JP7489702B2 - System, program, imaging device, and software - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to systems such as radar detectors and car navigation systems that provide specific information to vehicle drivers.

Radar detectors, car navigation systems, and other systems have been widely used for some time now. These systems have a function of notifying users of the approach of objects that require warning, such as speed measuring devices, enforcement areas, and checkpoint areas.
For example, the present applicant has proposed a radar detector that displays a CG (Computer Graphics) of an object to be warned on a display means such as a liquid crystal display device when the vehicle approaches an object to be warned in a predetermined manner or when microwaves emitted from a speed measuring device are detected (see FIG. 19 of Patent Document 1). Although the presence or absence of an object to be warned can be notified by an alarm sound, such a display makes it possible to recognize the position of the object to be warned.

There are also devices that provide a real-life warning by displaying a photograph including an actual object to be warned, such as a speed measuring device, a control area, or a checkpoint area.
This radar detector is configured to display a small actual-image warning when the vehicle approaches within 1 km of the object to be warned, and to display a large actual-image warning when the vehicle approaches within 500 m of the object to be warned.
In addition, a snowplow driver warning system has been disclosed that allows the driver to accurately grasp the location of railroad crossings even when work is being done at night or during snowy days when it is difficult to confirm the location of the crossings by viewing on a display device a video data file that was previously captured when visibility was good (see Patent Document 2).

JP 2009-9546 A JP 2006-44367 A

The radar detector in Patent Document 1 mentioned above was configured to issue an alarm by displaying a common CG according to the type and content of the speed measurement device, enforcement area, checkpoint area, etc., so there was no relationship between the CG displayed on the screen and the actual object of the alarm that the vehicle was approaching. In contrast, a radar detector displays a photograph (live-action alarm) that includes the actual object of the alarm that the vehicle is approaching.

However, because conventional live-action warnings were still images, the location where the photo containing the speed measuring device was taken did not necessarily match the actual scenery ahead, which changed as the vehicle was traveling, making it difficult to pinpoint where the vehicle measuring device was located in the scenery ahead.

In other words, conventional still images for live-action warnings were captured just before the object of the warning in order to include the object in the image. Even if such a still image captured just before the object of the warning is displayed, for example, 1 km or 500 m before the object of the warning, the image of the still image does not match the scenery ahead. It is only when the vehicle approaches just before the object of the warning that the image of the still image matches the scenery ahead.

In addition, the live-action alerts issued to notify police and checkpoint areas were photographs taken in a portion of the area (e.g., the center of the area), so it was not possible to determine the extent of the area just by looking at the photograph.

The snowplow driver warning system in Patent Document 2 is designed to check the location of railroad crossings, which are difficult to see in reality, by using images of the crossings captured when visibility is good, and is based on the premise that the image on the display device will not match the actual scenery ahead.

In addition, railroad crossings have a distinctive black and yellow appearance, so if the image shows the scenery ahead taken from a snowplow moving slowly along the tracks, it is easy to identify where the crossing is in the image.
However, the scene ahead of the vehicle includes roads, other vehicles, buildings, and structures such as signs and streetlights, and the vehicle is moving faster than a snowplow, so it is difficult to identify the speed measuring device, which does not have a particularly noticeable appearance, from the scene ahead of the moving vehicle.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a system, program, imaging device, and software that issues an alarm using a live-action video that corresponds to the scenery ahead of a moving vehicle, and clearly indicates the object of the alarm in the live-action video, making it easy to identify the actual object of the alarm that the vehicle is approaching.

(1) In order to achieve the above object, the system of the present invention is configured to include a control means for displaying on a display means a live-action video that captures at least the scenery in the process of approaching a predetermined object of warning when it is determined that the vehicle has entered a predetermined approaching state to the object of warning based on the current vehicle position information and the position information of a predetermined object of warning.

According to the above configuration, by displaying a live-action video of the process of approaching an actual object to be warned and issuing a warning, it is possible to match the image of the live-action video with the actual scenery ahead that changes as the vehicle travels. For example, if the object to be warned is a speed measuring device, the object to be warned in the live-action video can be clearly indicated, allowing the user to easily identify the actual speed measuring device in the scenery ahead.
In addition, for example, if the object of the warning is an area for enforcement or checkpoint, a live-action video including the range from the start point to the end point of the area is displayed, allowing the user to easily identify the actual area in the scenery ahead. According to such an in-vehicle electronic device of the present invention, it becomes easy for the user to identify the object of the warning, and it is possible to encourage the user to drive safely.

Here, the system of the present invention may be implemented in the form of an in-vehicle electronic device such as a radar detector or a car navigation system.
Furthermore, the system of the present invention can be realized if it mainly comprises a means for acquiring location information, video data of live-action video capturing the scenery during the process of approaching the object to be warned, a means for displaying the live-action video, and a control means for executing the above-mentioned control processing.
Therefore, the system of the present invention may be implemented using hardware such as a general-purpose personal computer, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a portable game machine, etc. In this case, software for operating these general-purpose portable terminals as the system of the present invention and video data of live-action videos may be stored in a server and provided to the portable terminals via the Internet.

In this specification, the term "live-action video" refers to a video captured from an actual landscape, and is a visible image displayed on a display means. Even if "live-action video image" is not specifically stated, "live-action video" refers to an image displayed on a display means. When referring to data rather than image, the term "live-action video image data" is used.

(2) Preferably, the video data of the live-action video is associated with location information at the time of capture, and the control means is configured to determine the timing of displaying the live-action video based on location information of the vehicle and location information of the video data.
(3) More preferably, the control means is configured to cause the display means to display the live-action video at a timing when position information of the vehicle and position information of the video data match.
(4) More preferably, the control means is configured to display the live-action video several to several tens of seconds before the current position information of the vehicle and the position information of the video data match.

According to the above configuration, the optimal display timing of the live-action video can be determined based on the current vehicle position information and the position information at the time of capturing the live-action video, and any correspondence can be established between the image of the live-action video and the actual scenery ahead. Note that the determination of whether the vehicle has approached the object of the alarm within a predetermined distance in (1) above may be based on, for example, the position information of the object of the alarm stored separately, or the position information associated with the video data in (2) above.

For example, by displaying the live-action video at a timing when the current vehicle position information matches the position information at the time the live-action video was captured, the image of the live-action video can be made to match the actual scenery ahead when the live-action video starts to be displayed. Thereafter, by synchronizing the playback speed of the live-action video with the vehicle speed, the user can compare the live-action video with the scenery ahead and easily identify the actual object of the alarm.

For example, by displaying the live-action video a few to tens of seconds before the current vehicle position information matches the position information of the live-action video, a live-action video of the scenery ahead a few seconds ahead of the current time will be displayed. As a result, the user can check the object of the alarm in the live-action video in advance, and then, when the vehicle reaches the capture point of the live-action video, the user can easily identify the actual object of the alarm from the scenery ahead.

Here, the image data of the live-action video in the present invention can be acquired, for example, by using a dedicated imaging device in which a drive recorder is linked to a radar detector. That is, the radar detector stores the position information of objects to be warned about throughout the country, and is configured to start outputting a proximity warning when the current vehicle position is in a predetermined proximity relationship with any of the objects to be warned about, and to stop outputting the proximity warning when the object to be warned has been passed.

Meanwhile, the drive recorder is provided with buttons to start and stop continuous recording. Therefore, an imaging device is configured that sends a signal to the drive recorder similar to pressing the start button when the radar detector starts outputting the approach warning, and sends a signal to the drive recorder similar to pressing the end button when the radar detector stops outputting the approach warning. By using an imaging device configured in this way and passing through any object that is subject to a warning across the country, it is possible to capture live video from before the object passes through until after it passes through.

In addition, the video captured by the drive recorder is recorded in association with the vehicle's position information, speed information, and the time of capture. By using a dedicated imaging device with the above configuration, it is possible to automatically record, for example, video and position information from 20 seconds before the arrival of an object to 10 seconds after it has passed, or to automatically record video and position information from 1 km before the arrival of an object to 500 m after it has passed, thereby obtaining live video data corresponding to objects that are subject to a warning all over the country.

(5) Preferably, the control means is configured to synchronize the playback speed of the live-action video with the current vehicle speed based on vehicle speed information.

According to the above configuration, by synchronizing the playback speed of the live-action video with the vehicle speed, it is possible to maintain a constant correspondence between the actual scenery ahead and the live-action video according to the vehicle speed at the time of the alarm. This makes it possible to display the live-action video at a playback speed that corresponds to the vehicle speed at the time of the alarm and changes in vehicle speed, making it possible to always issue an appropriate alarm.

(6) Preferably, the live-action video includes a video of a landscape that does not include the object of the warning, captured at a location before the object of the warning passes.

With the above configuration, even if live-action video is displayed when the object of the warning cannot yet be seen, for example, 1 km or 500 m before the object of the warning, these live-action videos match the actual scenery ahead, so the driver can easily understand that the vehicle is actually approaching the object of the warning by looking at the live-action video that does not include the object of the warning.

(7) Preferably, the live-action video is a series of images capturing the scenery from before the object passes through until after it passes through.

With the above configuration, the user can be notified with a series of live video images from the start to the end of the alarm. Here, the alarms in the above-mentioned conventional radar detectors were all still images, so they only displayed a still image before the object of the alarm passed, and none of them displayed a still image after the object of the alarm passed. This made the timing of the alarm cancellation unclear. In contrast, the system of the present invention, configured as above, can intuitively convey to the user that the alarm has been cancelled by continuously displaying the image up until after the object of the alarm has passed.

(8) Preferably, the control means is configured to cause the display means to display a map and, when the vehicle approaches within a predetermined distance of the object to be warned, to cause the live-action video to be superimposed on the map.

With the above configuration, in systems such as radar detectors and car navigation systems, it is possible to display the position of the object of the alarm and the position of the vehicle on a map on the screen, and to overlay the alarm of a live-action video on this map. This allows the user to objectively grasp the proximity between the vehicle and the object of the alarm by using icons on the map, while checking the actual object of the alarm in the live-action video.

(9) Preferably, the control means is configured to change the display area of the live-action video displayed on the map depending on the distance from the vehicle to the object to be warned.

According to the above configuration, the display area of the live-action video displayed on the map can notify the user of the proximity state between the vehicle and the object to be warned. For example, when the vehicle and the object to be warned approach each other within a predetermined distance, the live-action video is displayed in the smallest display area, and thereafter, the display area of the live-action video is increased as the vehicle and the object to be warned approach each other.
This allows the user to relatively notify the proximity of the vehicle to the object of the warning by the size of the live-action video, and the closer the vehicle is to the object of the warning, the larger the display area of the live-action video becomes, making it easier to identify the object of the warning in the live-action video. Also, the closer the vehicle is to the object of the warning, the larger the display area of the live-action video becomes, making it possible to add more information to the live-action video.

(10) Preferably, the live-action video includes an indication for visually identifying the object of the alarm contained in the live-action video.

According to the above configuration, the warning object included in the scenery ahead of the live-action video can be easily identified by the indication display. The scenery ahead of the live-action video includes roads, other vehicles, buildings, and structures such as signs and street lights, and it is difficult to identify the warning object such as a speed measuring device from such a scenery ahead. The faster the vehicle is traveling, the more difficult it is to identify the warning object in the live-action video. Therefore, by adding an indication display to the live-action video, the user can identify the warning object in the live-action video at a glance.

Here, the above-mentioned "indication display" broadly includes displays that indicate the object of an alarm in the live-action video, such as an arrow pointing to the object of an alarm in the live-action video, a speech bubble containing information about the object of an alarm, coloring the entire object of an alarm, and a line tracing the outline of the object of an alarm.
Such an instruction display may be embedded in the image of the live-action video, for example, but is preferably drawn in front of the image. For example, information such as the coordinate position on the screen of the object to be warned in the live-action video, the size of the instruction display, and the direction of the instruction display may be recorded for each predetermined frame, and the instruction display may be displayed in front of the image of the live-action video based on this information.

(11) Preferably, the position or size of the indication display is changed in accordance with the object of the warning contained in the live-action video.

With the above configuration, the object of the alarm in the live-action video, whose position and size change as the vehicle approaches the object of the alarm, can be accurately pointed out with a dynamic indication, allowing the user to more easily identify the object of the alarm in the live-action video. For example, when the alarm starts and the object of the alarm is far from the vehicle, the object of the alarm is shown small in the live-action video and pointed out with a small arrow, and as the vehicle approaches the object of the alarm, a larger arrow is used to point out the object of the alarm.

In addition, because these dynamic instruction displays perform artificial movements according to a program in live-action video, they stand out even in live-action video that changes naturally as the vehicle moves, and can instantly capture the user's attention.

(12) Preferably, when the object to be warned contained in the live-action video is made up of multiple components, the indication display is added to each of the components of the object to be warned.

According to the above configuration, when the object to be warned is a speed measurement device, important components that contribute to speed measurement can be indicated by the indication, thereby drawing the user's attention and encouraging safe driving.
For example, if the speed measuring device is a radar type, a loop coil type, an H system, or an LH system, the position of the camera of the speed measuring device is indicated by an arrow. Also, if the speed measuring device is a loop coil type or an LH system, the loop coil embedded in the pavement is indicated by a line. This allows the user to intuitively understand the purpose and function of the speed measuring device, and a more effective warning can be issued, while also calling the attention of users who see the warning in the form of a live-action video, encouraging safe driving.

(13) Preferably, video data of a plurality of live-action videos taken at different times are matched for the same object to be warned, and the control means is configured to select one of the video data taken at the different times based on current time information, and to display the live-action video on the display means.
(14) More preferably, two types of live-action videos taken at least during the day and at night are associated with the same object to be warned, and the control means selects either the daytime or nighttime video data based on current time information, and displays the live-action video on the display means.

According to the above configuration, the time when the live-action video warning is issued can be made to correspond to the time when the live-action video is captured and displayed on the display means, so that, for example, the environmental conditions of the live-action video image and the actual scenery ahead can be made to match or approximate each other. Here, as the "different time" in the present invention, it is preferable to select a "time" at which the user feels that the scenery ahead during actual driving differs from the displayed actual vehicle video when driving a vehicle through the area displayed in the live-action video.

For example, it is advisable to provide live-action video for each period with a certain range in which the scenery does not change much, such as spring, summer, fall, winter, month, day, hour, morning, afternoon, evening, and night. With such a speed measurement device of the present invention, it is possible to display live-action video of the day if the time when the vehicle comes into a predetermined proximity to the object of warning is daytime, live-action video of the evening if the time when the vehicle comes into a predetermined proximity to the object of warning is evening, and live-action video of the night if the time when the vehicle comes into a predetermined proximity to the object of warning is nighttime. However, the present invention is not limited to matching the environmental conditions of the live-action video image with the actual scenery ahead, and for example, live-action video of the daytime when visibility is good may be displayed during nighttime when visibility is poor, or from a similar perspective, live-action video of summer may be displayed during snowy winter.

(15) Preferably, the video data of the actual image captured at night is captured at night using a night vision system.

If the area around the object to be warned is dark and there are few street lights, capturing nighttime footage with a normal camera will not allow the object to be warned or its surroundings to be captured in a live-action video. Therefore, if nighttime footage is captured using a night vision system as in the above configuration, the object to be warned and its surroundings can be captured in a live-action video in a visible manner.
This allows the environmental conditions of the live-action video to be matched with those of the actual scenery ahead, and even when the actual object of the alarm is difficult to see in the scenery ahead at night in a dark place, it is possible to identify the position and range of the actual object of the alarm by referring to the night vision image of the live-action video.

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

According to the program of the present invention, for example, the program can be downloaded to a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, smartphone, or portable game machine, and the computer mounted on the mobile terminal can execute the control process of the control means described above, and when the vehicle comes into a predetermined proximity to an object to be warned, the display means of the mobile terminal can display live-action video, thereby functioning as the system of the present invention described above. Note that image data of the live-action video can be stored, for example, in a storage means built into the mobile terminal, or stored in a server on the Internet.

(17) In order to achieve the above object, the imaging device of the present invention is an imaging device for acquiring image data of a live-action video used in any of the above-mentioned systems (1) to (15), and is configured to include a storage means for storing position information of the already installed object to be warned, a position information acquisition means for acquiring the position information of the vehicle, an imaging means capable of capturing video of the scenery ahead from the vehicle while it is moving, and an imaging control means for causing the imaging means to start capturing video when it is determined that the vehicle has come into a predetermined proximity to the object to be warned based on the position information of the vehicle and the position information of the object to be warned, and causing the imaging means to end capturing video when it is determined that the vehicle has passed the object to be warned.

(18) Preferably, a radar detector including the position information acquisition means and the storage means is combined with a drive recorder including the imaging means, and the imaging control means controls the imaging start timing and imaging end timing of the drive recorder.

(19) In order to achieve the above object, the software of the present invention is configured to include video data of the live-action video captured by the imaging device of (17) or (18) described above, and a program for causing a computer to realize a function of displaying the live-action video on the display means.

(20) In order to achieve the above object, the imaging method of the present invention is an imaging method for acquiring image data of a live-action video used in any of the above-mentioned systems (1) to (15), which stores position information of the already installed object to be warned in a storage means, acquires position information of the vehicle by a position information acquisition means, and controls an imaging means capable of capturing video of the scenery ahead from the traveling vehicle based on the position information of the vehicle and the position information of the object to be warned, and when the imaging control means determines that the vehicle has come into a predetermined approaching state to the object to be warned, causes the imaging means to start capturing video, and when it determines that the vehicle has passed the object to be warned, causes the imaging means to end capturing video.

(21) Preferably, a radar detector including the position information acquisition means and the storage means is combined with a drive recorder including the imaging means, and the imaging control means controls the imaging start timing and imaging end timing of the drive recorder.

(22) In order to achieve the above object, the software of the present invention is configured to include video data of the live-action video captured by the imaging device of (20) or (21) described above, and a program for causing a computer to realize a function of displaying the live-action video on the display means.

The basic principles of the imaging device or imaging method for acquiring video data of live-action video have already been explained using an example of a combination of a radar detector and a drive recorder.
According to the imaging device or imaging method of the present invention, it is possible to easily capture live video from before to after an object that has already been set up to warn of an alert, simply by passing through that object. This makes it extremely easy to obtain live video of many objects that have been set up around the country, and realizes a system equipped with a wealth of live video image data.

The system, program, imaging device, and software of the present invention issue an alarm using a live-action video that corresponds to the scenery ahead of a moving vehicle, and by clearly indicating the object of the alarm in the live-action video, it is easy to identify the actual object of the alarm that the vehicle is approaching.

1A and 1B are diagrams showing the configuration of a radar detector according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the radar detector, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the radar detector of FIG. 1 . 2A and 2B show an example of the display mode of the display unit of the radar detector of FIG. 1 , where FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a standby screen, FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a radarscope, and FIG. 2C is a diagram showing an example of a GPS alarm display. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a warning screen display in a radar wave warning function of the radar detector of FIG. 1 . FIG. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing an example of a display image of a live-action video, in which FIG. 5A is an image before approaching an object to be warned about, FIG. 5B is an image when approaching an object to be warned about, and FIG. 5C is an image after passing an object to be warned about. 6A and 6B are diagrams showing schematic diagrams of another embodiment of a display image of a real-life video, in which FIG. 6A is an image before approaching an object to be warned, and FIG. 6B is an image when approaching an object to be warned. 7A and 7B are schematic diagrams showing an example of a display image in the second embodiment, in which FIG. 7A is an image immediately after it has been determined that an object to be warned has been approached, FIG. 7B is an image before approaching the object to be warned, and FIG. 7C is an image when approaching the object to be warned.

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[First embodiment of the system]
1 and 2 show the configuration of a radar detector according to a first embodiment of the present invention, which is a preferred embodiment of the system. This radar detector is usually mounted on a dashboard. This radar detector is usually fixed to the dashboard by attaching the bottom surface of plate 33b of base 33 to the dashboard. A ball joint receiving portion 33a is provided on the top of base 33, and a ball portion provided on the lower end of support portion 31 extending downward from the bottom surface of case body 1 is inserted into ball joint receiving portion 33a, allowing the ball portion to be held at any angle and position within its movable range.

The base 33 has a spherical recess at a specified position on its upper surface, and is made of a material such as rubber that is elastically deformable and has an appropriate coefficient of friction. The outer diameter of the ball part and the inner diameter of the recess are set to be approximately equal. As a result, when the ball part is inserted into the recess, the outer shape of the ball part and the inner shape of the recess roughly match, allowing the ball part to rotate and move in any direction along the spherical surface. By roughly matching the diameters of the two and giving the inner shape of the recess an appropriate coefficient of friction, the ball part can be held at any angle and position.

Furthermore, since the base 33 is capable of elastic deformation, when the case body 1 is urged in a direction to be pulled upward while holding the base 33 from the state shown in FIG. 1(b), the diameter of the opening of the recess widens, and the ball portion can be removed from the recess. Conversely, when the base 33 and the ball portion are in a separated state, if the ball portion is pressed against the opening of the recess and urged in that state toward the base 33, the opening will temporarily widen due to the elastic deformation of the recess, and the ball portion will be stored within the recess.

Thereafter, the shape of the recess returns to its original state due to the elastic restoring force of the base 33, preventing the ball portion from easily coming out of the recess. In addition, one side of an adhesive member such as a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet, double-sided adhesive tape, or hook-and-loop fastener is attached to the bottom surface of the base 33, and the other side of the adhesive member is attached to a predetermined position inside the vehicle cabin, such as the dashboard. This fixes the base 33 to the predetermined position inside the vehicle cabin.

As shown in Figures 1(a) and (b), this radar detector has a solar panel 2 and a switch section 3 arranged on the top surface of the case body 1, and a microwave receiver 4 that detects microwaves in the frequency band emitted by the speed measuring device arranged inside the front side of the case body 1 (the side arranged toward the front of the vehicle (windshield side)). Meanwhile, a display section 5, a warning lamp 6, an infrared communication device 7, and a remote control receiver 16 are arranged on the rear side of the case body 1 (the side arranged toward the rear of the vehicle (user side (driver side)).

A GPS receiver 8 is placed inside the top side of the case body 1. Furthermore, an adapter jack 9 is placed on one side of the case body 1, and a power switch 10 and a DC jack 21 are placed on the other side. A battery (not shown) is placed inside the bottom side of the case body, and this battery is charged with power supplied from the solar panel 2 and the DC jack 21, supplying power to each section. A speaker 20 is also built into the case body 1.

In this embodiment, the display unit 5 is a small 2.4-inch color dot-matrix liquid crystal display with a backlight, and the display surface is on the rear side of the case body 1 (the side located toward the rear of the vehicle (user side (driver side)). The height H of the rear side of the case body 1 where the display unit 5 is mounted is greater than the height H0 of the other parts.

As shown in FIG. 2, the infrared communication device 7 transmits and receives data to and from a communication device with a built-in infrared communication device, such as a mobile phone 12. The adapter jack 9 is a terminal for connecting a memory card reader 13. By connecting the memory card reader 13 to the adapter jack 9, data stored in a memory card 14 attached to the memory card reader 13 can be imported into the device, and the contents of the memory of the control unit 18 and a database 19 that stores location information and video data of live-action video of the scenery approaching an object to be warned can be written to the memory card 14.

Specifically, if the data stored in the memory card 14 contains updated information such as information on a new object to be warned about (location information including longitude and latitude, type information, etc.), the control unit 18 stores (downloads) the updated information in a database 19 built into the radar detector, and updates the data in the database 19. The function of the memory card reader 13 may be configured to be built into the main body case 1.

The database 19 is a non-volatile memory (e.g., an EEPROM) that is either inside the microcomputer of the control unit 18 or external to the microcomputer. Information about certain alarm targets is registered in the database 19 at the time of shipment, and data about alarm targets added later can be updated as described above. Data updates can also be performed via the infrared communication device 7. The DC jack 21 is for connecting a cigarette plug cord (not shown), and can be connected to the cigarette lighter socket of the vehicle via the cigarette plug cord to receive power.

The radio receiver 15 receives incoming radio waves of a specific frequency. The remote control receiver 16 communicates data with the remote control (portable device: child device) 17 via infrared rays and performs various settings for this device. The switch unit 3 is also connected to the control unit 18 (not shown), allowing the same settings as the remote control 17 to be performed. The remote control 17 is equipped with a standby switch button, a setting button, a selection button, a cancel button, a decision button, a reset button, and up, down, left and right cross buttons.

The radar detector of this embodiment also includes a connection cable 22 that connects to an OBD-II (II is the Roman numeral "2", and hereinafter "OBD-II" will be referred to as "OBD2") connector installed in the vehicle as shown in FIG. 2, and a connector terminal 23 that can be detachably attached to the vehicle's OBD2 connector is attached to the end of this connection cable 22. The OBD2 connector is also called a fault diagnosis connector, and is connected to the vehicle's ECU to output various vehicle information.

Furthermore, the other end of the connection cable 22 is provided with a connector terminal 25 for connecting to a socket port 24 provided on the side of the case body 1 of the radar detector, so that the connection cable 22 can be attached and detached to the radar detector. Of course, the connection cable 22 may also be connected directly to the radar detector.

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

The control unit 18 is a microcomputer equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, non-volatile memory, I/O, etc., and executes predetermined processing based on information input from the various input devices described above, and outputs predetermined alarms, messages, and information using the various output devices described above.

The functions of the radar detector of this embodiment are stored in the EEPROM of the control unit 18 as a program executed by the computer in the control unit 18, and are realized by the computer in the control unit 18 executing this program.

The functions that the computer realizes through the programs of the control unit 18 include a GPS log function, a standby screen display function, a radar scope display function, a GPS warning function, a radar wave warning function, a wireless warning function, the vehicle information display function described above, and a live-action video display function, which is the most prominent feature of the radar detector of this embodiment.

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

The standby screen display function is a function for displaying the vehicle speed, latitude, longitude, and altitude detected by the GPS receiver 8 on the display unit 5, as shown in FIG.
The radarscope display function, as shown in Fig. 3(b), searches for objects to be warned that are within a predetermined range (for example, within about 1 km) from the current position detected by the GPS receiver 8 based on the position information stored in the database 19, and displays the relative positional relationship between the vehicle position and the object to be warned on the display unit 5. In Fig. 3(b), "W" on the left indicates west, "E" on the right indicates east, and "N" on the top indicates north, and an icon at the intersection of the horizontal line connecting "W" and "E" and the vertical line extending downward from "N" indicates the vehicle position. In addition, icons with letters such as "L", "RD", "P", and "N" indicate the type and position of the object to be warned.

When pressing the standby switch button on the remote control 17 while the standby screen display function as shown in FIG. 3(a) is being executed, the display function is switched to the radarscope display function as shown in FIG. 3(b). Also, when pressing the standby switch button on the remote control 17 while the radarscope display function is being executed, the display function is switched to the vehicle information display function. Also, when pressing the standby switch button on the remote control 17 while the vehicle information display function is being executed, the display function is switched to the standby screen display function.

The control unit 18 executes processing to realize each function, such as a GPS warning function, a radar wave warning function, and a wireless warning function, depending on the event that occurs while the standby screen display function, radar scope display function, and vehicle information display function (hereinafter, these functions are collectively referred to as standby functions) are being executed, and returns to processing of the original standby function when processing of the relevant function is completed. The priority of each function is set in the order of highest priority: radar wave warning function, wireless warning function, and GPS warning function. When the GPS warning function is realized, the live action video display function executes processing to realize it as part of it or in association with it. When processing is completed, processing of the GPS warning function or processing of the original standby function is returned to processing.

The GPS alarm function is a process executed at a predetermined time interval (1 second intervals) in response to an event from a timer in the control unit 18. It calculates the distance between the object to be alarmed stored in the database 19 and the object to be alarmed based on the latitude and longitude of the object's current position detected by the GPS receiver 8. When the calculated distance becomes a predetermined approach distance (for example, within 500 m), a GPS alarm is displayed on the display unit 5 as shown in FIG. 3(c) and an approach warning sound is output from the speaker 20 to indicate this.

The objects to be warned include drowsy driving accident locations, radar, H system, LH system, speed limit change points, enforcement areas, checkpoint areas, parking ban monitoring areas, N system, traffic monitoring systems, intersection monitoring points, signal ignoring prevention systems, police stations, police boxes, accident-prone areas, vehicle theft-prone areas, sharp/continuous curves (expressways), branching/merging points (expressways), ETC lane advance guidance (expressways), service areas (expressways), parking areas (expressways), highway oases (expressways), smart interchanges (expressways), PA/SA gas stations (expressways), tunnels (expressways), highway radio receiving areas (expressways), prefectural border notices, roadside stations, and viewpoint parking areas. The database 19 stores type information and latitude and longitude information indicating the locations of these objects to be warned in association with schematic diagrams to be displayed on the display unit 5, and image data and audio data of the actual video.

The radar wave warning function is a warning function that displays a warning screen on the display unit 5 and outputs a warning sound from the speaker 20 when the microwave receiver 4 detects a signal corresponding to microwaves in a frequency band emitted by a speed measuring device (such as a mobile radar (hereinafter simply referred to as "radar")). For example, when microwaves in the frequency band of microwaves emitted by a radar are detected by the microwave receiver 4, as shown in FIG. 4, a schematic diagram or photo of the radar stored in the database 19 is displayed as a warning screen on the display unit 5, and the audio data stored in the database 19 is read out and a voice saying "This is radar. Watch your speed" is output from the speaker 20. While the voice is being output, the warning lamp 6 is lit.

The radio warning function is a function that issues a warning when the radio receiver 15 receives radio waves emitted by an emergency vehicle or the like, so as not to interfere with the vehicle's travel. In the radio warning function, the frequencies of police radio, car location radio, digital radio, special small radio, police station radio, police telephone, police activity radio, tow truck radio, helicopter radio, fire helicopter radio, fire radio, emergency radio, highway radio, security radio, etc. are scanned, and when a radio signal is received at a scanned frequency, a schematic diagram indicating that a radio signal corresponding to the frequency stored in the database 19 for each radio type is received is displayed on the display unit 5 as a warning screen, and audio data stored in the database 19 for each radio type is read out, and an alarm sound indicating the type of radio signal is output from the speaker 20. For example, when a police radio signal is received, a sound such as "This is a police radio. Watch your speed" is output. During the sound output, the warning lamp 6 is turned on.

The live-action video display function is a function that uses the GPS alarm function to calculate the distance between the object of alarm stored in the database 19 and the latitude and longitude of the current position detected by the GPS receiver 8, and when the calculated distance is a predetermined approach distance (for example, within 500 m), displays on the display unit 5 a live-action video of the scene of the process of approaching the object of alarm. In this case, as in the conventional case, the display unit 5 may display a GPS alarm as shown in FIG. 3(c) and output an approach warning sound from the speaker 20 to indicate the same, and then start displaying the live-action video, or the display of the live-action video may start without displaying the screen in FIG. 3(c). This selection may be set in advance by the switch unit 3 or the remote control 17. The decision to start displaying the live-action video is made in the same manner as in the case of making a decision to display a conventional GPS alarm, and when the control unit 18 determines that the object of alarm is within a predetermined approach distance, it sequentially reads out the video data from the database 19 and transmits it to the display unit 5.

The video data stored in database 19 is acquired by an imaging device according to the present invention, which will be described later. In addition, the video data of the live-action video is associated with location information at the time of imaging, and control unit 18 determines the timing of displaying the live-action video based on the vehicle's location information and the location information of the video data. Specifically, the live-action video is displayed on display unit 5 at a timing when the vehicle's location information and the location information of the video data match. For example, control unit 18 may be configured to synchronize the playback speed of the live-action video with the current vehicle speed based on vehicle speed information.

By synchronizing the playback speed of the live-action video with the vehicle speed, it is possible to maintain a constant correspondence between the actual scenery ahead and the live-action video according to the vehicle's speed at the time of the warning. This makes it possible to display the live-action video at a playback speed that corresponds to the vehicle's speed at the time of the warning and changes in vehicle speed, making it possible to always issue appropriate warnings.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing a schematic example of an example of a display image of a live-action video, where Figure 5(a) is an image before approaching the object to be warned, Figure 5(b) is an image when approaching the object to be warned, and Figure 5(c) is an image after the object to be warned has passed. When the object to be warned, H system 40, is approached (for example, within 500 m), the live-action video starts to be displayed as in Figure 5(a), and a series of images are displayed from approaching as in Figure 5(b) to passing as in Figure 5(c). The user can more clearly recognize the actual object to be warned by viewing the same image as the actual scenery on the display unit 5 from before passing the object to after passing it. The current time is shown in the upper right corner of the display screen.

When the live-action video starts to be displayed, the user can recognize that the object to be warned about is approaching, but in this embodiment, the display image is one in which an indication is added to visually identify the object to be warned about contained in the live-action video, and an example is shown in which the indication is an arrow 41. The arrow 41 is configured to change size to follow the object to be warned about contained in the live-action video, and when the warning starts and the object to be warned about is far from the vehicle, a small arrow points to the object to be warned about that is shown small in the live-action video, and as the vehicle approaches the object to be warned about, a larger arrow points to the object to be warned about. This makes it easier to identify the object to be warned about in the live-action video, whose position and size change.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a display image of a live-action video, where Figure 6(a) is an image before approaching an object to be warned about, and Figure 6(b) is an image when approaching an object to be warned about. In Figure 6, the indication is displayed by an enclosure 42, and a notation section 43 is added to display the contents of the object to be warned about. The size of the enclosure 42 is changed in accordance with the object to be warned about. Also, when an object to be warned about has been passed, a comment to that effect may be displayed on the display image of the live-action video.

With the above configuration, when the object to be warned is a speed measurement device as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the important components that contribute to speed measurement can be indicated by the indication, making it possible to attract the user's attention and encourage safe driving. In addition, since such dynamic indications perform artificial movements according to a program in the live-action video, they stand out particularly in the live-action video that changes naturally as the vehicle travels, and can instantly attract the user's attention.

Second embodiment of the system
Next, a second embodiment of the system according to the present invention will be described. The system of this embodiment is a radar detector having a basic configuration similar to that of the first embodiment, and differs from the first embodiment only in that, among the functions realized by the computer through the program of the control unit 18, the system has a function of displaying live-action video.

7 is a diagram showing a schematic example of a display image in this embodiment, in which FIG. 7(a) is an image immediately after it is determined that the vehicle has approached the object of warning, FIG. 7(b) is an image before the vehicle has approached the object of warning, and FIG. 7(c) is an image when the vehicle has approached the object of warning. As shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the control unit 18 displays a map 50 on the display unit 5, and when the vehicle approaches the object of warning, H system 40, within a predetermined distance (for example, 1 km), displays a live-action video 51 superimposed on the map 50. Furthermore, the display area of the live-action video 51 displayed on the map 50 is changed according to the distance from the vehicle to the object of warning, H system 40. Also, as in FIG. 5, the live-action video 51 uses an arrow 41 as an indication display, and changes its size to follow the object of warning included in the live-action video 51. Specifically, when the vehicle and the object of the warning approach each other within a certain distance, the actual video 51 is displayed in the smallest display area as shown in FIG. 7(a), and then the display area of the actual video 51 is increased as the vehicle and the object of the warning approach each other. The current time is shown in the upper right corner of the map screen.

In addition, in FIG. 7, the position 52 of the H system 40, which is the object of the warning, and the position 53 of the vehicle are displayed on a map 50, and it is possible to overlay a warning using live-action video 51 on this map 50. This allows the user to confirm the H system 40, which is the actual object of the warning, using the live-action video 51, while objectively grasping the proximity between the vehicle and the object of the warning using an icon indicating the position on the map 50, etc.

This allows the size of the live-action video 51 to relatively notify the approach state between the vehicle and the object to be warned, and the closer the vehicle is to the object to be warned, the larger the display area of the live-action video 51 becomes, making it easier to identify the object to be warned in the live-action video 51. Also, the closer the vehicle is to the object to be warned, the larger the display area of the live-action video 51 becomes, making it possible to add more information to the live-action video. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to display the contents of the object to be warned, or the distance between the vehicle and the object to be warned. Note that this information may be displayed in the map 50 outside the live-action video 51 together with other driving information such as speed. Also, although the screen of the map 50 is fixed in FIGS. 7(a), (b), and (c), the map may be changed so that the current position is always at a fixed position on the display screen. Also, in the system of this embodiment, a map screen may be displayed as a standby screen display function, and the vehicle's position, speed, etc. may be displayed thereon.

[Embodiment of Imaging Apparatus]
Next, an embodiment of the imaging device according to the present invention will be described. Video data of the actual video used in the system of the above embodiment can be acquired by the imaging device of this embodiment. The imaging device of this embodiment includes a storage means for storing position information of an already installed object to be warned, a position information acquisition means for acquiring position information of a vehicle, an imaging means capable of capturing video of the scenery ahead from a traveling vehicle, and an imaging control means for causing the imaging means to start capturing video when it is determined that the vehicle has come into a predetermined approach state to the object to be warned based on the position information of the vehicle and the position information of the object to be warned, and causing the imaging means to end capturing video when it is determined that the vehicle has passed the object to be warned.

Specifically, a radar detector including a position information acquisition means and a storage means is combined with a drive recorder including an imaging camera as an imaging means, and the imaging control means controls the imaging start timing and imaging end timing of the drive recorder. For example, the imaging control means causes the imaging camera to start capturing video when it determines that the vehicle has come into a predetermined proximity to an object to be warned about, and causes the imaging means to end video capture when it determines that the vehicle has passed the object to be warned about.

The drive recorder is provided with buttons to start and stop continuous recording. Thus, an imaging control means is realized by sending a signal to the drive recorder similar to pressing the start button when the radar detector starts outputting an approach warning, and sending a signal to the drive recorder similar to pressing the end button when the radar detector stops outputting an approach warning. By using the imaging device of this embodiment as described above and passing through warning objects all over the country, it is possible to easily capture live video from before to after the passing of the warning object.

The video captured by the drive recorder is recorded in association with the vehicle's position information, speed information, and capture time at the time of capture. By using the imaging device of this embodiment, for example, it is possible to automatically record video and position information from 20 seconds before the arrival of an object to 10 seconds after it has passed, or to automatically record video and position information from 1 km before the arrival of an object to 500 m after it has passed, thereby obtaining a wealth of live video data corresponding to objects that are subject to alerts all over the country.

[System embodiment variations]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, and various modifications are possible. For example, the system of the present invention may be embodied as follows.

(1) The control unit 18 may be configured to display the live-action video several to several tens of seconds before the current vehicle position information and the position information of the image data of the live-action video match. In this case, the optimal display timing of the live-action video can be determined based on the current vehicle position information and the position information at the time the live-action video was captured, making it possible to create an arbitrary correspondence between the image of the live-action video and the actual scenery ahead.

(2) When adding an indication to visually identify the object of the alarm contained in the live-action video, it is possible to show it in a speech bubble containing information about the object of the alarm, to color the entire object of the alarm, to display a line tracing the outline of the object of the alarm, or, in the case of a speed measuring device that is a loop coil type or an LH system, to point out a loop coil embedded in the pavement by drawing a line.

(3) Video data of multiple live action videos captured at different times for the same alarm object may be stored in correspondence with each other. In this case, the control unit 18 selects one piece of video data from the multiple pieces of video data captured at different times, and displays the live action video based on the selected video data on the display unit 5.

For example, the different periods may be two types, daytime and nighttime, and the two types of live-action video may be associated with the same object to be warned. The control unit 18 may select either the daytime or nighttime video data based on the current time information, and display the live-action video on the display unit 5.

As the different time periods, actual video may be provided for each period with a certain width in which the scenery does not change much, such as spring, summer, fall, winter, month, day, hour, morning, afternoon, evening, and night. Depending on the time when the vehicle comes into a certain proximity to the object of the warning, for example, actual video of the same season or date as that season or date is displayed, if it is daytime, actual video of the day, if it is evening, actual video of the evening, and if it is nighttime, actual video of the nighttime is displayed. However, it is not necessary to match the environmental conditions of the actual video image and the actual scenery ahead, and it is possible to display an actual video of a daytime scene with good visibility at night when visibility is poor, or to display an actual video of summer during a snowy winter, in order to more clearly recognize the object of the warning.

Video data of real-life images captured at night is obtained by capturing images at night using a night vision in an imaging device. This makes it possible to obtain real-life video video data that allows the object to be warned and its surroundings to be seen, even if the object is in a dark place with few street lights. Therefore, while attempting to match the environmental conditions of the real-life video with the actual scenery ahead, even if the actual object to be warned is difficult to see in the scenery ahead in a dark place at night, the position and range of the actual object to be warned can be identified by referring to the night vision video of the real-life video.

The system of this embodiment has been described using the example of a radar detector, but it can be implemented as a function of various electronic devices. For example, it may be incorporated as a function of a navigation device, a drive recorder, and a car audio system. In addition, the control unit 18 may be provided with a function for setting the priority of each function and alarm based on instructions from the remote control 17, etc., and each process of the control unit 18 may be performed based on this set priority.

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

In addition, the system of this embodiment only has a program for implementing the computer of the control unit 18, but the program may be distributed among multiple computers for distributed processing.

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

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

Claims (2)

A system in which vehicle position information at the time of image capture is recorded in association with the captured image,
It has the function of recording live video and its location information from before to after the object passes by,
a function for starting output of a proximity alarm when the current vehicle position comes into a predetermined proximity relationship with the stored object position before the object passes by, and a function for stopping output of the proximity alarm after the current vehicle position passes by the stored object position,
Furthermore, the system has a function of starting to play and display the live-action video from before the object to be warned passes through to after it passes through, based on the current vehicle position information , the recorded live-action video from before the object to be warned passes through to after it passes through, at a timing before the current vehicle position information and the position information at the time of shooting the live-action video match, and then playing back the live-action video of the scenery ahead beyond the current time and displaying it on the display means. A program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the system according to claim 1 .

Images