Drive recorder, display device for drive recorder, and program

Abstract

To provide a drive recorder having a large photographable range and a small dead angle, a display device for the drive recorder, and a program.SOLUTION: A drive recorder 10 comprises: a body case 13 for mounting a control unit and sound recording means; and a first camera 26 and a second camera 27 for photographing a range of a half-celestial sphere or more. The two cameras are mounted in a casing 25 so as to photograph opposite directions respectively. In a state where the body case 13 in which the control unit and the like are mounted is adhered and fixed on a windshield, the dashboard and a pillar of the vehicle appear in the peripheries of images photographed respectively by the two cameras.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to, for example, a drive recorder, a display device for a drive recorder, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a drive recorder that is attached adjacent to a room mirror fixed to the upper part of the windshield in the passenger compartment of a vehicle such as an automobile. In this drive recorder, an in-vehicle monitoring camera is provided in the third case body, and a forward monitoring camera is provided in the first case body.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, the explanation of drive recorders is, for example, in paragraph

[0002] , that "an image of the vehicle and the surrounding environment from the driver's field of vision is captured, and the captured image data is stored in a temporary storage memory.", and, for example, in paragraph

[0006] , that "instead of recording only for a specified period of time around the time of a vehicle accident, some drive recorders capture images of the surrounding environment at all times and record the captured image data." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2013-225179 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The drive recorder disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a relatively narrow angle of view and captures a certain range in front of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 8 of Patent Document 1, which shows a vehicle ahead as an example of an image captured by the forward monitoring camera. Paragraph

[0077] of Patent Document 1 indicates that the in-vehicle monitoring camera is configured with a lens with a narrower angle of view than the forward monitoring camera. In this way, the conventional drive recorder has a narrow range of capture and the range of recorded images is insufficient.

[0006] Furthermore, the object of the present invention is not limited to this, but is to obtain an effect from the configuration disclosed in the present specification and drawings. For example, the present specification discloses a problem in which the phrase "can be" is read as "is a problem." It is also an object of the present invention to solve this problem. The applicant intends to include a part of the configuration described in the present specification in the claims by amending or filing a divisional application. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The driving recorder is provided with an imaging means for capturing an image of a range wider than a hemisphere and an attachment means for attaching the imaging means to the vehicle so that a part of the range captured by the imaging means is the forward range of the vehicle. Since the driving recorder can capture an image of a range wider than a hemisphere, the imaging range is wider than that of the conventional driving recorder. The attachment means has a function of attaching the driving recorder to the vehicle and fixing the imaging direction of the imaging means. Since the driving recorder captures an image of a range wider than a hemisphere including the forward range of the vehicle, the imaging range is wider when an accident occurs, and in addition to a collision in front of the vehicle, a collision in another direction can be captured, and blind spots are reduced. The range wider than a hemisphere is preferably a continuous space. Since the driving recorder captures an image of a range wider than a hemisphere including the forward range, when the driving recorder is attached to a predetermined position in the vehicle cabin by the attachment means, the driving recorder becomes a device for outputting or recording images captured inside and outside the vehicle from inside the vehicle cabin.

[0008] (2) The photographing means includes a plurality of cameras, one of which captures a hemisphere or It is preferable that the imaging area of ​​the camera is different from that of the camera that captures a range of a hemisphere or more, and the other camera is a camera that captures a range narrower than a hemisphere, and the imaging areas of the two cameras have different areas. The imaging areas may overlap in part, but by making it possible to capture different parts, it is possible to capture an area that cannot be covered by the imaging area of ​​the camera that captures a range of a hemisphere or more with the other camera. If the imaging areas have different areas, the imaging areas may include overlapping parts, or the imaging areas may not overlap, but it is more preferable to include overlapping parts. Since the resolution of a camera that captures a range of a hemisphere or more becomes lower as it approaches the periphery, for example, if a part of the imaging area of ​​the periphery where the resolution is lower is overlapped with the imaging area of ​​the camera that captures a range narrower than a hemisphere, it is preferable because it is possible to capture a clear image based on the camera that captures a range narrower than a hemisphere. In the embodiment, this drive recorder corresponds to a drive recorder equipped with a third camera and a fourth camera. The camera that captures a range of a hemisphere or more corresponds to the third camera, and the camera that captures a range narrower than a hemisphere corresponds to the fourth camera.

[0009] Also, for example, when the camera is attached to a predetermined position on the vehicle by the mounting means, one camera that captures a range of a hemisphere or more captures the downward direction, and another camera captures the front of the vehicle, the one camera can be used to monitor the entire 360-degree surroundings of the horizontal plane of the vehicle, and the other camera can function as a normal drive recorder. For example, if one camera captures the range of a hemisphere with a viewing angle of 180 degrees all around, the surroundings can be captured efficiently and beautifully. If the viewing angle is more than 180 degrees, unnecessary scenery such as the ceiling of the vehicle will be captured, and the captured image will be smaller and the resolution will decrease, but if the viewing angle is 180 degrees, this problem will not occur. On the other hand, if the viewing angle is 180 degrees, objects diagonally above, such as traffic lights in front, cannot be captured, but this is good because another camera that captures the front can be used to capture the front.

[0010] (3) The photographing means may include one camera that photographs a range wider than the hemisphere including the lower hemisphere when attached to the vehicle by the mounting means. In this way, it is possible to photograph the vehicle in all directions, including the front, rear, left and right, so that it is possible to photograph, for example, objects approaching the vehicle from all directions around the vehicle. Since a range wider than the hemisphere is photographed, the space of the photographing means diagonally above, for example, also becomes the photographing area. Therefore, for example, when photographing the front of the vehicle, it is possible to clearly photograph the preceding vehicle and traffic lights.

[0011] By utilizing the function of recording in all directions, for example, if a vehicle is hit from the side or rear while driving, the situation is more likely to be recorded, and there are fewer blind spots compared to conventional drive recorders. Also, when operating while parking, for example, it is good for effective security monitoring.

[0012] A range wider than the 180-degree hemisphere, for example, a range from 220 degrees to 260 degrees, is preferable because traffic signals can be photographed and the color of the traffic signal can be confirmed. A range from 230 degrees to 240 degrees is more preferable because traffic signals can be photographed so that the color of the signal can be confirmed more reliably and the image can also be captured without reducing the resolution of the vehicle ahead of the vehicle and other scenery.

[0013] (4) The photographing means is provided with two cameras that photograph a range of a hemisphere or more, the two cameras photographing in opposite directions, and when the two cameras are mounted inside the vehicle cabin by the mounting means, the dashboard and pillars of the vehicle are reflected on the periphery of the images captured by the two cameras.

[0014] In this way, a single drive recorder can capture 720-degree (360-degree horizontal + 360-degree vertical) omnidirectional video. Conventional drive recorders can only capture a certain range in front of the vehicle, leaving the sides and rear as blind spots, and the situation in the event of an emergency cannot be recorded in the video. However, by capturing images in all directions, there are no blind spots. The two cameras correspond to the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 in this embodiment.

[0015] When the drive recorder is installed in the vehicle, one of the two cameras mainly captures the area in front of the drive recorder, and the other camera mainly captures the area behind the drive recorder. Since the dashboard and pillars are captured on the periphery of the images captured by the two cameras, the drive recorder is attached forward of the driver by the mounting means. One camera captures the forward direction in the direction of travel, and the other camera captures the rear and interior of the vehicle, so the center of the images captured by each camera captures the forward scenery and the driver, etc. inside the vehicle. When the periphery of each image captured by the two cameras is connected to capture a full sphere (a continuous image of 360 degrees in all directions), the joint / boundary part between the front and rear sides can be positioned next to the driver, and the joint part does not come to the center of the image capturing the forward scenery or the interior of the vehicle, making it difficult to see. The central area captured by each camera has a higher resolution than the peripheral areas, and this high-resolution area is advantageous because it can capture the vehicle ahead, the scenery in the center of the front, and the driver and passengers inside the vehicle. The forward scenery that functions as a drive recorder can be captured with the image from only one of the cameras.

[0016] In addition, in the above example, the dashboard and pillars are reflected in the seams, but by fixing the seams in a specific position, for example, it would be possible to make that specific position less visible and make other parts more visible.

[0017] Also, for example, the housing that houses the imaging means and the main body case that houses the processing circuit that executes various processes and the various sensors, etc., can be constructed from separate members, and the two can be connected by an angle adjustment mechanism that rotates around a horizontal axis to allow for forward and backward swinging, but does not rotate around a vertical axis, preventing sideways swinging.

[0018] (5) The photographing means may include two cameras photographing a range of a hemisphere or more, the two cameras photographing in opposite directions, the two cameras are adapted to connect the edges of the images photographed by each camera to compose a single image, and the photographing means may include a means for making the joints between the peripheral areas photographed by the two cameras less noticeable.

[0019] When two images are stitched together to create a single spherical image, a portion of that whole image is cut out and displayed, and the cut-out area is then moved, the cut-out area may contain a seam. Since a method is provided to make the seam inconspicuous, the seam becomes inconspicuous and the entire spherical image is seamlessly connected.

[0020] The means for making it less noticeable is, for example, a brightness adjustment means for photographing, and the brightness adjustment means may be, for example, such that the two cameras photograph with the same brightness. The same brightness may be achieved by, for example, making the exposure conditions controlled by the exposure control function the same. Usually, when the two cameras are each equipped with an exposure control function, the light is measured by each camera, and the image is photographed with appropriate exposure conditions according to the result of the light measurement. In this case, for example, when one camera mainly photographs the scenery outside the vehicle, the subject is bright, and when the other camera mainly photographs the interior of the vehicle, the subject is dark, so that the image is photographed with different brightness when the optimal exposure conditions are set based on the respective light measurement results. When photographed in this way, the difference in brightness at the joint portion is noticeable, and an incongruity occurs. When the brightness adjustment means controls the two cameras to photograph with the same brightness, an incongruity does not occur at the joint portion, which is good.

[0021] When two cameras are used to capture images with the same brightness and the edges of the images are joined together to create a single image, the seam is not noticeable. For example, the camera controls the image capture so that both the bright scenery outside and the relatively dark interior of the car are captured clearly. For example, if the brightness is different when the image changes from the camera shooting the front to the camera shooting the rear, the transition will be noticeable and create a sense of incongruity. It is good to record the dark and difficult-to-see interior of a car as it is, so that the image can be reproduced exactly as it was seen.

[0022] When making the whole image uniform in brightness, for example, it is preferable to perform the metering based on the photometry results of one camera that shoots the front, since the front scenery can be clearly captured, but it is more preferable to perform the metering based on the photometry results of the other camera that shoots the rear, since it prevents the interior of the vehicle from becoming pitch black and difficult to see. In addition, the photometry of each camera is performed based on center-weighted metering, since the image you want to see is in the center of the image, and furthermore, since the dashboard, floor, seats, etc. are captured in the lower part of the image, it is preferable to perform the metering with emphasis on the center, especially the upper area. Furthermore, it is preferable to perform split metering on the entire two images, including the joints, since the entire image can be captured without being too dark or overexposed. It is also preferable to extract the moving part, perform spot metering on that part, and adjust the brightness based on the metering results. For example, the pillars and dashboard are not moving, but the outside scenery and the people in the vehicle are moving. Therefore, by metering the moving part, it is possible to capture the part you want to see in an easy-to-see manner.

[0023] The brightness adjustment means may be the same for the whole screen, or may be adjusted separately for the central part and the brightness of the peripheral part may be the same. In that case, since the individually adjusted brightness of the central part may differ from the brightness of the peripheral part, it is preferable to apply a correction such as gradation to the intermediate part between the central part and the peripheral part. If the whole screen is shot with the same brightness, it is easier to control on the shooting means / camera side, and it is also easier to process the two shot images together, so this is more preferable.

[0024] (6) The photographing means may include two cameras that photograph a range of a hemisphere or more, and the two cameras may be positioned so that the areas photographed by the two cameras overlap at their peripheral portions. When the cameras are attached to the vehicle by the mounting means, the overlapping area may photograph a predetermined position within the vehicle cabin.

[0025] An object that exists in the overlapping area is captured by each of the two cameras. When the images from the two cameras are stitched together, the same object may be split into two and displayed in different positions, but if the overlapping area is located near a specific position in the vehicle, even if the object is hidden in that specific position and not captured in the first place, or if it is captured and displayed in a different position, the specific position in the vehicle will stand out, making it less noticeable that the object is split into two and creating no sense of incongruity.

[0026] (7) The predetermined position may be at least one of the pillar and the dashboard of the vehicle. The distance between the pillar and the dashboard and the camera installed inside the vehicle is about 1 to 3 m, which is relatively close compared to objects outside the vehicle, and there is little misalignment when the images from the two cameras are connected, so even if there is a misalignment, it is not noticeable. In addition, the dashboard is generally the same color, and is often dark overall, so even if there is a misalignment, it is not noticeable. In addition, the dashboard and the pillar are not originally something to pay attention to, so it is not noticeable even if there is a misalignment. Furthermore, although a person or other object outside the vehicle is located behind the pillar, it is also good because the misalignment is not noticeable because it is partially or completely hidden by the pillar.

[0027] (8) The two cameras are adapted to capture an image of a range of at least a hemisphere, the two cameras are mounted in a single housing, the outer shape of the housing is spherical, and the lenses of the two cameras are arranged so as to be exposed on diametrically opposite surfaces of the sphere.

[0028] The camera is mounted in a spherical case, giving the impression that it is a camera that can capture the entire celestial sphere. It is good because it is easy to mount. The lens is exposed and protrudes from the surface of the sphere, so it is good because the body is less likely to be reflected in the camera, even if the camera shoots an area of ​​more than a half sphere. Making it a sphere makes it look smaller, which is good because it gives it the feel of a spherical dashcam.

[0029] (9) It is preferable that the main body case is provided with a control unit, and the housing with the two cameras mounted thereon is disposed below the main body case when attached by the mounting means, and the main body case is provided with a shape that makes it difficult for the main body case to be reflected in the camera. Since the main body case is unlikely to be reflected in the image captured by the camera, it is possible to make it easier to see the scenery outside the vehicle and the interior of the vehicle. The shape that makes it difficult for the main body case to be reflected is preferably a shape that minimizes the area present in the camera's shooting range, for example, by taking a predetermined corner of the main body case to form a tapered surface, by making the dimensions and shape of the main body case as small as possible, or by making the main body case into a shape close to a cone since the blind spot of the camera is conical.

[0030] (10) The device may include a main body case that implements a control unit and a sound recording means, and the housing that implements the two cameras may be disposed separately from the main body case, and a switch may be provided on the housing. The sound recording means, for example, collects surrounding sounds, and, for example, collects and records sounds such as sounds of collisions, sounds associated with braking, and the voices of drivers and passengers when an accident occurs. This is useful, for example, for analyzing an accident after the accident occurs. When the switch is operated, the operation sound reverberates in the housing, and if it is recorded as it is and played back later, it may be annoying to analyze the accident, but since the sound recording means is implemented in a main body case separate from the housing, even the reverberated operation sound does not reach the main body case, and the operation sound is not recorded, which is good. In the embodiment, the sound recording means corresponds to, for example, a microphone. The switch may, for example, be a device that gives an instruction to record information based on an image captured by a camera when the switch is operated.

[0031] (11) With a main body case that implements a control unit and a sound recording means, and in a state where the device is mounted inside the vehicle cabin by the mounting means, the housing that implements the two cameras is preferably located below the main body case, and a switch is provided on the underside of the housing. The housing is disposed below the main body case, and a switch is disposed on the underside of the housing. The switch is located near the driver and is easy to press. Furthermore, if the housing is made spherical as in (8) above, the switch can be pressed while holding the sphere from above and below, making it easy to press and less force being applied to the main body case.

[0032] (12) The housing is rotatably attached via a connecting mechanism to the underside of the main body case when mounted inside the vehicle cabin by the mounting means, and the connecting mechanism allows rotation in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle when mounted, but prevents left-right swiveling.

[0033] (13) It would be good to have a display device for a drive recorder that has the function of displaying images captured by two cameras on one screen in a connected state. For example, by widening the angle of view and displaying them in the opposite direction, the inside of the car with the driver and passengers is displayed in the center, while the outside scenery on the left and right is displayed in a flowing manner on the periphery, and there is a virtual viewpoint outside the car, and the car is displayed as if it is transparent and seen from a distance, allowing you to see novel scenery that humans cannot see, which is interesting and good.

[0034] (14) It is preferable that the display device for a drive recorder has a function of displaying images captured by two cameras in a linked state, a function of changing the viewpoint, and a function of displaying a reference screen with a one-touch operation.

[0035] When you change your viewpoint, you can quickly return to the standard screen no matter what the orientation is. For example, if a part of a spherical screen is cut out and the cut-out position is moved or the size is changed, it may become difficult to know which direction the user is facing. However, even if such a situation occurs, the situation can be understood by returning to the reference screen once. In addition, even if the direction currently being viewed is known, it is preferable that the user can return to the original reference screen in one go. The reference screen may be, for example, the front or the driver (not directly behind, but diagonally behind), and in the embodiment, may be a specific screen such as the front, rear, left or right, or a bookmark registered during playback.

[0036] (15) It is preferable that the display device for a drive recorder has a masking function that makes a predetermined part of the image captured by each of the two cameras less visible than the other normally displayed parts. In this way, for example, by making at least the part where the driver's face is displayed less visible, it is possible to meet the request that the driver himself does not want to be photographed or is embarrassed. Making it less visible can be, for example, by making it less visible clearly, by covering it with a masking material to make it completely invisible, by mosaic processing, or by displaying it lightly. The area to be masked can be specified automatically or manually. For automatic setting, for example, it is preferable to recognize a specific location such as the driver's seat or a registered person (self, family, etc.) and set the part including the person's face.

[0037] (16) It is preferable that the display device for a drive recorder has a main display section and a sub-display section, and has a function of displaying different images on each display section. This is preferable because different images can be viewed simultaneously. For example, it is preferable to display the view ahead on the main display section and the situation inside the vehicle cabin on the sub-display section, since the state when the view is viewed can be understood in relation to each other. Also, while the vehicle is parked, a circular or panoramic image of a 360-degree horizontal area is displayed on the main display section, and when the approach of a person is detected, an enlarged image of the person is displayed on the main display section, and the whole image is continuously displayed on the sub-display section. In the event of a collision, it is preferable to display an image in the direction of the impact on the main display section, and an outside view in a different direction or the situation of the driver and passengers inside the vehicle cabin on the sub-display section, since this allows for more accurate analysis of the accident. It is preferable to have a function of switching between the main display section and the sub-display section depending on the driving situation and circumstances. In this way, it is preferable that the necessary images are played back depending on the driving situation, for example.

[0038] (17) It is preferable to provide a display device for a drive recorder with a function to display a specific direction at a specific position on the screen. For example, since a specific direction is displayed at a specific position on the screen, the user can recognize and understand the monkey image being played back in relation to the direction when looking at the screen. For example, if the specific direction is "north" and the specific position is "top of the screen," the user can intuitively understand it by comparing it with a map.

[0039] (18) It is preferable that the display device for the drive recorder has an editing and playback function that automatically skips unnecessary images and plays back the images, instead of playing back the images taken by the two cameras in chronological order as they are. For example, images that are uninteresting or that the user does not want to see are not played continuously, and interesting images are played back, which is preferable when a user wants to view the images that were taken later.

[0040] The above-mentioned display devices for the drive recorder include, for example, a viewer implemented in a computer, a display device connected to or implemented in the drive recorder, a display device of an in-vehicle device linked to the drive recorder, etc. The in-vehicle device includes, for example, a car navigation device.

[0041] (19) It is preferable that the present invention be a program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the display device for a drive recorder according to any one of (13) to (18).

[0042] (20) The drive recorder according to any one of (4) to (12) may be a drive recorder having the function of the display device for a drive recorder according to any one of (13) to (17).

[0043] The above-mentioned inventions (1) to (12) and (20) can be arbitrarily combined. For example, the invention may not have all or a part of (1) but may have at least one of the other configurations (2) to (12) and (20). However, it is particularly preferable to have all or a part of the configuration (1) and combine it with at least one of the configurations (2) to (12) and (20). Any component may be extracted from at least one of (1) to (12) and (20) and combined. The inventions (13) to (18) can be arbitrarily combined. Any component may be extracted from at least one of (13) to (18) and combined. The applicant intends to obtain patent rights, design rights, etc. for such configurations by filing amendments, divisional applications, conversion applications to design registration applications, etc. Effect of the Invention

[0044] According to the present invention, the range of photography can be expanded more than ever before, which is advantageous. In addition, it is possible to provide products that have the effects described as "can be achieved" in this specification, such as products described in this specification. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0045] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a drive recorder according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating a procedure for mounting the drive recorder on the windshield. [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B are perspective views showing a part of a main body case of the drive recorder, and FIG. 1C is a bottom view of the drive recorder. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the drive recorder of the present embodiment with a portion of the main body case omitted. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a lens portion. [Figure 6] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing a state in which a drive recorder is attached to a vehicle. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the drive recorder with part of the main body case, the housing, the circuit board, etc. omitted. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the field of view, angle of view, etc. of a camera unit. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a blinking state of a lamp in a switch section. [Figure 10] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating images captured by a first camera and a second camera. [Figure 11] FIG. 1A is a diagram for explaining an example of a display of a captured image, and FIG. 1B is a diagram for explaining an exposure control function. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the functions of a PC viewer. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the functions of a PC viewer. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the functions of a PC viewer. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the functions of a PC viewer. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the functions of a PC viewer. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the functions of a PC viewer. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the functions of a PC viewer. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the functions of a PC viewer. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the functions of a PC viewer. [Figure 21] FIG. 1 is a six-view diagram showing an example of a drive recorder. [Figure 22] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a drive recorder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0046] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations and shapes of the devices described are merely illustrative examples, and the present invention should not be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes, modifications, and improvements may be made based on the knowledge of a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0047] 1 to 8, 21, 22, etc. show external views of a preferred embodiment of a drive recorder according to the present invention. The drive recorder 10 of this embodiment has a function of recording and outputting a 360-degree omnidirectional image obtained by capturing images in all directions of 360 degrees on a horizontal plane and 360 degrees on a vertical plane. The drive recorder 10 has a main body unit 11 that executes various processes, and a camera unit 12 that is disposed below the main body unit 11 when the drive recorder 10 is installed in a vehicle.

[0048] The main body 11 has a flat rectangular main body case 13, and various circuit boards and devices are mounted inside the main body case 13. The main body case 13 is formed by connecting a first case 14 and a second case 15. The first case 14 and the second case 15 are box-shaped with their opposing faces open, and are connected by a connecting means with their tip faces butted against each other. The connecting means may, for example, be comprised of a protrusion provided on one of the first case 14 and the second case 15, and a recess provided on the other case that links with the protrusion, and the protrusion and the recess may be fitted together.

[0049] The first case 14 has a shallow bottom, an opening surface of a substantially rectangular shape with four rounded corners, and an almost uniform depth over the entire surface. When the drive recorder 10 is installed in the vehicle, the first case 14 is located at the front of the vehicle. Therefore, the surface of the first case 14 opposite the opening surface becomes the front surface 13a of the main body case 13. A joint rail 16 is provided on this front surface 13a. Two joint rails 16 are provided at the top and bottom of the first case 14 at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction of the first case 14. A bracket 17 is detachably attached between the two joint rails 16.

[0050] The second case 15 is a box-like shape that is deeper than the first case 14, and the periphery of the opening surface is a substantially rectangular shape with four rounded corners, similar to the first case 14. When the drive recorder 10 is installed in the vehicle, the second case 15 is located at the rear side of the vehicle. Therefore, the surface opposite the opening surface of the second case 15 becomes the rear surface 13b of the main case 13. The rear surface 13b has a flat surface 13b' adjacent to one of a pair of rectangular long sides, which is a plane parallel to the front surface 13a of the main case 13, and a sloped surface 13b'' adjacent to the other of the pair of long sides. The sloped surface 13b'' is formed so as to gradually approach the opening surface of the second case 15 from the middle side of the short side toward the outer long side. Therefore, the depth of second case 15 is uniform in a first region including flat surface 13b', and gradually becomes shallower toward the long side in a second region including inclined surface 13b". By providing inclined surface 13b", the external shape of main case 13 is like a rectangular parallelepiped with one long side chamfered. The one long side to be chamfered is at the upper and rear when drive recorder 10 is installed in the vehicle. When first case 14 and second case 15 are connected, front surface 13a on the first case 14 side and flat surface 13b' on the second case 15 side are parallel to each other.

[0051] Bracket 17 has flat plate 17a, and grooves 17b are formed along the longitudinal direction on a pair of long side surfaces of the plate 17a. The grooves 17b are configured to mate with the joint rails 16. The user fits the grooves 17b into the joint rails 16 and slides bracket 17 and main case 13 relative to one another to attach or detach bracket 17 to or from main case 13 (see FIG. 2, etc.).

[0052] When the bracket 17 is attached to the main case 13, the plate 17a has a protrusion 17c on a surface thereof that faces the main case 13 (see FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) and the like). 17c is a bracket 17 that is attached to the first case 14 when the bracket 17 is attached between the joint rails 16. The bracket 17 is fitted into a hole 14b provided in the leaf spring portion 14a to prevent it from coming off. An adhesive member such as a double-sided tape 19 is attached to the surface of the bracket 17 opposite to the surface facing the main body case 13. When mounting the drive recorder 10 to a vehicle, the bracket 17 is removed from the main body case 13, and the removed bracket 17 is attached and fixed to the windshield 2 of the vehicle via the double-sided tape 19 (see FIG. 2(b) and the like). At this time, the bracket 17 is in a horizontal state, with a pair of long sides horizontal. By mounting the main body case 13 to the bracket 17 attached to the windshield 2 in this state (see FIG. 2(c) and the like), the drive recorder 10 is mounted and fixed at a predetermined position on the vehicle. In this mounted state, the front surface 13a and the flat surface 13b′ of the main body case 13 are arranged parallel to the mounting surface of the windshield 2, the long sides of the main body case 13 are located in a horizontal plane, and the side surfaces on the short sides of the main body case 13 are located in a vertical plane. Therefore, main body case 13 is fixed in a landscape orientation by being attached to windshield 2, and camera unit 12 is disposed in a state of being suspended from the bottom side of main body case 13.

[0053] As shown in Figures 1(a), 3, etc., a cutout window 14c is formed on one short side of the first case 14, and a cover member 20 is attached to cover the cutout window 14c. The cover member 20 is arranged so as to close the cutout window 14c, and is fastened and fixed with screws 21. When the cover member 20 is removed, a memory card slot 22 mounted in the main case 13 is exposed through the cutout window 14c. A memory card 23 is removably attached to the memory card slot 22.

[0054] A window hole 13c is provided on the side opposite to the side where the notched window portion 14c is provided, which opens so as to straddle the second case 15 of the first case 14, and a DC jack 24 is disposed at the back of the window hole 13c. A connector provided at one end of a power cable is attached to this DC jack 24 to receive power supply from the outside. The power supply from the outside is provided, for example, from a battery of the vehicle. For example, the other end of the power cable attached to the DC jack 24 is attached to a cigarette lighter socket of the vehicle or directly connected to the power line of the battery of the vehicle. Also, a power supply device separate from the battery of the vehicle may be prepared, and the drive recorder may receive power supply from the power supply device. This power supply device is a device that can supply power from a built-in battery even when power is not supplied from the battery of the vehicle, such as when the vehicle is parked. The built-in battery may be, for example, a rechargeable battery, and when this power supply device is installed in a vehicle, the power supply device is disposed between the battery of the vehicle and the drive recorder in the power line. When power can be supplied from the vehicle battery, such as while the vehicle is running, power is supplied from the vehicle battery to the drive recorder 10 via the power supply device. In this state, the built-in battery of the power supply device receives power supply from the vehicle battery and charges. When the power supply from the vehicle battery is turned off, the drive recorder 10 operates by receiving power supply from the power supply device.

[0055] A hole 13d is provided at a predetermined position on inclined surface 13b" of first case 14. A microphone 18 is placed inside main case 13 near this hole 13d. The microphone 18 collects surrounding sounds. A plurality of holes 13e are provided at predetermined positions on flat surface 13b' of first case 14. A speaker 29 is placed inside main case 13 near this hole 13e.

[0056] Various processing circuits, power supply circuits, etc. are mounted inside the main body case 13. As shown in FIG. 4 etc., these processing circuits, power supply circuits, etc. are mounted on a main circuit board 40 and a sub-circuit board 41. The main circuit board 40 and the sub-circuit board 41 are mechanically integrated by mutually connecting connectors 42 attached to both boards, and the signal lines and power lines formed on each circuit board are connected. The main circuit board 40 and the sub-circuit board 41 are connected in a parallel, overlapping state, and are mounted inside the main body case 13 in this state. In this mounted state, the main The circuit board 40 is located on the second case 15 side, and the sub-circuit board 41 is located inside the first case 14. A GPS antenna unit 43 and a battery 44 are provided on the surface of the sub-circuit board 41 that does not face the main circuit board 40. The memory card slot 22 is mounted on the surface of the sub-circuit board 41 that faces the main circuit board 40. A CPU that handles various controls, the DC jack 24 described above, and a speaker 29 are mounted on the main circuit board 40. Although not shown, an acceleration sensor is also built into the main body case 13.

[0057] 5 and other figures, the camera unit 12 includes a housing 25, a first camera 26 and a second camera 27 mounted in the housing 25, and a switch unit 28. The housing 25 has a spherical overall shape and is configured by connecting a first camera case 30 and a second camera case 31, which are divided into two hemispherical parts, in a butt-to-button state. The first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31 may be fixed to each other by fitting, as in the case of fixing the first case 14 and the second case 15 described above, a protrusion 30a provided on one side, for example, the first camera case 30, with a recess 31a provided on the other side, for example, the second camera case 31.

[0058] The first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are arranged back to back, and are fixed and connected so that they take pictures in opposite directions to form a camera unit 35. The camera unit 35 is integrated by erecting a flat rectangular holder 36, fixing the first camera 26 to the front surface of the holder, and fixing the second camera 27 to the rear surface of the holder. The fixing is performed, for example, by screws.

[0059] The first camera 26 is configured by arranging a first lens unit 26b on a first circuit board 26a. An imaging element and a processing circuit for photographing are mounted on the first circuit board 26a. The second camera 27 is configured by arranging a second lens unit 27b on a second circuit board 27a. An imaging element and a processing circuit for photographing are mounted on the second circuit board 27a. The first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are used with the same specifications and performance. The same state and performance means, for example, the angle of view, the optical system from the tip lens to the imaging element, the sensor size of the imaging element, etc., are the same, and for example, when the same subject is photographed under the same photographing conditions such as exposure conditions, the photographed images will be the same. In this embodiment, there is no physical aperture, and the brightness of the photograph is adjusted by changing the shutter speed to change the exposure time.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 5 etc., when the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are attached to the holder 36, the optical axes L of the first lens portion 26b and the second lens portion 27b are set to be positioned on the same straight line. As a result, the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 take pictures in opposite directions. A circular window hole 30b is provided in the center of the first camera case 30, and a circular window hole 31b is provided in the center of the second camera case 31. When the camera unit 35 is mounted in the housing 25, the tip of the first lens portion 26b of the first camera 26 and the tip of the second lens portion 27b of the second camera 27 are located in the window holes 30b, 31b, respectively, and are exposed to the outside.

[0061] The housing 25 of the camera unit 12 is connected to the main body case 13 via an angle adjustment mechanism 50. The angle adjustment mechanism 50 rotates the housing 25 only around a rotation axis provided on the front side of the bottom surface of the main body case 13 along the long side, allowing for forward and backward swinging (see FIG. 6), but preventing sideways swinging, and is configured, for example, as follows. As shown in FIG. The housing 25 includes a first bearing piece 51 that protrudes upward from the first camera case 30, and a second bearing piece 52 that protrudes upward from the second camera case 31. The first bearing piece 51 includes a wall portion 51a that extends upward, and two first bearing portions 51b formed on the rear surface of the wall portion 51a so as to protrude backward. The second bearing piece 52 includes a wall portion 52a that faces the wall portion 51a of the first bearing piece 51, and second bearing portions 52b that are arranged on both the left and right sides of the wall portion 52a. The four bearing portions 51b, 52b have through holes of the same diameter, and when the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31 are connected, the four through holes are arranged concentrically.

[0062] The second case 15 of the main case 13 has a recess 15d at a predetermined position on the bottom surface. The recess 15d is formed in the center of the long side on the front side of the bottom surface of the second case 15, and has through holes 15e on a pair of inner surfaces perpendicular to the long side. The through holes 15e formed on the pair of inner surfaces are formed coaxially, and one of the inner diameters is larger than the shaft portion of the bolt 53 and smaller than the outer diameter of the nut 54 attached to the threaded portion of the bolt 53. A small chamber 55 for attaching the nut 54 is provided on the inside side of the second case 15 on the inner surface where the through hole 15e smaller than the outer diameter of the nut 54 is provided, and the nut is set in the small chamber. The inner diameter of the other through hole 15e is larger than the outer diameter of the head of the bolt 53. The other through hole 15e is connected to an opening 15g on the side surface 15f of the second case 15.

[0063] The bolt 53 is inserted from the opening 15g side with the threaded portion at the front with the first bearing piece 51 and the second bearing piece 52 inserted and arranged in the recess 15d, and the threaded portion of the bolt 53 is inserted into one of the through holes 15e with the shaft portion of the bolt 53 penetrating the first bearing portion 51b and the second bearing portion 52b, and positioned in the small chamber. The bolt 53 is turned using a fastening tool such as a hexagonal wrench to fasten the threaded portion and the nut. In this state, one side surface of the recess 15d is sandwiched between the nut and one of the second bearing portions 52b of the second bearing piece 52, preventing the bolt 53 and the housing 25 from coming off. When the bolt 53 is firmly fastened, the head of the bolt 53 biases the other second bearing portion 52b, preventing rotation. When the bolt 53 is loosened, the housing 25 rotates around the bolt 53 within a predetermined angle range.

[0064] Bolt 53 is disposed parallel to the long side of second case 15 and therefore main case 13. And since the long side of main case 13, which is affixed and fixed to windshield 2, is positioned on a horizontal plane, angle adjustment mechanism 50 consisting of bolt 53, first bearing piece 51, second bearing piece 52, etc., allows rotation around the horizontal axis but does not allow rotation around the vertical axis, and camera unit 12 is only allowed to swivel in the forward and backward directions.

[0065] When using the drive recorder 10, the housing 25 and the camera unit 12 are swung back and forth in a desired position while the drive recorder 10 is attached and fixed to the windshield 2 as described above, and the nuts are tightened to fix the orientation of the camera unit 12. The desired position is such that the first camera 26 faces forward, the second camera 27 faces backward, and the optical axis L of the first lens unit 26b and the second lens unit 27b is parallel to the traveling direction of the vehicle. In this position, as shown in FIG. 6(a) and other figures, the joint surface M of the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31 is located in a vertical plane and in a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0066] As shown in Fig. 8 and other figures, the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are cameras that can capture the entire surroundings as they are by setting the angle of view θ in the direction perpendicular to the plane parallel to the lens to a predetermined angle greater than 180 degrees over 360 degrees. The predetermined angle is the same for the first camera 26 and the second camera 27. The first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are arranged back to back in opposite directions, so that a predetermined gap is provided between the tip of the first lens portion 26b and the tip of the second lens portion 27b. For example, if the angle of view of both cameras is set to 180 degrees, a band-shaped unphotographed area is generated all around the periphery, the width of which corresponds to the predetermined gap between the two lens portions. By making the angle of view θ larger than 180 degrees, the area behind the plane perpendicular to the optical axis at the tip position of the lens unit is also included in the shooting range, and as shown in FIG. 8, for example, there is an overlapping area in the areas that can be shot by both cameras (see the hatched area in FIG. 8), making it possible for a single drive recorder 10 to shoot a 720-degree (360 degrees horizontally + 360 degrees vertically) spherical image (see FIG. 8(d) and the like).

[0067] The images captured by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are circular, as shown in Figs. 8(b) and (c), for example, and are 360 ​​degrees in a direction parallel to the lens. The first area captures the hemispherical portion in front of the lens within a 180-degree angle of view in the orthogonal direction. R1 and a second area R2 in which the rear side of the lens unit having a field angle of 180 degrees or more in a direction perpendicular to the first area is photographed.

[0068] The area beyond the predetermined angle becomes a blind area that cannot be captured by each camera. Therefore, the area from the position where the capture areas of the two cameras overlap, shown by hatching in FIG. 8, to the area near the camera unit 12 becomes a blind area R3 that cannot be captured by either camera. The closer the predetermined angle is to 180 degrees, the farther the point where the capture areas start to overlap is from the camera unit 12, and the larger the blind area R3 becomes. On the other hand, the larger the predetermined angle is, the smaller the blind area R3 becomes, but the smaller the first area R1 that captures the part of the hemisphere in front of the lens unit becomes, so that the resolution of the image captured in the first area R1 decreases and it becomes difficult to see. Therefore, in this embodiment, the predetermined angle is set to 210 degrees, and the resolution of the view in front of the vehicle captured in the first area R1 and the interior of the vehicle can be kept high while appropriately reducing the blind area R3.

[0069] The switch section 28 is attached to and integrated with the lower part of the camera unit 35. Semicircular cutouts 30c, 31c are provided below the joint edges of the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31. The cutouts 30c, 31c have the same radius, and when the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31 are joined together, the two cutouts 30c, 31c are connected to form a circular hole. The switch section 28 is positioned within the circular hole, and is exposed to the outside.

[0070] The switch unit 28 is mounted in a housing 25 for the camera unit 12 and is stored in a housing separate from the main body unit 11 that incorporates the speaker 29. The switch unit 28 is a push button type, and pressing the switch unit 28 produces an operation sound. However, since the microphone 18 is built in the main body case 13 separate from the housing 25, even if the operation sound reverberates in the housing 25, the operation sound does not reach the main body case 13, is not collected by the microphone 18, and is not recorded. In contrast, if the switch unit is provided on the main body case 13 side, for example, the operation sound when the switch unit is pressed is collected and recorded by the microphone 18, and a problem occurs that the operation sound becomes a large noise, but in this embodiment, such a problem does not occur. In addition, if the microphone and the switch unit are mounted on the same board, the board vibrates when the switch unit is operated, and the sound caused by the vibration may also be recorded as noise, but in this embodiment, the mounting board is separate, so such a situation does not occur.

[0071] The switch section 28 is to be pressed when recording an event. The drive recorder 10 of this embodiment has a continuous recording function for recording video from engine start (ACC ON) to engine stop (ACC OFF) on a memory card, and an event recording function for recording a certain period of time before and after an event condition is met. The event condition can be, for example, when an acceleration sensor detects an impact of a certain level or when the switch section 28 is pressed. The detection of an impact of a certain level or more is used to record video and audio before and after an accident occurs, and pressing the switch section 28 is used for one-touch recording to record video and audio for a certain period of time passing an arbitrary point. The control section of the drive recorder records video and audio for a certain period of time before and after the occurrence of an event as separate data when the event condition is met while, for example, performing continuous recording. Both the data of the continuous recording and the separate data at the time of the event occurrence are recorded on the memory card 23. In addition, when continuous recording is not performed, the control unit of the drive recorder normally temporarily records video and audio for a certain period of time in a buffer memory or the like, and when an event condition is met, the temporarily recorded data or the like is used to record video and audio for a certain period of time before and after the event occurrence on the memory card 23.

[0072] As described above, in this embodiment, even when the vehicle is in a power-off state in which the ignition switch is off and power cannot be supplied from the vehicle battery, for example, when the vehicle is parked, the driver The live recorder 10 operates by receiving power from a power supply device provided separately from the vehicle. Therefore, by utilizing this function, a parking recording mode is provided. In the parking recording mode, power is supplied from the power supply device to the drive recorder 10 for a set period of time even after the power supply of the vehicle is turned off while the vehicle is parked, and continuous recording and event recording are performed even while the vehicle is parked.

[0073] In this embodiment, the GPS antenna unit 43 is provided with a function of acquiring position information, date and time information, and speed information. Therefore, when performing the above recording, it is preferable to record each piece of information in association with each other.

[0074] In this embodiment, the switch unit 28 is provided at the center of the bottom surface of the spherical housing 25. Therefore, the switch unit 28 is located closest to the driver and the passenger in the front seat, and can be easily operated by reaching out, is easy to press, and is easy to see, making it easy to confirm the position of the switch unit. In this embodiment, the camera unit 12 is located on the lower side of the main body case 13, and there is a risk that the user may accidentally touch the lens when operating the switch, but by arranging the switch unit 28 on the lower side as in this embodiment, the risk of touching the lens can be reduced as much as possible.

[0075] Also, when the switch section 28 is pressed upward, the load is applied to the angle adjustment mechanism 50 that rotates the camera section 12, and it can be pressed firmly because it is received there. Note that in order to prevent the lens orientation from changing when pressed, the bolt 53 and nut 54 should be firmly screwed in and fixed.

[0076] Since the housing 25 is spherical, it is easy to understand that the camera unit 12 captures the celestial sphere in all directions with the housing 25 as the center, which is good. Since the housing 25 is spherical, the housing 25 is located in the blind spot of the first lens unit 26b and the second lens unit 27b, and is not reflected in the image. In addition, even if the body case 13 and the housing 25 are arranged close to each other and there is no gap between the top of the housing 25 and the bottom of the body case 13 in order to prevent the body case 13 from being reflected in the image captured by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 as much as possible, a space can be secured between the housing 25 and the body case 13 toward both the left and right sides of the housing 25, making it easier to pinch the housing 25 with your fingers. Then, when pressing the switch unit 28, for example, the index finger and middle finger can touch the top side of the housing as if holding a ball, and the thumb can be held in contact with the switch unit 28 to press the switch unit. This pressing operation is good because it does not or is unlikely to apply a load to the body case 13 or the angle adjustment mechanism 50.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a lamp is mounted on the switch section 28 so that the surface of the switch section 28 emits light. Since the switch section 28 emits light, its position can be easily identified even at night, which is advantageous. By disposing the switch section 28 on the lower side of the housing 25, it emits light downward. Therefore, the driver can easily check the light emission as he / she looks up from below, but from outside the vehicle, it may be necessary to look down from diagonally above, which is advantageous because the light emission cannot be seen. It is advantageous to position the light-emitting parts, including the switch section 28, in the blind spot of the camera so that the light-emitting state is not recorded and cannot be seen from outside.

[0078] Furthermore, the lamp can emit different colors, for example red and blue. The ability to emit light is achieved by incorporating a light-emitting body that emits different colors, such as a three-color LED. By being able to emit different colors, the light emission color and light emission pattern can be changed appropriately to notify the operating state, etc. (See Figure 9).

[0079] As described above, in this embodiment, the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 shoot in opposite directions, both have a viewing angle of 210 degrees, and the peripheral areas of the captured images overlap. As will be described later, the images captured by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are synthesized to generate a spherical image, which is recorded or output. The image to be stitched together when synthesizing the images from the two cameras is The boundary between the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31 is a vertical plane including the joint surface of the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31. A region of a predetermined width including the perpendicular plane becomes the overlap region.

[0080] The bracket 17 is attached to a desired position on the windshield 2, the main body case 13 is attached to the bracket 17, and the angle and orientation of the camera unit 12 are adjusted so that the joint surface M between the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31 is located on a vertical plane, and then the bolts 53 are tightened and fixed in place. In the normal installation and mounting state in which the bolts 53 are tightened and the camera unit 12 is adjusted to the desired orientation, the first camera 26 captures the area in front of the drive recorder 10 in a range of 360 degrees vertically and 210 degrees horizontally, which is a full 210-degree range, and the second camera 27 captures the area behind the drive recorder 10 in a range of 360 degrees vertically and 210 degrees horizontally, which is a full 210-degree range. The peripheral areas of the images captured by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are set to capture a predetermined position in the vehicle cabin that is close to the camera. When the drive recorder 10 is fixed at a predetermined position in the vehicle cabin, the portion where the images captured by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are to be spliced ​​is located at a predetermined position in the vehicle cabin close to the cameras. The predetermined position in the vehicle cabin includes, for example, the pillar 3, the dashboard 4, and the ceiling.

[0081] In this embodiment, the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 have a viewing angle θ of 210 degrees all around, so that the same objects and the like are captured by both cameras in the peripheral area of ​​the image captured by each camera. For example, as shown in FIG. 10(b), assume that objects exist at positions P1, P2, and P3 in the peripheral area captured by the cameras in both directions. The positions P1, P2, and P3 are near the boundary K2 of the area captured by the second camera 27, and have different distances from the camera unit 12. Even if the distances are different, if they exist near the boundary K2, they exist in the same position in the circular image captured by the second camera 27, as shown on the right side of FIG. 10(c). On the other hand, the positions P1, P2, and P3 have different distances from the boundary K1 of the area captured by the first camera 26, so that their positions in the circular area captured by the first camera 26 are different, as shown on the left side of FIG. 10(c). Therefore, when combining the boundaries of two images that contain the same object, the objects in each image may appear separately and may not be recognized as the same object. In particular, the amount of misalignment increases as the image moves away from the camera, i.e., the vehicle, as in P2 and P3. For example, if the object is a human, it may appear as if there are two people rather than the same person.

[0082] In this embodiment, the objects reflected in the boundary between the two cameras are fixed objects inside the vehicle, such as the pillar 3 and the dashboard 4, so that the outside scenery behind the fixed objects is not reflected and is reflected in the boundary only in a small amount. The vehicle parts, such as the pillar 3 and the dashboard 4, are located about 1 to 3 m away from the camera, so that even if the vehicle parts are reflected in both boundary parts, there is little deviation. In contrast, outside the vehicle, they are often 10 to 30 m or more away, so the deviation between the positions reflected by each camera becomes large and it is not possible to combine them into one. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as described above, the seam between the images from the two cameras is located at an object inside the vehicle that is at the same or close distance, so that people and other objects located behind the object are less likely to be reflected. Furthermore, in this embodiment, instead of simply hiding the rear side with a nearby pillar 3, etc., human cognitive behavior is well utilized, in which if there is a stationary object, even if a person or object behind it is reflected, it blends in and does not feel strange, so that even if it is displayed separated into two, it is not noticeable and does not bother people when they see it. Furthermore, since users tend to only look forward, backward, or to the side, they will not pay attention to pillars located in the middle, and they will also pay less attention to the scenery behind them, which is better as it will feel less strange.

[0083] In contrast to this, for example, if the housing 25 of the camera unit 12 is rotated 90 degrees in a horizontal plane from the normal position described above, and the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are made to take pictures of the left and right areas, respectively, the boundary / seam of the joint between the shooting areas of both cameras will be located, for example, in the central portion of the left and right parts of the windshield extending in the vertical direction. The two areas are separated, and you can see what is reflected in each, which creates a strange image. It's not.

[0084] [First camera 26 and second camera 27 take pictures at the same brightness] In this embodiment, the exposure control function provided in each of the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 controls the camera to shoot under the same exposure conditions. As described above, the aperture of the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 in this embodiment is fixed and has the same value, so the exposure condition for adjusting the brightness during shooting is achieved by adjusting the shutter speed. In this embodiment, the exposure control function is a function for adjusting the shutter speed. By setting the shutter speed of the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 to the same value, the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 shoot under the same exposure conditions and brightness. In this way, this embodiment is characterized in that the two cameras are perceived as if they were one camera and shoot under a common brightness.

[0085] In this way, the brightness does not suddenly change at the joining parts of the images taken by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27, the joining parts become inconspicuous, and the images become continuous all around without any sense of incongruity. For example, the inside of a car that is dark and difficult to see can be captured in the difficult to see state, so that the image can be reproduced exactly as seen.

[0086] As described above, in a correctly installed and mounted state, the first camera 26 captures the view in front of the drive recorder 10 in a range of 360 degrees vertically and 210 degrees horizontally, which is equal to or greater than a hemisphere, and the second camera 27 captures the view behind the drive recorder 10 in a range of 360 degrees vertically and 210 degrees horizontally, which is equal to or greater than a hemisphere. In this way, by stitching together the images captured by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27, an image capturing an entire 360 ​​degrees horizontally and 360 degrees vertically (see FIG. 8(d) and the like) of the drive recorder 10 is constructed. When such an image of the front area is played back, it is displayed on the display screen so that the entire omnidirectional view is captured, or a part of the omnidirectional view is cropped and displayed on the display screen. As an example of cutting out a portion of the entire omnidirectional image, as shown in FIG. 11(a), it is possible to display the front of the vehicle in front of the drive recorder 10 captured by the first camera 26, or the interior of the vehicle behind the drive recorder 10 captured by the second camera 27, or to display images in any direction, such as diagonally upward, diagonally downward, left, or right.

[0087] Depending on the direction of the viewpoint, the image displayed on the display screen may be based on an image captured by only one of the first camera 26 and the second camera 27, or based on an image that combines images captured by the two cameras. In addition, the omnidirectional spherical image synthesized by combining two images is a continuous image in any direction, and as described later, the area to be displayed can be gradually moved by spanning it so as to gradually change the viewpoint. In such a case, during the movement, there are a state where only the image from one camera is displayed, and a state where the combined portion of the images from the two cameras is present on the display screen and images from different cameras are displayed on the same display screen.

[0088] The first camera 26 and the second camera 27 each have a photometry function and an exposure control function, and capture the shooting range under the same exposure conditions, and in this embodiment, under the same shutter speed, depending on the surrounding conditions. At this time, when the edges of the images captured by the two cameras are joined to create one image, the joints are not noticeable. In contrast, for example, when the exposure control functions of the two cameras adjust the exposure conditions separately based on the brightness of the subject measured by the photometry functions of each camera, the camera usually shoots with a shorter shutter speed to suppress brightness for a bright outside scene, and shoots with a longer shutter speed to capture a relatively dark inside of a car in a bright state, and shoots with different exposure conditions so that each image is beautifully displayed. When two images captured in this way are joined together, for example, when the jointed parts of the images from the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are present on the display screen and images from different cameras are displayed on the same display screen, the brightness of the displayed images is different, the joints are noticeable, and it feels unnatural. In contrast, in this embodiment, the exposure conditions and brightness are kept the same. This is advantageous as it avoids such issues.

[0089] For example, when two images are joined together to form a spherical image and the spherical image is viewed while rotating 360 degrees horizontally, the displayed content may change from a bright and clear view of the outside to a dark and difficult-to-see view of the inside of the car, but the seam between the images from the two cameras is not noticeable. In contrast, if the brightness is changed so that the interior of the car can be seen clearly, the outside scenery and the interior of the car will be bright and clear when rotated 360 degrees as described above, but an unnatural feeling will be created at the seam. While a normal camera would capture and display each of the images brightly and clearly, this embodiment is based on the concept of capturing and displaying the celestial sphere, and if an image of a part of the celestial sphere is displayed while moving in any direction, if the space cannot be displayed as if it is connected when viewed in all 720 degrees, an unnatural feeling will be created. Therefore, in this embodiment, as one solution to prevent an unnatural feeling from occurring at the seam, the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are set to have the same exposure conditions and are photographed with the same brightness. For example, at night, the outside can be photographed, but the interior of the moving car is dark and difficult to see because the interior lights are off. By photographing in a dark state, the connection between the images photographed by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 can be seamlessly connected. If the outside is visible in the real world and the inside is invisible or difficult to see, the system is characterized by photographing in that state.

[0090] As described above, the exposure control function of first camera 26 and second camera 27 captures images at the same shutter speed, but the shutter speed is determined as follows. The brightness is determined based on and prioritized over the image captured by first camera 26, which captures the forward view. One of the functions of drive recorder 10 is to capture and record the situation outside the vehicle, such as the area in front of the vehicle, when an accident occurs. By determining exposure conditions such as the shutter speed based on the image captured by first camera 26 as in this embodiment, the area including the area in front of the vehicle can be captured clearly, and the above-mentioned functions of the drive recorder can be exhibited.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 11(b), an area spot R10 is provided in the upper half of a circular image captured by the first camera 26 for the front, and the photometry function of the first camera 26 measures the brightness of the subject within the area of ​​the area spot R10, and the exposure control function captures the image based on the exposure conditions determined based on the brightness of the subject, in this embodiment, the shutter speed. The peripheral area R11 in the upper half is not included in the area when determining the exposure conditions. The forward view seen through the windshield 2 is within the range of the area spot R10, and the lower half is often occupied by objects inside the vehicle, such as the dashboard 4. In addition, the peripheral area R11 is not affected when determining the exposure conditions because the view behind the lens unit, for example, whose vertical angle of view is 180 degrees or more, enters the image. This is good because the view in front of the vehicle, such as the vehicle in front, can be captured and recorded in the cracks. For example, while a normal camera may use center-weighted metering to focus on the central portion of the image being shot, this camera is characterized by excluding the lower portion and metering the upper half instead of the central portion. Another feature is that the peripheral area R11 is excluded from the metering target, instead of the entire screen as in multi-pattern metering.

[0092] Also, since the lower half and surrounding area R11 are areas where unimportant parts such as the ceiling and dashboard inside the vehicle are photographed, it is acceptable that there is little impact even if the photometry of these areas is not reflected and they become invisible. Also, the main body case 13 of the drive recorder 10 may be reflected in the surrounding area R11, but since the main body case 13 is not originally desired to be photographed, it is not a problem if it is not visible. For these reasons as well, it is preferable not to use the surrounding area R11 or the lower half area when determining the exposure conditions. For example, sports cameras and action cameras that shoot the entire celestial sphere are used outdoors, so the surroundings are generally bright. Therefore, like the exposure control function of a normal camera, the front and rear cameras measure the light individually and adjust the brightness based on the metering results. Even if you set the exposure conditions and brightness for each one individually, you can take beautiful pictures in all directions, and there are no connecting parts. In contrast, in the installation and operation environment of the drive recorder as in the present invention, the brightness differs greatly between the view in front of the vehicle and the interior of the vehicle at the rear, which causes the above-mentioned problem, and this embodiment solves this problem.

[0093] [Variations of the same brightness] In the above embodiment, the exposure conditions such as the shutter speed are determined based only on the photometry result of the photometry function of the first camera 26 on the front side, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the exposure conditions may be determined by slightly considering the photometry result of the photometry function of the second camera 27. By slightly considering, for example, placing importance on the photometry result of the first camera 26 on the front side, for example, weighting. By evaluating the photometry result of the second camera 27 in this way, it is possible to prevent the image of the interior of the vehicle captured by the second camera 27 from being completely dark and not capturing people, which is good. The photometry function of the second camera 27 is provided with an area spot on the upper center side as with the first camera 26, and is preferably performed quickly on the area of ​​the area spot. Since this part is the area in which the passenger is reflected, it is good to measure the photometry of the area spot and determine the exposure conditions based on the photometry, so that the passenger can be beautifully captured. In addition, since the dashboard, the floor and the seats in the vehicle interior are reflected in the lower area, the area is not affected in determining the exposure conditions. The weighting determines the brightness by weighting, for example, the area spot on the first camera 26 side by +5 and the area spot on the second camera 27 side by +2.

[0094] Conversely to the above-mentioned modified example, the exposure conditions may be determined by prioritizing the photometry results of the second camera 27. In this way, the image inside the vehicle can be beautifully captured and recorded. For example, in a taxi or bus, when the passenger's face or the like needs to be clearly captured, this modified example is preferable. However, when prioritizing the photometry results of the second camera 27 as in this modified example, the shutter speed becomes longer and the brightness of the front camera is set based on this, so the outside scenery in front may become washed out. Therefore, in consideration of the original function of the drive recorder 10, it is better to prioritize the first camera 26 as in the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example.

[0095] It is also preferable to determine the exposure conditions by treating the photometry results of the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 equally without weighting them. This is advantageous because it allows recording in all directions without the interior of the vehicle becoming too dark when the first camera 26 is given priority, or the scenery ahead becoming overexposed when the second camera 27 is given priority. However, in order to record the interior of the vehicle while recording the situation outside the vehicle before and after an accident, which is the original function of the drive recorder 10, a modified example is preferable in which the front of the first camera 26 is given priority and the photometry results of the second camera 27 are also partially taken into account.

[0096] It is also preferable to provide a mode setting function for setting whether the photometry results of the first camera 26 or the second camera 27 are to be prioritized. This is advantageous because it allows the user to set the priority to the view ahead or the interior of the vehicle according to the usage situation. The mode setting function may be, for example, a function for selecting whether only one of the photometry results is used, or a function for selecting the camera to be prioritized while using the photometry results of both, and it is even better if the degree of weighting can be set.

[0097] In the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example, it is assumed that the video captured by one camera is captured with the same settings as a whole without image processing, but for example, it is possible to make the brightness of only the connecting parts the same so that there is no discomfort at the connecting parts when capturing. However, in such a case, it is necessary to set which area to start correcting from, and it is preferable to simply capture the whole with the same brightness as in the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example. In addition, it is also possible to adjust the brightness when compositing with a PC viewer, etc., which will be described later, so that the connecting parts are not noticeable.

[0098] [The main body case, etc. are designed to be less visible] The position where the housing 25 is attached to the main body case 13 is shifted from the center in the front-rear direction of the bottom surface to the rear surface 13b. The angle adjustment mechanism 50 is arranged along the rear surface 13b side of the bottom surface. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 etc., the flat rectangular main body case 13 is attached and fixed to the windshield 2, so that in the attached state, it is arranged at an angle along the inclination of the windshield 2, and the edge of the bottom surface of the main body case 13 on the rear surface 13b side is located at the lowest position. By attaching the housing 25 of the camera unit 12 via the angle adjustment mechanism 50 at that lower position, the area where the main body case 13 is reflected in the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 is reduced.

[0099] The main body case 13 is configured to be located close to the lens body. A blind spot area R3 that is not captured by either the first camera 26 or the second camera 27 has a cone shape, and the further away from the camera unit 12 it tapers and becomes narrower. Therefore, the further away the main body case 13 is from the lens unit, the wider the area captured by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 becomes, so it is better to bring them closer together.

[0100] The shape of main body case 13 is provided with inclined surfaces 13b" or the like so as to be hidden as much as possible in the blind spot of the camera. Making camera unit 12 spherical is also advantageous as it will not be reflected in the image. The camera takes images with a 210-degree angle of view all around, and since a rear-view mirror is located near the lens, it is advantageous to prevent the rear-view mirror from being hidden in the camera's blind spot and not being reflected in the image. There are no parts such as a GPS antenna inside camera unit 12.

[0101] [Display device: PC viewer] One embodiment of the display device for a drive recorder according to the present invention is configured by a personal computer. Although not shown, the hardware configuration of the display device for a drive recorder includes a calculation processing unit, a storage unit, an input unit, a display unit, a card reader, and the like. The storage unit includes a non-volatile memory that stores application programs executed by the calculation processing unit, a work memory that the calculation processing unit uses while executing calculations, and an internal or external storage device (hard disk) that records video, audio, and other information recorded during driving, etc. The input unit is a pointing device such as a mouse, and a keyboard. The card reader is a device that reads and writes data from and to the attached memory card 23.

[0102] By starting an application program (called "PC viewer" in this embodiment) installed in the storage unit, the personal computer operates as a display device for the drive recorder. As described above, the drive recorder 10 records various information related to the recorded video, such as video and audio captured while driving or parking, as well as date and time information and speed information, in the memory card 23. When the user wants to play back the video recorded in the memory card 23, he or she removes the memory card 23 from the memory card slot 22 and sets it in the card reader of the personal computer. The started PC viewer is executed, and the video recorded while driving is displayed on the display unit. Specific functions of the PC viewer are as follows.

[0103] 12 shows an example of a display layout displayed on the display unit of a personal computer after the PC viewer is started, a recorded video is selected, and playback is started. A menu bar is provided near the top of the display screen 60, and a display area 62 for displaying the video of the selected data is located in a large area below the menu bar. Below the display area 62, from the left, there are a map display section 63, a related information display section 64, and a playlist list display section 70.

[0104] The menu bar button group 61 includes, from the left, a folder designation button 61a, a still image conversion button 61b, a print button 61c, a video conversion button 61d, a backup button 61e, a log data conversion button 61f, and a recording setting change button 61g. The button 61a is used to specify the data to be played back, and when the folder specification button 61a is clicked, When the PC viewer is clicked, a list of folders recorded on the memory card inserted in the personal computer is displayed. The user selects the folder in the displayed list of folders that contains the data to be played back by clicking on it.

[0105] The PC viewer of this embodiment has a function of converting an image displayed in, for example, the display area 62 into a still image in a specified file format, for example, a JPEG format, and saving it. When the still image conversion button 61b is clicked, the PC viewer converts the image on the screen displayed in the display area 62 into a still image and records it in a specified storage area of ​​the personal computer. In accordance with the settings, the PC viewer creates and records still images by dividing the image being displayed or the image in the display area 62 by the specified number of frames for a specified time range.

[0106] The PC viewer of this embodiment has a function to print, for example, the image displayed in the display area 62. When the print button 61c is clicked, the PC viewer prints the image on the screen displayed in the display area 62 according to the set conditions. The set conditions include, for example, printing the displayed image as a still image, as in the above still image conversion, or printing still images obtained by dividing a specified time range from the image in the display area 62 by a specified number of frames.

[0107] The PC viewer of this embodiment has a function of converting recorded data into a predetermined file format, for example, a video in AVI format, and saving the converted data. When the video conversion button 61d is clicked in a state where the recorded data to be converted into a video is selected and loaded by the user, the PC viewer displays a condition setting screen and converts the loaded video data into video data in the predetermined format according to the contents set on the condition setting screen. The condition setting screen has an input area for specifying the file name, the location to save, the range, the subtitles, and the compression format, and a [START] button. The user sets the conditions using the input area and clicks the [START] button. By converting the file into a video in AVI format, the converted and saved file can be viewed using various video playback software, or uploaded to a homepage or other site for public viewing.

[0108] When the backup button 61e is clicked, the PC viewer backs up the video recorded on the memory card 23 to the personal computer. Backing up does not delete the video recorded on the memory card. When deleting, a separate deletion process is executed. When the log data conversion button 61f is clicked, the PC viewer converts the accumulated history data into a KML file and records it as log data. When the record setting change button 61g is clicked, the PC viewer displays a record setting screen (not shown). The user inputs various recording conditions and the like using the record setting screen, and stores the recording conditions in the memory card by confirming the contents. When the memory card is set in the drive recorder 10, the drive recorder 10 updates the stored recording conditions as the recording conditions, and thereafter operates according to the updated conditions.

[0109] The map display unit 63 displays a map 63a of a predetermined area and the vehicle's position on the map 63a. The PC viewer acquires map data of the surroundings where the vehicle is located based on the vehicle's position information associated with the loaded image, displays the map 63a at the set scale on the map display unit 63, and draws a vehicle position icon 63b at the location of the vehicle's current position on the map 63a (see Figs. 12(a) and 12(c) and the like). The map data may be acquired, for example, from a server on which the map is recorded via the Internet. When the map data is acquired from the Internet, the map is not displayed on the map display unit 63 when the personal computer is not connected to the Internet. Also, by selecting "Do not display map" in the settings, the operation mode in which the map is not displayed on the map display unit 63 is entered.

[0110] Furthermore, when the current position is unknown due to non-GPS positioning, it is preferable to display information in place of the map, instead of displaying the map, as shown in Fig. 12(b). For example, when GPS positioning is not performed, it is possible to display the map 63a but not the vehicle position icon 63b. If the vehicle position icon 63b is not displayed, the user may search for the vehicle position icon on the map or may mistakenly think that there is a malfunction. However, if another image or the like is displayed instead of the map 63a as in this embodiment, it is easy to understand that GPS positioning is not performed.

[0111] The related information display section 64 has a layout in which a timeline display section 74 is arranged at the top, a volume switch button 66 is arranged at the top left below, a date and time information display section 73 is arranged at the top right, a play button display section 65 is arranged below that, a running speed display section 67, an acceleration display section 68, and a latitude and longitude display section 69 are arranged at the bottom left of the play button display section 65 in order from the top, and an acceleration sensor graph display section 71 is arranged at the bottom right of the play button display section 65. The timeline display section 74 indicates the playback position of the video displayed in the display area 62 in one recorded data, and shows the overall timeline of the playback time of the recorded data with a red bar, and controls the position of the knob 74a to move to the right as playback progresses. When the position of the knob 74a is slid and moved, playback starts from that position. During continuous recording, the location where the event was recorded is displayed with a yellow vertical line 74b (see FIG. 12(c) and the like).

[0112] The volume switching button 66 is a button for muting and adjusting the volume, and has a mute button 66a and a knob 66b (see FIG. 16(c)). When the mute button 66a is clicked, the PC viewer mutes the sound being played back, and when the mute button 66a is clicked in the muted state, the mute is cancelled. When the knob 66b is slid by pointing, the PC viewer adjusts the volume according to the position of the knob 66b.

[0113] The date and time information display section 73 is an area that displays the date and time when the video being played back was recorded. The time can be the main body time recorded based on the internal clock of the drive recorder 10 or the GPS time obtained by GPS positioning. In this embodiment, the time is changed according to the recording conditions of the video being played back. When the recording conditions of the video being played back are based on continuous recording, the PC viewer displays the main body time in the date and time information display section 73. When the recording conditions of the video being played back are based on event recording, the PC viewer displays the GPS time in the date and time information display section 73 if GPS positioning is performed at the time of the event occurrence, and displays the main body time in the date and time information display section 73 if GPS positioning is not performed. Also, when the recorded data is displayed in the main body time during playback (see FIG. 12(b)), the display is updated to the GPS time at the timing of GPS positioning (see FIG. 12(c)).

[0114] The playback button display section 65 is a group of buttons for performing operations such as playback and fast forward. From the left, it has buttons for "fast rewind," "previous frame," "reverse play," "stop," "play," "next frame," and "fast forward." When each button is clicked, the PC viewer executes the process corresponding to the button. When each button for "fast rewind," "reverse play," "play," and "fast forward" is clicked multiple times, the PC viewer changes the playback speed. For example, clicking "play" or "reverse play" once will "play" or "reverse play" at normal speed of 1x, and clicking twice will "play" or "reverse play" at a slow speed such as 0.5x. Also, clicking "fast rewind" or "fast forward" once will "fast forward" or "rewind" at 2x speed, clicking twice will "fast forward" or "rewind" at 4x speed, clicking three times will "fast forward" or "rewind" at 8x speed, and clicking four times will "fast forward" or "rewind" at 16x speed. By adjusting the "play / reverse play" button to slow down the speed, and by adjusting the "fast forward / rewind" button to speed up the speed, it is easy to suddenly switch from fast playback to slow playback, or vice versa. Furthermore, by using the "fast forward" button, which originally plays fast, as a speed adjustment button, the user can intuitively understand the assignment.

[0115] As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 16(a), the running speed display unit 67 displays the running speed recorded by the GPS. The acceleration display section 68 is an area that displays the recorded impact and acceleration values ​​in forward and backward (X direction: for example, red), left and right (Y direction: for example, yellow-green), and up and down (Z direction: for example, blue). The latitude and longitude display section 69 is an area that displays the latitude (N) and longitude (E) recorded by GPS. The running speed, acceleration, and longitude and latitude are all information on the current position of the image displayed in the display area 62. The acceleration sensor graph display section 71 is an area that displays the acceleration sensor graph in chronological order. The recorded data is displayed in a graph with the vertical axis being acceleration and the horizontal axis being time. In this embodiment, an X-axis acceleration graph 71a, a Y-axis acceleration graph 71b, and a Z-axis acceleration graph 71c are displayed, and the display colors of the graphs are similar to the display colors in the acceleration display section 68. This is advantageous because it makes it easier to understand the correspondence between the two. When the area is clicked, the PC viewer moves the cursor 71d to the clicked position, and displays the driving speed, acceleration, latitude and longitude on each display section with the position of the cursor 71d as the current position. When the play button is clicked, the PC viewer plays the video from the position of the cursor 71d. The PC viewer obtains various information stored in association with the video to be played, and displays it on the corresponding display section.

[0116] A time display section 71e is provided below the graph. From the left, the time display section 71e indicates the recording start time of the recorded data to be played, the current time of the cursor position, and the recording end time. If there is an impact with acceleration exceeding a reference value, the time of the testimony is displayed in the graph as event time 71f. On the right side of the graph, there are a + button 71g, a back button 71h, and a - button 71i. When the + button 71g is clicked, the PC viewer enlarges the acceleration sensor scale, and when the - button 71i is clicked, the PC viewer reduces the acceleration sensor scale. When the back button 71h is clicked, the PC viewer returns to the standard scale.

[0117] The playlist list display section 70 displays the name of the selected data. In FIG. 12, the data name "2016 / 09 / 06 11:47:28 [48 minutes]" is displayed. In the case of continuous recording, the data name is a combination of the date and time when recording started and the recording duration. In the case of event recording, the data name is the date and time when the event occurred and the type of event occurrence. The types of event occurrence include "impact" and "sudden start / stop" based on the acceleration sensor, and "one-touch" based on the operation of the switch section 28.

[0118] The display area 62 is an area for displaying recorded video. As described above, the drive recorder 10 of this embodiment records 360 degrees horizontally and 360 degrees vertically, for a total of 720 degrees of omnidirectional video. Therefore, the PC viewer has a function for displaying a part of an omnidirectional image in the display area 62, for example, or displaying an omnidirectional video as a single image. When displaying a part of an image, the display range, direction, etc. are changed to display a desired range of video in any direction, such as forward / backward, left / right, or up / down, in the display area 62. The change in the display range, etc., is configured as follows.

[0119] For example, as shown in FIG. 13(a), in a state where a predetermined range in front is displayed, the user uses, for example, a pointing device such as a mouse to perform a left button drag operation at an arbitrary position in the display area 62. When the PC viewer detects that such a left button drag operation has been performed, it displays the image in the display area 62 so as to move in the direction of the drag. For example, as shown by the arrow 75 in FIG. 13(a), when the user drags a predetermined distance to the right in the display area 62, the PC viewer moves the displayed image to the right by the predetermined distance, and the image that was on the left outer side of the display area 62 in FIG. 13(a) is drawn in the display area 62, and the image that was displayed on the right side of the display area 62 in FIG. 13(a) becomes outside the display area and is no longer displayed (FIG. 13(b)). As a result, the image displayed in the display area 62 changes as if the line of sight is rotating leftward, and in the example shown in the figure, the image in the front left is displayed. The scenery will be displayed. You can drag it further or drag it repeatedly in the same direction. By dragging the mouse, the image displayed rotates counterclockwise horizontally around the position of the camera unit 12 of the drive recorder 10, and returns to the original display direction shown in FIG. 13(a) from directly to the left, further rearward (inside the vehicle), through the scenery on the right, and then forward. By dragging the mouse in the opposite direction, to the left, the display area 62 displays the scenery that rotates clockwise. Shifting the image displayed to the right / left in this way gives the impression of, for example, stretching a 360-degree horizontal image horizontally like a panoramic photo, and moving the display area 62 left and right to display the image in the display area 62 (see FIG. 20).

[0120] The dragging direction is not limited to the horizontal direction, but can be any direction within the display area 62, such as up, down or diagonally, and the PC viewer changes the image displayed according to the direction of the drag. The user can display and view the desired image by dragging the left mouse button and moving the pointer to the part they want to display.

[0121] When the mouse is right-clicked with the pointer placed within the display area 62, the PC viewer displays the image display area menu shown in Fig. 13(b). This screen display area menu is drawn, for example, superimposed on the display area 62. This image display area menu has a layout in which an "Image Status" item that displays the current image orientation is placed at the top, and three operation items, "Restore to normal," "Invert," and "Zoom in / out," are placed below that. In the figure, the "Image Status" displays "Normal," which is the state in Fig. 13(a).

[0122] When "Return to normal" is clicked and selected, the PC viewer returns the inverted, enlarged, or reduced image to the initial display, and displays the restored image in the display area 62. "Invert" has three items, "Flip horizontally," "Flip vertically," and "Flip front to back," as subordinate menu items. When "Flip horizontally" is clicked, the PC viewer flips the displayed image horizontally (see FIG. 13(d)). When "Flip vertically" is clicked, the PC viewer flips the displayed image vertically (see FIG. 13(e)). When "Flip front to back" is clicked, the PC viewer displays an image that is flipped front to back and rotated 180 degrees from the displayed image. For example, when an image captured in front is displayed as shown in FIG. 13(a), clicking "Flip front to back" displays an image of the interior of the vehicle behind the drive recorder as shown in FIG. 13(f). "Zoom in and zoom out" has two items, "Zoom in" and "Zoom out," as subordinate menu items. When "Enlarge" is clicked, the PC viewer will enlarge the image by 200% and display it based on the center of the displayed image (see Figure 14(a)). When "Reduce" is clicked, the PC viewer will reduce the image by 50% and display it based on the center of the display screen (see Figure 14(a)). By changing the viewing direction appropriately in this way, you can check the situation while driving from all directions.

[0123] When playing back recorded data, a desired video list is selected from the playlist list display section 70 and executed. In this embodiment, the playlists are grouped into event recording, continuous recording, and history recording, and one of the groups is selected to be played back. To do this, the user clicks on either the event recording tab 70a, the continuous recording tab 70b, or the history recording tab 70c. For example, FIG. 15 shows the state in which the event recording tab 70a has been clicked.

[0124] When the event record tab 70a is clicked, the PC viewer creates and displays a list of event record data recorded on the memory card. The user selects the video they wish to view by clicking on the check box 70d associated with the data name. When the relevant check box 70d is clicked, the PC viewer displays a check mark "R" in the check box 70d. This selection may be performed for multiple data at once. When the load button 70e is clicked, the PC viewer loads the selected recorded data. The data name is displayed in the playlist, and the video is displayed in the display area 62. When data is selected, multiple data names are listed in the playlist, and the topmost image is displayed.

[0125] The image displayed in the display area 62 together with this recording and playback is a predetermined main image. The main image is, for example, an image facing a desired direction such as the front of the vehicle, and is a standard size image set as the initial display (see FIG. 17(a) and the like). The standard size may be, for example, a range of 120 degrees horizontally and 70 degrees vertically. This range corresponds to the range of angles of view adopted in normal drive recorders, so the image is familiar to users of normal drive recorders and the same necessary information as that of a normal drive recorder can be obtained. This main image should show the entire windshield.

[0126] In this embodiment, when the drive recorder 10 is attached to a vehicle, in the normal installation state with the camera unit 12 adjusted to the desired orientation, the first camera 26 faces directly ahead, so that the main image is cropped to a standard size of a specified area, assuming that the center of the image captured by the first camera 26 faces directly ahead of the vehicle, and displayed in the display area 62.

[0127] It is also advisable to provide a function that calculates the front position when displayed on a PC viewer from the installation angle obtained when correcting the installation angle using the acceleration sensor, and determines the standard position of the display image as the calculated front position. This assumes that the vertical direction to the acceleration sensor and the front of the camera are parallel. Then, from the angle between the gravity direction at the time of installation and the vertical direction of the acceleration sensor, an angle is calculated so that the gravity direction is directly below, and the direction perpendicular to the gravity direction of the acceleration sensor and the front of the camera is determined to be the center of the display image. This is advantageous because it allows the camera to detect the front from the gravity direction and display it as the standard position even if the user mistakenly installs the camera directly to the side instead of against the windshield.

[0128] Although specific illustration is omitted, when the continuous recording tab 70b is clicked, the PC viewer creates and displays a list of continuous recording data recorded on the memory card. The PC viewer imports the recording data selected by the user, displays the name of the data in the playlist of the playlist list display section 70, and displays the video in the display area 62. When the trigger list display button 70f is clicked, the PC viewer displays an event trigger list 70h in the playlist of the playlist list display section 70 (see FIG. 16(b)). When an item in this trigger list 70h is clicked, the PC viewer jumps to the recorded event and plays the video. In this way, the video of the part where the event occurred can be efficiently played back and the contents can be confirmed.

[0129] The above-mentioned process based on the play button display section 65 and the process based on the volume switch button 66 are also performed based on the play button 72a on the menu bar. For example, as shown in FIG. 16(d), when the play button 72a on the menu bar is clicked, the PC viewer displays the menu list 72b as shown in the figure in a pull-down list. When a desired item on the menu list 72b is clicked, the PC viewer performs the playback operation of the corresponding item. Although not specifically shown in the figures, the PC viewer has a function of displaying a pull-down menu of items for performing the above-mentioned processes based on clicking the buttons for the items "File," "View," and "Tools" on the menu bar, and performing similar processes based on the menu list.

[0130] [A function that displays the driver and passengers' status and the view outside the vehicle on one screen, allowing the outside view to be displayed in a flowing manner] As described above, when playback starts, a predetermined reference image is displayed, and then the user can change the viewing direction or zoom in / out to change the viewing angle in accordance with the user's operation, allowing the user to view the image in any direction. For example, you can reduce the image size to make the angle of view wider and compare it to the reference image. It is preferable to display the rearward-facing image captured by the second camera 27 by inverting the image or changing the viewing direction horizontally by 180 degrees. Such a display mode is, for example, as shown in Fig. 17(b), where the driver and the interior of the vehicle are displayed in the central part 81 of the display area 62, and an image showing the scenery outside the vehicle is played back in the peripheral part 82. When the image is further reduced, for example, a spherical image is displayed as one screen, as shown in Fig. 18. Note that, as is clear from a comparison of Fig. 17(b) and Fig. 18, the subjects captured are different, and these are figures for understanding the image of the display mode due to the difference in scale.

[0131] According to this display mode, the outside scenery is displayed so as to flow from the center to the left and right rear, which is good because it is an interesting image that cannot be seen normally. If you just look at the front of the reference image, although this is the original function of a drive recorder, the scenery and the vehicle ahead are continuously visible, which is hard to interest and lacks interest, but the above display mode is good because it allows you to see scenery that you cannot see normally. For example, in recent TV travel programs, images of the inside of the car of the driver and passengers are shown with a camera placed on the dashboard, etc., but what is captured and displayed is the driver and passengers, and the outside scenery is not shown, and even if it is shown, it is only a little seen from the window behind the driver and passengers. According to this embodiment, not only the driver but also the passengers in the passenger seat and the back seat are displayed in the center part 81, and the outside scenery to the left and right is displayed in a flowing manner around the periphery, which is interesting. And it is good because an image of entertainers having fun in the car and a beautiful outside scenery can be presented to the living room at the same time.

[0132] In addition, in this display mode, the image displayed in the peripheral portion 82 is not only the scenery on the left and right sides of the vehicle, but also the scenery on both the left and right sides from the front of the vehicle captured by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27, and a wide range of things can be seen. In this way, the front and rear parts are displayed so that they appear on one screen. Directly behind you, the image captured by the second camera 27 is reflected on your rear side, and the outside scenery captured by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 slides sideways and flows around you, and is displayed as if it were wrapping around behind you. This can be said to be, for example, a view as if there is a virtual camera outside the vehicle, or a virtual viewpoint outside the vehicle, and the vehicle is seen from a distance as if it has become transparent. In this way, you can see a view that you cannot normally see.

[0133] [Viewer Compositing Function] As described above, in this embodiment, two images captured by the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are joined together to create a spherical image. The angle of view of both cameras is 210 degrees horizontally when they are fixed in the correct position, and the peripheral areas captured by each camera are overlapping areas in which the same scenery, etc. are captured. When these overlapping areas are superimposed, they are composited by applying a gradation. That is, for example, as in the second area R2 shown in Figs. 8(b) and (c), the display becomes lighter toward the periphery in the overlapping joint area. For example, if the second area R2 is the area to be processed by the gradation, for example, the boundary area with the first area R1 is 100% at 0% of the periphery, and the darkness of the intermediate area is gradually changed. Since the resolution becomes lower toward the periphery, the effect on the display is reduced by making it difficult to capture. In addition, as described above, there is a risk that the same object such as a person may be displayed as a different object in the images of each camera, but by applying a gradation, it is made difficult to notice even if it is displayed as a different object.

[0134] [Mask function, etc.] The drive recorder 10 of this embodiment, which captures and records the celestial sphere, also captures the figures of the driver, passengers, etc., as shown in Figs. 17(b), 18(a), 19, etc. For example, while it is fine for the scenery and the interior of the vehicle to be captured and recorded, there is a demand for the driver not to be in the picture. The PC viewer of this embodiment has a masking function, and has a function for outputting the masked mask area 62b in a display form that is less visible than the normal display area 62a. The setting of the masked mask area 62b that is made less visible may be fixed, for example, or may be set based on a user specification. Fixed For example, the approximate location of the vehicle interior, such as near the driver's seat or near the passenger seat, is determined. It is preferable to set the area in the image corresponding to the area being masked as the mask area 62b. In addition, the function of setting an arbitrary mask area 62b based on user designation is performed, for example, by stopping the display area 62 with the person to be masked reflected therein, and designating a position to specify the area with a mouse or the like. When a predetermined button of the mouse is clicked, the PC viewer stores the position, and sets the inside of a figure having the clicked position as a vertex as the mask area 62b. When playing back the video, the PC viewer sets the area in the video captured by the second camera 27 corresponding to the stored clicked position as the mask area, and plays back and displays the video with the relevant area masked. It is preferable to have a function of setting the mask area 62b based on user designation, since it is possible to perform mask processing on an arbitrary area.

[0135] The display within the mask area 62b can be processed in various ways, such as mosaic processing, reducing the resolution, painting a specific color, etc. When painting a color, it is better to adjust the transparency appropriately so that the color is not completely filled in, but is slightly visible.

[0136] It is more preferable to have a function for automatically setting the mask area 62b. The automatic setting function can be, for example, as follows. For example, a face image or the like of a person to be masked, such as a user, may be registered in advance, and the registered person, such as a user, in the vehicle interior may be recognized by image recognition or the like, and a predetermined range including the person's face may be set as the mask area, but it is more preferable to set it based on the moving speed and displacement speed in the image. For example, while driving, since the vehicle moves, the relative moving speed of people and objects outside the vehicle is fast with respect to the vehicle, whereas the moving speed of people inside the vehicle is slow. In addition, seats and other installed objects in the vehicle interior do not move. Based on this difference in moving speed, it is preferable to set the mask area for objects within a certain speed range. In this way, no prior registration is required, masking can be performed by simple processing without image recognition, and even if an unregistered person is in the car, masking can be performed for the passenger, which is good for versatility.

[0137] [Specific image display function] As described above, the PC viewer pauses the video being played at any position, turns it upside down, zooms in and out, and displays any direction in all directions with a desired angle of view according to the user's operation. If the direction and angle of view are appropriately changed while playing, an interesting and interesting video is played, but there is a risk that the direction of the currently displayed video may become unclear during the playback. Therefore, it is preferable to have a function to display a specific direction with a one-touch operation. For example, when the "return to standard" item in the screen display area menu shown in FIG. 13(b) is clicked, the display of the display area 62 is returned to the initial display. Similarly, for example, by clicking a button or item provided in a specific location in the menu bar or any other location, a specific direction such as forward / backward / left / right can be displayed with one touch. With such a function, it is preferable that the desired direction can be displayed with one touch regardless of the direction of the current display. Also, as described above, the specific direction is not a direction such as front, rear, left, or right with the drive recorder at the center, but for example, when displaying the rear side, it is preferable to set it to a diagonal rear direction rather than directly behind. The diagonal rear direction should be directed toward the driver's seat. In this way, the situation inside the vehicle is displayed with the driver at the center. Apart from the above-mentioned mask function, it is preferable for a user who wants to see himself to display it with the driver at the center.

[0138] Furthermore, the function is not limited to the one described above of displaying a predetermined direction with a one-touch operation, but in addition to, or instead of, such a function, it is preferable to have a function of registering the range being viewed during playback in a form similar to a bookmark save, and then displaying an image with the same direction and angle of view that was saved with a one-touch operation or other simple operation during subsequent playback.

[0139] [Function to display a specific direction, etc., to a specific location] A drive recorder that captures a full celestial sphere like this one can widen the angle of view to capture images such as those shown in Fig. 18. One of its features is that it displays a sphere as shown in Figure 1. When the PC viewer displays a sphere like this, with the center of the circle being the ground and the periphery being the sky, it is a good idea to associate the location information, for example using a geomagnetic sensor, with the viewer to store it so that the north is at the top during playback.

[0140] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the standard display is such that the bonnet of the vehicle is displayed at a specific position, and the view ahead while driving is centered. In addition to this display mode, it is preferable to have a function of displaying a specific direction (for example, north) at a specific position (for example, up) as described above. In this way, for example, when displaying north at the top, it is preferable because it matches well with the map. For example, when a map is displayed at North Head, when images taken by a drive recorder at a corresponding position on the map are displayed side by side, if the images are also displayed with north at the top, the upper part of the image is north, so that it is easy to match buildings, etc., shown in the image with landmarks such as buildings on the map. In this way, when the specific direction is "north", it is convenient to view it together with the map. Also, for example, when creating an accident report, it is good because it is easy to write a situation report such as "collision with a vehicle proceeding from the south". Also, it is good because it is easy to correlate images taken by multiple drive recorders. Not only in circular displays, but also in 360-degree strip-like displays like panoramic photographs, it is a good idea to ensure that the north side is in the designated position.

[0141] Also, the specific direction to be pointed to is not limited to a direction, and may be, for example, a destination or a specific landmark, but it is preferable to point to a direction, especially "north," since this allows for matching with a map.

[0142] Furthermore, when a specific direction such as "north" is displayed on top, it is not limited to the goodness of matching with the map, but it is also good because, for example, the driving direction angle of the vehicle can be easily guessed from the flow of images during video playback. For example, when "north" is displayed on top and all directions such as FIG. 18 are displayed on one screen, when traveling north, the outside scenery displayed in the peripheral area R11 on both sides of the circle is played back so that it flows from top to bottom. On the other hand, when traveling south, it flows from bottom to top, and in the east-west direction, the upper and lower parts of the circle flow sideways. In this way, it is good because it is easy to understand which direction the vehicle is traveling from the flow of images. Furthermore, the direction displayed on top is not limited to "north", and by displaying another specific direction on top, the traveling direction of the vehicle can be known from the flow of images.

[0143] For example, in the case of so-called sports cameras and action cameras that shoot a full celestial sphere, it is good to display the subject, such as a child, in the center, but in the case of a drive recorder, if the primary purpose is to record when an accident occurs, the subject will not be unique because it is impossible to predict from where danger will come, such as a rear-end collision with a vehicle in front, or a rear-end collision with a vehicle from the side or rear. Therefore, by focusing on the direction and determining a specific direction (e.g., "north") as a specific position (e.g., "up"), as described above, various effects such as "the direction of what is being shown can be seen at a glance," "the driving direction of the vehicle can be easily guessed from the flow of images when playing back the video," "matching is improved when lined up with a map," and "correlation between images shot by multiple drive recorders and images shot in the same place in the past" can be achieved.

[0144] [Variations of sphere display] For example, when a sphere is displayed as shown in FIG. 18, a region without an image will be generated in the display area 62 outside the circular display region 62a in which the image is displayed. Therefore, the PC viewer should provide an additional information display section 78 in the region without an image, and display various information such as the direction in which the vehicle is traveling, information about the road such as the name of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, and information about pedestrians in the additional information display section 78 (see FIG. 18(b)). In FIG. 18(b), the additional information display section 78 is provided in the bottom left, The placement position is arbitrary, and multiple placements are permitted. Placing multiple placements will display more information. It's good that you can do it.

[0145] For example, the PC viewer performs image recognition processing on the image to be displayed to extract pedestrian information. When a person is extracted, the PC viewer displays the presence of the person as text information such as "a person was there." In addition, it is preferable to draw a mark such as an arrow on the part of the person displayed in the display region 62a of the display area 62 to make the location of the person easier to understand. In this way, it is possible to easily check, for example, whether a person is approaching or moving away from the vehicle. In addition, instead of displaying all people when a person is recognized, it is preferable to use image recognition or other personal authentication to display information that identifies the detected person, such as a name, when a specific person is detected.

[0146] In this case, it is advisable to display people outside the vehicle and people inside the vehicle separately. For example, if the person is outside the vehicle, the presence of a person is displayed when it is detected in order to determine whether there is a risk of contact, and if the person is inside the vehicle, the person is identified as an acquaintance and the identified information is notified.

[0147] [Multiple screen display function] In the above-described embodiments, the display area 62 displays one image based on one viewpoint, such as the entire omnidirectional image or an image cut out from the entire omnidirectional image, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is preferable to display multiple different images simultaneously. In this way, it is possible to view images from multiple different directions, eliminating blind spots and allowing for an interesting video.

[0148] As for the images of the multiple different directions, for example, as shown in FIG. 19, the first image display section 76 may display the scenery ahead, and the second image display section 77 may display the image of the inside of the vehicle cabin. In this way, for example, it is good because the state of the driver and the passengers when looking at the scenery ahead can be linked and confirmed. For example, when a beautiful scenery is seen, if there is an image of the driver and the passengers being impressed or happy, the correlation with the scenery can be understood, and it is good for remembering the course of the drive trip. In addition, the size of the first image display section 76 and the second image display section 77 may be the same size as shown in the figure, but it is more preferable to make a difference in size and to make them into a main image display section and a sub image display section. By changing the size like the main and sub, it is good because the image displayed on the main image display section can be seen well. In this way, when dividing into the main and sub, the main image is preferably a front image showing the front, and the sub image is preferably an image of the inside of the vehicle showing the driver, etc. This allocation is preferable for the driving recorder to perform its original function. In addition, the sub image may be, for example, the left or right side of the vehicle. This is advantageous because it allows you to check accidents such as side collisions.

[0149] [Automatic editing and playback function] When a full-dome image is displayed, it becomes a circular image as shown in Fig. 18. The PC viewer has a function to enlarge a part of the image and project it onto a flat surface. As described above, the PC viewer enlarges and reduces the full-dome image and moves the display range based on user operations such as dragging the mouse or operating buttons while the image is being played. This user operation is complicated and troublesome, which is an issue. Therefore, it is desirable to have a function to automatically perform processing to cut out and display an appropriate part of the full image without user operations. It is desirable to have a function to automatically change the angle or field of view displayed on the screen during playback of the full-dome image.

[0150] For example, it would be good to have a function that automatically changes the visible range (viewport) in the image in conjunction with vehicle information. Examples of changing the range include zooming in, zooming out, panning, etc.

[0151] For example, while driving, the area ahead is enlarged and displayed, and important views such as Mt. Fuji are displayed. If a viewpoint exists in the vicinity, the viewport can be automatically panned in the direction of the viewpoint for playback. For example, this function stores the position information of the viewpoint, obtains the direction of the viewpoint from the position information of the vehicle being played back, automatically moves the cut-out position, and pans in the direction for playback.

[0152] Also, for example, when driving on a highway, the image captured by the first camera 26 continues to display the vehicle ahead, and the scenery does not change, especially in sections where soundproof walls are installed on both sides of the highway or in tunnels. Continuing to watch such images in the same direction is boring, and basically not what you want to see, so there is a problem that even if you record it all the time, you do not feel like playing it. Therefore, it is good to have a function to cut out such useless parts, skip, and play parts that are likely to be interesting. For example, if the location where the image was taken from the map information is a highway, it is good to skip and play the part after getting off the highway interchange. Also, it is good to skip not only on highways, but also within registered areas such as around your home.

[0153] Also, when the vehicle is stopped while driving, the same image continues to be shot while the vehicle is stopped, so the image played back may continue to display the same image like a still image during the pause, which is not desirable. Therefore, it is possible to skip the image during the pause, such as on a highway, and play it back from the point when the vehicle starts driving again, but it is better to automatically rotate the image around the ceiling as if it were shaking its head left and right when the vehicle stops while driving. When the vehicle stops, the driver may want to check the surroundings, so this is a way of reproducing the checking action, and the rotation is also good because it lets the driver know that the vehicle has stopped.

[0154] In this way, interesting scenery or the like is automatically played back, which is advantageous as it motivates the user to play back the recorded video. It is also advantageous to have a function for recording the played back video. It is also advantageous to have a function for recording the video played back in this way, such as a viewport, as a separate video file. In this way, it is advantageous because the viewport information can be written out to a separate file and uploaded to the Internet or the like for public viewing.

[0155] Also, for example, there are television programs that alternate between the scenery inside a train, images taken from above the train using a drone, and the scenery outside the train. As mentioned above, if you could automatically play interesting scenery from the footage of your journey, you would be interested in watching the footage created and played back like the television programs mentioned above.

[0156] For example, in the case of a sports camera or action camera that shoots a 360-degree view, the photographer holds the camera in his / her hand and operates it, aiming one lens at the object he / she wants to shoot, so even if the recorded image is played back as is, it is the image he / she wants to see, and there is relatively no problem even if the viewport is fixed and not edited. In contrast, a drive recorder is installed in a vehicle and records continuously, so there is a high possibility that uninteresting unnecessary images or images not facing the direction you want to see will be played back, which makes it easy to encounter the above-mentioned problems. This form solves this problem.

[0157] [Dashcam with display] It is preferable that the drive recorder is provided with a display device having the functions of the PC viewer described above. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the drive recorder does not have a display unit, and the images captured by the camera are recorded on the memory card 23 and are confirmed by the PC viewer of a personal computer. However, by providing a display device to the drive recorder as in this embodiment, it is possible to view the images in real time. A part of the spherical image provided in the PC viewer is cut out and displayed. It would be good if it were possible to perform operations such as moving the displayed area and enlarging / reducing it.

[0158] For example, if images of the sides and rear of the vehicle are displayed while driving, the driver can easily see the situation around the vehicle by simply shifting his / her gaze slightly toward the display device while facing forward. Also, if an image of the inside of the vehicle captured by the second camera 27 is displayed on the display device, the driver can easily check the condition of babies and children in the back seat and passengers without having to look back. In particular, it is difficult for the driver in the driver's seat to directly check the area behind the driver's seat, but if the drive recorder 10 is attached to the center or upper part of the windshield, the situation behind the driver's seat can be clearly captured and displayed.

[0159] In addition, in cases where there is no zoom function like a PC viewer, for example, when images captured by either or both of the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are displayed in a circular shape, it is advisable to provide an additional information display section 78 in the area outside the circle to display various types of information, as shown in Figure 18(b).

[0160] [Dashcam equipped with in-car status notification function] It is preferable to provide a function for determining the state of passengers from the image captured by the second camera 27 and notifying them. For example, it is preferable to determine whether an infant or child sleeping in the back seat is about to wake up or is sleeping soundly, and to notify them if they are about to wake up or become fussy. In this way, there is no need to periodically check the back seat, and you can concentrate on driving.

[0161] It is also preferable to provide a function for extracting people from the image captured by the second camera 27 by image recognition processing, etc., and counting and reporting the number of passengers. This is preferable because it allows you to immediately tell if everyone is on board. The area behind the driver's seat is particularly difficult to see, but this is good because it allows you to know reliably and smoothly without missing anything. In particular, in the case of vehicles with a large number of passengers, such as buses, it is preferable to be able to quickly check the number of passengers.

[0162] In this way, it is preferable to have a function that focuses on and counts people inside the vehicle, recognizes their condition, etc., and notifies the result by display or voice. Whether or not a person is inside the vehicle can be easily determined by, for example, performing a person recognition process within an area equivalent to the vehicle interior, or by judging based on the amount of movement (for example, when the vehicle is moving, movement is minimal inside the vehicle, etc.), which is preferable because it allows easy distinction between people inside and outside the vehicle.

[0163] [A dashcam equipped with two cameras, only one of which captures a hemispherical area] In the above-described embodiment, the first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are both cameras that capture a range of more than a hemisphere, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is preferable that one of the two cameras is a third camera that captures a range of more than a hemisphere, and the other is a fourth camera that captures a range narrower than the hemisphere, and the two cameras have different capture areas. The third camera may be, for example, a hemispherical camera with a full circumference of 180 degrees, and the fourth camera may be a wide-angle camera used in conventional ordinary drive recorders, for example, a wide-angle camera with a horizontal angle of 120 degrees and a vertical angle of 70 degrees.

[0164] For example, when the drive recorder is mounted and fixed to the ceiling of the vehicle, the third camera has its lens facing downward so as to capture an area of ​​360 degrees horizontally and 180 degrees vertically, and the fourth camera is configured to capture the area in front of the vehicle when the drive recorder is mounted on the vehicle.

[0165] Although specific illustration is omitted, the third camera and the fourth camera may be arranged in a single housing. When the drive recorder is disposed in one housing, for example, the housing is a rectangular parallelepiped box with a hemispherical portion protruding from one side thereof, the third camera is mounted on the hemispherical portion, and the fourth camera is mounted on the rectangular parallelepiped portion. The lens of the fourth camera is disposed at the apex of the hemispherical portion, and the lens of the third camera is disposed so as to be exposed on one side adjacent to the hemispherical portion. Then, when the drive recorder is attached to the ceiling of the vehicle via the mounting member, the hemispherical portion is positioned downward, and the side on which the lens of the fourth camera is provided faces directly ahead of the vehicle.

[0166] For example, the hemispherical camera constituting the third camera captures the lower half of the hemispherical area, but the image of the distant area around the vehicle is too small, making it difficult to understand the situation, for example, when an accident occurs. In addition, there is a problem that traffic lights are located diagonally above the vehicle and are often not included in the capture range. Therefore, in this embodiment, by providing a fourth camera constituting the front camera, it is possible to capture an area in front of the vehicle that is difficult or impossible to capture with the third camera.

[0167] It is advisable to switch the operation of the two cameras depending on the circumstances. For example, while driving, the third and fourth cameras are operated to capture the hemispherical area in front of and below the vehicle, and the images captured by the two cameras are recorded simultaneously on a memory card. In this way, for example, in the event of an accident, if a collision occurs in front of the vehicle, clear and sharp images can be recorded based on the images captured by the fourth camera, just like a conventional drive recorder, and if a collision occurs at the side or rear of the vehicle, which is in the blind spot of the fourth camera, clear and sharp images can be recorded based on the images captured by the third camera.

[0168] Also, for example, when parking, only the third camera is operated for security monitoring mode. In the spherical drive recorder, two cameras are operated even when parking, but in this embodiment, only the third camera is operated, which is good because it reduces power consumption and allows for longer recording and security monitoring. Parking can be determined, for example, when the engine is stopped, there is no one in the driver's seat, the handbrake is applied, the speed is 0 km, the current location is a home parking lot, etc.

[0169] While the vehicle is traveling, it is possible to operate only the fourth camera, but it is preferable to use both the third and fourth cameras in order to record the surroundings of the vehicle, especially collisions from the side or rear. The operation of both cameras can be switched so that, for example, when traveling to a destination such as a highway, the fourth camera takes pictures of the front as a measure against accidents, and when the vehicle approaches the destination, the surrounding scenery is often beautiful, so the third camera can also be operated to take and record the scenery.

[0170] In addition, the third camera may be used for monitoring while the vehicle is parked, and the fourth camera may be used to capture the view ahead while the vehicle is moving. In this manner of use, the image specialized for the view ahead and the image specialized for the view around the vehicle can be switched depending on the purpose.

[0171] It is good to send either one of the images to a smartphone or server as real-time video, since this allows real-time monitoring. It is possible to fix the image to be sent to only one of the cameras, but it is good to send the image from the fourth camera while driving and the image from the third camera while parking.

[0172] The idea of ​​using one camera for security monitoring while the vehicle is parked and extending the operation time of the present embodiment may also be applied to a drive recorder that captures an entire celestial sphere. In this case, for example, a wide-angle camera may be installed in place of the switch unit 28 of the drive recorder 10 to make a three-camera system, and only the wide-angle camera may be configured to operate while the vehicle is parked.

[0173] [Dashcam with one camera] In the above-described embodiments, a plurality of cameras are combined to capture an area wider than a hemisphere. In the present embodiment, however, a single camera is used to capture an area wider than a hemisphere. The camera was attached to the ceiling and fixed to the ceiling. When photographing a hemispherical range, the following problems arise.

[0174] The resolution of the circular image obtained by shooting is the best in the center and the lowest in the peripheral area. Therefore, for example, in monitoring while parking, it is preferable because one camera can shoot 360 degrees horizontally, but there is a problem that the resolution of the view ahead, such as the vehicle ahead, is poor because it is located in the peripheral area of ​​the circular image obtained by shooting. Furthermore, for example, if a camera is attached to a ceiling, it is possible to shoot the vehicle ahead and the driver, etc. in a full 180 degrees, but in addition to the above-mentioned low resolution, it is not possible to shoot traffic lights located above the vehicle. In particular, in the event of an accident, it is necessary to shoot traffic lights in order to identify the route to be traveled and the color of the surrounding traffic lights, but there is a problem that it is not possible to shoot them.

[0175] In this form, for example, a 240-degree camera is used, and one of the cameras is set facing downward to record the lower half of the sky and the area diagonally above it. This allows the single camera to record not only the vehicle ahead and the driver and passengers inside the vehicle, but also traffic lights.

[0176] If the angle is set to 210 degrees, there is a risk that the traffic light may not be captured, so the lower limit is set to 220 degrees. On the other hand, if the angle is increased, the traffic light can be captured with certainty, but the larger the angle, the larger the area captured in the same circle, so the captured object becomes smaller. If the traffic light is not captured at a certain size, the color of the signal cannot be distinguished, and there is no point in recording it. Therefore, the upper limit is set to 260 degrees, which ensures an appropriate size for discrimination. A more preferable range is 230 to 240 degrees, and in this embodiment, 240 degrees is set.

[0177] Furthermore, this embodiment is equipped with a microwave sensor and LTE communication functions. When the microwave sensor detects the approach to the vehicle, the main unit is started up. That is, to reduce the consumption of the vehicle's battery, the CPU, camera, and LTE are kept in sleep mode during standby. Then, when the microwave sensor reacts, it is started up from sleep mode. Since it takes 5 to 10 seconds to start up, it is started up by the microwave sensor, and when the acceleration sensor or door opening sensor reacts, it uses LTE to transfer images, etc., and notifies the user who is carrying a smartphone.

[0178] Since the microwave sensor reacts to any moving object, in this embodiment, the notification is made based on the detection by the acceleration sensor or the door opening sensor, and frequent notifications are suppressed. Depending on the mode setting, it is preferable to have a function that sends real-time images to a smartphone so that a user in a remote location can check them on the smartphone.

[0179] [Other features] It is advisable to have the camera body and GPS as separate units, and to have a vehicle tracking function that allows tracking via GPS even if the camera is destroyed or stolen.

[0180] In each of the above-described embodiments, the drive recorder may have a function of automatically uploading video footage captured in the vicinity of a mobile speed camera, etc., to a server.

[0181] It is a good idea to connect the drive recorder to an in-vehicle device such as a car navigation system and provide a function for displaying images captured by the camera on the car navigation system.

[0182] In each of the above-described embodiments, the drive recorder having two cameras is configured to mount the two cameras in one housing, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the two cameras may be mounted in separate housings. In that case, it is preferable to mount the cameras on one common mounting member. It is also possible to mount two cameras in separate housings on the vehicle using separate mounting members and link the two cameras via wired or wireless communication via a cable, but in order to set the orientation of the two cameras in a desired positional relationship, it is better to mount them on the vehicle using one common mounting member, and moreover, it is more preferable to mount them in a single housing in a desired positional relationship in advance as in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0183] [Application to ADAS (Advanced Driving Systems)] When using images captured by a drive recorder 10 that captures a 360-degree image or an image captured by a camera that captures a 360-degree image for ADAS processing, the following problems arise. For example, when using it for lane departure warning, since there are two 360-degree images, it is necessary to identify which lane the vehicle should not deviate from. Also, since the 360-degree camera captures not only the vehicles and traffic lights in front, but also the vehicles and traffic lights on the sides and rear in the 360-degree image, it is necessary to identify which ADAS area is the target, for example, which traffic light is in front.

[0184] Therefore, for example, the camera is fixed and its orientation cannot be changed so that the captured position is fixed, similar to the drive recorder 10. When the camera is mounted on the vehicle, the part to be used by the ADAS is set so that it does not overlap with the joints between the multiple cameras.

[0185] Another configuration is to adjust the direction of the camera without fixing it. The area of ​​the windshield and the vehicle interior is estimated from the moving parts in the image (parts with optical flow) and non-moving parts such as pillars. The area to be used by ADAS is extracted from the area of ​​the windshield. An area to be used for detecting the user's drowsiness, inattentiveness, etc. may be extracted from the area of ​​the vehicle interior.

[0186] Also, in the case of the drive recorder, the point with the highest resolution (for example, the center) is facing directly ahead, but it would be better to have it facing, for example, in the direction of a white line.

[0187] [Exterior installation] In the above-described embodiment, a camera is provided inside the vehicle cabin, but in addition to providing a camera inside the vehicle cabin, or without providing a camera inside the vehicle cabin, the following configuration may be provided: A hemispherical camera that captures images of the outside of the vehicle (preferably a camera that can capture an area exceeding 180 degrees in all directions, particularly a camera that can capture an area exceeding 210 degrees in all directions) may be provided.

[0188] In particular, it is preferable to install the camera on the side of the vehicle facing outward, or on the side of the vehicle facing downward. For example, it is preferable to install such a camera on the side mirror so as to capture the lower side from the lower surface of the side mirror. In particular, it is preferable to provide such a camera on the side of both the left and right sides of the vehicle.

[0189] The installation position is not limited to this, and for example, it is advisable to install such a camera in at least one of the four corners (front right, front left, rear right, rear left) when the vehicle is viewed from above (particularly the front left is preferable) (particularly it is advisable to install it in all four corners). In particular, it is advisable to install it at the part of the vehicle body where the front and side meet (between) so as to capture the outside from the vehicle side. In this case, it is advisable to set the shooting direction of the center of the camera to a direction that is more than 45 degrees outward to the side of the vehicle relative to the straight forward direction. In other words, it is advisable to install it so that the area of ​​the captured image is larger on the side than on the front.

[0190] With the images from these cameras, it is easier than ever to check whether the vehicle will run over a curb, fall into a gutter, fall into a ravine, hit a guardrail, etc. This is particularly effective when passing or stopping to avoid oncoming vehicles on narrow roads such as mountain roads, or when parking as close to the left as possible.

[0191] It is especially advisable to install the camera so that the area around the tires is included in the shooting range. It is also advisable to install the camera so that the area reflected from the driver's seat is included in the small mirror installed under the conventional left side mirror. Such small mirrors are small and difficult to see, and have the problem that they are almost invisible, especially at night, but this camera can solve this problem.

[0192] In particular, by installing cameras at the front or rear end of the vehicle, as in the four corners mentioned above, when entering the roadway from an area surrounded by walls or the like on one side (or especially both sides), it is possible to easily check a wide area with fewer cameras to see the situation of bicycles, pedestrians, etc. approaching from the left and right.

[0193] In particular, it is preferable to have a function for changing the display range of the omnidirectional camera according to a user's instruction. In particular, it is preferable to have a function for enlarging the part of the image of the omnidirectional camera displayed on the display screen where a touch is detected. In particular, it is preferable to move the touched position to the center of the display part of the screen and draw it.

[0194] In the above-described embodiment, the omnidirectional camera is fixed, but the omnidirectional camera may be provided with a mechanism for changing the shooting direction based on the user's operation. For example, a remotely controllable electric camera platform or the like may be attached to the vehicle, the camera may be fixed to the camera platform, and the shooting direction may be changed by remotely controlling the camera platform.

[0195] Various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments and modified examples, but it should be noted that these embodiments and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but are provided to aid in understanding the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations explicitly described in the specification, but includes combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed in this specification. Although the configurations of the present invention for which a patent is sought are specified in the claims attached to the application, it is hereby noted that configurations not currently specified in the claims may be claimed in the future as disclosed in this specification. The applicant intends to obtain rights to such portions and combinations by filing amendments, divisional applications, applications for conversion to design registration applications, etc.

[0196] The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-mentioned embodiments. The components of each of the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Any component of each of the embodiments and modifications may be arbitrarily combined with any component described in the Summary of the Invention or any component that embodies any component described in the Summary of the Invention. The present invention also intends to obtain rights to such configurations through amendments to this application or divisional applications, etc.

[0197] In addition, although the entire device is drawn in solid lines, the drawings include not only the overall design but also the partial design claimed for a part of the device. For example, it is not only possible to designate a part of the device as a partial design, but also to designate a part of the device as a partial design regardless of the part. The part of the device may be a part of the device or a part of that part. [Explanation of symbols]

[0198] 2. Windshield 3 Pillar 4. Dashboard 10. Live Recorder 11 Main body 12 Camera section 13 Main unit case 25 Case 26 First Camera 27 Second Camera 28 Switch section 50 Angle adjustment mechanism 60 display screen 62 Display Area 62b Mask area

Claims

1. A dashcam equipped with a hemispherical camera that captures the outside of the vehicle, The aforementioned hemispherical camera is mounted on the side mirror so as to photograph the area below from the underside of the side mirror. A dashcam featuring the following characteristics.

2. The vehicle is provided with the hemispherical cameras on both the left and right sides. A drive recorder according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

3. The shooting direction of the center of the aforementioned hemispherical camera was set to be oriented laterally outward with respect to the forward straight-ahead direction, at an angle of more than 45 degrees. A drive recorder according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above.

4. The camera was positioned so that the area around the tires would be within the shooting range. A drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the above.

5. The hemispherical camera was installed at the front or rear of the vehicle. A drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the above.

6. This is for checking the situation of bicycles, pedestrians, etc. coming from the left or right when exiting onto the roadway from an area enclosed on one or both sides by a wall or similar structure. A drive recorder according to claim 5, characterized by the following:

Images