Vehicle event recorder systems and networks having integrated cellular wireless communications systems
Vehicle event recorder systems are arranged to be in constant communication with remote servers and administrators via mobile wireless cellular networks. Vehicle event recorders equipped with video cameras capture video and other data records of important events relating to vehicle use. These data are then transmitted over special communications networks having very high coverage space but limited bandwidth. A vehicle may be operated over very large region while maintaining continuous communications connections with a remote fixed server. As such, systems of these inventions may be characterized as including a mobile unit having: a video camera; a microprocessor; memory; an event trigger; and mobile wireless transceivers, and a fixed network portion including: mobile wireless cellular network, a protocol translation gateway, the Internet and an application-specific server.
1. A vehicle event recorder system configured to couple with a vehicle, the system comprising:
a camera configured to acquire visual information representing a vehicle environment, the vehicle environment including spaces in and around an interior and an exterior of the vehicle;
one or more vehicle systems transducers configured to generate output signals conveying vehicle usage information, the one or more vehicle systems transducers forming at least part of an on-board databus system, the vehicle usage information including information related to one or more of a drive-train, a transmission, an engine, brakes, or lights of the vehicle;
a managed loop memory configured to electronically store information;
a buffer memory configured to electronically store information;
a transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit information to a remotely located server via a cellular communication network, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive from the remotely located server a request specifying a first dataset; and
a microprocessor configured to:
effectuate storage of the visual information and the vehicle usage information in the managed loop memory in datasets, wherein the datasets include the first dataset; and
responsive to receipt of the request specifying the first dataset, facilitate wireless transmission of the first dataset via the transceiver.
2. The vehicle event recorder of claim 1 , wherein the microprocessor is configured to detect a first event based on the generated output signals, wherein the first event includes one or more of a vehicle accident, swerving, or hard braking.
3. The vehicle event recorder of claim 2 , wherein the microprocessor is configured such that the first dataset includes visual information and vehicle usage information from before and after the first event.
4. The vehicle event recorder of claim 2 , wherein the microprocessor is further configured to facilitate transmission of the first dataset responsive to compression and storage of the first dataset in the buffer memory after the first event.
5. A method for transmitting information from a vehicle event recorder system to a remotely located server, the vehicle event recorder system including a managed loop memory and a buffer memory both configured to store information, the vehicle event recorder system configured to couple with a vehicle, the method comprising:
acquiring visual information representing a vehicle environment, the vehicle environment including spaces in and around an interior and an exterior of the vehicle;
generating output signals conveying vehicle usage information, the vehicle usage information including information related to one or more of a drive-train, a transmission, an engine, brakes, or lights of the vehicle;
receiving from the remotely located server a request specifying a first dataset;
effectuating storage of the visual information and the vehicle usage information in the managed loop memory in datasets, wherein the datasets include the first dataset; and
responsive to receiving the request specifying the first dataset, facilitating wireless transmission of the first dataset to the remotely located server via a cellular communication network.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
detecting a first event based on the generated output signals,
wherein the first event includes one or more of a vehicle accident, swerving, or hard braking.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first dataset includes visual information and vehicle usage information from before and after the first event.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising facilitating wireless transmission of the first dataset responsive to compression and storage of the first dataset in the buffer memory after the first event.
9. A vehicle event recorder system configured to couple with a vehicle, the system comprising:
a camera configured to acquire visual information from a vehicle environment, the vehicle environment including spaces in and around an interior and an exterior of the vehicle;
one or more vehicle systems transducers configured to generate output signals conveying vehicle usage information, the one or more vehicle systems transducers forming at least part of an on-board databus system, the vehicle usage information including information related to one or more of a drive-train, a transmission, an engine, brakes, or lights of the vehicle;
an electronic memory configured to electronically store information;
a transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit information to a remotely located server via a cellular communication network, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive from the remotely located server a request specifying a first dataset; and
a microprocessor configured to:
effectuate storage of the visual information and the vehicle usage information in the electronic memory in datasets, the datasets including the first dataset; and
responsive to receipt of the request specifying the first dataset, facilitate wireless transmission of the datasets via the transceiver, the microprocessor configured to facilitate wireless transmission of the first dataset to the remotely located server via the transceiver.
10. A method for transmitting information from a vehicle event recorder system to a remotely located server, the vehicle event recorder system configured to couple with a vehicle, the method comprising:
acquiring visual information from a vehicle environment, the vehicle environment including spaces in and around an interior and an exterior of the vehicle;
generating output signals conveying vehicle usage information, the vehicle usage information including information related to one or more of a drive-train, a transmission, an engine, brakes, or lights of the vehicle;
receiving from the remotely located server a request specifying a first dataset;
effectuating electronic storage of the visual information and the vehicle usage information in datasets, the datasets including the first dataset; and
responsive to receiving the request specifying the first dataset, facilitating wireless transmission of the first dataset to the remotely located server via a cellular communication network.