JP2021121537A - Light irradiation system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a light irradiation system capable of efficiently lighting up over a range from a far location to a near location.SOLUTION: A camera unit 42 is mounted at a main body case 2 of a car room photographing camera 1 of a drive recorder, and an infrared LED 39A with a half value angle ± 10 degrees and an infrared LED 39B with a half value angle ± 60 degrees with lower radiation intensity relatively than that of the infrared LED 39A are arranged near the camera unit 42B as auxiliary lighting. Then, the main body case 2 is installed inside a front wind shield of a vehicle by a hanging bracket 3. In the case that photographing is performed with the camera unit 42, in particular, when the photographing is carried out in dark at night or the like, the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are applied as the auxiliary lighting to cause the infrared rays to be radiated to perform photographing. With this arrangement as above, a front seat side can be more clearly irradiated over a wide range and at the same time the rear seat can be clearly irradiated in spot.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a light irradiation system used to illuminate an object.

An example of a device to which a light irradiation system used for illuminating an object is applied is a drive recorder. Some drive recorders are installed in the vehicle and mainly record the image inside the vehicle. For example, this is for recording the inside of the vehicle when a traffic accident occurs, or in the vehicle during normal driving. It is intended to be used to monitor the appearance of people, such as the behavior of taxi passengers and drivers. Patent Document 1 is shown as an example of such a drive recorder. In the drive recorder of Patent Document 1, an in-vehicle photographing unit 10 is attached in the vicinity of the rearview mirror in the vehicle, and it is possible to photograph and record a wide area from the front seat to the rear seat. In an electronic camera as used in Patent Document 1, since the sensitivity of a light receiving element (CCD element or CMOS element) is limited, the amount of light is insufficient in a dark place such as at night, and a clear image cannot always be obtained. Therefore, a plurality of infrared LEDs 17 are arranged in the in-vehicle photographing unit 10 at positions adjacent to the infrared camera 15 so that a clear image can be photographed.

JP-A-2010-253987

However, as illustrated in Patent Document 1, in the prior art, the object to be imaged is simply irradiated with infrared rays in order to compensate for the insufficient amount of light required for photographing. For example, if many infrared light emitting elements are provided or if the radiation intensity of the infrared light emitting elements is increased to irradiate infrared rays, the object to be photographed will surely become bright and a clear image can be obtained. Providing an infrared ray or making it brighter indefinitely will increase power consumption and lead to higher cost. Further, when used with a high load, the life of a light emitting element such as an infrared LED tends to be shortened. Furthermore, since the power supply is limited, it may be used in an environment where unlimited power cannot be consumed in the first place. On the other hand, not all objects to be photographed must be illuminated with infrared rays of the same brightness. For example, a near object should be able to obtain a clear image even if the radiation intensity is not relatively large as compared with a distant object, but the intensity is small because the distance is short. Therefore, there has been a demand for a technique for efficiently illuminating a range required for illuminating an object to be photographed from a distance to a near distance with an appropriate amount of light. In the above, a drive recorder that irradiates infrared rays is taken as an example, but the same problem occurs when illuminating an object by using visible light or ultraviolet rays as well as infrared rays that cannot be recognized by the human eye. Further, in the case of visible light illumination, a shooting means such as a camera is not always an indispensable requirement.
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a light irradiation system capable of efficiently illuminating from a distant place to a near place.

In order to achieve the above object, the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means are provided as the first means, and the first light irradiating means is more than the second light irradiating means. It is preferable that the second light irradiating means can irradiate a wide range of light having a lower radiating intensity than the first light irradiating means.
With such a configuration, it is possible to illuminate the distant area with light having a high radiant intensity so that the required area in the distant area can be seen more clearly, and at the same time, the wide area in the near area is illuminated by light having a relatively low radiant intensity. Can be used to illuminate at a wide angle to see the near area more clearly in a wider area, allowing the user to simultaneously recognize the required range from the distance to the near area with appropriate brightness. In particular, it is preferable to appropriately set the irradiation intensity and the irradiation area of the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means in relation to the visual object and its relationship. According to such a configuration, power consumption can be efficiently consumed without waste. It is possible to make the required range visible while suppressing it.
The light irradiation system may be configured by combining a plurality of light irradiation means capable of irradiating a narrower range with increasing radiation intensities. For example, n light irradiation means are provided, the light irradiation means A illuminates the light having the lowest radiation intensity in the widest range, and the light irradiation means B narrows the light having a higher radiation intensity than the light irradiation means A. It is assumed that the light irradiation means C illuminates a range, and the light irradiation means C illuminates a light having a larger radiation intensity than the light irradiation means B in a narrower range ... The light irradiation means n has a radiation intensity higher than that of the light irradiation means n-1. It is better to illuminate a large light in a narrower area.
The number of light irradiation means having different radiation intensities and irradiation ranges provided in the light irradiation system may be the number of regions that require visual recognition. The area that requires visual recognition may be a position where the distance from the reference position is gradually different. As the positions that are stepwise different, for example, it is preferable that the positions have a difference of a predetermined value or more. In particular, it is preferable to provide the light irradiation means in association with a plurality of different irradiation target areas having a difference of a predetermined distance or more from the reference position. The reference position may be, for example, the position of any of the light irradiation means. For example, in a vehicle, when illuminating the rear passenger compartment with the reference position near the rear-view mirror, if the vehicle is a vehicle with two rows of front and rear seats, the light illuminating means A for illuminating the driver's seat and the passenger seat and the light for illuminating the rear seat. It is preferable to provide two light irradiation means with the irradiation means B. Further, for example, in the case of a vehicle having two rows of front and rear seats and a total of three rows of seats, the light irradiating means A that illuminates the driver's seat and the passenger seat and the light irradiating means B that illuminates the first rear seat behind the driver's seat. Further, it is preferable to provide three light irradiation means of the light irradiation means C for illuminating the second rear seat behind the back seat. There is a difference of more than a predetermined value in the distance from the reference position between the front and rear seats, and in such a case, this light irradiation system illuminates the person in each row of seats more reliably than before. be able to. In particular, it is preferable to set each irradiation range so that the irradiation range of the first light irradiation means to the nth light irradiation means has substantially the same width in each row. In this way, each row can be illuminated with the same width in the vehicle. However, when all the light irradiation means are installed in front of the driver's seat, the width of the irradiation range irradiated by the first light irradiation means is the width of the irradiation range in each row of the second and subsequent light irradiation means. It is recommended to set the width wider than the irradiation width. In particular, the driving situation of the driver should be widely illuminated, for example, to the driver's steering wheel operation and the vicinity of the feet, while the person in the back seat should be illuminated with the face and the like.

Here, the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means may be singular or plural, respectively. If there is no limit to the number, it will be easier to think of a design that will achieve optimum power efficiency, and it will be easier to support optical devices with various specifications. Further, the number of the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means may be the same or different, but if the numbers are the same, the arrangement balance is improved.
Further, as a specific light irradiation means, for example, an LED (light emitting diode) or an incandescent lamp is used. The same amount of light as an LED consumes less power than, for example, an incandescent lamp that is not an LED, and it is preferable that electricity is not wasted when power is supplied from a battery power source such as a vehicle. Further, since it contributes to compactness, it is advantageous for the user, for example, when installing the device in a narrow vehicle. In addition, since the power consumption is low, the power supply unit is less likely to generate heat, and especially when power is supplied by branching from the power supply unit on the other electronic device side, the power consumption is high. Good to use.

As the second means, the light emitted by the first light irradiating means has a half-value angle of ± 10 to 30 degrees, and the light emitted by the second light irradiating means has a half-value angle of ± 45 to 60 degrees. Is good.
The half-value angle is an angle at a position where the radiant intensity of light at the optical axis position is halved, and is a measure of light directivity. The half-value angle is indicated as an angle in the left-right (that is, ± direction) direction with respect to the optical axis. Since the light has such an angle, it is possible for the user to recognize a wide range from a distant place to a near side at the same time with a reasonable brightness. In particular, when irradiating light from a light irradiating means provided near the windshield in the vehicle, such a configuration can illuminate a wide range of people on the driver's seat / passenger's seat side and brighten the people in the rear seats. Can illuminate.

As a third means, the light emitted by the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means includes an infrared region, detects the infrared rays, and outputs the detected contents in a state in which a person can recognize them. It is preferable to provide an output means.
In this way, people can recognize areas that are needed both near and far, even at night. For example, the detection may be performed by a sensor or the like, particularly by using sensors arranged in a matrix, and by using, for example, an infrared camera. The output may be configured to determine, for example, whether or not the detection intensity is equal to or higher than a predetermined value and output, but for example, it may be converted into visible light and output. The output may be performed by, for example, voice, but may be performed by light.
The output may be performed in real time, but it is particularly preferable to record it and read out the recorded contents later. For example, it is preferable that the detection is performed by an infrared camera, the output is recorded as a camera image, and the later recorded image is reproduced and output on a monitor such as a personal computer.

As the fourth means, the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means are arranged close to each other, and the irradiation directions by the first and second light irradiation means are substantially the same. Is good.
In this way, the second irradiation region by the second light irradiation means is formed in the substantially central portion of the first irradiation region by the first light irradiation means. Therefore, in the entire irradiation area, the central portion can be visually recognized farther, and the peripheral portion can be widely visually recognized in the vicinity.

As a fifth means, the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means can be installed so as to irradiate the vehicle interior from a position in front of the vehicle, and the first light irradiation means is operated in the vehicle. The irradiation range and irradiation intensity that illuminate the rear seats far from the seats in a spot, and the second light irradiation means may be the irradiation range and irradiation intensity that illuminate the vicinity including the driver's seat and the passenger seat at a wide angle. good.
In this way, the user (for example, a taxi driver or a taxi company) can firmly check the area around the face of the person sitting in the back seat, and at the same time, the person sitting in the front seat (driver). And the whole situation of the person sitting in the passenger seat) can be confirmed firmly.

As a sixth means, the front surfaces of the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means are allowed to transmit infrared rays radiated from the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means. At the same time, a cover body that absorbs or reflects visible light may be arranged so that the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means are not visible to the naked eye.
As a result, the user can directly visually confirm the first and second light irradiation means, and is less aware that the first and second light irradiation means are located at the positions. In addition, since the third party does not notice it, it is possible to avoid the trouble of the user being pointed out by the third party. In particular, it is preferable to use a cover body that can transmit infrared rays and blocks visible light.

As a seventh means, a photographing means capable of photographing at least a part of the area including the region irradiated by the first light irradiation means and the region irradiated by the second light irradiation means is provided. It is good to be there.
As a result, the user can confirm the illuminated area by irradiating the light at a position different from the position where the object is irradiated, or can confirm it later by recording the photographed result. The captured image may be displayed in real time, for example, but it is particularly preferable that the recorded image is reproduced and displayed later.

As the eighth means, the photographing direction of the photographing means may be the irradiation direction of the light irradiated by the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means.
As a result, the shooting direction faces the object illuminated by the light emitted by the first and second light irradiation means, and the object illuminated by the reflection of light can be photographed most efficiently. , The user can see the shot video in good condition.
As a ninth means, the first and second light irradiation means are in the vicinity of the photographing means, and the light irradiation direction by the first and second light irradiation means and the photographing direction by the photographing means are substantially the same direction. It should be.

As a tenth means, the light emitted by the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means is infrared rays, and together with the photographing means, the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means. May be placed in the vehicle.
Since the light emitted by the first and second light irradiation means is infrared rays, the user or a third party does not know that the light is being irradiated, and it may be in a dim room or at night. However, it can be recorded as a captured image. The interior may be, for example, the interior of a vehicle. This is because the size of the interior of the vehicle is within the specified range.

As the eleventh means, the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means may be mounted in a housing in which the photographing means is mounted.
Since it can be moved or installed in units of housing, work efficiency at the time of user installation is improved.
As a twelfth means, the housing may have a structure supported by a support member, and the support member may be connected to the housing at a position inside the width of the housing.
As a result, the amount of protrusion of the support member to the outside is reduced, and the size can be reduced. As a result, even when the user installs the product in a narrow space, for example, in a vehicle, the installation location can be increased and it is less likely to be disturbed. In addition, since the position is located inside the width of the support member, interference with the support member occurs when the housing is swung when the housing or the member on the housing side is wide and greatly overhangs outward. Since it becomes difficult and the amount of swing increases, when the user installs it in a certain place, a margin is created in the range where the housing can be displaced, and it becomes possible to irradiate light in various directions.
As a thirteenth means, the housing has a structure supported by a support member, and the support member may be connected to a position protruding toward the rear side of the housing.
Since the irradiation positions of the first and second light irradiation means are arranged further forward, the light can easily reach a long distance. Further, since the position of the support member is arranged behind the housing, when the housing or the member on the housing side is wide and greatly overhangs outward, the support member and the support member are used when swinging the housing. Interference is less likely to occur and the amount of swing increases, so when the user installs it in a certain place, there is a margin in the range where the housing can be displaced, and it is possible to irradiate light in various directions. ..

As the fourteenth means, it is preferable not to arrange the first or second light irradiation means within the angle of view of the photographing means.
As a result, the user does not see the captured image in which the unnecessary first or second light irradiation means is reflected, and can see only the image in which only the object to be viewed is reflected.
As a fifteenth means, it is preferable not to arrange the first or second light irradiation means in front of the lens surface of the photographing means.
As a result, the user does not see the captured image in which the unnecessary first or second light irradiation means is reflected, and can see only the image in which only the object to be viewed is reflected.
As the sixteenth means, it is preferable to make the angle of view of the photographing means of the photographing means larger than the half-value angle of the light emitted by the second light irradiation means.
As a result, the user can always see the area irradiated by the light irradiation means, and there is no problem that the illuminated object is not an image.

As a seventeenth means, the photographing means may be covered with the cover body together with the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means.
As a result, the user does not directly visually recognize the photographing means together with the first and second light irradiating means, and is less aware that the photographing means and the first and second light irradiating means are located at the position. In addition, since the third party does not notice it, it is possible to avoid the trouble of the user being pointed out by the third party. In particular, the fact that the image is taken by the photographing means is not always favorably understood by a third party, so it is good that the lens or the like is not directly visible because it is covered with the cover body in this way.

As the eighteenth means, the light irradiation means includes a light irradiation means Y that makes it easier to see visible light than the light irradiation means X, and a light irradiation means X that makes it harder to see visible light than the light irradiation means Y. When Y is composed of a plurality of light sources, it is preferable that the lens of the photographing means is not sandwiched between the light sources.
By doing so, it is possible to make it difficult to recognize the existence of the photographing means.
As a nineteenth means, the light irradiation means includes a light irradiation means Y that makes it easier to see visible light than the light irradiation means X, and a light irradiation means X that makes it harder to see visible light than the light irradiation means Y. When the Y is composed of a plurality of light sources, the light sources may be arranged substantially horizontally.
By doing so, it is possible to solve the problem that something shining at an oblique position can be seen and there is a sense of discomfort. In particular, it is preferable to arrange the light sources so as to be substantially horizontal and not to sandwich the lens. In particular, the first light irradiating means may be the light irradiating means Y, and the second light irradiating means may be the light irradiating means X.

As the twentieth means, when the number of the first light irradiating means is a plurality, it is preferable not to arrange the first light irradiating means at a position where the lens of the photographing means is obliquely sandwiched.
The infrared rays from the first light irradiation means have a higher radiation intensity than the infrared rays from the second light irradiation means, and when the infrared rays include near infrared rays, even if they are covered with a cover body, a person Since it may be perceived as red by the eyes, the existence of the first light irradiation means may be known. In that case, if a plurality of (for example, two) first light irradiation means are arranged at an oblique position, it may give an unstable impression, and may give an impression that something is in between. .. In particular, the fact that the image is taken by the means of photography is not always understood favorably by a third party, so it is good for the user that there is no such impression. Therefore, when a plurality of first light irradiation means are arranged, the lens of the photographing means is not arranged at a position where the lens is obliquely sandwiched, so that the suspicion of a third party is less likely to occur.

As the 21st means, it is preferable to provide a means for hiding a portion where the presence of the photographing means can be visually recognized from the subject to be photographed by the photographing means.
This makes it difficult for the photographing means to be visually recognized, so that it is difficult to understand that the image is being photographed. As a part where the existence of the photographing means can be visually recognized, it is particularly preferable to use the lens of the photographing means. Passengers are particularly good as the target persons to be visually recognized.
As the 22nd means, at least a part of the concealing means may be provided with a portion that mimics an object existing in the vehicle.
By doing so, the hidden unnaturalness is reduced, and the shooting means becomes more difficult to understand from the subject. As a mode of mimicking the part to be mimicked, for example, a speaker of a vehicle, an air outlet of an air conditioner, a mirror, or the like may be used, but in particular, an object existing in the vicinity of the mounting position of the photographing means may be mimicked. For example, when the photographing means is attached in the vicinity of the rear-view mirror, the part to be mimicked may mimic the mirror.

As a 23rd means, the mimicking part may be a part for human viewing.
By doing so, it is possible to gather the line of sight and make it easier for the subject's face to be photographed by the photographing means. For example, it may be a rear-view mirror or a cosmetic mirror.
As a twelfth means, the object existing in the vehicle may have a variable direction, and the mimicking portion may also have a variable direction.
With this configuration, the mimicking portion in the vehicle can be displaced in various directions and set at a position suitable for use by the occupant.
As a 25th means, the side of the concealing means may be detachable from the side of the photographing means.
As a result, it is possible to remove the concealing means when the installation location is narrow or when it is not necessary to use it. Further, the member on the side of the concealing means can be sold as an optional part, for example, so that only those who need it can purchase and install it, and those who do not need it do not need to purchase it.
As the 26th means, the fixing force of the means for changing the shooting direction of the photographing means may be stronger than the fixing force of the means for changing the direction of the hiding means.
As a result, the problem that the shooting direction of the once fixed shooting means is inadvertently moved by operating the hiding means is unlikely to occur. In particular, the direction of the concealing means is a fixing force that can be changed by hand, and the means for changing the shooting direction may be a mechanical fixing force such as a screw or a clamp that is difficult to move even if it is moved by hand.

As a 27th means, a second cover body is detachably arranged on at least the front surface of the lens of the photographing means so as not to interfere with the photographing function of the photographing means and to prevent the photographing means from being visually recognized by the naked eye. It is good to do.
As a result, it is possible to take a picture even if the second cover body is arranged in front of the photographing means, and at least the lens of the photographing means is not visible, so that it is difficult to understand that the image is being taken. Further, since it is removable, it can be removed when the inside of the vehicle is narrow or when it is not necessary to use it in order to dispose of the second cover body. "It is difficult to interfere with the photographing function" means, for example, that the second cover body absorbs or reflects visible light so that the photographing means cannot be seen with the naked eye, and in that case, photography is possible. It is good to transmit visible light to a certain extent. As "difficult to interfere with the photographing function", for example, a configuration "does not interfere with the photographing function" is most desirable.
As the 28th means, the second cover body is arranged in front of the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means, and from the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means. It is good to transmit the irradiated infrared rays.
As a result, since the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means are not visually recognized, it is difficult to understand that the light irradiating means for photographing the inside of the vehicle is not found and the image is taken as a result. Further, when the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means are arranged in the vicinity of the photographing means, they can be hidden together with the photographing means by one second cover body, which makes it compact. To contribute.

As the 29th means, it is preferable to support the second cover body with respect to the housing on which the photographing means is mounted.
As a result, a member separate from the housing is not required to support the second cover body, and the mounting work can be performed at the same time as the housing is mounted, so that the labor of mounting can be saved.
As the thirtieth means, the second cover body is held so as to be relatively displaceable with respect to the housing, and the holding state at a specific position is maintained without being displaced unless an external force equal to or higher than a predetermined value is applied. It is good to be.
That is, the second cover body can change its position with respect to the housing, for example, by swinging or rotating, but at the same time, it must be able to stop at a certain set position. Therefore, if the configuration is such that the holding state is maintained without being displaced unless an external force exceeding a predetermined value is applied, a means such as a screw for fixing at that position is not required separately. It can be freely and easily placed in the optimum position without loosening or tightening screws or the like.
In addition, this holding force is such that the temporarily set stop position does not shift due to slight shaking or its own weight, and the holding force is such that it can be displaced by operating with a force equal to or higher than a predetermined value. Is good. For example, it is preferable that the holding force is such that the position does not shift due to the vibration of the vehicle when placed in the vehicle, and the position can be easily changed by one hand. For example, it is preferable to express the holding force by the frictional force.

As the 31st means, a universal joint mechanism is configured between the housing side and the second cover body side, and the second cover body is displaced relative to the housing by the universal joint mechanism. It should be possible.
By providing such a mechanism, the second cover body can be oriented in any direction with respect to the housing, and even if the shooting direction is constant in the shooting means, only the second cover body can be directed to, for example, a rearview mirror. It can be reoriented for use in cosmetic mirrors.
The universal joint mechanism may have, for example, a configuration in which the circumference of the sphere is surrounded by a surrounding body having the same curve as the sphere. The sphere and the surrounding body may be on either the housing side or the second cover side. The surrounding body is often divided into two parts to surround the sphere, and in that case, it is composed of three or more parts regardless of whether it is divided into two parts in the front-rear direction or two parts in the left-right direction. You may do so. Further, the sphere may not be a perfect sphere but may be composed of only a part of the sphere.

As the 32nd means, the universal joint mechanism may have a holding means for holding the second cover body at a predetermined holding position with respect to the housing by friction.
With such a configuration, it is not necessary to use a means such as a screw to hold the screw in a certain position, and the optimum orientation can be freely adjusted without loosening the screw or the like, so that the operation is easy. Therefore, the holding position once determined does not get out of order due to some shaking or its own weight. This holding force should be such that the temporarily set stop position does not shift due to slight shaking or its own weight, and the holding force is such that it can be displaced by operating with a force equal to or higher than a predetermined value. .. For example, it is preferable that the holding force is such that the position does not shift due to the vibration of the vehicle when placed in the vehicle, and the position can be easily changed by one hand.
As the holding means for applying friction, a protruding member that comes into contact with the surface of the sphere with pressure may be used, and the material of the surrounding body itself is not slippery, for example, a material such as elastic rubber is used to generate friction on the contact surface. It may be anything.
The holding means for applying friction may be formed inside the surrounding body surrounding the sphere. This is because the sphere can be surrounded by the surrounding body and at the same time, friction can be applied to the universal joint mechanism.
When the surrounding body is configured as a divided body and a holding means is provided inside the divided body, when the divided body is assembled to surround the sphere, the divided body is assembled with the assembly of the divided body. It is preferable that the holding means is deformed and pressed against the sphere by the pressing force generated by the deformation. As a result, friction can be applied between the second cover body and the housing as the split body is assembled to construct the universal joint mechanism.
The enclosure should be flexible and reasonably elastic. This is because, in particular, when the holding means is provided inside the surrounding body, it can be deformed and urged to give a frictional force. In order to give flexibility and appropriate elasticity to a hard material, for example, it is preferable to deform the shape so that it is easy to bend. For example, it is preferable to partially form a slit. Further, it is preferable to use a flexible material, for example, a material such as nylon or elastic rubber.

As the 33rd means, the housing has a structure supported by the support member, and the universal joint mechanism may be arranged in front of the support member.
As a result, the second cover body can be arranged so as to project further forward, and is separated from the mounting surface of the housing, so that it is less likely to interfere with the surroundings particularly when the housing is operated significantly.
Further, as another technical idea that can be grasped from the 30th to 33rd means, the housing is used as the first device and the second cover body is used as the second device for devices other than drive recorders and light irradiation systems. It is possible to apply.

As the 34th means, it may be connected to another electronic device and controlled by the control means on the other electronic device side.
As a result, the object can be illuminated by control from other electronic devices without the need for a unique control means. Further, when the photographing means is provided, the photographing can be executed under the control of another electronic device, and the captured image can be recorded. As a result, it is possible to control together with other electronic devices by using only a single control means, which contributes to cost reduction. In addition, since the user can set at the same time as the setting on the other electronic device side without performing a separate setting operation, the setting operation is simplified and it is easy to use.
As the 35th means, power may be supplied by branching from the power supply unit on the other electronic device side.
This eliminates the need for a separate power supply and reduces the hassle of installation for the user. Also, for example, in vehicles, cigar lighters are often used to supply power to electronic devices, but if there are multiple power supply units, it will be necessary to prepare a separate cigar socket or a special bifurcated cigar socket. However, there is no such trouble.

According to the invention of each of the above claims, it is possible to provide a light irradiation system capable of efficiently illuminating from a distant place to a near place.

The exploded perspective view which shows by removing the bracket for mounting the camera for vehicle interior photography of the drive recorder of embodiment which concerns on this invention. A side view of a camera for in-vehicle photography of a drive recorder of the same embodiment. An exploded perspective view of a camera for in-vehicle photography of a drive recorder of the same embodiment. Perspective view from the back side of the cover panel. The perspective view from the back side of the 1st case piece. The rear view of the vehicle interior photography camera of the drive recorder of the same embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. The schematic diagram explaining the connection relationship between the camera for vehicle interior photography of the drive recorder of embodiment, and the drive recorder. The block diagram explaining the electrical composition about the camera for car interior photography of the live recorder of embodiment, and the drive recorder. The photographed image of Example 1 photographed using the drive recorder of the embodiment. The photographed image of Example 2 photographed using the drive recorder of the embodiment. The photographed image of Example 3 photographed using the drive recorder of the embodiment. The photographed image of Comparative Example 1 photographed by changing the infrared LED of the drive recorder of the embodiment. The photographed image of Comparative Example 2 photographed by changing the infrared LED of the drive recorder of an embodiment. The perspective view of the drive recorder of the same embodiment in the vehicle interior photography camera with the mirror device attached. An exploded perspective view of the main body of the mirror device. Perspective view of the fixing ring of the mirror device. (A) is a side view for explaining how to attach (or remove) the mirror device to the camera for shooting inside the vehicle, and (b) is a side view showing the same attached state. A broken side view of the main body and the fixing ring constituting the mirror device. Explanatory drawing explaining the concept of a fixing ring.

Hereinafter, a drive recorder for photographing the inside of a vehicle, which is an embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, the schematic configuration of the vehicle interior photographing camera of the drive recorder will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. The vehicle interior shooting camera 1 (hereinafter referred to as camera 1) of the drive recorder of the present embodiment is composed of a main body case 2 and a hanging bracket 3 as a support member attached to the outer periphery of the main body case 2. There is. In the following description, the left side of FIG. 2 will be referred to as the front side, and the upper side of FIG. 6 will be referred to as the upper side.
The main body case 2 is configured by combining a pair of front and rear first and second case pieces 2A and 2B. First, the configuration of the first case piece 2A side will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 7, etc., the first case piece 2A made of super heat-resistant ABS resin has a bowl-shaped outer shape, and has a curved and extended cross section so as to be convex outward. The basic skeleton is formed by a first bowl-shaped portion 4 having a circular outer circumference and a front plate 5 composed of a disk-shaped body formed at a position slightly retracted from the front end of the first bowl-shaped portion 4. There is. A circular lens through hole 5a is formed in the center of the front plate 5. A circle with a diameter smaller than that of the lens through hole 5a at a position equidistant from the edge of the through hole 5a and displaced by 90 degrees (a square position surrounding the through hole 5a) around the lens through hole 5a. 4 small through holes 5b are formed.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, a very shallow recess 6 is formed on the front surface of the front plate 5. A small projecting piece 7 is formed as a positioning member at the lower center position in the recess 6. As shown in FIG. 5, three cylindrical shapes serving as screw receivers on the back surface of the front plate 5 inside the first case piece 2A and adjacent to the inner wall surface of the first bowl-shaped portion 4. Stud 8 is formed. A screw hole is formed at the tip of each stud 8. Two studs 8 are arranged horizontally in the vicinity of the small through hole 5b on the upper side, and one stud 8 is arranged at a position evenly offset by 120 degrees at the lower center position. A stud 9 is formed as a positioning member at the upper center position on the inside of the first case piece 2A and adjacent to the inner wall surface of the first bowl-shaped portion 4. A small hole is formed at the tip of the stud 9. Substrate mounting screw holes 10 are formed on both sides of the lens through hole 5a.

Next, the configuration of the second case piece 2B side will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 3, 6, 7, and the like, the second case piece 2B made of super heat-resistant ABS resin has a second bowl having a circular outer circumference that is curved and extended so as to be convex outward. The basic skeleton is formed by the mold portion 11, the protruding wall portion 12 extending substantially cylindrically from the rear of the second bowl-shaped portion 11, and the rear surface plate 13 having a substantially circular outer shape that closes the rear of the protruding wall portion 12. Has been done. A pair of left and right bracket bearings 14 projecting rearward are formed on the rear plate 13. A through hole 16 for a cable is formed at a position slightly downward from the rear plate 13. The upper region of the cable through hole 16 on the back surface of the rear plate 13 is a label attachment surface 13a having a rectangular shape with rounded corners, and a label on which information such as the model number of the camera 1 is written (FIG. (Not shown) is pasted.
Three guide grooves 15 recessed in a semicircular cross section are formed on the outer periphery from the protruding wall portion 12 to the rear surface plate 13 at positions evenly offset by 120 degrees in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 7, each guide groove 15 communicates with the internal space of the stud 18 projecting forward from the back surface of the second bowl-shaped portion 11, and a small through hole 19 is formed at the front end of each stud 18. ing. The studs 18 on the side of the second case piece 2B correspond to the studs 8 on the side of the first case piece 2A. A small protrusion 20 is formed as a positioning member at the upper center position on the inside of the second case piece 2B and adjacent to the inner wall surface of the second bowl-shaped portion 11. The small protrusion 20 corresponds to the stud 9 on the side of the first case piece 2A.

The pair of bracket bearings 14 are hollow protrusions, and the outer peripheral shape of the cross section thereof is formed in an arch shape. The flat outer surface 14a of the bracket bearing 14 is designed to be integrated with the protruding wall portion 12. A shaft hole 17 for a knob that communicates with the internal space is opened on the outer side surface 14a. As shown in FIG. 6, the bracket bearings 14 are arranged at both ends at the center position in the vertical direction of the second case piece 2B, and the axial direction connecting the left and right knob shaft holes 17 is the diameter direction of the rear plate 13. Arranged to match. As shown in FIGS. 3, 7, and 8, the internal space of the bracket bearing 14 is divided into a nut accommodating portion 23 and a relief portion 24 separated by a partition wall 22. The nut accommodating portion 23 and the relief portion 24 are opened toward the front of the second case piece 2B. The partition wall 22 is formed with a circular through hole 22a whose center coincides with the knob shaft hole 17. At the bottom position (rear position) of the nut accommodating portion 23, an engaging surface 23a corresponding to the hexagonal shape of the nut 61, which will be described later, is formed in which three positions are chamfered at an angle of 120 degrees. Studs 25 provided with screw holes for attaching cable holders are formed on both sides of the rear plate 13 and sandwiching the through holes 16 for cables.

In the first case piece 2A and the second case piece 2B having the above configuration, the ends of the first bowl-shaped portion 4 and the second bowl-shaped portion 11 are connected to each other, respectively, and the first case The main body case 2 is formed by fastening the stud 8 on the piece 2A side and the stud 18 on the second case piece 2B side with screws 30 in a collated state. At the time of fastening, the screw 30 advances while being guided by the guide groove 15 on the second case piece 2B side, and is screwed into the screw hole on the stud 8 side through the small through hole 19 of the stud 18. ..
Further, since the ends of the first bowl-shaped portion 4 and the second bowl-shaped portion 11 have a perfect circular shape, the correct relative connection positions of the first case piece 2A and the second case piece 2B in the circumferential direction are obtained. Is difficult to understand. Therefore, by engaging the small protrusion 20 on the second case piece 2B side with the stud 9 on the first case piece 2A side at the time of connection, the first bowl-shaped portion 4 and the second bowl-shaped portion 11 can be connected. Relative positioning in the circumferential direction. With the small protrusion 20 engaged with the stud 9, the stud 8 on the first case piece 2A side and the stud 18 on the second case piece 2B side, which are in a corresponding relationship, are collated. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in a state where the first and second case pieces 2A and 2B are combined to form the main body case 2, the first bowl-shaped portion 4 and the second bowl are formed. The connecting surfaces of the mold portion 6 are smoothly connected, and a part of a spherical surface (spherical band shape) having a predetermined curvature is formed on the outer circumference of the main body case 2. This spherical band shape has a curved surface that has the largest diameter at the connection position between the first bowl-shaped portion 4 and the second bowl-shaped portion 6 and narrows in the front-rear direction.

Next, the constituent members of the camera 1 arranged inside and outside the main body case 2 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the optical characteristic of transmitting infrared rays without transmitting (that is, absorbing) light in the visible light region into the recess 6 formed in the front plate 5 of the first case piece 2A. The black cover panel 33 is arranged. The cover panel 33 is a ring-shaped plate having a circular lens through hole 33a having the same diameter as the lens through hole 5a formed in the center. A small notch 34 is formed at the lower position of the cover panel 33 as a positioning member. As shown in FIG. 4, a sticking surface 35 made of double-sided tape is formed on the back surface of the cover panel 33. The cover panel 33 is attached to the front surface of the front plate 5 by the attachment surface 35. Four hollow portions 35a are formed on the sticking surface 35. The hollow portion 35a is a portion on which the tape is not arranged and is a portion that retains the light transmission characteristic of the cover panel 33. When arranging the cover panel 33 in the recess 6, the cover panel 33 is arranged in the recess 6 so that the small protrusions 7 formed on the recess 6 side are engaged with the small notch 34. With such a positional relationship, the hollow portion 35a is arranged at a position facing the four small through holes 5b of the front plate 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, a first substrate 37 is arranged in the main body case 2 at a position on the back surface of the first case piece 2A. The first substrate 37 is attached by screws 38 through the substrate mounting screw holes 10.
The first substrate 37 has a substantially octagonal plate-like shape, and a total of three locations, two on the left and right on the upper side and one on the center of the lower end, are formed in a notch shape to form a three-point support portion 37a. There is. When the screw 38 is fastened to the screw hole 10, the first substrate 37 comes into contact with the outer periphery of the stud 8 on the side of the first case piece 2A to which the three three-point support portions 37a correspond to each other. A lens through hole 37a having a diameter slightly larger than that of the lens through hole 5a of the first case piece 2A is formed in the center of the first substrate 37. Four infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are arranged around the lens through hole 37a.
The infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are arranged at positions corresponding to the above four small through holes 5b, and are similarly displaced by 90 degrees at equal distances from the edge of the through holes 37a around the lens through holes 37a. It is placed in position. That is, two infrared LEDs 39A are arranged horizontally above the four infrared LEDs 39A and 39B, and two infrared LEDs 39B are arranged horizontally below the LED 39A, that is, two rows and two columns of matrix elements are arranged. It is arranged so that it is in a position.
The infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are arranged so as to face the four small through holes 5b formed in the first case piece 2A, and are close to each other within a range not exceeding the front surface of the front plate 5 (in the present embodiment, the front surface). (Advance to 0.4 mm rear from the rear surface of the plate 5) is arranged. The two infrared LEDs 39A (first LED) arranged on the upper side are light sources having a role of illuminating a narrow range with a large radiant intensity, and in the present embodiment, those having a half-value angle of ± 10 degrees were used. The two infrared LEDs 39B (second LED) arranged on the lower side are light sources that illuminate a relatively wide range with a relatively small radiant intensity with respect to the infrared LED 39A, and in the present embodiment, the half-value angle ± The one of 60 degrees was used. The infrared LEDs 39A and 39B serve as auxiliary lighting for shooting in a dimly lit room or at night.

As shown in FIG. 3, a second substrate 40 is arranged behind the first substrate 37. The second substrate 40 is sandwiched between the stud 8 of the first case piece 2A and the stud 18 of the second case piece 2B. That is, as the first case piece 2A and the second case piece 2B are fastened by the screw 30, the studs 8 and 18 are relatively close to each other, and the second substrate 40 is fixed.
The second substrate 40 has a substantially octagonal plate-like shape, and is connected to the first substrate 37 by a connector. ing. A pair of left and right through holes 41 that allow the passage of the screw 30 are formed above the first substrate 37 of the second substrate 40 (only the front side is shown in FIG. 3). The formation position of the through hole 41 is a position corresponding to two three-point support portions 37a located above the first substrate 37 side. A camera unit 42 is arranged on the front surface of the second substrate 40. The camera unit 42 is an electronic camera that uses, for example, a CCD element or a CMOS element as a light receiving element, and has a sensitivity in the visible light to infrared region. The camera unit 42 is composed of a camera base 42A and a lens unit 42B in which a control circuit and the like are arranged. The lens unit 42B is a wide-angle lens composed of a lens group and having an angle of view of 180 degrees.
In the state of being arranged in the main body case 2, the lens portion 42B has a lens through hole 37a of the first substrate 37, a lens through hole 5a of the first case piece 2A, and a lens through hole 33a of the cover panel 33, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tip of the lens protrudes slightly forward of the cover panel 33 (in the present embodiment, the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are 6 mm from the front surface and 4.7 mm from the front surface of the cover panel 33). The optical axis of the lens in the lens unit 42B is arranged parallel to the front direction in which the emitted infrared rays are directed. Although the wide-angle lens of the lens unit 42B actually causes a large aberration at such an advance position, it is possible to photograph an object up to about 210 degrees. However, the position is limited so that the main body case 2 (first case piece 2A) is not photographed in the video.

As shown in FIG. 3, a cable holder 45 is arranged behind the second substrate 40. The cable holder 45 has the appearance of a horizontally long baseball home base, and is made of a synthetic rubber material. At the center of the cable holder 45, an engaging protrusion 47 that bulges hemispherically toward the rear is formed. A through hole 48 for a cable is formed at a position where the engaging protrusion 47 is formed. Slits 49 are formed downward from the through hole 48, and screw holes 50 are formed at the left and right positions of the through hole 48. The cable holder 45 is fixed by the screw 51 by collating the screw hole 50 with the stud 25 on the second case piece 2B side in a state where the engaging protrusion 47 is fitted into the through hole 16 for the cable from the inside. There is. With the cable holder 45 fixed, the nut accommodating portion 23 and the relief portion 24 formed at the rearmost portion on the second case piece 2B side are arranged at the open front positions of the nut accommodating portion 23. The stored nut 61 is prevented from falling off. A cable 53 is inserted through the through hole 48 of the cable holder 45 and is connected to the first and second substrates 37 and 40 on the distal end side (only a part of the cable 53 is shown in FIG. 3). The cable 53 can be arranged at the through hole 48 position while expanding the slit 49.

Next, the constituent members related to the attachment of the hanging bracket 3 attached to the main body case 2 to the main body case 2 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, a hanging bracket 3 is attached to a bracket bearing 14 formed on the second case piece 2B side of the main body case 2. The alloy hanging bracket 3 is composed of a top plate portion 55 to which double-sided tape as a fixing member is attached and a hanging plate portion 56 that hangs down from both ends of the top plate portion 55. The hanging plate portion 56 is formed in a substantially right-angled triangular shape. A mounting hole 57 is formed near the tip of the hanging plate portion 56. Since the hanging plate portion 56 is formed to be tapered so that the meat on the rear side is scraped off, the mounting hole 57 is formed at a position offset forward with respect to the top plate portion 55.

Such a hanging bracket 3 is attached to the main body case 2 as follows.
The left and right hanging plate portions 56 of the hanging bracket 3 can be rotated relative to the second case piece 2B by a fixing knob 60 via a toothed washer 58 and a flat washer 59. Be attached. The fixing knob 60 as a connecting means is composed of a knob portion 60a and a screw portion 60b. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the toothed washer 58 and the flat washer 59 are arranged so as to collate with the mounting hole 57 on the outer surface of the hanging plate portion 56 (the flat washer 59 is on the outside), and the screw of the fixing knob 60 is used. These three members (hanging plate portion 56, toothed washer 58, flat washer 59) are inserted through the portion 60b, and the tip thereof is inserted into the knob shaft hole 17 formed on the outer surface 14a of the bracket bearing 14. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the nut 61 is housed in the nut accommodating portion 23 in the bracket bearing 14 in a state of being engaged with the engaging surface 23a. Further, the nut 61 is sandwiched between the outer wall of the bracket bearing 14 and the partition wall 22. Therefore, the nut 61 does not move (displace) when a load is applied in either the thrust direction or the radial direction. In this state, the knob portion 60a is operated to advance the screw portion 60b while screwing it into the nut 61, so that the hanging plate portion 56 is firmly between the knob portion 60a and the outer surface 14a by the cooperative action with the nut 61. Will be sandwiched. The straight line connecting the axes of the left and right fixing knobs 60 (that is, the rotation axis of the hanging bracket 3) is orthogonal to the optical axis of the lens in the lens portion 42B.
As shown by the virtual line in FIG. 2, the hanging bracket 3 has the top plate portion 55 arranged above (the position of the virtual line in FIG. 2), and the top plate portion 55 is the position of the bracket bearing 14. Since it is extended to the rear side, the top plate portion 55 does not get in the way when the main body case 2 swings upward (in the direction of arrow S in FIG. 2). Further, in this state, if the top plate portion 55 is not advanced to the front side of the knob portion 60a and the top plate portion 55 is in the horizontal state, even if the hanging bracket 3 falls backward from that state. The hanging bracket 3 is always arranged at the rear position of the main body case 2 (that is, even if it swings in the solid line direction from the virtual line state), and the mirror device 75 interferes even when the mirror device 75 described later is attached. It is possible to secure a sufficient swing region so as not to prevent it.

As shown in FIG. 9, the camera 1 is connected to an integrated drive recorder 65, which is a master unit of the camera 1, as another electronic device by a cable 53. The drive recorder 65 is attached to the windshield and photographs the front-outward direction of the vehicle. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the camera 1 and the drive recorder 65. The configuration that is not directly related to the present embodiment is not shown.
On the drive recorder 65 side, the controller MC as a control means and the regulator R that steps down the 12V power supply voltage supplied from the power supply (here, a cigarette lighter is used) to a predetermined constant voltage and supplies it to the load side (that is, an external device). Is housed in the housing 66. An outside surveillance camera unit 67, an A / D converter 68, a G sensor 69, an SD card reader / writer 70, and the like are connected to the controller MC. Further, the camera unit 42 of the camera 1 on the slave unit side, the A / D converter 71, the infrared LEDs 39A, 39B, and the like are connected, respectively. Further, the regulator R supplies power to an external device housed in both the controller MC, the drive recorder 65, and the camera 1.
The controller MC is composed of a well-known CPU, a memory such as ROM and RAM, a microcomputer provided with a timer, and the like. According to the instruction of the controller MC, the images of both the outer surveillance camera unit 67 and the camera unit 42 are digitally converted by the A / D converters 68 and 71, and predetermined image processing is executed based on the program in the ROM. The controller MC sequentially stores the acquired image data in the RAM during normal operation, and when the predetermined storage area is full in the RAM, the controller MC returns to the beginning of the storage area and overwrites the image data newly. go. Then, when the G sensor 69 detects a predetermined acceleration value (that is, when it is determined that some accident event has occurred), the image data at the timing before and after the event is transferred to the SD memory card by the SD card reader / writer 70. Have them record.

The camera 1 configured as described above is mounted together with the drive recorder 65, for example, inside the windshield of a vehicle. Specifically, the top plate portion 55 of the hanging bracket 3 is attached to the inside of the windshield with double-sided tape, and the main body case 2 is suspended so that the optical axis of the lens portion 42 faces the inside of the vehicle, and is appropriately fixed. The main body case 2 is swung around the knob 60 position as the center of rotation to determine the shooting direction.
An example of the most preferable position for mounting the camera 1 is the upper position of the windshield in front of the passenger seat. However, it is also possible to set it at another position, for example, the upper position of the windshield at an intermediate position between the driver's seat and the passenger seat, or conversely, the lower position of the windshield.
When setting the shooting direction, it is preferable to target the position where the infrared LED 39A on the upper side, which has strong directivity (that is, is bright only in a narrow range), is irradiated. The user aims at the rear seat where the upper infrared LED 39A is seen between the driver's seat and the passenger seat near the height of the headrest of the front seat, keeping in mind that the passenger is seated in the rear seat. This is an operation that sets the upper body of the passengers in the back seats, especially around the face, so that they can be seen clearly. Since the optical axis of the lens in the lens portion 42B is originally arranged in the vicinity of the infrared LED 39A, the optical axis of the lens naturally faces the upper body direction of the passenger in the rear seat.

Next, a mirror device 75 as an auxiliary tool that can be attached to and detached from the camera 1 configured in this way will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 16 to 21, the mirror device 75 is composed of two members, a main body 76 and a fixing ring 77. The main body 76 is an integrally molded product made of super heat-resistant ABS resin, and has a mirror mounting portion 78 and a ring portion 79 protruding from the mirror mounting portion 78. As shown in FIG. 17, the mirror mounting portion 78 has a rectangular shape with rounded corners as the front shape, and a flat mounting surface 78a for mounting the mirror is formed on the entire peripheral edge slightly retracted from the frontmost surface. Has been done. Inside the mirror mounting portion 78, a shallow dish-shaped narrow space is formed by a side wall 78b having a small depth (narrow width) and a back wall 78c. The front end 79a of the opening of the ring portion 79 is exposed at the center position of the back wall 78c. A mirror portion 80 is attached to the attachment surface 78a. The mirror portion 80 has an outer shape having a similar shape slightly smaller than the outer circumference of the mirror mounting portion 78, and has predetermined reflection and transmittance characteristics for visible light to infrared light by subjecting a vapor deposition process to the back surface of a transparent glass substrate. A coat layer is formed (transmission-reflection characteristics of the coat layer: incident angle: 25 °, incident polarization: N polarization, average reflectance of visible light 38 ± 3%, average transmittance of visible light 24%, infrared rays. Average transmittance of 93% or more). That is, the mirror unit 80 is a magic mirror (so-called half mirror), and basically reflects visible light to function as a mirror and can transmit visible light. Further, since the infrared rays from the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B can also be transmitted, it is possible to take a picture of the surrounding scenery by reflecting the outside light and the infrared rays from the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B through the mirror unit 80. The entire mirror mounting portion 78 is configured to be larger than the main body case 2 arranged behind the mirror mounting portion 78 (on the front side of the vehicle).

As shown in FIG. 18, the ring portion 79 projects rearward of the mirror mounting portion 78 so that the front end 79a of the opening opens at the center position of the back wall 78c of the mirror mounting portion 78. The front end 79 of the opening is substantially flush with the inner surface of the back wall 78c. The inner diameter of the opening front end 79 exactly matches the outer diameter of the front surface of the first case piece 2A. The inner peripheral surface 76a of the ring portion 79 has a curved surface shape corresponding to the outer peripheral curved surface shape of the first bowl-shaped portion 4 of the first case piece 2A of the main body case 2. That is, the inner peripheral surface 76a is formed of a curved surface that has the same curvature as the outer peripheral shape and is concave inward so that it can be in close contact with the outer peripheral shape of the spherical band of the first bowl-shaped portion 4 in a concave-convex relationship. The inner peripheral surface 76a has a narrowed shape in which the rear side is the widest and the front side is narrower. The curve shape is shown by a curve that becomes a quadratic curve as shown in the fracture view of FIG. A plurality of (four places) studs 81 in which female screws for screws are screwed are formed on the outer circumference of the ring portion 79.

The fixing ring 77 is an integrally molded product made of nylon, and is an endless belt-shaped annular body formed in the same width in the circumferential direction. A plurality of (4 places) studs 84 for screw holes are formed at the edge positions on the outer peripheral front end side of the fixing ring 77. The reason why the material different from that of the main body 76 is used is that nylon has high flexibility.
The inner peripheral surface 77a of the fixing ring 77 has a curved surface shape corresponding to the outer peripheral curved surface shape of the second bowl-shaped portion 11 of the second case piece 2B. That is, the inner peripheral surface 77a is formed of a curved surface having the same curvature as the outer peripheral shape and being concave inward so that the inner peripheral surface 77a can be brought into close contact with the outer peripheral shape of the spherical band of the second bowl-shaped portion 11 in a concave-convex relationship. The inner peripheral surface 77a has a narrowed shape in which the front side is the widest and the rear side is narrower. The curve shape is shown by a curve that becomes a quadratic curve as shown in the fracture view of FIG. A flange-shaped protrusion 83 that slightly protrudes inward is formed at a position near the rear end edge of the inner peripheral surface 77a of the fixing ring 77.
The fixing ring 77 is formed with a plurality of slits 85 (here, six slits 85 at intervals of 60 ° on each edge side) at predetermined equal intervals along the circumferential direction. Each slit 85 extends from the edge position to a position slightly advanced from the edge position in the width direction by more than half of the entire width as a notch region thereof. The slits 85 group formed at the front edge position and the slit 85 group formed at the rear edge position are arranged so as to be out of phase by 30 °. That is, the slits 85 are arranged so as to alternate front and back at equal intervals in the width direction of the fixing ring 77. Since the slit 85 is configured in this way, the fixing ring 77 does not have a linearly continuous region in the circumferential direction. That is, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 21, it has a band-shaped structure that bends in the circumferential direction. In such a configuration, for example, the fixing ring 77 exhibits flexibility in a narrower region of the front slits 85 P and the rear slits 85 Q. In addition to the ease of bending between adjacent slits 85 in the circumferential direction, the ease of bending in the direction between various slits 85 can be improved by cutting many slits deeply in the width direction. Since it is expressed, it is possible to improve the flexibility to an external force as a whole. Further, since the slits 85 are evenly arranged as a whole, uniform flexibility can be provided over the entire area.

The mirror device 75 having such a configuration can be attached to the main body case 2 of the camera 1 as follows. At the time of mounting work, it is necessary to temporarily remove the hanging bracket 3 which is an obstacle, or to mount the mirror device 75 before mounting the hanging bracket 3. The same applies when the mirror device 75 is removed from the main body case 2.
As shown in FIG. 19A, the main body 76 is guided from the front side of the first case piece 2A of the main body case 2 to the rear side of the main body case 2, and the fixing ring 77 is led from the rear side of the second case piece 2B to the main body. They are brought close to each other so as to be guided to the front of the case 2, and are fixed by screws 87 via the studs 81 and 84 of the two.
As the screw 87 is tightened, the main body 76 and the fixing ring 77 come close to each other, and the spherical portions of the first and second bowl-shaped portions 4 and 11 on the main body case 2 side (hereinafter referred to as the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side). ) And siege. At this time, although the inner peripheral surface 76a of the ring portion 79 on the main body 76 side can finally be brought into close contact with the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side, the protrusion 83 is formed on the inner peripheral surface 77a on the fixing ring 77 side. Therefore, this does not interfere and the entire inner peripheral surface 77a does not come into close contact with the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side. The fixing ring 77 is slightly deformed with the tightening of the screw 87, and is connected to the main body 76 in a state where the protrusion 83 is pressed against the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side and is given a urging force by the deformation. It becomes. When the tightening of the screw 87 is completed and the main body 76 and the fixing ring 77 are completely connected, the entire area of the inner peripheral surface 76a of the main body 76 and a large area of the inner peripheral surface 77a on the fixing ring 77 side are covered. It comes into close contact with the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side, and the protrusion 83 comes into contact with the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side with an appropriate frictional force. In this state, a universal joint mechanism is established between the main body case 2 and the mirror device 75. Since the connecting fixing ring 77 and the ring portion 79 are narrowed in the front-rear direction, the main body case 2 does not fall off. Therefore, it is possible to freely change the direction of the mirror device 75 within a predetermined rotation range while having an appropriate position holding force around the main body case 2.

As shown in FIG. 19B, when the screw 87 is tightened, the fixing ring 77 does not surround the entire spherical surface on the outer circumference of the second bowl-shaped portion 11, but rather a rear protruding wall portion. An unenclosed region is formed between the vehicle and the vehicle (S portion in FIG. 19 (b)). This non-enclosed area is an advance area of the mirror device 75 when the mirror device 75 is freely rotated with respect to the main body case 2. Further, when the mirror device 75 is rotated more than a predetermined value, the mirror device 75 interferes with the protruding wall portion 12 to prevent further rotation. That is, the protruding wall portion 12 is a regulating means for restricting the rotation of the mirror device 75 more than necessary.
Further, when the screw 87 is tightened, the lens portion 42B arranged at the front position on the main body case 2 side is slightly from the back surface of the mirror portion 80 in the space formed inside the mirror mounting portion 78. They are arranged at a distance so as not to come into contact with the mirror portion 80 within the rotation range of the mirror device 75. Further, in the main body case 2, the front surface of the first case piece 2A is substantially flush with the opening front end 79 in a state where the optical axis of the lens in the lens portion 42B and the central axis of the fixing ring 77 (or ring portion 79) coincide with each other. It is arranged so as to be.
Further, since the hanging bracket 3 is directly attached to the main body case 2, the orthogonal relationship between the rotation axis of the hanging bracket 3 and the optical axis of the lens is maintained even if the mirror device 75 is rotated. Then, since the main body case 2 is arranged so as to be hidden behind the mirror mounting portion 78 of the mirror device 75 within a rotatable range from the direction facing the mirror mounting portion 78 (the position facing the mirror portion 80), the main body Case 2 (camera 1) is not visible.
Further, since the mirror device 75 is not an indispensable configuration for the camera 1, the function as the camera 1 can be fully exhibited even if the mirror device 75 is not used.

<About Examples>
In the above configuration, the result of photographing the inside of the vehicle using the camera 1 of the above embodiment (implementation in a state where the mirror device 75 is not attached) is shown below as an example in comparison with the comparative example. explain. In the comparative example, only the LED was photographed under different conditions. It should be noted that the shooting is at night, and when shooting under the condition that there is no infrared auxiliary light, it is difficult to distinguish what is reflected because it is too dark as video data even if other conditions are the same.
(Example 1)
A half-value angle ± 10 degrees and a radiant intensity of 55 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 70 mA) (OPTUPLY model number SFH4641) are used as the upper two infrared LEDs 39A, and the half-value angle ± 60 is used as the lower two infrared LEDs 39B. A device having a radiant intensity of 20 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 100 mA) (model number OSI5LAS1C1A manufactured by OPTSUPPLY) was used. The actual current value was set to 50 mA per piece, which is lower than the rating. The angle of view of the lens is 180 degrees as described above, and the camera 1 is installed in front of the passenger seat at the upper position inside the windshield, and as described above, between the driver's seat and the passenger seat near the height of the headrest. The target was to be slightly closer to the driver's seat in the rear seats that could be seen. In the shooting, we verified the appearance of three patterns that changed the riding position of a person. The result is shown in FIG.
In FIG. 11, since the passenger seat is located in front of and close to the installed camera 1, the entire image is clearly photographed. Since the driver's seat side is offset from the front, the photograph is taken at a position closer to the camera 1, although not as much as the passenger seat, so even the feet of a person (driver) are clearly photographed. Also, because the angle of view is large, the door on the driver's side is also visible, but that door is also clearly photographed. In addition, the rear seats are clearly photographed so that the faces of people (passengers) can be sufficiently discerned.

(Example 2)
Similar to the first embodiment, the upper two infrared LEDs 39A use an element (OPTUPLY model number SFH4641) having a half-value angle of ± 10 degrees and a radiant intensity of 55 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 70 mA), and the lower two infrared rays. As the LED39B, an element (model number OSI5LAS1C1A manufactured by OPTSUPPLY) having a half-value angle of ± 60 degrees and a radiant intensity of 20 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 100 mA) was used. However, the current value was set to 30 mA per piece. Since the brightness of the infrared LED is proportional to the magnitude of the current, the lighting is darker as a whole than in the first embodiment, but the power consumption is smaller than that in the first embodiment. The installation conditions of the camera 1 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The result is shown in FIG.
In FIG. 12, the front seat is not inferior to that of the first embodiment. In addition, since the rear seats are also clearly photographed so that the faces of people (passengers) can be sufficiently discriminated, reducing the current value to this extent is a practical range without any problem.

(Example 3)
Similar to Examples 1 and 2, the upper two infrared LEDs 39A use an element (OPTUPLY model number SFH4641) having a half-value angle of ± 10 degrees and a radiant intensity of 55 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 70 mA), and the lower 2 As one infrared LED 39B, an element (model number OSI5LAS1C1A manufactured by OPTSUPPLY) having a half-value angle of ± 60 degrees and a radiant intensity of 20 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 100 mA) was used. However, the current value was set to 20 mA per piece. The installation conditions of the camera 1 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The result is shown in FIG.
In FIG. 13, the overall impression is dark, and although the front seats are considerably darker than those of Examples 1 and 2, they are within a sufficient range of use as an image. On the other hand, in the back seat, it is a little difficult to distinguish the face of a person (passenger). However, since the irradiation direction is slightly downward, it is considered that the discrimination is sufficiently possible if the irradiation direction is displaced slightly upward. In the third embodiment, the current value applied to one or both of the upper infrared LED 39A is increased to about 25 to 30 mA, and the current value is increased as it is or slightly increased for the slightly dark front seat (for example, the lower infrared LED 39B). By setting the current value to about 25 mA for one or both of them), it is considered possible to make it more compatible with the practical range.

(Comparative Example 1)
All four infrared LEDs used an element (model number OSI5LAS1C1A manufactured by OPTSUPPLY) having a half-value angle of ± 60 degrees and a radiant intensity of 20 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 100 mA). The actual current value was set to 50 mA per piece. The installation conditions of the camera 1 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The result is shown in FIG.
In FIG. 14, the front seat side is clearly photographed as a whole as in the first and second embodiments. However, the rear seats appear darker than in the third embodiment, and the face of a person (passenger) cannot be clearly identified.
(Comparative Example 2)
All four infrared LEDs used an element (model number SFH4641 manufactured by OPTSUPPLY) having a half-value angle of ± 10 degrees and a radiant intensity of 55 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 70 mA). The actual current value was set to 50 mA per piece. The installation conditions of the camera 1 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The result is shown in FIG.
Compared with Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example 1, the front seat side was dark as a whole, and for example, the foot of a person in the driver's seat was considerably difficult to distinguish. On the other hand, in the rear seats, the faces of people (passengers) could be identified because they were sufficiently bright, although the irradiation direction was slightly downward.

With the above configuration, the camera 1 of the present embodiment has the following effects.
(1) The upper infrared LED 39A illuminates a narrow area of the rear seats with a large radiant intensity, and the lower infrared LED 39B illuminates a relatively wider area of the entire vehicle interior with a relatively small radiant intensity. The rear seats can spot-illuminate passengers sitting in the rear seats, which is an object that they particularly want to illuminate, while the front seat side is close to the camera unit 42 even if it illuminates a wide area with a small radiant intensity. Therefore, it is possible to illuminate the vehicle sufficiently and efficiently photograph and record the inside of the vehicle. If all the infrared LEDs that are the same as the infrared LED 39A are used as in Comparative Example 1, only a certain spot-like object can be clearly recorded, but it is not preferable for discriminating the entire interior of the vehicle. Further, it is not preferable to use all the same infrared LEDs as the infrared LED 39B as in Comparative Example 2 because it is insufficient to discriminate the passengers sitting in the rear seats, which is the object particularly discriminated in the vehicle. None of the examples have such a situation, and it is a very excellent source of information when a user such as a driver or a manager analyzes a video later.
(2) Although the same amount of current is flowing as compared with Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, as described above, Example 1 has a clearer front seat side and is an object to be illuminated by the rear seat. You can see that things are also clear. That is, the camera 1 of the present embodiment can obtain a better image even if the power consumption is the same, and can be used by the user to perform more accurate image analysis.
(3) The camera 1 of the present embodiment is connected to the drive recorder 65, and is branched from the regulator R in the housing 66 of the drive recorder 65 to supply power. Therefore, the regulator R cannot supply unlimited power to the load side in consideration of the load resistance. Therefore, by using the two types of infrared LEDs 39A and 39B in this way, it is possible to obtain a necessary image without consuming so much power. Further, since the camera 1 is controlled by the controller MC of the drive recorder 65, the load on the controller MC is larger than that in the case where the processing amount is only one camera. As a result, the temperature inside the housing 66 tends to rise. Therefore, it is preferable to use two types of infrared LEDs 39A and 39B from the viewpoint of suppressing the power consumption of the regulator R and suppressing the heat derived from the regulator R.
(4) The front end of the camera unit 42B protrudes from the front surface of the cover panel 33, the angle of view is 180 degrees (actually, an area slightly wider than 180 degrees can be seen), and the half-value angle of the lower infrared LED 39A that illuminates a wide range. Since it is larger than the above, the range covered by infrared rays can be surely captured as an image, and there is no problem that the recording of an important peripheral area that can be discriminated is overlooked.
On the other hand, since the front end of the camera unit 42B protrudes from the front surface of the cover panel 33, the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are arranged outside the angle of view, although the angle of view is very large. Therefore, the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are not captured in the image.
(5) In the camera 1, the lens portion 42B and the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are mounted in the same main body case 2 and face the same direction, so that it is not necessary to adjust them separately when arranging the camera 1, and the user does not need to adjust them separately. Installation work is simplified.
(6) When connecting (assembling) the main body case 2, the first case piece 2A and the second case piece 2B can be connected at the correct positions by engaging the stud 9 with the small protrusion 20. Similarly, when the cover panel 33 is mounted on the front surface of the first case piece 2A, the small projecting piece 7 in the recess 6 is engaged with the small notch 34 on the cover panel 33 side. Cover panel 33 Can be mounted in the correct position. Further, since the positioning mechanism for assembling the non-directional circular member is provided, the work is simplified when the manufacturer assembles the camera 1 or when the user assembles the once disassembled camera 1.
(7) Since the second substrate 40 is supported by the studs 8 and 18 at three points, it is less likely to rattle than the four-point support even if it is slightly tilted at the time of mounting. Further, although the first substrate 37 is fixed to the substrate mounting screw hole 10 by screws 38 at two points, it is difficult to rattle because it is supported by the stud 8 as a support portion from the periphery.
(8) Since the hanging bracket 3 is attached to a pair of bracket bearings 14 projecting further rearward from the main body case 2, the movable range (swing range) of the main body case 2 with respect to the hanging bracket 3 is wide. It has become. Further, since the top plate portion 55 extends to the rear side from the position of the bracket bearing 14, the movable range (swing range) of the main body case 2 is also widened. Therefore, the user can freely arrange the main body case 2 at an arbitrary swing position.
(9) The hanging bracket 3 is arranged at a position sandwiching a pair of bracket bearings 14 inside the maximum width of the main body case 2 (just the connecting position of the first case piece 2A and the second case piece 2B). It does not protrude outside the width of the main body case 2. Therefore, it contributes to the compactification of the entire camera 1, which is advantageous when the user installs the camera 1 in a particularly narrow vehicle.
(10) In the nut accommodating portion 23 for fixing the fixing knob 60 arranged in the racket bearing 14, the nut 61 does not have its own fall-off preventing means, and the cable holder 45 is a member for another purpose. It is designed to prevent it from falling off at the same time when it is installed. Therefore, the number of parts is reduced, the number of assembly processes is reduced, and as a result, the cost is reduced. The prevention of the nut 61 from falling off by the cable holder 45 can be realized because the entry position of the cable 53 into the main body case 2 is set downward. By moving the cable 53 downward, there is a margin for providing the racket bearing 14 and the nut accommodating portion 23 at the center position, and the nut accommodating portion is also provided by the cable holder 45 arranged downward as the cable 53 moves downward. This is because it has become possible to close 23.
(11) Since the upper infrared LED 39A has a particularly high radiant intensity, the near infrared region may be visually recognized from the front surface of the cover panel 33. If the camera 1 is installed in a taxi, passengers in the irradiation direction may notice this. If the infrared LED 39A is not arranged horizontally as described above and is arranged diagonally across the camera unit 42B, it may look unnatural and make passengers suspect the existence of the camera. be. Since the camera 1 has two infrared LEDs 39A arranged in the horizontal direction, which looks very natural, such a possibility is very small. In addition, since the infrared LEDs 39A are arranged on the upper and lower sides, it is difficult for the driver to see and feel annoyed.

(12) Since the camera 1 is completely hidden by the mirror device 75 when viewed from the direction facing the mirror unit 80, it is noticed that the existence of the camera 1 becomes difficult for passengers in the vehicle to understand and the camera 1 is photographed. It is difficult, and the possibility of being pointed out by passengers who do not want to shoot with the camera 1 is reduced. In particular, when seated in the rear seats, the camera 1 is invisible due to the distance from the mirror portion 80, so that the passengers on the rear seat side other than the front seats are taken into consideration. It is advisable to attach the mirror device 75 to the.
(13) A universal joint mechanism is provided between the mirror device 75 and the camera 1 (more specifically, the inner peripheral surface 76a of the ring portion 79 on the mirror device 75 side and the inner peripheral surface 77a on the fixing ring 77 side and the camera 1). Since it is configured (between the spherical surface on the side of the main body case 2) and the mirror portion 80 can be freely rotated, the presence of the camera 1 is hidden and at the same time it is actually used as a rearview mirror for the inside of a car or a mirror for makeup. It is possible to use it practically.
(14) In the universal joint mechanism, the protrusion 83 comes into contact with the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side with an appropriate frictional force, and the frictional force is easily moved by the force of a human hand when rotating the mirror device 75. The holding force is not so large that it is possible, and on the other hand, it is not a weak holding force whose position easily changes due to the vibration of the vehicle. Therefore, the mirror device 75 can be rotated without requiring any operation to release the holding state, and can be held at an arbitrary rotating position without a separate fixing means.
(15) If the mirror device 75 rotates greatly, the main body case 2 side is greatly reflected in the captured image of the lens, so it is better not to rotate too much. Further, if the amount of rotation of the mirror device 75 is large, the main body case 2 behind the mirror mounting portion 78 may appear at an angle, so it is also better not to rotate too much. Therefore, in the above, the rotation amount of the mirror device 75 is regulated to prevent such a situation. Since the fixing ring 77 is divided and assembled with respect to the main body 76, it can be attached to the main body case 2 with a simple assembling work.
(16) By simply connecting the fixing ring 77 to the main body 76 on the mirror device 75 side, the fixing ring 77 flexes appropriately due to the action of nylon and the slit 85, which are highly flexible materials, to form the protrusion 83. Since it is possible to press the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side with an appropriate frictional force, the operation at the time of assembling to give such a frictional force is reduced.
(17) The hanging bracket 3 is attached to a pair of bracket bearings 14 projecting further rearward from the main body case 2, and advancement to the main body case 2 side is suppressed. Therefore, even when the main body case 2 is greatly swung, the mirror mounting portion 78 is less likely to interfere with the hanging bracket 3.

The present invention may be embodied as follows.
-The infrared LEDs 39A and 39B were four in total, two each, but this number and type are examples, and for example, a third LED having a different radiant intensity and half-value angle may be provided. The number of the same LED may be one or three or more instead of two. Further, the same infrared LED may be changed in radiant intensity by changing the current value.
-Although the infrared LED was mounted on the first substrate 37 as an LED chip in the above, it may be a normal bullet-shaped LED instead of the chip.
-In the above, the infrared LEDs are of the same type and are arranged horizontally, but they may be arranged diagonally or randomly other than horizontally. Both are preferably present in the vicinity of the lens portion 42B.
In the above embodiment, the optical axis of the lens and the front direction of the infrared rays of the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are arranged in parallel, but they do not have to be parallel. Each infrared LED may point in a different direction.
-A USB cable may be used as the cable 53. In that case, since the camera 1 can be easily removed, for example, it is possible to remove the camera 1 from the main drive recorder 65 and use only the main drive recorder 65.
-Camera 1 may have an independent control unit (controller) and power supply unit (regulator) In the above, there was no independent on / off switch for starting / stopping the operation of the camera 1, but this is provided. You may do so. It may be provided in the camera 1 or in the main drive recorder 65.
The wide-angle lens of the lens unit 42B was 180 degrees, but another angle of view may be used.
-The shape of the main body case 2 and the hanging bracket 3 may be other than the above. The support position of the hanging bracket 3 to the case 2 may be changed.
-Although infrared rays are used as auxiliary light in the above embodiment, a light irradiation system using light other than infrared rays, for example, visible light or ultraviolet rays may be used depending on the situation.
-The material may be realized by a material other than the above. In that case, it is preferable to use a particularly flexible material for a member that is particularly deformable, such as nylon of the fixing ring 77.
-Although the cover panel 33 was black in the above, the color is not particularly limited. It may be composed of a cloudy color. Further, the cover panel 33 may not only absorb visible light but also reflect it.

-It may be applied to other electronic devices.
-In the above, as an example, the universal joint mechanism as described above is applied to the mirror device 75 that freely rotates between the camera 1 and the main body case 2, but other than the camera 1 and the mirror device 75, It may be used when freely rotating between the first device and the second device.
-In the mirror device 75 of the above embodiment, the main body 76 and the fixing ring 77 are divided into two in the front-rear direction, but the main body 76 and the fixing ring 77 may be divided into two in the left-right direction or may be composed of three or more divided members.
The slit 85 formed in the fixing ring 77 is an example, and the shape and number can be changed as appropriate. In short, it suffices if the member can be bent by forming the slit 85 to give the expected flexibility.
-In order to give flexibility, it is possible to change the material in addition to the shape method of slit 85. For example, the fixing ring 77 can be made of a more flexible elastic rubber body.
-In order to make it difficult to rotate due to friction, in the above, the fixing ring 77 was bent at the same time as the fixing work to press the protrusion 83 against the sphere side of the universal joint, but this is different from the fixing work. The protrusion 83 may be pressed against the sphere side of the universal joint by operation. In short, it suffices if the universal joint mechanism can be provided with some kind of frictional means for braking the rotation.
-As the rotation restricting means of the mirror device 75, the protruding wall portion 12 has fulfilled the function in the above, but other restricting means may be provided separately.
-Other than that, the present invention may be freely implemented in a modified manner without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 ... Camera for in-vehicle photography of a drive recorder as an irradiation system, 39A, 39B2 ... Infrared LED.

Claims (5)

It is a light irradiation system that is attached to the vehicle and photographs the interior of the vehicle.
With the camera part
A plurality of light irradiation means for irradiating a region of the camera unit in the shooting direction with light,
A mirror unit provided on the shooting direction side of the camera unit with respect to the camera unit and the plurality of light irradiation means and transmitting light from the plurality of light irradiation means.
The plurality of light irradiation means include a light irradiation means located above the lens of the camera unit in a state where the light irradiation system is attached to the vehicle, and the light irradiation system attached to the vehicle. A light irradiation system including a light irradiation means located below the lens of the camera unit in the vertical direction. It is a light irradiation system that is attached to the vehicle and photographs the interior of the vehicle.
With the camera part
A plurality of light irradiation means for irradiating a region of the camera unit in the shooting direction with light,
A mirror unit provided on the shooting direction side of the camera unit with respect to the camera unit and the plurality of light irradiation means and transmitting light from the plurality of light irradiation means.
The plurality of light irradiation means include a light irradiation means located on one side of the camera unit in the left-right direction with the light irradiation system attached to the vehicle, and the light irradiation system attached to the vehicle. A light irradiation system including a light irradiation means located on the other side of the lens of the camera unit in the left-right direction in the attached state. The light irradiation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mirror unit reflects visible light to function as a mirror, transmits visible light, and transmits light from the plurality of light irradiation means. The mirror portion has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front.
The light irradiation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lens of the camera unit has a circular shape when viewed from the front. The light irradiation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of light irradiation means has a light irradiation means having a radiation intensity different from that of other light irradiation means.

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