Claims:1. A method for capturing digital media from plurality of image capturing devices (103) (103) configured in a vehicle (101), the method comprising:
detecting, by a media capturing system (107) associated with the vehicle (101), occurrence of one or more events based on vehicle parameter data (207) received from one or more Electronic Control Units (ECUs) configured in the vehicle (101), wherein the occurrence of the one or more events is detected when the vehicle (101) is moving;

activating, by the media capturing system (107), at least one of the plurality of image capturing devices (103), configured in the vehicle (101), corresponding to the one or more events; and

capturing, by the media capturing system (107), the digital media in real-time, using at least one of the corresponding plurality of image capturing devices (103).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprises displaying, by the media capturing system (107), preview of the digital media captured by the at least one of the plurality of image capturing devices (103) on a display device associated with the vehicle (101).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more events are at least one of cornering the vehicle (101), attaining predefined speed, applying brakes, crashing the vehicle (101), accelerating the vehicle (101) at a predefined speed, and reaching a predefined location.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle parameter data (207) comprises at least one of vehicle (101) speed pattern, rate of acceleration, throttle actuation pattern, brake pedal actuation pattern, clutch pedal actuation pattern, gear shift pattern, current location of the vehicle (101) and distance covered by the vehicle (101).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the digital media comprises at least one of image, video and audio.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of image capturing devices (103) are configured at predetermined locations of the vehicle (101).

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of image capturing devices (103) are detachable from the vehicle (101).

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprises curating, by the media capturing system (107), the digital media based on metadata of the digital media and the vehicle parameter data (207) to provide realistic viewing experience of the digital media.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 further comprises storing, by the media capturing system (107), the curated digital media in a media database (115) associated with the media capturing system (107).

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the media database (115) is at least one of locally configured in the vehicle (101) or remotely located.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprises facilitating, by the media capturing system (107), a user to perform one or more actions on the curated digital media stored in the media database (115).

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the one or more actions comprises at least one of viewing, downloading, uploading, sharing, modifying and deleting the curated digital media.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprises activating, by the media capturing system (107), the plurality of image capturing devices (103) to automatically capture the digital media upon receiving user inputs.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the user inputs are at least one of audio inputs, video inputs, and textual inputs.

15. A media capturing system (107) for capturing digital media from plurality of image capturing devices (103) configured in a vehicle (101), the media capturing system (107) comprising:
a processor (109); and
a memory (113) communicatively coupled to the processor (109), wherein the memory (113) stores the processor-executable instructions, which, on execution, causes the processor (109) to:
detect occurrence of one or more events based on vehicle parameter data (207) received from one or more Electronic Control Units (ECUs) configured in the vehicle (101), wherein the occurrence of the one or more events is detected when the vehicle (101) is moving;
activate at least one of the plurality of image capturing devices (103), configured in the vehicle (101), corresponding to the one or more events; and
capture the digital media in real-time, using at least one of the corresponding plurality of image capturing devices (103).

16. The media capturing system (107) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processor (109) is further configured to display preview of the digital media captured by the at least one of the plurality of image capturing devices (103) on a display device associated with the vehicle (101).

17. The media capturing system (107) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the one or more events are at least one of cornering the vehicle (101), attaining predefined speed, applying brakes, crashing the vehicle (101), accelerating the vehicle (101) at a predefined speed, and reaching a predefined location.

18. The media capturing system (107) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the vehicle parameter data (207) comprises at least one of vehicle (101) speed pattern, rate of acceleration, throttle actuation pattern, brake pedal actuation pattern, clutch pedal actuation pattern, gear shift pattern, current location of the vehicle (101) and distance covered by the vehicle (101).

19. The media capturing system (107) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the digital media comprises at least one of image, video and audio.

20. The media capturing system (107) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the plurality of image capturing devices (103) are configured at predetermined locations of the vehicle (101).

21. The media capturing system (107) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the plurality of image capturing devices (103) are detachable from the vehicle (101).

22. The media capturing system (107) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processor (109) is further configured to curate the digital media based on metadata of the digital media and the vehicle parameter data (207) to provide realistic viewing experience of the digital media.

23. The media capturing system (107) as claimed in claim 22, wherein the processor (109) is further configured to store the curated digital media in a media database (115) associated with the media capturing system (107).

24. The media capturing system (107) as claimed in claim 23, wherein the media database (115) is at least one of locally configured in the vehicle (101) or remotely located.

25. The media capturing system (107) as claimed in claim 23, wherein the processor (109) is further configured to facilitate a user to perform one or more actions on the curated digital media stored in the media database (115).

26. The media capturing system (107) as claimed in claim 25, wherein the one or more actions comprises at least one of viewing, downloading, uploading, sharing, modifying and deleting the curated digital media.

27. The media capturing system (107) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processor (109) is further configured to activate the plurality of image capturing devices (103) to automatically capture the digital media upon receiving user inputs.

28. The media capturing system (107) as claimed in claim 27, wherein the user inputs are at least one of audio inputs, video inputs, and textual inputs.
, Description:TECHNICAL FIELD

Present disclosure generally relates to field of automobile engineering. Particularly but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to a method and a system for capturing digital media from plurality of image capturing devices configured in a vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Generally, while travelling in a vehicle, the users of the vehicle may want to capture digital media such as images of scenery surrounding the vehicle , selfies inside the vehicle, record videos and the like. However, while travelling, many a times stopping the vehicle for capturing the digital media might not be a suitable option due to many reasons such as traffic on the road, traffic signals, fast moving vehicles on highways and flyovers and the like. Further, if the users of the vehicle try to capture the digital media from a moving vehicle, the digital media might not be clear i.e. the digital media such as images, videos and the like may be blurred and of low quality. Furthermore, in some scenarios, the users of the vehicle may not have a good quality image capturing device handy to capture the digital media. In some scenarios, when the users of the vehicle such as driver of the vehicle, try to capture the digital media manually, probability of meeting with road accidents may increase, thereby leading to loss of life, injuries and disturbance on the road.

Currently, the existing techniques do not have the intelligence to perform automatic capturing of the digital media from a moving vehicle, without any interference of the user.

The information disclosed in this background of the disclosure section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the disclosure and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

One or more shortcomings of the conventional systems are overcome by system and method as claimed and additional advantages are provided through the provision of system and method as claimed in the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.

In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure a method for capturing digital media from plurality of image capturing devices configured in a vehicle is disclosed. The method comprising detecting, by a media capturing system associated with the vehicle, occurrence of one or more events based on vehicle parameter data received from one or more Electronic Control Units (ECUs) configured in the vehicle. The occurrence of the one or more events is detected when the vehicle is moving. Further, the media capturing system, activates at least one of the plurality of image capturing devices, configured in the vehicle, corresponding to the one or more events. Finally, the media capturing system, captures the digital media in real-time, using at least one of the corresponding plurality of image capturing devices.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the method further includes displaying, by the media capturing system, preview of the digital media captured by the at least one of the plurality of image capturing devices on a display device associated with the vehicle.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the one or more events are at least one of cornering the vehicle, attaining predefined speed, applying brakes, crashing the vehicle, accelerating the vehicle at a predefined speed, and reaching a predefined location.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the vehicle parameter data comprises at least one of vehicle speed pattern, rate of acceleration, throttle actuation pattern, brake pedal actuation pattern, clutch pedal actuation pattern, gear shift pattern, current location of the vehicle and distance covered by the vehicle.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the digital media comprises at least one of image, video and audio.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the plurality of image capturing devices are configured at predetermined locations of the vehicle.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the plurality of image capturing devices are detachable from the vehicle.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the method further includes curating, by the media capturing system, the digital media based on metadata of the digital media and the vehicle parameter data to provide realistic viewing experience of the digital media.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the method further includes storing, by the media capturing system, the curated digital media in a media database associated with the media capturing system.

In an embodiment of the disclosure the media database is at least one of locally configured in the vehicle or remotely located.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the method further includes facilitating, by the media capturing system, a user to perform one or more actions on the curated digital media stored in the media database.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the one or more actions comprises at least one of viewing, downloading, uploading, sharing, modifying and deleting the curated digital media.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the method further includes activating, by the media capturing system, the plurality of image capturing devices to automatically capture the digital media upon receiving user inputs.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the user inputs are at least one of audio inputs, video inputs, and textual inputs.

In another non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure a media capturing system for capturing digital media from plurality of image capturing devices configured in a vehicle is disclosed. The media capturing system includes a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory stores the processor-executable instructions, which, on execution, causes the processor to detect occurrence of one or more events based on vehicle parameter data received from one or more Electronic Control Units (ECUs) configured in the vehicle. The occurrence of the one or more events is detected when the vehicle is moving. Further, the processor activates at least one of the plurality of image capturing devices, configured in the vehicle, corresponding to the one or more events. Finally, the processor captures the digital media in real-time, using at least one of the corresponding plurality of image capturing devices.

It is to be understood that aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several aspects and embodiments may be combined together to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to drawings and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system and/or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG.1 illustrates an exemplary architecture for capturing digital media from plurality of image capturing devices configured in a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG.2A shows a detailed block diagram of a media capturing system for capturing digital media from plurality of image capturing devices configured in a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG.2B shows an exemplary curated image in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG.3 illustrates a flowchart of a method for capturing digital media from plurality of image capturing devices configured in a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG.4 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure.

It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the system illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.
While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the scope of the disclosure.
The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes” or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, device or method that includes a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.
Disclosed herein are a method and a system for capturing digital media from plurality of image capturing devices configured in a vehicle. As an example, the vehicle may include, but not limited to, a car, a truck, a lorry, a bus and the like. The present disclosure envisages the aspect of capturing digital media such as photos and videos, based on one or more events, when the vehicle is moving. Initially, a media capturing system associated with the vehicle may receive vehicle parameter data from one or more Electronic Control Units (ECUs) configured in the vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle parameter data may include, but not limited to, vehicle speed pattern, rate of acceleration, throttle actuation pattern, brake pedal actuation pattern, clutch pedal actuation pattern, gear shift pattern, current location of the vehicle and distance covered by the vehicle. In some embodiments, the current location of the vehicle may be determined using a Global Positioning System (GPS) configured in the vehicle. Based on the vehicle parameter data, the media capturing system may detect occurrence of the one or more events when the vehicle is moving. As an example, the one or more events may include, but not limited to, cornering the vehicle, attaining a predefined speed, applying brakes, crashing the vehicle, accelerating the vehicle at a predefined speed, and reaching a predefined location.

In some embodiments, the media capturing system, upon detecting the occurrence of the one or more events, may activate at least one of the plurality of image capturing devices, configured in the vehicle, corresponding to the one or more events. In some embodiments, the plurality of image capturing devices may be configured at predetermined locations of the vehicle. As an example, the predetermined locations of the vehicle may be different points on outside perimeter of the vehicle such as front side, rear side, top of the vehicle and the like, and inside the vehicle near dashboard of the vehicle may be configured with an image capturing device such as a selfie camera for capturing selfies of users residing in the vehicle. In some embodiments, the plurality of the image capturing devices may be detachable from the vehicle. Therefore, the plurality of image capturing devices may be shifted from the predetermined locations, as desired by users of the vehicle.

In some embodiments, based on the occurrence of the one or more events, only an apt image capturing device or preconfigured plurality of image capturing devices may be activated. As an example, when the vehicle reaches the predefined location, each of the plurality of image capturing devices configured at predetermined locations on the outside perimeter of the vehicle may be activated, to capture scenery of the predefined location. However, the image capturing device configured inside the vehicle may not be activated, since that image capturing device may be used for capturing digital media such as selfies or videos of users sitting inside the vehicle. In such scenarios, the users of the vehicle may activate the plurality of image capturing devices manually by providing user inputs. As an example, the user inputs may include, but not limited to, audio inputs, video inputs and textual inputs.

Further, the plurality of image capturing devices may capture the digital media in real-time, using at least one of the corresponding plurality of image capturing devices. Upon capturing the digital media, the media capturing system may display a preview of the digital media captured by the at least one of the plurality of image capturing devices on a display device associated with the vehicle. In some embodiments, the display device associated with the vehicle may be a user interface configured on dashboard of the vehicle. In some other embodiments, the display device associated with the vehicle may be a handheld device such as a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop and the like, of the users of the vehicle, which is connected to the media capturing system.

Further, the media capturing system may curate the digital media based on metadata of the digital media and the vehicle parameter data to provide realistic viewing experience of the digital media. In some embodiments, the media capturing system may be configured in the vehicle to perform curation of the digital media. In some embodiments, the media capturing system may transmit the digital media along with the metadata of the digital media and the vehicle parameter data to a cloud environment, to perform the curation of the digital media. In some other embodiments, the media capturing system may be associated with the vehicle, from a remote location. In some embodiments, the digital media may be curated using one or more predefined curation techniques. Further, the curated digital media may be stored in a media database associated with the media capturing system. In some embodiments, the media database is at least one of locally configured in the vehicle or remotely located.

Further, the media capturing system may facilitate the users of the vehicle to access the curated digital media stored in the media database via an application installed in the handheld devices of the users of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the users of the vehicle may perform one or more actions on the curated digital media. As an example, the one or more actions may include, but not limited to, viewing, downloading, uploading, sharing, modifying and deleting the curated digital media.

The present disclosure enables a user to capture images and videos while moving in the vehicle, without the need for stopping the vehicle. The present disclosure provides a feature wherein the users of the vehicle may provide user inputs for capturing the digital media or the plurality of image capturing devices may be automatically activated to capture digital media based on the occurrence of the one or more events. Therefore, the present disclosure may act as a hands-free mechanism for capturing the digital media. The present disclosure avoids situations such as, missing a scenery or any object of interest to be captured while moving in the vehicle due to unavailability of image capturing device, or due to speed of the vehicle and the like. The present disclosure also performs auto focusing of the image capturing devices, adjusting shutter speed and other related calibrations in real-time while capturing the digital media, thus providing clear digital media to the users of the vehicle, though the digital media is captured from the moving vehicle.

A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary, a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the disclosure.

In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

FIG.1 illustrates an exemplary architecture for capturing digital media from plurality of image capturing devices configured in a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The architecture 100 includes a vehicle 101, plurality of image capturing devices, image capturing device 1031 to image capturing device 103n (collectively referred as plurality of image capturing devices 103), a media capturing system 107, a media database 115 and handheld devices, handheld device 1171 to handheld devices 117n (collectively referred as handheld devices 117).

As an example, the vehicle 101 may include, but not limited to, a car, a truck, a lorry, a bus and the like. The plurality of image capturing devices 103 may be configured at predetermined locations of the vehicle 101. As an example, the predetermined locations of the vehicle 101 may be different points on outside perimeter of the vehicle 101 such as front, back, top of the vehicle 101 and the like. As an example, the predetermined locations of the vehicle 101 may also be inside the vehicle 101 that is near dashboard of the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the plurality of image capturing devices 103 configured inside the vehicle 101 may be selfie enabled image capturing devices 103. In some embodiments, the plurality of image capturing devices 103 may include, but not limited to, a miniature camera, a selfie camera and a digital camera. In some embodiments, the plurality of the image capturing devices 103 may be detachable from the vehicle 101. Therefore, the plurality of image capturing devices 103 may be shifted from the predetermined locations, as desired by users of the vehicle 101. As an example, the users of the vehicle 101 may include, but not limited to, people travelling in the vehicle 101.

In some embodiments, the plurality of image capturing devices 103 may be communicatively connected with a display device (not shown in the FIG.1) associated with the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the display device may be a user interface configured on dashboard of the vehicle 101. In some other embodiments, the display device associated with the vehicle 101 may be handheld devices 117 such as a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop and the like, of the users of the vehicle 101.

In some embodiments, the users of the vehicle 101 may interact with the media capturing system 107 via the display device. As an example, the user driving the vehicle 101 may interact with the media capturing system 107 through the user interface of the vehicle 101. As an example, the users of the vehicle 101 may interact with the media capturing system 107 using their respective handheld devices 117, provided, the handheld devices 117 are paired with the media capturing system 107. Further, in some embodiments, the media capturing system 107 may be configured in the vehicle 101. In some other embodiments, the media capturing system 107 may be associated with the vehicle 101, from a remote location.

In some embodiments, the media capturing system 107 may communicate with the plurality of image capturing devices 103 via a communication network (not shown in the FIG.1). The communication network may be at least one of a wired communication network and a wireless communication network. Further, the media capturing system 107 may communicate with one or more Electronic Control Units (ECUs) (not shown in the FIG.1) configured in the vehicle 101 via the communication network. As an example, the one or more ECUs may be an Engine Management System (EMS), Transmission Control Module (TCM), Antilock Braking System (ABS), Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC), Body Control Module (BCM), and the like. In some embodiments, the media capturing system 107 may also interact with one or more sensors configured in the vehicle 101, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS).

Further, the media capturing system 107 may be associated with the media database 115 as shown in the FIG.1, via the communication network. In some embodiments, the media database 115 may be configured in the media capturing system 107.
The media capturing system 107 may include, but not limited to, a processor 109, an Input/Output (I/O) interface 111 and a memory 113. The I/O interface 111 may be configured to receive vehicle parameter data from the one or more ECUs and sensor data from the one or more sensors. Also, the I/O interface 111 may be configured to receive user inputs of the users of the vehicle 101. As an example, the user inputs may include, but not limited to, audio inputs, video inputs, and textual inputs. Further, the I/O interface 111 may be configured to receive digital media from the plurality of image capturing devices 103. As an example, the digital media may include, but not limited to, image, video and audio. Further, the memory 113 may be used to store the vehicle parameter data, the sensor data and the digital media received by the I/O interface 111. Furthermore, the memory 113 may store instructions for the processor 109, to receive the digital media from the plurality of image capturing devices 103 configured in the vehicle 101, based on the vehicle parameter data and the sensor data stored in the memory 113. In some embodiments, the processor 109 may initiate the plurality of image capturing devices 103 to capture the digital media upon receiving the user inputs from the users of the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the memory 113 may also store data generated by the processor 109 when the processor 109 executes instructions stored in the memory 113 to capture the digital media.
Based on the instructions stored in the memory 113, the processor 109 may initially detect occurrence of one or more events based on the vehicle parameter data received from the one or more ECUs configured in the vehicle 101, when the vehicle 101 is moving. In some embodiments, the vehicle parameter data may include, but not limited to, vehicle speed pattern, rate of acceleration, throttle actuation pattern, brake pedal actuation pattern, clutch pedal actuation pattern, gear shift pattern, current location of the vehicle 101 and distance covered by the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the processor 109 may also use the sensor data for detecting the occurrence of the one or more events. In some embodiments, the sensor data may include, but not limited to, co-ordinates of current location of the vehicle 101 and geographic conditions of the vehicle 101 may be determined using a Global Positioning System (GPS) configured in the vehicle 101. Further, as an example, the one or more events may include, but not limited to, cornering the vehicle 101, attaining a predefined speed, applying brakes, crashing the vehicle 101, accelerating the vehicle 101 at a predefined speed, and reaching a predefined location. Further, the processor 109 may activate at least one of the plurality of image capturing devices 103, configured in the vehicle 101, corresponding to the one or more events. Finally, the processor 109 may capture the digital media in real-time, using at least one of the corresponding plurality of image capturing devices 103.
FIG.2A shows a detailed block diagram of the media capturing system for capturing digital media from plurality of image capturing devices configured in a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

In some implementations, the media capturing system 107 may include data 203 and modules 205. As an example, the data 203 is stored in the memory 113 configured in the media capturing system 107 as shown in the FIG.2A. In one embodiment, the data 203 may include vehicle parameter data 207, sensor data 209, media data 211 and other data 215. In the illustrated FIG.2A, modules 205 are described herein in detail.

In some embodiments, the data 203 may be stored in the memory 113 in form of various data structures. Additionally, the data 203 can be organized using data models, such as relational or hierarchical data models. The other data 215 may store data, including temporary data and temporary files, generated by the modules 205 for performing the various functions of the media capturing system 107.

In some embodiments, the data 203 stored in the memory 113 may be processed by the modules 205 of the media capturing system 107. The modules 205 may be stored within the memory 113. In an example, the modules 205 communicatively coupled to the processor 109 configured in the media capturing system 107, may also be present outside the memory 113 as shown in FIG.2A and implemented as hardware. As used herein, the term modules refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that provide the described functionality.

In some embodiments, the modules 205 may include, for example, a receiving module 233, an event detecting module 235, an activating module 237, media capturing module 239, a media curating module 243, media categorizing module 245, facilitating module 247 and other modules 251. The other modules 251 may be used to perform various miscellaneous functionalities of the media capturing system 107. It will be appreciated that such aforementioned modules 205 may be represented as a single module or a combination of different modules.

In some embodiments, the receiving module 233 may receive the vehicle parameter data 207 and the sensor data 209 from one or more Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and one or more sensors configured in the vehicle 101, respectively. In some embodiments, the vehicle parameter data 207 may include, but not limited to, vehicle speed pattern, rate of acceleration, throttle actuation pattern, brake pedal actuation pattern, clutch pedal actuation pattern, gear shift pattern, current location of the vehicle 101 and distance covered by the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the sensor data 209 may include, but not limited to, co-ordinates of the current location the vehicle 101 and geographic conditions of the current location. In some embodiments, the receiving module 233 may further receive user inputs from users of the vehicle 101. As an example, the user inputs may include, but not limited to, audio inputs, video inputs and textual inputs. In some embodiments, the user inputs received from users of the vehicle 101 may be used for activating plurality of image capturing devices 103 configured on the vehicle 101.

In some embodiments, the event detecting module 235 may detect occurrence of one or more events when the vehicle 101 is in motion. As an example, the one or more events may include, but not limited to, cornering the vehicle 101, attaining a predefined speed, applying brakes, crashing the vehicle 101, accelerating the vehicle 101 at a predefined speed, and reaching a predefined location. The event detecting module 235 may detect the occurrence of the one or more events, based on the vehicle parameter data 207. In some embodiments, the event detecting module 235 may use the sensor data 209 as well to detect the occurrence of the one or more events.

In some embodiments, the activating module 237 may activate at least one of plurality of image capturing devices configured in the vehicle 101 corresponding to the one or more events. As an example, the plurality of image capturing devices 103 may include, but not limited to, a miniature camera, a selfie camera and a digital camera. In some embodiments, the plurality of image capturing devices 103 may be configured at predetermined locations of the vehicle 101. As an example, the predetermined locations of the vehicle 101 may be different points on outside perimeter of the vehicle 101 such as front side, rear side, top of the vehicle 101 and the like. As an example, the predetermined locations of the vehicle 101 may also be inside the vehicle 101 i.e. near dashboard of the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the plurality of the image capturing devices 103 may be detachable from the vehicle 101. Therefore, the plurality of image capturing devices 103 may be shifted from the predetermined locations, as desired by users of the vehicle 101.

Upon detecting the occurrence of the one or more events, the activating module 237 may identify the plurality of image capturing devices 103 corresponding to the detected one or more events. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of image capturing devices 103 may be mapped to certain events. In some embodiments, when a real-time event occurring in the vehicle 101 matches with a pre-stored event configured in the media capturing system 107, the event detecting module 235 may detect the occurrence of the one or more events. As an example, when current location of the vehicle 101 matches with details of the predetermined location configured in the media capturing system 107, the event detecting module 235 may detect occurrence of the event i.e. arrival of the vehicle 101 at the predetermined location. Therefore, when the vehicle 101 reaches the predetermined location, each of the plurality of image capturing devices 103 configured on the outside perimeter of the vehicle 101 may be activated, to capture scenery of the predetermined location. However, the image capturing device 103 configured inside the vehicle 101 may not be activated, since that image capturing device 103 may not be mapped to the event related to “arriving at the predetermined location”. The image capturing device 103 configured inside the vehicle 101 may be used for capturing digital media such as selfie images or videos of users sitting inside the vehicle 101, but not scenery of the predetermined location. Upon identifying the plurality of image capturing devices 103 corresponding to the detected one or more events, the activating module 237 may activate the identified plurality of image capturing devices 103.

In some embodiments, the activating module 237 may activate the identified plurality of image capturing devices 103 based on the user inputs received from the users of the vehicle 101, when the one or more events are not detected. As an example, the user inputs may include, but not limited to, audio inputs, video inputs and textual inputs. As an example, consider the user of the vehicle 101 wants to capture a selfie image. The user of the vehicle 101 may provide a voice command to the activating module 237 to activate the plurality of image capturing devices 103 configured inside the vehicle 101, to capture the selfie images. In some embodiments, the users of the vehicle 101 may be provided with options on user interface configured on dashboard of the vehicle 101 such as “Selfie”, “Front Side”, “Rear Side” and the like. As an example, when the users of the vehicle 101 select the option “Selfie”, the activating module 237 may activate the plurality of image capturing devices 103 enabled with a selfie camera. As an example, when the users of the vehicle 101 select the option “Front”, the activating module 237 may activate the plurality of image capturing devices 103 configured on front side of the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the vehicle 101 may be configured with a camera switch or a camera button. When the users of the vehicle 101 manually activate the camera switch or the camera button, the activating module 237 may activate the plurality of image capturing devices 103 to capture the digital media.

In some embodiments, the users of the vehicle 101 may configure settings before capturing the digital media. As an example, the users of the vehicle 101 may select an image mode or a video mode via the user interface of the vehicle 101, which is configured on the dashboard of the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, for the video mode, the users of the vehicle 101 may select duration for which a video should be captured. As an example, the users of the vehicle 101 may want to capture the video for 10 minutes in the predetermined location. Therefore, the users of the vehicle 101 may pre-set duration of the video as 10 minutes, before capturing the digital media. Upon finishing the pre-set duration, the activating module 237 may automatically deactivate the plurality of image capturing devices 103 to stop capturing the video.

In some embodiments, the users of the vehicle 101 may enable or disable a microphone configured in the vehicle 101. The users of the vehicle 110 can provide audio inputs to the media capturing system 107, when the microphone is enabled. When the microphone is disabled, the users of the vehicle 101 may choose other input options such as textual inputs, video inputs and the like.

In some embodiments, the media capturing module 239 may capture digital media in real-time using the at least one of the plurality of image capturing devices 103 activated by the activating module 237. In some embodiments, the media capturing module 239 may automatically focus the plurality of image capturing devices 103, adjust shutter speed and other related calibrations in real-time while capturing the digital media, from the vehicle 101 in motion. In some embodiments, the digital media may include, but not limited to, image, video and audio. The digital media received from the plurality of image capturing devices 103 may be stored as the media data 211.

Upon capturing the digital media, the processor 109 may display preview of the digital media on a display device associated with the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the display device may be the user interface configured on the dashboard of the vehicle 101. In some other embodiments, the display device may be handheld devices 117 such as a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop and the like, of the users of the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the users of the vehicle 101 may be provided with options such as “Preview” and “Playback”. In some embodiments, when the users of the vehicle 101 select the option “Preview”, the processor 109 may display the preview of the digital media captured. In some embodiments, when the users of the vehicle 101 select the option “Playback”, the processor 109 may play the digital media such as a video or an audio which was captured.

Further, in some embodiments, the media curating module 243 may curate the digital media captured by the plurality of image capturing devices 103 using one or more predefined curating techniques. In some embodiments, the media curating module 243 may be present in the media capturing system 107 configured in the vehicle 101. In some other embodiments, the media curating module 243 may be associated with the media capturing system 107 via a communication network, from a remote location. As an example, the remote location of the media curating module 243 may be a cloud environment associated with the media capturing system 107. When the media curating module 243 is configured in the remote location, the processor 109 may transmit the captured digital media to the media curating module 243 via the communication network. In some embodiments, the media curating module 243 may curate the digital media using the vehicle parameter data 207. An exemplary curated image is as shown in the FIG.2B. As an example, the curated image may pictorially represent the vehicle parameter data 207 of the vehicle 101 when the image was captured, as shown in the FIG.2B. As an example, the pictorially represented vehicle parameter data 207 may include, but not limited to, speed 261a of the vehicle 101 when the image was captured, acceleration level 261b of the vehicle 101 when the image was captured, brake level 261c of the vehicle 101 when the image was captured, angular position of steering 261d, gear applied 261e when the image was captured and location 261f of the vehicle 101 when the image was captured. In some embodiments, the curated image may also pictorially represent various social networking websites such as “Facebook®”, “Twitter” and the like, to which the users of the vehicle 101 can upload the curated image.

In some embodiments, the media categorizing module 245 may store the curated digital media in different categories based on locations travelled by the vehicle 101, when the digital media was captured. As an example, consider that the digital media was captured when the vehicle 101 was travelling from Bangalore to Hyderabad. Therefore, the media categorizing module 245 may store the curated digital media under a category named “Bangalore-Hyderabad trip -2018”. Further, upon categorizing the curated digital media, the media categorizing module 245 may store the curated digital media in a media database 115 associated with the media capturing system 107. In some embodiments, the media database 115 may be configured in the media capturing system 107.

In some embodiments, the facilitating module 247 may facilitate the users of the vehicle 101 to perform one or more actions on the curated digital media stored in the media database 115. As an example, the one or more actions may include, but not limited to, viewing, downloading, uploading, sharing, modifying and deleting the curated digital media. In some embodiments, facilitating module 247 may facilitate the users of the vehicle 101 to share the curated digital media on social networking websites.

FIG.3 shows a flowchart illustrating a method of capturing digital media from plurality of image capturing devices configured in a vehicle in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG.3, the method 300 includes one or more blocks illustrating a method of capturing digital media from a plurality of image capturing devices 103 configured in a vehicle 101. The method 300 may be described in the general context of computer executable instructions. Generally, computer executable instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, and functions, which perform functions or implement abstract data types.

The order in which the method 300 is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method 300. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the methods without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method 300 can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.

At block 301, the method 300 may include detecting, by a processor 109 of a media capturing system 107, occurrence of one or more events based on vehicle parameter data 207 received from one or more Electronic Control Units (ECUs) configured in the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the processor 109 may detect the occurrence of the one or more events when the vehicle 101 is in motion.

At block 303, the method 300 may include activating, by the processor 109, at least one of the plurality of image capturing devices 103, configured in the vehicle 101, corresponding to the one or more events. In some embodiments, the plurality of image capturing devices 103 may be configured at predetermined locations of the vehicle 101.

At block 305, the method 300 may include capturing, by the processor 109, the digital media in real-time, using at least one of the corresponding plurality of image capturing devices 103, when the vehicle 101 is in motion. In some embodiments, the processor 109 may curate the digital media using one or more predefined curation techniques. Further, the curated digital media may be stored in a media database 115 associated with the media capturing system 107. In some embodiments, the media database is at least one of locally configured in the vehicle 101 or remotely located. Further, the processor 109 may facilitate the users of the vehicle 101 to access the curated digital media stored in the media database 115 via an application installed in handheld devices 117 of the users of the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the users of the vehicle 101 may perform one or more actions on the curated digital media. As an example, the one or more actions may include, but not limited to, viewing, downloading, uploading, sharing, modifying and deleting the curated digital media.

FIG.4 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, FIG.4 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computer system 400 for implementing embodiments consistent with the present invention. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 can be a media capturing system 107 that is used for capturing digital media from plurality of image capturing devices configured in a vehicle 101. The computer system 400 may include a central processing unit (“CPU” or “processor”) 402. The processor 402 may include at least one data processor for executing program components for executing user or system-generated business processes. A user may include a person, a person using a device such as such as those included in this invention, or such a device itself. The processor 402 may include specialized processing units such as integrated system (bus) controllers, memory management control units, floating point units, graphics processing units, digital signal processing units, etc.

The processor 402 may be disposed in communication with input devices 411 and output devices 412 via I/O interface 401. The I/O interface 401 may employ communication protocols/methods such as, without limitation, audio, analog, digital, stereo, IEEE-1394, serial bus, Universal Serial Bus (USB), infrared, PS/2, BNC, coaxial, component, composite, Digital Visual Interface (DVI), high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), Radio Frequency (RF) antennas, S-Video, Video Graphics Array (VGA), IEEE 802.n /b/g/n/x, Bluetooth, cellular (e.g., Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), Global System For Mobile Communications (GSM), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), WiMax, or the like), etc.

Using the I/O interface 401, computer system 400 may communicate with input devices 411 and output devices 412.

In some embodiments, the processor 402 may be disposed in communication with a communication network 409 via a network interface 403. The network interface 403 may communicate with the communication network 409. The network interface 403 may employ connection protocols including, without limitation, direct connect, Ethernet (e.g., twisted pair 10/100/1000 Base T), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), token ring, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/x, etc. Using the network interface 403 and the communication network 409, the computer system 400 may communicate with plurality of image capturing devices 410 (410a up to 410n), one or more Electronic Control Units (ECUs) 414 (414a up to 414n), handheld devices 415 and a media database 417. The communication network 409 can be implemented as one of the different types of networks, such as intranet or Local Area Network (LAN), Closed Area Network (CAN) and such within the vehicle. The communication network 409 may either be a dedicated network or a shared network, which represents an association of the different types of networks that use a variety of protocols, for example, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), CAN Protocol, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), etc., to communicate with each other. Further, the communication network 409 may include a variety of network devices, including routers, bridges, servers, computing devices, storage devices, etc. The plurality of image capturing devices 410 may include, but not limited to, a miniature camera, a selfie camera and a digital camera. As an example, the one or more ECUs 414 may be an Engine Management System (EMS), Transmission Control Module (TCM), Antilock Braking System (ABS), Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC), Body Control Module (BCM), and the like. The handheld devices 415 may include, but not limited to, a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop and the like. In some embodiments, the processor 402 may be disposed in communication with a memory 405 (e.g., RAM, ROM, etc. not shown in FIG.4) via a storage interface 404. The storage interface 404 may connect to memory 405 including, without limitation, memory drives, removable disc drives, etc., employing connection protocols such as Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE), IEEE-1394, Universal Serial Bus (USB), fibre channel, Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI), etc. The memory drives may further include a drum, magnetic disc drive, magneto-optical drive, optical drive, Redundant Array of Independent Discs (RAID), solid-state memory devices, solid-state drives, etc.

The memory 405 may store a collection of program or database components, including, without limitation, a user interface 406, an operating system 407, a web browser 408 etc. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may store user/application data, such as the data, variables, records, etc. as described in this invention. Such databases may be implemented as fault-tolerant, relational, scalable, secure databases such as Oracle or Sybase.

The operating system 407 may facilitate resource management and operation of the computer system 400. Examples of operating systems include, without limitation, APPLE® MACINTOSH® OS X®, UNIX®, UNIX-like system distributions (E.G., BERKELEY SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION® (BSD), FREEBSD®, NETBSD®, OPENBSD, etc.), LINUX® DISTRIBUTIONS (E.G., RED HAT®, UBUNTU®, KUBUNTU®, etc.), IBM®OS/2®, MICROSOFT® WINDOWS® (XP®, VISTA®/7/8, 10 etc.), APPLE® IOS®, GOOGLETM ANDROIDTM, BLACKBERRY® OS, or the like. The User interface 406 may facilitate display, execution, interaction, manipulation, or operation of program components through textual or graphical facilities. For example, user interfaces may provide computer interaction interface elements on a display system operatively connected to the computer system 400, such as cursors, icons, check boxes, menus, scrollers, windows, widgets, etc. Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) may be employed, including, without limitation, Apple® Macintosh® operating systems’ Aqua®, IBM® OS/2®, Microsoft® Windows® (e.g., Aero, Metro, etc.), web interface libraries (e.g., ActiveX®, Java®, Javascript®, AJAX, HTML, Adobe® Flash®, etc.), or the like.
In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may implement the web browser 408 stored program components. The web browser 408 may be a hypertext viewing application, such as MICROSOFT® INTERNET EXPLORER®, GOOGLETM CHROMETM, MOZILLA® FIREFOX®, APPLE® SAFARI®, etc. Secure web browsing may be provided using Secure Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTPS), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), etc. Web browsers 408 may utilize facilities such as AJAX, DHTML, ADOBE® FLASH®, JAVASCRIPT®, JAVA®, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), etc. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may implement a mail server stored program component. The mail server may be an Internet mail server such as Microsoft Exchange, or the like. The mail server may utilize facilities such as Active Server Pages (ASP), ACTIVEX®, ANSI® C++/C#, MICROSOFT®, .NET, CGI SCRIPTS, JAVA®, JAVASCRIPT®, PERL®, PHP, PYTHON®, WEBOBJECTS®, etc. The mail server may utilize communication protocols such as Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI), MICROSOFT® exchange, Post Office Protocol (POP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), or the like. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may implement a mail client stored program component. The mail client may be a mail viewing application, such as APPLE® MAIL, MICROSOFT® ENTOURAGE®, MICROSOFT® OUTLOOK®, MOZILLA® THUNDERBIRD®, etc.

Furthermore, one or more computer-readable storage media may be utilized in implementing embodiments consistent with the present invention. A computer-readable storage medium refers to any type of physical memory on which information or data readable by a processor may be stored. Thus, a computer-readable storage medium may store instructions for execution by one or more processors, including instructions for causing the processor(s) to perform steps or stages consistent with the embodiments described herein. The term “computer-readable medium” should be understood to include tangible items and exclude carrier waves and transient signals, i.e., non-transitory. Examples include Random Access Memory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, hard drives, Compact Disc (CD) ROMs, Digital Video Disc (DVDs), flash drives, disks, and any other known physical storage media.

Advantages of the embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated herein.

The present disclosure provides a method and a system for capturing digital media from plurality of image capturing devices configured in a vehicle.

The present disclosure enables a user to capture images and videos while moving in the vehicle, without the need for stopping the vehicle.

The present disclosure provides a feature wherein the users of the vehicle may provide user inputs for capturing the digital media or the plurality of image capturing devices may be automatically activated to capture digital media based on the occurrence of the one or more events.

The present disclosure may act as a handsfree mechanism for capturing the digital media.

The present disclosure avoids situations such as, missing a scenery or any object of interest to be captured while moving in the vehicle due to unavailability of image capturing device, or due to speed of the vehicle and the like.

The present disclosure auto focuses the image capturing devices, adjusts shutter speed and other related calibrations in real-time while capturing the digital media, thus providing clear digital media to the users of the vehicle, though the digital media is captured from the moving vehicle.

Reference Numerals:

Reference Number Description
100 Architecture
101 Vehicle
103 Plurality of image capturing devices
107 Media capturing system
109 Processor
111 I/O interface
113 Memory
115 Media database
117 Handheld datasets
203 Data
205 Modules
207 Vehicle parameter data
209 Sensor data
211 Media data
215 Other data
233 Receiving module
235 Event detecting module
237 Activating module
239 Media capturing module
243 Media curating module
245 Media categorizing module
247 Facilitating module
251 Other modules
261a Exemplary speed of the vehicle
261b Exemplary acceleration level of the vehicle
261c Exemplary brake level of the vehicle
261d Exemplary angular position of steering in the vehicle
261e Exemplary gear applied in the vehicle
261f Exemplary location of the vehicle
400 Exemplary computer system
401 I/O Interface of the exemplary computer system
402 Processor of the exemplary computer system
403 Network interface
404 Storage interface
405 Memory of the exemplary computer system
406 User interface
407 Operating system
408 Web browser
409 Communication network
410 Plurality of image capturing devices of the exemplary computer system
411 Input devices
412 Output devices
414 One or more Electronic Control Units (ECUs) of the exemplary computer system
415 Handheld devices of the exemplary computer system
417 Media database of the exemplary computer system