NL2002765C2 - BUTTERFLY FITTED WITH CAMERA FOR A VEHICLE. - Google Patents

Description

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BUTTERFLY FITTED WITH CAMERA FOR A VEHICLE

The present invention relates, inter alia, to a navigation system, as well as to a method in which the functionality of such systems is better utilized.

Navigation systems, such as, for example, Tom-Tom®, Garmin® and the like, and mobile telephones provided with navigation possibilities are generally known.

The object of the present invention is to provide a wider range of applications and functionality to such systems with a minimum of additional means.

To that end, the navigation system according to the invention is characterized in that the navigation system can be connected to a camera present in a suction cup, and the navigation system has image means for storing the image, or the images, captured by the lens in the camera in a memory and / or visible on a screen of the navigation system.

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The advantage of the navigation system according to the invention is that an added value is given to the navigation system in that image material, such as individual images or video film images, which can be projected with the camera can now also be projected onto the screen.

Furthermore, these images can be advantageously stored, in a memory that may already be present or to be added in the system, so that, if desired, it can for instance serve as often additional evidence, in the event of a collision, accident, robbery or other calamity . For example, application of the camera-fitted suction cup or suction cups against a window of a residence or on the windshield of a vehicle.

5 After such a calamity, at least a better understanding of the circumstances and events at the crime scene is created, and an additional aid has become available in the event of possible reconstructions. Dangerous road behavior of other road users will also be easier to trace.

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Preferably, the camera is integrated at least partially in the material of the suction cup, in a manner in which at least one of the lenses of the camera is placed in the suction cup placed on the windscreen of a vehicle towards the transparent surface of the windscreen of the suction cup. vehicle has turned.

The advantage of this is that the lens of the camera is close to the windshield so that reflections or false light cannot disturb the image falling through the lens. This increases the recognisability and reliability of the recorded images.

A further embodiment of the navigation system according to the invention is provided with means for overwriting, if desired, one or more of the images or video images made and stored in the memory, or the image data.

The advantage of this is that, while overwriting information is locally deleted, this saves memory space in the navigation system.

In one embodiment of the method, image data is stored in a memory of the navigation system by means of the camera, and on command, for example by one push of a button on the navigation system or on the mobile phone, means are activated to instantaneously store at least a portion of recently stored data in memory via the telephone at an external destination.

5 At a time when there is an increasing sense of insecurity among more and more people, the navigation system offers these people a greater sense of security and if they are involved in calamities, it offers investigative authorities more options to use 10 regularly stored and / or safely stored images. to be able to fully assess the actual circumstances.

Further detailed possible embodiments set out in the other claims are listed in the following description together with the associated advantages.

The navigation system and the suction cup according to the present invention used therein will now be further elucidated with reference to the figures below, in which corresponding parts are provided with the same reference numerals. Show:

Figures 1A, 1B and 1C show respective embodiments of a suction cup according to the invention, in which a camera is included;

Figure 2 shows a possible embodiment of a navigation system according to the invention; and

Figure 3 is a block diagram for explaining the possible functionalities of the system of Figure 2.

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Figures 1A, 1B and 1C each show, in a different embodiment, a suction cup 1 provided with a camera 2 integrated therein, for example a CCD camera. In Figure 1A the suction cup 1 has a tubular cavity 3, 35 into which the camera 2 designed as a tubular camera is slid.

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In the somewhat larger embodiment of Fig. 1B, some functionality has been added to the camera 2, such as, for example, the possibility of recording, such as images or video images on command, manually or automatically, and storing them in a memory not shown herein.

In the embodiment of Fig. 1C, the camera 2 is coupled to a ball joint 5 which can be manipulated by means of a handle 4. The camera can be directed by a manual adjustment of the handle 4 to a desired location, from which a recording is desired.

The camera 2 is provided with one or more lenses 6, which are usually placed in the suction cup such that the lens 6 faces a transparent surface on which the suction cup 1 can be applied. This transparent surface can for instance be the windscreen of a vehicle, in which the camera 2 then usually connected to a navigation system 7 is stuck to its windscreen, and can then be combined therewith, as shown in figure 2.

This guarantees an undistorted, true-to-life, and reflection-free recording through the windscreen. The suction cup 1 which has a peripheral edge 8 to be applied by underpressure to the transparent surface, within which the lens 6 is arranged, can be connected to the per se known navigation system 7 by means of an electromagnetic connection, for example a wire connection D. Such a navigation system 7 has imaging means in the form of a screen 9, on which the current route together with route and vehicle information is generally stylized. The image of the environment captured by the lens 6 in the camera 2 can be stored in the form of separate images or video images in an existing internal or external memory to be provided and / or visible on the screen 9 of the navigation system 7 to be made. Optionally, the current images taken can be displayed additionally or in place of the stylized images on the screen 9.

Figure 3 shows a block diagram that can be implemented in the navigation system 7 in order to realize the more extensive functionality therewith. The various blocks shown therein and interconnected with each other are provided with the following reference numerals, behind which the relevant functions are explained: 10 Settings of the navigation system 7.

11 GPS navigation device that stores GPS navigation data, such as speed, location and time in the memory #.

12 Contains the camera 2 which provides the captured image and / or video image data.

13 Export of image and / or video data.

14 Direct playback of the recorded image and / or video data.

Possible compression of the image and / or video data, and storage in the desired format, such as for video in MPEG format, in local memory #.

16 timer means for taking recordings of the image and / or video data captured with the camera 2 over time.

17 time setting means for setting the time course for the timer means 16. With this, for example, a recording, image or video recording with the camera 2 is made and stored with the camera 2 at the set time or, if desired, at the command of the driver of the vehicle.

18 Merging the GPS and image and / or video data, and storage in memory #.

19 Mobile telephone 20 means for having the navigation system 7 and the mobile telephone 19 on command, for example by manually pressing a push button K, to communicate with each other, so that by this method at least a part of recently stored in the memory stored image data can be quickly stored at a safe destination via the telephone 19 and is at least available there.

Furthermore, the system 7 has means 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, if desired, to overwrite one or more of the images or video images made and stored in the memory # or the image data, for example every 15-60 minutes. Namely with a filling degree of the relevant memory # determined at 21, the files with the existing relevant image and / or video data 22 are replaced by the current data 24 which are then used as input 25 for possible display on the screen 9. This so-called SWAP functionality saves memory space, which can therefore remain limited, and whereby it is sufficient to limit external, for example SD memory.

Claims (15)

A suction cup, characterized in that the suction cup is provided with a camera. 5 Suction cup according to claim 1, characterized in that the camera is integrated at least partially in the material of the suction cup. 3. Suction cup according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the camera is provided with one or more lenses, at least one of which is placed in the suction cup such that the lens faces a transparent surface on which the suction cup can be applied . 15 4. Suction cup as claimed in any of the claims 1-3, characterized in that the suction cup has a peripheral edge to be applied by underpressure to a transparent surface, within which at least a part of the camera, in particular its at least one lens, is. applied. A navigation system provided with a suction cup according to any one of claims 1-4. Navigation system according to claim 5, characterized in that the navigation system can be connected to the camera in the suction cup, and the navigation system has image means for storing the image, or images, captured by the lens in the camera in a memory and / or visible on a screen of the navigation system. Navigation system according to claim 6, characterized in that the memory is an internal and / or external memory. 35 - 8 - 8. Navigation system as claimed in claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the navigation system is provided with means for overwriting, if desired, one or more of the images or video images made and stored in the memory, or the image data. 9. A navigation system according to any one of claims 5-8, characterized in that the navigation system is provided with timer means for taking recordings of the images captured with the camera after each lapse of time. A navigation system according to claim 9, characterized in that the timer means are provided with time setting means for setting the time course. 15 11. Navigation system as claimed in any of the claims 5-10, characterized in that the navigation system is provided with compression means for storing image data in a desired compressed image or video format in memory. 12. Navigation system as claimed in any of the claims 5-11, characterized in that the suction cup is arranged against at least one window, for example the windscreen, of a vehicle. 13. Navigation system as claimed in any of the claims 5-12, characterized in that the navigation system is provided with a mobile telephone, and means are provided for allowing the navigation system and the mobile telephone to communicate with each other on command, so that at least one part of the image data recently stored in the memory can be stored via the telephone at a safe destination. 35 - 9 - 14. Method in which image data in a navigation system according to one of claims 5-13 are recorded in a memory by means of a camera, such as one mounted in a suction cup according to one of claims 1-5, and on command, for example by one press of a button on the navigation system or on the mobile telephone, means are activated to instantaneously store at least a part of data recently stored in the memory via the telephone at an external destination. 10 Method according to claim 14, characterized in that the data contains image data, and associated data about speed, time, destination and location.