jokiin said:
I manufacture cameras and would be interested in your ideas, end user feedback is always welcome
Ok.
I hereby place the following concept in the public domain and hope that someone does it. I want to do it but I have too many other projects. If someone gets rich off it, please send me some complimentary units.
Preliminary informal specifications for in-car event-recording camera for the Western market.
Key point: modular design allows easy upgrades and limitless extensions.
Here is a list of modules I'd eventually want to provide.
Standard configuration contains one Main Module and one Main Lens module mounted together to be a single unit.
Main module (comes standard):
Hardware:
- Receives power from cigarette lighter using an existing standard data-capable wire (eg MicroUSB); able to forward power to all wire-connected modules.
- Wiring harness to plug directly into fuse panel available
- Holds one SDXC (to 2 TB) memory card. Not MicroSD; micro cards can be used with standard adapters so using full size cards is easier for consumers.
- Two mounting options:
- Suction cup mounting bracket for windshield (so the whole thing can be one unit)
- Screw/bracket mounting for glovebox/trunk/other (for slightly off-site recording)
- The module itself uses a standard photographic tripod mounting screw to connect to these mounts (one above, one below to permit easy inverted mounting; a sensor can also be included so it knows which way is up). Would be a popular feature that the mount is recyclable for other cameras and the camera can be used on tripods. The open sourcer in me is big on standards.
- Canon DIGIC chip or similar high performance image processing hardware
- At least two (preferably 4+) expansion jacks (front and back) strong enough to structurally support lens modules
- I'm imagining these like a full-size USB socket or similar, which is strong and easy to string extension cables on or connect directly. Male on the camera, female on the main module. Female can host a virtually limitless number of modules, and one module can be an adapter to support more modules including ones we haven't thought of.
- LCD screen with on-screen menus and a good UI
- Built-in battery only strong enough to ensure survival of date/time information and writing of last file in the event of unexpected loss of power (eg accident)
- Accelerometres in X, Y, Z axes can be recorded onto the image (local max - highest G force in each axis in the last 500-1000 ms) optionally. Purpose is incident detection/write-protection of recently recorded and immediately subsequent recorded files, and automatic upload if internet-capable module is attached.
- Panic button designates this moment as an incident, write-protects 30 minutes +/-.
- Significant on-board memory (in the GBs) that always records the latest data locally and can keep a short loop if no memory cards are present (And copy the data to them the moment one is inserted, especially immediately following an incident to allow for a local copy to be kept should a copy need to be turned over to police at the scene)
Software features:
- Plug-and-play ability to handle all additional hardware modules
- Loops video
- Video quality that is optimized for capturing license plates (including possible automatic license plate recognition/recording)
- Video format is H264 or something equally standard
- All information available from all modules (eg latitude/longitude/altitude/
heading from gps) is available to be written onto the image (by menu options)
- Support for up to 6 concurrently connected cameras (only 2 at maximum resolution/framerate)
- Released under GPLv2 with public changes incorporated into future releases; the money to be made is on the hardware, not the software, and using a standard USB connection and GPL software means third party vendors can easily make additional modules that do things we never thought of that would promote our sales)
- Possibly run on top of Damn Small Linux or similar. 15 second boot time is acceptable as camera would be meant to be on 24/7.
Additional modules:
1. Main/front lens module (comes standard, also available as optional extra):
- 1920x1080@30fps
- Ideally 180-degree fisheye lens software-defisheyed into a panoramic image
- Can be suction-cup mounted or attacked to front jack of main module
- Contains a microphone on either side of the lens for stereo sound support (multiple modules used could provide surround sound support)
- Good no-light performance without use of largely ineffective IR LEDs
- End module, cannot be inserted between two other modules (rotatable connection)
2. Additional lens module (optional extra)
- 120 degree field of view
- 720x480@30fps
- Single-channel audio
- Suction cup mount for rear window
- Standard modular connection so can be used on back of main module if used in windshield configuration
- End module
- Possibly weather-proof/license plate mount option for external installation
3. Battery module
- Intermediate module (has male jack in centre at one side, female jack in centre at other side, allowing direct pass-through, module is in shape of main unit to be seamless extension)
- Holds 8 standard (AA) batteries, can be inserted between any other two modules
- Allows camera to have multi-hour life as a detached camera
4a. Common memory module
- Intermediate module
- Holds single SDXC up to 2 TB card. Allows tape-loop to either record over second card when first is full, effectively doubling capacity, looping back to first when second is full or writing identical data to both cards.
4b. Severe incident memory module
- Intermediate module
- Holds single SDXC up to 2 TB card. If multiple severe incident modules present, allows tape-loop to either record over second card when first is full, effectively doubling capacity, looping back to first when second is full or writing identical data to both/all cards. Otherwise always loops latest data regardless of other non-severe-incident memory modules/
- Strongly reinforced shell to survive extreme G-load, hot fires, and prolonged immersion (possible ELT-style pinger implementation?), with unbuffered writing to ensure best possible data retention in worst possible circumstances.
5. GPS receiver module
- Intermediate module
- GPS receiving antenna
- Receiving unit contains GPS data, not display module, so main unit display can be used as a basic GPS screen (optionally)
6. GPS display module (requires GPS receiver module to be in the system)
- End module
- Has its own suction cup mount as an option
- Is a display/touch screen containing map data per a normal consumer GPS
- Provides map-location data to main module for recording in corner of recorded image
- Can be used as external display for main unit (in the event that it’s in the glove box, for example)
- Image can include street name, postal code, city name, etc. as an option with this module
7. Wifi/Bluetooth module
- Intermediate module
- Can be tethered to a wifi network or to a mobile phone to send data off-site in specific circumstances
- eg:
- low frame rate real-time (car is stolen and you want to track its current location)
- high frame rate real-time (can be used as webcam if you feel like it, if connection can handle it)
- upload of write-protected files immediately following an incident
- The use of multiple modules can permit wireless relay between different parts of this camera setup to reduce in-car wiring
- The use of this module can also permit the introduction of wireless modules
8. GSM module
- Intermediate module
- Can be equipped with its own SIM card and used as data-only cell phone to same purpose as #7
9. Blackbox module
- End unit
- Likely the most difficult one to do and requires auto industry cooperation
- Plugs directly into existing on-board computers in cars to record full telemetric information with video, permitting use as Flight Data Recorder equivalent (cruise control state, pedal state, steering wheel state, fuel state, O2 sensor readings, tire pressure, airbag deployment, etc., whatever data is available)
- Each auto manufacturer will require own version of this module
- Can also be used for at-home mechanical diagnostic information
10. Aviation/marine module
- Intermediate module
- Barometer
- Static air pressure
- Gyro artificial horizon recorder
- Compass
- Provides data to simulate basic flight instruments on recorded image
As you can see this is a big pipe dream but I think there's a market for this. I just lack the expertise to figure out how to do it.