JP2021000993A - 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 rear-view mirror and the like installed in a vehicle interior.

Conventionally, a drive recorder that captures and records the driving environment of a vehicle has been used. A drive recorder for photographing the front of the vehicle in the direction of travel is generally installed on the upper part of the windshield of the vehicle. A rear-view mirror type drive recorder in which a camera is embedded in a rear-view mirror has also been proposed so as to secure the driver's field of view as wide as possible (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Images taken by a drive recorder are 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 an accident, it is useful to analyze not only the image in front of the direction of travel but also the situation of the driver and the situation behind. Therefore, the rear-view mirror type drive recorder of Patent Document 1 is provided with a plurality of cameras so as to be able to record an image on the rear side in addition to the image on the front side in the traveling direction. In addition to being able to shoot the front of the vehicle, each camera can change the shooting direction so that it can shoot the rear side.

For example, if the camera is set so that the driver can be photographed, the state of the driver driving can be recorded. For example, it is difficult for a transportation company or a taxi company to directly manage the driving situation of an employee driver, but if the driving situation is recorded, it is possible to manage and give guidance after the fact, improving safety. it can.

Utility Model Registration No. 3170691

However, the conventional rear-view mirror type drive recorder capable of photographing the rear side has the following problems. That is, for example, for a driver who is an employee, the drive recorder may become a camera for monitoring himself / herself and may feel uncomfortable. Further, for example, when the driver himself / herself attaches the drive recorder, he / she may feel the same discomfort because there is a camera in which the passenger is facing himself / herself.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and is a vehicle rearview mirror provided with a camera for photographing the rear side, such as a vehicle rearview mirror capable of suppressing discomfort that may be felt by an occupant. Is intended to provide.

(1) A rear-view mirror for vehicles installed in the vehicle interior so that the driver can check the rear.
Rear imaging means for photographing the rear side,
A shielding means that blocks the line of sight from the occupant side of the vehicle and makes the rear imaging means inconspicuous.
It is preferable to use a vehicle rearview mirror provided with an adjusting means for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear-viewing means.

The vehicle rearview mirror is provided with a shielding means that blocks the line of sight and makes the rear-viewing means inconspicuous. If the rear imaging means is made inconspicuous, it is less likely that the occupants of the vehicle will notice the presence of the rear imaging means, and the possibility of causing discomfort can be suppressed.

In the case of a vehicle rear-view mirror, the orientation of the mirror surface is appropriately adjusted according to the height of the driver's viewpoint and the like. If the shooting direction of the rear imaging means is fixed, the shooting direction may change depending on the driver, and the target shot image may not be acquired. Since the vehicle rearview mirror of the present invention is provided with an adjusting means for adjusting the photographing direction of the rear-viewing means, it is possible to acquire a target photographed image without depending on the direction adjustment of the mirror surface for each driver.

Moreover, the direction of the mirror surface is generally tilted toward the driver so that the driver can see directly behind the mirror surface, while the direction of the mirror surface is the direction of the mirror surface. May be set in a different direction. Therefore, there is a problem that it is very easy for the occupant who is the subject of the shooting to recognize that the shooting direction is deviated from the direction of the mirror surface, which tends to cause discomfort. It is possible to solve such a problem peculiar to the vehicle rearview mirror.

As described above, if the above configuration is adopted, it is possible to take a picture of the rear side while suppressing the discomfort that the occupant may feel.

Further, if it is configured as described above, it is possible to acquire a target photographed image while suppressing the possibility of being noticed by the occupants. For example, when taking a picture of the outside of a vehicle through a rear window or the like, it is possible to acquire an image of the outside of the vehicle while suppressing unnecessary worries on the part of the occupant that he / she may have been taken. For example, if the vehicle manager or the like wants to photograph the driver, he / she can acquire the photographed image of the driver while suppressing the discomfort that he / she is being photographed.

The shielding means may be configured to "block the line of sight", for example, to make it difficult for the occupant to recognize the shooting direction of the rear imaging means, and particularly to prevent the occupant from recognizing the shooting direction of the rear imaging means. Good. As a mode for blocking the line of sight, for example, at least a part of the rear imaging means may be difficult to see from the occupant, and preferably the entire rear imaging means may be difficult to see from the occupant. As a particularly difficult-to-see mode, it is preferable to use an invisible mode. The shielding means may be, for example, a means for hiding at least a part of the rear imaging means from the occupant, and preferably a means for blocking the line of sight so that the occupant cannot recognize the photographing direction of the rear imaging means. As the occupant, it is particularly preferable to use the occupant to be photographed by the rear imaging means.

Further, for example, the shielding means may be configured to shield the shooting direction of the rear imaging means, and to be configured to be able to acquire the image ahead of the shielding means via the shielding means. For example, the shielding means may be configured as a slit or a group of slits provided in the photographing direction of the rear imaging means and difficult to recognize from the outside. Further, the shielding means may be a means that has at least translucency in the photographing direction and makes it difficult for the occupant to recognize the rear imaging means. For example, the configuration as shown in (2) below may be used.
For example, the rear-viewing means may be configured to take a picture of at least a region including the rear side of the mirror surface of the rear-view mirror. The rear imaging means may be configured to include the front side for shooting, or may be adjusted to a state in which only the front side can be shot by the adjusting means.

(2) The shielding means is a translucent mirror surface, and is composed of a half mirror forming at least a part of the mirror surface of the vehicle interior mirror.
The rear imaging means may be configured to take an image through the half mirror.

If the half mirror forming at least a part of the mirror surface is used, the rear-viewing means can be made inconspicuous by the mirror surface for realizing the original function of the vehicle rearview mirror, and there is less possibility that the occupant feels uncomfortable. Further, for example, since it is possible to suppress the need for arranging an optical lens or the like for forming the rear-view imaging means outside the mirror surface, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the vehicle rearview mirror and maintain good front visibility of the driver. it can.

As the adjusting means, it is preferable that the rear imaging means can swing in the left-right direction. Further, it is preferable to provide a shielding means for adjusting means that makes the adjusting means inconspicuous. The shielding means for the adjusting means may be configured in the same manner as the shielding means (hereinafter, also referred to as the shielding means for the imaging means). The adjusting means may be as follows (3).

(3) The adjusting means may have a configuration in which the photographing direction of the rear imaging means can be changed to the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.
In this case, if the shooting direction can be changed up, down, left, and right in order to acquire the desired shot image, for example, when it is desired to shoot a occupant such as a driver, or when it is desired to photograph the rear of the vehicle over the occupant's head. , It becomes possible to respond appropriately, and the desired captured image can be easily acquired. The adjusting means may be configured to be mounted inside the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror. That is, it is preferable to attach it to the inside of the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror instead of attaching it to the outside as in Patent Document 1.

When the direction of the vehicle rear-view mirror is adjustable, the coordinate axis based on the vehicle rear-view mirror and the direction of gravitational acceleration are used as a reference, such as a deviation between the vertical direction of the vehicle rear-view mirror and the direction of gravitational acceleration. There is a deviation from the coordinate axes. The horizontal direction and the vertical direction may be the horizontal direction and the vertical direction with respect to the coordinate axes based on the vehicle rear mirror, but in particular, the horizontal direction and the vertical direction may be set with respect to the coordinate axes based on the direction of gravity acceleration. In this way, it is possible to shoot an image in which the inclination of the shooting target is suppressed regardless of the orientation of the vehicle rearview mirror. As a configuration in which the direction is horizontal and vertical to the coordinate axes based on the direction of gravitational acceleration, for example, based on how much the vehicle interior mirror is generally deviated from the gravitational acceleration direction. An adjustable direction may be set in advance according to the angle of the deviation, but in particular, the adjusting means is configured to be rotatable about a predetermined axis and the shooting direction of the rear imaging means is changed by the rotation. good. As the predetermined axis, it is particularly preferable to include the photographing direction of the rear imaging means. By doing so, it is possible to cancel the fluctuations in the horizontal and vertical directions due to the adjustment of the rearview mirror, and to easily match the vertical direction of the captured image with the direction of gravity, and when the image is confirmed on the screen. It is possible to prevent the image from being tilted with respect to the four sides or the level line of the screen and becoming difficult to see, and it is possible to reduce the possibility of erroneous evaluation of the content of the image.

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

In this case, a mechanism for changing the shooting direction can be realized with a relatively simple configuration. Further, if the ball joint mechanism is used, 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 that compared with the case where each mechanism is provided independently, for example. , Miniaturization, low cost can be realized. For example, the imaging means is placed in a spherical housing having a part including the shooting direction, and the housing is placed in the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror so that the shooting direction of the imaging means can be adjusted. It is advisable to install it so that it can be moved together with the housing. In particular, it is preferable to have a kind of ball joint structure. By doing so, the angle can be changed relatively freely. In particular, the rear imaging means may be provided inside the ball joint.

The operation unit for changing the shooting direction may be adjustable from the back side (opposite side to the mirror) of the vehicle rearview mirror housing, for example. Even if the rear-view mirror is adjusted to the angle between the mirror surface and the shooting direction so that it faces the predetermined shooting direction, it is necessary to readjust the rear-view mirror for the vehicle depending on the physique of the driver and the position of the seat. It is desirable to adjust the angle of the rear-view imaging means with respect to the mirror surface. In addition, depending on how it is used, it may be better to set the shooting direction so that the rear-view mirror for the vehicle can compensate for the blind spot rather than centering on the rear front. If the imaging direction of the imaging means can be adjusted from the back side of the rear-view mirror for the vehicle in this way, the adjustment mechanism cannot be seen by the driver or passengers, and the appearance is good.

(5) It is preferable that the operation unit for changing the shooting direction is arranged on the side surface.
If the operation unit is on the rear side, it cannot be seen from the occupant side, which may make it difficult to change the shooting direction. 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 the front visibility may be impaired. Therefore, if the operation unit is provided on the side surface, the driver or the like can reach out and change the shooting direction relatively easily, and the rear-view mirror for the vehicle can be avoided from becoming large to improve the front visibility. Can be maintained.

(6) A vehicle rear-view mirror that is retrofitted by covering the mirror surface side of an existing rear-view mirror installed in the vehicle interior so that the driver can check the rear.
It is preferable that the operation unit for changing the shooting direction is provided on the rear surface of the vehicle rear-view mirror so as not to face the existing rear-view mirror when mounted on the existing rear-view mirror.

Even in a rear-view type vehicle rear-view mirror that covers an existing rear-view mirror, if the operation unit is placed in a portion that does not face the existing rear-view mirror as described above, the operation can be performed without removing the existing rear-view mirror. Whenever it becomes necessary to change the shooting direction, which enables the operation of the part, the shooting direction can be easily changed without removing it from the existing rear-view mirror.

(7) A vehicle rear-view mirror that is retrofitted by covering the mirror surface side of an existing rear-view mirror installed in the vehicle interior so that the driver can check the rear.
It is preferable that the operation unit for changing the shooting direction is provided at a position that can be operated from the outer peripheral side of the existing rearview mirror on the back surface facing the existing rearview mirror.

Even if it is a retrofit type vehicle rearview mirror that covers the existing rearview mirror, it can be removed from the existing rearview mirror by arranging the operation unit at a position that can be operated from the outer peripheral side of the existing rearview mirror as described above. When it becomes necessary to change the shooting direction so that the operation unit can be operated without any need, the shooting direction can be easily changed without removing it from the existing rearview mirror each time.

The operation unit may be configured to adjust the photographing direction of the rear imaging means by using, for example, a tool. For example, a hole for inserting a rod-shaped object such as a screwdriver may be provided, and the object may be inserted into the hole for adjustment. However, it is particularly preferable to adjust the shooting direction with a finger. For example, the operation portion may be provided with a protrusion, and a finger may be placed on the protrusion to adjust the shooting direction. In particular, a protrusion is projected in the direction opposite to the lens surface of the rear-viewing means of the housing for accommodating the rear-viewing means, and a hole is made on the back side of the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror so that the protrusion can be touched from the hole. The configuration may be such that the angle of the rear-view imaging means in the shooting direction can be adjusted by moving it. By attaching a protrusion, the angle can be adjusted relatively easily with the fingertips without any special tools.

It is preferable to have a structure in which an imaging means and a circuit for recording an image captured by the imaging means are provided in the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror, and the vehicle rearview mirror is mounted over the existing vehicle rearview mirror. In this way, when retrofitted to the vehicle, it is easier to install than replacing the existing rearview mirror of the vehicle.
In the configuration of the vehicle rear-view mirror to be attached to the existing rear-view mirror of the vehicle, it is preferable to provide the imaging means in the housing of the vehicle rear-view mirror to be retrofitted, while the adjustment means is provided with a portion protruding outside the existing rear-view mirror. .. In this way, it becomes possible to adjust the attached vehicle rear-view mirror without removing it one by one.

(8) The rear imaging means has a control means for storing the captured image acquired in the storage medium, and the control means erases the captured image having an old shooting time while receiving power supply from the vehicle side. By doing so, it is preferable to repeatedly execute the operation of storing a new captured image while securing the storage area.
In this case, a rearview mirror type drive recorder can be realized. If the rearview mirror is equipped with a function as a drive recorder, 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 will notice the existence of the rear-viewing means is reduced, and the image is taken. It is possible to record the state of the occupant in a natural appearance without being aware of what he is doing.

(9) It is preferable that the vehicle is provided with a front imaging means for photographing the space outside the vehicle on the front side of the vehicle.
In this case, the photographed image on the front side can be acquired without installing a front camera or the like on the windshield or the like separately from the vehicle rearview mirror of the present invention. If this vehicle rear-view mirror is used, there is little risk of causing a complicated installation situation, and both the rear-view image and the front-view image can be acquired.

(10) At least a part of the mirror surface of the vehicle interior mirror is formed by a half mirror which is a translucent mirror surface, and the rear-viewing means is configured to take an image through the half mirror.
A brightness adjusting means for suppressing the difference between the brightness of the captured image of the rear imaging means captured through the half mirror and the brightness of the captured image of the front imaging means captured without the intervention of the half mirror is provided. It is good to have a configuration that has

When an image is taken through a half mirror having an optical characteristic of reflecting a part of the incident light and transmitting a part of the incident light, the brightness of the photographed image tends to be impaired. Therefore, there is a high possibility that a difference in brightness will occur between the captured image of the rear imaging means with the half mirror and the captured image of the front imaging means without the half mirror. If the brightness adjusting means is provided, the difference in brightness can be suppressed, and for example, it is possible to suppress a sense of discomfort when the image captured by the rear imaging means and the image captured by the front imaging means are displayed side by side or switched and displayed.

(11) It is preferable that the configuration is provided with an adjusting means for adjusting the photographing direction by the front imaging means.
In this case, the target forward direction can be photographed regardless of the direction in which the driver adjusts the mirror surface.

(12) It is preferable that the 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 linked and changed. ..

For example, when the front imaging means captures the traveling direction of the vehicle and the rear imaging means captures the rear along the traveling direction of the vehicle, the imaging direction of the front imaging means and the imaging direction of the rear imaging means are opposite to each other by 180 degrees. Become. If the adjusting means is shared between the front imaging means and the rear imaging means, the time and effort required to adjust the shooting direction is reduced. As described above, it is particularly preferable to maintain a preset angular relationship between the shooting direction of the front imaging means and the shooting direction of the rear imaging means so that the shooting direction can be changed in conjunction with the adjusting means.

(13) It is preferable that the image display means for displaying the image information is provided and the means for suppressing the reflection of the light of the image display means on the rear image pickup means is provided.
If the light on the screen on which the image display means displays the image information is reflected on the rear imaging 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 is provided as described above, the deterioration of the captured image by the rear imaging means can be suppressed even when the image display means is provided. In particular, a remarkable effect is exhibited when both the shooting direction of the rear imaging means and the display direction of the image display means are configured to face the vehicle interior side.
Further, for example, an image display means for displaying image information is provided outside the housing of a mirror having a built-in rear-view image means to form a vehicle interior mirror that suppresses reflection of light by the image display means. You should do it. In particular, an image display means for displaying image information is provided outside the housing of the mirror having a built-in rear-view image means, and the image display means has a foldable structure or a slide-type structure that can be taken out when necessary. It is preferable to use a vehicle rear-view mirror having a structure attached to the body and suppressing the reflection of light by the image display means. In this way, the image display means can be confirmed only when the image captured by the rear imaging means is desired, and the image display means can be placed in an inconspicuous position or the like at other times. Further, it is preferable to use a vehicle room mirror that transmits image information between an external image display means for displaying image information and a room mirror having a built-in rear-view camera by wireless communication, and the external image display means is a smartphone (smartphone). It may be a multifunctional mobile phone) or the like, and wireless communication may be performed by, for example, Wi-Fi, for example, by transmitting an image captured by a rear imaging means to a smartphone and displaying the image received by the smartphone.
(14) The configuration may include a lighting means that illuminates at least a part of the imaging range of the rear imaging means, and a lighting shielding means that blocks the line of sight from the occupant side of the vehicle to make the lighting means inconspicuous.
If a high-sensitivity infrared camera is used as the rear imaging means, the lighting means can be configured as unnecessary. However, according to (14), even if a general camera is used, for example, even if there is not enough brightness for imaging by the rear imaging means such as at night, the lighting means can be used. It becomes possible to image the illuminated area more clearly. For example, when the rear imaging means photographs the inside of the vehicle, the photographing range may be set so that at least a part of the occupants in the vehicle is photographed.
As the lighting means, for example, it is preferable to use a means that emits light that is inconspicuous and difficult for humans to see. In particular, it is preferable to use a rear imaging means having a sensitivity characteristic from the visible light region to the infrared region, and use an infrared LED as the lighting means.
The illumination shielding means may be plate-shaped or lens-shaped. In particular, it is preferable to cover the irradiation direction of the lighting means. When the illuminating means is configured to emit infrared light, it is preferable to cover it with a plate-shaped or lens-shaped object having a filter characteristic for passing infrared light.
(15) The illumination shielding means may be the shielding means. The shielding means and the lighting shielding means may use the same member, and in particular, the shielding means and the lighting shielding means may be the same member.
For example, an infrared LED may be used as the illumination means, and the shielding means and the illumination shielding means may include a camera or the like as a rear imaging means together inside a half mirror of the same member. In this way, from the outside. It is inconspicuous, and it becomes difficult for the person to be photographed to recognize that the image is illuminated and imaged.
(16) It is preferable to provide an incident suppressing means for suppressing the incident of the reflected light by the illumination shielding means on the image captured by the rear imaging means.
For example, the shielding means and the illumination shielding means also use the same member. For example, if the member is a half mirror, the illumination light of the illumination means is incident on the rear imaging means as reflected light by the half mirror, and the image in the imaging range is imaged. However, it has been found that there is a problem that normal shooting cannot be performed because the light reflected by the half mirror cannot be obtained. This problem occurs remarkably especially when the configuration of (15) is provided.
Therefore, according to the above (16), the image of the imaging range of the rear imaging means can be normally captured by the reflected light by the illumination shielding means.
The incident suppression means may have any configuration as long as it suppresses the incident light reflected by the illumination shielding means, but in particular, the space between the illumination means and the illumination shielding means and the shielding means from the rear imaging means. It is preferable to have a structure that optically partitions the space between them. For example, a shielding plate or the like may be provided between the two spaces. Further, it is preferable that the space between the two is separated by a distance longer than the distance at which the reflected light by the illumination shielding means is difficult to be incident.
(17) The illumination shielding means may be arranged outside the shielding means.
In particular, the lighting shielding means may be configured as a separate body from the shielding means.
(18) The lighting shielding means may include at least one of an operation unit included in the vehicle rearview mirror and a dummy member visible in the operation unit included in the vehicle rearview mirror.
In this way, it becomes difficult for the person to be photographed to recognize the existence of the lighting means.
As a configuration example of (14) to (18) above, for example, the following may be used.
1. 1. The infrared LED for illumination is arranged outside the mirror, and a partition is provided between the mirror and the infrared LED.
2. 2. In order to camouflage the infrared LED, cover the infrared LED with a plate-shaped or lens-shaped object having filter characteristics that allow infrared light to pass through.
3. 3. A partition is provided between the plate-shaped or lens-shaped object and the mirror.
4. An operation button or a dummy of the operation button is made of a resin or the like that transmits infrared light on the outside of the mirror, and is provided so that infrared light is emitted from the back of the button.

(19) Instead of the above-mentioned adjusting means, or together with the adjusting means, a vehicle rearview mirror provided with a fixing means for fixing the rear-viewing means may be used.
The fixing means may have a structure in which the rear imaging means can be fixed to the housing, and for example, a substrate provided with a camera may be fixed by screwing or the like.
The configuration including the fixing means for fixing the rear-viewing means 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-view mirror for photographing the rear side. It is a vehicle rearview mirror provided with means and shielding means for blocking the line of sight from the occupant side of the vehicle to make the rear-viewing means inconspicuous.
For example, in the above-described configuration, the configuration is provided with the adjusting means, but the adjusting means is not provided, and the imaging means is housed in the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror to image in the normal direction of the mirror surface (perpendicular to the mirror surface). The imaging means may be attached at an angle that deviates the photographing direction of the means (for example, the optical axis of the camera). The rear-view mirror for vehicles adjusts the angle of the mirror surface so that the driver can see the rear. In that case, if the rear imaging means is attached with the normal direction of the mirror surface as the photographing direction, the rear imaging means does not face the rear front. In this way, it is possible to correct this and shoot the rear front as well.

For example, the components described in the above-mentioned items (1) to (19) may be arbitrarily combined to form a device. In particular, the configuration may include at least one of the components (1) or (19). More preferably, the configuration may include the combination of the components described in each of the above-mentioned items (1) to (19), and the configuration described in each item may be independently configured, but in particular (1). ) To (19) to form a device by combining two or more configurations, an excellent effect is exhibited. In particular, it is preferable to use a combination having the configuration of (1).
As a configuration example, for example, the following may be used.
It is a rear-view mirror installed in the passenger compartment so that the driver can see the rear.
The first imaging means to photograph the front of the car,
It has a second imaging means for photographing the interior and rear of the vehicle and a recording means for recording images captured by both imaging means.
At least the second imaging means is arranged inside the housing of the rearview mirror.
Set the shooting angle of view and installation accuracy so that you can shoot both the occupant and the situation outside the vehicle from the rear window.
A shielding means that blocks the line of sight from the occupant side of the vehicle and makes the second imaging means inconspicuous.
Rearview mirror for vehicles equipped with.

The perspective view which looks at the rearview mirror from the front side in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which looks at the rearview mirror from the rear side in Example 1. FIG. The explanatory view which shows the attachment procedure to the existing rearview mirror in Example 1. FIG. The explanatory view which shows the assembly structure of the rearview mirror in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which shows the case which accommodates an electronic substrate in Example 1. FIG. The explanatory view which shows the structure of the camera holding part in Example 1. FIG. The cross-sectional view which shows the cross-sectional structure of the camera holding part in Example 1. FIG. A front view and a side view showing a front camera in the first embodiment. A front view and a side view showing a rear camera in the first embodiment. The explanatory view of the camera axis adjustment means of the front camera in Example 1. FIG. The explanatory view of the camera axis adjustment means of the rear camera in Example 1. FIG. The front view which shows the electronic substrate in Example 1. FIG. The explanatory view which shows the power supply state by the cigar plug cord in Example 1. FIG. An explanatory diagram of a method of viewing image data recorded on a microSD card on a PC according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure of another camera holding portion according to the first embodiment. Explanatory drawing which shows the adjustment means of other cameras in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which looks at the rear view mirror 1 in Example 2 from the rear side. The perspective view which looks at the rear-view mirror 2 in Example 2 from the rear side. The cross-sectional view which shows the cross-sectional structure of the rearview mirror 2 in Example 2. FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the following examples.
(Example 1)
The vehicle rear-view mirror 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a rear-view rear-view mirror that is mounted on the rear-view mirror mounted on the vehicle as shown in FIG. The vehicle rearview mirror 1 includes a front camera 25 (which will be 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 means for photographing the rear side, and an image. It is an electronic device provided with a liquid crystal display 30 (FIG. 4) or the like, which is an example of display means, and has an image recording function (recording function), a display function, and the like. In the following description, the vehicle rear-view mirror of the present invention is simply referred to as a rear-view mirror 1, and the rear-view mirror originally installed in 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 surface of the rear-view mirror 1 facing the driver when mounted, and an operation button 171 for operation and setting is arranged on the left end portion. An operation area 170 is provided. On the mirror surface 160, the screen area of the liquid crystal display 30 (broken line area 165 in FIG. 1) is arranged on the left side, and the lens area of the rear camera 21 (broken line area 161) is arranged on the right side. The mirror surface 160 excluding the broken line regions 161 and 165 reflects nearly 100% of the incident light, while the broken line regions 161 and 165 reflect a part of the incident light and transmit a part as a half mirror. It is an area with the characteristics of. In particular, the half mirror in the broken line region 161 is an example of a shielding means that blocks the line of sight from the occupant side to make the rear camera 21 inconspicuous.

A camera holding portion 130 for holding the rear camera 21 is erected on the back side of the right end portion on 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 portion 130, and the rear camera 21 is housed at the base side. On the side surface (see FIG. 2) of the opposite end of the rearview mirror 1, a power supply terminal 37 for supplying power and a slot 35 for inserting a microSD card are arranged.

Hooks 141 and 142 for attaching to the existing mirror are erected in the center of the rear side of the rearview mirror 1 (see FIG. 2). A total of four hooks are provided, and a pair of upper and lower hooks 141 and 142 are arranged on the left and right so as to sandwich the center of the rearview mirror 1. The upper hook 141 is slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the lower hook 142 fixed to the back surface of the rearview 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 from the lower hook 142 when the rearview mirror 1 is removed.

When mounting the rearview mirror 1 on the existing mirror 81, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, the hook 141 is pulled downward by pulling the rearview mirror 1 downward while the upper hook 141 is hooked on the upper part of the existing mirror 81. Is slid to increase the distance between the upper and lower hooks 141 and 142. With the upper and lower hooks 141 and 142 expanded in this way, the lower hook 142 is turned under the existing mirror 81, and then until the lower hook 142 presses against the lower edge of the existing mirror 81. , Push up the rearview mirror 1.

At this time, the upper hook 141 on which the urging force of the elastic member acts slides so as to reduce the distance from the lower hook 142 while maintaining the state of being pressed against the upper edge of the existing mirror 81. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6B, the rearview mirror 1 can be attached by sandwiching the existing mirror 81 between the upper and lower hooks 141 and 142, and this attached state is maintained by the above-mentioned urging force. In the figure, the camera holding portion 130 projecting to the back side is not shown.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rearview mirror 1 is configured by accommodating the electronic substrate 3 in a horizontally long housing 10. The housing 10 has a structure divided into two by combining a cover 15 on the front side facing the driver and a case 11 on the back side facing the traveling direction of the vehicle.

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

Like the cover 15, the case 11 is a resin member, and is configured to accommodate the electronic substrate 3 in the internal space when the cover 15 is combined. Inside the case 11, a partition 115 for partitioning the space corresponding to the base of the camera holding portion 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 partition corresponding to the cover 15 side is also provided. When the cover 15 is combined with the case 11, both partitions match and function like a partition wall (symbol 107 in FIG. 7) that divides the internal space of the housing 10.

As shown in FIG. 6, the camera holding portion 130 erected on the back side of the case 11 has a divided structure in which the camera holding portion 130 is divided into left and right halves along the erection direction. The camera holding portion 130 is formed by combining a receiving portion 130A that is integrally resin-molded with the case 11 and a camera cover 130B that is an fitting component. A groove 130T is formed on the outer peripheral surface side of the camera holding portion 130 so as to follow the mating surface of the receiving portion 130A and the camera cover 130B. 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 130T is formed so as to communicate the hole 130H drilled in the middle of the camera holding portion 130 in the vertical direction and the hole 11H drilled so as to open on the back surface of the case 11. The groove 130T can be covered with a cover 130C. If the cover 130C is attached, the appearance can be improved and the control cables 21C and 25C can be protected.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the receiving portion 130A on the main body side of the case 11 is formed with substantially hemispherical accommodating shapes 131A and 135A at two locations, the tip side and the base side. Note that FIG. 7 shows the cross-sectional structure of the rearview mirror 1 along the vertical direction of the camera holding portion 130.
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 portion 130A, the tip side and the base of the camera holding portion 130 are formed. Accommodating portions 131 and 135 forming a substantially spherical space are formed at two locations on the side.

The accommodating portion 135 on the distal end side communicates with the outside (front side in the traveling direction) via the opening 136 at the distal end of the camera holding portion 130. The accommodating portion 131 on the base side 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 accommodated in the accommodating portion 135 on the front end side, and the rear camera 21 of FIG. 9 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 131 on the base side. An adjustment hole 132 for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 is provided on a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the camera cover 130B that corresponds to the outer periphery of the accommodating portion 131.

The front camera 25 in FIG. 8 is a camera in which a camera unit including an image sensor is housed in a substantially spherical holder 250. A lens cylinder 252 having a substantially cylindrical shape that holds the lens 253 protrudes from one location on the outer peripheral surface, and a control cable (not shown) extends from the opposite side.
Similar to the front camera 25, the rear camera 21 of FIG. 9 is a camera in which the camera unit is housed in a substantially spherical holder 210. The difference from the front camera 25 is that it is provided with an adjustment knob 215 which is an example of an operation unit constituting the shooting direction adjusting means. The adjustment knob 215 projects in a direction substantially orthogonal to the optical axis direction of the lens 213, which corresponds to the photographing direction.

The front camera 25 is assembled with the lens cylinder 252 positioned in the opening 136 provided at the tip of the camera holding portion 130 (see FIG. 7). The rear camera 21 is assembled with the adjustment knob 215 located in the adjustment hole 132 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the camera cover 130B and the lens 213 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 serves as an example of the adjustment means for adjusting the shooting direction (camera axis) of the rear-view 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 region 161 of the mirror 16 (see FIG. 7). The broken line region 161 is a mirror 16 in which the reflective films 165 and 166 are laminated on the back surface of the transparent glass 163, and unlike the reflective film 165 that is close to the surroundings, the light transmissive to the extent that the rear camera 21 can image the rear. This is a region in which reflective films 166 having properties are laminated to exhibit the properties of a half mirror.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the radius of curvature of the inner peripheral surfaces of the accommodating portions 131 and 135 of the camera holding portion 130 substantially coincides with the radii 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 shallower than the radii of the holders 210 and 250. If the camera cover 130B is fitted with the cameras 21 and 25 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 the cameras 21 and 25. The shooting direction of each of the cameras 21 and 25 can be fixed appropriately by the pressing force, that is, the camera does not move when the operation is not applied by the fingertip or the like and moves only when the operation force is applied by the fingertip or the like.

As shown in FIG. 10, the front camera 25 can adjust the shooting direction in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction by operating the lens cylinder 252 in the opening 136 at the tip of the camera holding portion 130 with a fingertip or the like. Is. Further, if the lens cylinder 252 is pinched and rotated, it can be rotated around the camera axis corresponding to the shooting direction, and the inclination of the shot image can be adjusted.

As shown in FIG. 11, the rear camera 21 changes the shooting direction in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction by operating the adjustment knob 215 in the adjustment hole 132 opened on the outer peripheral side surface of the camera holding portion 130 with a fingertip or the like. It is adjustable to. The shooting direction can be adjusted left and right by operating the adjustment knob 215 before and after hitting the traveling direction. 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 tilt of the captured image can be adjusted.
Then, as described above, the cameras 21 and 25 are appropriately fixed as described above by the pressing force from the inner peripheral surface of the camera holding portion 130, so that the adjusted shooting direction can be held with high certainty.

In the camera holding portion 130 that holds the rear camera 21 and the front camera 25, the internal space 130R is formed in an intermediate portion sandwiched between the two cameras 21 and 25. The control cables 21C and 25C of the cameras 21 and 25 are connected to the back 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 fluctuations in the shooting directions of the cameras 21 and 25, and are provided with slack in the internal space 130R. The control cables 21C and 25C are taken out to the outer peripheral side through the hole 130H drilled in the camera holding portion 130, and reach the inside of the housing 10 via the groove 130T and the hole 11H.

The electronic board 3 of FIG. 12 included in the rearview mirror 1 is a double-sided mounting board. A liquid crystal display 30, a chip switch 36 corresponding to an operation button 171 (FIG. 1), and the like are arranged on a mounting surface (FIG. A) corresponding to the front side of the rearview mirror 1. An electronic circuit including a microcomputer 32 or the like equipped with a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an RTC (timekeeping unit), a card connector 350, a plug connector 370, and the like are arranged on a mounting surface (FIG. B) corresponding to the back side. The front camera 25 and the rear camera 21 are electrically connected to the electronic board 3 via the control cables 25C and 21C. Each of the cameras 21 and 25 is supplied with power via the control cables 21C and 25C to operate, and outputs an output signal 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 substrate 3.
The plug connector 370 is a component of the power supply terminal 37. The plug connector 370 is a connector having specifications 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 and an OS (Operation System) that record image data acquired by the front camera 25 and the rear camera 21 on a microcomputer SD card. The CPU of the microcomputer 32 realizes various functions such as continuous recording of image data and display of recorded image data by reading and executing these programs.

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 where power supply is started when the 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, the power supply to the room mirror 1 is started when the ignition switch is turned on, and the operation of the room mirror 1 is started. ..

For example, if an operation mode for continuously recording image data is set, the microcomputer 32 records new image data while securing a recording area on the microcomputerSD card by erasing the old image data, thereby recording new image data. The image data over the past predetermined period based on the above is recorded on the microcomputerSD card. Further, it is also 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 rearview 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 rearview mirror 1 and set in a card reader 51 or the like externally connected to the personal computer 5. Subsequently, if a predetermined image viewing application installed in the personal computer 5 is started in advance and a file reading operation is executed on the application screen (not shown), the reproduced image can be viewed.

In the room mirror 1 configured as described above, the rear-view camera 21 is arranged behind the broken line region 161 of the mirror surface 160 having the characteristics of a half mirror. In the rear-view mirror 1, the rear-view camera 21 is inconspicuous because the line of sight from the occupant side is blocked by the mirror surface 160. In particular, if a half mirror forming at least a part of the mirror surface 160 is used, the rear-view camera 21 can be made inconspicuous by the mirror surface 160 for realizing the original function of the room mirror 1, and the discomfort on the occupant side can be suppressed. Further, for example, since it is possible to suppress the need to arrange the lens of the rear-view 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 is tilted toward the driver so that the driver can see directly behind by adjusting the direction of the existing mirror 81 by using the direction adjustment mechanism provided on the vehicle side, while the subject to be photographed. The shooting direction to be directed to the direction of the mirror surface 160 may be set to a direction different from the direction of the mirror surface 160. Therefore, in particular, there is a problem that the occupant who is the subject of photography is likely to feel uncomfortable because it is extremely easily recognized that the shooting direction is deviated from the direction of the mirror surface 160. On the other hand, in the rearview mirror 1 of this example, since the rear-view camera 21 is arranged inconspicuously, the above-mentioned problems peculiar to the rearview mirror can be solved, and the discomfort of the occupant can be suppressed in advance.

If the rear camera 21 is arranged inconspicuously, it is possible to acquire a target captured image while suppressing the possibility of being noticed by the occupants. For example, when taking a picture of the outside of a vehicle through a rear window or the like, it is possible to acquire an image of the outside of the vehicle while suppressing unnecessary worries on the part of the occupant that he / she may have been taken. On the other hand, for example, when it is desired to photograph a driver of a taxi, a truck, a bus, or the like, the photographed image of the driver can be acquired while suppressing the discomfort of being photographed.

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

Generally, in the case of a rear-view mirror, the orientation of the mirror surface 160 is appropriately adjusted according to the height of the driver's viewpoint and the like. If the shooting direction (camera axis) of the rear camera 21 is fixed, the shooting direction may fluctuate according to the adjustment of the mirror surface 160, and the target shot image may not be obtained. On the other hand, since the rear-view mirror 1 of this example can adjust the shooting direction of the rear-view camera 21, it is possible to acquire a target shot image without depending on the direction adjustment of the mirror surface for each driver.

In the room mirror 1 of this example, the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 can be changed to the horizontal direction (horizontal direction) and the vertical direction (vertical direction). If the shooting direction can be changed up, down, left, and right in order to acquire the desired shot image in this way, it will be possible to respond appropriately whether you want to shoot the occupant of the vehicle or the rear of the vehicle over the occupant's head. , The desired captured image can be obtained relatively easily. If the orientation of the mirror surface 160 of the room mirror 1 can be adjusted, the vertical direction of the room mirror 1 and the direction of the gravitational acceleration may deviate from each other, and the coordinate axes and the direction of the gravitational acceleration with reference to the room mirror 1 may occur. There is a deviation from the coordinate axes based on. The horizontal direction and the vertical direction may be the horizontal direction and the vertical direction with respect to the coordinate axis with respect to the room mirror 1, but in particular, the horizontal direction and the vertical direction with respect to the coordinate axis with respect to the direction of gravity acceleration may be used. In this way, it is possible to shoot an image in which the inclination of the shooting target is suppressed regardless of the orientation of the rearview mirror 1.

In the rear-view mirror 1 of this example, 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 orientation of each of the cameras 21 and 25 can be adjusted for each of the holders 210 and 250 in the accommodating portions 131 and 135, whereby the shooting directions of the cameras 21 and 25 can be adjusted. By adopting the ball joint mechanism in this way, the shooting directions of the cameras 21 and 25 can be freely changed. Considering that the mirror surface 160 is adjusted appropriately, it is important to swing the cameras 21 and 25 in the horizontal direction in addition to the vertical direction. However, according to the above ball joint mechanism, it is easy. The camera can be adjusted. Further, 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 adopted as the means for adjusting the shooting direction of the cameras, the shooting directions of the cameras 21 and 25 can be adjusted relatively freely. Furthermore, since both the mechanism for changing in the vertical direction and the mechanism for changing in the horizontal direction can be realized at the same time, the size and cost can be reduced as compared with the case where each mechanism is provided independently, for example. 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 portion 130. If such an adjustment knob 215 is provided, the angle can be easily adjusted with a fingertip or the like without the need for a special tool.

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

Further, in the room mirror 1 of this example, on the back side of the mirror surface 160, the 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 taxi passengers to always take pictures. For example, even in a general car, indoor photography is likely to cause discomfort to passengers. Therefore, if the rear camera 21 is arranged on the back side of the half mirror to make it inconspicuous, and further, if the adjusting means is arranged on the back side of the mirror surface 160, the presence of the rear camera 21 can be made invisible, for example, a taxi passenger or the like. It is effective for suppressing discomfort of passengers in general vehicles.

If the operation unit such as the adjustment knob 215 is arranged on the back surface of the housing 10, it may not be visible from the occupant side, so that it may be difficult to change the shooting direction. On the other hand, if an operation unit such as the adjustment knob 215 is provided on the front side, the rearview mirror for the vehicle may become large and the front visibility may be impaired. If the operation unit is provided on the side surface side, the driver or the like can reach out and change the shooting direction of the rear-view camera 21 relatively easily, and the rear-view mirror 1 can be avoided from becoming large to improve the front visibility. Can be maintained.

The rearview mirror 1 having a drive recorder function can be mounted by covering the existing mirror. If it can be retrofitted to the vehicle side in this way, it can be installed more easily than replacing the existing mirror. Further, in the rearview mirror 1, an adjustment knob 215 forming an operation unit for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear-view camera 21 is arranged so that it can be adjusted with a fingertip or the like even when it is attached to an existing mirror. By arranging the adjustment knob 215 in this way, the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 can be adjusted without removing the rearview mirror 1 from the existing mirror.

In the rear-view mirror 1, the shooting direction of the rear-view camera 21 and the display direction of the liquid crystal display 30 are both facing the vehicle interior side. Generally, when the light when the liquid crystal display 30 displays the image information is incident on the rear camera 21, there is a possibility that a high quality photographed image cannot be acquired. Therefore, in the rearview mirror 1 of this example, as an example of the configuration for suppressing the reflection of light on the rear-view camera 21, the liquid crystal display 30 is arranged on the left side when facing the driver side, and the rear-view camera is arranged on the right side when facing the rear-view camera 21. 21 is arranged, and a partition wall 107 (see FIG. 7) is further provided inside the housing 10. If such a configuration is adopted, deterioration of the captured image by the rear camera 21 can be suppressed even when an image display means such as a liquid crystal display 30 is provided.

The rearview mirror 1 includes not only the rear-view camera 21 but also the front-facing camera 25. Therefore, the photographed image on the front side can be acquired without installing a front camera or the like on the windshield or the like separately from the rearview mirror 1. If the rear-view mirror 1 is used, both the rear-view image and the front-view image can be acquired without causing a complicated installation situation.

Since there is a high possibility that there will be a difference in the brightness of the captured image between the rear camera 21 that shoots through the half mirror and the front camera 25 that is exposed to the outside, the brightness for suppressing the difference in brightness is high. It is advisable to provide an adjusting means. If the difference in brightness of the captured images of the cameras 21 and 25 can be suppressed, for example, it is possible to reduce a sense of discomfort when displaying the images side by side on the liquid crystal display 30 or switching the display in time. As the adjusting means, for example, a means for adjusting the image brightness by optical adjustment such as an aperture and an exposure time (shutter speed), a means for adjusting the image brightness by software, and the like may be adopted. As a software-like adjustment means, for example, when the power is turned on for the first time after installation, both images are displayed side by side on the display screen of the liquid crystal display 30, and both images are operated by operating the brightness adjustment switch corresponding to each image up and down. A state in which the brightness is changed is displayed, the adjustment state is memorized when the confirmation switch is pressed, and the brightness of both is adjusted based on the memorized adjustment state, 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 as needed. In the software-like adjustment of the image brightness, it is preferable to control so as to suppress 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 shoots the traveling direction of the vehicle and the rear camera 21 shoots the rear along the traveling direction of the vehicle, the shooting direction of the front camera 25 and the shooting direction of the rear camera are opposite to each other by 180 degrees. It 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 adjustment knobs are arranged in substantially orthogonal directions. It is also possible to adopt the camera 28 in which the 285 is arranged. With the camera 28 having such a configuration, the adjustment means can be shared between the front camera and the rear camera. If one camera is adjusted by operating the adjustment knob 285, the other camera is adjusted to a position 180 degrees opposite, so that the labor for adjusting the shooting direction is reduced.

As described above, the rear-view mirror 1 is provided with means for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear-view camera 21, but instead, the rear-view camera 21 is housed in the housing 10 of the rear-view mirror 1 and is oriented in the vertical direction of the mirror surface 160. On the other hand, the shooting direction of the rear-view camera 21 may be shifted in advance. For the rearview mirror 1, the angle of the mirror surface 160 is adjusted so that the driver can see the rear. In that case, if the rear camera 21 is attached 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 shooting 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 also be shot.

It is also possible to provide two cameras without distinguishing between the front camera 25 and the rear camera 21 so that both can rotate 180 degrees. If you point the two cameras in different directions in front of you, you can shoot in the two directions in front of you at the same time. It is possible to shoot the rear and the front, and it is also possible to shoot two different directions of the rear such as the outside of the rear of the vehicle and the inside of the vehicle, and it becomes possible to freely set according to the user's request.

In general, the drive recorder is often installed near the upper center of the windshield, for example, because of the need to photograph the front, top, bottom, left, and right as wide as possible. The position of the upper center of the windshield is, for example, the back side of the rearview mirror (existing mirror) of the vehicle, but if you try to install a drive recorder equipped with a front camera and a rear camera at this position, at least one of the cameras The existing mirror interferes with shooting. Therefore, for a drive recorder equipped with two cameras, it is necessary to avoid the existing mirror and install it at a different position so that the existing mirror does not interfere with the shooting. Such another position is not always the optimum position, at least for the front camera. On the other hand, if it is a rearview mirror type drive recorder such as the rearview mirror 1, it can be installed over the existing mirror without avoiding the position of the existing mirror. By covering the existing mirror with the existing mirror in this way, the front camera and the rear camera can be set at a position close to the optimum position near the upper center of the windshield.

The rearview mirror 1 is equipped with two cameras, a front camera 25 and a rear camera 21, but the number of cameras mounted can be further increased. For example, a camera that shoots the side may be mounted. If the image taken by the rear-view camera 21 or the side-side camera is displayed on the liquid crystal display 30, the rear-view mirror 1 can play a role of assisting the rear-view / side-side confirmation. It would be nice to be able to adjust the shooting direction for the side camera as well.

In the rearview mirror 1 of this example, an adjustment knob 215 that can be operated with a fingertip or the like is illustrated as an operation unit for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear-view camera 21. Instead of this, for example, a tool may be used to adjust the shooting direction of the rear camera 21. For example, an adjustment hole for inserting a rod-shaped object such as a screwdriver or a wrench 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 130B is increased so that the rear camera 21 is not touched by a fingertip or the like at the portion surrounding the adjustment hole 132, and a Torx (registered trademark) wrench is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the rear camera 21. Hole 216 is 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 in the same manner as when the adjustment knob 215 is operated. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the possibility that the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 is inadvertently changed, and it is possible to obtain a desired shot image with high certainty. In particular, when a driver is photographed for managing a taxi, a truck, or the like, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driver on the photographed side changes the shooting direction without permission. Further, if the wall thickness of the portion surrounding the adjustment hole 132 is increased, the outer peripheral surface of the rear camera 21 becomes a recessed position. Therefore, for example, even if the adjustment knob 215 is provided on the outer peripheral surface, the position of the adjustment knob 215 The risk of guessing 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 adjusting means for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear camera is changed based on the rearview mirror 1 of the first embodiment.
In the rearview mirror of the first embodiment, an adjustment knob (sign 215 in FIG. 1), which is an example of a protrusion forming an operation portion, is provided at a position substantially orthogonal to the shooting direction of the rear-view camera. On the other hand, in the rear-view mirror 1 of FIGS. 17 to 19, a protrusion 215 for adjustment is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rear-view camera 21 on the opposite side in the shooting direction, and the rear-view mirror 1 is provided on the back side of the housing 10. The adjusting hole 106 is opened so that the protrusion 215 can be touched from the adjusting hole 106. The shooting direction of the rear camera 21 can be adjusted by moving the protrusion 215. In addition, in FIG. 17 and FIG. 18, the area facing the existing mirror at the time of mounting on the vehicle is illustrated by the broken line 810.

The rearview mirror 1 illustrated in FIG. 17 has a larger horizontal dimension than the existing mirror, and a portion that does not face the existing mirror is formed. In the rear-view mirror 1, a substantially spherical camera 21 is housed in a portion that does not face the existing mirror. A dome shape for accommodating the camera 21 is formed on the back side of the housing 10, and an adjustment hole 106 is provided on the top portion thereof to expose a protrusion 215 for adjusting the shooting direction of the camera. ..

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

If the protrusion 215 for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 is provided as shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, each time it becomes necessary to change the shooting direction, the fingertip or the like is not removed from the existing mirror. You can easily change the shooting direction with. Further, if the protrusion 215 is provided on the back surface side of the housing 10, it cannot be seen from the occupant side, so that there is almost no possibility of spoiling the appearance.
The other configurations and effects are the same as in Example 1.

Each of the above-described embodiments may be modified and combined. For example, with respect to the structure of the first embodiment, the structure of the rear-view camera 21 of the second embodiment may be provided at the right end of the rearview mirror 1 so that the rear can be photographed by two cameras and the front can also be photographed. .. In addition, the components described in each embodiment may be incorporated into other examples, or the technical concept described in the means for solving the problem may be applied.

(Example 3)
This example is a modified example based on Example 1 or Example 2.
For example, it is preferable that the liquid crystal display 30 for displaying image information is provided outside the housing 10 in which the rear camera 21 is built, and the vehicle room mirror suppresses the reflection of light by the liquid crystal display 30. In particular, in this vehicle rearview mirror, the liquid crystal display 30 is attached to the housing 10 in a foldable structure.
With such a vehicle room mirror, the image taken by the rear-view camera 21 can be confirmed on the liquid crystal display 30 only when it is desired to be viewed, and at other times, the liquid crystal display 30 may be placed in an inconspicuous position or the like. it can. Instead of the folding structure, the liquid crystal display 30 can be attached to the housing 10 with a sliding structure that can be taken out when needed.

Further, it is preferable to use a vehicle room mirror that transmits the image information between the image display means such as an external liquid crystal display for displaying the image information and the main body side having the rear camera 21 built-in by wireless communication. The external image display means may be a smartphone or the like, and wireless communication may be performed by, for example, Wi-Fi, for example, by transmitting an image captured by the rear imaging means to the smartphone and displaying the image received by the smartphone. ..
The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the other examples.

(Example 4)
This example is a modified example based on any one of Examples 1 to 3.
For example, a vehicle room mirror including a lighting means such as an LED that illuminates at least a part of the imaging range of the rear camera 21, and a lighting shielding means that blocks the line of sight from the occupant side of the vehicle to make the lighting means inconspicuous. Then it is good. For example, if a high-sensitivity infrared camera is adopted as the rear camera 21, the configuration does not require lighting means. However, if the configuration includes the lighting means and the lighting shielding means as described above, even if a general camera is used, for example, there is not enough brightness for imaging by the rear camera 21 such as at night. Even so, the range illuminated by the lighting means can be imaged more clearly. For example, when the rear camera 21 takes a picture of the inside of the vehicle, the shooting range may be set so that at least a part of the occupants in the car is taken.

As the lighting means, for example, it is preferable to use a means that emits light that is inconspicuous and difficult for humans to see. In particular, the rear camera 21 may have a sensitivity characteristic from the visible light region to the infrared region, and an infrared LED may be used as the lighting means.
The illumination shielding means may be plate-shaped or lens-shaped. In particular, it is preferable to cover the irradiation direction of the lighting means. When the illuminating means is configured to emit infrared light, it is preferable to cover it with a plate-shaped or lens-shaped object having a filter characteristic for passing infrared light.

Further, the illumination shielding means may be a shielding means that makes the rear camera 21 inconspicuous. The shielding means and the lighting shielding means may use the same member, and in particular, the shielding means and the lighting shielding means may be the same member. For example, an infrared LED may be used as the illumination means, and the shielding means and the illumination shielding means may include a rear camera 21 or the like, which is a rear imaging means, inside a half mirror of the same member. It becomes inconspicuous from the outside, and it becomes difficult for the person to be photographed to recognize that the illumination and the image are being taken.

Further, it is preferable to provide an incident suppressing means for suppressing the incident of the reflected light by the illumination shielding means on the image captured by the rear camera 21. For example, if the shielding means and the illumination shielding means also use the same member, for example, if the member is a half mirror, the illumination light of the illumination means is incident on the rear camera 21 as the reflected light by the half mirror. It has been found that the image in the imaging range cannot be obtained by the reflected light from the half mirror, and there is a problem that normal shooting cannot be performed. This problem is particularly remarkable when the shielding means and the lighting shielding means adopt the same member configuration.

Therefore, if the above-mentioned incident suppressing means is provided, the image of the imaging range of the rear camera 21 can be normally captured by the reflected light by the illumination shielding means.
The incident suppression means may have any configuration as long as it suppresses the incident light reflected by the illumination shielding means, but in particular, the space between the illumination means and the illumination shielding means and the shielding means from the rear camera 21. It is preferable to have a structure that optically partitions the space between them. For example, a shielding plate or the like may be provided between the two spaces. Further, it is preferable that the space between the two is separated by a distance longer than the distance at which the reflected light by the illumination shielding means is difficult to be incident.

The lighting shielding means may be arranged outside the shielding means. In particular, the lighting shielding means may be configured as a separate body from the shielding means.

The lighting shielding means may include at least one of an operation unit included in the vehicle rearview mirror and a dummy member visible in the operation unit included in the vehicle rearview mirror. With this configuration, it becomes difficult for the person to be photographed to recognize the existence of the lighting means.

Other configurations and actions and effects are the same as those of the other examples, but specific examples of the above configurations described in this example may be as follows.
(A) A configuration in which an infrared LED for lighting is arranged outside the 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 for passing infrared light in front of the infrared LED.
(C) A configuration in which a partition is provided between the plate-shaped or lens-shaped object and the mirror.
(D) An operation button or a dummy of the operation button is made of a resin or the like that transmits infrared light on the outside of the mirror, and is provided so that infrared light is emitted from the back of the button.

(Example 5)
This example is a modified example based on any one of Examples 1 to 4.
The vehicle rearview mirror of this example is provided with a fixing means for fixing the rear-view camera 21 instead of or together with the adjusting means for adjusting the shooting 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 by screwing or the like.

A configuration including fixing means for fixing the rear-view 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-view camera 21 for photographing the rear side. The vehicle rearview mirror is provided with a shielding means for blocking the line of sight from the occupant side of the vehicle to make the rear-view camera 21 inconspicuous.

For example, instead of the configuration of another embodiment, the adjustment means is housed in the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror without the adjustment means, and the camera is photographed in the normal direction of the mirror surface (perpendicular direction to the mirror surface). The camera may be mounted at an angle that deviates from the direction (for example, the optical axis of the camera). The rear-view mirror for vehicles adjusts the angle of the mirror surface so that the driver can see the rear. In that case, if 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 shoot the rear front as well.
The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the other examples.

(Example 6)
Each component in the above-described embodiment may be arbitrarily combined to form a device.
For example, each component described as suitable in any of the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined to form the device. In particular, the configuration may include at least one of these components. More preferably, the configuration may include a combination of these suitable components, and each component may be configured independently, but a device may be configured by combining two or more configurations of any one of the particularly suitable components. It exerts an excellent effect when it is configured.

For example, the configuration example may be as follows.
It is a rear-view mirror installed in the passenger compartment so that the driver can see the rear.
A first imaging means (for example, a front camera) that captures the front of the car,
It has a second imaging means (for example, a rear camera) that captures the interior and rear of the vehicle and a recording means that records images captured by both imaging means.
At least the second imaging means is arranged inside the housing of the rearview mirror.
Set the shooting angle of view and installation accuracy so that you can shoot both the occupant and the situation outside the vehicle from the rear window.
A shielding means that blocks the line of sight from the occupant side of the vehicle and makes the second imaging means inconspicuous.
Rearview mirror for vehicles equipped with.

Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail as in the examples, these specific examples merely disclose an example of the technology included in the claims. Needless to say, the scope of claims should not be construed in a limited manner depending on the composition and numerical values of specific examples. The scope of claims includes technologies that are variously modified, modified, or appropriately combined with the specific examples by utilizing known technologies, knowledge of those skilled in the art, and the like.

1 Vehicle room mirror 11 Case 130 Camera holding part 131, 135 Storage 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 (5)

It ’s a rear-view mirror for vehicles.
A housing that covers the mirror surface side of the existing rear-view mirror installed in the vehicle
A photographing means provided in a portion of the housing on the front side of the vehicle and for photographing the rear side of the vehicle, and
Rearview mirror for vehicles with. The vehicle rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein the photographing means takes an image through a hole formed in the housing. The photographing means has a camera holding unit that holds a camera that photographs the rear side of the vehicle.
The vehicle rearview mirror according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the camera holding portion is provided so that the shooting direction of the camera can be adjusted. The third aspect of claim 3 is an operation unit for changing the imaging direction of the photographing means, which has an operating unit that protrudes from the camera holding portion when viewed from the mirror surface side direction of the existing rearview mirror. Rearview mirror for vehicles. The photographing means is for photographing the front side and the rear side of the vehicle.
The vehicle interior mirror according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which can be changed in conjunction with the shooting direction on the front side and the shooting direction on the rear side.