JP2020023327A - Room mirror for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a room mirror for a vehicle which is equipped with a camera for imaging a rear side, capable of suppressing discomfort which a passenger is possible to feel.SOLUTION: A room mirror 1 for a vehicle which is provided in a cabin for a driver to confirm a rear side includes a rear camera 21 for imaging a rear side that is opposite to an advancement direction of a vehicle, a shielding means which shields a line of sight from a passenger side in a vehicle to make the rear camera 21 inconspicuous, and an adjusting means for adjusting an imaging direction of the rear camera 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle interior mirror installed in a vehicle interior.

  Conventionally, a drive recorder that captures and records a driving environment of a vehicle has been used. A drive recorder for photographing the front of the vehicle in the traveling direction is generally installed above a windshield of the vehicle. A room mirror type drive recorder in which a camera is embedded in a room mirror has been proposed so that a driver's field of view can be kept as wide as possible (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  The image captured by the drive recorder is useful for investigating the cause of an accident when the vehicle is involved in an accident or causes an accident. When investigating the cause of the accident, it is useful to analyze not only the image in front of the traveling direction but also the situation of the driver and the situation behind. Therefore, the room mirror type drive recorder disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of cameras so that an image on the rear side can be recorded in addition to an image on the front side in the traveling direction. Each camera can change the shooting direction so that it can shoot the front of the vehicle and can shoot the rear side.

  For example, if the camera is set so that the driver can be photographed, it is possible to record how the driver is driving. For example, it is difficult for transport companies and taxi companies to directly manage the driving status of drivers who are employees, but if they record the status of driving, ex post management and guidance can be done, improving safety it can.

Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3170691

  However, the conventional rearview mirror type drive recorder capable of photographing the rear side has the following problems. That is, for example, a driver who is an employee may feel uncomfortable with the drive recorder serving as a camera for monitoring the driver. Further, for example, when the driver attaches the drive recorder by himself, there is a possibility that the passenger may feel the same discomfort because there is a camera facing the driver.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and is a vehicle room mirror including a camera for photographing a rear side, and is capable of suppressing discomfort that a passenger may feel. It is intended to provide.

(1) A vehicle rearview mirror provided in a vehicle compartment for a driver to check behind,
A rear imaging means for photographing the rear side,
Shielding means for blocking the line of sight from the occupant side of the vehicle to make the rear imaging means inconspicuous;
It is preferable that the vehicle rearview mirror includes an adjustment unit for adjusting a shooting direction of the rear imaging unit.

  The vehicular rearview mirror is provided with shielding means for shielding the line of sight and making the rear imaging means inconspicuous. If the rear imaging unit is made inconspicuous, the occupant of the vehicle is less likely to notice the presence of the rear imaging unit, and the possibility of discomfort can be suppressed.

  In the case of a vehicle rearview mirror, the direction of the mirror surface is appropriately adjusted according to the driver's viewpoint height or the like. If the photographing direction of the rear photographing means is fixed, the photographing direction may be changed by the driver, and a target photographed image may not be obtained. Since the vehicle interior mirror according to the present invention includes an adjustment unit for adjusting the imaging direction of the rear imaging unit, a desired captured image can be obtained without depending on the adjustment of the mirror surface for each driver.

  In addition, the direction of the mirror surface is generally tilted toward the driver so that the driver can look directly behind the mirror surface, while the direction of the mirror surface is determined by the direction of the mirror surface. May be set in a different direction. Therefore, in particular, for the occupant to be photographed, there is a problem that it is very easily recognized that the photographing direction is deviated from the direction of the mirror surface, and discomfort is likely to occur. Such a problem unique to the vehicle rearview mirror can be solved.

  Thus, by employing the above-described configuration, it is possible to photograph the rear side while suppressing the discomfort that the occupant may feel.

  Further, according to the above-described configuration, it is possible to acquire a target photographed image while suppressing the possibility of the occupant noticing. For example, when photographing the outside of the vehicle through a rear window or the like, it is possible to acquire an image of the outside of the vehicle while suppressing unnecessary worry on the occupant side that the user may be photographed. For example, if the manager of the vehicle or the like wants to photograph the driver, the photographed image of the driver can be acquired while suppressing the discomfort of being photographed.

  The shielding means may be configured so as to make it difficult for the occupant to recognize the photographing direction of the rear imaging means, for example, as a `` blocking line of sight '' configuration. Good. As a mode of blocking the line of sight, for example, it is preferable that at least a part of the rear imaging unit is difficult to be seen by the occupant, and desirably, the entire rear imaging unit is hard to be seen by the occupant. In particular, it is preferable that the invisible mode is an invisible mode. The shielding means may be, for example, a means for making at least a part of the rear imaging means invisible to the occupant, and desirably, a means for blocking the line of sight so that the occupant cannot recognize the photographing direction of the rear imaging means. The occupant is particularly preferably an occupant to be photographed by the rear imaging means.

Also, for example, the shielding unit may be configured to block the shooting direction of the rear imaging unit, and may be configured to be able to acquire an image ahead of the shielding unit via the shielding unit. For example, the shielding means may be configured as a slit or a group of slits provided in the imaging direction of the rear imaging means and hardly recognized from the outside. It is preferable that the shielding means has a light-transmitting property at least in the photographing direction, and makes it difficult for the occupant to recognize the rear image pickup means. For example, the following configuration (2) may be used.
The rear imaging means may be configured to capture, for example, an area including at least the rear side of the mirror surface of the room mirror. The rear imaging unit may be configured to capture the image including the front, or may be configured to be adjustable to a state where only the front can be captured by the adjustment unit.

(2) The shielding means is a light-transmitting mirror surface, and is constituted by a half mirror that forms at least a part of the mirror surface of the vehicle interior mirror,
The rear imaging means may be configured to take an image via the half mirror.

  If the half mirror that forms at least a part of the mirror surface is used, the rear imaging unit can be made inconspicuous by the mirror surface for realizing the original function of the vehicle rearview mirror, and the occupant is less likely to feel uncomfortable. Further, for example, since it is possible to suppress the necessity of disposing an optical lens or the like for constituting the rear imaging unit outside the mirror surface, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the vehicle interior mirror and to maintain the driver's forward visibility well. it can.

  As the adjustment means, it is preferable that the rear imaging means can be swung particularly in the left-right direction. In addition, it is preferable that a shielding means for adjusting means for making the adjusting means inconspicuous is provided. The shielding means for the adjusting means may be configured similarly to the shielding means (hereinafter also referred to as the shielding means for the imaging means). The adjusting means may be configured as in the following (3).

(3) It is preferable that the adjustment means is configured to be capable of changing the shooting direction of the rear imaging means in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.
In this case, if it is possible to change the shooting direction up, down, left and right to obtain the desired shot image, for example, even if you want to shoot an occupant such as a driver, or if you want to shoot the rear of the vehicle over the head of the occupant Therefore, it is possible to appropriately cope with the situation, and a desired photographed image can be easily obtained. Note that the adjusting means may be configured to be mounted inside the housing of the vehicle interior mirror. That is, instead of being mounted externally as in Patent Literature 1, it may be mounted inside the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror.

  If the direction of the vehicle rearview mirror is adjustable, the vertical axis of the vehicle rearview mirror and the direction of the gravitational acceleration may be displaced. Is shifted from the coordinate axes described above. The horizontal direction and the vertical direction may be the horizontal direction and the vertical direction with respect to the coordinate axis based on the vehicle rearview mirror, but may be the horizontal direction and the vertical direction with respect to the coordinate axis based on the direction of the gravitational acceleration. With this configuration, it is possible to capture an image in which the inclination of the imaging target is suppressed regardless of the direction of the vehicle interior mirror. As a configuration in which the horizontal direction and the vertical direction with respect to the coordinate axis based on the direction of the gravitational acceleration, for example, in general, based on how often the vehicle rearview mirror is often displaced with respect to the gravitational acceleration direction, A direction that can be adjusted in advance may be set by the angle of the shift, but in particular, it is assumed that the adjustment unit is configured to be rotatable about a predetermined axis and that the shooting direction of the rear imaging unit is changed by the rotation. good. As the predetermined axis, it is particularly preferable to provide the photographing direction of the rear imaging means. In this way, horizontal and vertical fluctuations due to adjustment of the rearview mirror can be canceled, and the vertical direction of the captured image can be easily adjusted to the direction of gravity, and when the image is confirmed on the screen, This makes it possible to prevent the image from being tilted with respect to the four sides or the level line of the screen, making it difficult to view, and to reduce the possibility of erroneous evaluation of the content of the image.

(4) The rear imaging means is held on the main body side of the vehicle rearview mirror via a ball joint mechanism for holding a spherical portion having a convex spherical outer peripheral surface slidably by a concave spherical inner peripheral surface. It is preferable that the shooting direction can be adjusted using the ball joint mechanism.

  In this case, a mechanism for changing the shooting direction can be realized with a relatively simple configuration. Furthermore, with a ball joint mechanism, both a mechanism for changing in the vertical direction and a mechanism for changing in the horizontal direction can be realized at the same time, so, for example, compared with a case where each mechanism is provided independently. , Miniaturization and low cost can be realized. For example, the imaging means is placed in a spherical housing having a part opening including a shooting direction, and the housing is housed in a housing of a vehicle rearview mirror, and the imaging means is adjusted so that the shooting direction of the imaging means can be adjusted. It is good to adopt a configuration in which the attached housing can be mounted so that it can be moved. In particular, it is preferable to adopt a kind of ball joint structure. By doing so, the angle can be changed relatively freely. In particular, the rear imaging means is preferably provided inside the ball joint.

  The operation unit for changing the shooting direction may be configured to be adjustable, for example, from the rear side (the side opposite to the mirror) of the housing of the vehicle interior mirror. Even if the rear imaging means is once adjusted to the angle between the mirror surface and the shooting direction so as to face the predetermined shooting direction, it is necessary to readjust the vehicle rearview mirror according to the driver's physique and the position of the seat. It is desirable to adjust the angle of the rear imaging means with respect to the mirror surface. Further, depending on the usage, it may be better to set the shooting direction to an angle that can compensate for the blind spot of the vehicle rearview mirror rather than centering on the rear front. In this way, if the photographing direction of the image pickup means can be adjusted from the rear side of the vehicle interior mirror, the adjustment mechanism is not visible to the driver or the passenger and the appearance is good.

(5) It is preferable that an operation unit for changing the photographing direction is provided on a side surface.
If the operation unit is located on the rear side, the operation unit may not be able to be seen from the occupant side. On the other hand, if the operation unit is provided on the front side, the size of the vehicle rearview mirror may be increased, and front visibility may be impaired. Therefore, if the operation unit is provided on the side surface, a driver or the like can reach the hand to change the shooting direction relatively easily, and avoids an increase in the size of the vehicle rearview mirror, thereby improving the visibility in the forward direction. Can be maintained.

(6) A vehicle rearview mirror to be retrofitted by covering the mirror surface of an existing rearview mirror installed in the vehicle cabin so that the driver can check the rear.
It is preferable that the operation unit for changing the photographing direction is provided on a portion of the rear surface of the vehicle room mirror that does not face the existing room mirror when it is mounted on the existing room mirror.

  Even if it is a retrofit type vehicle rearview mirror that covers the existing rearview mirror, if the operation unit is arranged in a portion that does not face the existing rearview mirror as described above, the operation without removing from the existing rearview mirror can be performed. Whenever it becomes necessary to change the shooting direction that enables the operation of the unit, the shooting direction can be easily changed without removing it from the existing room mirror each time.

(7) A vehicle rearview mirror to be retrofitted by the driver, covering the mirror side of an existing rearview mirror installed in the vehicle cabin so that the driver can check the rear.
It is preferable that the operation unit for changing the photographing direction is provided at a position operable from the outer peripheral side of the existing room mirror on the rear surface facing the existing room mirror.

  Even a retrofit type vehicle rearview mirror that covers the existing rearview mirror can be removed from the existing rearview mirror by disposing the operation unit at a position operable from the outer peripheral side of the rearview mirror as described above. Whenever it becomes necessary to change the shooting direction that allows the operation of the operation unit without any change, the shooting direction can be easily changed without detaching from the existing room mirror each time.

  The operation unit may be configured to adjust the imaging direction of the rear imaging unit using, for example, a tool. For example, a hole for inserting a rod-shaped object such as a driver may be provided, and the object may be inserted into the hole for adjustment. However, a configuration in which the photographing direction is adjusted with a finger is particularly preferable. For example, a projection may be provided on the operation unit, and a finger may be placed on the projection to adjust the shooting direction. In particular, a projection is provided in the direction opposite to the lens surface of the rear imaging means of the housing for housing the rear imaging means, a hole is made on the rear side of the housing of the vehicle interior mirror, and the projection is configured to be touched from the hole, and the projection is formed. It is preferable that the angle of the imaging direction of the rear imaging unit can be adjusted by moving the imaging unit. By attaching the projection, the angle can be adjusted relatively easily with a fingertip without any special tool.

It is preferable to adopt a configuration in which an imaging unit and a circuit for recording video captured by the imaging unit are provided in the housing of the vehicle interior mirror, and the vehicle interior mirror is mounted over the existing interior mirror of the vehicle. In this way, when retrofitting the vehicle, it is easier to replace the existing rearview mirror of the vehicle.
In the configuration of the vehicle rearview mirror to be attached to the existing rearview mirror of the vehicle, the imaging means is provided in the housing of the rearview mirror for the vehicle to be retrofitted, and the adjustment means is preferably provided with a portion protruding outside the existing rearview mirror. . This makes it possible to adjust the mounted rearview mirror without removing the rearview mirror.

(8) Control means for storing the captured image acquired by the rear image capturing means in a storage medium, wherein the control means erases an old captured image while receiving power supply from the vehicle side. By doing so, the operation of storing a new captured image while securing a storage area may be repeatedly executed.
In this case, a room mirror type drive recorder can be realized. If the function as a drive recorder is provided in the rearview mirror, the drive recorder function can be realized while ensuring a wide field of view of the driver, and the possibility that the occupant of the vehicle notices the existence of the rearward imaging means is reduced, and the image is captured. It can record the state of the occupant in a natural state without being conscious of the situation.

(9) It is preferable to provide a front image capturing means for capturing an image of the outside space on the front side of the vehicle.
In this case, a captured image on the front side can be obtained without installing a front camera or the like on a windshield separately from the vehicle rearview mirror of the present invention. By using this vehicle interior mirror, it is possible to acquire both the rear-side photographed image and the front-side photographed image with less risk of a complicated installation situation.

(10) At least a part of the mirror surface provided in the vehicle interior mirror is formed by a half mirror that is a mirror surface having translucency, and the rear imaging unit is configured to capture an image via the half mirror.
Brightness adjustment means for suppressing a difference between the brightness of the captured image of the rear imaging means that captures through the half mirror and the brightness of the captured image of the front imaging means that captures without interposition of the half mirror; Configuration.

  When photographing is performed via a half mirror having an optical characteristic of reflecting part of incident light and transmitting part of the light, the brightness of a photographed image tends to be impaired. Therefore, there is a high possibility that there is a difference in brightness between the image captured by the rear image capturing unit with the half mirror interposed and the image captured by the front image capturing unit without the half mirror interposed. If the brightness adjusting means is provided, it is possible to suppress a difference in brightness, and for example, it is possible to suppress a sense of incongruity when an image captured by the rear image capturing means and an image captured by the front image capturing means are displayed side by side or switched and displayed.

(11) It is preferable that the apparatus further comprises an adjusting means for adjusting a photographing direction by the front imaging means.
In this case, it is possible to capture an image in the target forward direction regardless of the mirror surface adjustment direction by the driver.

(12) Adjustment means is shared between the rear imaging means and the front imaging means, and the imaging direction of the rear imaging means and the imaging direction of the front imaging means can be changed in conjunction with each other. .

  For example, when photographing the traveling direction of the vehicle by the front imaging means and photographing the rear along the traveling direction of the vehicle by the rear imaging means, the photographing direction of the front imaging means and the photographing direction of the rear imaging means are opposite by 180 degrees. Become. If the adjustment means is shared between the front imaging means and the rear imaging means, the labor for adjusting the imaging direction is reduced. As described above, it is particularly preferable that the imaging direction of the front imaging unit and the imaging direction of the rear imaging unit are configured so that the imaging direction can be changed in conjunction with the adjustment unit while maintaining a preset angular relationship.

(13) It is preferable that an image display unit for displaying image information is provided, and a unit for suppressing reflection of light of the image display unit on the rear imaging unit is provided.
When the light of the screen on which the image display means displays the image information is reflected on the rear image pickup means, it becomes impossible to acquire a high quality photographed image. If the means for suppressing the reflection of light on the rear imaging means as described above is provided, even if the image display means is provided, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the captured image by the rear imaging means. In particular, a remarkable effect is exhibited when both the photographing direction of the rear imaging means and the display direction of the image display means are directed to the vehicle interior.
Further, for example, the image display means for displaying the image information is provided outside the housing of the mirror incorporating the rear image pickup means, and the image display means is configured as a vehicle interior mirror in which reflection of light by the image display means is suppressed. Good to do. In particular, an image display means for displaying image information is provided outside the mirror housing having a built-in rear imaging means, and the image display means is a foldable structure or a slide type structure which can be taken out when necessary. It is preferable to use a vehicle rearview mirror that has a structure attached to the body and suppresses reflection of light by the image display means. With this configuration, it is possible to check the image captured by the rear imaging unit only when the user wants to view the video, and at other times, the image display unit can be placed in an inconspicuous position or the like. Further, it is preferable that an external image display means for displaying image information and a vehicle rearview mirror for transmitting image information by wireless communication with a rearview mirror having a built-in rear view camera be used, and the external image display means be a smartphone ( The wireless communication may be performed, for example, as Wi-Fi, by transmitting an image captured by the rearward imaging unit to the smartphone and displaying the image received by the smartphone.
(14) It is preferable to have a configuration including illumination means for illuminating at least a part of the imaging range of the rear imaging means, and illumination shielding means for obstructing the line of sight from the occupant side of the vehicle and making the illumination means inconspicuous.
If a high-sensitivity infrared camera is used for the rear imaging unit, a configuration that does not require an illumination unit can be achieved. However, according to (14), even if a general camera is used, for example, at night or the like, even if there is not enough brightness for imaging by the rear imaging means, the illumination means The illuminated range can be more clearly imaged. For example, when the rear imaging unit photographs the inside of the vehicle, the photographing range may be set so that at least a part of the occupant in the vehicle is photographed.
As the illuminating means, for example, a means that emits light that is inconspicuous and hardly visible by a person may be used. In particular, it is preferable to use a rear imaging unit having sensitivity characteristics from the visible light region to the infrared region, and to use an infrared LED as the illumination unit.
The illumination shielding means may be in the form of a plate or a lens. In particular, it is preferable to cover the irradiation direction of the illumination means. When the illumination means emits infrared light, the illumination means may be covered with a plate-like or lens-like object having a filter characteristic of transmitting infrared light.
(15) The illumination shielding means may be the shielding means. The shielding means and the illumination shielding means may use the same member, and particularly, the shielding means and the illumination shielding means may be the same member.
For example, an infrared LED is used as the illuminating means, and the shielding means and the illuminating and shielding means may be provided together with a camera or the like as the rear imaging means inside the half mirror of the same member. It is less noticeable, and it is difficult for a person to be photographed or the like to recognize that illumination and imaging are being performed.
(16) It is good to have incidence control means which controls that the reflected light by the illumination shielding means enters into the picture picturized by the back imaging means.
For example, if the shielding unit and the illumination shielding unit also use the same member, for example, when the member is a half mirror, the illumination light of the illumination unit is incident on the rear imaging unit as reflected light by the half mirror, and the image of the imaging range However, it has been found that a problem arises in that normal imaging cannot be performed because the light cannot be obtained by the reflected light from the half mirror. This problem occurs remarkably especially when the configuration (15) is provided.
Therefore, according to the above (16), an image in the imaging range of the rear imaging unit can be normally photographed by the reflected light from the illumination shielding unit.
The incidence suppressing means may have any configuration as long as it suppresses the incidence of reflected light from the illumination shielding means. In particular, the space between the illumination means and the illumination shielding means and the shielding means from the rear imaging means may be used. It is preferable to provide a structure for optically separating the space between the two. For example, a shielding plate or the like may be provided between the two spaces. In addition, it is preferable that the space between the two is configured to be separated by a distance greater than a distance at which the reflected light by the illumination shielding means is hardly incident.
(17) The illumination shielding means may be disposed outside the shielding means.
In particular, the illumination shielding means may be configured separately from the shielding means.
(18) The illumination shielding means may include at least one of an operation unit included in the vehicle interior mirror and a dummy member that looks like an operation unit included in the vehicle interior mirror.
This makes it difficult for the person to be photographed to recognize the existence of the illumination means.
As an example of the configuration of the above (14) to (18), for example, the following is preferable.
1. The infrared LED for illumination is arranged outside the mirror, and a partition is provided between the mirror and the infrared LED.
2. In order to camouflage the infrared LED, it is covered with a plate-like or lens-like object having a filter characteristic of transmitting infrared light before the infrared LED.
3. A partition is provided between the plate-shaped or lens-shaped object and the mirror.
4. An operation button or an operation button dummy is made of a resin or the like that transmits infrared light outside the mirror, and is provided so that infrared light is emitted from behind the button.

(19) It is preferable that the vehicle rearview mirror is provided with fixing means for fixing the rear imaging means instead of or together with the adjusting means.
The fixing means may have a structure capable of fixing the rear imaging means to the housing. For example, a board provided with a camera may be fixed by screws or the like.
The configuration including fixing means for fixing the rear imaging means in place of the adjustment means is a vehicle interior mirror provided in the vehicle interior for the driver to check the rear, and the rear imaging for photographing the rear side. A rearview mirror for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle;
For example, in the above-described configuration, the configuration includes the adjusting unit, but does not include the adjusting unit. The imaging unit is housed in the housing of the vehicle interior mirror, and the image is captured in the normal direction of the mirror surface (the direction perpendicular to the mirror surface). It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the imaging means is attached at an angle in which the photographing direction of the means (for example, the optical axis of the camera) is shifted. The vehicle rearview mirror adjusts the angle of the mirror surface so that the driver can check the rear. In this case, if the rear imaging unit is attached with the normal direction of the mirror surface as the imaging direction, the rear imaging unit does not face the rear front. In this way, it is possible to correct this and photograph the rear front.

For example, the components described in each of the above items (1) to (19) may be arbitrarily combined to constitute a device. In particular, a configuration including at least one of the components (1) and (19) is preferable. More desirably, a configuration including a combination of the components described in each of the above-described items (1) to (19) may be provided, and the configuration described in each of the items may be configured alone. When the device is configured by combining any two or more of the configurations of (19) to (19), excellent effects are exhibited. In particular, a combination having the configuration of (1) is preferable.
For example, the configuration may be as follows.
A rearview mirror provided in the passenger compartment for the driver to check behind,
First imaging means for photographing the front of the car;
A second imaging means for photographing the inside and the rear of the vehicle, and a recording means for recording images taken by both the imaging means;
At least a second imaging unit is disposed inside a housing of the room mirror,
Set the angle of view and installation accuracy so that both the occupant and the outside of the vehicle from the rear window can be photographed,
Shielding means for blocking the line of sight from the occupant side of the vehicle to make the second imaging means inconspicuous;
A vehicle rearview mirror comprising:

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rearview mirror as seen from the front side in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rear view of the rearview mirror in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a procedure for attaching the camera to an existing room mirror according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an assembly structure of a room mirror in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a case for accommodating an electronic substrate in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a structure of a camera holding unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross-sectional structure of a camera holding unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view and a side view showing the front camera in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view and a side view illustrating the rear camera according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a camera axis adjustment unit of the front camera in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a camera axis adjustment unit of the rear camera in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the electronic substrate according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a power supply state by a cigar plug cord in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a method for browsing image data recorded on a microSD card with a PC according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross-sectional structure of another camera holding unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing other camera adjustment means in the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the rear-view mirror 1 according to the second embodiment viewed from the rear side. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the rear-view mirror 2 as viewed from the rear side in the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross-sectional structure of a room mirror 2 according to the second embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described using the following examples.
(Example 1)
The vehicle rearview mirror 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a retrofit rearview mirror mounted on a rearview mirror mounted on a vehicle as shown in FIG. The vehicle rearview mirror 1 includes a front camera 25 (described later with reference to FIG. 8) for photographing the front in the traveling direction, a rear camera 21 (FIG. 9) which is an example of a rear imaging unit for photographing the rear side, and an image. This is an electronic device including a liquid crystal display 30 (FIG. 4) as an example of a display unit, and has an image recording function (recording function), a display function, and the like. In the following description, the vehicle rearview mirror of the present invention is simply referred to as a rearview mirror 1, and the rearview mirror originally mounted on the vehicle is referred to as an existing mirror.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a mirror surface 160 is formed on the front of the rear-view mirror 1 facing the driver when worn, and an operation button 171 for operation or setting is arranged at the left end. Operation area 170 is provided. On the mirror surface 160, the screen area of the liquid crystal display 30 (dashed area 165 in FIG. 1) is arranged on the left side, and the lens area of the rear camera 21 (dashed area 161) is arranged on the right side. The mirror surface 160 excluding the dashed areas 161 and 165 reflects nearly 100% of the incident light, while the dashed areas 161 and 165 function as a half mirror that reflects part of the incident light and transmits part of the incident light. It is an area having the characteristic of. In particular, the half mirror in the dashed area 161 forms an example of a blocking unit that blocks the line of sight from the occupant and makes the rear camera 21 inconspicuous.

  A camera holding unit 130 that holds the rear camera 21 is provided upright on the rear side of the right end, which is the driver side of the right-hand drive vehicle. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 7, the front camera 25 is housed at the tip of the camera holding unit 130, and the rear camera 21 is housed at the base side. A power supply terminal 37 for supplying power and a slot 35 for inserting a microSD card are arranged on the side surface of the opposite end of the room mirror 1 (see FIG. 2).

  At the center on the rear side of the room mirror 1, hooks 141 and 142 for attaching to the existing mirror are provided upright (see FIG. 2). The hooks are provided at a total of four places, and a pair of upper and lower hooks 141 and 142 are arranged on the left and right sides so as to sandwich the center of the room mirror 1. The upper hook 141 is slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the lower hook 142 fixed to the rear surface of the room mirror 1. The upper hook 141 is urged toward the lower hook 142 by an elastic member (not shown), and is positioned so as to minimize the distance between the lower hook 142 and the rear-view mirror 1 in a detached state.

  When attaching the room mirror 1 to the existing mirror 81, as shown in FIG. 3A, the room mirror 1 is pulled down while the upper hook 141 is hooked on the upper portion of the existing mirror 81. To increase the distance between the upper and lower hooks 141 and 142. With the upper and lower hooks 141 and 142 pushed and expanded in this way, the lower hook 142 is turned to the lower side of the existing mirror 81, and thereafter, the lower hook 142 is pressed against the lower edge of the existing mirror 81. Push the rearview mirror 1 upward.

  At this time, the upper hook 141 to which the urging force of the elastic member acts slides so as to reduce the distance between the lower hook 142 and the upper hook 141 while maintaining the state of pressing against the upper edge of the existing mirror 81. As a result, the rearview mirror 1 can be mounted by sandwiching the existing mirror 81 between the upper and lower hooks 141 and 142, as shown in FIG. It should be noted that the illustration of the camera holder 130 projecting to the rear side is omitted in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the room mirror 1 is configured by housing an electronic substrate 3 in a horizontally long casing 10. The housing 10 has a two-part structure formed by a combination of a front cover 15 facing the driver and a rear case 11 in the traveling direction of the vehicle.

  The cover 15 is a resin member in which a recess 158 for accommodating the plate-like mirror 16 is formed on the front side, and an outer peripheral frame 159 surrounding the recess 158 is formed. On the bottom surface of the recess 158, a through hole 152 or a through window 155 is formed so as to correspond to the dashed regions 161 and 165 in FIG. In FIG. 4, the left through window 155 is a window that opens at a position corresponding to the display screen of the liquid crystal display 30 housed therein. The right through-hole 152 is a hole that opens at a position corresponding to the lens 213 (FIG. 9) of the rear camera 21 housed therein. The through-hole 152 is provided at a position corresponding to a communication hole 112 described later on the case 11 side.

  The case 11 is a resin member similarly to the cover 15, and is configured to be able to accommodate the electronic substrate 3 in an internal space when the cover 15 is combined. Inside the case 11, a partition 115 that partitions a space corresponding to the base of the camera holding unit 130 is provided. The electronic substrate 3 is arranged on the opposite side separated by the partition 115 (see FIG. 5). Although not shown, a corresponding partition is also provided on the cover 15 side. When the cover 15 is combined with the case 11, both partitions match and function as a partition (symbol 107 in FIG. 7) that partitions the internal space of the housing 10.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the camera holding portion 130 erected on the rear side of the case 11 has a split structure that is halved right and left along the erection direction. The camera holding part 130 is formed by combining a receiving part 130A formed of resin integrally with the case 11 and a camera cover 130B as a fitting part. A groove 130 </ b> T is formed on the outer peripheral surface side of the camera holding unit 130 along the mating surface of the receiving unit 130 </ b> A and the camera cover 130 </ b> B. The groove 130T is a groove for accommodating the control cable 21C of the rear camera 21 and the control cable 25C of the front camera 25. The groove 130 </ b> T is formed so that a hole 130 </ b> H formed in the middle of the camera holder 130 in the standing direction and a hole 11 </ b> H formed so as to open on the back surface of the case 11 communicate with each other. The groove 130T can be covered with a cover 130C. By attaching the cover 130C, the external appearance can be improved and the control cables 21C and 25C can be protected.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, substantially hemispherical housing shapes 131A and 135A are formed in the receiving portion 130A of the case 11 main body side at two places, that is, the tip side and the base side. FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional structure of the room mirror 1 along the direction in which the camera holding unit 130 is erected.
A substantially hemispherical housing shape (not shown) similar to the case 11 side is also formed on the camera cover 130B side, and when the camera cover 130B is combined with the receiving section 130A, the distal end side and the base of the camera holding section 130 are connected. The accommodation portions 131 and 135 forming a substantially spherical space are formed at two places on the side.

  The storage section 135 on the distal end side communicates with the outside (the front side in the traveling direction) via an opening 136 at the distal end of the camera holding section 130. The base-side accommodation section 131 communicates with the internal space of the housing 10 through the communication hole 112 on the bottom surface of the case 11. The front camera 25 of FIG. 8 is housed in the front-end-side housing section 135, and the rear camera 21 of FIG. 9 is housed in the base-side housing section 131. An adjustment hole 132 for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 is provided in a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the camera cover 130 </ b> B that corresponds to the outer periphery of the housing 131.

The front camera 25 in FIG. 8 is a camera in which a camera unit including an imaging element is housed in a substantially spherical holder 250. A substantially cylindrical lens barrel 252 for holding the lens 253 protrudes from one position on the outer peripheral surface, and a control cable (not shown) extends from the opposite side.
9 is a camera in which a camera unit is housed in a substantially spherical holder 210, like the front camera 25. The difference from the front camera 25 is that the front camera 25 is provided with an adjustment knob 215 that is an example of an operation unit that constitutes a means for adjusting a shooting direction. The adjustment knob 215 protrudes in a direction substantially orthogonal to the optical axis direction of the lens 213 that corresponds to the shooting direction.

  The front camera 25 is assembled with the lens barrel 252 positioned at an opening 136 provided at the tip of the camera holding unit 130 (see FIG. 7). The rear camera 21 is assembled such that the adjustment knob 215 is located in the adjustment hole 132 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the camera cover 130B and the lens 213 is located in the communication hole 112 of the case 11 (see FIGS. 5 and 7). .). In the rearview mirror 1, the combination of the adjustment knob 215 and the adjustment hole 132 constitutes an example of an adjustment unit that adjusts the shooting direction (camera axis) of the rear camera 21.

  The rear camera 21 photographs the rear through the communication hole 112 of the case 11, the through hole 152 of the cover 15, and the broken line area 161 of the mirror 16 (see FIG. 7). Note that, unlike the reflection film 165 near the periphery of the mirror 16 in which the reflection films 165 and 166 are laminated on the back surface of the transparent glass 163, the broken line region 161 has such a light transmission that the rear camera 21 can image the rear. This is a region where the reflective film 166 having the property is laminated and exhibits the property of a half mirror.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the radius of curvature of the inner peripheral surface of each of the housing portions 131 and 135 of the camera holding portion 130 substantially matches the radius of the substantially spherical holders 210 and 250 of the corresponding cameras 21 and 25. . However, in the camera cover 130B, the depth of each of the substantially hemispherical housing shapes is slightly smaller than the radius of the holders 210 and 250. When the camera cover 130B is fitted in a state where the cameras 21 and 25 are positioned at predetermined positions of the receiving portion 130A, a pressing force is generated from the inner peripheral surface of the camera holding portion 130 to the outer peripheral surface of each camera 21 and 25. The photographing direction of each of the cameras 21 and 25 can be appropriately fixed by the pressing force, that is, only when the operation force is applied by the fingertip or the like without moving when the operation is not applied by the fingertip or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the front camera 25 can be used to adjust the shooting direction in the vertical and horizontal directions by operating with a fingertip or the like to change the position of the lens barrel 252 in the opening 136 at the tip of the camera holding unit 130. It is. Furthermore, if the lens barrel 252 is pinched and rotated, it can be rotated around the camera axis corresponding to the photographing direction, and the inclination of the photographed image can be adjusted.

As shown in FIG. 11, the rear camera 21 is operated with a fingertip or the like to change the position of the adjustment knob 215 in the adjustment hole 132 opened on the outer peripheral side surface of the camera holding unit 130, so that the shooting direction can be changed in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. Can be adjusted. By operating the adjustment knob 215 before and after hitting the moving direction, the photographing direction can be adjusted right and left. By rotating the adjustment knob 215, the shooting direction can be adjusted up and down. By operating the adjustment knob 215 up and down, the inclination of the captured image can be adjusted.
Since the cameras 21 and 25 are appropriately fixed by the pressing force from the inner peripheral surface of the camera holding unit 130 as described above, the adjusted shooting direction can be held with high reliability.

  In the camera holding unit 130 that holds the rear camera 21 and the front camera 25, an internal space 130R is formed in an intermediate portion between the two cameras 21 and 25. The control cables 21C and 25C of the cameras 21 and 25 are connected to the rear side of the cameras 21 and 25, that is, the portion opposite to the lens so as to be located in the internal space 130R. The control cables 21C and 25C are flexible enough to allow a change in the shooting direction of each of the cameras 21 and 25 and have slack in the internal space 130R. The control cables 21C and 25C are taken out to the outer peripheral side through a hole 130H formed in the camera holding unit 130, and reach the inside of the housing 10 through the groove 130T and the hole 11H.

  The electronic board 3 of FIG. 12 provided in the room mirror 1 is a board mounted on both sides. A liquid crystal display 30, a chip switch 36 corresponding to the operation button 171 (FIG. 1), and the like are arranged on a mounting surface (A in FIG. 1) corresponding to the front side of the room mirror 1. On the mounting surface (B in the figure) corresponding to the rear side, an electronic circuit including the microcomputer 32 having a CPU, ROM, RAM, RTC (time measuring unit) and the like, a card connector 350, a plug connector 370, and the like are arranged. The front camera 25 and the rear camera 21 are electrically connected to the electronic board 3 via control cables 25C and 21C. The cameras 21 and 25 are powered and operated via these control cables 21C and 25C, and output output signals via the control cables 21C and 25C.

The card connector 350 is a connector for holding the microSD card inserted in the slot 35. The card connector 350 holds a microSD card, which is an example of an electronic storage medium, and realizes an electrical connection state to the electronic board 3.
The plug connector 370 is a component of the power terminal 37. The plug connector 370 is a connector of a specification corresponding to the plug 45 (see FIG. 13) provided at the tip of the cigar plug.

  The ROM of the microcomputer 32 stores various programs such as an image processing program for recording image data acquired by the front camera 25 and the rear camera 21 on a microSD card, and an OS (Operation System). The CPU of the microcomputer 32 reads and executes these programs to realize various functions such as continuous recording of image data and display of recorded image data.

  The rearview mirror 1 having a drive recorder function operates by receiving power supply from the vehicle side via a power cord such as a cigar plug cord 4 as shown in FIG. 13, for example. The cigar plug cord 4 is a power cord having a cigar plug 40 for connecting to a cigar socket 83 on the vehicle side from which power supply is started when an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on. When the plug 45 of the cigar plug cord 4 is connected to the power plug 37, when the ignition switch is turned on, power supply to the room mirror 1 is started, and the operation of the room mirror 1 is started. .

  For example, if the operation mode for continuously recording image data is set, the microcomputer 32 records new image data while erasing old image data while securing a recording area on the microSD card. Is recorded on the microSD card over a predetermined period in the past based on. Further, it is possible to display the image data on the liquid crystal display 30 while recording the image data.

  The image data recorded on the microSD card 304 can be reproduced using a personal computer 5 having a card reader function or an externally connected card reader 51 in addition to the reproduction display on the room mirror 1 (FIG. 14). ). In order to view the reproduced image on the personal computer 5, the microSD card 304 is taken out from the room mirror 1 and set on the card reader 51 or the like externally connected to the personal computer 5. Subsequently, if a predetermined image browsing application installed in the personal computer 5 in advance is started and a file reading operation is executed on the application screen (not shown), the reproduced image can be viewed.

  In the rearview mirror 1 configured as described above, the rear camera 21 is arranged behind the broken line area 161 having the characteristics of the half mirror among the mirror surfaces 160. In this room mirror 1, the line of sight from the occupant side is blocked by the mirror surface 160, so that the rear camera 21 is inconspicuous. In particular, if a half mirror that forms at least a part of the mirror surface 160 is used, the rear camera 21 can be made inconspicuous by the mirror surface 160 for realizing the original function of the room mirror 1, and an uncomfortable feeling on the occupant side can be suppressed. In addition, for example, since it is possible to suppress the necessity of disposing the lens of the rear camera 21 on the outer peripheral side of the mirror surface 160, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the rear-view mirror 21 and to maintain good front visibility of the driver.

  The direction of the mirror surface 160 can be tilted toward the driver so that the driver can look directly behind by adjusting the direction of the existing mirror 81 using a direction adjustment mechanism provided on the vehicle side, while the photographing target is May be set in a direction different from the direction of the mirror surface 160. For this reason, there is a problem that the occupant who is the subject of the photographing is very easily recognized that the photographing direction is deviated from the direction of the mirror surface 160, and is likely to cause discomfort. On the other hand, in the rearview mirror 1 of the present embodiment, the rear camera 21 is disposed so as to be inconspicuous, so that the above-described problems inherent to the rearview mirror can be solved, and the occupant's discomfort can be suppressed.

  If the rear camera 21 is disposed so as to be inconspicuous, a desired photographed image can be obtained while suppressing the possibility that the occupant will notice it. For example, when photographing the outside of the vehicle through a rear window or the like, it is possible to acquire an image of the outside of the vehicle while suppressing unnecessary worry on the occupant side that the user may be photographed. On the other hand, if it is desired to photograph a driver of a taxi, truck, bus, or the like, a photographed image of the driver can be obtained while suppressing the discomfort that oneself is being photographed.

  In the room mirror 1 of the present example, as a shielding means for making the rear camera 21 inconspicuous, a configuration in which the imaging direction of the imaging means is shielded, and an example of a configuration in which an image ahead of the shielding means can be acquired via the shielding means. Is adopted. Instead of this, for example, the shielding means may be configured as a slit or a group of slits that are difficult to recognize from the outside.

  Generally, in the case of a room mirror, the direction of the mirror surface 160 is appropriately adjusted according to the driver's viewpoint height and the like. If the photographing direction (camera axis) of the rear camera 21 is fixed, the photographing direction may fluctuate in accordance with the adjustment of the mirror surface 160, and a desired photographed image may not be obtained. On the other hand, the rear-view mirror 1 of the present embodiment can adjust the shooting direction of the rear camera 21, so that a desired shot image can be obtained without depending on the adjustment of the mirror surface for each driver.

  In the room mirror 1 of the present example, the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 can be changed in a horizontal direction (left-right direction) and a vertical direction (up-down direction). If you can change the shooting direction up, down, left, and right to obtain the desired shot image in this way, you can respond appropriately whether you want to shoot the occupant of the vehicle or the back of the vehicle over the occupant's head. Thus, a desired photographed image can be acquired relatively easily. When the direction of the mirror surface 160 of the room mirror 1 can be adjusted, the vertical axis of the room mirror 1 and the direction of the gravitational acceleration are shifted. Is deviated from the coordinate axis with respect to. The horizontal direction and the vertical direction may be the horizontal direction and the vertical direction with respect to the coordinate axis based on the room mirror 1, but may be the horizontal direction and the vertical direction with respect to the coordinate axis based on the direction of the gravitational acceleration. In this way, it is possible to shoot an image in which the inclination of the shooting target is suppressed regardless of the direction of the room mirror 1.

  In the room mirror 1 of the present embodiment, the cameras 21 and 25 in which the camera units are housed in the substantially spherical holders 210 and 250 are housed in the substantially spherical housing portions 131 and 135. The direction of each of the cameras 21 and 25 can be adjusted in the holders 131 and 135 together with the holders 210 and 250, and thereby the shooting directions of the cameras 21 and 25 can be adjusted. By adopting the ball joint mechanism in this manner, the shooting directions of the cameras 21 and 25 can be freely changed. Considering that the mirror surface 160 is appropriately adjusted, in the adjustment of the cameras 21 and 25, in addition to the vertical direction, the swing in the horizontal direction becomes important. The camera can be adjusted. Furthermore, if the ball joint mechanism is used, the cameras 21 and 25 can be rotated around the optical axis of the lens, so that the inclination of the captured image can be adjusted.

  If the ball joint mechanism as described above is used for adjusting the shooting direction of the camera, the shooting direction of each of the cameras 21 and 25 can be adjusted relatively freely. Furthermore, since both a mechanism for changing in the vertical direction and a mechanism for changing in the horizontal direction can be realized at the same time, the size and cost are reduced, for example, as compared with a case where each mechanism is provided independently. Can be realized. In particular, for the rear camera 21, the shooting direction can be adjusted by moving the adjustment knob 215 protruding from the outer peripheral side surface of the camera holding unit 130. By providing such an adjustment knob 215, the angle can be easily adjusted with a fingertip or the like without requiring a special tool.

  In the room mirror 1, an adjustment knob 215, which is an example of an operation unit for changing a shooting direction, is disposed on a rear side opposite to the mirror surface 160. Even if the angle between the mirror surface 160 and the photographing direction is adjusted so that the rear camera 21 faces the predetermined photographing direction, it is necessary to readjust the room mirror 1 according to the driver's physique and the position of the seat. It is desirable to adjust the angle of the rear camera 21 with respect to 160. Further, depending on the usage, it may be better to set the photographing direction to an angle that can compensate for the blind spot of the rearview mirror 1 rather than centering on the rear front. If the photographing direction of the rear camera 21 can be adjusted on the rear side of the rear-view mirror 1, the adjustment mechanism is difficult to be seen from the occupant side, and the appearance is good.

  Further, in the rearview mirror 1 of the present example, on the rear side of the mirror surface 160, means for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 is arranged on the driver's seat side. For example, considering the case where the room mirror 1 of this example is installed in a taxi or the like, it is not pleasant for a taxi customer to always photograph. For example, even in a general car, indoor photography is highly likely to induce discomfort to a passenger. Therefore, if the rear camera 21 is arranged behind the half mirror to make it inconspicuous, and if the adjusting means is arranged behind the mirror surface 160, the presence of the rear camera 21 can be prevented from being noticed. This is effective for suppressing the discomfort of a passenger of a general car or the like.

  If an operation unit such as the adjustment knob 215 is arranged on the back surface of the housing 10, the operation unit may be difficult to change the photographing direction because the operation unit cannot be seen from the occupant side. On the other hand, if the operation unit such as the adjustment knob 215 is provided on the front side, the size of the vehicle rearview mirror may be increased, and front visibility may be impaired. If the operation unit is provided on the side surface, the driver or the like can reach the hand and relatively easily change the shooting direction of the rear camera 21, while avoiding an increase in the size of the rearview mirror 1 and improving the visibility in the front. Can be maintained.

  The rearview mirror 1 having a drive recorder function can be mounted so as to cover an existing mirror. If retrofitting is possible on the vehicle side in this way, it can be mounted more easily than replacing an existing mirror. Further, in the rear-view mirror 1, an adjustment knob 215 serving as an operation unit for adjusting the photographing direction of the rear camera 21 is arranged so that it can be adjusted with a fingertip or the like even in a state where the rear-view mirror 21 is attached to an existing mirror. By arranging the adjustment knob 215 in this manner, the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 can be adjusted without removing the room mirror 1 from the existing mirror.

  In the rear-view mirror 1, the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 and the display direction of the liquid crystal display 30 both face the passenger compartment. In general, when light when the liquid crystal display 30 displays image information enters the rear camera 21, there is a possibility that a high quality captured image cannot be obtained. Therefore, in the rearview mirror 1 of the present embodiment, as an example of a configuration for suppressing reflection of light on the rear camera 21, the liquid crystal display 30 is disposed on the left side from the driver side, and the rear camera is positioned on the right side. 21, and a partition 107 (see FIG. 7) is provided inside the housing 10. If such a configuration is adopted, even when an image display unit such as the liquid crystal display 30 is provided, deterioration of an image captured by the rear camera 21 can be suppressed.

  The room mirror 1 includes not only the rear camera 21 but also a front camera 25. Therefore, it is possible to acquire a captured image on the front side without installing a front camera or the like on the windshield separately from the room mirror 1. If the room mirror 1 is used, it is possible to acquire both the rear-side photographed image and the front-side photographed image without causing a complicated installation situation.

  In addition, since there is a high possibility that a difference occurs in the brightness of a captured image between the rear camera 21 that captures an image via the half mirror and the front camera 25 that is exposed to the outside, the brightness for suppressing the brightness difference is high. Adjusting means may be provided. If the brightness difference between the images captured by the cameras 21 and 25 can be suppressed, for example, it is possible to reduce the sense of discomfort when displaying the images side by side on the liquid crystal display 30 or displaying the images by switching over time. As the adjusting means, for example, means for adjusting the image brightness by optical adjustment such as aperture and exposure time (shutter speed), means for adjusting the image brightness by software, and the like may be employed. As software adjustment means, for example, when the power is first turned on after installation, the two images are displayed side by side on the display screen of the liquid crystal display 30, and the brightness adjustment switches corresponding to both images are respectively operated up and down. A state in which the brightness is changed is displayed, the adjustment state is stored when the confirmation switch is pressed, and the brightness of both is adjusted based on the stored adjustment state, for example, For example, it is conceivable that the CPU of the microcomputer 32 compares the image brightness of the two and automatically adjusts the difference between the two automatically as needed, for example, as needed. In software image brightness adjustment, it is preferable to control the brightness of the image captured by the front camera 25 and increase the brightness of the image captured by the rear camera 21.

  For example, when the front camera 25 photographs the traveling direction of the vehicle and the rear camera 21 photographs the rear along the traveling direction of the vehicle, the photographing direction of the front camera 25 and the photographing direction of the rear camera are opposite by 180 degrees. Becomes For example, as shown in FIG. 15, two camera units are housed in a substantially spherical holder 280, lenses 281 and 283 are arranged at two opposing positions on the outer peripheral surface of the holder 280, and an adjustment knob is provided in a direction substantially perpendicular to the holder 280. It is also possible to employ a camera 28 provided with a camera 285. With the camera 28 having such a configuration, the adjusting means can be shared between the front camera and the rear camera. If one of the cameras is adjusted by operating the adjustment knob 285, the other camera is adjusted to a position that is 180 degrees in the opposite direction, so that the labor for adjusting the shooting direction is reduced.

  As described above, the rear-view mirror 1 includes the means for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear-view camera 21. Instead, the rear-view camera 21 is housed in the housing 10 of the rear-view mirror 1, and the rear-view mirror 21 is arranged in the vertical direction of the mirror surface 160. On the other hand, the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 may be shifted in advance. Regarding the rearview mirror 1, the angle of the mirror surface 160 is adjusted so that the driver can check the rear. In this case, if the rear camera 21 is mounted with the vertical direction of the mirror surface 160 as the photographing direction, the rear camera 21 does not face the rear front. If the photographing direction of the rear camera 21 is appropriately shifted in advance as described above, the inclination of the mirror surface 160 can be corrected and the rear front can be photographed.

  It is also possible to provide two cameras without distinction between the front camera 25 and the rear camera 21 so that both can be rotated by 180 degrees. If the two cameras are pointed in different directions in the front, two front directions can be photographed simultaneously. It is possible to photograph the rear and the front, and also to photograph two different rear directions such as the outside and the rear of the vehicle, for example, which can be freely set according to the user's request.

  In general, a drive recorder is often installed, for example, in the vicinity of the upper center of a windshield in order to photograph the front, top, bottom, left, and right as wide as possible. The position of the center upper part of the windshield is, for example, behind the rearview mirror (existing mirror) of the vehicle. If an attempt is made to install a drive recorder equipped with a front camera and a rear camera at this position, at least one of the cameras is required. The existing mirror interferes with shooting. Therefore, a drive recorder equipped with two cameras must be installed at another position avoiding the existing mirror so that the existing mirror does not interfere with the shooting. Such another position is not always the optimal position, at least for the front camera. On the other hand, a room mirror type drive recorder such as the room mirror 1 can be installed over the existing mirror without avoiding the position of the existing mirror. In this manner, if the camera is placed over the existing mirror, the front camera and the rear camera can be set at positions near the optimum upper portion near the center of the windshield.

  The rearview mirror 1 is equipped with two cameras, the front camera 25 and the rear camera 21, but the number of cameras can be further increased. For example, a camera for photographing the side may be mounted. If images taken by the rear camera 21 and the side camera are displayed on the liquid crystal display 30, the rearview mirror 1 can play the role of assisting the rear and side confirmation. It is preferable that the shooting direction of the side camera can be adjusted.

  In the rearview mirror 1 of this example, an adjustment knob 215 operable with a fingertip or the like is illustrated as an operation unit for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear camera 21. Instead of this, for example, a configuration may be used in which the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 is adjusted using a tool. For example, an adjustment hole into which a rod-shaped object such as a driver or a wrench is inserted may be provided, and the object may be inserted into the adjustment hole for adjustment (see FIG. 16).

  In the example of FIG. 16, the thickness of the camera cover 130 </ b> B is increased so as not to touch the rear camera 21 with a fingertip or the like at a portion surrounding the adjustment hole 132, and a Torx (registered trademark) wrench is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the rear camera 21. Holes 216 are provided. For example, if an L-shaped Torx (registered trademark) wrench (not shown) is inserted into the hole 216 and the other end is appropriately operated, the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 can be adjusted similarly to the case of operating the adjustment knob 215. With this configuration, the possibility that the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 is inadvertently changed can be suppressed beforehand, and a desired shot image can be acquired with high reliability. In particular, in the case of photographing a driver for management of a taxi, a truck or the like, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driver on the photographed side changes the photographing direction without permission. Further, if the thickness of the portion surrounding the adjustment hole 132 is increased, the outer peripheral surface of the rear camera 21 is located at a deep position. Therefore, even if the adjustment knob 215 is provided on the outer peripheral surface, for example, the position of the adjustment knob 215 The possibility of inferring the shooting direction from the state is reduced.

(Example 2)
This example is an example in which the front camera is omitted and the configuration of the adjustment means for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear camera is changed based on the room mirror 1 of the first embodiment.
In the room mirror according to the first embodiment, an adjustment knob (reference numeral 215 in FIG. 1), which is an example of a protrusion serving as an operation unit, is provided at a position substantially orthogonal to the shooting direction of the rear camera. On the other hand, in the rearview mirror 1 shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, the projection 215 for adjustment is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rear camera 21 on the side opposite to the shooting direction, and on the rear side of the housing 10 of the rearview mirror 1. The adjustment hole 106 is opened, and the protrusion 215 can be touched from the adjustment hole 106. By moving the projection 215, the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 can be adjusted. 17 and 18, a region facing the existing mirror at the time of attachment to the vehicle is illustrated by a broken line 810.

  The room mirror 1 illustrated in FIG. 17 has a dimension in the horizontal direction larger than that of the existing mirror, and a portion that does not face the existing mirror is formed. In this room mirror 1, a substantially spherical camera 21 is accommodated in a portion not facing the existing mirror. A dome shape for accommodating the camera 21 is formed on the rear side of the housing 10, and an adjustment hole 106 for exposing a projection 215 for adjusting a shooting direction of the camera is provided at a top portion thereof. .

  In the room mirror 1 illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 19, the housing 10 is formed with a groove-shaped recess 109 that is thinner than the surroundings, and the substantially spherical camera 21 is accommodated inside the recess 109. An adjustment hole 106 is provided on the bottom surface of the recess 109, and a projection 215 for adjusting the shooting direction of the camera 21 is exposed there. When the room mirror 1 is attached to the existing mirror, the projection 215 faces the existing mirror, and the projection 215 can be operated with a fingertip or the like inserted from the outer peripheral side using the groove-shaped recess 109.

If the projection 215 for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 is provided as shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, when it is necessary to change the shooting direction, it is necessary to remove the finger from the existing mirror without removing it from the existing mirror. To easily change the shooting direction. In addition, since the projection 215 provided on the back side of the housing 10 is invisible from the occupant side, there is almost no risk of impairing the external appearance.
The other configuration and operation and effect are the same as in the first embodiment.

  The above embodiments may be modified and combined. For example, with respect to the structure of the first embodiment, the structure of the rear camera 21 of the second embodiment may be provided at the right end of the rear-view mirror 1 so that the rear can be photographed by two cameras and the front can be photographed. . In addition, the components described in each embodiment may be included in other embodiments, and the technical idea described in the means for solving the problems may be applied.

(Example 3)
This embodiment is a modification based on the first embodiment or the second embodiment.
For example, the liquid crystal display 30 for displaying image information may be provided outside the housing 10 in which the rear camera 21 is built, and may be a vehicle interior mirror in which reflection of light by the liquid crystal display 30 is suppressed. In particular, in this vehicle interior mirror, the liquid crystal display 30 is attached to the housing 10 in a foldable structure.
With such a vehicle interior mirror, it is possible to check the image captured by the rear camera 21 only on the liquid crystal display 30 when the user wants to view the image, and otherwise, the liquid crystal display 30 may be in an inconspicuous position or the like. it can. Note that, instead of the folding structure, the liquid crystal display 30 can be attached to the housing 10 by a sliding type structure that can be taken out when needed.

Further, a vehicle interior mirror for transmitting image information by wireless communication with an external image display means such as an external liquid crystal display for displaying image information and a main body incorporating the rear camera 21 may be used. The external image display means may be a smartphone or the like, and the wireless communication may be, for example, Wi-Fi, for example, by transmitting an image captured by the rearward imaging means to the smartphone and displaying the image received by the smartphone. .
Note that the other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the other embodiments.

(Example 4)
This embodiment is a modification based on any one of the first to third embodiments.
For example, a vehicle interior mirror provided with an illumination unit such as an LED that illuminates at least a part of an imaging range of the rear camera 21 and an illumination blocking unit that blocks a line of sight from an occupant side of the vehicle to make the illumination unit inconspicuous. Good. For example, if a high-sensitivity infrared camera is adopted as the rear camera 21, a configuration that does not require illumination means can be adopted. However, if the configuration including the illuminating unit and the illuminating shielding unit is used as described above, even if a general camera is used, for example, at night, there is not enough brightness for imaging by the rear camera 21. Even in this case, it is possible to more clearly image the range illuminated by the illumination means. For example, when photographing the inside of the vehicle with the rear camera 21, the photographing range may be set so that at least a part of the occupant in the vehicle is photographed.

As the illuminating means, for example, a means that emits light that is inconspicuous and hardly visible by a person may be used. In particular, it is preferable that the rear camera 21 has sensitivity characteristics from the visible light region to the infrared region, and that the illuminating means use an infrared LED.
The illumination shielding means may be in the form of a plate or a lens. In particular, it is preferable to cover the irradiation direction of the illumination means. When the illumination means emits infrared light, the illumination means may be covered with a plate-like or lens-like object having a filter characteristic of transmitting infrared light.

  Further, the illumination shielding means may be a shielding means for making the rear camera 21 inconspicuous. The shielding means and the illumination shielding means may use the same member, and in particular, the shielding means and the illumination shielding means may be the same member. For example, an infrared LED is used as the illuminating means, and the shielding means and the illuminating shielding means may be provided together with the rear camera 21 or the like, which is the rear imaging means, inside a half mirror of the same member. It is difficult for a person to be photographed or the like to recognize that the light and the image are being taken out of view from the outside.

  Further, it is preferable to include an incident suppression unit that suppresses the reflected light by the illumination shielding unit from entering the image captured by the rear camera 21. For example, if the shielding unit and the illumination shielding unit also use the same member, for example, if the member is a half mirror, the illumination light of the illumination unit is incident on the rear camera 21 as reflected light by the half mirror. It has been found that a problem arises in that an image in an imaging range cannot be obtained due to the reflected light from the half mirror and normal imaging cannot be performed. This problem occurs remarkably, particularly when a configuration is adopted in which the shielding means and the illumination shielding means are the same member.

Therefore, if the above-described incident suppression unit is provided, an image in the imaging range of the rear camera 21 can be normally captured by the reflected light from the illumination shielding unit.
The incidence suppressing means may have any configuration as long as it suppresses the incidence of the reflected light from the illumination shielding means. In particular, the space between the illumination means and the illumination shielding means and the shielding means from the rear camera 21 may be used. It is preferable to provide a structure for optically separating the space between the two. For example, a shielding plate or the like may be provided between the two spaces. In addition, it is preferable that the space between the two is configured to be separated by a distance greater than a distance at which the reflected light by the illumination shielding means is hardly incident.

  Note that the illumination shielding means may be arranged outside the shielding means. In particular, the illumination shielding means may be configured separately from the shielding means.

  The illumination shielding means may include at least one of an operation unit included in the vehicle rearview mirror and a dummy member that looks like an operation unit included in the vehicle rearview mirror. According to this structure, it is difficult for the person to be photographed to recognize the existence of the illumination means.

Other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the other embodiments, but specific examples of the above-described configuration described in this embodiment may be, for example, as follows.
(A) A configuration in which an infrared LED for illumination is arranged outside a mirror, and a partition is provided between the mirror and the infrared LED.
(B) In order to camouflage the infrared LED, the infrared LED is covered with a plate-shaped or lens-shaped object having a filter characteristic of transmitting infrared light before the infrared LED.
(C) A configuration in which a partition is provided between the plate-shaped or lens-shaped object and the mirror.
(D) A configuration in which an operation button or a dummy of the operation button is made of a resin or the like that transmits infrared light and provided outside the mirror, and emits infrared light from behind the button.

(Example 5)
This embodiment is a modification based on any one of the first to fourth embodiments.
The vehicular rearview mirror of this example includes fixing means for fixing the rear camera 21 instead of, or together with, the adjusting means of the photographing direction of the camera.
The fixing means may have a structure in which the rear camera 21 can be fixed to the housing 10, and for example, a substrate provided with the camera may be fixed with screws or the like.

  The configuration including the fixing means for fixing the rear camera 21 instead of the adjusting means is a vehicle interior mirror provided in the vehicle interior for the driver to check the rear, and the rear camera 21 for photographing the rear side. And a shielding means for shielding the line of sight from the occupant side of the vehicle to make the rear camera 21 inconspicuous.

For example, the adjustment means is replaced with the configuration of the other embodiment, and the camera is housed in the casing of the vehicle rearview mirror without the adjustment means, and the camera is photographed with respect to the normal direction of the mirror surface (perpendicular to the mirror surface). It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the camera is mounted at an angle shifted in the direction (for example, the optical axis of the camera). The vehicle rearview mirror adjusts the angle of the mirror surface so that the driver can check the rear. In this case, when the rear camera 21 is attached with the normal direction of the mirror surface as the photographing direction, the rear camera 21 does not face the rear front. In this way, it is possible to correct this and photograph the rear front.
Note that the other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the other embodiments.

(Example 6)
The components in the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined to form a device.
For example, the components described as suitable in any of the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined to form a device. In particular, a configuration including at least one of these components is preferable. More desirably, a configuration having a combination of these preferable components may be provided.Each component may be configured alone, but a device may be configured by combining any two or more configurations of particularly preferable components. When constituted, an excellent effect is exhibited.

For example, a configuration example may be as follows.
A rearview mirror provided in the passenger compartment for the driver to check behind,
First imaging means (for example, a front camera) for photographing the front of the car;
A second imaging unit (for example, a rear camera) for photographing the inside and the rear of the vehicle, and a recording unit for recording an image photographed by both imaging units;
At least a second imaging unit is disposed inside a housing of the room mirror,
Set the angle of view and installation accuracy so that both the occupant and the outside of the vehicle from the rear window can be photographed,
Shielding means for blocking the line of sight from the occupant side of the vehicle to make the second imaging means inconspicuous;
A vehicle rearview mirror comprising:

  As described above, specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail as in the embodiments. However, these specific examples only disclose examples of the technology included in the claims. Needless to say, the scope of the claims should not be interpreted in a limited manner by the configuration or numerical values of the specific examples. The scope of the claims encompasses techniques in which the above-described specific examples are variously modified, changed, or appropriately combined using known techniques, knowledge of those skilled in the art, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Interior mirror for vehicles 11 Case 130 Camera holding part 131, 135 accommodation part 15 Cover 16 Mirror 160 Mirror surface 21 Rear camera 215 Adjustment knob 25 Front camera 3 Electronic board 30 Liquid crystal display

Claims (3)

A vehicle rearview mirror that is mounted over the mirror surface of an existing rearview mirror installed in the vehicle interior,
A rear imaging means for photographing the rear side of the vehicle,
Shielding means for making the rear imaging means inconspicuous;
Adjusting means for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear imaging means,
An operation unit for changing the shooting direction in the adjustment unit, the operation unit is located on a side surface when the existing room mirror is viewed from a mirror surface side,
A vehicle rearview mirror comprising:   The vehicle room mirror according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit is disposed at a position that does not face the existing room mirror when the operation unit is mounted on the existing room mirror. A front imaging unit for photographing the outside space on the front side of the vehicle,
The adjusting unit is an adjusting unit for adjusting a shooting direction of the rear imaging unit and the front imaging unit, and can change a shooting direction of the rear imaging unit and a shooting direction of the front imaging unit in association with each other. The vehicle interior mirror according to claim 1 or 2.