JP2022113686A - Drive recorder, display device for drive recorder, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drive recorder having a large photographable range and a small dead angle, a display device for the drive recorder, and a program.

SOLUTION: A drive recorder 10 comprises: a body case 13 for mounting a control unit and sound recording means; and a first camera 26 and a second camera 27 for photographing a range of a half-celestial sphere or more. The two cameras are mounted in a casing 25 so as to photograph opposite directions respectively. In a state where the body case 13 in which the control unit and the like are mounted is adhered and fixed on a windshield, the dashboard and a pillar of the vehicle appear in the peripheries of images photographed respectively by the two cameras.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

There is an application for application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Law Posting address https://www. yupiteru. co. jp/products/biz_dr/q-01/ (posted on December 2, 2016) https://www. yupiteru. co. jp/products/drive_recorder/q-01/ (published on December 2, 2016) https://my. yupiteru. co. jp/upload/save_image/manual/pdf/Q-01. pdf (published on December 2, 2016) https://my. yupiteru. co. jp/upload/save_image/manual/pdf/Q-01_quickguide. pdf (publication date December 2, 2016)

The present invention relates to, for example, a drive recorder, a drive recorder display device, a program, and the like.

For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a drive recorder that is attached adjacent to a rearview mirror fixed to the upper part of the windshield of the passenger compartment of a vehicle such as an automobile. In this drive recorder, the third case body is provided with an in-vehicle monitoring camera, and the first case body is provided with a forward monitoring camera.

In Patent Document 1, as an explanation of the drive recorder, for example, in paragraph [0002], it states that "the own vehicle and its surroundings are imaged from the driver's field of view, and the imaged image data is stored in a temporary storage memory." is described, for example, in paragraph [0006], "Instead of recording only a predetermined period of time before and after the occurrence of a vehicle accident, for example, the surrounding situation is always captured and the captured image data is recorded. There is.

JP 2013-225179

The drive recorder disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a relatively narrow angle of view, as shown in FIG. , a certain range in front of the vehicle is photographed. Paragraph [0077] of Patent Document 1 indicates that the in-vehicle monitoring camera is configured with a lens having a narrower angle of view than the front monitoring camera. As described above, conventional drive recorders have a narrow shooting range, and the range of recorded video is not sufficient.

Further, the object of the present invention is not limited to this, but aims to obtain the effects produced by the parts of the configuration disclosed in the specification, drawings, and the like. For example, the present specification discloses a problem in which the description of "can be done" is read as "is a problem". It is also an object of the present invention to solve this problem. Applicant intends to claim some of the features described herein in an amended or divisional application.

(1) A photographing means for photographing a range wider than a half celestial sphere, and an attachment means for attaching to the vehicle so that a part of the range photographed by the photographing means is in front of the vehicle. Since it is possible to shoot a wider range than the area of the hemisphere, it is good because the range that can be shot is wider than before. The attachment means has a function of attaching the drive recorder to the vehicle and fixing the photographing direction of the photographing means. Since a wider area than the hemispherical area including the area in front of the vehicle is captured, for example, in the event of an accident, the captured area becomes wider, and in addition to collisions in front of the vehicle, collisions in other directions can also be captured. , Blind spots are reduced. A range wider than the hemispherical area should be a continuous space. Since this drive recorder captures a wider range than the hemispherical area including the forward range, for example, when it is attached to a predetermined position in the vehicle interior by the mounting means, the video captured inside and outside the vehicle can be captured from within the vehicle. It is a device that outputs or records

(2) The photographing means comprises a plurality of cameras, one of which is a camera for photographing a range of a hemisphere or more, and another camera is a camera for photographing a range narrower than the hemisphere. Therefore, it is preferable that the imaging regions of the two are configured to have different regions. The photographing areas may partially overlap, but by allowing different parts to be photographed, a range that cannot be covered by the photographing range of a camera that photographs a half celestial sphere or more can be photographed by another camera. As long as they have different areas, it is possible to include a portion where the imaging areas overlap, or the imaging areas do not have to overlap, but it is more preferable to include an overlapping portion. A camera that captures a range of a hemisphere or more has a lower resolution toward the periphery. Overlapping the shooting areas is good because it enables clear shooting based on a camera that shoots a range narrower than the hemisphere. This drive recorder corresponds to a drive recorder with a third camera and a fourth camera in the embodiment. A camera that captures a range of a half celestial sphere or more corresponds to the third camera, and a camera that captures a range narrower than the half celestial sphere corresponds to the fourth camera.

Further, for example, in a state in which the camera is mounted at a predetermined position on the vehicle by the mounting means, one camera that photographs a half celestial sphere or a larger range photographs the downward direction, and the other camera photographs the forward direction of the vehicle. In this case, it is preferable that one camera is used to monitor the entire 360-degree horizontal plane of the vehicle, and the other camera functions as a normal drive recorder. For example, if one camera captures an image of a hemispherical range with an angle of view of 180 degrees, the surroundings can be captured efficiently and beautifully. If the angle is set to 180 degrees or more, useless scenery such as the ceiling of the vehicle is captured, and the captured image is reduced accordingly, resulting in a drop in resolution. On the other hand, if it is set to 180 degrees, an object obliquely upward, such as a traffic light ahead, cannot be photographed, but this can be handled by another camera that photographs the front.

(3) It is preferable that the photographing means has one camera that photographs a wider range than the hemisphere, including the lower hemisphere, while being attached to the vehicle by the mounting means. In this way, since it is possible to photograph all directions of the vehicle, for example, an object approaching the vehicle from each direction around the vehicle can be photographed. In order to photograph a wider range than the hemisphere, for example, the space obliquely above the photographing means also becomes the photographing area. Therefore, for example, when capturing an image in front of a vehicle, the vehicle ahead and the traffic light can also be accurately captured.

By using the function to shoot in all directions, front, rear, left, and right, for example, even if a vehicle collides from the side or the rear while driving, the possibility of shooting the situation increases. Blind spots are reduced compared to recorders. Also, for example, when the system is operated while the vehicle is parked, security monitoring can be performed effectively.

A range wider than the 180-degree hemispherical sphere, for example, a range of 220 degrees to 260 degrees, is preferable because the traffic light can be photographed and the color of the signal of the photographed traffic light can also be confirmed. If the range is from 230 degrees to 240 degrees, the signal can be photographed so that the color of the traffic signal can be more reliably confirmed, and for example, the vehicle in front of the vehicle and other scenery can be photographed without lowering the resolution, which is more preferable.

(4) The photographing means is provided with two cameras for photographing a half-celestial sphere or more, and the two cameras photograph in opposite directions, and in a state in which they are mounted in the vehicle interior by the mounting means. , the dashboard and pillars of the vehicle may be shown at the edges of the images captured by the two cameras.

In this way, a 720-degree (horizontal 360 degrees + vertical 360 degrees) omnidirectional video can be shot with a single drive recorder. Conventional drive recorders can only shoot within a predetermined range in front of the vehicle, so the sides and rear are blind spots, and the situation in the event of an emergency may not be recorded in the video. Shooting eliminates blind spots, which is good. The two cameras correspond to the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 in the embodiment.

When the drive recorder is installed inside the vehicle, one of the two cameras mainly captures an area in front of the drive recorder, and the other camera mainly captures an area behind the drive recorder. Since the dashboard and the pillars are shown around the edges of the images captured by the two cameras, the drive recorder can be mounted in front of the driver by the mounting means. One camera captures the forward direction in the direction of travel, and the other camera captures the rearward view of the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, in the central portion of the image captured by each camera, the forward view and the driver inside the vehicle are captured. When the periphery of each image taken by two cameras is connected to capture a omnidirectional image (360-degree continuous image of front, back, left, right, top and bottom), the connection/boundary between the front and rear sides is the driver's view. It can be positioned sideways, so that there is no difficulty in viewing the image in front of the vehicle or in the center of the vehicle interior. The central area captured by each camera has a higher resolution than the peripheral area, and this high-resolution area is good because it can capture the scenery of the front vehicle and the central part of the front, as well as the driver and passengers inside the vehicle. . The front view, which functions as an original drive recorder, can be taken with the image of only one camera.

Also, in the above example, the dashboard and pillars are reflected in the joints, but by fixing the joints at a specific position, for example, it is difficult to show the part at that specific position and the other parts are not reflected. Make it easier.

In addition, for example, the housing in which the photographing means is mounted and the main body case in which the processing circuit for executing various processes and various sensors are mounted are configured by separate members, and the two are connected by an angle adjustment mechanism. It should be configured so that it rotates around the horizontal axis and swings in the front-back direction, but does not rotate around the vertical axis and does not swing sideways.

(5) The photographing means comprises two cameras for photographing a half celestial sphere or more, the two cameras photographing in opposite directions, and the two cameras photographing respectively. This is for forming one image by connecting the peripheral edges of the images, and preferably includes means for making the connecting portion of the peripheral areas photographed by the two cameras inconspicuous.

When two images are spliced together to form one omnidirectional image, a part of the entire image is cut out and displayed, and the cut-out area is moved, the cut-out area may include the joint part. Since the means is provided to make the joints inconspicuous, the joints are inconspicuous, and the whole omnidirectional image can be connected without a sense of incongruity.

The inconspicuous means is, for example, a brightness adjusting means at the time of photographing, and the brightness adjusting means is preferably such that the two cameras photograph with the same brightness. For the same brightness, the exposure conditions controlled by the exposure control function, for example, should be the same. Normally, when two cameras are respectively equipped with an exposure control function, each camera performs photometry, and an image is captured under appropriate exposure conditions according to the results of the photometry. In this case, for example, if one camera mainly captures the scenery outside the vehicle, the subject is bright, and if the other camera mainly captures the interior of the vehicle, the subject is dark. If you set a different exposure condition, you will shoot with different brightness. When photographed in this manner, the difference in brightness at the transitional portion becomes conspicuous, and a sense of incongruity arises. If the brightness adjustment means is used to control the two cameras to take pictures with the same brightness, it is preferable because there is no sense of discomfort at the seam.

When a single image is created and displayed by connecting the peripheral edges of images shot with the same brightness by two cameras, the connecting portion is not conspicuous. When the brightness of the two cameras is adjusted separately, normally, for example, the bright scenery outside and the relatively dark interior of the car are controlled so as to be clearly captured.
For example, when the image is rotated and the brightness is different at the part where the image of the camera that shoots the front is changed to the image of the camera that shoots the rear, the connecting part stands out and gives a sense of incongruity. The inside of the car, which is dark and difficult to see, is good because it is possible to reproduce the state as seen by shooting while it is difficult to see.

If the overall brightness is the same, for example, it is preferable to do this based on the photometry result of one camera that shoots the front, because the front scenery can be clearly shot, but the photometry result of the other camera that shoots the rear is also taken into consideration. This is more preferable because it is possible to prevent the inside of the vehicle from becoming dark and difficult to see. Also, since the image you want to see is in the center of the image, it is better to use center-weighted metering for each camera, and the lower part of the image will be the dashboard, floor, seat, etc. , and it is preferable to perform weighted photometry on the central portion, especially the upper region. Furthermore, if the split photometry is performed on the entirety of the two images including the seam, it is possible to photograph the entire image without causing too dark or blown-out highlights. Also, it is preferable to extract a moving portion, perform spot photometry on that portion, and adjust the brightness based on the result of the photometry. For example, the pillars and dashboard are not moving, but the scenery outside and the people inside the vehicle are moving. Therefore, by measuring the part where there is movement, it is possible to photograph the part that you want to see in an easy-to-see manner.

Further, the brightness adjusting means may be used to make the entirety the same, or may adjust the brightness of the central portion individually and make the brightness of the peripheral portion the same. In that case, the individually adjusted brightness of the central portion may be different from the brightness of the peripheral portion, so it is preferable to apply correction such as gradation in the intermediate portion between the central portion and the peripheral portion. If the entire screen is photographed with the same brightness, the control on the photographing means/camera side is simple, and the process of connecting two photographed images is also simple, which is preferable.

(6) The photographing means comprises two cameras for photographing a half celestial sphere or more, and the two cameras are arranged so that the regions photographed by the two cameras overlap at the peripheral portion, and the mounting It is preferable that the overlapping area is configured to photograph a predetermined position in the vehicle interior while the camera is attached to the vehicle by the means.

Objects present in the overlapping region are captured by each of the two cameras. When the images from the two cameras are spliced together, the same object may be divided into two and displayed at different positions. Even if it is hidden in a position and is not photographed in the first place, or even if it is photographed and displayed in a different position, the predetermined position in the vehicle interior is conspicuous, and the fact that it is divided into two and displayed is inconspicuous, and the sense of incongruity is eliminated.

(7) The predetermined position may be at least one of a pillar and a dashboard of the vehicle. The distance between the pillar dashboard and the camera installed in the vehicle is about 1 to 3m, which is relatively close compared to the objects that exist outside the vehicle. Inconspicuous even if In addition, since dashboards often have the same color as a whole and a dark color as a whole, even if there is a discrepancy, it is not conspicuous. Also, since the dashboard and pillars are not something to look at originally, I don't mind if they are misaligned. Furthermore, a person or other object outside the vehicle is positioned behind the pillar, but since the pillar is partially or wholly hidden, the displacement is not conspicuous.

(8) The two cameras photograph a range of a hemisphere or more, the two cameras are mounted in one housing, the outer shape of the housing is spherical, and the two cameras are arranged in a state of being exposed on diametrically opposite surfaces of the sphere.

Since the housing in which the camera is mounted is spherical, it is easy to imagine that it is a camera that shoots an omnidirectional sphere. Since the lens is exposed and protrudes from the surface of the sphere, the housing is less likely to be reflected in the camera even if the camera shoots in a range of more than a hemispherical sphere. If you make it a sphere, it will look smaller and it will look like a spherical drive recorder.

(9) Provided with a main body case in which a control unit is mounted, the housing in which the two cameras are mounted is arranged under the main body case in a state of being mounted by the mounting means, and the main body case is attached to the camera. It is preferable to have a shape that makes it difficult to be reflected. Since the main body case is less likely to appear in the images captured by the camera, it is possible to easily capture the scenery outside the vehicle and the state of the interior of the vehicle. The shape that makes it difficult to be captured should be a shape that minimizes the part that exists in the shooting range of the camera. Since the blind spot of is conical, it is good to make the main body case a shape close to that conical shape.

(10) It is preferable to provide a main body case in which the control section and the recording means are mounted, the housing in which the two cameras are mounted is arranged separately from the main body case, and the housing is provided with a switch. The recording means collects ambient sounds, for example, in the event of an accident, the sound of a collision, the sound of brake operation, the voice of the driver and passengers, etc. are collected and recorded. belongs to. This is useful, for example, in analyzing the accident after it occurs. When the switch is operated, the operation sound reverberates inside the housing, and if it is recorded as it is and played back later, it may be annoying, and it may be annoying to analyze the accident, etc., but the recording means is separate from the housing. Since it is mounted in the case, even the reverberating operation sound is not transmitted to the main body case, and the operation sound is not recorded. Recording means corresponds to, for example, a microphone in the embodiment. The switch may be, for example, one that gives an instruction to record information based on an image taken by a camera in accordance with the operation of the switch.

(11) A main body case for mounting a control unit and a recording means, and a housing for mounting the two cameras in a state where the two cameras are mounted in the vehicle interior by the mounting means is positioned below the main body case, and the above-mentioned A switch may be provided on the bottom side of the housing. A housing is arranged under the main body case, and a switch is arranged on the lower surface side of the housing. The switch is close to the driver and easy to press. Furthermore, if the housing is made spherical as in (8) above, the switch can be pressed while gripping the sphere from above and below.

(12) The housing is rotatably attached via a connecting mechanism to the lower surface side of the main body case in a state in which it is mounted in the vehicle interior by the mounting means, and the connecting mechanism is attached to the front and rear of the vehicle in the mounted state. It is better to allow directional rotation and prevent left and right swinging.

(13) The display device for drive recorder may be provided with a function of displaying on one screen in a state in which images shot by two cameras are connected. For example, by widening the angle of view and displaying in the opposite direction, the interior of the vehicle, such as the driver and passengers, is displayed in the center, while the scenery outside on the left and right is displayed on the periphery, and a virtual image is displayed on the outside of the vehicle. There is a point of view, and the vehicle becomes transparent, giving the impression of being seen from a distance.

(14) A display device for a drive recorder may be provided with a function of displaying images captured by two cameras in a connected state, changing the viewpoint, and displaying a reference screen with a one-touch operation.

It is good because it can immediately return to the standard screen regardless of the orientation when viewing from a different viewpoint. For example, if you cut out a part of the omnidirectional screen and move the cutout position or change the size, you may not know which direction you are facing. However, by returning to the standard screen once, the situation can be understood. Moreover, even if the current viewing direction is known, it is possible to return to the original reference screen at once, which is preferable. The reference screen includes, for example, the front, the driver (not directly behind but obliquely behind), etc. In the embodiment, there are specific screens such as front, rear, left and right, and bookmarks registered during playback.

(15) The drive recorder display device may be provided with a masking function that makes a predetermined part of the video shot by each of the two cameras less visible than other normal display parts. In this way, for example, by making it difficult to see at least the portion where the driver's face is displayed, it is possible to respond to the driver's request that he or she does not want to be photographed or is embarrassed. Making it difficult to see includes, for example, making it difficult to see clearly, covering it with a mask member so that it cannot be seen completely, performing mosaic processing, and making it appear lighter. The area to be masked can be specified automatically or manually. For automatic setting, for example, it is preferable to recognize a specific place such as the driver's seat, or a registered person (self, family member, etc.) and set a portion including the person's face.

(16) It is preferable to provide a drive recorder display device having a main display section and a sub display section, and a function of displaying different images on each display section. This is preferable because different images can be viewed at the same time. For example, it is preferable to display the scenery in front on the main display and the condition of the vehicle interior on the sub-display, because the situation when looking at the scenery can be understood in relation to it. In addition, when the vehicle is parked or stopped, a circular or panoramic image of a horizontal 360-degree portion is displayed on the main display unit, and when an approaching person is detected, an enlarged image of the person is displayed on the main display unit, The whole is continuously displayed on the sub-display. In the event of a collision, etc., the image of the direction of the impact is displayed on the main display, and the scenery outside in a different direction, or the situation of the driver and passengers inside the vehicle, can be displayed on the sub display to facilitate analysis of the accident. It is good because it can be done accurately. It is preferable to have a function to switch between the main display and the display depending on the driving situation/circumstances. By doing so, the necessary video can be reproduced according to the driving situation, for example.

(17) The display device for drive recorder may be provided with a function of displaying a specific direction facing a predetermined position on the screen. For example, since a specific direction is displayed so as to face a predetermined position on the screen, the user can recognize and understand the reproduced monkey image in relation to the direction when viewing the screen. For example, if the specific direction is "north" and the predetermined position is "above the screen", it is possible to understand intuitively by comparing with a map.

(18) A display device for a drive recorder equipped with an edit/playback function that automatically performs video playback processing by skipping unnecessary videos instead of playing back videos shot by the two cameras in chronological order. should be For example, since an interesting image is reproduced without continuing to reproduce an image that the user is not interested in or does not want to see, the user is requested to view the captured image later. preferable.

The display devices for each drive recorder described above include, for example, a viewer mounted on a computer, a display device connected to or mounted on a drive recorder, and a display device of in-vehicle equipment linked to the drive recorder. The in-vehicle equipment includes, for example, a car navigation system.

(19) The program may be characterized by causing a computer to realize the function of the drive recorder display device according to any one of (13) to (18).

(20) The drive recorder according to any one of (4) to (12) may be provided with the function of the drive recorder display device according to any one of (13) to (17).

The above inventions (1) to (12) and (20) can be combined arbitrarily. For example, at least one of (2) to (12) and (20) may be provided without all or part of (1). However, in particular, it is preferable to include all or part of the configuration (1) and at least any one configuration and combination of (2) to (12) and (20). Also, arbitrary components may be extracted from at least one of (1) to (12) and (20) and combined. Also, the inventions (13) to (18) can be combined arbitrarily. Also, arbitrary components may be extracted from at least one of (13) to (18) and combined. The applicant of the present application also intends to acquire patent rights, design rights, etc. for such configurations by amending, dividing applications, or converting applications to design registration applications.

According to the present invention, the photographable range is wider than in the conventional art. In addition, it is possible to provide the product described in this specification, such as a product that produces the effect described in this specification as “can be”.

1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a drive recorder according to the present invention; FIG. It is a figure explaining the attachment procedure to the windshield of the drive recorder. (a) and (b) are perspective views showing part of the body case of the drive recorder, and (c) is a bottom view of the drive recorder. FIG. 2 is a perspective view with a part of the body case of the drive recorder of the present embodiment omitted; It is an exploded perspective view showing a lens part. It is a figure which shows the state etc. which attached the drive recorder to the vehicle. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the main body case of the drive recorder, omitting a part of the main body case, the housing, the circuit board, and the like; It is a figure explaining the field of view, angle of view, etc. of a camera part. It is a figure explaining the blinking state of the lamp of a switch part. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining images captured by a first camera and a second camera; (a) is a diagram for explaining a display example of a photographed image, and (b) is a diagram for explaining an exposure control function. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining functions of a PC viewer; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining functions of a PC viewer; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining functions of a PC viewer; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining functions of a PC viewer; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining functions of a PC viewer; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining functions of a PC viewer; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining functions of a PC viewer; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining functions of a PC viewer; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining functions of a PC viewer; It is a six-sided view showing an example of a drive recorder. It is a perspective view showing an example of a drive recorder.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. These drawings are used to explain technical features that can be employed by the present invention. The configuration, shape, etc. of the device described are merely illustrative examples, and the present invention is not to be construed as being limited thereto. , is subject to various alterations, modifications and improvements.

1 to 8, 21, 22, etc. show external views and the like of a preferred embodiment of a drive recorder according to the present invention. The drive recorder 10 of this embodiment has a function of recording and outputting an omnidirectional video image obtained by photographing in all directions of 360 degrees on the horizontal plane and 360 degrees on the vertical plane. The drive recorder 10 includes a main unit 11 that executes various processes, and a camera unit 12 arranged below the main unit 11 when installed in the vehicle.

The body portion 11 has a flat rectangular body case 13 , and various circuit boards and devices are mounted in the body case 13 . The body case 13 is configured by connecting the first case 14 and the second case 15 . The first case 14 and the second case 15 are box-shaped with their facing surfaces open, and are connected by connecting means while their tip surfaces face each other. For example, the connecting means is composed of a projection provided on one of the first case 14 and the second case 15 and a recess provided on the other so that the projection and the recess are engaged.

The first case 14 has a shallow bottom, and the peripheral edge of the opening surface has a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners, and the depth is substantially uniform throughout. When the drive recorder 10 is installed in the vehicle, the first case 14 is positioned on the front side of the vehicle. Therefore, the surface opposite to the opening surface of the first case 14 becomes the front surface 13 a of the main body case 13 . A joint rail 16 is provided on the front surface 13a. Two joint rails 16 are provided vertically along the longitudinal direction of the first case 14 at predetermined intervals. A bracket 17 is detachably mounted between the two joint rails 16 .

The second case 15 has a box shape that is deeper than the first case 14 , and the peripheral edge of the opening surface has a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners like the first case 14 . When the drive recorder 10 is installed in the vehicle, the second case 15 is positioned on the rear side of the vehicle. Therefore, the surface opposite to the opening surface of the second case 15 becomes the rear surface 13 b of the main case 13 . The rear surface 13b has a flat surface 13b' at a portion adjacent to one of the pair of long sides of the rectangle, which is a flat surface parallel to the front surface 13a of the main body case 13, and has an inclined surface 13b at a portion adjacent to the other of the pair of long sides. ″. The inclined surface 13b″ is formed so as to gradually approach the opening surface of the second case 15 as it goes from the intermediate side of the short side to the outer long side. Therefore, the depth of the second case 15 is uniform in the first area including the flat surface 13b', and is formed so as to gradually become shallower toward the longer side in the second area including the inclined surface 13b''. By providing the inclined surface 13b″, the external shape of the main body case 13 becomes a shape in which one long side portion is chamfered based on a rectangular parallelepiped. One long side to be chamfered is the rear upper side when the drive recorder 10 is installed in the vehicle. When the first case 14 and the second case 15 are connected, the front surface 13a on the first case 14 side and the flat surface 13b' on the second case 15 side are parallel.

The bracket 17 has a flat plate 17a, and a pair of long sides of the plate 17a are formed with grooves 17b along the longitudinal direction. The groove 17b is configured to match the joint rail 16. As shown in FIG. The user attaches or removes the bracket 17 to or from the main body case 13 by aligning the groove 17b and the joint rail 16 and relatively sliding the bracket 17 and the main body case 13 (see FIG. 2, etc.).

A projection 17c is provided on the surface of the plate 17a facing the body case 13 when the bracket 17 is attached to the body case 13 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B). When the bracket 17 is mounted between the joint rails 16, the protrusion 17c is fitted into the hole 14b provided in the plate spring portion 14a of the first case 14 and prevents it from coming off. An adhesive member such as a double-sided tape 19 is attached to the surface of the bracket 17 opposite to the surface facing the main body case 13 . When the drive recorder 10 is attached to a vehicle, the bracket 17 is removed from the main body case 13, and the removed bracket 17 is attached to the windshield 2 of the vehicle via double-sided tape 19 to fix it (see FIG. 2(b), etc.). . At this time, the bracket 17 is horizontally long so that the pair of long sides are horizontal. By attaching the body case 13 to the bracket 17 affixed to the windshield 2 in such a state (see FIG. 2(c), etc.), the drive recorder 10 is attached and fixed at a predetermined position of the vehicle. In this mounted state, the front surface 13a and the flat surface 13b' of the body case 13 are arranged parallel to the mounting surface of the windshield 2, the long sides of the body case 13 are positioned in the horizontal plane, and the short sides of the body case 13 are positioned in the horizontal plane. The lateral sides lie in a vertical plane. Therefore, the main body case 13 is fixed while being attached to the windshield 2 in a horizontally long state, and the camera section 12 is arranged in a suspended state on the bottom side of the main body case 13 .

As shown in FIGS. 1A, 3, etc., a cutout window portion 14c is formed on one short side of the first case 14, and a cover member 20 is attached to cover the cutout window portion 14c. . The cover member 20 is fastened and fixed with a screw 21 in a state of being arranged so as to close the cutout window portion 14c. When the cover member 20 is removed, the memory card slot 22 mounted inside the main body case 13 is exposed through the cutout window portion 14c. A memory card 23 is detachably inserted into the memory card slot 22 .

A window hole 13c is provided on the side opposite to the side on which the cutout window portion 14c is provided so as to straddle the second case 15 of the first case 14, and a DC jack 24 is provided at the back of the window hole 13c. Deploy. A connector provided at one end of a power cable is attached to the DC jack 24 to receive power supply from the outside. Power is supplied from the outside, for example, from a vehicle battery. For example, the other end of the power cable attached to the DC jack 24 is attached to the cigar socket of the vehicle or directly connected to the power line of the battery of the vehicle. Alternatively, a power supply device separate from the battery of the vehicle may be prepared, and the drive recorder may be supplied with power from the power supply device. This power supply device is capable of supplying power from a built-in battery even when the vehicle is parked and power is not supplied from the battery of the vehicle. The built-in battery may be, for example, a rechargeable battery. When this power supply device is installed in a vehicle, the power supply device is arranged between the battery of the vehicle and the drive recorder in the power supply line. In a state in which power can be supplied from the battery of the vehicle, such as when the vehicle is running, power is supplied from the battery of the vehicle to the drive recorder 10 via the power supply device. In this state, the built-in battery of the power supply device is charged by receiving power supply from the vehicle battery. When the power supply from the battery of the vehicle is off, the drive recorder 10 operates by receiving the power supply from the power supply device.

A hole 13d is provided at a predetermined position on the inclined surface 13b″ of the first case 14. A microphone 18 is arranged in the body case 13 near the hole 13d. The microphone 18 collects surrounding sounds. A plurality of holes 13e are provided at predetermined positions on the flat surface 13b' of the case 14. A speaker 29 is arranged in the body case 13 near the holes 13e.

Various processing circuits, power supply circuits, and the like are mounted in the body case 13 . As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, the processing circuit, power supply circuit, and the like are mounted on a main circuit board 40 and a sub circuit board 41 . The main circuit board 40 and the sub circuit board 41 are mechanically integrated by mutually connecting the connectors 42 attached to both boards, and connect the signal lines and power lines formed on each circuit board. . The main circuit board 40 and the sub-circuit board 41 are connected in parallel and stacked, and mounted in the main body case 13 in this state. In the mounted state, the main circuit board 40 is located on the second case 15 side, and the sub circuit board 41 is located inside the first case 14 . A GPS antenna section 43 and a battery 44 are provided on the surface of the sub circuit board 41 not facing the main circuit board 40 . The memory card slot 22 is mounted on the side of the sub circuit board 41 facing the main circuit board 40 . The main circuit board 40 is mounted with a CPU for various controls, the DC jack 24, the speaker 29, and the like. Although not shown, the body case 13 also contains an acceleration sensor.

As shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the camera section 12 includes a housing 25 , a first camera 26 and a second camera 27 mounted inside the housing 25 , and a switch section 28 . The housing 25 has a spherical overall shape, and is configured by connecting a hemispherical first camera case 30 and a second camera case 31 that are divided into two while facing each other. The fixing between the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31 is similar to the fixing of the first case 14 and the second case 15 described above. For example, it is preferable to use the fitting of the concave portion 31a provided in the second camera case 31 .

The first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are arranged back-to-back, and are fixed and connected to form a camera unit 35 so as to photograph opposite directions. The camera unit 35 erects a flat rectangular holder 36, fixes the first camera 26 on the front surface thereof, and fixes and integrates the second camera 27 on the rear surface thereof. The fixation is performed by screws, for example.

The first camera 26 is configured by arranging a first lens portion 26b on a first circuit board 26a. An imaging element and a processing circuit for photographing are mounted on the first circuit board 26a. The second camera 27 is configured by arranging a second lens portion 27b on a second circuit board 27a. An imaging element and a processing circuit for photographing are mounted on the second circuit board 27a. The first camera 26 and the second camera 27 have the same specifications and performance. Same state and performance means, for example, the angle of view, the optical system from the lens at the tip to the image pickup device, and the sensor size of the image pickup device are the same. If the images are taken in the same state, the images taken will be the same. In the present embodiment, there is no physical diaphragm, and the brightness of photography is adjusted by changing the exposure time by changing the shutter speed.

As shown in FIG. 5 and the like, when the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are attached to the holder 36, the optical axes L of the first lens portion 26b and the second lens portion 27b are positioned on the same straight line. set. As a result, the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 shoot in opposite directions. A circular window hole 30 b is provided in the center of the first camera case 30 , and a circular window hole 31 b is provided in the center of the second camera case 31 . When the camera unit 35 is mounted inside the housing 25, the tip of the first lens portion 26b of the first camera 26 and the tip of the second lens portion 27b of the second camera 27 are positioned within the window holes 30b and 31b, respectively. and exposed to the outside.

A housing 25 of the camera section 12 is connected to the body case 13 via an angle adjusting mechanism 50 . The angle adjustment mechanism 50 rotates the housing 25 only around the rotation axis provided along the long side on the front side of the bottom surface of the main body case 13, thereby allowing the front-rear swing (see FIG. 6). , to prevent it from swinging sideways, for example, it is configured as follows. As shown in FIG. 5, the housing 25 is provided with a first bearing piece 51 projecting upward from the first camera case 30 and a second bearing piece 52 projecting upward from the second camera case 31 . The first bearing piece 51 includes a wall portion 51a extending upward and two first bearing portions 51b formed on the rear surface of the wall portion 51a so as to protrude rearward. The second bearing piece 52 includes a wall portion 52a facing the wall portion 51a of the first bearing piece 51, and second bearing portions 52b arranged on both left and right sides of the wall portion 52a. These four bearing portions 51b and 52b have through holes of the same diameter, and when the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31 are connected, the four through holes are arranged concentrically.

A concave portion 15 d is provided at a predetermined position on the bottom surface of the second case 15 of the main body case 13 . The recess 15d is formed in the central portion of the front long side of the bottom surface of the second case 15, and has through holes 15e in a pair of inner side surfaces perpendicular to the long side. The through holes 15e formed in the pair of inner side surfaces are coaxially formed, and one of the inner diameters is larger than the shaft portion of the bolt 53 and smaller than the outer diameter of the nut 54 attached to the threaded portion of the bolt 53. A small chamber 55 for mounting the nut 54 is provided on the inner side of the second case 15 on the inner side surface where the through hole 15e smaller than the outer diameter of the nut 54 is provided, and the nut is set in the small chamber. The inner diameter of the other through hole 15 e is made larger than the outer diameter of the head of the bolt 53 . The other through hole 15 e is connected to the opening 15 g of the side surface 15 f of the second case 15 .

With the first bearing piece 51 and the second bearing piece 52 inserted into the recess 15d, the bolt 53 is inserted from the side of the opening 15g with the threaded portion facing the front. While passing through the first bearing portion 51b and the second bearing portion 52b, the threaded portion of the bolt 53 is inserted into one of the through holes 15e and positioned in the small chamber. A tightening tool such as a hexagonal wrench is used to turn the bolt 53 to tighten the screw portion and the nut. In this state, one side surface of the concave portion 15d is sandwiched between the nut and the second bearing portion 52b of one of the second bearing pieces 52, preventing the bolt 53 and the housing 25 from coming off. , the head of the bolt 53 biases the other second bearing portion 52b to restrain the rotation, and when the bolt 53 is loosened, the housing 25 rotates around the bolt 53 within a predetermined angle range.

The bolts 53 are arranged parallel to the long sides of the second case 15 and the main body case 13 . Since the long side of the main body case 13 attached and fixed to the windshield 2 is positioned on a horizontal plane, the angle adjustment mechanism 50 composed of the bolt 53, the first bearing piece 51, the second bearing piece 52, etc. , rotation about the horizontal axis is allowed, rotation about the vertical axis is disabled, and the camera unit 12 is allowed only to swing in the front-rear direction.

When using the drive recorder 10, in a state where the drive recorder 10 is attached and fixed to the windshield 2 as described above, the housing 25 and thus the camera section 12 are swung back and forth to achieve the desired posture, and then the nuts are tightened. Keep the orientation of 12 fixed. The desired posture is such that the first camera 26 faces forward, the second camera 27 faces rearward, and the optical axis L of the first lens portion 26b and the second lens portion 27b is parallel to the traveling direction of the vehicle. Such a posture. In such a posture, as shown in FIG. 6A, etc., the joint surface M between the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31 is positioned within a vertical plane and within a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle. do.

As shown in FIG. 8 and the like, the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 each have an angle of view of 360 degrees in a plane direction parallel to the lens, and an angle of view θ in the direction perpendicular to the plane is a predetermined angle larger than 180 degrees. It is a camera that can shoot the entire surroundings as it is. The predetermined angle is the same angle for the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 . Since the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are arranged in opposite directions back to back, there is a predetermined gap between the tip of the first lens portion 26b and the tip of the second lens portion 27b. For example, if the angle of view of both cameras is 180 degrees, a strip-shaped unphotographed area is generated over the entire circumference corresponding to the width of the predetermined interval between the two lens units. By making the angle of view θ larger than 180 degrees, the area behind the plane orthogonal to the optical axis at the tip position of the lens unit also becomes the shooting range, and as shown in FIG. A portion overlapping the area occurs (see the hatched portion in FIG. 8), and 720-degree (horizontal 360 degrees + vertical 360 degrees) omnidirectional video can be captured with one drive recorder 10 (FIG. 8 (d ), etc.).

The images captured by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are circular, for example, as shown in FIGS. 8(b) and 8(c). In addition to the first region R1 in which the front half celestial sphere portion of the lens unit with an angle of view of 180 degrees or less in the orthogonal direction is photographed, the rear side of the lens unit with an angle of view of 180 degrees or more in the orthogonal direction is photographed. and a second region R2.

A region with a predetermined angle or more becomes a blind spot that cannot be photographed by each camera. Therefore, the area near the camera unit 12 from the position where the photographing areas of the two cameras shown by hatching overlap in FIG. The closer the predetermined angle is to 180 degrees, the farther the point where the photographing areas start to overlap from the camera unit 12, and the larger the blind area R3 becomes. On the other hand, the larger the predetermined angle, the smaller the blind spot region R3, but the smaller the first region R1 obtained by photographing the half celestial sphere in front of the lens unit. resolution is reduced, resulting in a problem of difficulty in viewing. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the predetermined angle is set to 210 degrees, and the blind spot region R3 is made small as appropriate, while the front view of the vehicle and the interior of the vehicle captured in the first region R1 can be maintained at a high resolution.

The switch section 28 is attached below the camera unit 35 and integrated therewith. Semicircular notches 30 c and 31 c are provided below the joint edges of the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31 . The cutouts 30c and 31c have the same radius, and when the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31 are joined, the cutouts 30c and 31c are connected to form a circular hole. The switch portion 28 is positioned in the circular hole and exposed to the outside.

The switch section 28 is mounted in the housing 25 for the camera section 12 and housed in a separate housing from the main body section 11 containing the speaker 29 . The switch section 28 is of a push-button type, and when the switch section 28 is pressed, an operation sound is produced. , even if it reverberates within the housing 25, the operation sound is not transmitted to the main body case 13, and the sound is not collected by the microphone 18 and is not recorded. On the other hand, for example, if a switch is provided on the side of the main body case 13, the operation sound when the switch is pressed is collected and recorded by the microphone 18, resulting in a problem that the operation sound becomes large noise. However, in the present embodiment, such a problem does not arise, so it is good. Also, if the microphone and the switch are mounted on the same board, the board will vibrate when the switch is operated, and the sound caused by that vibration may be recorded as noise. Therefore, it is good that such a situation does not occur.

This switch section 28 is to be pressed when recording an event. The drive recorder 10 of the present embodiment has a constant recording function for recording video from the engine start (ACC ON) to the engine stop (ACC OFF) in a memory card, and when an event condition is met, it is recorded for a certain period of time before and after the match. There is an event recording function that records Event conditions include, for example, when an acceleration sensor detects a certain amount of impact or when the switch section 28 is pressed. The detection of an impact above a certain level is used to record video and audio before and after the accident, and the pressing of the switch unit 28 is used for one-touch recording to record video and audio for a certain period of time while passing through an arbitrary point. do. The control unit of the drive recorder, for example, records video and audio for a certain period of time before and after the occurrence of the event as separate data when the event condition is met while always recording. The data for constant recording and the different data at the occurrence of an event are both recorded in the memory card 23. - 特許庁In addition, when constant recording is not performed, the control unit of the drive recorder temporarily records video and audio for a certain period of time in buffer memory, etc., and when event conditions are met, temporarily recorded data, etc. is used to record video and audio for a given period of time before and after the occurrence of an event in the memory card 23. - 特許庁

As described above, in this embodiment, the drive recorder 10 is prepared separately from the vehicle even when the ignition switch is turned off and the power supply from the vehicle battery cannot be received, such as when the vehicle is parked. It receives power from the power supply and operates.
Therefore, a mode for recording parking is provided using such a function. The parking recording mode is a mode in which power is supplied from the power supply to the drive recorder 10 for a set period of time even after the power of the vehicle is turned off, such as when the vehicle is parked, and constant recording and event recording are performed even while the vehicle is parked.

In this embodiment, a GPS antenna unit 43 is provided, and a function of acquiring position information, date and time information, and speed information is provided. Therefore, when performing the above recording, it is preferable to record each of these pieces of information in association with each other.

In this embodiment, the switch section 28 is provided at the center of the bottom surface of the housing 25 made of a sphere. Therefore, the switch portion 28 is located at the closest position to the driver and fellow passengers in the front passenger seat, and can be easily operated by stretching out a hand. In this embodiment, the camera unit 12 is positioned below the main body case 13, and there is a risk that the user may accidentally touch the lens when operating the switch. Therefore, the possibility of touching the lens can be suppressed as much as possible.

Also, when the switch section 28 is pushed upward, a load is applied to the angle adjustment mechanism 50 that rotates the camera section 12, and the load is received there, so that the user can press firmly. In order to prevent the orientation of the lens from changing when the lens is pushed, the bolt 53 and nut 54 are firmly screwed and fixed.

Since the housing 25 is a sphere, it is easy to understand that the camera section 12 takes an omnidirectional omnidirectional image with the housing 25 as the center. Since the housing 25 is made spherical, the housing 25 is located in the blind spot between the first lens portion 26b and the second lens portion 27b and is not reflected in the image. Further, in order to prevent the main body case 13 from being reflected in the images taken by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 as much as possible, for example, the main body case 13 and the housing 25 are arranged close to each other, and the upper part of the housing 25 and the main body case are arranged. Even if there is no gap on the bottom surface of the housing 13, spaces can be secured between the housing 25 and the body case 13 toward the left and right sides of the housing 25, making it easier to pinch the housing 25 between fingers. Then, when the switch part 28 is pushed, the switch part can be pushed by touching the upper side of the housing with the index finger and the middle finger as if grasping a ball and gripping the switch part 28 with the thumb. By performing this pushing operation, the load is not applied to the main body case 13 and the angle adjusting mechanism 50, or is less likely to be applied.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a lamp is mounted on the switch portion 28 so that the surface of the switch portion 28 emits light. Since the switch part 28 emits light, the position can be easily recognized even at night. By arranging the switch part 28 on the lower side of the housing 25, the light is emitted downward. As a result, the driver looks up from below, making it easier to check the light emission. It is preferable that the light-emitting parts, including the switch part 28, be positioned in the blind spot of the camera so that the light-emitting state is not recorded and cannot be seen from the outside.

In addition, the lamp could emit different colors, eg red and blue. The ability to emit light is realized by, for example, incorporating light emitters that emit different colors, such as three-color LEDs. By making it possible to emit light of different colors, the operating state or the like is notified by appropriately changing the light emission color or light emission pattern (see FIG. 9).

As described above, in the present embodiment, the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 shoot in opposite directions, both have an angle of view of 210 degrees, and the peripheral areas of the shot images overlap. As will be described later, images captured by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are combined to generate an omnidirectional image, which is recorded and output. The boundary of the images to be joined when synthesizing the images of the two cameras is a vertical plane including the joint surface of the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31, and a predetermined width area including the vertical plane overlaps. area.

The bracket 17 is attached to the desired position of the windshield 2, the main body case 13 is attached to the bracket 17, and the camera unit 12 is mounted so that the joint surface M between the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31 is positioned on a vertical plane. The bolt 53 is tightened and fixed in a state where the angle and direction are adjusted. When the bolt 53 is tightened and the camera unit 12 is adjusted to the desired orientation, the first camera 26 is positioned in front of the drive recorder 10 at 360 degrees in the vertical direction and 210 degrees in the horizontal direction. The second camera 27 photographs the area behind the drive recorder 10 in a range of 360 degrees in the vertical direction and 210 degrees in the horizontal direction. The peripheral areas of the images shot by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are set to shoot a predetermined position in the vehicle interior, which is a portion close to the cameras. When the drive recorder 10 is fixed at a predetermined position in the vehicle interior, the jointed part of the images taken by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 is arranged at a predetermined position in the vehicle interior close to the cameras. The predetermined position in the vehicle interior includes, for example, the pillar 3, the dashboard 4, the ceiling, and the like.

In the present embodiment, the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 have an angle of view θ of 210 degrees around the circumference, so that both cameras capture the same surrounding objects in the peripheral region of the image captured by each camera. For example, as shown in FIG. 10(b), it is assumed that there are objects at positions P1, P2, and P3 in the surrounding areas captured by the cameras in both directions. Each of these positions P1, P2, and P3 is near the boundary K2 of the area photographed by the second camera 27, and the distance from the camera section 12 is different. Even if the distance is different in this way, if it exists near the boundary K2, it exists in the same position in the circular image taken by the second camera 27 as shown on the right side in FIG. 10(c). On the other hand, the positions P1, P2, and P3 are photographed by the first camera 26 as shown on the left side in FIG. The position of existence within the circular area is different. Therefore, when synthesizing the boundary of two images in which the same object is reflected, there is a possibility that the objects existing in the respective images are displayed separately and cannot be recognized as the same object. In particular, the amount of deviation increases with increasing distance from the camera, that is, from the vehicle, such as P2 and P3.

In this embodiment, fixed objects such as the pillars 3 and the dashboard 4 are used as the objects captured at the boundary between the two cameras. Even if it is reflected in the Since the parts of the vehicle such as the pillars 3 and the dashboard 4 are located about 1 to 3 m from the camera, there is little deviation even if the part of the vehicle is reflected in both boundary parts. On the other hand, outside the vehicle, there are many cases where the distance is 10m to 30m or more. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as described above, the joints of the images of the two cameras are arranged so that the objects in the vehicle are located at the same or close distance, so that the person or other objects located on the rear side are less likely to be reflected. Furthermore, in this form, instead of simply hiding the rear side with nearby pillars 3, etc., if there is an object that does not move, even if a person or object that exists behind it is reflected, it will be confused and will not feel uncomfortable. Even if it is displayed separately in two, it is inconspicuous so that people will not notice it when they see it. Furthermore, since users tend to look only to the front and back or to the side, they do not pay attention to the pillars located in the middle. good.

On the other hand, for example, the housing 25 of the camera unit 12 is rotated 90 degrees in the horizontal plane from the normal posture described above, and the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are moved to the left area. and the area on the right side of the camera.
The two areas are separated, and you can see what is reflected in each area, which is not good because the image gives a sense of incongruity.

[The first camera 26 and the second camera 27 shoot with the same brightness]
In this embodiment, the exposure control functions of the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are controlled so as to shoot under the same exposure conditions. In addition, as described above, the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 of this embodiment have the same fixed aperture value. Therefore, the exposure condition for adjusting the brightness at the time of shooting is performed by adjusting the shutter speed. . In this embodiment, the exposure control function is a function of adjusting the shutter speed. By setting the shutter speeds of the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 to be the same, the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 shoot with the same exposure conditions and brightness. As described above, the present embodiment is characterized in that the two cameras are treated as if they were a single camera, and are photographed with a common brightness.

In this way, the brightness does not change abruptly at the connecting portion of the images captured by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27, the connecting portion becomes inconspicuous, and the image is continuous all around without any sense of incongruity. It's good because it's a video. For example, if the inside of a car is dark and difficult to see, it is good because it is possible to reproduce the situation as it is by shooting the inside of the car while it is difficult to see.

As described above, in the correct installation/mounting state, the first camera 26 shoots the front of the drive recorder 10 in a range of 360 degrees vertically and 210 degrees horizontally, which is larger than a half celestial sphere, and the second camera 27 shoots behind the drive recorder 10. 360 degrees vertically and 210 degrees horizontally, with a range of at least half a celestial sphere. As a result, by splicing the images captured by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27, an image captured in all directions (360 degrees horizontally and 360 degrees vertically) of the drive recorder 10 (see FIG. 8(d), etc.) can be obtained. Configured. When playing back the forward image, it is displayed on the display screen so that the entire omnidirectional image is captured, or a part of the omnidirectional image is cut out and displayed on the display screen. For example, as shown in FIG. 11( a ), as a mode of cutting out a part of all directions, the front side of the drive recorder 10 photographed by the first camera 26 is displayed in front of the vehicle, or the second camera 27 photographs the front side of the vehicle. It is possible to display the interior of the vehicle on the rear side of the drive recorder 10, or to display an image in an arbitrary direction such as obliquely upward, obliquely downward, left, or right.

Depending on the direction of the viewpoint, the image displayed on the display screen is based on the image captured by either the first camera 26 or the second camera 27, or based on the image obtained by combining the images captured by the two cameras. there is something In addition, the omnidirectional omnidirectional image that is synthesized by joining two images is an image that is continuously connected in any direction, and as described later, the viewpoint can be changed gradually. It is also possible to gradually move the area displayed in a span. There is a state in which images of different cameras existing on a display screen are displayed on the same display screen.

The first camera 26 and the second camera 27 each have a photometry function and an exposure control function, and photograph the photographing range under the same exposure conditions, and in this embodiment, the same shutter speed, according to the surrounding conditions. At this time, when the peripheral edges of the images captured by the two cameras are connected to form one image, the connecting portion does not stand out. On the other hand, for example, if the exposure control functions of the two cameras separately adjust the exposure conditions based on the brightness of the subject measured by the respective photometry functions, normally, for example, for bright scenery outside Shoot with a short shutter speed to suppress brightness, and control to shoot in a bright state with a long shutter speed for the relatively dark interior of the car, and use different exposure conditions so that each image can be seen clearly. to shoot. When two images shot in this way are spliced together, for example, the spliced portion of the images of the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 is present on the display screen, and the images of different cameras are displayed on the same display screen. In such a state, there is a problem that the brightness of the displayed images differs, and the joints are conspicuous, resulting in a feeling of discomfort. On the other hand, such a problem does not occur by shooting under the same exposure conditions and brightness as in the present embodiment.

For example, when two images are spliced together to form an omnidirectional image, and the omnidirectional image is viewed while rotating 360 degrees in the horizontal direction, the displayed contents will change from a bright and clean outside to an indoor image. Sometimes it becomes dark and difficult to see, but I don't mind the seam between the images from the two cameras. On the other hand, if you change the brightness so that you can see the inside of the car well, you can see both the outside scenery and the inside of the car brightly and clearly when rotated 360 degrees as described above, but the joints create a sense of incongruity. put away. With a normal camera, each image is captured brightly and beautifully, but with this form, the concept of capturing and displaying the omnisphere is to capture and display a part of the omnisphere. When the image is displayed while moving in the direction of , if the image cannot be displayed as if the space is connected when all the directions of 720 degrees are viewed, a sense of incongruity occurs. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as one solution for preventing the feeling of discomfort at the joint portion, the exposure conditions of the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are set to be the same, and the images are shot with the same brightness. For example, in the case of nighttime, it is possible to photograph the outside, but it is difficult to see inside the vehicle while the vehicle is running because the interior lights are turned off. By photographing in a dark state, the connecting portion of the images photographed by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 can be connected without a sense of incongruity. If the outside of the real world can be seen, but the inside cannot be seen or is difficult to see, it is characterized by shooting as it is.

As described above, the exposure control functions of the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 shoot with the same shutter speed, but the shutter speed is determined as follows. The brightness is determined based on the image of the first camera 26 that captures the forward direction. One of the functions of the drive recorder 10 is to photograph and record the situation outside the vehicle such as in front of the vehicle when an accident occurs. By determining the exposure conditions such as the shutter speed based on the image captured by the first camera 26 as in this embodiment, the area including the front of the vehicle can be clearly captured, and the above functions of the drive recorder can be exhibited.

As shown in FIG. 11(b), an area spot R10 is provided in the upper half of the circular image taken by the first camera 26 for the front. The brightness of the subject is photometered, and the exposure control function performs shooting based on the exposure condition determined based on the brightness of the subject, which is the shutter speed in this embodiment. Of the upper half, the peripheral region R11 is not used as a region for determining exposure conditions. The forward view seen through the windshield 2 is within the range of the area spot R10, and there are many objects in the vehicle interior such as the dashboard 4 in the lower half. In addition, since the surrounding area R11 has a field angle of 180 degrees or more in the vertical direction, the scenery on the rear side of the lens part enters, so that it does not affect the determination of the exposure conditions. As a result, the scene in front of the vehicle, such as the vehicle in front, can be photographed and recorded in the crack. For example, in the case of a normal camera, there are those that focus on the central part of the image being shot, such as center-weighted metering, but instead of the central part, the lower part is excluded and the upper half is the object of metering. It is characterized by Further, unlike the multi-pattern photometry, the peripheral region R11 is excluded from the photometry, instead of the entire screen.

In addition, since the lower half and the peripheral area R11 are areas in which unimportant parts such as the ceiling and the dashboard of the vehicle are photographed, even if the photometry of the area is not reflected and it becomes invisible, it will have little effect. It is good because there is no In addition, although the main body case 13 of the drive recorder 10 may be reflected in the peripheral area R11, since the main body case 13 is originally not desired to be photographed, there is no problem even if it cannot be seen. For this reason, it is better not to use the peripheral region R11 or the lower half region for determining exposure conditions. so that its surroundings are equally bright overall. Therefore, just like the exposure control function of a normal camera, the front and rear cameras measure the light individually, and based on the light measurement results, the exposure conditions and brightness can be set individually for each, and the image can be captured beautifully in all directions. It can be done, and there is no sense of incongruity at the connecting part. On the other hand, in the installation/operating environment of the drive recorder as in the present invention, the brightness in front of the front side and the brightness in the rear side of the vehicle are greatly different, so the above problems occur. is the present embodiment.

[Modified example with same brightness]
In the above-described embodiment, the exposure conditions such as the shutter speed are determined based only on the photometry result of the photometry function of the first camera 26 on the front side, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is preferable to determine the exposure conditions by taking into consideration the results of photometry by the photometry function of the camera 27 as well. Considering a little means, for example, emphasizing the photometry result of the first camera 26 on the front side, for example, weighting it. By evaluating the photometry result of the second camera 27 in this way, it is possible to prevent the situation where the image of the inside of the vehicle captured by the second camera 27 is completely dark and the person cannot be captured. As for the photometry function of the second camera 27, it is preferable to provide an area spot in the upper center, similarly to the first camera 26, and quickly attack the area of the area spot. Since this portion is an area in which the fellow passenger is reflected, it is preferable that the fellow passenger can be photographed clearly by performing photometry for the area spot and determining the exposure conditions based on the measurement. In addition, since the dashboard, the floor of the vehicle interior, the seats, etc. are reflected in the lower area, this area is designed not to affect the determination of the exposure conditions. For weighting, for example, the area spot on the side of the first camera 26 is +5, the area spot on the side of the second camera 27 is +2, and the brightness is determined.

Further, contrary to the above modified example, the exposure condition may be determined with emphasis on the photometry result of the second camera 27 . By doing so, the image inside the vehicle can be clearly photographed and recorded. For example, in the case of applications such as taxis and buses where the faces of passengers are to be clearly captured, it is preferable to configure as in this modified example. However, if the photometry result of the second camera 27 is emphasized as in this modified example, the shutter speed will be longer, and the brightness of the front camera will be set based on that, so the outside scenery in front will be washed out. Sometimes. Therefore, considering the original function of the drive recorder 10, it is preferable to give priority to the first camera 26 side as in the above-described embodiment and modification.

In addition, it is preferable to determine exposure conditions by equally treating the photometry result of the first camera 26 and the photometry result of the second camera 27 without weighting them. In this way, the interior of the vehicle will not become too dark due to the first camera 26 being given priority, and the forward scenery will not be overexposed due to the second camera 27 being given priority. However, in order to record the situation outside the vehicle before and after the occurrence of an accident, which is the original function of the drive recorder 10, and also to record the interior of the vehicle, the front of the first camera 26 is prioritized, and the photometry result of the second camera 27 is also used. A modified example with partial addition is preferable.

Further, it is preferable to provide a mode setting function for determining which of the photometry result of the first camera 26 and the photometry result of the second camera 27 is given priority. By doing so, it is possible to set the front view priority, the passenger compartment priority, or the like according to the user's use situation. The mode setting function should be able to select, for example, to use only one of the photometry results, or to use both photometry results, but to set the camera with priority. It is even better to be able to set the degree of weighting. .

In the above-described embodiment and modifications, it is assumed that the images captured by a single camera are captured with the same settings without image processing. The same brightness may be applied only to the connecting portion. However, in such a case, it is necessary to set which region to start correction from, and it is preferable to photograph the whole with the same brightness as in the above-described embodiment and modification, because it can be configured easily. Also, the brightness may be adjusted when synthesizing with a PC viewer or the like, which will be described later, so that the joint portion is not conspicuous.

[The body case, etc. is configured so that it is difficult to see]
The position where the housing 25 is attached to the main body case 13 is shifted from the center of the bottom surface in the front-rear direction to the rear surface 13b. The angle adjustment mechanism 50 is arranged along the rear surface 13b side of the bottom surface. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 and the like, the flat rectangular main body case 13 is attached and fixed to the windshield 2 , so that when it is attached, it is obliquely arranged along the slope of the windshield 2 and the main body case 13 is attached. The edge of the bottom surface on the side of the rear surface 13b is located at the lowest position. By attaching the housing 25 of the camera unit 12 via the angle adjustment mechanism 50 at the lower position, the area where the main body case 13 is reflected in the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 is reduced.

The body case 13 is configured to be positioned near the lens body. A blind spot region R3, which is not captured by either the first camera 26 or the second camera 27, has a conical shape, and the farther from the camera unit 12, the narrower the tip becomes. Therefore, the farther the main body case 13 is from the lens portion, the wider the area where the main body case 13 is reflected in the first camera 26 and the second camera 27, so it is preferable to bring the main body case 13 closer.

The main body case 13 is formed with an inclined surface 13b'' or the like so as to be included in the blind spot of the camera as much as possible. Since the camera is being photographed and there is a rear-view mirror near the lens, it is preferable that the rear-view mirror does not enter the blind spot of the camera.

[Display device: PC viewer]
An embodiment of the drive recorder display device according to the present invention is configured by a personal computer. Although not shown, the hardware configuration of the drive recorder display device includes an arithmetic processing section, a storage section, an input section, a display section, a card reader, and the like. The storage unit includes a non-volatile memory for storing application programs executed by the arithmetic processing unit, a work memory used by the arithmetic processing unit during execution of arithmetic operations, an internal memory for recording images, sounds, and other information recorded during running, etc. There is an external storage device (hard disk). The input unit is a pointing device such as a mouse or a keyboard. A card reader is a device that reads and writes data to and from the attached memory card 23 .

By activating an application program (referred to as a "PC viewer" in this embodiment) installed in the storage unit, the personal computer operates as a drive recorder display device. As described above, the drive recorder 10 records in the memory card 23 various types of information related to recorded video such as video and audio shot while the vehicle is running or parked, as well as date and time information and speed information. When the user wants to reproduce the video or the like recorded on the memory card 23, the user takes out the memory card 23 from the memory card slot 22 and sets it in the card reader of the personal computer. The started PC viewer is executed, and images recorded during running etc. are displayed on the display unit. Specific functions of the PC viewer are as follows.

FIG. 12 shows an example of a display layout displayed on the display unit of a personal computer in a state in which a PC viewer has been started, a recorded video has been selected, and playback has been executed. A menu bar is provided in the vicinity of the upper side of the display screen 60, and a display area 62 for displaying an image of selected data is arranged in a large area below the menu bar. Below the display area 62, a map display section 63, a related information display section 64, and a playlist list display section 70 are arranged in this order from the left.

The menu bar button group 61 includes, from the left, a folder designation button 61a, a still image conversion button 61b, a print button 61c, a video conversion button 61d, a backup button 61e, a log data conversion button 61f, and a recording setting change button 61g. The folder designation button 61a is for designating data to be reproduced, etc. When the folder designation button 61a is clicked, the PC viewer displays a list of folders recorded in the memory card set in the personal computer. . The user clicks and selects a folder in which data to be reproduced or the like is recorded from the displayed list of folders.

The PC viewer of this embodiment has a function of converting the image displayed in the display area 62, for example, into a still image in a predetermined file format, such as JPEG format, and saving the still image. When the still image conversion button 61b is clicked, the PC viewer converts the screen image displayed in the display area 62 into a still image and records it in a predetermined storage area of the personal computer. In accordance with the settings, the PC viewer creates and records still images obtained by dividing the image being displayed or the video in the display area 62 by the specified number of frames for the specified time period.

The PC viewer of this embodiment has a function of printing the image displayed in the display area 62, for example. When the print button 61c is clicked, the PC viewer prints the screen image displayed in the display area 62 according to the set conditions. For example, similar to the above still image conversion, the displayed image is printed as a still image, or the image in the display area 62 is divided into a specified number of frames for a specified period of time, and a still image is displayed. There is such a thing as printing.

The PC viewer of this embodiment has a function of converting, for example, recorded data into a moving image in a predetermined file format, such as AVI format, and saving the converted moving image. When the video conversion button 61d is clicked in a state in which recorded data to be converted into a video is selected and read by the user's operation, the PC viewer displays a condition setting screen, and the content set in the condition setting screen Convert the read moving image data into moving image data in a predetermined format. The condition setting screen has an input area for specifying items such as file name, save location, range, subtitles, and compression format, and a [Start] button. The user sets conditions using the input area and clicks the [Start] button. By converting the file into a moving picture in AVI format, the converted and saved file can be browsed by using various moving picture reproducing software, uploaded to a homepage or other site, etc., and made public.

When the backup button 61e is clicked, the PC viewer backs up the video recorded on the memory card 23 to the personal computer. The video recorded on the memory card will not be deleted even if it is backed up. When deleting, a separate deletion process is executed. When the log data conversion button 61f is clicked, the PC viewer converts the accumulated history data into a KML file and records it as log data. When the recording setting change button 61g is clicked, the PC viewer displays a recording setting screen (not shown). The user inputs various recording conditions and the like using the recording setting screen and confirms the contents, thereby storing the recording conditions in the memory card. When the memory card is set in the drive recorder 10, the drive recorder 10 updates the stored recording conditions to the recording conditions, and thereafter operates according to the updated conditions.

The map display section 63 displays a map 63a of a predetermined area and the position of the vehicle on the map 63a. The PC viewer acquires map data of the surroundings of the vehicle based on the position information of the vehicle associated with the read image, displays a map 63a of the set scale on the map display unit 63, A vehicle position icon 63b is drawn at the current position of the vehicle on the map 63a (see FIGS. 12A and 12C). Map data may be acquired from a server in which maps are recorded, for example, via the Internet. When the map is obtained from the Internet, the map is not displayed on the map display section 63 when the personal computer is not connected to the Internet. Also, by selecting "do not display the map" in the setting, the operation mode in which the map is not displayed on the map display section 63 is entered.

Furthermore, when GPS positioning is not performed and the current position is unknown, it is preferable to display information instead of the map, as shown in FIG. For example, when GPS positioning is not performed, the map 63a can be displayed while the vehicle position icon 63b is not displayed. However, if another image or the like is displayed without displaying the map 63a as in the present embodiment, it is possible to easily understand that GPS positioning is not performed.

The related information display section 64 has a timeline display section 74 at the top, a volume switching button 66 at the top left below it, a date and time information display section 73 at the top right, and a play button display section below it. 65 is arranged, and a running speed display section 67, an acceleration display section 68, and a latitude/longitude display section 69 are arranged in order from the top at the lower left of the play button display section 65, and an acceleration sensor graph is displayed at the lower right of the play button display section 65. A layout for arranging the portion 71 is adopted. The timeline display section 74 indicates the playback position of the video displayed in the display area 62 in one piece of recorded data, and the entire timeline of the playback time of the recorded data is indicated by a red bar. , control is performed to move the position of the knob 74a to the right as the reproduction progresses. When the position of the knob 74a is slid and moved, playback is started from that position. A yellow vertical line 74b indicates a location where an event was recorded during constant recording (see FIG. 12(c), etc.).

The volume switching button 66 is a button for performing mute and volume adjustment, and has a mute button 66a and a knob 66b (see FIG. 16(c)). When the mute button 66a is clicked, the PC viewer mutes the sound to be reproduced, and when the mute button 66a is clicked in the muted state, the mute is canceled. When the pointing is operated to slide the knob 66b, the PC viewer adjusts the volume according to the position of the knob 66b.

The date/time information display portion 73 is an area for displaying the date and time when the video being reproduced was recorded. The time includes the main body time recorded based on the internal clock of the drive recorder 10 and the GPS time obtained by GPS positioning. In this embodiment, it is changed according to the recording conditions of the video being reproduced. The PC viewer displays the main body time on the date and time information display section 73 when the recording condition of the video being reproduced is based on constant recording. When the recording condition of the video being reproduced is video based on event recording, the PC viewer displays the GPS time in the case of GPS positioning when the event occurs, and displays the main body time in the case of non-GPS positioning on the date and time information display section 73. do. Also, when the recorded data is displayed with the main body time during playback (see FIG. 12(b)), the display is updated to the GPS time at the timing of GPS positioning (see FIG. 12(c)).

The playback button display portion 65 is a group of buttons for performing operations such as playback and fast forward. From left to right, it has buttons for ``rewind'', ``previous frame'', ``reverse play'', ``stop'', ``play'', ``next frame'', and ``fast forward''. When each button is clicked, the PC viewer executes processing corresponding to that button. When each button portion of "fast reverse", "reverse playback", "play", and "fast forward" is clicked multiple times, the PC viewer changes the playback speed. For example, when "playback" and "reverse playback" are clicked once, the paper is played back at a normal speed of 1x, and when clicked twice, the "playback" or "reverse playback" is played at a slow speed such as 0.5x speed. In addition, "Fast-rewind" and "Fast-forward" are clicked once for 2x speed, clicked twice for 4x speed, clicked 3 times for 8x speed, and clicked 4 times for 16x speed. "do. "Play/Reverse" adjusts the speed in the direction to slow down, and "Fast Forward/Rewind" adjusts the direction in which the speed increases. Switching can be easily performed, and furthermore, the user can intuitively understand the assignment by using a button for high-speed playback such as "fast-forward" as an adjustment function for increasing the speed.

As shown enlarged in FIG. 16(a), the running speed display section 67 is an area for displaying the running speed recorded by GPS. The acceleration display section 68 is an area that displays the recorded impact/acceleration values front and back (X direction: red, for example), left and right (Y direction: yellowish green, for example), and up and down (Z direction: blue, for example). . A latitude/longitude display section 69 is an area for displaying latitude (N) and longitude (E) recorded by GPS. The running speed, acceleration, longitude and latitude are all information at the current position of the image displayed in the display area 62 . The acceleration sensor graph display section 71 is an area that displays the acceleration sensor graph in chronological order. The recorded data is graphed with acceleration on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis. In this embodiment, an X-axis acceleration graph 71a, a Y-axis acceleration graph 71b, and a Z-axis acceleration graph 71c are displayed, and the display colors of the graphs are similar to the display colors of the acceleration display section 68. FIG. This is good because the correspondence between the two is easier to understand. When the inside of the area is clicked, the PC viewer moves the cursor 71d to the clicked position, and displays the running speed, acceleration, and latitude/longitude on each display section with the position of the cursor 71d as the current position. When the play button is clicked, the PC viewer plays the video from the position of the cursor 71d. The PC viewer acquires various types of information stored in association with the video to be reproduced, and displays it on the corresponding display unit.

A time display section 71e is arranged below the graph. The time display portion 71e shows, from the left, the recording start time of the recorded data to be reproduced, the current time at the cursor position, and the recording end time. When there is an acceleration impact exceeding the reference value, the time at which the testimony was given is displayed as an event time 71f in the graph. A + button 71g, a return button 71h, and a - button 71i are prepared on the right side of the graph. When the + button 71g is clicked, the PC viewer enlarges the acceleration sensor scale, and when the - button 71i is clicked, the PC viewer reduces the acceleration sensor scale. When the return button 71h is clicked, the PC viewer restores the standard scale.

The playlist list display section 70 displays the selected data name. In FIG. 12, the data name "2016/09/06 11:47:28 [48 minutes]" is displayed. In the case of constant recording, the data name is a combination of the recording start date and time and the recording time. In the case of event recording, the data name is the date and time of event occurrence and the type of event occurrence. Types of event occurrence include "impact" and "sudden start/sudden stop" based on the acceleration sensor, and "one-touch" based on the operation of the switch section 28, and the like.

The display area 62 is an area for displaying recorded video. As described above, the drive recorder 10 of the present embodiment records omnidirectional video of 720 degrees, which is 360 degrees horizontally and 360 degrees vertically. Therefore, the PC viewer has a function of displaying, for example, a partial omnidirectional image in the display area 62 or displaying an omnidirectional video as a single image. When displaying a part of the image, by changing the display range, direction, etc., the image of the desired range in any direction of front, back, left, right, up and down is displayed in the display area 62 . Such changes in the display range are configured as follows.

For example, as shown in FIG. 13A, in a state in which a predetermined range in front is displayed, the user uses a pointing device such as a mouse to perform a left button drag operation at an arbitrary position in the display area 62. I do. When the PC viewer detects that the left button has been dragged, it displays the image in the display area 62 so as to move in the direction of the drag. For example, as indicated by an arrow 75 in FIG. 13(a), if the display area 62 is dragged by a predetermined distance to the right, the PC viewer moves the displayed image to the right by a predetermined distance, and 13A is drawn on the display area 62, and the image displayed on the right side of the display area 62 in FIG. 13(b)). As a result, the image displayed in the display area 62 changes so that the line of sight rotates to the left, and in the example shown in the figure, the left front scenery is displayed. By lengthening the drag distance or repeatedly dragging in the same direction, an image is displayed that rotates counterclockwise in the horizontal direction around the position of the camera unit 12 of the drive recorder 10, From the left side directly to the rear side (inside the vehicle), the display returns to the original display direction shown in FIG. By moving the dragging direction in the opposite left direction, the scenery seen while rotating clockwise is displayed in the display area 62 . In this way, the display area 62 is moved left and right while a 360-degree image in the horizontal direction is stretched horizontally like a panorama photograph. , the image in the display area 62 is displayed (see FIG. 20).

The direction of dragging is not limited to the horizontal direction as described above, but can be moved in any direction within the display area 62, such as up, down, or diagonally. change. By dragging the left button of the mouse and moving the pointer to the portion to be displayed, the user can display and view the desired image.

When the mouse is right-clicked while the pointer is placed within the display area 62, the PC viewer displays the image display area menu shown in FIG. 13(b). This screen display area menu is drawn on the display area 62, for example. This image display area menu has an item of "image state" that displays the current orientation of the image on the upper side, and three operation items "restore to normal", "reverse", and "enlarge/reduce" below it. Take a layout to arrange the items. In the figure, "image state" indicates "normal rotation" which is the state of FIG. 13(a).

When "return to standard" is clicked and selected, the PC viewer restores the reversed, enlarged/reduced image to the initial display, and displays the restored image in the display area 62 . "Reverse" has three items of "horizontal inversion", "vertical inversion", and "back and forth inversion" as a lower menu list. When "horizontal inversion" is clicked, the PC viewer horizontally inverts the displayed image (see FIG. 13(d)). When "vertical inversion" is clicked, the PC viewer vertically inverts the displayed image (see FIG. 13(e)). When "reverse front and back" is clicked, the PC viewer displays an image that is reversed front and back and rotated 180 degrees from the displayed image. For example, in a state in which an image of the front is displayed as shown in FIG. 13(a), if the "reverse front/rear" button is clicked, an image of the inside of the vehicle behind the drive recorder is displayed as shown in FIG. 13(f). display. "Enlarge/reduce" has two items "enlarge" and "reduce" as a lower menu list. When "enlarge" is clicked, the PC viewer enlarges the image by 200% based on the center of the displayed image and displays it (see FIG. 14(a)). When "reduce" is clicked, the PC viewer displays the image reduced by 50% based on the center of the display screen (see FIG. 14(a)). By appropriately changing the viewing direction in this manner, the situation during driving can be checked from all directions.

When reproducing recorded data, a desired video list is selected from the playlist list display section 70 and executed. In this embodiment, the recording is grouped into event recording, constant recording, and history recording, and one of the groups is selected for reproduction. Therefore, the user clicks any one of the event recording tab 70a, constant recording tab 70b, and history recording tab 70c. For example, FIG. 15 shows a state where the event recording tab 70a has been clicked.

When the event record tab 70a is clicked, the PC viewer creates and displays a list of event record data recorded in the memory card. The user selects by clicking the check box 70d associated with the data name of the video that the user wants to see. When the check box 70d is clicked, the PC viewer displays a check mark "checkmark" in the check box 70d. This selection may be performed collectively for a plurality of data. When the read button 70 e is clicked, the PC viewer reads the selected recorded data, displays the data name in the play list, and displays the video in the display area 62 . When multiple data are selected, multiple data names are listed in the play list and the top video is displayed.

The video displayed in the display area 62 along with this recording/playback is a predetermined main image. The main image is, for example, an image facing a desired direction such as the front of the vehicle, and is an image of a standard size set as an initial display (see FIG. 17A, etc.). The standard size may be, for example, a range of 120 degrees horizontally and 70 degrees vertically. If it is within this range, it corresponds to the range of angle of view that is adopted as a normal drive recorder, so the image is familiar to the users of the normal drive recorder, and it is possible to obtain the necessary information equivalent to that of a normal drive recorder. It's good because it's possible. This main image should be in a state where the entire windshield is visible.

In this embodiment, when the drive recorder 10 is attached to the vehicle, the first camera 26 faces the front when the camera unit 12 is adjusted to a desired orientation, and the main image is, for example, Assuming that the center of the image captured by the first camera 26 faces the front of the vehicle, a predetermined area is cut out in a standard size and displayed in the display area 62 .

Further, it is preferable to provide a function of calculating the front position when the image is displayed on the PC viewer from the installation angle obtained when the installation angle is corrected by the acceleration sensor, and determining the standard position of the display image as the calculated front position. It is assumed that the direction perpendicular to the acceleration sensor and the front of the camera are parallel. Then, from the angle between the direction of gravity at the time of installation and the vertical direction of the acceleration sensor, find an angle that makes the direction of gravity directly below, and the vertical direction of the acceleration sensor and the front of the camera are relative to the direction in which this direction of gravity is directly below. Determine the orthogonal direction to be the center of the displayed image. As a result, for example, even if the user does not place the front windshield on the front windshield but on the side by mistake, it is possible to detect the front from the direction of gravity and display it as the standard position.

Although specific illustration is omitted, when the constant recording tab 70b is clicked, the PC viewer creates and displays a list of constant recording data recorded in the memory card. The PC viewer captures the recorded data selected by the user, displays the data name in the playlist of the playlist list display section 70, and displays the video in the display area 62. FIG. When the trigger list display button 70f is clicked, the PC viewer displays an event trigger list 70h in the playlist of the playlist list display section 70 (see FIG. 16(b)). When an item in this trigger list 70h is clicked, the PC viewer jumps to the recorded event and plays the video. By doing so, it is possible to efficiently reproduce the video of the portion where the event occurred and check the content.

Further, the processing based on the playback button display section 65 and the processing based on the volume switching button 66 described above are performed similarly based on the playback button 72a of the menu bar. For example, as shown in FIG. 16(d), when the play button 72a on the menu bar is clicked, the PC viewer displays a pull-down menu list 72b as shown. When a desired item in the menu list 72b is clicked, the PC viewer executes the reproduction operation of the corresponding item. Although not shown in detail, a pull-down menu of items for executing each of the processes described above is displayed based on clicking the button of each item of "File", "View", and "Tools" on the menu bar. It has a function to execute similar processing by

[A function that displays the state of the driver/passenger and the scenery outside the vehicle on a single screen, and displays the scenery outside so that it flows]
As described above, at the start of playback, a predetermined reference image is displayed, and after that, by changing the viewing direction according to the user's operation, etc. You can see the video of For example, a rearward-facing image captured by the second camera 27 is displayed by performing reduction processing to widen the angle of view, flipping the reference image back and forth, or changing the viewing direction by 180 degrees in the horizontal direction. good to do Such a display mode is, for example, as shown in FIG. 17(b), in which the driver and the interior of the vehicle are displayed in the central portion 81 of the display area 62, and the image of the scenery outside the vehicle is displayed in the peripheral portion 82. be done. When the image is further reduced, for example, as shown in FIG. 18, the omnidirectional image is displayed as one screen. As is clear from a comparison of FIG. 17B and FIG. 18, the photographed subjects are different, and the diagrams are for understanding the image of the display mode due to the difference in scale.

According to this display mode, the outside scenery is displayed so as to flow from the center toward the rear left and right, which is good because it provides an interesting image that cannot be seen normally. If you just look at the front of the reference image, although it is a function of the original drive recorder, you can still see the scenery and vehicles in front, which makes it difficult to arouse interest and lacks interest. It's good because you can see the scenery. For example, recently, on TV travel programs, etc., images of the situation inside the vehicle, such as the driver and fellow passengers, are captured by a camera placed on the dashboard, etc. The scenery is not captured, and even if it is captured, it is only slightly visible through the window behind the driver/passenger. According to this embodiment, not only the driver but also the passengers in the front passenger seat and rear seat are displayed in the central portion 81, and the outside scenery on the left and right is reflected in the periphery, which is interesting. In addition, it is possible to simultaneously provide a picture of celebrities making fun and noise inside the car and the beautiful scenery outside at the same time in the living room.

In this display mode, the image displayed in the peripheral portion 82 is not limited to the scenery on the left and right of the vehicle, but also the scenery on both the left and right sides from the front of the vehicle taken by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27, and a wide range of images. can see In this way, it is characterized in that the front part and the rear part are displayed in one screen. The image taken by the second camera 27 is reflected behind the user directly behind him/herself, and the scenery outside taken by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 slides sideways and flows, and the image is captured as if to wrap around behind him/herself. . For example, it can be said that the scenery looks as if there is a virtual camera outside the vehicle, or that there is a virtual viewpoint outside the vehicle, making the vehicle transparent and looking from afar. . In this way, you can see scenery that you cannot normally see.

[Viewer compositing function]
As described above, in this embodiment, two images taken by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are joined together to create an omnidirectional image. The angle of view of both cameras is set to 210 degrees horizontally when they are mounted and fixed at regular positions, and the surrounding area photographed by each camera is an overlapping area in which the same scenery or the like is photographed. When superimposing the overlapping areas, gradation is applied to synthesize them. That is, for example, like the second region R2 shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C, in the overlapped connecting portion, the display is made thinner toward the periphery. For example, if the second region R2 is the region to be subjected to gradation processing, for example, the peripheral portion is 0% and the boundary portion with the first region R1 is 100%, and the density of the intermediate portion is gradually changed. Since the resolution becomes lower toward the periphery, it is difficult to capture and has less effect on the display. Also, as mentioned above, there is a risk that the same person or other object may be displayed as a different object in each camera image, but by applying a gradation, even if it is displayed as a separate object, it will be less noticeable. .

[Mask function, etc.]
The drive recorder 10 for photographing and recording the omnidirectional sphere of the present embodiment also photographs the postures of the driver and fellow passengers as shown in FIGS. For example, there is a demand that the scenery and the interior of the vehicle be photographed and recorded, but that oneself does not want to be photographed. The PC viewer of this embodiment has a masking function, and has a function of outputting the masked masked area 62b in a display mode that is harder to see than the normal display area 62a. The setting of the mask region 62b that makes it difficult to see may be, for example, fixed or may be set based on the user's designation. In the case of fixed, for example, it is preferable to set, as the mask area 62b, an area in the image corresponding to an area in the vehicle interior where the approximate position is determined, such as near the driver's seat or near the passenger's seat. In addition, the function of setting an arbitrary mask area 62b based on the user's designation is, for example, to stop the display area 62 with a person to be masked, and designate a position to specify the area with a mouse or the like. When a predetermined button of the mouse is clicked, the PC viewer stores the position and sets the inside of the figure with the clicked position as the apex as the mask area 62b. When reproducing the image, the PC viewer sets the area corresponding to the above-mentioned memorized clicked position in the image captured by the second camera 27 as a mask area, and reproduces and displays the masked area. . It is preferable to have a function of setting the mask area 62b by user designation, because any area can be masked.

The display in the mask area 62b includes various processes such as mosaic processing, resolution reduction, and painting with a predetermined color. When painting, it is better to adjust the transparency appropriately so that you can see it slightly rather than completely filling it with a solid color.

It is more preferable to have a function for automatically setting the mask area 62b. For example, the automatic setting function is as follows. For example, for a person such as a user who wants to be masked, an image of the face is registered in advance, the registered person such as the user in the vehicle is recognized by image recognition, etc., and a predetermined area including the person's face is detected. Although it may be set in the mask area, it is more preferable to set it based on the movement speed/displacement speed in the image, for example. For example, while the vehicle is moving, the moving speed of people and objects outside the vehicle relative to the vehicle is fast, while the moving speed of people inside the vehicle is slow. Also, the seats and other installations in the passenger compartment do not move. Based on this difference in moving speed, it is preferable to set a mask area for objects within a certain speed range. In this way, there is no need for pre-registration, masking can be done with simple processing without image recognition, and even if an unregistered person is onboard, the passenger can be masked, making it versatile. good.

[Specific image display function]
As described above, the PC viewer can pause the video being played at an arbitrary position, make it look in an arbitrary direction, flip it upside down, enlarge or reduce it, and perform omnidirectional viewing according to the user's operation. is displayed at a desired angle of view. If the direction and angle of view to be displayed are appropriately changed during playback, an interesting and interesting video will be played back, but there is a risk that it will become unclear where the currently displayed video is facing in the middle. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a function to display a specific direction by one-touch operation. For example, when the "restore to standard" item in the screen display area menu shown in FIG. 13(b) is clicked, the display of the display area 62 is returned to the initial display. By clicking a button/item provided at a specific position in any other arbitrary position, for example, a specific direction such as forward/backward/left/right can be displayed with one touch. With such a function, the desired orientation can be displayed with a single touch regardless of the orientation of the current display. Also, as described above, the specific direction should not be the front, back, left, and right directions centered on the drive recorder. The diagonal rear should face the driver's seat side. In this way, the situation inside the vehicle can be captured with the driver at the center, which is good. Apart from the mask function described above, it is preferable for users who want to see themselves because they are displayed in an egocentric manner.

Also, as described above, it is not limited to the function of displaying a predetermined direction by one-touch operation. It is preferable to have a function to display the saved image in the same direction and angle of view by one-touch operation or other simple operations during subsequent playback.

[Function to display a specific azimuth etc. at a specific position]
One of the features of the drive recorder that captures an omnidirectional image as in this embodiment is that it displays a sphere as shown in FIG. 18 and the like by widening the angle of view. When a sphere is displayed in this way, if the center of the circle is the ground and the circumference of the circle is empty, the PC viewer stores information about how to use the geomagnetic sensor, for example, in association with information about how to use the geomagnetic sensor. It should be displayed so that it is on top.

In the above-described embodiments and the like, the standard display is such that the bone net of the vehicle is displayed at a specific position, and the scenery ahead while driving is centered. In addition to this display mode, it is preferable to have a function of displaying such that a specific azimuth (for example, north) is positioned at a specific position (for example, above) as described above. In this way, for example, when north is displayed at the top, matching with the map is improved, which is preferable. For example, while displaying a map with North Head, when the images shot by the drive recorder at the corresponding position on the map are displayed side by side, if the images are also displayed with the north at the top, the upper part of the image will be the north. Therefore, it is possible to easily associate a building or the like in the image with a landmark such as a building on the map. In this way, it is convenient to see it together with a map, especially when the specific direction is "North". Also, when creating an accident report, for example, it is possible to easily describe the situation such as "collision with a vehicle traveling from the south". In addition, it is good because it is easy to obtain the correlation between videos shot by multiple drive recorders. Not only the circular display, but also in the case of a 360-degree strip-like display such as a panorama photograph, it is preferable that the north side comes to a predetermined position.

Also, pointing in a specific direction is not limited to the direction. For example, it may be a destination or a specific landmark. preferable.

Furthermore, when a specific azimuth such as "north" is set to the top, it is not limited to good matching with the map. . For example, when "North" is displayed at the top and all directions are displayed on one screen as shown in FIG. The scenery outside is played so that it flows from top to bottom. On the other hand, when it is proceeding south, it flows from the bottom to the top, and in the east-west direction, the upper and lower parts of the circle flow sideways. In this way, it is possible to easily understand in which direction the image flow is proceeding. Also, the azimuth displayed at the top is not limited to "north", and by displaying another specific azimuth at the top, the traveling direction of the vehicle can be understood from the flow of images.

For example, sports cameras, action cameras, etc. that shoot omnidirectional images should be displayed so that the subject, such as a child, is in the center. In the case of the purpose of , the subject is not unique because it is impossible to predict where the danger will come from, such as a rear-end collision with a vehicle in front or a rear-end collision with a vehicle from the side or the rear. Therefore, by focusing on the direction and determining a specific direction (for example, "north") as a specific position (for example, "up"), it is possible to "know the direction of the reflected object at a glance", as described above. The direction of travel of the vehicle can be easily guessed from the flow of images during video playback.” “Better matching when displayed side by side with a map.” It is good because various effects such as "It becomes easy to shoot the correlation with

[Modified example of spherical display]
For example, if a spherical display is used as shown in FIG. 18 and the like, an area without an image is generated outside a circular display area 62a in which an image is displayed. Therefore, the PC viewer is provided with an additional information display section 78 in an area without such an image, and the additional information display section 78 displays the direction indicating the traveling direction of the vehicle, road information such as the name of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, pedestrian information, and the like. (see FIG. 18(b)). In FIG. 18B, the additional information display section 78 is provided at the lower left, but the arrangement position is arbitrary, and a plurality of additional information display sections may be arranged. By arranging more than one, it is possible to display more information.

For the pedestrian information, for example, the PC viewer executes image recognition processing on the displayed image and extracts the person. When a person is extracted, the PC viewer displays the existence of the person as character information such as "there was a person". In addition, it is preferable to draw a mark such as an arrow on the part of the person displayed in the display area 62a of the display area 62 so that the position of the person can be easily identified. By doing so, it is possible to easily confirm whether a person was approaching or leaving the vehicle, for example. Also, for example, instead of displaying everything when a person is recognized, it is better to use image recognition or other personal authentication, and when a specific person is detected, display information that identifies the detected person, such as a name, etc. .

In this case, it is preferable to separately display people outside the vehicle and people inside the vehicle. For example, outside the vehicle, the presence of a person is detected and displayed in order to determine whether or not there is a risk of contact. good.

[Multiple screen display function]
In each of the above-described embodiments and the like, the display area 62 displays one image based on one viewpoint, such as the entire omnidirectional image or an image obtained by extracting a part of the omnidirectional image. is not limited to this, and it is preferable to display a plurality of different images at the same time. By doing so, it is possible to view images in a plurality of different directions, eliminate blind spots, and view attractive images.

As for images in a plurality of different directions, for example, as shown in FIG. In this way, for example, the state of the driver and fellow passengers when looking at the scenery in front can be linked and confirmed, which is good. For example, when viewing a beautiful scenery, if there is an image of the driver or fellow passengers being impressed or happy, the correlation with the scenery can be understood, which is good for remembering the itinerary of a driving trip. Also, the first image display portion 76 and the second image display portion 77 may be of the same size as shown in the figure, but it is more preferable to make the main image display portion and the sub image display portion different in size. . By changing the size of the main image display and the sub image, the image displayed on the main image display section can be clearly seen. When dividing images into main and sub images in this way, the main image should be a front image showing the front, and the sub image should be an image of the interior of the vehicle including the driver. This assignment is preferable to exhibit the original function of the drive recorder. Also, the sub-image may be, for example, the left side or right side of the vehicle. By doing so, it is possible to confirm an accident such as a side collision, for example.

[Auto edit playback function]
When the omnidirectional video is displayed in its entirety, it becomes a circular image as shown in FIG. 18 and the like. A PC viewer has a function of enlarging a part of an image and projecting it onto a plane for display. As described above, the PC viewer enlarges/reduces the omnidirectional image and moves the display range based on user operations such as dragging and button operations using the mouse while the image is being reproduced. There is a problem that this user operation is complicated and troublesome. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a function for automatically performing processing for extracting and displaying an appropriate portion of the entire image without user operation. It would be good to have a function that automatically changes the angle and angle of view displayed on the screen during full-dome video playback.

For example, it is preferable to have a function to automatically change the visible range (viewport) in the image in a form linked with vehicle information. Changing the range includes, for example, zooming in, zooming out, and panning.

For example, when the vehicle is running, the portion that hits the front is magnified and displayed, and if there is a viewpoint to be seen such as Mt. Such a function stores, for example, the position information of the viewpoint, obtains the direction of the viewpoint from the position information of the vehicle being reproduced, automatically moves the clipping position, and pans in that direction for reproduction.

In addition, for example, while driving on an expressway, the image captured by the first camera 26 continues to display the vehicle in front, especially in a section where soundproof walls are installed on both sides of the expressway or in a tunnel. And so on, the scenery does not change. There is a problem that it is boring to keep watching such a video in the same direction, and basically it is not what one wants to see, and even if the video is recorded all the time, there is no desire to play it back. Therefore, it is better to have a function to cut such useless parts, skip them, and reproduce parts that are likely to be interesting. For example, if the position captured from the map information is an expressway, it may be skipped and reproduced after exiting an interchange of the expressway. In addition, it is preferable to skip not only expressways but also registered areas such as the vicinity of one's house.

Also, if you pause while driving, the same image will continue to be shot while the vehicle is stopped, so the same picture may continue to be displayed as if it were a still image during the pause. There is, and it is not preferable. Therefore, while it is paused like the highway, it may be skipped without being displayed and playback may be started from the time when the vehicle starts running again. It is preferable to display the image by automatically rotating it so that it shakes its head left and right. In the case of a temporary stop, the driver may want to check the surroundings, and the confirmation action is reproduced, and it is also possible to know that the vehicle has stopped temporarily by turning.

By doing so, the scene or the like that interests the user is automatically reproduced, which is good because it motivates the user to reproduce the recorded video. Also, it is preferable to have a function to record the reproduced video. In addition, it is preferable to provide a function of recording the image reproduced from the viewport or the like in this way as a separate image file. By doing so, the viewport information can be written to a separate file and uploaded to the Internet for public disclosure.

For example, there is a television program in which the scenery inside the train, a bird's-eye view shot from above the train using a drone, etc., and the outside scenery from inside the train are displayed while being switched. As described above, if you can automatically play back the scenery you are interested in from the video you ran, you can create and play back a video like the above TV program, and you will be able to watch it after going on a trip. It's good to be.

Also, for example, sports cameras, action cameras, etc. that shoot the omnidirectional sphere are operated by the photographer holding the camera by hand, so one lens is aimed at the object to be photographed. Therefore, even if you play back the video that was shot and recorded as it is, it is the video you want to see. On the other hand, drive recorders are attached to the vehicle and record constantly, so there is a high risk of playing back uninteresting and useless images or images that are not facing the direction you want to see, which is likely to cause the above-mentioned problems. Become. This embodiment solves this problem.

[Drive recorder with display]
It is preferable to equip the drive recorder with a display device having the functions of the PC viewer described above. In the above-described embodiments, the drive recorder does not have a display unit, and the images taken by the camera are recorded in the memory card 23 and checked with the PC viewer of the personal computer. By equipping the recorder with a display device, the video can be viewed in real time, which is good. It is desirable to be able to perform operations such as moving and enlarging/reducing the area where a portion of the omnidirectional image provided by the PC viewer is clipped and displayed.

For example, if an image to the side or the rear of the vehicle is displayed while the vehicle is running, the driver can understand the surroundings of the vehicle simply by slightly shifting the line of sight toward the display device while facing forward. In addition, for example, when an image of the inside of the vehicle captured by the second camera 27 is displayed on the display device, the driver or the like can, for example, check the state of an infant or child sitting in the backseat, or check the people in the vehicle by looking behind the vehicle. It's good because you can do it without looking back. In particular, it is difficult for the driver in the driver's seat to directly visually check the area behind the driver's seat. It is good because you can clearly shoot and display the state of the seat.

Also, in the case where the PC viewer does not have a function of enlarging/reducing, for example, if the image captured by either one or both of the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 is displayed in a circular shape, as shown in FIG. As shown in (b), an additional information display section 78 may be provided in the outer area of the circle to display various information.

[Drive recorder equipped with in-vehicle condition reporting function]
It is preferable to have a function of judging the state of the fellow passenger from the image taken by the second camera 27 and notifying the same. For example, it is preferable to determine whether an infant or child sleeping in the rear seat is likely to wake up or is sound asleep, and to notify the user if the infant or child is about to wake up or is likely to be fussy. In this way, it is not necessary to periodically check the rear seats, and the driver can concentrate on driving.

In addition, it is preferable to have a function of extracting people from the image captured by the second camera 27 by performing image recognition processing or the like, counting the number of passengers, and notifying the number of passengers. This is preferable because it is easy to know whether all the members are listed. It's especially difficult to see behind the driver's seat, but it's good because you can see it reliably and smoothly without overlooking it. In particular, in the case of a vehicle with a large number of passengers, such as a bus, it is preferable to be able to quickly confirm the number of passengers.

In this way, it is preferable to have a function of counting people in the vehicle, recognizing their states, etc., and notifying the result by display or voice. Whether or not a person is inside the vehicle can be determined, for example, by performing human recognition processing within the range of the area corresponding to the inside of the vehicle, or by determining the amount of movement ) makes it easy to distinguish between people inside and outside the vehicle.

[Drive recorder equipped with a camera in which only one of the two cameras captures a hemispherical area]
In the above-described embodiment, both the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are cameras that capture a range of a hemisphere or more, but the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, there may be a third camera that captures a wider range and a fourth camera that captures a narrower range than the other hemisphere, and the two cameras may have different capturing areas. The third camera may be, for example, a semi-spherical camera with a circumference of 180 degrees, and the fourth camera may be a wide-angle camera used in conventional drive recorders, for example, a wide-angle camera with a horizontal angle of 120 degrees and a vertical angle of 70 degrees. good.

For example, when the drive recorder is fixed to the ceiling of the vehicle, the third camera has the lens facing downward so as to capture an area of 360 degrees in the horizontal direction and 180 degrees in the vertical direction. To photograph the front of a vehicle when attached to the vehicle.

Although not specifically illustrated, the third camera and the fourth camera may be arranged in one housing.
When arranged in one housing, for example, a housing having a shape in which a hemispherical portion protrudes from one surface of a rectangular parallelepiped box, a third camera is mounted in the hemispherical portion, and the rectangular parallelepiped portion to implement a fourth camera. The lens of the fourth camera is positioned at the apex of the hemispherical portion, and the lens of the third camera is positioned to expose one side adjacent to the hemispherical portion. When the drive recorder is attached to the ceiling of the vehicle via the attachment member, the hemispherical portion is positioned downward, and the side surface on which the lens of the fourth camera is provided faces the front of the vehicle. .

For example, the semi-spherical camera that constitutes the third camera captures the lower half semi-spherical area, but since the image of the distant area around the outside of the vehicle is too small, it is difficult to understand the situation, for example, when an accident occurs. In addition, since the traffic light exists diagonally above the vehicle, there is a problem that it is often out of the photographing range. Therefore, in this embodiment, by providing the fourth camera that constitutes the front camera, it is possible to photograph a range in front of the vehicle that is difficult or impossible to photograph with the third camera.

It is preferable to switch the operation of the two cameras according to circumstances. For example, while the vehicle is running, the third and fourth cameras are operated to capture images of the semi-celestial sphere in front of and under the vehicle, and the images captured by the two cameras are recorded on a memory card at the same time. By doing so, for example, in the event of an accident or the like, when the vehicle collides with the front side, it is possible to record a clean and clear image based on the image taken by the fourth camera like a conventional drive recorder, In the event of a collision on the side or rear of the vehicle, which is the blind spot of the fourth camera, clean and clear images can be recorded based on the images taken by the third camera.

Also, for example, when the vehicle is parked, only the third camera is operated because of the security monitoring mode. In the omnidirectional drive recorder, two cameras are operated even when parking, but in this form, by operating only the third camera, power consumption can be reduced and recording and security monitoring can be performed for a longer time, which is good. . Judgments at the time of parking include, for example, the engine is stopped, no one is in the driver's seat, the parking brake is applied, the speed is 0 km, the current position is the home parking lot, and the like.

Also, while driving, only the fourth camera may be operated, but it is preferable to use the third camera and the fourth camera together because it is possible to record the surroundings of the vehicle, especially side and rear collisions. . Switching the operation of both cameras, for example, while moving to a destination such as a highway, the fourth camera is used as a countermeasure against accidents, and the scenery around the destination is often beautiful. A third camera may also be operated to photograph and record the scenery.

Also, the third camera may be used for monitoring while the vehicle is parked, and the fourth camera may be used to photograph the front while the vehicle is running. Such a form of use is to switch between an image specialized in front and an image specialized in the vicinity of the vehicle depending on the purpose.

Sending one of them as a real-time video to a smartphone or server is good because real-time monitoring is possible. Either one may be fixed, but for example, it is preferable to send the image of the fourth camera while driving and the image of the third camera while parking.

In addition, the concept of extending the operation time by using one camera for security monitoring while the vehicle is parked according to the present embodiment may also be applied to, for example, a drive recorder that captures an omnidirectional image. In this case, for example, instead of the switch unit 28 of the drive recorder 10, a wide-angle camera may be mounted to provide three cameras, and only the wide-angle camera may be operated while the vehicle is stopped.

[Drive recorder with one camera]
In each of the above-described embodiments, a plurality of cameras are combined to capture an area wider than the hemisphere. made it When a semi-spherical camera with a full circumference of 180 degrees is used and fixed to the ceiling to photograph the lower semi-spherical range, the following problems occur.

The resolution is the best in the central portion of the circular image obtained by photographing, and the lowest in the peripheral portion. Therefore, for example, when monitoring a vehicle while it is parked, it is preferable that a single camera can capture images of 360 degrees in the horizontal direction. There is a problem of getting worse. Furthermore, for example, if a camera is attached to the ceiling or the like, it is possible to photograph the vehicle ahead and the driver, etc., even at a full circumference of 180 degrees. Can not. In particular, in the event of an accident, it is essential to photograph the traffic lights in order to identify the color of the traffic lights and the surrounding traffic lights, and there is the problem that it is not possible to photograph them.

In this embodiment, for example, a camera with a circumference of 240 degrees is used, and one camera is installed facing downward to form a drive recorder that captures a lower hemisphere and a diagonally upper area above it. As a result, in addition to the vehicle in front, the driver and passengers in the room, the traffic signal can also be photographed with a single camera.

If it is assumed to be 210 degrees, there is a possibility that the traffic light cannot be photographed, so the lower limit is 220 degrees. On the other hand, the larger the angle, the more certain the traffic light will be photographed, but the larger the angle, the smaller the object photographed, since more areas will be photographed within the same circle. Unless the traffic light is photographed at a certain size, the color of the traffic light cannot be discerned and there is no point in recording it. Therefore, the upper limit is 260 degrees, at which an appropriate size for discrimination can be secured. A more preferable range is 230 to 240 degrees, and in this embodiment, it is 240 degrees.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the communication function of the microwave sensor and LTE is provided. When the microwave sensor detects approaching the vehicle, the main unit is activated. In other words, in order to suppress battery consumption of the vehicle, the CPU, camera, and LTE are kept in a sleep state during standby. Then, when the microwave sensor reacts, it wakes up from the sleep state. It takes 5 to 10 seconds to start up, so when the acceleration sensor or door opening sensor reacts after starting with the microwave sensor, the image is transferred using LTE, etc. Notice.

Since the microwave sensor reacts to all moving objects, in this embodiment, notification is made based on the detection of the acceleration sensor and the door opening sensor, and frequent notification is suppressed. By setting the mode, it is good to have a function that sends real-time video to a smartphone so that a user in a remote location can check it on the smartphone.

[Other features]
The camera body and the GPS are separate units, and it is preferable to have a vehicle tracking function that can track the camera with the GPS even if the camera is destroyed or stolen.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the drive recorder preferably has a function of automatically uploading images taken around the mobile ORBIS to the server.

It is good to have a function to connect the drive recorder to an in-vehicle device such as a car navigation system and display the images captured by the camera on the car navigation system.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the drive recorder equipped with two cameras is configured to mount the two cameras in one housing. You can also implement it in In that case, it is preferable to attach them to the vehicle with one common attachment member. Also, two cameras provided in separate housings may be separately attached to the vehicle using mounting members, and the two cameras may be linked by wired or wireless communication by swinging cables, but the direction of the two cameras may be different. In order to obtain the desired positional relationship, it is better to use one common mounting member to attach the components to the vehicle. Better to implement.

[Application to ADAS (advanced driving system)]
When an image captured by the drive recorder 10 that captures an omnidirectional image or an image captured by a camera that captures an omnidirectional image is used in ADAS processing, the following problems arise. For example, when used for a lane departure warning, there are two 360-degree videos, so it is necessary to specify which lane is to be prevented from departing. In addition, with an omnidirectional camera, not only vehicles and traffic lights in front but also vehicles and traffic lights on the sides and behind are included in the omnidirectional video, so it is necessary to specify the target ADAS area, for example, which signal is in front. be.

Therefore, for example, the camera is fixed in the same manner as the drive recorder 10 so that the orientation of the camera cannot be changed so that the captured position is fixed. Then, when the camera is attached to the vehicle, a portion desired to be used for ADAS is set to a portion that does not correspond to the joint of the multiple cameras.

In another configuration, the camera is not fixed and its direction can be adjusted. From moving parts (parts with optical flow) and non-moving parts such as pillars in the image, the area used for ADAS is cut out from the area of the windshield to estimate the area of the windshield and the passenger compartment. A region used for detecting the user's dozing off, looking aside, etc. may be cut out from the region of the passenger compartment.

Also, in the drive recorder, the point with the highest resolution (for example, the center) is directed to the front, but it is better to point it to the direction of the white line, for example.

[Form to be installed outside the vehicle]
In the above-described embodiment, the camera is provided inside the passenger compartment, but it is preferable to provide the camera inside the passenger compartment, or without providing the camera inside the passenger compartment. It is preferable to provide a semi-spherical camera for photographing the outside of the vehicle (preferably a camera capable of photographing an area exceeding 180 degrees around the circumference, particularly a camera exceeding 210 degrees around the circumference).

In particular, it is preferable to install it from the side of the vehicle toward the outside, or to install it from the side of the vehicle toward the bottom. For example, it is preferable to install such a camera on the side mirror so as to photograph the lower side from the lower side of the side mirror. In particular, it is preferable to equip the left and right sides of the vehicle with such cameras.

In addition, the installation position is not limited to this. (especially all four corners). In particular, it is preferable to install it so as to photograph the outside from the vehicle side at the portion where the front surface and the side surface of the vehicle body meet (between). At this time, it is preferable that the photographing direction of the center of the camera is set in a direction exceeding 45 degrees toward the laterally outward direction with respect to the straight forward direction. That is, it is preferable to install the camera so that the area of the captured image is larger in the side than in the front.

The footage from these cameras makes it easier than ever to see if you're going to run over a curb, fall into a gutter, fall into a ravine, or hit a guardrail. This is particularly effective when passing or stopping to avoid oncoming vehicles on narrow roads such as mountain roads, or when parking on the left side as much as possible.

In particular, it is good to install so that the surroundings of the tires are within the shooting range. It is preferable to include the range seen from the driver's seat in a small mirror installed under the conventional left side mirror. These small mirrors are small and difficult to see, especially at night, which is a problem that can be solved.

In particular, if the camera is installed at the front or rear end of the vehicle, such as the four corners mentioned above, when one side (or especially both sides) is surrounded by walls, etc., when exiting the roadway, it will come from the left and right. The situation of bicycles, pedestrians, etc. can be easily confirmed over a wide range with a small number of cameras.

In particular, it is preferable to have a function to change the display range of the omnidirectional camera according to the user's instruction. In particular, it is preferable to have a function of enlarging a portion where a touch is detected in the image of the omnidirectional camera displayed on the display screen. In particular, it is preferable to draw by moving the touched position to the center of the display portion of the screen.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the omnidirectional camera is in a fixed state, but for example, a mechanism for changing the photographing direction of the omnidirectional camera based on the user's operation may be provided. For example, it is preferable to attach a remote-operable electric pan head or the like to a vehicle, fix a camera to the pan head, and change the shooting direction by remote control of the pan head.

Various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments, modifications, and the like. It should be added that it is provided for the purpose of contributing to The scope of the invention is not to be construed as specifically set forth or limited herein, but rather includes within its scope any combination of the various aspects of the invention disclosed herein. Among the present invention, the configuration for which a patent is sought is specified in the claims attached to the application, but even if the configuration is not specified in the claims at present, For the sake of clarity, the disclosed arrangements may be claimed in the future. The applicant of the present application intends to acquire the right with respect to such places and combinations by amendment, divisional application, application for conversion to a design registration application, and the like.

The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-described embodiments. The constituent elements of the above-described embodiments and modifications may be arbitrarily selected and combined. In addition, arbitrary constituent elements of each embodiment and modifications, arbitrary constituent elements described in Means for Solving the Invention, or constituent elements embodying arbitrary constituent elements described in Means for Solving the Invention and may be configured in any combination. We have the intention to acquire rights for inventions with these configurations as well through amendments or divisional applications of the present application.

In addition, although the drawings depict the entire device with solid lines, the drawings include not only the overall design but also the partial design claimed for a part of the device. For example, it is a drawing that includes a part of the device as a partial design regardless of the member, as well as a partial design of a part of the member of the device. The part of the device may be a part of the device or a part of the member.

2 Windshield 3 Pillar 4 Dashboard 10 Live recorder 11 Body 12 Camera 13 Body case 25 Housing 26 First camera 27 Second camera 28 Switch 50 Angle adjustment mechanism 60 Display screen 62 Display area 62b Mask area

Claims (6)

A drive recorder that shoots a horizontal 360-degree range with two cameras,
so that the two cameras shoot in opposite directions,
Provide a light emitting part,
The drive recorder, wherein the light-emitting portion of the light-emitting portion is positioned in a blind spot of the two cameras. 2. The drive recorder according to claim 1, further comprising a function of notifying the operating state of the drive recorder from light-emitting portions of light-emitting units positioned in blind spots of the two cameras . 3. The drive recorder according to claim 1 , wherein the light emission pattern of the light emission portions of the light emission units located in the blind spots of the two cameras is flashing . 4. The drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein a switch section is provided on the lower surface side of the housing in which the two cameras are mounted when installed inside the vehicle . 5. The drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a switch section is provided on the bottom side of the housing in which the two cameras are mounted . 6. The drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the light-emitting portion of the light-emitting portion positioned in the blind spot of the two cameras is provided on the lower surface side of the housing in which the two cameras are mounted .

Images