JP2022028708A - System, program, imaging device, and software - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system that allows a driver of a vehicle to easily specify warning target objects which are coming closer to the vehicle, by issuing a warning using a live video of a scene in front of the moving vehicle and pointing out warning target objects in the video in an easy-to-understand manner.

SOLUTION: The present invention includes control means (18) of causing display means (5) to display a live video of a scene showing at least, a process that a vehicle is going closer to a warning target object, when positional information of a current position of the vehicle and the positional information of a predetermined target object are determining that the vehicle is being in a predetermined proximity state to the warning target object.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to, for example, a system such as a radar detector or a car navigation system that gives predetermined information to a vehicle driver.

Traditionally, systems such as radar detectors and car navigation systems have become widespread. This system has a function of notifying the user of the approach to an alarm object such as a speed measuring device, a control area, and an inspection area.
For example, the applicant applies a liquid crystal display of CG (Computer Graphics) of the alarm object when the vehicle is in a predetermined approach to the alarm object or when a microwave emitted from a speed measuring device is detected. We have proposed a radar detector that displays on a display means such as a display device (see FIG. 19 of Patent Document 1). The presence or absence of the alarm object can be notified by an alarm sound, but the display display makes it possible to recognize the position of the alarm object.

In addition, there is a device that displays a photograph including an alarm object such as an actual speed measuring device, a control area, and an inspection area to give a live-action alarm.
This radar detector is configured to display a small live-action warning when, for example, a vehicle approaches 1 km before the alarm target, and a large live-action warning when the vehicle approaches 500 m before the alarm target. ing.
In addition, by viewing the video data file captured in advance when the visibility is good on the display device, it is possible to accurately grasp the railroad crossing position even when the work is at night or when it is difficult to confirm the railroad crossing position during snowfall. A possible snowplow driving warning system is disclosed (see Patent Document 2).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-9546 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-44367

Since the radar detector of Patent Document 1 described above is configured to display a common CG according to the type and contents of the speed measuring device, the control area, the inspection area, etc. and give an alarm, the CG displayed on the screen is displayed. Was not related to the actual warning object on which the vehicle was approaching. On the other hand, the radar detector displays a photograph (live-action warning) including an actual warning object that the vehicle is approaching.

However, since the conventional live-action warning is a still image, the image pickup location of the photograph including the speed measuring device does not always match the actual forward landscape that changes as the vehicle travels, and the vehicle is measured anywhere in the forward landscape. It was difficult to identify if there was a device.

That is, the conventional still image of the live-action alarm is an image taken immediately before the alarm object in order to include the alarm object in the image. Even if the still image captured immediately before such is displayed, for example, 1 km before or 500 m before the alarm target, the image of the still image and the landscape in front do not match. The still image and the landscape in front match for the first time when the vehicle approaches just before the warning object.

In addition, the live-action warning for notifying the control area, inspection area, etc. was a photograph taken in a part of the area (for example, the center of the area), so just looking at this photograph shows where the area is from. I couldn't specify the range to what extent.

In the operation warning system of the snowplow of Patent Document 2, the railroad crossing position, which is difficult to actually confirm, is to be confirmed by the image of the railroad crossing captured when the visibility is good. It is assumed that it does not match the landscape ahead.

In addition, the railroad crossing has a conspicuous black and yellow appearance, and if it is an image of the scenery ahead taken from a snowplow moving on the railroad track at low speed, it is easy to identify where the railroad crossing is in this image. can.
However, the landscape in front of the vehicle includes roads, other vehicles, buildings, signs, street lights, and other structures, and the vehicle moves faster than a snowplow. For this reason, it is difficult to identify a speed measuring device that does not have a particularly conspicuous appearance from the scenery in front of a moving vehicle.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the vehicle can give an alarm by using a live-action moving image corresponding to the scenery in front of the moving vehicle and instructing the warning object in the actual vehicle moving image in an easy-to-understand manner. It is an object of the present invention to provide a system, a program, an image pickup device, and software that can easily identify an actual alarm object that is approaching.

(1) In order to achieve the above object, in the system of the present invention, the vehicle is designated as the warning object based on the current position information of the vehicle and the position information of the predetermined warning object. The configuration is provided with a control means for displaying a live-action moving image of at least the scenery of the process of approaching the alarm object on the display means when it is determined that the state of approach is reached.

According to the above configuration, by displaying a live-action video of the process of approaching the actual warning object and issuing an alarm, the video of the live-action video and the actual front scenery that changes as the vehicle travels are matched. be able to. For example, when the alarm object is a speed measuring device, the user can easily identify the actual speed measuring device in the front scenery by instructing the alarm object in the live-action video in an easy-to-understand manner. ..
Further, for example, when the alarm target is an area such as a crackdown or an inspection, by displaying a live-action video including a range from the start point to the end point of the area, the user can view the actual area in the front landscape. It can be easily identified. According to such an in-vehicle electronic device of the present invention, it becomes easy for the user to identify the alarm target object, and it becomes possible to encourage the user to drive safely.

Here, the system of the present invention may be implemented in the form of an in-vehicle electronic device such as a radar detector or a car navigation system.
Further, the system of the present invention mainly includes a means for acquiring position information, video data of a live-action moving image of an image of a landscape in the process of approaching an alarm object, a means for displaying a live-action moving image, and a control means for executing the above-mentioned control processing. It is possible to realize it if it is equipped with such things.
Therefore, the system of the present invention may be implemented by using hardware such as a general-purpose personal computer, a mobile phone, a smartphone, and a portable game machine. In this case, software for operating these general-purpose mobile terminals as the system of the present invention, video data of live-action moving images may be stored in a server and provided to the mobile terminals via the Internet.

The description of the "live-action moving image" in the present specification means a moving image of an actual landscape and a visible image displayed on the display means. In particular, even if it is not described as "live-action moving image", "live-action moving image" means an image displayed on the display means. When referring to data instead of video, describe as "video data of live-action video".

(2) Preferably, the video data of the live-action moving image is associated with the position information at the time of imaging, and the control means is based on the position information of the vehicle and the position information of the video data. It is advisable to configure it to determine the timing of displaying.
(3) More preferably, the control means may be configured to display the live-action moving image on the display means at a timing when the position information of the vehicle and the position information of the video data match.
(4) More preferably, the control means may be configured to display a live-action moving image at a timing several to several tens of seconds before the current position information of the vehicle and the position information of the video data match.

According to the above configuration, the optimum display timing of the live-action video can be determined based on the current position information of the vehicle and the position information at the time of capturing the live-action video. It is possible to have an arbitrary correspondence with the landscape. In addition, in the above (1), the determination of whether or not the vehicle has approached the alarm object to a predetermined distance is determined by, for example, the position information of the alarm object independently stored or the video data of the above (2). The configuration may be based on any of the associated location information.

For example, by displaying the live-action video at the timing when the current vehicle position information matches the position information at the time of capturing the live-action video, the live-action video image is displayed in the actual front view at the time when the live-action video is displayed. Can be matched with. After that, by synchronizing the playback speed of the live-action moving image with the vehicle speed, the user can easily identify the actual alarm target by comparing the live-action moving image with the landscape in front.

Further, for example, by displaying the live-action video at a timing of several to several tens of seconds before the position information of the current vehicle matches the position information of the live-action video, the live-action video of the front scenery several seconds ahead of the present time is thereafter. Will be displayed. As a result, the user confirms the alarm object in the live-action video in advance, and then, when the vehicle reaches the imaging point of the live-action video, the user can easily identify the actual alarm object from the landscape ahead. Can be done.

Here, the video data of the live-action moving image in the present invention can be acquired, for example, by using a dedicated image pickup device in which a drive recorder is linked to a radar detector. That is, the radar detector stores the position information of the warning object nationwide, and when the current position of the vehicle has a predetermined approach to any of the warning objects, the approach warning is issued. The output is started, and when the alarm object is passed, the output of the approach alarm is stopped.

On the other hand, the drive recorder is provided with buttons for starting and ending continuous recording. Therefore, at the timing when the radar detector starts the output of the approach alarm, a signal similar to pressing the start button is given to the drive recorder, and at the timing when the radar detector stops the output of the approach alarm, the drive recorder is used. An image pickup device that gives a signal similar to pressing the end button is configured. If an image pickup device having such a configuration is used to pass through an alarm object nationwide, it is possible to capture a live-action moving image from before the alarm object has passed to after the passage.

In addition, the image captured by the drive recorder is recorded in association with the vehicle position information, speed information, imaging time, and the like at the time of imaging. Using a dedicated imaging device having the above configuration, for example, the image and position information from 20 seconds before the arrival of the alarm object to 10 seconds after the passage are automatically recorded, or the alarm object passes from 1 km before the arrival. It is possible to automatically record the image of the rear 500 m and the position information, and acquire the image data of the live-action moving image corresponding to each of the alarm objects nationwide.

(5) It is preferable that the control means synchronizes the reproduction speed of the live-action moving image with the speed of the current vehicle based on the speed information of the vehicle.

According to the above configuration, by synchronizing the playback speed of the live-action video with the speed of the vehicle, it is possible to maintain a certain correspondence between the actual front scenery and the live-action video according to the speed of the vehicle at the time of warning. Will be. As a result, the live-action moving image can be displayed at the speed of the vehicle at the time of the warning and the reproduction speed according to the change in the speed of the vehicle, and it is possible to always give an appropriate warning.

(6) It is preferable that the live-action moving image includes an image of a landscape that does not include the warning object, which is captured at a point before the passage of the warning object.

According to the above configuration, even when the live-action video is displayed in an approaching state where the warning object cannot be visually recognized, for example, 1 km before or 500 m before the warning object, the live-action video and the actual front view are displayed. Therefore, it is possible to easily understand the situation in which the vehicle is actually approaching the warning object by watching the live-action video that does not include the warning object.

(7) It is preferable that the live-action moving image is a series of images of the landscape from before the passage of the alarm object to after the passage.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to notify the user of a series of live-action moving images from the start to the release of the alarm. Here, since the alarms in the conventional radar detectors described above are all still images, only the still images before the passage of the alarm object are displayed, and the still images after the passage of the alarm object are displayed. There was no. Therefore, the timing of canceling the alarm was unclear. On the other hand, in the system of the present invention having the above configuration, it is possible to intuitively inform the user of the cancellation of the alarm by continuously displaying the image until after the alarm object has passed.

(8) Preferably, the control means causes the display means to display a map, and when the vehicle approaches the warning object to a predetermined distance, the live-action moving image is superimposed on the map. It is good to set it to.

According to the above configuration, in a system such as a radar detector or a car navigation system, the position of an alarm target or the position of a vehicle is displayed on a map on the screen, and the alarm of a live-action video is superimposed and displayed on this map. Is possible. This makes it possible to objectively grasp the approaching state of the vehicle and the warning object with an icon or the like on the map while confirming the actual warning object with a live-action video.

(9) It is preferable that the control means changes the display area of the live-action moving image to be displayed on the map according to the distance from the vehicle to the warning object.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to notify the user of the approaching state between the vehicle and the alarm target by the display area of the live-action moving image displayed on the map. For example, when the vehicle and the warning object approach each other to a predetermined distance, the live-action moving image is displayed in the smallest display area, and then the display area of the live-action moving image is increased as the vehicle and the warning object approach each other.
As a result, the approach state between the vehicle and the alarm object can be relatively notified by the size of the live-action video, and the display area of the live-action video becomes larger as the vehicle approaches the alarm object. It becomes easy to identify the alarm target inside. In addition, the closer the vehicle is to the warning object, the larger the display area of the live-action moving image, and it becomes possible to add a lot of information to the live-action moving image.

(10) It is preferable to add an instruction display for visually identifying the alarm target included in the live-action moving image to the live-action moving image.

According to the above configuration, the alarm target included in the front scenery of the live-action moving image can be easily identified by the instruction display. The front scenery of the live-action video includes roads, other vehicles, buildings, signs, street lights, and other structures, and it is difficult to identify alarm objects such as speed measuring devices from such front scenery. The faster the vehicle speed, the more difficult it is to identify the alarm target in the live-action video. Therefore, by adding an instruction display to the live-action video, the user can identify the alarm target in the live-action video at a glance.

Here, the above-mentioned "instruction display" broadly includes a display instructing the alarm object in the live-action moving image, for example, an arrow pointing to the alarm object in the live-action moving image, a balloon containing information about the alarm object, and the like. It includes a wide range of indications such as coloring of the entire alarm object and lines tracing the outline of the alarm object.
Such an instruction display may be embedded in, for example, a live-action moving image, but may be drawn in front of the image. For example, information such as the coordinate position in the screen of the alarm object in the live-action video, the size of the instruction display, the direction of the instruction display is recorded for each predetermined frame, and the video of the live-action video is based on these information. It is advisable to display an instruction display in front of.

(11) It is preferable that at least one of the position or the size of the instruction display is changed according to the alarm object included in the live-action moving image.

According to the above configuration, the alarm object in the live-action video whose position and size change as the vehicle and the alarm object approach each other can be accurately pointed to by the dynamic instruction display, and the user can take a live-action image. It becomes possible to more easily identify the alarm target in the moving image. For example, when the distance from the vehicle to the warning target is long and the warning starts, the warning target that is projected small in the live-action video is pointed by a small arrow, and as the vehicle approaches the warning target, the warning target is indicated by a large arrow. Try to point.

In addition, since such a dynamic instruction display performs an artificial operation according to the program in the live-action video, it is particularly conspicuous even in the live-action video that changes naturally as the vehicle runs, and the user's attention is instantly noticed. Can be attracted.

(12) Preferably, when the alarm object included in the live-action moving image is composed of a plurality of components, the instruction display may be added to each component of the alarm object.

According to the above configuration, when the alarm object is a speed measuring device, important components contributing to speed measurement can be indicated by an instruction display, and it is possible to call the user's attention and promote safe driving. Become.
For example, when the speed measuring device is a radar type, a loop coil type, an H system, or an LH system, the position of the camera of these speed measuring devices is indicated by an arrow. When the speed measuring device is a loop coil type or LH system, the loop coil embedded in the paved road is traced with a line to indicate. As a result, the purpose and function of the speed measuring device can be made intuitive to the user, a more effective alarm can be given, and the user who sees the alarm by the live-action moving image can be alerted to promote safe driving.

(13) Preferably, the same alarm object is associated with video data of a plurality of live-action moving images captured at different times, and the control means captures images at different times based on the current time information. It is preferable to select the video data and display the live-action moving image on the display means.
(14) More preferably, the same alarm object is associated with at least two types of live-action moving images captured during the day and at night, and the control means is used during the day or at night based on the current time information. It is preferable to select any one of the video data and display the live-action moving image on the display means.

According to the above configuration, the timing of issuing an alarm by the live-action moving image and the timing of capturing the live-action moving image displayed on the display means are matched, for example, the environmental conditions of the live-action moving image and the actual front scenery are matched. Or it can be approximated. Here, as the "different time" in the present invention, when the vehicle travels in the range displayed in the live-action moving image, the user feels that the front view during the actual driving and the displayed actual vehicle moving image are different. Select "Time".

For example, it is advisable to prepare a live-action video for each period having a certain width with little change in the landscape, such as spring, summer, autumn, winter, month, day, hour, morning, noon, evening, and evening. According to such a speed measuring device of the present invention, for example, the time when the vehicle is in a predetermined approach to the alarm object is a live-action video during the day if it is daytime, a live-action video in the evening if it is in the evening, and a nighttime. Then, it is possible to display a live-action movie at night. However, the present invention is not limited to the case where the environmental conditions of the live-action moving image and the actual front scenery are matched, and for example, even if the live-action moving image in the daytime with good visibility is displayed at night when the visibility is poor. Alternatively, from the same viewpoint as this, a live-action video of summer may be displayed in winter when it snows.

(15) It is preferable that the video data of the live-action image captured at night is captured at night using night vision.

When the area around the alarm object is a dark place with few street lights, even if a normal camera captures a night image, the alarm object itself and its surroundings cannot be captured in a live-action video. Therefore, if a night image is captured using night vision as in the above configuration, the situation of the alarm target itself and its surroundings can be visually captured in a live-action moving image.
As a result, while trying to match the environmental conditions between the live-action video and the actual front scenery, the night vision video of the live-action video can be displayed even when the actual warning object in the front scenery is difficult to see in a dark place at night. With reference, it is possible to specify the position and range of the actual alarm target.

(16) In order to achieve the above object, the program of the present invention is configured to make the mobile terminal function as any of the above-mentioned systems of the present invention.

According to the program of the present invention, for example, it is downloaded to a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, a smartphone or a portable game machine, and a computer mounted on the mobile terminal is made to execute the control process of the above-mentioned control means, and the vehicle gives an alarm. When a predetermined approach to an object is reached, a live moving image can be displayed on the display means of the mobile terminal to function as the system of the present invention described above. The image data of the live-action moving image may be stored in, for example, a storage means built in the mobile terminal, or stored in a server on the Internet.

(17) In order to achieve the above object, the image pickup device of the present invention is an image pickup device for acquiring video data of a live-action moving image used in any of the systems (1) to (15) described above. , A storage means for storing the position information of the alarm target already installed, a position information acquisition means for acquiring the position information of the vehicle, and an imaging means capable of capturing a moving image of the landscape in front of the moving vehicle. When it is determined that the vehicle is in a predetermined approaching state to the alarm object based on the position information of the vehicle and the position information of the alarm object, the image pickup means is made to start moving image imaging. The configuration is provided with an imaging control means for terminating the moving image imaging in the imaging unit when it is determined that the vehicle has passed the alarm object.

(18) It is preferable to combine a radar detector including the position information acquisition means and the storage means with a drive recorder including the image pickup means, and to use the image pickup control means to start and end the image pickup of the drive recorder. It is advisable to configure it to control.

(19) In order to achieve the above object, the software of the present invention displays the video data of the live-action moving image acquired by the image pickup apparatus of (17) or (18) described above and the live-action moving image on the display means. It is configured to include a program for realizing the function of making the computer realize.

(20) In order to achieve the above object, the imaging method of the present invention is an imaging method for acquiring video data of a live-action moving image used in any of the systems (1) to (15) described above. , The position information of the alarm object already installed is stored in the storage means, the position information of the vehicle is acquired by the position information acquisition means, and the image pickup control means is the position information of the vehicle and the position of the alarm object. Based on the information, the image pickup means capable of capturing a moving image of the scenery ahead from the traveling vehicle is controlled, and the image pickup control means determines that the vehicle is in a predetermined approach state to the alarm object. Occasionally, there is a procedure in which the image pickup means is started to take a moving image, and when it is determined that the vehicle has passed the alarm object, the image pickup means is made to end the moving image.

(21) Preferably, a radar detector including the position information acquisition means and the storage means is combined with a drive recorder including the image pickup means, and the image pickup control means causes the drive recorder to start imaging and end imaging. It is good to control.

(22) In order to achieve the above object, the software of the present invention displays the video data of the live-action moving image acquired by the image pickup apparatus of (20) or (21) described above and the live-action moving image on the display means. It is configured to include a program for realizing the function of making the computer realize.

The basic principle of the image pickup device or the image pickup method for acquiring the video data of the live-action moving image has already been described by taking the combination of the radar detector and the drive recorder as an example.
According to the imaging device or the imaging method of the present invention, it is possible to easily capture a live-action moving image from before the passage of the alarm object to after the passage by simply passing through the already installed alarm object. As a result, it becomes possible to extremely easily acquire live-action moving images of a large number of alarm objects installed all over the country, and it is possible to realize a system equipped with abundant live-action moving image data.

According to the system, program, image pickup device, and software of the present invention, an alarm is given using a live-action moving image corresponding to the front view of a moving vehicle, and an alarm target in the actual vehicle moving image is instructed in an easy-to-understand manner. It is possible to easily identify the actual warning object that the vehicle is approaching.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the radar detector which is a preferable 1st Embodiment of this invention, (a) is a perspective view of a radar detector, (b) is a side view of a radar detector. It is a block diagram of the radar detector of FIG. An example of the display mode of the display unit of the radar detector of FIG. 1 is shown, (a) is a diagram showing a standby screen, (b) is a diagram showing a radar scope, and (c) is a display example of a GPS alarm. It is a figure which shows. It is a figure which shows the display example of the warning screen in the radar wave warning function of the radar detector of FIG. FIG. 5A is a diagram schematically showing an embodiment of a display image of a live-action moving image, FIG. 5A is an image before approaching the alarm object, and FIG. 5 (c) is an image after passing the alarm object. FIG. 6A is a diagram schematically showing another embodiment of the display image of the live-action moving image, FIG. 6A is an image before approaching the alarm object, and FIG. 6B is an image when approaching the alarm object. be. It is a figure which shows an embodiment of the display image in the 2nd Embodiment schematically, FIG. 7A is an image immediately after it is determined that it approached an alarm object, and FIG. 7B is an alarm object. An image before approaching an object, FIG. 7 (c) is an image when approaching an alarm object.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. It should be noted that this does not limit the present invention.

[First Embodiment of the system]
1 and 2 show the configuration of a radar detector according to a first embodiment suitable for the system of the present invention. This radar detector is usually mounted on the dashboard. This radar detector is usually fixed by sticking the bottom surface of the plate 33b of the pedestal 33 on the dashboard. A ball joint receiving portion 33a is provided on the upper portion of the pedestal 33, and a ball portion provided at the lower end portion of the support column 31 extending downward from the bottom surface of the case body 1 is inserted into the ball joint receiving portion 33a to insert the ball portion. It can be held at any angle and posture within the movable range.

The pedestal 33 is provided with a spherical recess at a predetermined position on the upper surface thereof, and the pedestal 33 is made of a material such as rubber that is elastically deformable and has an appropriate coefficient of friction. The outer diameter of the ball portion and the inner diameter of the recess are set to be substantially equal. As a result, when the ball portion is inserted into the concave portion, the outer shape of the ball portion and the inner shape of the concave portion substantially match, and the ball portion can rotate and move in an arbitrary direction along the spherical surface. Then, by making the diameters of both substantially the same and giving an appropriate friction coefficient to the inner shape of the concave portion, the ball portion can be held at an arbitrary angle and posture.

Further, since the pedestal 33 can be elastically deformed, if the pedestal 33 is held and urged in the direction of pulling up the case body 1 from the state shown in FIG. 1 (b), the diameter of the opening of the recess expands and the ball The portion can be separated from the recess. On the contrary, when the pedestal 33 and the ball portion are separated from each other, when the ball portion is pressed against the opening of the recess and urged to push it toward the pedestal 33 in that state, the opening is caused by the elastic deformation of the recess. The portion expands once and the ball portion is stored in the recess.

After that, the shape of the concave portion is restored by the elastic restoring force of the pedestal 33, and it is suppressed that the ball portion is easily separated from the concave portion. Further, one surface of an adhesive member such as an adhesive sheet, double-sided adhesive tape, or a hook-and-loop fastener is attached to the bottom surface of the pedestal 33, and the other surface of the adhesive member is attached to a predetermined position in a vehicle interior such as a dashboard. As a result, the pedestal 33 is fixed at a predetermined position in the vehicle interior.

As shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), the radar detector has a solar panel 2 and a switch unit 3 arranged on the upper surface of the case body 1, and is arranged on the front side (front of the vehicle) of the case body 1. A microwave receiver 4 for detecting microwaves in the frequency band emitted by the speed measuring device is arranged inside the side (windshield side). On the other hand, a display unit 5, an alarm lamp 6, an infrared communication device 7, and a remote controller receiver 16 are arranged on the rear surface side of the case body 1 (the side arranged behind the vehicle (user side (driver side)).

Further, a GPS receiver 8 is arranged inside the upper surface side of the case body 1. Further, an adapter jack 9 is arranged on one side surface of the case body 1, and a power switch 10 and a DC jack 21 are arranged on the other side surface. A battery (not shown) is provided inside the bottom surface of the case body, and the battery is charged with electric power supplied from the solar panel 2 and the DC jack 21 to supply electric power to each part. Further, the speaker 20 is also built in the case body 1.

In the present embodiment, the display unit 5 is a 2.4-inch small color dot matrix liquid crystal display having a backlight, and the rear surface side of the case body 1 (the side arranged behind the vehicle (user side (driver side))). The height H on the rear side of the case body 1 on which the display unit 5 is mounted is made larger than the height H0 of other parts.

As shown in FIG. 2, the infrared communication device 7 transmits / receives data to / from a communication device having an infrared communication device such as a mobile phone 12. The adapter jack 9 is a terminal for connecting the memory card reader 13. By connecting the memory card reader 13 to the adapter jack 9, the data stored in the memory card 14 mounted on the memory card reader 13 can be taken into the inside, and the position information and the scenery of the process of approaching the alarm object can be viewed. It is possible to write the contents of the memory of the database 19 and the control unit 18 storing the video data of the captured live video to the memory card 14.

Specifically, if the data stored in the memory card 14 contains updated information such as information on a new alarm target (position information including longitude / latitude, type information, etc.), the updated information is set to the control unit 18. Stores (downloads) in the database 19 built in the radar detector, and updates the data in the database 19. The function of the memory card reader 13 may be configured to be built in the main body case 1.

The database 19 is a non-volatile memory (for example, EEPROM) inside the microcomputer of the control unit 18 or externally attached to the microcomputer. Information about a certain alarm object is registered in the database 19 at the time of shipment, and data and the like about the alarm object added after that can be updated as described above. Further, the data update can also be performed via the infrared communication device 7. The DC jack 21 is for connecting a cigar plug cord (not shown), and is connected to a cigar socket of a vehicle via the cigar plug cord so that power can be supplied.

The radio receiver 15 receives the incoming radio of a predetermined frequency. The remote controller receiver 16 communicates data with the remote controller (portable device: slave unit) 17 by infrared rays, and makes various settings for the present device. Further, the switch unit 3 is also connected to the control unit 18 (not shown) so that the same settings as the remote controller 17 can be performed. The remote controller 17 includes a standby switching button, a setting button, a selection button, a cancel button, an enter button, a reset button, and an up / down / left / right cross button.

Further, the radar detector of this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle as shown in FIG. 2 OBD-II (II is a Roman numeral "2", and hereinafter "OBD-II" is referred to as "OBD2". ) A connection cable 22 for connecting to a connector is provided, and a connector terminal 23 that can be detachably attached to an OBD2 connector of a vehicle is attached to the tip of the connection cable 22. The OBD2 connector is also referred to as a failure diagnosis connector, is connected to the ECU of the vehicle, and outputs various vehicle information.

Further, at the other end of the connection cable 22, a connector terminal 25 for connecting to the socket port 24 provided on the side surface of the case body 1 of the radar detector is provided, and the connection cable 22 is also provided for the radar detector. It is made removable. Of course, the connection cable 22 may be directly connected to the radar detector.

Therefore, by connecting the connector terminal 23 attached to the connection cable 22 and the OBD2 connector on the vehicle body side, the control unit 18 acquires various vehicle information every second. The vehicle information includes vehicle speed, engine speed, engine load factor, throttle opening, fuel flow rate, instantaneous fuel consumption, intake air amount (MAF), injection opening time, remaining fuel amount, accelerator opening, and turn signal information (left and right). Turn signal operation (ON / OFF)), handle rotation steering angle information, etc. The radar detector of the present embodiment has a vehicle information display function that displays vehicle information acquired from the vehicle via the OBD2 connector as a vehicle information display screen as described above. The vehicle information display screen is a screen that mainly displays the engine load factor. For example, in the vehicle information, in addition to the current value of the engine load factor, the throttle opening, the fuel flow rate, the current value of the instantaneous fuel consumption, and this radar detection. The average fuel consumption, which is the average value of the instantaneous fuel consumption acquired every second from the time when the machine is attached to the vehicle to the present, is displayed, and the display mode is changed according to the magnitude of the engine load factor.

Further, the control unit 18 is a microcomputer equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, non-volatile memory, I / O, etc., and executes predetermined processing based on information input from the above-mentioned various input devices, and executes the above-mentioned various types. Outputs specified alarms / messages and information using the output device of.

The function of the radar detector of the present embodiment is stored in the EEPROM of the control unit 18 as a program executed by the computer included in the control unit 18, and is realized by the computer having the control unit 18 executing the program.

The functions realized by the computer by the program possessed by the control unit 18 include the GPS log function, the standby screen display function, the radar scope display function, the GPS warning function, the radar wave warning function, the wireless warning function, the vehicle information display function described above, and the above-mentioned vehicle information display function. The most prominent feature of the radar detector of this embodiment is the live video display function.

The GPS log function is a function in which the control unit 18 associates the current position detected by the GPS receiver 8 with the detected time and speed (vehicle speed) every second and stores it in the database 19 of the non-volatile memory as a position history. be. This position history is recorded in, for example, NMEA format.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the standby screen display function is a function of displaying the speed, latitude, longitude, and altitude of the vehicle detected by the GPS receiver 8 on the display unit 5.
As shown in FIG. 3B, the radar scope display function stores alarm objects within a predetermined range (for example, within a range of about 1 km) from the current position detected by the GPS receiver 8 in the database 19. This is a function of searching based on the position information and displaying the relative positional relationship between the vehicle position and the position of the alarm target on the display unit 5. In FIG. 3 (b), the left "W" indicates the west, the right "E" indicates the east, and the upper "N" indicates the north, and the horizontal line connecting "W" and "E" and "N". The icon at the intersection with the vertical line extending downward from "" indicates the vehicle position. In addition, icons having letters such as "L", "RD", "P", and "N" indicate the type and position of the alarm target.

When the press of the standby switching button provided on the remote controller 17 is detected during the execution of the standby screen display function as shown in FIG. 3 (a), the radar scope display function is switched to as shown in FIG. 3 (b). Further, when the press of the standby switching button provided on the remote controller 17 is detected while the radar scope display function is being executed, the process of switching to the vehicle information display function is performed. Further, when the press of the standby switching button provided on the remote controller 17 is detected while the vehicle information display function is being executed, the process of switching to the standby screen display function is performed.

The control unit 18 has a GPS alarm function according to an event that occurs during execution of the standby screen display function, the radar scope display function, and the vehicle information display function (hereinafter, these functions are collectively referred to as the standby function). , Radar wave alarm function, wireless alarm function, and other functions are executed, and when the processing of the function is completed, the process returns to the original standby function processing. Since the priority of each function is high, the radar wave warning function, the wireless warning function, and the GPS warning function are set in this order. When the GPS alarm function is realized, the live-action moving image display function executes the process to be realized as a part of the GPS alarm function or in connection with the GPS alarm function. When the processing is completed, the process returns to the processing of the GPS alarm function or the processing of the original standby function.

The GPS alarm function is a process executed at predetermined time intervals (1 second intervals) by an event from the timer of the control unit 18, and is detected by the latitude and longitude of the alarm object stored in the database 19 and the GPS receiver 8. The distance between the two is calculated from the latitude and longitude of the current position, and when the calculated distance reaches a predetermined approach distance (for example, within 500 m), a GPS alarm display as shown in FIG. 3 (c) is displayed on the display unit 5. This is a process of outputting an approach warning sound indicating that effect from the speaker 20.

The alarm objects are doze driving accident points, radar, H system, LH system, speed limit switching point, control area, inspection area, ban monitoring area, N system, traffic monitoring system, intersection monitoring point, signal ignoring suppression system, Police station, police station, accident-prone area, on-board aiming area, steep / continuous curve (expressway), branch / confluence point (expressway), ETC lane advance guidance (expressway), service area (expressway), parking Area (expressway), highway oasis (expressway), smart intersection (expressway), PA / SA gas station (expressway), tunnel (expressway), highway radio reception area (expressway), prefectural border announcement, road There are stations and viewpoint parking lots. Then, in the database 19, the type information of these alarm objects and the latitude / longitude information indicating the position thereof are stored in association with the schematic diagram to be displayed on the display unit 5, the video data of the live-action moving image, and the audio data.

The radar wave warning function is provided when the microwave receiver 4 detects a signal corresponding to a microwave in a frequency band emitted from a speed measuring device (mobile radar or the like (hereinafter, simply referred to as “radar”)). This is an alarm function that displays an alarm screen on the display unit 5 and outputs an alarm sound from the speaker 20. For example, when microwaves in the microwave frequency band emitted by the radar are detected by the microwave receiver 4, as shown in FIG. 4, a schematic diagram or a photograph of the radar stored in the database 19 is displayed on the display unit 5. In addition to displaying it as an alarm screen, the voice data stored in the database 19 is read out and the voice "Radar. Speed caution" is output from the speaker 20. During the audio output, the alarm lamp 6 is turned on.

The wireless alarm function is a function of issuing an alarm when a wireless radio wave emitted by an emergency vehicle or the like is received by the wireless receiver 15 so as not to interfere with the traveling or the like. In the radio alarm function, control radio, car location radio, digital radio, extra small radio, station activity radio, police phone, police activity radio, wrecker radio, heli-tele radio, fire heli-tele radio, fire radio, emergency radio, highway radio , The frequency of the security radio, etc. is scanned, and when the radio is received at the scanned frequency, the schematic diagram indicating that the radio corresponding to the frequency stored in the database 19 for each radio type is received is used as the alarm screen. While displaying on the display unit 5, the voice data stored in the database 19 for each radio type is read out, and the alarm voice indicating the radio type is output from the speaker 20. For example, when a crackdown radio is received, a voice is output like "It is a crackdown radio. Be careful of speed." During the audio output, the alarm lamp 6 is turned on.

The live-action video display function uses the GPS warning function to obtain the distance between the latitude and longitude of the alarm object stored in the database 19 and the latitude and longitude of the current position detected by the GPS receiver 8, and the obtained distance is a predetermined approach. This is a function of displaying a live-action moving image of a scene of the process of approaching the alarm object on the display unit 5 when the distance is reached (for example, within 500 m). In this case, as in the conventional case, the GPS warning display as shown in FIG. 3C is displayed on the display unit 5, the approach warning sound indicating that effect is output from the speaker 20, and then the live-action moving image is started to be displayed. Alternatively, the display of the live-action moving image may be started without displaying the screen of FIG. 3C. This selection may be set in advance by the switch unit 3, the remote controller 17, or the like. The determination to start the display of the live-action moving image is performed by the same process as the case of determining the conventional GPS alarm display, and when the control unit 18 determines that the alarm target is a predetermined close distance, the video data is sequentially recorded from the database 19. Is read and transmitted to the display unit 5.

The video data stored in the database 19 is acquired by the image pickup apparatus according to the present invention, which will be described later. Further, the video data of the live-action moving image is associated with the position information at the time of imaging, and the control unit 18 determines the timing for displaying the live-action moving image based on the position information of the vehicle and the position information of the video data. Specifically, the live-action moving image is displayed on the display unit 5 at the timing when the position information of the vehicle and the position information of the video data match. For example, the control unit 18 may be configured to synchronize the reproduction speed of the live-action moving image with the speed of the current vehicle based on the speed information of the vehicle.

By synchronizing the playback speed of the live-action video with the speed of the vehicle, it is possible to maintain a certain correspondence between the actual front scenery and the live-action video according to the speed of the vehicle at the time of the warning. As a result, the live-action moving image can be displayed at the speed of the vehicle at the time of the warning and the reproduction speed according to the change in the speed of the vehicle, and it is possible to always give an appropriate warning.

5A and 5B are diagrams schematically showing an embodiment of a display image of a live-action moving image, FIG. 5A is an image before approaching an alarm object, and FIG. 5B is an image when approaching an alarm object. The image of FIG. 5 (c) is an image after passing through the alarm object. When the H system 40, which is the alarm target, is close to the system 40 (for example, within 500 m), the live-action moving image is started to be displayed as shown in FIG. A series of images up to the passage as shown in 5 (c) are displayed. The user can recognize the actual alarm object more clearly by visually recognizing the same image as the actual landscape on the display unit 5 from before passing through the alarm object to after passing. The upper right of the display screen shows the current time.

Since the display of the live-action video is started, the user can recognize that the alarm object is approaching, but in this embodiment, in order to visually identify the alarm object included in the live-action video. The display image is provided with an instruction display, and an example is shown when the instruction display is an arrow 41. The arrow 41 has a configuration in which the size of the alarm object is changed according to the alarm object included in the live video, and when the alarm is started when the distance from the vehicle to the alarm object is long, a small alarm is projected in the live video. A small arrow points to the object, and a large arrow points to the warning object as the vehicle approaches the warning object. This makes it possible to more easily identify the alarm target in the live-action moving image whose position and size change.

6A and 6B are diagrams schematically showing another embodiment of the display image of the live-action moving image, FIG. 6A is an image before being close to the alarm object, and FIG. 6B is an image close to the alarm object. It is an image of time. In FIG. 6, the instruction display is performed by the enclosure 42, and a notation unit 43 for displaying the content of the alarm object is added. The size of the enclosure 42 is changed according to the alarm object. In addition, a comment indicating that the object has passed the warning object may be displayed on the display image of the live-action moving image.

According to the above configuration, when the alarm target is the speed measuring device as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, important components contributing to the speed measurement can be indicated by the instruction display, and the user's attention can be noted. It is possible to arouse and encourage safe driving. In addition, since such a dynamic instruction display performs an artificial operation according to the program in the live-action video, it is particularly conspicuous even in the live-action video that changes naturally as the vehicle runs, and the user's attention is instantly noticed. Can be attracted.

[Second Embodiment of the system]
Next, a second embodiment of the system according to the present invention will be described. The system of this embodiment is a radar detector having the same basic configuration as that of the first embodiment, and among the functions realized by the computer by the program possessed by the control unit 18, only the live-action moving image display function is the first. It is different from the embodiment.

7A and 7B are diagrams schematically showing an embodiment of the display image in the present embodiment, FIG. 7A is an image immediately after it is determined that the alarm object has been approached, and FIG. 7B is an image. An image before approaching the alarm object, FIG. 7 (c) is an image when approaching the alarm object. As shown in FIG. 7, in the present embodiment, the control unit 18 causes the display unit 5 to display the map 50, and the vehicle approaches the H system 40, which is an alarm target, to a predetermined distance (for example, 1 km). Occasionally, the live-action moving image 51 is superimposed and displayed on the map 50. Further, the display area of the live-action moving image 51 to be displayed on the map 50 is changed according to the distance from the vehicle to the H system 40 which is the alarm target. Further, as in FIG. 5, in the live-action moving image 51, the arrow 41 is used as an instruction display, and the size of the alarm object is changed according to the alarm object included in the live-action moving image 51. Specifically, when the vehicle and the alarm object approach each other to a predetermined distance, the live-action moving image 51 is displayed in the smallest display area as shown in FIG. 7 (a), and then the vehicle and the alarm object are moved to each other. The display area of the live-action moving image 51 is increased as it approaches. The upper right corner of the map screen shows the current time.

Further, in FIG. 7, the position 52 of the H system 40 and the position 53 of the vehicle, which are the objects to be alarmed, can be displayed in the map 50, and the alarm by the live-action moving image 51 can be superimposed and displayed on the map 50. It becomes. As a result, while confirming the H system 40, which is the actual alarm object, with the live-action moving image 51, the approach state between the vehicle and the alarm object can be objectively grasped by an icon or the like indicating the position on the map 50. ..

As a result, the approach state between the vehicle and the alarm object can be relatively notified by the size of the live-action moving image 51, and the display area of the live-action moving image 51 becomes larger as the vehicle approaches the alarm object. It becomes easy to identify the alarm target in the live-action moving image 51. Further, the closer the vehicle is to the warning object, the larger the display area of the live-action moving image 51, and it becomes possible to add a lot of information to the live-action moving image. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the content of the alarm object can be displayed, the distance between the vehicle and the alarm object, and the like can be displayed. In addition, these information may be displayed in the map 50 outside the live-action moving image 51 together with other traveling information such as speed. Further, in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C, the screen of the map 50 is fixed, but the map is changed so that the current position is always a constant position on the display screen. May be good. Further, in the system of the present embodiment, as a standby screen display function, a map screen may be displayed and the position and speed of the vehicle may be displayed there.

[Embodiment of Imaging Device]
Next, an embodiment of the image pickup apparatus according to the present invention will be described. The video data of the live-action moving image used in the system of the above embodiment can be acquired by the image pickup apparatus of this embodiment. The image pickup device of the present embodiment has a storage means for storing the position information of an already installed alarm object, a position information acquisition means for acquiring the position information of the vehicle, and a moving image of a landscape in front of the moving vehicle. When it is determined that the vehicle is in a predetermined approach to the alarm object based on the image pickup means capable of the image pickup, the position information of the vehicle, and the position information of the alarm object, the image pickup means is made to start the moving image imaging. When it is determined that the vehicle has passed the warning object, the image pickup means is provided with an image pickup control means for terminating the moving image imaging.

Specifically, a radar detector including a position information acquisition means and a storage means is combined with a drive recorder including an image pickup camera as an image pickup means, and the image pickup control means controls the image pickup start timing and the image pickup end timing of the drive recorder. The configuration is to be used. For example, the image pickup control means causes the image pickup camera to start image pickup when it is determined that the vehicle is in a predetermined approach state to the alarm object, and when it is determined that the vehicle has passed the alarm object, the image pickup means. End the video recording.

The drive recorder is provided with buttons for starting and ending continuous recording. Therefore, at the timing when the radar detector starts the output of the approach alarm, a signal similar to pressing the start button is given to the drive recorder, and at the timing when the radar detector stops the output of the approach alarm, the drive recorder is used. The image pickup control means is realized by giving a signal similar to pressing the end button. If the image pickup device of the present embodiment is used to pass through the alarm object nationwide, it is possible to easily capture a live-action moving image before and after the passage of the alarm object.

The image captured by the drive recorder is recorded in association with the vehicle position information, speed information, imaging time, and the like at the time of imaging. Using the image pickup device of the present embodiment, for example, the image and the position information 20 seconds before the arrival of the alarm object to 10 seconds after the passage are automatically recorded, or 1 km before the arrival of the alarm object and 500 m after the passage. It is possible to automatically record the video and location information of the above, and acquire abundant live-action video data corresponding to each of the alarm targets nationwide.

[Variation example of the embodiment of the system]
The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, and various modifications can be made. For example, the system of the present invention may be implemented as follows.

(1) The control unit 18 may be configured to display the live-action moving image at a timing of several to several tens of seconds before the position information of the current vehicle and the position information of the video data of the live-action moving image match. In this case, the optimum display timing of the live-action video can be determined based on the current position information of the vehicle and the position information at the time of capturing the live-action video. It is possible to have an arbitrary correspondence between them.

(2) When adding an instruction display to visually identify the alarm object included in the live video, indicate it with a balloon containing information about the alarm object, color the entire alarm object, and alert object. It is possible to display the outline of the loop coil with a line, and if the speed measuring device is a loop coil type or LH system, trace the loop coil embedded in the paved road to point to it.

(3) For the same alarm object, video data of a plurality of live-action moving images captured at different times may be stored in association with each other. In this case, the control unit 18 selects one video data from a plurality of video data captured at different times, and displays a live-action moving image based on the selected video data on the display unit 5.

For example, the above different times are set to two types, daytime and nighttime, and the two types of live-action moving images are associated with the same alarm object, and the control unit 18 controls the daytime based on the current timetime information. Alternatively, any video data at night may be selected and the live-action moving image may be displayed on the display unit 5.

In addition, as the above-mentioned different times, each live-action film corresponds to each period with a certain width with little change in the landscape such as spring, summer, autumn, winter, month, day, hour, morning, noon, evening, and evening. A video may be provided. According to the time when the vehicle is in a predetermined approach to the alarm object, for example, a live-action video of the same season or month and day, a live-action video of the daytime if it is daytime, and a live-action video of the evening if it is evening. A video and a live-action video at night are displayed at night. However, it is not always necessary to match the environmental conditions between the live-action video image and the actual front scenery, and in order to more clearly recognize the alarm target, a live-action video with good visibility at night with poor visibility is used. It is also possible to display, and to display a live-action video of summer in the snowy winter.

The video data of the live-action image captured at night is obtained by capturing the image at night using night vision in the imaging device. As a result, even if the area around the alarm object is a dark place with few street lights, it is possible to acquire video data of a live-action moving image in which the situation of the alarm object itself and its surroundings can be visually recognized. Therefore, while trying to match the environmental conditions between the live-action video and the actual front scenery, even if it is difficult to see the actual warning object in the front scenery in a dark place at night, refer to the night vision video of the live-action video. Therefore, the position and range of the actual alarm target can be specified.

Although the system of this embodiment has been described with the example of a radar detector, it can be implemented as a function of various electronic devices. For example, it may be incorporated as a function of a navigation device, a drive recorder and a car audio. Further, the control unit 18 may be provided with a function of setting the priority of each function or alarm based on an instruction from the remote controller 17 or the like, and each process of the control unit 18 may be performed based on the set priority. ..

The program stored in the EEPROM of the control unit 18 is downloaded to a mobile terminal such as a general-purpose personal computer, a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a portable game machine, and the control process of the control unit 18 is performed on the computer mounted on the mobile terminal. When the vehicle is brought into a predetermined approach to the alarm object, the live moving image may be displayed on the display means of the mobile terminal. In this case, the image data of the live-action moving image may be stored in the storage means built in the mobile terminal. It may also be stored in a server on the Internet.

Further, although the system of the present embodiment has only a program for realizing the computer of the control unit 18, the program may be distributed and distributed to a plurality of computers to perform distributed processing.

The system of the present invention can be used as a vehicle information system that gives predetermined information to the driver of the vehicle.

1 Case body 2 Solar panel 3 Switch part 4 Microwave receiver 5 Display part 6 Alarm lamp 7 Infrared communication device 8 GPS receiver 9 Adapter jack 10 Power switch 11 Imaging device 12 Mobile phone 13 Memory card reader 14 Memory card 15 Wireless reception Instrument 16 Remote control receiver 17 Remote control 18 Control unit 19 Database 20 Speaker 21 DC jack 22 Connection cable 23 Connector terminal 40 H system 41 Arrow 42 Enclosure 43 Notation unit 50 Map 51 Live video 52, 53 Position

Claims (6)

It is a system equipped with a function to issue an alarm when it comes into a predetermined approach to the alarm object.
If the time when the alarm object is in a predetermined approach state is in the evening, the image data in the evening is selected, and if it is at night, the image data at night is selected, and the image based on the selected image data is displayed on the display means as the alarm. Functions and
The image data of the figure different from the image data selected according to the time is stored in association with the type information of the alarm target and the information indicating the position thereof.
It has a function to display at least one of the image data of the other figure or the image data selected according to the timing on the display means as the alarm when the alarm target is in a predetermined approach state.
A system featuring. The image data selected according to the above time is stored in a server on the Internet and can be provided via the Internet.
The type information of the alarm object and the information indicating its position shall be configured to be updatable.
The system according to claim 1. As a function of displaying at least one of the image data of the other figure or the image data selected according to the timing on the display means as the alarm when the alarm object comes into a predetermined approach state, the other It has a function to preset whether to display the image data in the figure or the image data selected according to the time.
The system according to claim 1 or 2. As a function of displaying at least one of the image data of the other figure or the image data selected according to the timing on the display means as the alarm when the alarm object comes into a predetermined approach state, the other After displaying the image data of the figure, it has a function to start the display of the image data selected according to the time.
The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. As a function of displaying at least one of the image data of the other figure or the image data selected according to the time to the display means as the alarm when the alarm object comes into a predetermined approach state, the other It has a function to start displaying the image data selected according to the time without displaying the image data in the figure.
The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A program for realizing the function of the system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 on a computer.

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