Automobile web cam and communications system incorporating a network of automobile web cams

Abstract

A communications system incorporating a plurality of vehicle mounted web cams that collect video information and transmit the video information together with other local information via a wireless network to a server. The video streams from the web cams and associated information are available to users on a internet web page. Each camera has a specific identifier to permit users to access the video of specific individual cameras. Optimization software permits users to take virtual trips along predetermined routes. The system also permits sequential access to multiple video feeds from desired locations. Multiple alternative one way and two way video communication methods taking advantage of the network of mobile web cams are described.

1 . A communications system comprising: 
 a plurality of mobile web cams;    means for transmitting information from said web cams;    means for searching said transmitted information to find video information corresponding to desired parameters, wherein optical searching is performed on said transmitted information to locate video information containing desired information; and    means for displaying said video information.    
   
   
       2 . The communications system according to  claim 1 , wherein locations of web cams having desired video information are displayed for the user's convenience.  
   
   
       3 . The communications system according to  claim 1 , wherein the user may select a geographic area in which the optical searching of web cam transmitted information is to be performed.  
   
   
       4 . A communications system, comprising: 
 a plurality of vehicles, a plurality of web cameras, each of said cameras being disposed in one of said vehicles and being active when the vehicle is running wherein said plurality of web cameras are directed toward areas outside said vehicle;    means for transmitting information from said vehicles via a wireless network, said transmitted information including video information from said web cameras and an identifier for each of said web cams; and    a server for receiving the video information and providing a plurality of images for viewing by a plurality of communication system users.    
   
   
       5 . The communications system of  claim 4 , wherein said server further classifies said video information in public information accessible to all of said plurality of display sources and private information accessible to only a selected number of said plurality of display sources.  
   
   
       6 . The communications system of  claim 5  wherein said private information is accessible to display sources using a correct access code.  
   
   
       7 . The communications system according to  claim 4 , wherein said plurality of web cams are directed toward areas outside said vehicle.  
   
   
       8 . A method of estimating traffic conditions comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of vehicles, each vehicle including at least one web cam;    providing means for transmitting information from said vehicles via a wireless network, said transmitted information including video information from said web cameras and the location of said vehicles;    providing a server for receiving the video information and providing a plurality of images for viewing by a plurality of communication system users; and    sorting images corresponding to a prescribed geographic area from the plurality of images, the sorted images representing an area of traffic interest.    
   
   
       9 . The method of estimation traffic conditions of  claim 8 , wherein the information transmitting from said vehicles further includes the speed of said vehicles.  
   
   
       10 . The method of estimating traffic conditions of  claim 9 , wherein the images corresponding to a prescribed geographic area are further sorted to be from vehicles traveling at at least a minimum speed.  
   
   
       11 . A method of creating a virtual trip comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of vehicles, each vehicle including at least one web cam;    providing means for transmitting information from said vehicles via a wireless network, said transmitted information including video information from said web cameras and the location of said vehicles;    providing a server for receiving the video information and providing a plurality of images for viewing by a plurality of communication system users; and    sorting images corresponding to a prescribed geographic areas from the plurality of images to create a visual trip from a first point of interest to a second point of interest.