall 24 so that they can be pointed in the respective desired directions as needed.

[43] In another possible modification, an additional camera or cameras can be added to the rear wall 22 to record the driver’s side of the vehicle.

[44] The camera assembly 10 will have a memory card for recording video and audio, and can also be adapted to connect to the internet by itself by having mobile or wireless connectivity, or to connect via the user’s smartphone. Preferably, all video is uploaded and saved to the cloud automatically to avoid any loss. The camera assembly 10 can have a built in battery such that it can function even when the vehicle is turned off.

[45] Figure 4 shows a camera assembly 10b according to a second embodiment which has similar recording properties as the camera assembly 10 above. The camera assembly 10b is designed to be mounted to a dashboard of the vehicle and comprises a circular housing 12b with three cameras 14b which are spaced around the periphery of the housing 12b. The cameras 14b are all wide FOV cameras with the nominal FOV angles indicated. The cameras 14b together record video (preferably also audio) from substantially all angles of the vehicle, being looking towards the front, looking towards the driver’s side, and looking towards the passenger’s side. The cameras 14b preferably together record an entire 360° FOV. This camera assembly will work in conjunction with a camera assembly that will record right outside the driver's window such as the one shown in Figures 1 and 5.

[46] Figure 5 shows a camera assembly 10c according to a third embodiment which has similar recording properties as the camera assembly 10 above. The camera assembly 10c comprises a generally tubular housing 12c with a camera 14c at one end wall 20c thereof. The camera assembly 10c is adapted to be mounted to the rear surface of a headrest 60 of the driver’s seat, at which the camera 14c will be directed in the sideways direction towards the driver’s side window.

[47] The embodiments thus provide camera assemblies which record a driver’s interactions discreetly when pulled over by the police or other person. Whether the driver has made a mistake with their driving or not, they deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.

[48] Currently available dash cams or crash cams (dual or 360-degree) are designed to be mounted on the dashboard or above the dashboard to record the front, inside and back of a vehicle. There is no camera assembly that records through the roof a vehicle to capture someone's face if they were to stand next to the driver's window. Any person standing next to a vehicle will have their face above the vehicle's roof and will thus not be recorded. The present embodiments in contrast captures facial expressions, body language, movements, etc. of people next to their window.

[49] The invention can assist if the driver wants to take action in court because they were mistreated in some way (with rudeness, condescension, aggressiveness, discrimination, etc..) and they want the judge to be able to see all these things clearly. The invention is also useful in other situations such as road rage situations or side vehicle crashes.

[50] The invention provides a record for safety, accountability and personal rights.

[51 ] The video produced by the embodiments is uploaded online directly and accessible via a smartphone app. The user is also able to control the device through the app.

[52] Figures 6 to 8 shows a camera assembly 10d according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The camera assembly 10d also comprises an elongated housing 12d with two wide field of view (FOV) cameras 14d mounted thereon. The housing 12d comprises a base 16d, a top wall 18d, end walls 20d, a rear wall 22d and an opposing outer wall 24d which is parallel to the rear wall 22d. The outer wall 24d includes inwardly angled end portions 25 at the end portions thereof adjacent the end walls 20d. The angled end portions 25 are at an angle of about 20° to 65° relative to the middle section of the outer wall 24d. The cameras 14d are respectively mounted to the angled end portions 25. Mounting assemblies 90 extend from the end walls 20d.

[53] The cameras 14d are thus spaced from each other but are generally angled towards each other. The cameras 14d being angled towards each other allows the camera assembly 10d to capture the views to the side of the vehicle as much as possible. The cameras 14d capture the front side (adjacent the front wheel) and the rear side (adjacent the rear side door) of the car, as well two angles of a person near the driver’s door. Being able to capture image/video from two angles (two points of view) provides the user with a fuller picture or video of any interaction with a person near the driver’s door. This reduces the chance of objects, hands, arms or other items obstructing the viewed video and images. It also substantially prevents tampering with the video camera as a person would have to block both cameras at the same time which is more difficult than a single camera setup. The distance between the cameras 14d is preferably wider than the reach of a person’s fingers in one hand, and more preferably, the distance between the cameras 14d is adjustable by having sections of the housing 12d being telescopically adjustable.

[54] The camera assembly 10d will thus capture image/video/sound of a police officer or other person standing right opposite to the driver's window or standing towards the front or rear of the driver's vehicle. With the cameras 14d pointing slightly at each other, one camera is pointing towards the front of the car and the other camera is pointing towards the back of the car. This setup can give two different perspectives in an interaction with a police officer and their colleagues.

[55] The housing 12d houses the electronic board 61 for the cameras 14d, and additionally includes a first button 62 in a notch between the top wall 18d and the rear wall 22d, and a second button 64, operation indicator lights 66 and a USB charging port 68 in the rear wall 22.

[56] The mounting assemblies 90 each include a threaded rod 72 in the end walls 20d for mounting to a slotted L-shaped bracket 74 via a nut 76. A slide cover 80 is used to cover the mounting - being the bracket 72, rod 72 and nut 76.

[57] The lower arm of the bracket 74 is to be attached to a windowsill 50 of a vehicle by suitable means such as adhesive strip. The windowsill 50 is typically on the driver’s side. The angle of the cameras 14d relative to the windowsill can be adjusted as shown in Figure 8 by loosening the nuts 76 and adjusting the angle of the housing 12 relative to the brackets 74.

[58] When attached, the cameras 14d face outwardly and can be angled upwardly to the desired angle, directed to a person or persons standing outside the vehicle next to the driver’s side door. Each camera 14d typically has a wide FOV being about 144° or more. This will ensure interactions with the person or persons outside the vehicle will be captured. The middle section, being the housing 12d, can be rotated about the axis of the threaded rods 72 to an angle required by the user. In a standard car, the user may want to have the housing 12d rotated so that the lenses point slightly upward, that is anywhere between 15° to 80° with the horizontal.

[59] In a ute, truck or 4-wheel drive which typically are raised higher than cars, the user may want the lenses 14d to be pointed horizontally or slightly downwards because of the height of the vehicle. The angle with the horizontal can be anywhere between horizontal to about -45°.

[60] The rear wall 22d of the camera can also have one camera or two spaced cameras. One rear wall camera for example can be directed towards the driver and a second camera can be spaced therefrom sufficiently to be directed towards the passenger and passenger side window. This will allow interactions between a person outside the car and both the driver and passenger to be recorded.

[61 ] The camera assembly 10d will have a memory card for recording video and audio, and can also be adapted to connect to the internet by itself by having mobile or wireless connectivity, or to connect via the user’s smartphone. Preferably, all video is uploaded and saved to the cloud automatically to avoid any loss. The camera assembly 10 can have a built in battery 92 such that it can function even when the vehicle is turned off

[62] The assembly 10d is placed on the edge of the door (windowsill) and the side support brackets 74 at its ends are pressed down so that the adhesive strips on them stick to the edge of the door (window sill). The user can opt for adhesive strips of temporary or permanent bond. The side covers can be removed by pulling.

[63] The nuts 76 can be undone by hand to either take away the middle section housing 12d which houses the internal electronics or adjust the vertical angle of the lenses 14d by rotating the middle section housing 12d and then hand tightening the nuts back.

[64] A threaded rod 72 on each end of the housing 12, that houses the internal electronics, rests on the side support brackets, which act as pivots to enable the middle section housing 12 to be rotated at the desired angle.

[65] All internal electronics, including lenses, are in fixed positions. The two lenses are able to record in both the day and the night. The device has one (1 ) microphone to record audio. The media content is recorded and stored by pressing button 1 (62). The button 1 lights up and stays up once it is pushed to indicate that storing/recording is taking place. The two (2) lenses and one (1 ) microphone record at the same time (simultaneously). [66] The two (2) video feeds and 1 (one) audio feed are stored automatically to a cloud account via a mobile network. A phone sim card with mobile data is used to connect to the mobile network.

[67] A smartphone application (app) is used to connect to the cloud account to access the media content uploaded by the device. The media content of the cloud account can be viewed, shared, downloaded and deleted using the phone app. The phone app has two screens named "left cam" and "right" cam. The phone app can play both video feeds on the screens and audio feed at the same time (simultaneously). Tapping on 1 screen shows only the video feed from that screen. For example: if the user taps on the screen called "right cam", the user can watch just the video feed captured by the right lens with the audio. The phone app gives option to upload to the cloud or store locally on a memory card. If the cloud account is selected as the storage location but there is no mobile network available device stores media content locally on the memory card. If it is storing locally and mobile network comes back, the device continues to store locally on the memory card but backs up the media feeds to the cloud in the background. If there is not enough mobile data credit on the sim card and storing cannot happen then the device automatically switches to storing locally on the memory card.

[68] The device recording cannot be turned off by pressing button 1 . Button 1 only starts the storage process but does not stop it. The device recording can only be "turned off" by using a command (which can be in the form of a button) on the phone app in one of the two (2) ways: a. via the cloud account (open pre-installed phone app and press the stop button) b. via Bluetooth connection with the device and a PIN code (pair the device with a phone, insert pin and press the' button on the pre-installed phone app)

[69] These features prevents an unauthorised person from stopping the recording, thus preventing tampering of the camera recording function.

[70] Giving that command on the phone app immediately stops cloud storage or local memory card storage (whichever is being used). Giving that command makes the device go into sleep, ready for the user to press button 1 on the case to start storing media content again.

[71 ] The device is powered by a rechargeable battery, or can be connected to vehicle power source with a backup battery. The device has a 'battery indicator' as a set of lights that light up when the battery reaches a certain level of its capacity and stays up until the capacity reaches 0%. The set of lights (battery indicator) lights up and stays up when the battery capacity reaches 100% when it's charging until the usb charger cable is unplugged from the usb port. The phone app can show the battery capacity level in real time via cloud or Bluetooth.

[72] When the device is turned off button 2 is pressed to power it up. However, button 2 cannot turn off the device if pressed again. The app has another command (which can be in the form of a button) that can be pressed to turn off the device via cloud or Bluetooth.

[73] Video quality can be selected on the device (1080p, 720p, etc). Bluetooth PIN can be regenerated on the phone app to pair with the device if the pin is compromised. The app has a command in the form of a button which can be pressed to give a live view of the lenses on the app via cloud or Bluetooth to assist the user to adjust the positioning of the device.

[74] On the smartphone app, the user will have the option to also choose between YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or other social media to upload and store their media content, and/or broadcast the content live as it happens. The user will be able to broadcast the media content live to their family, friends and the whole world from whichever social media account they have chosen to use.

[75] Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described, it will be apparent to skilled persons that modifications can be made to the embodiment shown.

[76] In another possible embodiment, the angled end portions 25 can be angled outwardly instead of inwardly, and the assembly can include an additional camera at the central portion thereof facing forwardly.

Claims

Claims The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1 . A camera assembly comprising a housing with at least one wide field of view (FOV) camera mounted thereon, wherein the housing is adapted for mounting in a vehicle and the camera in use faces outwardly directed to a person standing outside the vehicle next to the driver’s side door.

2. The camera assembly of claim 1 comprising an elongated housing having an outer wall, the outer wall including inwardly angled end portions adjacent the end walls, wherein the angled end portions respectively have a camera mounted thereto.

3. The camera assembly of claim 2 wherein the distance between the angled end portions is adjustable by having sections of the housing being telescopically adjustable.

4. The camera assembly of claim 2 further including mounting assemblies extending from the end walls for mounting to a vehicle windowsill, wherein the angle of the housing relative to the mounting assemblies is adjustable.

5. The camera assembly of claim 5 wherein the mounting assemblies each include a threaded rod extending from the end walls and a slotted L-shaped bracket for mounting to a car windowsill.

6. The camera assembly of claim 2 further including a memory card for recording video and audio and wireless connectivity means for connecting to the internet, phone network, and/or a smart device.

7. The camera assembly of claim 6 wherein video is automatically uploaded and saved to a cloud service.

8. The camera assembly of claim 6 further including a button which can be pressed to start recording of video and audio via the cameras, wherein during recording, pressing the button does not stop the recording.

9. The camera assembly of claim 8 wherein the camera assembly is paired to a smart device running an application software, and stopping of the recording function can be performed via the application software.

10. The camera assembly of claim 6 wherein the video and audio can be broadcast live to a social media platform as it happens.

1 1 . The camera assembly of claim 2 further including two spaced cameras in the rear wall, a first camera being directed towards the driver and a second camera being spaced therefrom to be directed towards the passenger and passenger side window. The camera assembly of claim 2 wherein the housing comprises a base, a top wall, end walls, a rear wall and an opposing inclined wall, wherein the at least one camera is mounted to the inclined wall. The camera assembly of claim 12 comprising multiple cameras, each camera being a wide FOV camera, and wherein the inclined wall is adapted to hide the at least one camera. The camera assembly of claim 13 wherein the inclined wall is adjustable, such that the direction of each camera can be varied as needed. The camera assembly of claim 13 wherein each camera has respectively adjustable mounts to the inclined wall so that they can be pointed in the respective desired directions as needed. The camera assembly of claim 13 wherein an additional camera or cameras are provided to the rear wall to record the driver’s side of the vehicle. The camera assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing is a circular housing with three cameras which are spaced around the periphery of the housing, the cameras together recording video from substantially all angles of the vehicle, being looking towards the front, looking towards the driver’s side, and looking towards the passenger’s side. The camera assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing is a generally tubular housing with a camera at one end wall thereof, the housing being adapted to be mounted to the headrest of the driver’s seat, at which the camera will be directed in the sideways direction towards the driver’s side window.