Abstract: A vehicle video system includes a small camera in the passenger area that uses illumination in the non-visible spectrum to illuminate the passenger area. The vehicle video system records video information on a digital video recorder that uses digital media such as a hard disk drive, recordable CD (CD-R), rewritable CD (CR-RW), or writable Digital Video Disc (DVD). The vehicle video system includes a local wireless interface, such as a Bluetooth-compatible interface, that automatically connects to a compatible device in the parking area of the vehicle that is coupled to a database. In this manner, the digital video information collected by the vehicle video system is automatically transferred to the database when the vehicle is parked, removing the need for any human intervention for the logging and cataloging of video tapes.

Abstract: A vehicle video switcher receives inputs from multiple video cameras on a vehicle, and independently routes any of these video inputs to multiple video monitors in the vehicle. A front video monitor is within the view of the driver of the vehicle. When the driver activates the left turn signal, the view from the left side video camera is displayed on the front video monitor. When the driver activates the right turn signal, the view from the right side video camera is displayed on the front video monitor. When the driver puts the vehicle in reverse, thereby activating the backup light, the view from the rear video camera is displayed on the front video monitor. The driver may select the default view for the front video monitor by pressing on a button or by using a hand-held remote control. Graphical view indicators superimposed on the displayed image indicate which view is currently being displayed.