JP2011028651A - Image recording device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a practical image recording device for a vehicle by which practical benefits can always be obtained. <P>SOLUTION: The device includes a CCD camera 10, and a control unit 4 which records an image picked up by the CCD camera to an SD memory card 14. The control unit performs recording processing when a predetermined condition such as a wake-up point other than a preset accident time is satisfied. A current position detected by a GPS receiver 1 and ambient sounds recorded by a microphone 15 at that time are also stored by being associated with each other. The recorded image and the like can be displayed and confirmed on a display unit 6, or confirmed on an external personal computer or the like by removing the SD memory card and transferring the information thereto, or uploaded to an Internet site. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular video recording apparatus.

  A drive recorder that stores vehicle status information before and after an automobile accident (forward image, vehicle speed, sudden acceleration / deceleration, etc.) provides useful information for verification in the event of an automobile collision. In particular, it is widely used in transportation vehicles such as trucks and business vehicles such as taxis and buses, and is also being installed in general vehicles.

  This drive recorder is capable of storing a front video and a driving data indicating a driver's driving operation (brake operation, turn signal operation, driving route, etc.) for a certain period before and after the occurrence of an accident or sudden braking. It has a configuration. Briefly explaining the configuration for storing video data, the CCD camera always images the vehicle and surroundings from the viewpoint (view) of the driver, and the captured video is stored in a temporary storage memory such as a ring buffer. Remember. The video stored in the temporary storage memory is sequentially updated to the latest one, and the past video data is held for the set time. On the other hand, the drive recorder is equipped with a sensor that detects an impact such as an acceleration sensor or an impact that occurs during sudden braking or sudden steering. If the output value of the sensor exceeds the threshold, the threshold is exceeded (impact detection). The previous video for a certain period is read from the temporary storage memory and stored in a non-volatile memory (such as an SD memory card). After the threshold value is exceeded, the captured image of the CCD camera is directly or temporarily stored in the non-volatile memory. By storing via a storage memory, it has a function to save images and running data for a predetermined time before and after the impact in a nonvolatile memory (SD card).

  When an accident occurs, it is possible to clearly prove the validity of the driver based on the vehicle status information (video etc.) of the own vehicle stored in the nonvolatile memory. In addition, when the drive recorder detects a rough and dangerous driving operation such as a sudden handle or a sudden brake, it may give a certain tension to the driver by alerting the driver with a warning sound or the like. it can. This type of drive recorder is disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2.

JP 2006-193057 A JP 2006-321423 A

  This type of drive recorder may be valuable when an accident actually occurs, and is installed in vehicles that drive relatively frequently, such as taxis and other commercial vehicles. The fact is that it is not installed in general drivers' vehicles.

  As described above, the drive recorder that records when an accident actually occurs, even if it is installed in a vehicle, the recording process is not performed for ordinary drivers as long as there is no accident. It can end without being carried out, and it can be said that the user merit is poor. Certainly not being recorded is the reverse of no accidents, which is preferable in that respect, but in order to install it as an in-vehicle device, there is a problem that it is desired to make it practical for practical use.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention includes (1) a camera and a recording control unit that records video captured by the camera on a recording unit, and the recording control unit includes a preset accident. It is assumed that video recording is performed on the recording means under predetermined conditions other than the time. In this way, since the recording is performed under the set conditions other than the accident with a low occurrence probability, the use efficiency is improved. In the embodiment, the recording means is realized by a detachable recording medium such as an SD memory card, but an internal memory or other various recording means can be used. Also, by recording the video at an appropriate timing, we will refute if it is mistakenly detected in automatic speed control or general traffic control, or if it is involved in an accident in an accident-prone area, etc. Useful information can be obtained. The captured video may be directly stored in the final recording means, or may be stored in a recording means such as a copy stored in a separately prepared temporary buffer memory or the like.

  (2) The predetermined condition may be that the vehicle has approached or arrived at a place to call attention. For example, when a normal video camera or the like is attached to another position on the dashboard, the video camera's field of view is directed to the front of the vehicle, etc., and in that state, the video camera's recording is recorded. By pressing a button or the like, it is possible to record an area of a place (near) to call attention. However, when only one driver is in the vehicle, it is not desirable for safe driving to press the recording button while driving, even if the passenger is in the passenger seat, wearing the seat belt Then, it is difficult to operate the recording button smoothly. Further, in any case, it is complicated to determine whether or not the place where the user is currently driving is a place to call attention, and recording is not always performed at an appropriate position. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the surrounding situation at that time is automatically recorded as a video when it comes to a place to call attention, it is not necessary to perform an operation such as pressing the record button every time. Necessary and sufficient video can be recorded at the location, which can contribute to safe driving.

  (3) The location for calling attention is specified by position information, and position information storage means for storing position information for specifying the location for calling attention and position detection for detecting the current position of the vehicle. The recording control unit determines whether or not an approaching place has been reached or arrived from a current position detected by the position detection unit and position information stored in the position information storage unit To be able to. The position detection unit can be realized by a GPS receiver or the like. The current position detected by the position detector and position information (one independent point (longitude / latitude) using the longitude / latitude) that identifies the location to call attention stored in the position information storage means may be used. If it is in a predetermined positional relationship, the predetermined condition is satisfied. Predetermined positional relationship is either when the current position matches (has reached) the position (point area, etc.) specified by the stored position information, or when the current position is within a certain distance (approached) In the case of approach, the separation distance may simply be within the reference value (below the reference value), or other conditions (traveling direction, traveling speed, etc.) may be added to the distance. In addition, it is possible to record a place to call attention, and then check the recorded video to confirm whether there are any problems with driving or whether there are any points to be aware of while driving or running. Can do.

  (4) The place to call attention is a point, and the recording control unit can start recording when approaching the point to a predetermined distance. (5) On the premise of the invention of the above (4), the recording control unit can stop recording when the point is passed. As a result, recording can be automatically stopped. In addition, when a place to call attention is specified by a point, the point up to that point is often a place to call attention, so that recording can be performed efficiently by recording up to that point. “Stop recording after passing a point” means that the passing of a point becomes a condition (trigger) for stopping the recording, and of course it stops immediately after passing (in this case, the recording is used The recording may be stopped after passage, after a certain time has elapsed, or after traveling a certain distance after passing. (6) In addition, the place to call attention may be an area, and the recording control unit may start recording when entering the area and stop recording when exiting from the area.

  (7) The place where the attention is urged is the place where the automatic speed control device is installed to detect the vehicle that has violated the speed limit, the area where traffic accidents frequently occur, the place where traffic control is often performed, the level crossing or once stop, the traffic in the past It should include at least one of the intersection where the accident occurred, the interchange entrance / exit, the junction of the expressway, the road where traffic control is often performed, the school zone, the school road, the sightseeing spot, the famous place, the historic site, and the scenic place .

  Since the automatic speed control device is often installed in a place where accidents are likely to occur, it is preferable to drive with particular attention to traffic safety near the installation location. When an automatic speed control device is installed on the roadside or road information ahead of the direction of travel, the driver may check the installation status while driving. There is also a risk. Therefore, as in the present invention, by automatically recording from before the installation location to passing through the installation location, it is possible to check the installation status later, so it is also suitable for assisting safe driving ing. The same applies to places and roads where traffic control is often performed and intersections where traffic accidents have occurred in the past.

  In addition, if you record a video taken while driving in a traffic accident-prone area, you can slowly check the situation on the spot (when getting off or stopped), so you can verify the cause of the accident. Or an event to be noted when traveling, and then driving safely when traveling in the same area, so that accidents can be prevented.

  In addition, it is possible to confirm the level crossing and the place where the vehicle is stopped by checking the recorded video later to see if it has stopped properly for a certain period of time or not, and confirming / verifying whether or not the vehicle is operating correctly. When it is found that the temporary stop is insufficient, such as when the stop time is short, the user can drive safely in compliance with the traffic rules by paying attention when driving after that.

  If you record video images of interchange doorways, expressway junctions, school zones, school roads, etc., you can check the status of other vehicles and pedestrians when you actually drive, so check driving conditions (accidents occur) Wasn't it dangerous or wasn't a problem, was it possible to smoothly join or change lanes, whether there were many pedestrians (school students, etc.) and more caution, or was the pedestrian walking straight? , Etc.), and the driver can check his / her driving skills and the points to be noted when traveling in the same area thereafter.

  Passengers can enjoy the scenery, sightseeing spots, historic sites, places with good views, etc., but it is preferable from the viewpoint of safe driving that the driver should pay attention to the surrounding scenery while driving. Absent. If the relevant point / area is registered as a place to call attention, the driver can focus on driving regardless of the scenery, etc. while driving, and then see the actual driving scenery by watching the recorded video. This is preferable.

  And in the present invention, since the video is recorded when a predetermined condition other than the time of the accident is satisfied, when the vehicle travels in a place where the accident is likely to occur as in the above exemplified conditions, the video at that time is displayed. Since it can be recorded, by checking the video in advance when there is no accident, it is possible to recognize the points to be noted and to help prevent the occurrence of the accident. This is based on a completely different technical idea from that used to collect objective evidence when an accident occurs like a drive recorder, and this point is not limited to the invention of (7). It can be said to the invention.

  (8) On the premise of the inventions of (3) to (7) above, it is preferable to provide a notifying unit for notifying by a voice or a display device when approaching a predetermined distance to a stored place to call attention. By being notified at a place to call attention, the driver can be more careful about driving. In addition, in the case where the above-described scenery is preferred as a place to call attention, it is preferable that a passenger can be seen without missing the scenery.

  (9) A radio wave receiving unit that receives a predetermined radio wave is provided, and the predetermined condition is that the radio wave receiving unit has received a radio wave that satisfies a set condition, and the recording control unit satisfies the condition It is advisable to record captured images before and after receiving matching radio waves. For example, the emergency vehicle notifies the base station of the position of the own vehicle such as a microwave emitted from a microwave sensor installed on the road to detect a vehicle or a vehicle speed, or a car locator system. Therefore, there are radio waves generated by the emergency vehicle and radio waves used for traffic monitoring. When these predetermined radio waves are received, the location in the vicinity may be a frequent traffic accident zone or a place where a traffic accident has occurred. Useful information and information for safe driving can be acquired by checking and so forth. The radio wave receiver corresponds to the microwave receiver 2 and the radio receiver 3 in the embodiment.

  (10) Image recognition means for performing image recognition processing on image data captured by the camera is provided, and the predetermined condition is that a road sign preset in the image data is recognized by the image recognition means. It is good to do. In the embodiment, the image recognition unit is realized by the control unit 4. When recording is performed when a set road sign is detected, it is possible to confirm whether the driving that satisfies the road sign (meeting the traffic rules) can be performed by checking the recorded video after that. it can. When recording is started by recognizing this specific road sign, the recording can be stopped after traveling for a certain time or a certain distance. The certain time and certain distance can be changed depending on the type of road sign.

  (11) On the premise of the invention of the above (10), it is preferable to provide an informing unit for informing when the set road sign is recognized. In this way, even if a road sign is missed, the driver can recognize its presence and can drive in compliance with traffic rules. The notification unit can perform notification using a voice or a display unit that can be recognized as a set road sign.

  (12) The notification unit may display image data including the recognized road sign portion on a display screen. This is preferable because the user (driver) can confirm a road sign installed on the road that is actually running.

  (13) When the road sign recognized by the image recognizing means is a speed limit sign, it may be provided with a function of issuing an overspeed warning when the current vehicle traveling speed exceeds a preset speed range. This can contribute to safe driving while keeping the speed limit.

  (14) It has distance detection means for detecting the distance between the vehicle ahead and the distance to the obstacle, and the predetermined condition is that the distance between the vehicles detected by the distance detection means and / or the distance is not more than a reference distance. Can be approached. In this way, since the state in which the inter-vehicle distance is approaching is recorded, regardless of whether a rear-end collision or the like occurs, the traveling state when approaching can be confirmed later, and the rear-end collision is assumed. Even if not, it was possible to return to the proper inter-vehicle distance at what timing, how long the avoidance time took, and the cause of the shortened inter-vehicle distance (excessive speed, carelessness in front, Sudden braking, etc.) can be verified.

  (15) It has speed detecting means for detecting the traveling speed, and the recording condition can be set according to the traveling speed detected by the speed detecting means. For example, the speed detecting means may obtain and obtain a vehicle speed pulse output from the vehicle, or obtain a moving distance and an elapsed time from a history of position information received by a GPS receiver or the like, and calculate a vehicle speed therefrom. It can be realized with various things such as what to do. Of course, other than that, the speed may be obtained simply or indirectly by an acceleration sensor or a vibration sensor.

  For example, when continuously shooting surrounding scenery, if the recording frame rate is constant, the shooting interval differs depending on whether the running speed is fast or slow. Therefore, if the frame rate is varied depending on the traveling speed, images can be taken at regular intervals. Since it is difficult to continuously vary the frame rate according to the traveling speed, the traveling speed may be divided into several ranges and frame rates corresponding to the ranges. In this case, the speed range is such that the lower limit value is defined as A [km / h] or more, the upper limit value is defined as B [km / h], and C to D [km / h]. Any of those that prescribe upper and lower limits within the range of. As a result, it is possible to record for as long a time as possible with a limited memory capacity without interrupting the scenery to be photographed. Of course, the recording conditions are not limited to the frame rate setting, and various other resolutions can be used.

  (16) A function for setting a recording condition according to a travel distance during recording may be provided. For the travel distance, a travel distance detection means for detecting the travel distance may be provided, and the travel distance during actual recording may be obtained. The predetermined condition is based on the position information stored in the position information storage means. In this case, since the mileage for recording can be known in advance, it may be determined from the value. The travel distance detection means can be obtained from the history of the current position acquired by a GPS receiver or the like, for example. As with the above travel speed, if the frame rate is the same, the longer the travel distance, the more memory capacity is required. Therefore, by changing the frame rate and other recording conditions according to the length of the mileage, it is possible to suppress as much as possible the need for a proportionally large memory capacity when the mileage is simply increased. . For example, the recording condition can be set in association with the distance range (lower limit / upper limit / range) in which the travel distance is set, and the recording condition can be selected and switched. Further, for example, in the case where the travel distance is known in advance based on the position information, a recording condition corresponding to the travel distance can be set from the beginning of recording, and the set recording condition can be set throughout the entire recording process. . On the other hand, for example, when recording is performed while receiving a predetermined radio wave, at the beginning of recording, it is unclear how long the recording time will be. Such a case can be dealt with by switching the recording conditions in the middle of the recording as the mileage is continuously increased and the mileage is increased.

  (17) A time detection unit for detecting a current time is provided, and the predetermined condition may be a time range in which the current time detected by the time detection unit is set. Actually, either a time range for recording or a time range for non-recording is set. For example, it can be set not to record at night or commuting hours. In other words, because the beautiful scenery cannot be taken at night, the value of the recorded video may be low. Therefore, the time range for recording can be set in the daytime. Also, when using a vehicle for commuting, the usual commuting scenery is always the same and not very interesting, so the recording time can be set outside the commuting time. The presence / absence of recording based on this time is assumed to be AND with other conditions. For example, even when the other predetermined conditions described above are satisfied, if the current time is outside the time range that allows recording, recording is not performed. May be.

  (18) A position detection unit for detecting a current position may be provided, and the predetermined condition may be a position range in which the current position detected by the position detection unit is set. For example, it is possible to operate such that a radius of 10 km is not recorded from home. In other words, commuting and living areas are not recorded, but when a person goes to a drive or the like and leaves the area, recording is performed. Alternatively, when going to a sightseeing spot by driving, it is possible to make a setting such as recording within a 10 km area around the sightseeing spot. The distance is an example. By doing this, it is possible to record an interesting / fresh scenery like the above time.

  (19) It is preferable to provide a function for changing the recording condition based on the information obtained from the vehicle side. The information from the vehicle side can acquire signals from, for example, an in-vehicle network or a vehicle sensor. Specifically, the recording condition can be changed (for example, high image quality) when the blinker, wiper, light, accelerator, brake, gear position, and the like are in a predetermined state (for example, a state that calls attention). In this case, the recording condition may be changed based on a plurality of pieces of information acquired from different acquisition sources.

  (20) The recording control unit may switch the recording condition and continue the recording when the predetermined condition is satisfied during recording of the video on the recording unit. In the present invention, recording is performed when the above-described predetermined condition is satisfied, but this does not prevent recording at other locations. That is, for example, recording is always performed, or recording can be performed at an appropriate timing by manual operation. In such a case, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the switching condition (when the predetermined condition is satisfied and other times) is recognized at the time of playback by changing the recording condition from the other cases. Can do.

  (21) The recording condition can be switched with high-quality recording. When the above-mentioned predetermined conditions are satisfied, it can be said that it is better to record in particular, so it is better to record more detailed and delicate with high image quality. Of course, when recording is started not by continuous recording but by an instruction from the user such as manual operation, the user may wish to record more than the one that satisfies the predetermined condition. However, it is not always necessary to record with high image quality when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

  (22) The switching of the recording condition for performing the recording with the high image quality described in (21) can be performed by changing a recording frame rate and / or resolution. Of course, other methods may be used.

  (23) It is preferable to provide a function of recording situation information for specifying a surrounding situation when recording the video in association with the video. It is preferable not only to record video but also to record other information in association with each other, so that information from many different fields can be recorded, and it is useful when viewing the video later.

  (24) The situation information may be at least one of a traveling locus of the own vehicle, a traveling speed, other traveling states, and time. Such information can be obtained based on, for example, a GPS signal acquired by a GPS receiver. It is preferable because objective information such as where the recorded video is and when it was taken is known.

  (25) It is preferable to have a function of recording surrounding sounds (inside and outside the vehicle) simultaneously with the recording. It is preferable to add sound along with the video because it increases the sense of reality. (26) On the premise of the invention of (25) above, a function of outputting an alarm sound (buzzer / sound) is provided, and the sound (in which the alarm sound is canceled based on the output of the alarm sound and the input of surrounding sounds) ( It is desirable to have a function of recording (voices canceled). Warning sound is useful information during driving, but when playing recorded video, it may be annoying information with extra sounds or information that you want to keep secret about privacy. Therefore, the problem associated with eliminating the alarm sound may be eliminated. In particular, it is preferable that the video at the time of an accident should be faithfully recorded and reproduced as in the case of a drive recorder, but the information shot and recorded at the time of a non-accident becomes a video that can be enjoyed by uploading to the Web, for example. It ’s good because you do n’t need extra sounds and you need to consider your privacy.

  (27) It is good to provide the alerting | reporting part which alert | reports the information relevant to it, when the said predetermined conditions are satisfy | filled. (28) On the premise of the invention of the above (27), the notification unit includes at least one of display means for displaying the set notification information and voice output means for outputting the set message. Good. (29) On the premise of the invention of the above (27), the related information may be an image recorded in the past.

  (30) It is good to have a display means and to have a function of reproducing and displaying the recorded video. This is preferable because the recorded information can be reproduced and confirmed in the present apparatus, so that the user can easily confirm the recorded video or the like at any time.

  (31) It is preferable to provide a function of extracting a target area for image quality reduction (such as a vehicle license plate or a human face) from the captured image data, and recording the area with a reduced image quality. This low image quality recording function may be part of the recording control unit or may be used as another correction function. In particular, the privacy-related part can be released on the Web or the like as it is by reducing the image quality (no additional processing is required when uploading), so that workability is simple and preferable.

  (32) The recorded information may be transmitted wirelessly under a predetermined condition (when it comes to a place with a good communication state, it may be transmitted (such as a place with a wireless LAN access point). (33) The recorded data may be transmitted to an external device. It is good to have a function (memory card, output terminal, USB, etc.) that outputs to the video, etc. By providing these functions, the recorded video and other information can be taken out easily, and can be confirmed with a personal computer etc. It can be easily analyzed and uploaded to an Internet site.

  In the present invention, since a video taken by a camera is recorded when a predetermined condition other than the time of an accident is satisfied, such as a place to call attention, a practical vehicle-mounted device (a video recording device for a vehicle) that can be practically obtained. Can be configured.

It is a figure which shows suitable one Embodiment of this invention.

  FIG. 1 shows a target detection apparatus as a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a GPS receiver 1 serving as a position detection unit, a microwave receiver 2, and a wireless receiver 3 are provided as receivers that receive various radio waves and the like. The GPS receiver 1 receives a GPS signal, obtains a current position from the received GPS signal, and sends position information (longitude, latitude) of the obtained current position to the control unit 4.

  The microwave receiver 2 receives microwaves in a predetermined frequency band, and detects the signal level of the received microwaves when receiving microwaves in the set frequency band. Specifically, the RSSI voltage corresponding to the signal level and the electric field strength is used. The predetermined frequency band is, for example, a frequency band including a microwave frequency emitted from the vehicle speed measuring device. The wireless receiver 3 receives incoming radio waves in a predetermined frequency band. For example, the predetermined frequency may be a radio frequency band used when the emergency vehicle notifies the base station of the vehicle position.

  The control unit 4 executes predetermined processing based on information input from the various receivers described above, and outputs predetermined alarms and messages using output devices (display unit 6, alarm lamp 7, speaker 8, etc.). Output. The predetermined process for determining the alarm content based on the information input from the receiver can use the same basic process as in the conventional technique. That is, when a signal having a certain condition is received / acquired, a corresponding alarm is output. Note that alarms using the speaker 8 include a buzzer and a voice.

  An alarm based on position information (current position information of the host vehicle) detected by the GPS receiver 1 will be described. In the database 5, the type of monitoring and the position information (longitude: latitude) of the target to be detected (traffic monitoring point such as a traffic monitoring device, facility or other target related to traffic such as a road station) Etc. are stored as a table structure associated with each other. Further, when the target has a monitoring direction / monitoring area as in the vehicle speed measuring device, information for specifying the monitoring area is registered in association with each other.

  Information regarding these targets is registered for certain targets at the time of shipment. This data can be updated by various known methods. The database 5 can be realized by a nonvolatile memory (for example, EEPROM) in the microcomputer of the control unit 4 or externally attached to the microcomputer. Furthermore, the database 5 also stores road map data.

  When the current position detected by the GPS receiver 1 and the position of the target registered in the database 5 satisfy a set condition such as being within a set distance, the vehicle 3 is indicated. A three-dimensional object (or two-dimensional mark) indicating the target object is drawn on the display unit 6 together with the three-dimensional object (or two-dimensional mark), and the positional relationship (direction and distance of the target object) is visually determined. Notification is made, and the type of the target object and the remaining distance are notified using the speaker 8.

  On the other hand, when there is no target registered in the database 5 around the own vehicle, or when there is no reception of a desired radio wave by the microwave receiver 2 and the radio receiver 3 and the event generation mode is not entered, the control unit 4 draws various standby screens on the display unit 6. As this standby screen, there is a screen that displays a speedometer, a calendar, or the like, or a reception state (positioning information) of a GPS satellite.

  Various settings can be made using various man-machine interfaces not shown. As an example, a switch part can be provided on the case body, and the operation can be performed on the switch part. In addition, a remote control receiver and / or an infrared communication device is provided, and the user can give a predetermined instruction by operating a remote control or other portable device.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a CCD camera 10, an SD card slot 12, and a microphone 15 are provided. The CCD camera 10 is installed, for example, facing the outside of the vehicle such as the front of the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to record an image outside the vehicle when a predetermined condition other than the time of the accident is met. Note that the CCD camera 10 may be constantly photographed, or may be photographed under predetermined conditions. Also, the accident is when an objective / personal traffic accident involving the vehicle on which the apparatus is mounted. The predetermined condition other than the time of the accident is a preset condition other than the traffic accident, and there are various modes described later.

  The control unit 4 records the video imaged by the CCD camera 10 as a video file in a predetermined storage unit. As the storage means, for example, the SD memory card 14 mounted in the SD card slot 12 can be used. By using the SD memory card 14, the SD memory card 14 on which the video is recorded can be removed from the SD card slot 12, and data recorded by being mounted on a personal computer or the like can be easily transferred to the personal computer.

  In addition, the recorded video or the like can be performed not only by attaching and detaching the recording medium to the outside as described above but also by wired / wireless communication (data transmission). In addition, in order to perform wired communication, the case main body may be provided with a connector, USB, or the like for connecting a communication cable.

  In addition, the control unit 4 has a function of extracting an area to be reduced in image quality from captured image data, and recording the area with reduced image quality. Such a function can be enabled or disabled by setting. When it is validated, both the video data file of the video before this processing and the video data file of the video after this processing may be recorded in the recording means.

  Further, the control unit 4 records the surrounding sound acquired by the microphone 15. This audio data can also be stored in a predetermined storage means. In this embodiment, the storage means uses the SD memory card 14. Then, the control unit 4 stores audio and video in synchronization (associated). Thus, when the stored video is played back, the sound at that time can also be output at the same time. In the present embodiment, the target detection device is configured to issue a predetermined alarm when a target is detected. At that time, an alarm sound such as a buzzer or a voice may be output. . Then, when an alarm sound is output during video recording, if the alarm sound is picked up by the microphone 15, it is recorded as it is. Moreover, the control part 4 is good to provide the function which records the audio | voice which canceled the alarm sound.

  The video and / or audio is also reproduced by the control unit 4 via the display unit 6 and the speaker 8. Furthermore, the control unit 4 records the current position and date / time information acquired by the GPS receiver 1 in association with each other when storing video and audio in the storage unit. Note that the date / time information may be used when an internal clock is provided.

  Each of the above members may be mounted at an appropriate position in one case, or may be appropriately distributed in a plurality of cases. In any case, the CCD camera 10 is in a posture facing the front of the vehicle, and is mounted, for example, near the rear side of the rearview mirror or near the upper center of the windshield. Further, it is preferable that the field of view of the CCD camera 10 can be adjusted with the case attached. For such adjustment, a mechanism for changing the direction may be provided in the case itself, or a mechanism for changing the direction may be provided in a jig (support) for attaching the case.

  And the control part 4 performs recording about the surrounding state (video | video, audio | voice) acquired with CCD camera 10 or the microphone 15 according to the conditions shown below. The predetermined condition for recording is a predetermined condition other than the occurrence of an accident. For example, there is position information for specifying a place to call attention in advance during traveling. This position information is stored in the database 5, for example. Further, the position information may be information (longitude / latitude) for specifying a certain point, or information for specifying a predetermined area.

  When the current position obtained based on the signal from the GPS receiver 1 is in a predetermined positional relationship with the stored position information, the control unit 4 records the video captured by the CCD camera 10 and the audio acquired by the microphone 15. Also record in association. The predetermined positional relationship can be a condition indicating that the current position has approached or arrived at a place to call attention. Also, the recording can be stopped when, for example, the user is away from a place where attention is urged. Furthermore, when the control unit 4 approaches a predetermined location where the current position is stored, the control unit 4 uses the display unit 6 or the speaker 8 (voice) to notify that fact.

  In addition, the places to call attention to be stored in the database 5 are, for example, locations where automatic speed control devices are installed, areas where traffic accidents frequently occur, places where traffic control is frequently performed, places where railroad crossings or stops, and past traffic accidents. There are intersections, interchange entrances, highway junctions, roads where traffic is often controlled, school zones, school roads, sightseeing spots, sights, historic sites, scenic places, etc.

  In addition, when a predetermined radio wave is received by the microwave receiver 2 or the wireless receiver 3, the control unit 4 records the video captured by the CCD camera 10. This recording is stopped when the period in which the radio wave is not received continues for a certain time or longer.

  Further, the control unit 4 has a function of performing image recognition processing on image data captured by the CCD camera 10 and determining whether or not a preset road sign is included in the image data. If a road sign is included, the video being taken is recorded, or the fact that the road sign is detected is notified. The notification can be performed by an image using the display unit 6 and a sound using the speaker 8. The image drawn on the display unit 6 may be an animation or other image prepared in advance, or may be a road sign photographed / recorded at the current point or the same point. When using a photographed / recorded road sign, only the road sign part may be extracted, or a peripheral image including the road sign may be extracted together.

  Further, when the road sign detected by the image recognition is a speed limit sign, the control unit 4 has a function of issuing an overspeed warning when the current vehicle traveling speed exceeds a preset speed range. Good. The current traveling speed can be obtained from the history of position information obtained from the GPS receiver 1 and the elapsed time. The speed range may be, for example, a case where the speed limit specified by the road sign is exceeded, or a value provided with a predetermined margin for the speed limit.

  Further, the control unit 4 obtains a vehicle location history based on a signal from the GPS receiver 1 and calculates a vehicle traveling speed from an elapsed time (using time information included in an internal timer or GPS signal). Is provided. On the other hand, the database 5 stores a table in which the traveling speed is divided into a plurality of speed ranges and recording conditions (frame rate, resolution, etc.) are associated with each speed range. Then, the control unit 4 refers to the above table based on the calculated current traveling speed, reads the corresponding recording condition, and records the video imaged by the CCD camera 10 according to the read recording condition.

  Further, the recording condition may be changed according to the traveling speed as described above, or may be fixed uniformly. Also, when changing, the condition setting is not limited to the traveling speed, and can be set based on various things such as the traveling distance of the recorded video, the current time, and the current position. In either case, the recording condition can be set by preparing a table in which the range and the recording condition are associated with each other and referring to the table based on the obtained value such as the current time. The mileage can be calculated from the history of the current position obtained from the GPS receiver 1, and when recording is performed based on the position information stored in the database 5, the section in which the recording is performed is also known. The mileage can also be acquired in advance from there. Further, when the travel distance is obtained from the actual movement trajectory (location information history), if the images captured by the CCD camera 10 are sequentially recorded on the SD memory card 14 in real time, the travel distance of the series of recordings is obtained. , Unknown during recording. Therefore, it is possible to switch to the corresponding recording condition as the mileage increases after continuous recording. Alternatively, the video stored in the buffer memory after temporarily storing it in a buffer memory or the like and obtaining the actual mileage. May be recorded on the SD memory card 14 under the recording condition corresponding to the obtained travel distance.

  When the predetermined condition is satisfied, the control unit 4 can output information related to the satisfied condition from the display unit 6, the speaker 8, and the like. In this case, the notification content to be drawn on the display unit 6 may be a content that indicates which condition is satisfied, and the related information is a previously recorded video (the one stored in the SD memory card 14). Read out).

  Regardless of whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied as described above, the information stored in the SD memory card 14 is preferably read by the control unit 4 and output to the display unit 6. In this way, the user can play back and check the video recorded at an arbitrary timing. Which video is to be played is determined by, for example, drawing a menu screen on the display unit, outputting a list of data stored in the SD memory card 14, and operating a predetermined input device (remote control, touch panel, etc.) by the user. Can be specified.

  Further, the control unit 4 can have a function of recording a video imaged by the CCD camera 10 based on a predetermined switch operation or the like, or constantly recording the video image without satisfying the predetermined condition described above. In such a case, when the predetermined condition described above is satisfied during recording, the control unit 4 switches the recording condition and continues recording. In this case, the recording condition may be switched by changing the recording frame rate and / or the resolution to perform recording with high image quality.

  Furthermore, although not shown in the drawings, a distance detection sensor using a microwave or the like that detects the distance between the vehicle ahead and the distance to the obstacle is provided, and the controller detects the distance between the vehicles detected by the distance detection sensor and / or the obstacle. When the distance up to approaches the reference distance or less, it is preferable to start recording. In this case, the recording can be stopped when the inter-vehicle distance is more than the reference distance. The reference distance when recording is started and when recording is stopped may be the same or different.

  Moreover, in said embodiment and modification, all were applied to the target object detection apparatus, However, This invention is not restricted to this, It can apply to various vehicle equipment. The in-vehicle device includes a drive recorder. Moreover, you may implement | achieve as a video recording device for vehicles specialized in video recording.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 GPS receiver 2 Microwave receiver 3 Wireless receiver 4 Control part 5 Database 6 Cover part 8 Speaker 10 CCD camera 14 SD memory card

Claims (33)

A camera,
A recording control unit that records video captured by the camera on a recording unit;
With
The video recording apparatus for a vehicle, wherein the recording control unit performs recording on the recording means under a predetermined condition other than an accident.   The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is that the vehicle has approached or arrived at a place to call attention. The place to call attention is specified by position information,
Position information storage means for storing position information for specifying a place to call attention;
A position detection unit that detects the current position of the vehicle,
The recording control unit determines whether or not an approaching or arriving place has been reached from a current position detected by the position detection unit and position information stored in the position information storage unit. The video recording apparatus for vehicles according to claim 2.   The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the place to call attention is a point, and the recording control unit starts recording when approaching the point to a predetermined distance.   The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the video recording control unit stops video recording when the point is passed.   4. The vehicular video recording according to claim 3, wherein the place to call attention is an area, and the recording control unit starts recording when entering the area and stops recording when exiting from the area. apparatus.   The place to call attention is the place where automatic speed control equipment is installed, areas where traffic accidents occur frequently, places where traffic control is frequently performed, places where railroad crossings and stops, intersections where traffic accidents have occurred in the past, interchange entrances, highway junctions , Including at least one of roads, school zones, school roads, sightseeing spots, sights, historic sites, and scenic places where traffic control is frequently performed. The vehicle video recording apparatus according to claim.   The vehicular video recording apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 7, further comprising a notifying unit that notifies the user of a stored attention-prompting location by a voice or a display when approaching a predetermined distance. It has a radio wave receiver that receives a predetermined radio wave,
The predetermined condition is that the radio wave reception unit has received radio waves that match the set conditions,
11. The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording control unit records captured images before and after receiving radio waves matching the condition. 11. Image recognition means for performing image recognition processing on image data captured by the camera;
The vehicle video recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is that a road sign set in advance in the image data is recognized by the image recognition unit.   The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a notifying unit that notifies when the set road sign is recognized.   12. The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the notification unit displays image data including the recognized road sign portion on a display screen.   A vehicle having a function of issuing an overspeed warning when a current vehicle traveling speed exceeds a preset speed range when the road sign recognized by the image recognition means is a speed limit sign Video recording device. It has distance detection means for detecting the distance between the vehicle ahead and the distance to the obstacle,
The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the predetermined condition is that the inter-vehicle distance and / or the distance detected by the distance detection unit approach a reference distance or less. Video recording device. Having speed detecting means for detecting the running speed,
15. The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein recording conditions are set in accordance with a traveling speed detected by the speed detecting means.   16. The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein recording conditions are set according to a travel distance during recording. It has time detection means for detecting the current time,
The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is a time range in which a current time detected by the time detection unit is set. Provided with position detection means for detecting the current position,
The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is a position range (range) in which a current position detected by the position detecting unit is set.   The vehicular video recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 18, further comprising a function of changing a recording condition based on information obtained from the vehicle side.   20. The recording control unit according to claim 1, wherein the recording control unit switches the recording condition and continues the recording when the predetermined condition is satisfied during recording of the video in the recording unit. The vehicle video recording apparatus according to claim.   21. The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the switching of the recording condition is for recording with high image quality.   The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the switching of the recording condition is to change a recording frame rate and / or resolution.   The vehicular video recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 22, further comprising a function of recording, in association with a video, status information for specifying a surrounding situation when the video is recorded.   24. The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the situation information is at least one of a travel locus of the own vehicle, a travel speed, other travel states, and a time.   The vehicular video recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 24, further comprising a function of recording surrounding voices simultaneously with the recording. It has a function to output an alarm sound,
26. The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a function of recording a sound in which the alarm sound is canceled based on the output of the alarm sound and an input of surrounding sound.   The vehicular video recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 26, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify information related to the predetermined condition when the predetermined condition is satisfied.   28. The vehicular video recording according to claim 27, wherein the notification unit includes at least one of a display unit for displaying the set notification information and an audio output unit for outputting the set message. apparatus.   28. The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the related information is a video recorded in the past.   30. The vehicular video recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 29, further comprising a display unit and a function of reproducing and displaying the recorded video.   The vehicular video recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 30, further comprising a function of extracting a target area for lowering image quality from captured image data and recording the area with lower image quality. .   32. The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recorded information is wirelessly transmitted under a predetermined condition.   The vehicular video recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a function of outputting the recorded data to an external apparatus.

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