JP7378854B2 - system - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies Publication address: https://my. yupiteru. co. jp/upload/save_image/manual/pdf/S10_quickguide. pdf (Published on August 21, 2017) https://www. yupiteru. co. jp/products/biz_dr/s10/ (Posting date: September 4, 2017) http://www2. yupiteru. co. jp/manual/pdf. php? pdfname=S10 (Posting date: September 4, 2017) Others 5

For example, it relates to systems, programs, etc.

Traditionally, when the power supply from the vehicle is cut off, such as when parking, a drive has a function that continues to supply power to the drive recorder from the vehicle battery or a battery separate from the vehicle battery, and records video while parking. Recorder is known.

JP 2017-195755 Publication

Although it was possible to record video while parking, it was not very user-friendly.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide systems and programs that are superior to the conventional ones, such as being easier to use than the conventional ones.

The purpose of the invention of the present application is not limited to this, and we intend to acquire rights through divisional applications, amendments, etc. for structures that aim to obtain effects from the parts of the structure disclosed in this specification, drawings, etc. . For example, the present specification discloses a problem in which the phrase ``can be done'' is replaced with ``the problem is.'' Each issue is described as an independent entity, and we intend to acquire rights to the structure for solving each issue individually through divisional applications, amendments, etc. Even if the problem is implicitly understood from the description of the specification, the present applicant has the intention of claiming a part of the structure described in the specification in an amendment or divisional application. The company also discloses a structure that solves a problem that combines these independent problems, and has the intention to acquire the rights to it.

(1) A system equipped with a function to record images captured by a vehicle while the vehicle is parked, and a system equipped with a function to detect the approach of a user of the vehicle to the vehicle; It is preferable that the system has a function of canceling recording while the vehicle is parked when approaching the vehicle is detected.
In this way, a system that is more user-friendly than the conventional system can be realized. Recording can be canceled simply by approaching a parked vehicle.

For example, when a user approaches a vehicle, if the user of the car is visible in the image taken by a parking surveillance camera, this will leave unnecessary footage and waste video recording space such as the recording medium. However, in this way, waste can be reduced. For example, the approach may be such that the person can see that the person is getting into the car. In this way, if you are seen in the image taken by the parking surveillance camera when you get into the car, you will be left with a useless image, and the image recording area such as the recording medium will be wasted. However, this way you can reduce waste.

The vehicle may be, for example, a bicycle or a motorcycle, but it is better to use a car. The vehicle may be a passenger vehicle such as a bus or a taxi, but it is particularly preferable to use a private car or a company car.

When the vehicle is parked, for example, the engine of the vehicle or the electric vehicle may be turned off, and it may be detected whether the engine of the vehicle or the electric vehicle is turned off. For example, the system can be operated by receiving power from a separate power source, such as a connection to the car battery or a battery separate from the car battery, and monitoring the power supply from the cigarette lighter socket. If there is no supply, it may be determined that the vehicle engine or electric vehicle is powered off.

The users may be all the passengers of the vehicle, but it is preferable to include at least some of them. The user may be a fellow passenger, but it is particularly preferable that the user is the driver of the vehicle. Whether or not the person is a user may be determined based on, for example, whether a video similar to a video of a user registered in advance has been captured.

For example, when the vehicle is parked, it is preferable to assume that the driver is not in the vehicle, and it is preferable to provide a function to detect whether or not the driver is not in the vehicle. The function of detecting whether or not the driver is not in the vehicle may be determined based on, for example, whether or not the pre-registered driver of the vehicle is present in the video captured in the vehicle. .

Imaging is preferably done with a camera installed in the vehicle, and a wide-angle camera is particularly desirable. More preferably, it is an all-sky camera. The direction of imaging may be, for example, inside the vehicle or from inside the vehicle to outside the vehicle. In particular, it is preferable to adopt a configuration that allows photographing both inside and outside the vehicle. Examples of such a configuration include, for example, a configuration in which imaging is performed using two cameras, one for inside the vehicle and one for outside the vehicle, or a configuration in which one half-celestial camera is installed facing downward from the ceiling of the vehicle interior. It is good to say.

For recording, for example, a photographed video may be recorded on a recording means, but it is particularly preferable to digitize it and record it on a recording means. For digitized recording, it is particularly preferable to compress information. The recording means may be provided in the vehicle, or may be provided in a server or the like connected via communication. The recording means is preferably a removable recording medium. The recording means may be a non-volatile memory. The recording means is preferably a semiconductor memory. It is particularly preferable that the recording means is a card-shaped recording medium. It is particularly good if the recording means is an SD card.

For example, video data may be simply recorded continuously, but it is particularly preferable to record video data in predetermined units as files. The predetermined unit may be a case where a specific termination condition is satisfied. For example, the termination condition may be set every predetermined time from the start of file recording. For example, one file may be generated every minute.

The system may be configured with one casing, or may be configured with a plurality of casings and the plurality of casings are electrically connected by wire or wirelessly. Parts of the system may be external to the vehicle. For example, a part of the system may be configured as a server, but it is particularly preferable that the entire system is provided within the vehicle.

To cancel, it is preferable to not perform recording. For example, when a user of a vehicle approaches the vehicle, it is preferable to not record video captured in the vehicle. The release may be, for example, a temporary stop of recording, but is particularly preferably a stop of recording. To stop recording, it is preferable to close the file in which video is being recorded.

The approach of the user of the vehicle to the vehicle may be detected by, for example, detecting that the door of the vehicle has been opened by the user, but it is particularly preferable to do as in (2).

(2) Preferably, the system detects the approach of the user of the vehicle to the vehicle based on whether the user of the vehicle is within a predetermined range outside from the door of the vehicle.
In this way, the recording while the vehicle is parked is canceled simply by the user of the vehicle approaching within a predetermined range outside the vehicle door.
(3) Preferably, the system detects the approach of the user of the vehicle to the vehicle based on radio wave conditions with a terminal that the user can carry.

In this way, approach can be detected more reliably. For example, approach can be detected more reliably than when a user recognizes a captured image. Furthermore, for example, the user can detect the terminal without having to take it out from a storage location such as a bag or pocket.

The terminal that the user can carry is preferably a battery-powered device. For example, it may be a remote control, a key, a tag, etc., but it is better to use a smartphone. The inventor discovered that vehicle users are also likely to take their smartphones out of the vehicle.

The radio wave may be, for example, LTE, but it is particularly preferable to use one with a communication distance of several meters to more than ten meters. In particular, it is recommended to use Bluetooth (registered trademark, hereinafter the same). In particular, a beacon is preferably used, and a Bluetooth beacon is preferably used.

As for the configuration based on the radio wave condition, for example, approach to a vehicle may be detected when radio waves from the terminal can be received, but for example, when wireless communication with the terminal becomes possible. Suppose that an approach to a vehicle is detected at a certain time. More preferably, (4) is used.

(4) Preferably, the system detects the approach of the vehicle user to the vehicle based on the strength of radio waves used for communication with a terminal that the vehicle user can carry.
In this way, there is no need to provide a radio wave transmitter or receiver for distance detection that is separate from the radio wave transmitter or receiver used for communication.

Regarding the detection of the approach to the vehicle, for example, the approach to the vehicle may be detected when the reception strength of the radio waves emitted by the user's portable terminal in the system reaches a predetermined state. In particular, the reception strength of the radio waves emitted by the system is measured with a terminal that the user can carry, the measured reception strength is transmitted to the system, and the reception strength received by the system reaches a predetermined state. It is preferable to assume that an approach to a vehicle is detected in this case. In this way, it is possible to suppress the battery consumption of the terminal that the user can carry. These predetermined states may be, for example, when the reception strength is greater than or equal to a predetermined reception strength.

(5) Detection of the approach of the user of the vehicle to the vehicle is performed by emitting radio waves from the system at a predetermined period, the intensity of which can be measured with a terminal that the user of the vehicle can carry. A system that measures the strength of radio waves transmitted from the system at a predetermined period using a terminal that the user can carry, transmits information regarding the measurement results, and performs operations based on the information regarding the measurement results. It's good to do that.

In this way, battery consumption of the terminal can be suppressed. The battery capacity of the terminal is often extremely small compared to the vehicle, and transmission often consumes significantly more power than reception, but since radio waves are transmitted from the vehicle's system, transmission on the terminal side It is possible to reduce the power required.

In particular, when the intensity of radio waves transmitted from the system at a predetermined period is measured using a terminal that the user of the vehicle can carry, and the measurement result is equal to or higher than the predetermined intensity, information regarding the measurement result is provided. It is preferable for the system to perform the measurement based on information regarding the measurement results. In this way, the power consumption of the terminal can be significantly reduced and the battery life of the terminal can be extended.

The predetermined period is at least once during the period from when the user approaches the vehicle on foot and the terminal enters the area where radio waves transmitted from the system can be received until the user reaches the vehicle. It is desirable to have an interval that allows reception, particularly an interval that allows reception at least several times. In particular, the predetermined period is preferably set to a time shorter than the time required for a person to walk several steps. The predetermined period may be, for example, 3 seconds or less. On the other hand, if the predetermined period is too short, a problem will occur. The predetermined period of time is preferably a period of time that is at least as long as possible to suppress battery consumption of the terminal. In addition, the inventor found that in cases where the terminal has an application execution function, the application does not operate smoothly if there are frequent reception events. Therefore, it is better to set the time to a time that does not affect the operation of the application. Taking these into account, it is best to set the predetermined period to about 2 seconds. In this way, the battery consumption of the terminal can be further reduced, other programs such as apps can operate smoothly, and when the user approaches the vehicle, it is possible to achieve an appropriate close relationship. It becomes possible to cancel recording. For example, if the terminal is a smartphone and the system is configured as a camera, when a user walks close to a camera equipped with a beacon, reception will occur frequently on the smartphone, so it is necessary to reduce the consumption of the smartphone's battery. It would be good to be able to judge the area by moving back and forth 3 or 4 steps. Also, if you send beacons at short time intervals, the smartphone side will receive all the beacon signals, so reception events will occur frequently and the app will not be able to operate smoothly, but it will take about 2 seconds. This can prevent such problems.

The information regarding the measurement results may be the reception level, and recording may be canceled when a predetermined condition is met, such as when the reception level received by the system is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. In particular, this may be a signal requesting cancellation of recording, and when a predetermined condition is met, such as when the strength of the radio waves measured by the terminal exceeds a predetermined value, the terminal transmits a signal requesting cancellation of recording, and the system It is a good idea to cancel recording when this signal is received. In this way, consumption of the battery of the terminal can be further suppressed.
The radio wave may be a beacon signal. The radio waves may be used as advertising signals.

For example, the system may be a parking surveillance camera equipped with a function capable of transmitting a beacon, and the terminal may be a smartphone/tablet capable of executing an application equipped with a function capable of receiving beacon signals transmitted from the camera. For example, a camera sends a Bluetooth beacon signal periodically (every 2 seconds for products), and when a person with a smartphone with a special app installed approaches a parking surveillance camera, the smartphone app receives the Bluetooth beacon signal. When this happens, it connects to the camera via Bluetooth, and every time it periodically receives a regular monitoring notification message from the camera, it acquires the RSSI value and detects the approximate distance to the camera. When the RSSI value reaches a preset RSSI value or higher, it is preferable to establish a Bluetooth connection with the camera and stop the parking monitoring mode, thereby canceling the parking monitoring operation of the camera.

It is best to advertise the Bluetooth beacon on the camera side, and create a UUID (Universally Unique IDentifier) specifically for the beacon and send it periodically.

As a Bluetooth beacon, it is best to transmit ID information called advertisement packet from the beacon, and this ID information includes proximityUUID, Major, and Minor identification.

It is recommended that the configured ID information be configured to be sent periodically. The proximityUUID, Major, and Minor identifiers can be determined arbitrarily, but for example, it is best to use a common ID for all systems for proximityUUID, and change the contents of the Major code and Minor code for each individual system. In this way, even when multiple systems are nearby, video recording can be canceled or started as described later only when a specific system is approached. Then, when you pair the camera with the smartphone app, you can configure the major code and minor code to be sent as message data. If the app detects that the user has re-paired or unpaired, these Major and Minor codes should be updated or cleared.

(6) having a function of receiving, via wireless communication, an operation signal of a terminal that the user of the vehicle can carry; and having an operation of canceling recording while the vehicle is parked as an operation of the terminal; Equipped with a function to cancel the recording while the vehicle is parked when receiving an operation to cancel the recording while the vehicle is parked, and when it is detected that the user of the vehicle approaches the vehicle, the function cancels the recording while the vehicle is parked. It is preferable that the system cancels recording while the vehicle is parked even if an operation to cancel recording while the vehicle is not received is received.

In this way, when the user approaches the car, it is not necessary for the user to take out the terminal in his possession and use the terminal to cancel recording while the vehicle is parked. This eliminates the hassle of operating the vehicle when getting into the car.

(7) It is possible to communicate with a terminal that the user can carry in the first range, which is a range that includes further away than the second range, which is the range for detecting the approach to the vehicle, and is near the vehicle. The system may have a communication function and a function of transmitting information regarding a situation detected while the vehicle is parked in the first range.

In this way, the terminal that the user can carry can acquire information regarding the situation detected while the vehicle is parked when approaching the vehicle within the first range, and the user can also Recording while the vehicle is parked is canceled in a second range approaching . In particular, it is preferable that a terminal that a user can carry has a function of receiving and notifying information regarding the situation detected while the vehicle is parked from the system. In this way, when the user approaches the vehicle within the first range, the user can obtain information regarding the situation detected while the vehicle is parked, and also when the user approaches the vehicle within the first range. Recording while the vehicle is parked is canceled in two areas. If the user only approaches the first range but does not enter the second range, it is possible to simply obtain information regarding the situation detected during parking without canceling recording. For example, if an abnormality is not reported, it is possible to stay away from the car and go about your business without approaching it any further, and if there is an abnormality, you can stop recording by moving into the second range.

The situation detected while the vehicle is parked may be, for example, a recognition result such as the state of a suspicious person in a captured image, but in particular, the system is equipped with a function to acquire the state of the vehicle, The situation detected while the vehicle is parked may be the acquired information regarding the state of the vehicle. The function of acquiring the state of the vehicle may be realized by equipping the system with a sensor or the like, or may be realized by acquiring it from the in-vehicle LAN etc. that the vehicle originally has.

The information regarding the situation detected while the vehicle is parked is preferably information regarding an abnormality in the vehicle. In this way, when approaching a vehicle whose parking is being monitored, it is possible to immediately check whether there is any abnormality with the vehicle.

The information regarding the situation detected while the vehicle is parked may be information regarding battery information or tire pressure. In this way, you can check battery information, tire pressure, etc. every time you approach a parked car.

The first range is preferably a communication range provided by the communication function, and is particularly preferably a range of about ten or more meters. The second range is preferably about 6 m, for example. The inventor found that because people walk at different speeds, if the distance is too short, the driver will be visible in the parking surveillance video, so if this is done, there is a greater possibility of preventing the driver from being reflected in the parking surveillance video. . Also, for example, if you configure the device to connect via Bluetooth when the driver approaches the car and check the RSSI every 2 seconds, the distance will be slightly greater than the number of steps a person walks within these 2 seconds (4 or 5 steps). By the way, about 6 m is desirable.
(8) It is preferable to include an adjustment function for adjusting the second range by a user's operation.

In this way, the user can set how close the user must get to the vehicle before video recording is canceled. For example, it is preferable to have a configuration in which approach is detected by the intensity of radio waves, and to have a function to set the intensity of the second range by user's operation. For example, it would be good to have an RSSI level setting function. By adjusting the preset RSSI value, you can adjust the position of the camera that starts/stops parking monitoring, so you can control the start/stop of parking monitoring at a position that does not appear in the video being monitored by the driver. It becomes possible to do so.

(9) Even when the vehicle is parked, the system may have a function of not starting recording while the vehicle is parked until the user of the vehicle moves away from the vehicle beyond a predetermined range.
In this way, it is possible to prevent the vehicle user from remaining in the video.

Even when the vehicle is parked, it is preferable to include a function to start recording when the user of the vehicle moves away from the vehicle beyond a predetermined range. It is preferable to detect whether the user of the vehicle has moved away from the vehicle by more than a predetermined range, and to start recording when it is detected that the user has moved away from the vehicle. The start of recording may be the release of a pause in recording, but it is also preferable to start a new recording.If the configuration is such that video data is recorded in a file, it is preferable to generate a new file and start recording.

(10) A driving record mode that has a function to record images captured by the vehicle while the vehicle is running, and a driving recording mode that records images captured by the vehicle while the vehicle is running; It is equipped with a parking monitoring mode which is a mode for recording images captured in a vehicle, and when it is detected that the vehicle has changed from being running to being parked, recording in the driving recording mode is stopped and the user of the vehicle It is preferable that the system has a function of not starting recording in the vehicle parking monitoring mode until the vehicle is further away from the vehicle than a predetermined range. In this way, when entering the parking monitoring mode, it becomes easier to prevent the driver and fellow passengers from being left in the image.

(11) Equipped with a function to detect whether or not you have forgotten to do something that should be done when parking the vehicle, and to send information to that effect, from the fourth range that is the range used to detect separation from the vehicle. Having a communication function capable of communicating with a terminal possessed by the user in the third range, which is a range that includes a distant area and is close to the vehicle, and forgetting to do the things that should be done when parking the vehicle. It is preferable that the system is provided with a function of transmitting information indicating that when the above communication function is detected.

In this way, if the system detects that the user has forgotten to do something that should be done when parking the vehicle, the user's portable terminal can receive information to that effect. . In particular, when a terminal that can be carried by a user receives information to that effect, it is preferable to notify the user of this fact.

Examples of things that should be done when parking the vehicle include turning off the illuminations, locking the doors, and turning off the hazard lights. Information indicating this may be, for example, the status of things to be done when parking the vehicle, but it is particularly good to use information indicating that something has been forgotten. For example, the information may be information such as illumination status, door lock status, hazard lamp flashing status, etc., but information indicating forgetting to turn off the illumination, forgetting to lock the door, or forgetting to turn off the hazard lamp may be used. It would be especially convenient if the driver was automatically notified of these forgettings.

For example, the system may be a surveillance camera with Bluetooth communication function. If the surveillance camera is within the Bluetooth connection range (area in) with a smartphone, the Bluetooth connection will be maintained and the camera will periodically send monitoring notifications. Send a message, etc., and when the smartphone receives this message, acquire the RSSI value at the time of reception, and when the RSSI value falls below the preset RSSI value, it will be considered as an area out and parking monitoring will be performed on the camera. It is recommended that the configuration is such that an instruction message is sent in a similar manner. When the device is configured with a smartphone, if the app is in the background, it will not be able to run regularly by itself, and if it does not read the RSSI value when it receives a message, it will not be able to retrieve the correct RSSI value, which may cause problems with the camera. Although the correct distance is not known, this problem can be solved by having a configuration in which regular messages are sent from the camera side. While in the area, it is preferable to maintain a connection with the camera so that when the camera status changes, the number of recordings, vehicle information, etc. can be transmitted from the camera. Here again, the transmission period of the periodic monitoring communication message is 2 seconds. The reason for 2 seconds is the same as the reason for the beacon transmission period. In particular, if the data is sent at short intervals, the app will not be able to start smoothly, and the app will run frequently, leading to battery consumption, but this problem can also be resolved. In this way, by recognizing the distance between the parking surveillance camera and the smartphone, the user can automatically stop the parking surveillance and get into the car by simply holding the smartphone and without making any operations. Can be done. Just by parking the car and leaving the area with the smartphone in hand, the camera can automatically start monitoring parking. It is recommended that the camera be configured to automatically establish a Bluetooth connection when approaching the parking surveillance camera, and that the information held by the camera can be read out when necessary as long as the camera is connected via Bluetooth.
The periodic monitoring notification message may be a signal that is neither a beacon nor an advertisement.
(12) It is preferable to include an adjustment function for adjusting the fourth range by a user's operation.

In this way, the user himself/herself can set how far away from the vehicle the recording of the video starts. For example, it is preferable to have a configuration in which separation is detected by the intensity of radio waves, and to have a function of setting the intensity of the fourth range by user's operation. For example, it would be good to have an RSSI level setting function. By adjusting the preset RSSI value, you can adjust the position of the camera that starts/stops parking monitoring, so you can control the start/stop of parking monitoring at a position that does not appear in the video being monitored by the driver. It becomes possible to do so.

In particular, it is preferable to have both the configurations (11) and (7), and the first range and the third range, and the second range and the fourth range, are preferably the same range. Further, it is preferable to have both functions (8) and (12).

It would be useful to deter criminal acts related to parked vehicles and record video of what happens around the vehicle, but it is also possible to turn on/off the vehicle monitoring mode without the user having to operate it himself/herself. It is even more convenient.

Further, for example, a function may be provided to cancel/start recording while the vehicle is parked based on the passage of time or information detected by various sensors attached to the vehicle. For example, recording may be performed until a predetermined time has elapsed after entering the parking monitoring mode, and recording may be stopped after the predetermined time has elapsed. There is a high possibility that the thief will approach the car after confirming that the user has left the car, but this type of scene can be accurately recorded and the recording capacity can be reduced. Furthermore, recording may be started when the sensor detects the approach of a person who does not have the user's terminal. If it becomes possible to record parking surveillance video in this way, it will be possible to more accurately record evidence of criminal acts, etc., and the possibility of eliminating the user's own reflection will increase, eliminating unnecessary recording. The increase in recording capacity can be reduced, and the recorded content can be made appropriate.
Note that the configuration for detecting area-in/area-out is not limited to the case where a Bluetooth beacon is used, but may be a configuration using, for example, GPS.
(13) For example, it may be configured as a program for causing a computer to implement the functions described in (1) to (11) above.

The inventions shown in (1) to (12) above can be combined arbitrarily. For example, at least a part of the structure of at least one invention described in (2) and subsequent ones may be added to all or part of the structure of the invention shown in (1). In particular, it is preferable to create an invention in which at least a part of the structure of at least one invention after (2) is added to the invention shown in (1). Alternatively, arbitrary configurations may be extracted from the inventions shown in (1) to (12) and the extracted configurations may be combined. The applicant of this application intends to acquire rights to inventions containing these structures. Furthermore, even if there is a description of "in the case of" or "at the time of", the description is not intended to be limited to those cases or times. These are examples of better configurations, and we intend to acquire rights to these cases and other configurations as well. Furthermore, the sections described in order are not limited to this order. It also discloses a configuration in which some parts have been deleted or the order has been changed, and we have the intention to acquire the rights.

It is possible to provide systems, programs, etc. that are superior to conventional systems and are easier to use than conventional ones.

The effects of the invention of the present application are not limited to these, but the effects obtained from the parts of the structure disclosed in the specification, drawings, etc. are also disclosed, and the rights to the structure that produces the effects have also been acquired through divisional applications, amendments, etc. have the intention to For example, in this specification, a portion where it is written as "can be done" is a statement that clearly indicates the effect to be achieved, and there are parts that show an effect even if there is no mention of "can be done". Further, even without such a description, there are effects that can be understood from the configuration.

2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating the external configuration, etc. of a drive recorder according to an embodiment, in which (a) mainly shows the front side, (b) mainly shows the bottom side, and (c) mainly shows the back side. It is a figure explaining attachment of a drive recorder to a vehicle. It is a figure explaining the attachment method etc. of a drive recorder to a vehicle. It is a figure explaining the attachment method etc. of a drive recorder to a vehicle. It is a figure explaining the attachment method etc. of a drive recorder to a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method of supplying power from a vehicle to a drive recorder, a method of detecting ACC on/off, etc. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a recording operation of the drive recorder when ACC is turned on. It is a diagram illustrating the recording operation of the drive recorder when the ACC is off, and the lower row is a diagram illustrating the case where the recording mode is "always". FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the recording operation of the drive recorder when the ACC is turned off, and is a diagram illustrating a case where the recording mode is "event only", etc. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an event record recorded when the drive recorder turns off the ACC. It is a diagram explaining the recording operation of the drive recorder when the ACC is off, and is a diagram explaining the operation of shifting to parking surveillance mode and starting parking surveillance by the operation trigger.The lower row shows the operation when the operation trigger is "manual". It is a figure explaining operation. The upper row is a diagram explaining the operation when the operation trigger is "ACC off interlock", and the lower row is a diagram explaining the operation when the operation trigger is "area AUTO". It is a figure explaining operation of Bluetooth pairing of a drive recorder and a smartphone, and a figure explaining operation and operation on the drive recorder side. It is a continuation figure explaining operation of Bluetooth pairing of a drive recorder and a smartphone. It is a figure explaining operation of Bluetooth pairing of a drive recorder and a smartphone, and a figure explaining operation and operation on the smartphone side. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation screen of an application on a smartphone. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the display contents of the operation screen of the smartphone application in FIG. 16; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating operations and actions such as changing the recording mode using a smartphone app and manually starting parking monitoring. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating operations and actions such as manually stopping parking monitoring using a smartphone application. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the area sensitivity setting operation and operation of area AUTO in a smartphone application. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation and operation of setting area sensitivity of area AUTO in a smartphone application. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the drive recorder and smartphone when the user gets off the vehicle and leaves the vehicle. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a drive recorder and a smartphone when a user approaches a vehicle.

Hereinafter, as an embodiment of the present invention, an example in which the configuration of the present system is realized by a drive recorder that can be installed in a vehicle will be described.

The drive recorder of this embodiment includes a camera, an LED for dark photography, and a recording lamp in the camera section, and a microphone, speaker, microSD card interface, REC button, recording button, Bluetooth communication module, WiFi communication module, and shock absorber in the main body. Equipped with sensors, tilt sensors, door open sensors, etc., these are connected to a microcomputer that is the control unit, and the CPU built in the microcomputer executes the program stored in the microcomputer to control these and perform the following. This realizes the drive recorder functions described above.

The drive recorder has the ability to wirelessly connect and exchange information with smartphones and computers equipped with these communication functions via a Bluetooth module and a WiFi module.

As shown in FIG. 1, the main body of the drive recorder of this embodiment includes a substantially cylindrical main body and a plate-shaped bracket disposed obliquely on the surface of the cylinder of the substantially cylindrical main body. The main body is configured to be rotatable around the axis. Furthermore, the lower surface side of the main body is equipped with a camera section which is a rectangular, substantially rectangular parallelepiped protrusion that is square when viewed from the bottom and whose longitudinal direction is the left and right direction when viewed from each side. The angle range can be adjusted around the axis within the notch area of the main body by manipulating the finger. The camera section has a camera equipped with a lens on its lower surface. The adjustable angular range of the camera section is, for example, based on a posture facing straight down, 30 degrees on one side and 60 degrees in total in the front and rear directions. The angle of view of the camera mounted in the camera section is 220 degrees in the vertical plane when the main body is properly attached to the vehicle 1. With this, it is possible to photograph a wider range than a half-celestial sphere with the downward direction as the central axis, and therefore a 360 degree range can be photographed with the vertical direction as the axis.

A recording lamp is provided at the center of each of the front and rear side surfaces of the camera section, and a pair of LEDs for dark place photography are provided at the same interval on the left and right sides of the recording lamp. The LED for dark place photography is turned on when an event occurs in a dark place during an approach monitoring mode to be described later. The recording lamp notifies the operating status of the main unit by turning on, turning off, or blinking the lamp. Settings are required depending on the mounting position.

As shown in Fig. 2(a), the mounting position can be, for example, the upper part of the windshield of the vehicle, on the driver's seat side across the left-right center rearview mirror, or on the passenger seat side. can. The bracket can be attached in any direction as shown in Figure 2(b), but since the detection area of the built-in microwave sensor is narrow on the side of the bracket, it can be attached as shown in Figure 2(c). When installing on the driver's seat side, the bracket should be on the right side, and when installing on the passenger's seat, the bracket should be on the right side. The bracket is attached to the windshield using double-sided tape. As shown in Figure 2(d), the mounting direction can be set by selecting whether the mounting position is on the right or left side using a dedicated viewer software running on a computer or a dedicated app running on a smartphone. It is configured. Mounting position information set using the dedicated viewer software or app can be transferred to the main unit's memory via Bluetooth connection. Based on the transferred mounting position information, it is controlled which of the recording lamps on the front side of the camera section and the recording lamp on the rear side of the camera section is to be lit. If it is set to the right side, the recording lamp on the front side in FIG. 1 is turned on, while the recording lamp on the rear side is not turned on. If it is set to the left side, the recording lamp on the rear side in FIG. 1 is lit, while the recording lamp on the front side is not lit. If the recording lamp on the outside of the vehicle is lit while the vehicle is driving, it may be a violation of the Road Traffic Act, but this can be prevented.

To attach the bracket to the windshield, apply double-sided tape to the mounting surface of the bracket as shown in Figure 3, remove the nut provided on one side of the main body, and insert the ring part of the bracket from one side of the main body. Insert it and tighten the nut to fix the angle between the bracket and the main body. The structure for attaching this ring to the bracket is a known structure. At this time, adjust the angle between the bracket and the main body so that the horizontal line on the other side of the main body is horizontal, tighten the nut to temporarily fix it, and then tape the double-sided tape on the windshield side as shown in Figure 4. Peel off the protective film, adjust the angle between the bracket and the main unit so that the main unit is level with the ground, and tighten the nut to secure it completely. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5, the camera section is operated and the angle is adjusted.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lower surface of the main body is equipped with a built-in microphone, which has the function of collecting and recording surrounding sounds. A speaker is provided on the top side of the main body to output operation sounds.

One side of the main body is a substantially circular flat surface, and on this surface the microSD card insertion slot, power connector, REC button, and recording button are arranged in the positional relationship shown in FIG. 2(c).

A microSD card can be inserted into the microSD card insertion slot. It has a function to record images captured by the camera and audio collected by the microphone to the inserted microSD card. When the device is powered on, if the "NORMAL", "EVGS" and "EVSW" folders do not exist in the root directory of the microSD card, create the "NORMAL", "EVGS" and "EVSW" folders.

The power connector is a connector to which the plug of the power cable shown in FIG. 6 is connected. The power cable is pulled out in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the power cable plug is inserted. The power cable plug is equipped with power lines that are connected to the vehicle's accessory power line, the vehicle's battery power line, and the vehicle's ground line using an electrotap, etc., and these power lines are connected in the middle. are stored within one envelope. The battery power line is connected to the vehicle's battery power source via a fuse stored in a fuse holder.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the ACC is on, such as when the vehicle engine is on, recording is performed in the DVR mode. Recording in DVR mode includes continuous recording and event recording. Continuous recording starts recording when ACC is turned on, and ends when ACC is turned off. Recording continues while ACC is on. Continuous recording creates a file in the "NORMAL" folder every 3 minutes, and when the recording capacity is full, it overwrites the oldest recording file and continues recording. The REC button is a button that allows the user to manually input an instruction to stop/restart continuous recording.If pressing the REC button is detected while continuous recording is in progress, continuous recording is stopped and continuous recording is started. If the press of the REC button is detected while the REC button is stopped, continuous recording will resume.

Event recording includes G-sensor recording and one-touch recording. G-sensor recording is a function that records when the acceleration detected by the G-sensor built into the main body exceeds a set level (when an acceleration event occurs), such as the impact level equivalent to a collision. A recording file is generated for a total of 30 seconds, 10 seconds before the event occurs and 20 seconds after the event occurs. One-touch recording is a function that records when it detects that the record button has been pressed, and creates a recording file for a total of 30 seconds, 10 seconds before the event occurs and 20 seconds after the event, in the "EVSW" folder.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 12, when the ACC of the vehicle is turned off, the system shifts to the approach monitoring mode in response to an operation trigger and starts parking monitoring. Parking monitoring recording methods include parking records and event records. As shown in FIG. 8, there are two recording modes: "always" and "event only", and a function is provided to set which mode to use. "Always" records all the time, and records an event when the shock sensor detects an impact, the tilt sensor detects a change in inclination, or the door open sensor detects a door open. "Event only", as shown in FIG. 9, activates the camera when the microwave sensor detects the approach of a person, and then records the event when close approach, impact, tilt, or door opening is detected. The initial value is set to only events. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption. After the set recording time has elapsed (initial value is 30 minutes), the recording mode is automatically switched to event only and parking monitoring continues. Parking recording is performed at a lower number of frames than the initial value of 5 frames/second, which is the initial value of 30 frames/second for constant recording when ACC is on. The recording lamp flashes red while recording an event. Only when an inclination or a door opening is detected, a warning sound "Bui Bui..." will sound from the speaker for 20 seconds.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, there are three types of operation triggers in parking monitoring mode: manual (initial value), ACCOFF interlock, and area AUTO. Equipped with a function to set.

When the operation trigger is set to manual, as shown in the bottom row of Figure 11, when the vehicle's engine is turned off and the ACC is turned off, the speaker will say, "Press the REC button to enter proximity monitoring mode." Output audio from. When 15 seconds have elapsed after this voice output is completed, the power will be turned off, but if the press of the REC button is detected within these 15 seconds, a voice will say ``Moving to proximity monitoring mode.'' is output from the speaker, and after the set transition time to approach monitoring mode (initial value is 3 minutes) has elapsed, parking monitoring recording in approach monitoring mode is started.

When the operation trigger is set to be linked to ACCOFF, as shown in the upper part of Figure 12, when the vehicle's engine is turned off and ACC is turned off, a voice saying "Moving to approach monitoring mode" will be heard from the speaker. After the set transition time to the approach monitoring mode (initial value is 3 minutes) has elapsed, parking monitoring recording in the approach monitoring mode is started.

When the operation trigger is set to area AUTO, as shown in the lower part of Figure 12, it is determined whether or not there is a Bluetooth-paired smartphone, and if there is not, an ACCOFF-linked operation is performed. If the driver exits the vehicle while holding the Bluetooth-paired smartphone and moves away from the device, the speaker outputs a voice saying "Moving to proximity monitoring mode." When this happens, parking monitoring recording in approach monitoring mode begins.
Bluetooth pairing is performed as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15.

Bluetooth pairing is performed within the drive recorder's setting mode, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. The setting mode is entered when the vehicle engine is turned on and continuous recording has started, and after detecting the press of the REC button, it is detected that the REC button and the record button are simultaneously pressed. When entering setting mode, a voice saying "Setting mode, please press the REC button" is output from the speaker. If the press of the REC button is detected within 15 seconds after the output of this voice is completed, a voice saying "SD card format, please press the REC button" is output from the speaker. If pressing the REC button is detected within 15 seconds after this output is completed, the microSD card will be formatted. On the other hand, if the press of the record button is detected within 15 seconds, a voice saying "Bluetooth pairing. Please press the REC button" is output from the speaker. If the press of the REC button is detected within 15 seconds after this output is completed, a voice saying "Bluetooth pairing will start. Please press the REC button again" will be output from the speaker. If the press of the REC button is detected within 15 seconds after this audio output is completed, Bluetooth bearing is started.

On a smartphone, user operations and application processing as shown in FIG. 15 are performed. First, turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone. Launch the app "SQ Remote" from your smartphone's launcher. When started, a ``Reconnect'' button will be displayed on the smartphone screen. When a tap on the "Reconnect" button is detected, a Bluetooth pairing request dialog will be displayed. This dialog displays the device name of the drive recorder, a pairing button, and a back button. When a tap on the pairing button is detected, pairing is performed with the drive recorder with the displayed device name. If pairing is successful, a voice saying "Pairing was successful" will be output from the smartphone's speaker and the operation screen will be displayed.

The approach monitoring mode operation screen has the screen configuration shown in FIG. 16 and includes the functions shown in FIG. 17. As shown in Figure 16, the proximity monitoring mode operation screen includes, from the top to the bottom of the screen, an operating status display area, a vehicle battery voltage display area, an area sensitivity level display area, an event record count display area, and a recording mode switch. Equipped with area and stop buttons, area sensitivity setting button, version information button, recorder connection button, and smartphone video display button.

In the operation status display area, an operation trigger, recording/event monitoring/monitoring/stopping, cancel area, event recording NG, etc. are displayed. The vehicle battery voltage display area displays the vehicle battery voltage. The area sensitivity level display area displays the area sensitivity of area AUTO. The event record number display area displays the number of event records in the proximity monitoring mode. The recording mode switching area includes an always button and an event only button, and has a function of switching the recording mode according to the user's operation as shown in FIG. The stop button stops parking monitoring when the user operates as shown in FIG. The area sensitivity setting button sets the area sensitivity for area AUTO. As shown in FIG. 20, when a touch on the area sensitivity setting button is detected, an area sensitivity setting screen is displayed. As shown in FIG. 20(b), the area sensitivity setting screen includes, from top to bottom, a title area, a sensitivity level display area, a sensitivity level image display area, a sensitivity level slider area, and a determination button. The title "Area Sensitivity" is displayed in the title area. In the sensitivity level display area, the sensitivity value indicated by the slider of the slider bar displayed in the current sensitivity level slider area is displayed to the right of the words "sensitivity level". The sensitivity level can be set by moving it in a range from 1 at the left end to 10 at the right end by changing the position of the slider on the slider bar displayed in the sensitivity level slider area. The example in FIG. 20(b) shows a state where the sensitivity level is "7". The sensitivity level image display area displays an image from the top of the car, and displays a semi-transparent light blue circle with a diameter that exceeds the length of the car in the left-right direction, centered on the center of the image from the top of the car. ing. This diameter is displayed while being changed according to the value of the current sensitivity level of the slider. The example in FIG. 20(b) shows the state where the sensitivity level is "7", and the example in FIG. 21 shows the states where the sensitivity level is 2, the sensitivity level is 6, and the sensitivity level is 10 from left to right. ing. When the touch of the OK button is detected, the sensitivity level set by the slider is saved as a setting value, and the RSSI value corresponding to a radius of 1 m per sensitivity level is displayed as the RSSI setting value on the proximity monitoring mode operation screen. return. For example, if the sensitivity level is 10, the RSSI value corresponding to a radius of 10 m is set as the RSSI setting value. Note that the default value of the sensitivity level slider is a sensitivity level of 6, which is an RSSI setting value corresponding to a radius of 6 m. The RSSI value for each sensitivity level is stored in advance as a value measured every 1 m, and is used as the RSSI setting value.

When the drive recorder is within the Bluetooth connection range of the smartphone (herein referred to as "area in"), the drive recorder maintains the Bluetooth connection and periodically sends periodic monitoring messages. When the smartphone receives this message, it acquires the RSSI value at the time of reception, and when the RSSI value falls below the RSSI setting value, it considers the area out and sends an instruction message to the drive recorder to perform parking monitoring. When the drive recorder receives this instruction message, it enters the parking monitoring mode and starts parking monitoring recording.

By sending periodic monitoring messages from the camera side in this way, even when this application on the smartphone is in the background, this periodic monitoring message allows this application to be called up from the OS and operated. Also, by reading the RSSI value when a message is received, the correct RSSI value can be obtained, making it possible to obtain the correct distance to the drive recorder.

While in the area, the connection between the drive recorder and the smartphone is maintained, and when the state of the drive recorder changes, the values of the items shown and explained in Figure 17 are sent from the drive recorder to the smartphone, and the smartphone The value of the item is received and the screen display of the smartphone shown in FIG. 16 is updated.

FIG. 22 is a diagram schematically showing the operations of the smartphone application and the drive recorder when the user with the smartphone gets off the vehicle and moves away (at the time of leaving the vehicle). The connectable range of Bluetooth is the outer circle, and the connectable range is about 10 meters. The area inside the inner circle is the range in which the RSSI value exceeds the RSSI setting value. After the ACC is turned off, the processing at the time of separation shown in FIG. 22 is performed. Start monitoring the RSSI value of regular monitoring messages. In the RSSI value monitoring process, when the RSSI value of a regular monitoring message exceeds the RSSI setting value, the message is placed in a "waiting for monitoring" state. When the RSSI value of the periodic monitoring message exceeds the RSSI setting value, the drive recorder is in a state where it does not record. In the range within the inner circle, a process is performed in which the operation status display area of the approach monitoring mode operation screen of the smartphone application is displayed as "waiting for monitoring" as shown on the lower right side of FIG. 22.

When the user moves further away from the vehicle and the RSSI value of the regular monitoring message becomes less than the RSSI setting value, the smartphone transmits a parking monitoring recording start instruction signal to the drive recorder via Bluetooth. The drive recorder that receives the instruction to start parking monitoring recording starts parking monitoring in parking monitoring mode and starts recording. In the range between the inner circle and the outer circle in Figure 22, where the RSSI value of the regular monitoring message is less than or equal to the RSSI setting value and the Bluetooth connection is possible, the smartphone app will display the proximity monitoring mode operation screen. Processing is performed to display the operation status display area of ``event monitoring'' as shown in the lower center of FIG. 22.

When the user further moves away from the vehicle and is out of the Bluetooth connection range, the smartphone app changes the display in the operating status display area of the proximity monitoring mode operation screen to "-" as shown on the lower left side of Figure 22. Process. The drive recorder starts the process of periodically transmitting Bluetooth beacon signals when the smartphone is out of Bluetooth connection range and Bluetooth communication is disconnected.

Next, the operation when a user carrying a smartphone returns to the car will be described with reference to FIG. 23. FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram similar to the explanation of FIG. 22, and, contrary to FIG. 22, shows the behavior when the user is approaching the car. The drive recorder periodically transmits a Bluetooth beacon signal when it is outside the Bluetooth connection range. Outside the Bluetooth connectable range, the operating status display area of the proximity monitoring mode operation screen continues to display "-" as shown on the lower left side of FIG. 23.

When the smartphone enters the Bluetooth connection range and receives a Bluetooth beacon signal, it establishes a Bluetooth connection with the drive recorder, and the drive recorder starts the process of periodically sending periodic monitoring notification messages. Monitoring processing to determine whether the RSSI value of this periodic monitoring notification message exceeds the set value is started.

When the user approaches the vehicle and the RSSI value of the regular monitoring message exceeds the RSSI setting value, the smartphone sends a parking monitoring recording stop instruction signal to the drive recorder via Bluetooth. The drive recorder that receives the instruction to stop parking monitoring recording stops parking monitoring in parking monitoring mode and stops recording.

In the range between the inner circle and the outer circle in Figure 23, which is the RSSI value below the RSSI setting value and the Bluetooth connectable range, the display in the operating status display area of the proximity monitoring mode operation screen is changed to the range shown in Figure 22. As shown in the center of the lower row, a process is performed to indicate that the event is being monitored. In the range within the inner circle, a process is performed in which the operation status display area of the approach monitoring mode operation screen of the smartphone application is displayed as "waiting for monitoring" as shown on the lower right side of FIG. 22. While the drive recorder and smartphone are connected, the connection is maintained, and when the state of the drive recorder changes, the values of the items shown and explained in Figure 17 are sent from the drive recorder to the smartphone, and the smartphone Since the screen display of the smartphone shown in FIG. 16 is updated by receiving the value of the item, the display is updated as can be seen by comparing the center of the lower row and the right side of the lower row of FIG. 22. For example, in the event recording number display area, 0 is displayed at the center of the lower row, and 1 is displayed at the lower right where a file is generated when recording is stopped.

Note that the transmission cycle of the regular monitoring message and Bluetooth beacon is 2 seconds. By doing this, it is possible to suppress the consumption of the smartphone's battery, and when the user carrying the smartphone moves away from the drive recorder, it is possible to determine the area by moving about 3 or 4 steps. In addition, if regular monitoring messages are sent at particularly short intervals, smartphone apps will not start smoothly, and the apps will run frequently, increasing battery consumption, but this can also be suppressed.

The drive recorder of the present embodiment described above is an example of a system that has a function of recording images captured by a vehicle while the vehicle is parked, and has a function of detecting the approach of a vehicle user to the vehicle. , has a function that cancels recording while the vehicle is parked when it detects a vehicle user approaching the vehicle. Therefore, the user can cancel recording simply by approaching a parked vehicle, making it possible to realize a system that is easier to use than before. For example, when a user approaches a vehicle, the user of the vehicle may be seen in the video taken by a parking surveillance camera, leaving unnecessary footage and wasting the recording area of the microSD card. However, this way you can reduce waste. For example, the approach is such that the person can see the person getting into the car. If you see yourself in the parking surveillance video of your drive recorder when you get into your car, it will leave useless footage and waste video recording space such as on the microSD card, but if you do this, , can reduce waste.

In this embodiment, the vehicle is described as a four-wheeled vehicle, but it may also be a bicycle or a motorcycle, for example. Further, in this embodiment, the vehicle is assumed to be a private car, but it may be a company car or a passenger vehicle such as a bus or a taxi.

In this embodiment, in order to detect when the vehicle's engine and electric vehicle are powered off while the vehicle is parked, the connections shown in Figure 6 are made to detect that the ACC is off. may be detected using other methods. For example, the image of the interior of the vehicle captured by a drive recorder camera may be recognized, and if it is detected that no one is present, it may be determined that the vehicle is parked. For example, the system can be operated by receiving power from a separate power source, such as a connection to the car battery or a battery separate from the car battery, and monitoring the power supply from the cigarette lighter socket. If there is no power supply, it may be determined that the vehicle engine or the electric vehicle is powered off.

In this embodiment, the user is mainly assumed to be a driver, but the user may also be a fellow passenger. Whether or not the user is a user may be determined based on, for example, whether a video similar to a video of a user registered in advance has been captured.

In this embodiment, when the vehicle is parked, it is specifically assumed that the driver is not in the vehicle, but it is also possible to provide a function to detect whether or not the driver is not in the vehicle. good. In the present embodiment, the function of detecting whether or not the driver is not in the vehicle is performed based on the RSSI level of the radio waves emitted by the drive recorder received by the smartphone owned by the driver. The determination may be made based on whether or not a pre-registered driver of the vehicle is present in the video captured by the vehicle.

In this embodiment, the image is taken by a camera of a drive recorder installed in the cabin of the vehicle, which is a substantially hemispherical camera, but it is more preferable to use a full-celestial camera. It may also be a wide-angle camera. The direction of imaging may be, for example, inside the vehicle or from inside the vehicle to outside the vehicle. In particular, it is preferable to adopt a configuration that allows photographing both inside and outside the vehicle. Examples of such a configuration include, for example, a configuration in which imaging is performed using two cameras, one for inside the vehicle and one for outside the vehicle, or a configuration in which one half-celestial camera is installed facing downward from the ceiling of the vehicle interior. It is good to say.

In this embodiment, the video signal of the video shot by the camera is compressed and recorded on the microSD card as digital information, but it may be recorded in an analog manner.

In this embodiment, the configuration is such that a microSD card is inserted into the main body of the drive recorder for recording, but it is also possible to provide a recording unit separate from the camera unit of the drive recorder and connect the two by wire or wirelessly to record. You can also do this. The recording unit may be provided inside the vehicle, or may be provided in a server or the like connected via communication. The recording unit is preferably a removable recording medium. The recording unit is preferably a non-volatile memory. The recording unit is preferably a semiconductor memory. It is particularly preferable that the recording means is a card-shaped recording medium. It is particularly preferable that the recording section is a card-shaped medium.

In this embodiment, recording is performed as a file for each predetermined time unit, but for example, video data may simply be recorded continuously. Furthermore, the recording may be ended when a specific end condition is met instead of in units of time.

The drive recorder may be configured with one housing, or may be configured with a plurality of housings, and the plurality of housings may be electrically connected by wire or wirelessly. A part of the functions of the drive recorder of this embodiment may be located outside the vehicle. For example, a part of the system may be configured as a server, but it is particularly preferable that all drive recorder functions are provided in the vehicle as in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, when a vehicle user approaches the vehicle, the recording of the video captured by the vehicle is stopped and the file in which the video is being recorded is closed. Good too.

The approach of the vehicle user to the vehicle may be detected by, for example, detecting that the vehicle door has been opened by the user, but as in this embodiment, the approach of the vehicle user may be detected. The approach to the vehicle may be detected based on whether or not the user of the vehicle is within a predetermined range outside from the door of the vehicle. In this way, recording while the vehicle is parked is stopped simply by the user of the vehicle approaching within a predetermined range outside the vehicle door.

In this embodiment, the approach of a vehicle user to the vehicle is detected based on the radio wave condition of a smartphone, which is a terminal that the user can carry. This allows for more reliable detection of approach. For example, approach can be detected more reliably than when a user recognizes a captured image. Furthermore, for example, the user can detect the terminal without having to take it out from a storage location such as a bag or pocket.

The smartphone that the user can carry is battery-powered. In this embodiment, the terminal is a smartphone, but it may also be a remote control, a key, a tag, etc., for example. However, it is best to use it as a smartphone. This is because there is a high possibility that vehicle users will also take their smartphones out of the vehicle.

Although Bluetooth is used as the radio wave in this embodiment, other radio waves may be used. For example, LTE may be used, but it is particularly preferable to use one with a communication distance of several meters to more than ten meters. In particular, it is preferable to use a beacon, and it is particularly preferable to use a Bluetooth beacon as in this embodiment.

An example of a configuration based on the radio wave condition is that the approach to the vehicle may be detected when the drive recorder is able to receive radio waves from the smartphone, but for example, it may be possible to detect the approach to the vehicle when the drive recorder is able to receive radio waves from the smartphone. It is preferable to assume that approach to the vehicle is detected when the state is reached.

However, it is particularly advantageous to use the method of this embodiment. In this embodiment, the approach of the vehicle user to the vehicle is detected based on the strength of the radio waves used for communication with the smartphone, which is a terminal that the vehicle user can carry. There is no need to provide a radio wave transmitter or receiver for distance detection that is separate from the radio wave transmitter or receiver used.

To detect approaching a vehicle, the reception strength of the radio waves emitted by the drive recorder is measured with a smartphone, which is a device that the user can carry, and the measured reception strength is sent to the drive recorder and received by the drive recorder. Approaching the vehicle may be detected when the reception strength exceeds a predetermined strength. In this way, it is possible to suppress the battery consumption of the terminal that the user can carry. These predetermined states may be, for example, when the reception strength is greater than or equal to a predetermined reception strength.

To detect when a vehicle user approaches the vehicle, the drive recorder emits radio waves at predetermined intervals, the intensity of which can be measured with a smartphone, which is a device that can be carried by the vehicle user. Measures the strength of radio waves emitted from the drive recorder at a predetermined period using a smartphone, which is a terminal device, and sends information about the measurement results to the drive recorder.The drive recorder then detects the approach based on the information about the measurement results. You may also do this. In this way, you can reduce the battery consumption of your smartphone. The battery capacity of a smartphone is extremely small compared to a vehicle, and transmission often consumes significantly more power than reception, but since radio waves are transmitted from the vehicle's drive recorder, the amount of power required for transmission from the device is Can reduce power consumption.

The best option is to measure the strength of the radio waves transmitted from the drive recorder at a predetermined period using a smartphone, which is a terminal that a vehicle user can carry, and to have the measurement result be a predetermined one, as in this embodiment. If the intensity is greater than or equal to the intensity, information regarding the measurement result may be transmitted, and the drive recorder may receive the information regarding the measurement result and determine that the vehicle has approached. In this way, the power consumption of the terminal can be significantly reduced and the battery life of the terminal can be extended.

The predetermined period is at least once during the period from when the user approaches the vehicle on foot and the terminal enters the area where radio waves transmitted from the system can be received until the user reaches the vehicle. It is desirable to have an interval that allows reception, particularly an interval that allows reception at least several times. In particular, the predetermined period is preferably set to a time shorter than the time required for a person to walk several steps. The predetermined period may be, for example, 3 seconds or less. On the other hand, if the predetermined period is too short, a problem will occur. The predetermined period of time is preferably a period of time that is at least as long as possible to suppress battery consumption of the terminal. In addition, the inventor found that in cases where the terminal has an application execution function, the application does not operate smoothly if there are frequent reception events. Therefore, it is better to set the time to a time that does not affect the operation of the application. Taking these into consideration, it is best for the predetermined period to be about 2 seconds as in this embodiment. In this way, the battery consumption of the terminal can be further reduced, other programs such as apps can operate smoothly, and when the user approaches the vehicle, it is possible to achieve an appropriate close relationship. It becomes possible to cancel recording. For example, if the terminal is a smartphone and the system is configured as a camera, when a user walks close to a camera equipped with a beacon, reception will occur frequently on the smartphone, so it is necessary to reduce the consumption of the smartphone's battery. It would be good to be able to judge the area by moving back and forth 3 or 4 steps. Also, if you send beacons at short time intervals, the smartphone side will receive all the beacon signals, so reception events will occur frequently and the app will not be able to operate smoothly, but it will take about 2 seconds. This can prevent such problems.

It is preferable that the information about the measurement results is the reception level, and recording is canceled when a predetermined condition is met, such as when the reception level received by the drive recorder is higher than a predetermined value. As in the present embodiment, this may be a signal specifically requesting to stop recording, and when the strength of the radio waves measured on the smartphone side is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the smartphone sends a signal requesting to stop recording, and the drive recorder It is a good idea to stop recording when this signal is received. In this way, consumption of the battery of the terminal can be further suppressed.
The radio wave may be a beacon signal as in this embodiment. The radio wave is particularly preferably an advertising signal like the Bluetooth beacon of this embodiment.

In this embodiment, a smartphone is used as an example of a terminal carried by a user, but a tablet or other terminal may also be used. However, smartphones are especially good.

The drive recorder of this embodiment is an example of a parking surveillance camera equipped with a function that can transmit a beacon, and the terminal is a smartphone that can execute an application equipped with a function that can receive a beacon signal transmitted from the camera. For example, a camera sends a Bluetooth beacon signal periodically (every 2 seconds for products), and when a person with a smartphone with a special app installed approaches a parking surveillance camera, the smartphone app receives the Bluetooth beacon signal. When this happens, it connects to the camera via Bluetooth, and every time it periodically receives a regular monitoring notification message from the camera, it acquires the RSSI value and detects the approximate distance to the camera. When the RSSI value reaches or exceeds a preset RSSI value, the camera's parking monitoring operation can be canceled by establishing a Bluetooth connection with the camera and stopping the parking monitoring mode.

It is best to advertise the Bluetooth beacon on the camera side, and create a UUID (Universally Unique IDentifier) specifically for the beacon and send it periodically.

As a Bluetooth beacon, it is best to transmit ID information called advertisement packet from the beacon, and this ID information includes proximityUUID, Major, and Minor identification.

It is recommended that the configured ID information be configured to be sent periodically. The proximityUUID, Major, and Minor identifiers can be determined arbitrarily, but for example, it is best to use a common ID for all systems for proximityUUID, and change the contents of the Major code and Minor code for each individual system. In this way, even when multiple systems are nearby, video recording can be canceled or started as described later only when a specific system is approached. Then, when you pair the camera with the smartphone app, you can configure the major code and minor code to be sent as message data. If the app detects that the user has re-paired or unpaired, these Major and Minor codes should be updated or cleared.

In addition, in this embodiment, a function is provided to receive a signal from a smartphone, which is a terminal that a vehicle user can carry, via wireless communication, and an operation to stop recording while the vehicle is parked is provided as an operation on the smartphone. The drive recorder has a function to stop recording while the vehicle is parked when it receives an operation to stop recording while the vehicle is parked, and when it detects a vehicle user approaching the vehicle. , the drive recorder stops recording while the vehicle is parked even if it does not receive an operation to stop recording while the vehicle is parked.

In this way, when the user approaches the car, there is no need for the user to take out his or her smartphone and use the smartphone to stop recording while the vehicle is parked. This eliminates the hassle of operating the vehicle when getting into the car.

In this embodiment, communication is performed with a terminal that can be carried by the user in a first range that is a range that includes a distance further than a second range that is a range that is used to detect approach to a vehicle and is near the vehicle. The vehicle is equipped with a communication function capable of transmitting information regarding a situation detected while the vehicle is parked in the first range. Therefore, when the user's device approaches the vehicle within the first range, the user can acquire information regarding the situation detected while the vehicle is parked, and the user can obtain information regarding the situation detected while the vehicle is parked. Recording is stopped when the vehicle is parked in two areas. In particular, the terminal that the user can carry has the function of receiving and reporting information about the situation detected while the vehicle is parked from the system, so when the user approaches the vehicle within the first range, Information regarding the situation detected while the vehicle is parked can be obtained, and recording while the vehicle is parked is stopped in a second range that is closer to the vehicle than the first range. If the user only approaches the first range but does not enter the second range, it is possible to simply obtain information regarding the situation detected during parking without canceling recording. For example, if an abnormality is not reported, it is possible to stay away from the car and go about your business without approaching it any further, and if there is an abnormality, you can stop recording by moving into the second range.

The situation detected while the vehicle is parked may be, for example, a recognition result such as the state of a suspicious person appearing in a captured image, but in particular, the drive recorder of this embodiment has a function to acquire the state of the vehicle. In preparation, the situation detected while the vehicle is parked is used as information regarding the acquired vehicle condition. The function of acquiring the state of the vehicle may be realized by equipping the system with a sensor or the like, or may be realized by acquiring it from the in-vehicle LAN etc. that the vehicle originally has. The information regarding the situation detected while the vehicle is parked is preferably information regarding an abnormality in the vehicle. In this way, when approaching a vehicle whose parking is being monitored, it is possible to immediately check whether there is any abnormality with the vehicle.

The information regarding the situation detected while the vehicle is parked may include information regarding battery information and tire pressure. In this way, you can check battery information, tire pressure, etc. every time you approach a parked car.

The first range is preferably a communication range provided by the communication function, and is particularly preferably a range of about ten or more meters. The second range is preferably about 6 m, for example. People walk at different speeds, so if you shorten the distance too much, the driver will be visible in the parking surveillance video, so if you set this distance, you will have a better chance of not being visible in the parking surveillance video. Also, for example, if you configure the device to connect via Bluetooth when the driver approaches the car and check the RSSI every 2 seconds, the distance will be slightly greater than the number of steps a person walks within these 2 seconds (4 or 5 steps). By the way, about 6 m is desirable.

It is preferable to include an adjustment function for adjusting the second range by user's operation as in this embodiment. In this way, the user can set how close the user must get to the vehicle before video recording is canceled. For example, it is preferable to have a configuration in which approach is detected by the intensity of radio waves, and to have a function to set the intensity of the second range by user's operation. For example, it would be good to have an RSSI level setting function. By adjusting the preset RSSI value, you can adjust the position of the camera that starts/stops parking monitoring, so you can control the start/stop of parking monitoring at a position that does not appear in the video being monitored by the driver. It becomes possible to do so.

As in this embodiment, if the drive recorder is equipped with a function that does not start recording while the vehicle is parked, even when the vehicle is parked, until the user of the vehicle moves away from the vehicle beyond a predetermined range. good. In this way, it is possible to prevent the vehicle user from remaining in the video.

Further, as in the present embodiment, it is preferable to provide a function to start recording when the user of the vehicle moves further than a predetermined range from the vehicle even when the vehicle is parked. It is preferable to detect whether the user of the vehicle has moved away from the vehicle by more than a predetermined range, and to start recording when it is detected that the user has moved away from the vehicle. The start of recording may be the release of a pause in recording, but it is also preferable to start a new recording.If the configuration is such that video data is recorded in a file, it is preferable to generate a new file and start recording.

As in the present embodiment, the vehicle has a function of recording images captured by the vehicle while the vehicle is running, and has a running recording mode which is a mode for recording images captured by the vehicle while the vehicle is running; A parking monitoring mode is provided, which is a mode in which images captured by the vehicle are recorded while the vehicle is parked, and when it is detected that the vehicle changes from being running to being parked, recording in the driving recording mode is stopped, and the recording in the driving recording mode is stopped. It is preferable that the drive recorder has a function of not starting recording in the parking monitoring mode of the vehicle until the user of the vehicle moves away from the vehicle beyond a predetermined range. In this way, when entering the parking monitoring mode, it becomes easier to prevent the driver and fellow passengers from being left in the image.

In particular, as in this embodiment, parking surveillance recording does not start until the driver holding the smartphone leaves the car beyond a predetermined range, and once the driver moves beyond the predetermined range, parking surveillance recording starts, and when the driver holding the smartphone leaves the vehicle beyond a predetermined range. It is a good idea to stop parking surveillance recording when the driver approaches the car.

Additionally, the drive recorder is equipped with a function that detects whether you have forgotten to do something when parking the vehicle and sends information to that effect. Equipped with a communication function that can communicate with a terminal that the user can carry in the third range, which is a range that includes distances further than the range and is near the vehicle, and forgets to do things that should be done when parking the vehicle. It is preferable to provide a function of transmitting information indicating this using the communication function when it is detected that the communication function is detected. In this way, if the drive recorder detects that the user has forgotten to do something that should be done when parking the vehicle, the smartphone, etc. that the user can carry will receive information to that effect. I can do it. In particular, it is preferable that a smartphone in possession of a user notifies the user of this fact when it receives information indicating that fact.

Examples of things that should be done when parking the vehicle include turning off the illuminations, locking the doors, and turning off the hazard lights. Information indicating this may be, for example, the status of things to be done when parking the vehicle, but it is particularly good to use information indicating that something has been forgotten. For example, the information may be information such as illumination status, door lock status, hazard lamp flashing status, etc., but information indicating forgetting to turn off the illumination, forgetting to lock the door, or forgetting to turn off the hazard lamp may be used. It would be especially convenient to obtain this information from the OBD connector of the vehicle or directly from a sensor, etc., and automatically notify the driver if the driver forgets to do so.

For example, the system may be a surveillance camera with Bluetooth communication function. If the surveillance camera is within the Bluetooth connection range (area in) with a smartphone, the Bluetooth connection will be maintained and the camera will periodically send monitoring notifications. Send a message, etc., and when the smartphone receives this message, acquire the RSSI value at the time of reception, and when the RSSI value falls below the preset RSSI value, it will be considered as an area out and parking monitoring will be performed on the camera. It is recommended that the configuration is such that an instruction message is sent in a similar manner. When the device is configured with a smartphone, if the app is in the background, it will not be able to run regularly by itself, and if it does not read the RSSI value when it receives a message, it will not be able to retrieve the correct RSSI value, which may cause problems with the camera. Although the correct distance is not known, this problem can be solved by having a configuration in which regular messages are sent from the camera side. While in the area, it is preferable to maintain a connection with the camera so that when the camera status changes, the number of recordings, vehicle information, etc. can be transmitted from the camera. Here again, the transmission period of the periodic monitoring communication message is 2 seconds. The reason for 2 seconds is the same as the reason for the beacon transmission period. In particular, if the data is sent at short intervals, the app will not be able to start smoothly, and the app will run frequently, leading to battery consumption, but this problem can also be resolved. In this way, by recognizing the distance between the parking surveillance camera and the smartphone, the user can automatically stop the parking surveillance and get into the car by simply holding the smartphone and without making any operations. I can do it. Just by parking the car and leaving the area with the smartphone in hand, the camera can automatically start monitoring parking. It is recommended that the camera be configured to automatically establish a Bluetooth connection when approaching the parking surveillance camera, and that the information held by the camera can be read out when necessary as long as the camera is connected via Bluetooth. The periodic monitoring notification message may be a signal that is neither a beacon nor an advertisement. Further, it is preferable to include an adjustment function for adjusting the fourth range by a user's operation as in the present embodiment. In this way, the user himself/herself can set how far away from the vehicle the recording of the video starts. For example, it is preferable to have a configuration in which separation is detected by the intensity of radio waves, and to have a function of setting the intensity of the fourth range by user's operation. For example, it would be good to have an RSSI level setting function. By adjusting the preset RSSI value, you can adjust the position of the camera that starts/stops parking monitoring, so you can control the start/stop of parking monitoring at a position that does not appear in the video being monitored by the driver. It becomes possible to do so. In this embodiment, the first range and the third range, and the second range and the fourth range are the same range, but they may be different ranges.

Although it would be convenient to deter criminal acts related to parked vehicles or record video of what happened around the vehicle, as in this embodiment, it is also possible for the user to manually operate the vehicle monitoring mode. It would be even more convenient to have a configuration that can be turned on and off without any need for it.

Further, for example, a function may be provided to cancel/start recording while the vehicle is parked based on the passage of time or information detected by various sensors attached to the vehicle. For example, recording may be performed until a predetermined time has elapsed after entering the parking monitoring mode, and recording may be stopped after the predetermined time has elapsed. There is a high possibility that the thief will approach the car after confirming that the user has left the car, but this type of scene can be accurately recorded and the recording capacity can be reduced. Furthermore, recording may be started when the sensor detects the approach of a person who does not have the user's terminal. If it becomes possible to record parking surveillance video in this way, it will be possible to more accurately record evidence of criminal acts, etc., and the possibility of eliminating the user's own reflection will increase, eliminating unnecessary recording. The increase in recording capacity can be reduced, and the recorded content can be made appropriate.
Note that the configuration for detecting area-in/area-out is not limited to the case where a Bluetooth beacon is used, but may be a configuration using, for example, GPS.

The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of various aspects of the invention disclosed herein. Of the present invention, the structure for which a patent is sought has been specified in the attached claims, but currently, even if the structure is not specified in the claims, it is not disclosed in this specification. The applicant intends to make such a configuration the scope of a patent claim in the future.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the embodiments described above. The components of each of the embodiments and modifications described above may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Also, any component of each embodiment or modification, any component described in the means for solving the invention, or a component that embodies any component described in the means for solving the invention. It may be configured in any combination. The applicant intends to obtain rights to these matters through amendments to the application or divisional applications. Even if there is a description of ``in the case of...'' or ``in the case of...'', this does not mean that the description is limited to those cases or times. We have also disclosed these cases and other configurations, and we intend to acquire the rights. Furthermore, the sections described in order are not limited to this order. It also discloses a configuration in which some parts have been deleted or the order has been changed, and we have the intention to acquire the rights.

In addition, the applicant intends to acquire rights to the entire design or partial design by filing a conversion application to a design application. Although the drawing depicts the entire device using solid lines, the drawing includes not only the overall design but also a partial design that claims some parts of the device. For example, it is a drawing that not only includes some parts of the device as a partial design, but also includes some parts of the device as a partial design regardless of the components. The part of the device may be a part of the device or a part of the device. We intend to obtain rights not only for the entire design, but also for partial designs in which any part of the solid line part of the drawing is a broken line part.

Claims (2)

A drive recorder program for realizing a parking monitoring function on the drive recorder computer;
A system comprising a program for a smartphone to realize a function of transmitting an instruction message to the drive recorder to perform parking monitoring on the computer of the smartphone,
The program for the drive recorder includes a program for making the computer of the drive recorder realize a function of periodically sending messages from the drive recorder,
The program for the smartphone acquires the reception level when the message is received, and instructs the drive recorder to perform parking monitoring when the reception level falls below a set value. Equipped with a program to realize the function of sending messages,
The system is characterized in that the drive recorder program includes a program for causing a computer of the drive recorder to realize a function of entering a parking monitoring mode and starting parking monitoring recording upon receiving the instruction message. The program for the smartphone is installed on the computer of the smartphone,
A program for realizing a function of setting the reception level value based on a user's operation,
The function to set the reception level value based on the user's operation displays an image from the top of the car in the display area of the smartphone, and displays the image from the top of the car in the left and right directions of the car. 2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a function of displaying a circle having a diameter exceeding the length of the circle, the diameter of which is changed according to the current value of the level.