Method of operating an in-vehicle camera

Abstract

A method of operating an in-vehicle camera includes providing a database of geographic locations of points of interest. It is detected that the vehicle has arrived at one of the geographic locations of the points of interest. In response to the detecting step, capturing of images with the camera is automatically begun.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating an in-vehicle camera, comprising the steps of:
 detecting that the vehicle has been in a collision; and   in response to the detecting step, automatically beginning to capture images with the camera.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the vehicle includes a plurality of cameras, and, in response to the detecting step, all of the cameras automatically begin to capture images. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the plurality of cameras include at least one camera capturing images within a passenger compartment of the vehicle, and at least one camera capturing images outside of the vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the detecting is performed by an air bag sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the camera captures images within a passenger compartment of the vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the camera captures images outside of the vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 detecting a security breach by use of a security system; and   in response to the detecting of the security breach, automatically beginning to capture images with the in-vehicle camera.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the security system comprises an in-vehicle security system. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the security system comprises a building security system, and the vehicle is parked within a garage of the building or on a driveway associated with the building. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the vehicle includes a plurality of cameras, and, in response to the detecting of the security breach, all of the cameras automatically begin to capture images. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of cameras include at least one camera capturing images outside of the vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the vehicle includes:
 a camera within a passenger compartment of the vehicle capturing images within the vehicle; 
 an external wide angle lens forward looking camera; 
 an external wide angle lens rearward looking camera; 
 a first external wide angle lens laterally looking camera capturing images in a first lateral direction; and 
 a second external wide angle lens laterally looking camera capturing images in a second lateral direction opposite to the first lateral direction. 
 
     
     
         13 . A motor vehicle, comprising:
 an in-vehicle camera; and   an electronic processor communicatively coupled to the in-vehicle camera, the electronic processor being configured to:
 detect that the vehicle has been in a collision; and 
 in response to the detecting, cause the in-vehicle camera to automatically begin to capture images with the camera. 
   
     
     
         14 . The vehicle of  claim 13  wherein the vehicle includes a plurality of cameras, and the electronic processor is configured to, in response to the detecting, cause all of the cameras to automatically begin to capture images such that the images include scenes within a passenger compartment of the vehicle and scenes outside of the vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle of  claim 13  further comprising an air bag sensor communicatively coupled to the electronic processor, wherein the air bag sensor and the electronic processor are configured to conjunctively detect that the vehicle has been in a collision. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle of  claim 13  wherein the vehicle includes;
 a camera within a passenger compartment of the vehicle capturing images within the vehicle; 
 an external wide angle lens forward looking camera; 
 an external wide angle lens rearward looking camera; 
 a first external wide angle lens laterally looking camera configured to capture images in a first lateral direction; and 
 a second external wide angle lens laterally looking camera configured to capture images in a second lateral direction opposite to the first lateral direction. 
 
     
     
         17 . A method of operating a plurality of in-vehicle cameras, comprising the steps of:
 detecting that the vehicle has been in a collision; and   in response to the detecting step, automatically beginning to capture images with the cameras, the images include scenes within a passenger compartment of the vehicle and scenes outside of the vehicle.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein, in response to the detecting step, all of the cameras automatically begin to capture images. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the detecting is performed by use of an air bag sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  Wherein the cameras include:
 an external wide angle lens forward looking camera; 
 an external wide angle lens rearward looking camera; 
 a first external wide angle lens laterally looking camera capturing images in a first lateral direction; and 
 a second external wide angle lens laterally looking camera capturing images in a second lateral direction opposite to the first lateral direction.