US 6,151,065 · Granted 2000-11-21
The Hidden Camera Patent That Pioneered Dashcams Before They Went Mainstream
Imagine hiding a tiny video camera inside your car's rearview mirror or taillight so it records what's happening around your vehicle without anyone knowing it's there. This patent describes exactly that—a sneaky surveillance system that feeds video to a screen or recording device, letting drivers capture accidents, theft, or suspicious activity invisibly.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a concealed video camera system embedded within functional vehicle components like mirrors or lights, paired with either a recording device or a display screen visible to the driver. What's protected here is the specific combination of hiding the camera inside an existing car part so it remains invisible, then routing the video feed either to storage or to an in-cabin display. Anyone making a hidden in-vehicle camera system that uses this same approach—camera-in-functional-component plus recording or viewing output—would potentially infringe.
Why it matters
This patent was filed in 1995 and granted in 2000, years before dashcams became a consumer staple. It represents an early conceptual lock on the idea of integrating surveillance directly into vehicle design rather than bolting a camera to the dashboard. The dual path—record or display—gave the patent broad coverage over multiple use cases, from insurance documentation to theft prevention. It established a foundation for how cameras could be invisibly embedded in cars at a time when the technology was still novel to the automotive world.
Real-world use
Modern dashcams and backup cameras in new cars operate on similar principles of hidden video capture, though they've evolved far beyond the mirror and light housing concepts described in this 1995 filing.
Original USPTO abstract
A concealed vehicular system is provided for a motor vehicle to permit the operator to view or record events occurring inside or outside the vehicle. A miniature camera is concealed within a functional component of the vehicle, such as within a rear-view mirror or a lighting device of the vehicle. The images from the video camera are stored in a recording device, such as a video camera recorder. Alternatively, the images produced by the video camera can be transmitted to a viewing screen, such as a cathode ray tube monitor or liquid crystal diode, within the view of the driver. The concealed video camera housed within a functional component of the vehicle is imperceptible to vandals and thieves, and does not distract from the aesthetics of the vehicle.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,151,065
- Filing date
- 1995-06-20
- Grant date
- 2000-11-21
- Assignee
- Steed; Van P. / Arnold; Scott J. / Cejka; Robert K.
- Inventor(s)
- STEED; VAN P., ARNOLD; SCOTT J., CEJKA; ROBERT K.
- CPC class
- B60Q1/0023
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