Vehicle periphery monitoring system and device used in same

Abstract

To provide a vehicle periphery monitoring system capable of enhancing crime prevention measures for vehicles, and a device used in the same.SOLUTION: A vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 comprises one or more light emitting apparatuses 1, one or more imaging apparatuses 2, and a control apparatus 3. The light emitting apparatuses 1 are provided in a vehicle 8 and emit infrared light to the periphery of the vehicle 8. The imaging apparatuses 2 are provided in the vehicle 8, and capture images of an emission range into which the light emitting apparatuses 1 emit infrared light. The control apparatus 3 controls the light emitting apparatuses 1 and the imaging apparatuses 2. The control apparatus 3 analyzes the images of the emission range captured by the imaging apparatuses 2 to determine the presence or absence of a suspicious person, and issues a notification to the outside of the vehicle 8 at least when it is determined that a suspicious person is present.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle periphery monitoring system and a device used therein, and more particularly to a vehicle periphery monitoring system that monitors for the presence or absence of suspicious persons by capturing images of the periphery of a vehicle, and a device used therein. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in view of the increasing number of vehicle (automobile) thefts, various security systems have been installed in vehicles.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes an in-vehicle device that is mounted on a vehicle, extracts a facial image from an image captured by an imaging device, compares the extracted facial image with a facial image stored in a memory unit, and unlocks the door if the extracted facial image matches the facial image in the memory unit.

[0004] In the conventional example described in Patent Document 1, the doors are not unlocked for anyone other than the person (the owner of the vehicle, etc.) whose face image is stored in the storage unit, so vehicle theft can be suppressed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-46121 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the conventional example described in Patent Document 1, for example, it is not possible to determine the presence or absence of a suspicious person (a person whose face image is not stored in the storage unit) around the vehicle.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle surroundings monitoring system and a device used therein that can enhance crime prevention measures for vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A vehicle surroundings monitoring system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes one or more light emitting devices, one or more image capturing devices, and a control device. The light emitting devices are provided on a vehicle and irradiate infrared light around the vehicle. The image capturing device is provided on the vehicle and captures an illumination range into which the light emitting devices irradiate the infrared light. The control device controls the light emitting devices and the image capturing devices. The control device analyzes an image of the illumination range captured by the image capturing device to determine the presence or absence of a suspicious person, and issues an alert outside the vehicle when it is determined that at least the suspicious person is present.

[0009] A device used in a vehicle surroundings monitoring system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes at least one of the light emitting device, the imaging device, and the control device. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The vehicle surroundings monitoring system and the device used therein according to the present disclosure have the advantage of being able to strengthen crime prevention measures for vehicles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a vehicle periphery monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of a vehicle to which the vehicle periphery monitoring system is applied. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of a vehicle to which the vehicle periphery monitoring system is applied. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a top view of a vehicle to which the vehicle periphery monitoring system is applied. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the vehicle surroundings monitoring system. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a control device in a modified example of the vehicle periphery monitoring system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, a vehicle surroundings monitoring system A1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and a device used therein will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, each figure described in the following embodiment is a schematic diagram, and the ratio of the size and thickness of each component does not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratio. Note that the configuration described in the following embodiment is merely an example of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as the effects of the present disclosure can be achieved.

[0013] (1) Overview A vehicle surroundings monitoring system A1 according to the embodiment includes one or more light emitting devices 1, one or more image capturing devices 2, and a control device 3 (see FIG. 1).

[0014] The light emitting device 1 is provided on a vehicle 8 and irradiates infrared light around the vehicle 8. The vehicle 8 is, for example, an automobile such as a passenger car. The automobile may be an automobile using an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine as a prime mover, an electric automobile using a motor (electric motor) as a prime mover, or a hybrid electric automobile equipped with two types of prime movers, an internal combustion engine and a motor. However, the automobile may also be an automobile using a hydrogen engine as a prime mover.

[0015] The imaging device 2 is provided on a vehicle 8, and captures an image of an irradiation range where the light emitting device 1 emits infrared light. The imaging device 2 includes an image sensor such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor, a lens that focuses the infrared light on the image sensor, an image generation circuit that generates and outputs an image (image data) from the output of the image sensor, and the like.

[0016] The control device 3 controls the light emitting device 1 and the imaging device 2. The control device 3 also determines whether or not there is a suspicious person by analyzing an image of the illumination range captured by the imaging device 2. Furthermore, the control device 3 notifies the presence of a suspicious person outside the vehicle 8 at least when it determines that there is a suspicious person.

[0017] Thus, the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 according to the embodiment can strengthen crime prevention measures for the vehicle 8.

[0018] Moreover, the device according to the embodiment is a device used in the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 according to the embodiment, and includes at least one of the light emitting device 1, the imaging device 2, and the control device 3. Thus, by using the device according to the embodiment in the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 according to the embodiment, it is possible to strengthen crime prevention measures for the vehicle 8.

[0019] (2)Details The vehicle surroundings monitoring system A1 (hereinafter abbreviated as vehicle surroundings monitoring system A1) of the embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 8 such as an automobile, and mainly monitors for the presence or absence of abnormalities (e.g., the presence of a suspicious person) in the vicinity of the parked vehicle 8, and if an abnormality is detected, reports it to the outside of the vehicle 8.

[0020] (2-1) Vehicle The vehicle 8 exemplified in the embodiment is a sedan type automobile as shown in Figures 2 to 4. However, the vehicle 8 may be an automobile other than a sedan type automobile, such as a one-box type automobile, a commercial van type automobile, or an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) type automobile.

[0021] The vehicle 8 has a vehicle body 80. Two doors 81 are attached to each of the left and right sides of the vehicle body 80 so as to be arranged side by side in a front-to-rear manner and be able to be opened and closed (see FIG. 3). A door mirror 82 is attached to each of the two front left and right doors 81.

[0022] One headlight (headlamp) 83 is provided on each of the left and right ends of the front of the vehicle body 80 (see FIG. 2). These headlights 83 are included in an exterior lighting device 92, which will be described later. The headlights 83 are integrated with cornering lamps (side-illuminating lamps) and turn signal lamps (direction indicators). The cornering lamps and turn signal lamps are also included in the exterior lighting device 92.

[0023] A rear combination lamp 84 is provided on each of the left and right ends of the rear surface of the vehicle body 80 (see FIG. 3). The rear combination lamp 84 is integrally equipped with a tail lamp (tail light), a stop lamp (brake light), a turn signal lamp, and a backup lamp (back-up light). The rear combination lamp 84 is also included in the exterior lighting device 92.

[0024] The vehicle 8 further includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 90, a horn (alarm) 91, an exterior lighting device 92, and a communication device 93 (see FIG. 1). Automobiles currently on the market may be equipped with a dozen to a hundred or more ECUs, each corresponding to a different control content, such as an ECU for controlling the engine, an ECU for controlling the braking system such as the brakes, an ECU for controlling in-vehicle devices such as an air conditioner, and an ECU for ADAS (Advanced driver-assistance systems). The ECU 90 in the embodiment is an ECU that performs various processes and controls to monitor the surroundings of the vehicle.

[0025] The exterior lighting device 92 irradiates light to the outside of the vehicle body 80, and includes headlights 83, cornering lamps, turn signal lamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, backup lamps, etc. Turning the exterior lighting device 92 on and off is controlled by an ECU of a lighting control system and an ECU 90 in the embodiment.

[0026] The communication device 93 is, for example, an in-vehicle communication device (Data Communication Module: DCM) that performs wireless communication using a mobile communication system of a communication carrier. The communication device 93 can perform wireless communication with a server of a carrier that provides a telematics service.

[0027] (2-2) Vehicle Surroundings Monitoring System (2-2-1) System configuration of vehicle surroundings monitoring system The vehicle surroundings monitoring system A1 includes a plurality of light emitting devices 1, a plurality of image capturing devices 2, and a control device 3 that controls the plurality of light emitting devices 1 and the plurality of image capturing devices 2 (see FIG. 1).

[0028] All of the light emitting devices 1 have the same configuration. Each light emitting device 1 has an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that emits infrared light, and a lens that controls the light distribution of the infrared light emitted from the LED. However, each light emitting device 1 may have a light emitting element other than an LED, such as an organic electroluminescence element or a laser diode. Furthermore, each light emitting device 1 may use a reflector instead of or in addition to a lens to control the light distribution.

[0029] Two of the light-emitting devices 1 are attached to each of the door mirrors 82 so as to emit infrared light from the undersides of the two door mirrors 82 (see Figs. 2-4). The remaining light-emitting devices 1 are attached to other locations of the vehicle body 80, for example, the left and right A-pillars (front pillars) and C-pillars (rear pillars). Six regions shown by dashed lines in Fig. 4 indicate irradiation ranges Q1-Q6 of infrared light emitted from the multiple light-emitting devices 1. Here, it is preferable that each irradiation range Q1-Q6 is at a horizontal distance of 1m-2m from the vehicle 8 and at a vertical distance of 1m-1.5m from the ground. The shape and size of the irradiation ranges Q1-Q6 are merely examples, and are not intended to be limited thereto. The light-emitting devices 1 may be attached to other locations, such as the front and rear bumpers and B-pillars, in addition to the above-mentioned locations.

[0030] All of the multiple imaging devices 2 have the same configuration. Each imaging device 2 has an image sensor such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor, a lens that focuses infrared light onto the image sensor, an image generation circuit that generates and outputs an image (image data) from the output of the image sensor, and the like.

[0031] The multiple imaging devices 2 are attached to the vehicle 8 so that the imaging range includes the irradiation ranges Q1-Q6 of the infrared light of the multiple light emitting devices 1. That is, the multiple imaging devices 2 are attached one by one to the two door mirrors 82, the left and right A pillars, and the C pillars (see Figs. 2-4). Therefore, an image of each irradiation range Q1-Q6 is obtained from the imaging device 2 paired with each light emitting device 1.

[0032] The control device 3 has hardware including a microcontroller and an LDM (LED Driver Module), and software. The LDM supplies a drive current to each light emitting device 1. For example, the LDM can adjust the amount of infrared light emitted from the light emitting device 1 by controlling the drive current flowing through the light emitting device 1 using PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). The microcontroller has one or more processors and memories, and realizes various functions by having the processor execute software.

[0033] The control device 3 synchronizes the timing of passing a drive current through the light emitting device 1 to emit infrared light with the timing of controlling the image capturing device 2 to capture images of each of the irradiation ranges Q1-Q6. Here, when the vehicle 8 is an electric vehicle equipped with only a motor as a prime mover or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that can be charged from an external charging facility, and the vehicle 8 is electrically connected to the charging facility, it is preferable that the control device 3 executes a continuous operation mode in which the pair of the light emitting device 1 and the image capturing device 2 is operated continuously. On the other hand, when the vehicle 8 is an automobile equipped with an internal combustion engine as a prime mover or a hybrid electric vehicle that cannot be charged from the outside, it is preferable that the control device 3 executes an intermittent operation mode in which the pair of the light emitting device 1 and the image capturing device 2 is operated intermittently in order to prevent the on-board battery (lead storage battery) mounted on the vehicle 8 from running out. Note that the control device 3 may set the period of the intermittent operation in the intermittent operation mode to a constant period, or may change the period of the intermittent operation periodically or randomly.

[0034] Furthermore, the control device 3 analyzes the images (image data) acquired from each imaging device 2, and judges the presence or absence of abnormalities (presence or absence of suspicious persons) in the vicinity of the vehicle 8. For example, the control device 3 stores in memory (microcontroller memory) an image (such as an image immediately before or immediately after monitoring starts) that is certain to be free of abnormalities among the image data acquired from each imaging device 2 as a reference image (template). Then, the control device 3 compares the image acquired from each imaging device 2 after monitoring starts with the reference image to obtain a difference (background difference) from the reference image. In other words, the background difference image (hereinafter referred to as the difference image) should only contain objects (images of objects) that do not exist in the reference image.

[0035] Furthermore, the control device 3 obtains the movement (movement, change in shape, etc.) of the object present in the difference image by image processing, and judges whether the moving object is a suspicious person or not based on the obtained movement of the object (moving object). For example, when a person passes by the side of the vehicle 8, the person (image of the person) present in the difference image is considered to pass by within a dozen to several tens of seconds and disappear from the difference image. On the other hand, when a person who is planning to break into or steal a vehicle approaches the vehicle 8, the person (image of the person) present in the difference image is considered to continue to exist in the difference image for a relatively long time (for example, several tens of seconds to several minutes) while moving around the vehicle 8 or while stationary around the vehicle 8.

[0036] Therefore, the control device 3 extracts a moving object (image of the moving object) from a difference image between the image acquired from each imaging device 2 and the reference image, and judges whether the moving object is a suspicious person or not based on the behavior of the extracted moving object. However, the above-mentioned algorithm is one example of an algorithm for judging the presence or absence of a suspicious person, and another algorithm, for example, an algorithm using machine learning, may be used.

[0037] (2-2-2) Operation of vehicle surroundings monitoring system Next, the operation of the vehicle surroundings monitoring system A1 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0038] The control device 3 inquires of the ECU 90 whether or not the prime mover (internal combustion engine or motor) of the vehicle 8 has stopped (step S1), and waits until the prime mover has stopped. Once the prime mover has stopped, the control device 3 inquires of the ECU 90 whether or not there are occupants (driver and passengers) in the vehicle 8 (step S2), and waits until there are no occupants in the vehicle 8. The ECU 90 can determine whether or not there is an occupant in the seat by a pressure sensor provided in the seat in the vehicle 8. Alternatively, if the vehicle 8 is equipped with a keyless entry system, the presence or absence of an occupant in the vehicle 8 can be determined based on the availability of communication with an electronic key.

[0039] When the control device 3 is informed by the ECU 90 that the occupant has disappeared, it inquires of the ECU 90 whether all the door locks of the four doors 81 are locked (step S3), and waits until all the door locks are locked. Then, when the control device 3 is informed by the ECU 90 that all the door locks are locked, it inquires of the ECU 90 whether the ambient illuminance of the vehicle 8 is equal to or lower than a lower limit (for example, several lux to several tens of lux) (step S4). The ECU 90 judges whether the ambient illuminance is equal to or lower than a lower limit based on the detection value of a brightness sensor installed in the vehicle body 80, and responds to the control device 3. If the ambient illuminance is higher than the lower limit based on the response from the ECU 90, the control device 3 waits, and if the ambient illuminance is equal to or lower than the lower limit, it executes the intermittent operation mode and starts monitoring (step S5). At this time, the control device 3 stores the captured image of each imaging device 2 as a reference image in a memory.

[0040] The control device 3 periodically and synchronously controls the multiple light emitting devices 1 and the multiple image capturing devices 2, and judges the presence or absence of a moving object from a difference image between an image acquired from each image capturing device 2 and a reference image (step S6). If the control device 3 judges that no moving object is present in the difference image, it continues monitoring in the intermittent operation mode.

[0041] When the control device 3 determines that a moving object is present in the difference image, it transitions from the intermittent operation mode to the continuous operation mode (step S7).Then, the control device 3 performs the above-mentioned analysis on the images acquired from each imaging device 2 to determine whether or not there is a suspicious person around the vehicle 8 (step S8).When the control device 3 determines that there is no suspicious person, it switches from the continuous operation mode to the intermittent operation mode and continues monitoring.

[0042] When the control device 3 determines that a suspicious person is present, it notifies the presence of the suspicious person (the occurrence of an abnormality) to the outside of the vehicle 8 (step S9). For example, the control device 3 instructs the ECU 90 to turn on or periodically blink the external lighting device 92. In response to the instruction from the control device 3, the ECU 90 turns on or periodically blinks the left and right headlights 83, for example. Alternatively, the ECU 90 may turn on or periodically blink the left and right rear combination lamps 84 together with the headlights 83.

[0043] Furthermore, instead of turning on or blinking the exterior lighting device 92, or in addition to controlling the exterior lighting device 92, the control device 3 may instruct the ECU 90 to drive the horn 91 to sound a warning sound.

[0044] Furthermore, instead of turning on or blinking the exterior lighting device 92 or outputting a warning sound from the horn 91, or in addition to at least one of these, the control device 3 may transmit a message from the communication device 93 to the ECU 90 to notify an occurrence of an abnormality (the presence of a suspicious person) to an external server (for example, a server of a business providing a telematics service). After notifying the outside of the vehicle 8, the control device 3 returns to step S1 and starts preparation for periphery monitoring.

[0045] (2-3) Advantages of vehicle surroundings monitoring system Thus, even in a situation where a normal imaging device cannot capture an image with sufficient resolution due to insufficient brightness, such as a parking lot at night with few outdoor lights, the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 can capture an image of the irradiation range Q1-Q6 of the infrared light emitted from the light emitting device 1 with the imaging device 2. The vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 determines the presence or absence of an abnormality (presence or absence of a suspicious person) around the vehicle 8 with the control device 3 and notifies the outside of the vehicle 8 of the abnormality (presence of a suspicious person), thereby enabling stronger crime prevention measures for the vehicle 8 compared to the case where only a normal imaging device is used.

[0046] Furthermore, in the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1, the control device 3 determines the presence or absence of a suspicious person by intermittently operating the light emitting device 1 and the imaging device 2 when there is no person (occupant) inside the vehicle 8 and the illuminance around the vehicle 8 is equal to or lower than a predetermined lower limit. In other words, when there is a person (occupant) inside the vehicle 8, the possibility of the vehicle being broken into or stolen is low, so there is no high need for the control device 3 to determine the presence or absence of a suspicious person, and when the illuminance around the vehicle 8 is higher than the lower limit, there is no high need for the imaging device 2 to capture an image by emitting infrared light.

[0047] Therefore, when no person is present inside the vehicle 8 and the illuminance around the vehicle 8 is equal to or lower than a predetermined lower limit, the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 causes the control device 3 to determine the presence or absence of a suspicious person by intermittently operating the light emitting device 1 and the image capturing device 2, thereby enhancing crime prevention measures while reducing wasteful consumption of the battery mounted on the vehicle 8. However, in order to enhance crime prevention measures for the vehicle 8, when the ambient illuminance around the vehicle 8 is higher than the lower limit, for example, when the vehicle 8 is parked outdoors during the day, it is preferable to monitor the periphery of the vehicle 8 using a normal image capturing device capable of capturing images with visible light.

[0048] Incidentally, in the vehicle surroundings monitoring system A1, the control device 3 selectively switches between an intermittent operation mode in which the light emitting device 1 and the imaging device 2 are operated intermittently and a continuous operation mode in which the light emitting device 1 and the imaging device 2 are operated continuously, depending on the detection result of the detection device mounted on the vehicle 8. The detection device is, for example, a pressure sensor provided on the seat to determine whether or not a seat belt is required. However, the detection device is not limited to a pressure sensor provided on the seat.

[0049] Therefore, the vehicle surroundings monitoring system A1 causes the control device 3 to selectively switch between an intermittent operation mode and a continuous operation mode depending on the detection results of the detection device, thereby further reducing wasteful consumption of the battery installed in the vehicle 8.

[0050] Furthermore, when there is no person inside the vehicle 8 and the illuminance around the vehicle 8 is equal to or lower than a predetermined lower limit, the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 continuously operates the light emitting device 1 and the image capturing device 2 to cause the control device 3 to determine the presence or absence of a suspicious person. Therefore, the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 can further strengthen crime prevention measures for the vehicle 8 parked in a dark place such as a parking lot at night with little outdoor lighting.

[0051] Furthermore, the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 causes the control device 3 to sound a horn 91 mounted on the vehicle 8 or to emit light (such as lighting or blinking) from one or more external lighting devices 92 mounted on the vehicle 8, thereby alerting the outside of the vehicle 8 of the presence of a suspicious person. Therefore, the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 can alert the owner of the vehicle 8 who is likely to be near the vehicle 8 of the occurrence of an abnormality (the presence of a suspicious person), for example, when the vehicle 8 is parked in a parking lot at home. As a result, the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 can further strengthen crime prevention measures for the parked vehicle 8.

[0052] In addition, the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 causes the control device 3 to notify the outside of the vehicle 8 of the presence of a suspicious person by the communication device 93 mounted on the vehicle 8, so that the presence of a suspicious person can be notified to, for example, a server of a company that provides telematics services. As a result, the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 can further strengthen crime prevention measures for the parked vehicle 8.

[0053] Here, the vehicle surroundings monitoring system A1 causes the control device 3 to start controlling the light-emitting device 1 and the imaging device 2 when all occupants have disembarked from the vehicle 8 and all doors 81 have been locked, thereby enabling further strengthening of crime prevention measures when the vehicle 8 is parked for a relatively long time.

[0054] (3) Modifications of the Vehicle Surroundings Monitoring System According to the Embodiment Next, a modified example of the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 will be described. The modified vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 is characterized by the control device 3, and the configuration other than the control device 3 is common to the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 according to the embodiment. Therefore, the configuration common to the vehicle periphery monitoring system A1 according to the embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be illustrated or described as appropriate.

[0055] The control device 3 in the modified example has a drive circuit 31 that drives the light emitting device 1, and an ECU 30 that executes a plurality of types of processing including control of the drive circuit 31 and the imaging device 2 and image analysis (see FIG. 6). That is, the control device 3 in the modified example can reduce manufacturing costs and simplify the system configuration by configuring the drive circuit 31 and the ECU 30 as a single device. Note that the ECU 30 of the control device 3 in the modified example may also be used as the ECU 90 mounted on the vehicle 8.

[0056] (4) Summary A vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes one or more light emitting devices (1), one or more image capturing devices (2), and a control device (3). The light emitting device (1) is provided on a vehicle (8) and irradiates infrared light around the vehicle (8). The image capturing device (2) is provided on the vehicle (8) and captures an image of an irradiation range (Q1-Q6) in which the light emitting device (1) irradiates infrared light. The control device (3) controls the light emitting device (1) and the image capturing device (2). The control device (3) analyzes an image of the irradiation range (Q1-Q6) captured by the image capturing device (2) to determine the presence or absence of a suspicious person, and issues a warning to the outside of the vehicle (8) when it is determined that at least a suspicious person is present.

[0057] The vehicle surroundings monitoring system (A1) according to the first aspect can strengthen crime prevention measures for the vehicle (8).

[0058] A vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to a second aspect of the present disclosure can be realized by combining with the first aspect. In the vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to the second aspect, it is preferable that the control device (3) determines the presence or absence of a suspicious person by intermittently operating the light emitting device (1) and the image capturing device (2) when there is no person in the vehicle (8) and the illuminance around the vehicle (8) is equal to or lower than a predetermined lower limit.

[0059] The vehicle surroundings monitoring system (A1) according to the second aspect can suppress wasteful consumption of the battery mounted on the vehicle (8) while enhancing crime prevention measures.

[0060] A vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to a third aspect of the present disclosure can be realized by combining with the second aspect. In the vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to the third aspect, it is preferable that the control device (3) selectively switches between an intermittent operation mode in which the light emitting device (1) and the imaging device (2) are intermittently operated and a continuous operation mode in which the light emitting device (1) and the imaging device (2) are continuously operated, according to a detection result of a detection device mounted on the vehicle (8).

[0061] The vehicle surroundings monitoring system (A1) according to the third aspect can further reduce wasteful consumption of the battery mounted on the vehicle (8).

[0062] A vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure can be realized by combining with the first aspect. In the vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to the fourth aspect, it is preferable that the control device (3) continuously operates the light emitting device (1) and the image capturing device (2) to determine the presence or absence of a suspicious person when there is no person in the vehicle (8) and the illuminance around the vehicle (8) is equal to or lower than a predetermined lower limit.

[0063] The vehicle surroundings monitoring system (A1) according to the fourth aspect can further strengthen crime prevention measures for a vehicle (8) parked in a dark place such as a parking lot at night with poor outdoor lighting.

[0064] A vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure can be realized by combining with any one of the first to fourth aspects. In the vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to the fifth aspect, it is preferable that the control device (3) notifies the presence of a suspicious person outside the vehicle (8) by sounding a horn (91) mounted on the vehicle (8) or emitting light from one or more external lighting devices (92) mounted on the vehicle (8).

[0065] The vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to the fifth aspect can notify the owner of the vehicle (8) who is likely to be near the vehicle (8) of the occurrence of an abnormality (presence of a suspicious person), for example, when the vehicle (8) is parked in a parking lot at home. As a result, the vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to the fifth aspect can further strengthen crime prevention measures for the parked vehicle (8).

[0066] A vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure can be realized by combining with any one of the first to fifth aspects. In the vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to the sixth aspect, it is preferable that the control device (3) notifies the presence of a suspicious person to the outside of the vehicle (8) by a communication device (93) mounted on the vehicle (8).

[0067] The vehicle surroundings monitoring system (A1) according to the sixth aspect can, for example, notify the server of a telematics service provider of the presence of a suspicious person, thereby further strengthening crime prevention measures for parked vehicles (8).

[0068] A vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure can be realized by combining with any one of the first to sixth aspects. In the vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to the seventh aspect, the control device (3) preferably has a drive circuit (31) that drives the light emitting device (1), and an ECU (30) that controls the drive circuit (31) and the imaging device (2) and executes a plurality of types of processing including image analysis.

[0069] The vehicle surroundings monitoring system (A1) according to the seventh aspect can reduce manufacturing costs and simplify the system configuration by configuring the drive circuit (31) and the ECU (30) as one device.

[0070] A vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure can be realized by combining with any one of the first to seventh aspects. In the vehicle periphery monitoring system (A1) according to the eighth aspect, it is preferable that the control device (3) starts controlling the light emitting device (1) and the image capturing device (2) when all occupants have exited the vehicle (8) and all doors (81) have been locked.

[0071] The vehicle surroundings monitoring system (A1) according to the eighth aspect can further strengthen crime prevention measures when the vehicle (8) is parked for a relatively long time.

[0072] A device according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure is used in the vehicle surroundings monitoring system (A1) according to any one of the first to eighth aspects. The device according to the ninth aspect includes at least one of a light emitting device (1), an imaging device (2), and a control device (3).

[0073] The device according to the ninth aspect can be used in the vehicle surroundings monitoring system (A1) according to the first to eighth aspects to strengthen crime prevention measures for the vehicle (8). [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] A1 Vehicle Surroundings Monitoring System 1 Light emitting device 2. Imaging device 3. Control device 8. Vehicles 30 ECU 31 Drive circuit 81 Door 91 Horn 92 Exterior lighting equipment 93 Communication Equipment Q1-Q6 Irradiation range

Claims

1. One or more light emitting devices provided in a vehicle and configured to irradiate an area around the vehicle with infrared light; one or more imaging devices provided in the vehicle for imaging an illumination range into which the light emitting device irradiates the infrared light; a control device that controls the light emitting device and the imaging device; Equipped with The control device analyzes the image of the illumination range captured by the imaging device to determine whether or not there is a suspicious person, and when it is determined that at least the suspicious person is present, notifies the outside of the vehicle. Vehicle surroundings monitoring system.

2. the control device, when there is no person in the vehicle and the illuminance around the vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined lower limit, intermittently operates the light emitting device and the image capturing device to determine whether or not there is a suspicious person. The vehicle surroundings monitoring system according to claim 1.

3. The control device selectively switches between an intermittent operation mode in which the light emitting device and the imaging device are operated intermittently and a continuous operation mode in which the light emitting device and the imaging device are operated continuously, depending on a detection result of a detection device mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle surroundings monitoring system according to claim 2.

4. the control device continuously operates the light emitting device and the image capturing device when no person is present in the vehicle and the illuminance around the vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined lower limit value to determine whether or not the suspicious person is present. The vehicle surroundings monitoring system according to claim 1.

5. The control device notifies the outside of the vehicle of the presence of the suspicious person by sounding a horn mounted on the vehicle or illuminating one or more external lighting devices mounted on the vehicle. A vehicle surroundings monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The control device notifies the presence of the suspicious person to the outside of the vehicle by a communication device mounted in the vehicle. A vehicle surroundings monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The control device includes a drive circuit that drives the light emitting device, and an ECU that controls the drive circuit and the imaging device and executes a plurality of types of processing including analysis of the image. having A vehicle surroundings monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. the control device starts controlling the light emitting device and the imaging device when all passengers have exited the vehicle and all doors have been locked. A vehicle surroundings monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. The vehicle surroundings monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, At least one of the light emitting device, the imaging device, and the control device, device.

Images