Abstract: A method and apparatus for capturing the visual scenes of an incident so many seconds before, during and after the incident has occurred is disclosed. The apparatus can provide additional functionality of capturing the activities of the operator of a transportation system as well as the sound wave of the environment before, during and after an incident. The disclosed method and apparatus can be used in a land, sea and air based transportation system as well as a traffic monitoring system. The apparatus uses a digital first-in-first-out bufferring mechanism to allow for capturing of an event that may occur at any time in an infinite time span using a finite stoage.

Abstract: A vehicle mounted, navigation device is disclosed. This invention combines a global position system (GPS) with an image capturing system into a portable device that can be optimally mounted within a vehicle. The image capturing system detects and interprets visual information in the vicinity of the vehicle to provide the vehicle operator with appropriate navigational guidance assistance and to compensate for the positioning errors embedded in commercial GPS signals. Additionally, the device has the capability to store consecutive frames of detected, visual information so as to enable the device to be used for accident aftermath analysis and the documentation of an event or scene that occurs within the vicinty of the vehicle. The device includes a mounting assembly which enables the device to be used in most automotive vehicles, with the device usually being mounted behind the vehicle's rearview mirror such that a set of directional turning indicators naturally fall within the vehicle operator's field of view.