Patent Application
20230145572
Not Applicable
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The disclosure relates to security devices and more particularly pertains to a new security device for recording surveillance footage of an area surrounding a vehicle and to facilitate remote communication between a driver of the vehicle and an individual near the vehicle. The device includes a plurality of camera units, a recording unit, a personal electronic device and a data sensor. The camera units are positioned at strategic locations around the vehicle and the camera units are in communication with the recording unit. The personal electronic device is in communication with the data sensor and the data sensor is in communication with an engine control module of the vehicle to facilitate the driver to monitor fault codes generated by the engine control module.
The prior art relates to security devices including a variety of vehicle surveillance devices that each includes a plurality of digital cameras disposed at various locations on a vehicle. The prior art discloses a variety of vehicle security devices that includes a plurality of video cameras disposed on a vehicle and a personal electronic device that is in remote communication with the video cameras. In no instance does the prior art disclose a security device that includes video cameras, a personal electronic device a data sensor that is in communication with an engine control module of a vehicle.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a vehicle and a plurality of camera units. Each of the camera units is coupled to the vehicle to record video footage of the immediate environment of the vehicle. The plurality of camera unit is positioned at strategic locations on the vehicle. A recording unit is positioned within the vehicle and the recording unit is in electrical communication with each of the camera units to record video footage captured by the camera units. A personal electronic device is positioned within the vehicle. A data sensor is provided which is placed in electrical communication with an engine computer module of the vehicle thereby facilitating the data sensor to receive diagnostic data from the engine computer module. Moreover, the data sensor is in communication with the personal electronic device to facilitate a driver of the vehicle to view the diagnostic data.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
Each of the camera units 20 comprises a camera housing 22 that has a forward wall 24. The camera housing 22 is mounted to the vehicle 12 such that the forward wall 24 is directed in a strategic direction with respect to the vehicle 12. Each of the camera units 20 includes a digital camera 26 that is integrated into the camera housing 22, and the digital camera 26 includes a lens 28 that is integrated into the forward wall 24 to capture imagery related to the direction the forward wall 24 of the camera housing 22 is facing. Each of the camera units 20 includes a camera control circuit 30 that is integrated into the camera housing 22 and the digital camera 26 is electrically coupled to the camera control circuit 30. Moreover the camera control circuit 30 is electrically coupled to a power source 29 comprising an electrical system 31 of the vehicle 12.
Each of the camera units 20 includes a speaker 32 that is integrated into the camera housing 22 to emit audible sounds outwardly from the camera housing 22, and the speaker 32 is electrically coupled to the camera control circuit 30. Each of the camera units 20 includes a microphone 34 that is integrated into the camera housing 22 to capture audible sounds adjacent to the camera housing 22, and the microphone 34 is electrically coupled to the camera control circuit 30. Each of the camera units 20 includes a communication unit 36 that is integrated into the camera housing 22. The communication unit 36 is electrically coupled to the camera control circuit 30 and the communication unit 36 broadcasts a communication signal comprising audio captured by the microphone 34 and video captured by the digital camera 26. The plurality of camera units 20 includes a 360.0 degree camera 38 that includes a fish eye lens 40 to facilitate a 360.0 degree viewing angle. The 360.0 degree camera 38 may be positioned on within the cabin 42 of the vehicle 12 such that the 360.0 degree camera 38 can record video footage of the entirety of the cabin 42 of the vehicle 12.
A recording unit 44 is provided and the recording unit 44 is positioned within the vehicle 12. The recording unit 44 is in electrical communication with each of the camera units 20 thereby facilitating the recording unit 44 to record video footage captured by the camera units 20. The recording unit 44 comprises a recorder housing 46 that is positioned in a trunk 48 of the vehicle 12 such that the recorder housing 46 is secured from unauthorized access. The recording unit 44 includes a recorder control circuit 50 that is integrated into the recorder housing 46 and the recorder control circuit 50 is in electrical communication with the communication unit 36 in each of the camera units 20.
The recording unit 44 includes an electronic memory 52 that is positioned within the recorder housing 46 and the electronic memory 52 is electrically coupled to the recorder control circuit 50. The electronic memory 52 receives video footage captured by the digital camera 26 in each of the camera units 20 and the electronic memory 52 receives audio captured by the microphone 34 in each of the camera units 20.
The recording unit 44 includes a recorder transceiver 54 that is integrated into the recorder housing 46 and the recorder transceiver 54 is electrically coupled to the recorder control circuit 50. The recorder transceiver 54 may comprise a radio frequency transceiver or the like which has an operational range of at least 50.0 feet. The recording unit 44 includes a power supply 56 that is integrated into the recorder housing 46, the power supply 56 is electrically coupled to the recording control circuit and the power supply 56 comprises a rechargeable battery. The power supply 56 is in electrical communication with the communication unit 36 in each of the camera units 20 for supplying back up electrical power to each of the camera units 20 when the electrical system 31 of the vehicle 12 experiences a failure. A solar panel 58 is positionable on the vehicle 12 such that the solar panel 58 is configured to be exposed to sunlight. Furthermore, the solar panel 58 is electrically coupled to the power supply 56 in the recording unit 44 for charging the power supply 56 in the recording unit 44.
As is most clearly shown in
As is most clearly shown in
A personal electronic device 66 is provided and the personal electronic device 66 is positioned within the vehicle 12 to be accessible to a driver of the vehicle 12. The personal electronic device 66 includes a receiver 68 and a touch screen display 70. The receiver 68 is in wireless communication with the recorder transceiver 54 in the recording unit 44 such that the personal electronic device 66 is in communication with the speaker 32, the digital camera 26 and the microphone 34 in each of the camera units 20. The personal electronic device 66 has a data port 72 and the personal electronic device 66 may comprise a tablet, a smart phone or any other type of electronic device that has wireless communication capabilities and a touch screen display.
A data sensor 74 is provided which is placed in electrical communication with an engine computer module 76 of the vehicle 12 thereby facilitating the data sensor 74 to receive diagnostic data from the engine computer module 76. The data sensor 74 is in communication with the personal electronic device 66 to facilitate the driver of the vehicle 12 to view the diagnostic data. Moreover, the data sensor 74 has an input port 78 and an output port 80, and the input port 78 is matable to an on-board diagnostic port 82 of the vehicle 12. The data sensor 74 may comprise an electronic on-board diagnostic device that complies with OBD 2 protocols. A data cable 84 is provided that has a first end 86 and a second end 88; a first plug 90 is electrically coupled to the first end 86 and a second plug 92 is electrically coupled to the second end 88. The first plug 90 is matable to the output port 80 on the data sensor 74. The second plug 92 is matable to the data port 72 on the personal electronic device 66.
In use, each of the camera units 20 captures video footage of the immediate area around the vehicle 12 for security purposes. Additionally, the speaker 32 and the microphone 34 in each of the camera units 20 facilitate the driver to remotely communicate with an individual that is near the vehicle 12. The recording unit 44 continually records the video footage and the audio footage captured by each of the camera units 20 for subsequent analysis by law enforcement, or other agency, in the event of theft or vandalism of the vehicle 12. Additionally, the personal electronic device 66 facilitates the driver to view any diagnostic data that is received from the data sensor 74 for monitoring fault codes that are generated by the engine control module 76. Moreover, the driver can monitor the vehicle when service is being performed on the vehicle at a service station, such as a mechanic's shop or a vehicle dealer, thereby facilitating the driver to ensure that service is performed properly. The personal electronic device may be wireless connected to the internet to facilitate video footage captured by the camera devices to be posted to social media sites, for example, or other hosting services on the internet.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
