Device, in-vehicle equipment, and system

Abstract

To provide a device capable of supplying power to in-vehicle equipment in a good manner.SOLUTION: A charge / discharge control unit 31 controls a power supply path so that power is supplied from the ACC power source to an internal battery 34 and a DC-DC converter 32 while power is supplied from the ACC power source. This allows the internal battery 34 to be charged and the DC-DC converter 32 to supply voltage-converted power to a dashboard camera. When determining that the ACC power source is OFF, the charge / discharge control unit 31 discharges the internal battery 34 and controls the internal battery 34 to supply power to the DC-DC converter 32. This allows a monitoring battery 3 to continue supplying power to the dashboard camera even when the power supply from a vehicle is interrupted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to devices, in-vehicle devices, systems, and the like.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a device for supplying power to in-vehicle devices has been known (Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes a bracket that includes a solar cell and supplies electricity generated by the solar cell to an in-vehicle device. The bracket described in Patent Document 1 is fixed on the dashboard. Moreover, in order to generate electricity by the solar cell, it is necessary to place it at a position where direct sunlight hits.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As described above, the bracket of Patent Document 1 is fixed on the dashboard. Therefore, in the case where the bracket includes a storage battery, the storage battery is fixed at a position where direct sunlight hits. However, since the temperature range in which the storage battery can be charged and discharged is limited, when the temperature rises due to direct sunlight, it may exceed the upper limit of the temperature at which the storage battery can be charged and discharged, and there is a risk that power supply to the in-vehicle device by the storage battery may become impossible.

[0005] The present application has been proposed in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a device or the like that can supply power to an in-vehicle device well.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) The device of the present invention is a device interposed between a vehicle and in-vehicle equipment for supplying power to the in-vehicle equipment. It is separate from the in-vehicle equipment and includes a battery and a charge-discharge control unit that controls charging of the battery and power supply to the in-vehicle equipment. When being powered by the vehicle, the charge-discharge control unit supplies power to the in-vehicle equipment with the vehicle as the power supply source and charges the battery. When the power supply from the vehicle is cut off, it switches the power supply source to the in-vehicle equipment from the vehicle to the battery and continues to supply power to the in-vehicle equipment for a predetermined period.

[0007] In this way, even when the power supply from the vehicle is cut off, power supply to the in-vehicle equipment can be continued. Examples of the case where the power supply from the vehicle is cut off include, for example, when the vehicle drive source stops, when the power supply from the vehicle battery where charging stops with the stop of the vehicle drive source is cut off, when the vehicle is stopped, parked, or when there is no one in the vehicle. Even in such cases, the in-vehicle equipment can continue to operate by the power supply from this device. In particular, in the case of the configuration (7) described later where the in-vehicle equipment operates during the period of power supply and stops operating when the power supply stops, since the in-vehicle equipment stops operating in response to the device stopping power supply after a predetermined period has elapsed, the in-vehicle equipment can be operated for a desired time. Also, for example, in the case of a configuration where the in-vehicle equipment operates by the power supply from the vehicle battery while the vehicle drive source is stopped, although the vehicle battery may increase, by interposing this device between the vehicle and the in-vehicle equipment, it is possible to make it difficult for the vehicle battery to increase even when the in-vehicle equipment is operated. It is possible to prevent a situation where, for example, the cell motor of the engine cannot rotate and the engine cannot be started and the vehicle cannot be driven due to the increase of the battery.

[0008] Furthermore, since it is a separate unit, the device can be installed at a position different from that of the in-vehicle device. When configured as (2) described later, it is particularly good because it can suppress temperature rise. The battery is preferably, for example, a lithium-ion battery, a lithium-ion polymer battery, etc. However, a lithium hydrogen rechargeable battery is particularly good because it has a wide chargeable temperature range and dischargeable temperature range. As the in-vehicle device, a laser detector, a security device, etc. are good, but those with a large internal heat generation amount are good. As those with a large internal heat generation amount, for example, a device that performs image processing such as a drive recorder is good. Since the device is separate from the in-vehicle device, it can be made less susceptible to the influence of heat generation.

[0009] Also, the in-vehicle device is preferably installed at a location that receives heat from the outside, and this device is preferably installed at a location that is less likely to receive heat from the outside. As the outside, for example, direct sunlight, the engine, etc. are good. The in-vehicle device can be installed at a position that receives direct sunlight, and this device can be installed at a position where direct sunlight is blocked. In particular, the in-vehicle device is preferably installed near the glass between the outside and the inside of the vehicle, and this device is preferably configured not to be installed near the glass. Note that the in-vehicle device may be not only a device that is installed in the vehicle integrally with the vehicle in advance, but also a device that is separate from the vehicle and installed in the vehicle later.

[0010] (2) The in-vehicle device is a drive recorder that captures the outside of the vehicle, and it is preferably configured to have a size and shape such that it is installed at a position where direct sunlight is blocked outside the engine room of the vehicle.

[0011] The drive recorder is installed near the glass in order to photograph the outside of the vehicle through the glass, such as the windshield. However, the area near the glass is also a place where the temperature easily rises due to direct sunlight. Therefore, by installing it in a place where direct sunlight is blocked, the temperature of the battery can be made less likely to rise. Also, by installing this device in a place other than the engine room where the vehicle drive source is housed, it is possible to make it less susceptible to the heat from the vehicle drive source. By making it less likely for the temperature of the battery to rise, it is possible to suppress the charging and discharging from becoming impossible as the temperature rises, and it is possible to make it less likely for power supply to in-vehicle devices to become unavailable. The in-vehicle devices can continue to operate even after the power supply from the vehicle is cut off.

[0012] (3) The in-vehicle device either does not have a battery or has a battery smaller than the battery, and is installed in a place where there are restrictions on size and weight. It is preferable to adopt a configuration in which it is installed in a place with fewer restrictions than the restrictions on the size and weight of the in-vehicle device.

[0013] By doing so, since the size and weight of this device can be increased, the capacity of the battery can be increased. The in-vehicle devices can continue to operate for a long time even after the power supply from the vehicle is cut off. The in-vehicle device is preferably installed in a place where there are size restrictions during installation, for example, on the windshield, etc., where the installation range is defined by law. Also, the in-vehicle device is preferably installed in a position where it may fall due to its weight, on a surface that is not parallel to the floor of the vehicle, such as on the windshield or dashboard.

[0014] (4) It is preferable to adopt a configuration with a size and shape that is installed in a position that does not compress the living space of the vehicle.

[0015] By doing so, during the time of driving and getting in and out of the vehicle, it will not hit people and will not be in the way, which is good. Incidentally, the inventors have found that as the position having the configurations of (2), (3), and (4), for example, the trunk room, under the dashboard, etc., and particularly under the seat is good.

[0016] (5) The device includes a communication means for communicating with in-vehicle devices and a control unit. The control unit is configured to output, by the communication means, a switching signal (hereinafter referred to as a battery switching signal) indicating that the power supply source to the in-vehicle device has been switched from the vehicle to the battery when the power supply and discharge control unit switches the power supply source to the in-vehicle device from the vehicle to the battery.

[0017] By doing so, the in-vehicle device can know that the power supply source has been switched to the battery. In particular, when combined with the configuration of (11) where power saving is achieved when the power supply source is switched to the battery, since the amount of power supplied is reduced, the battery can be made to last longer, which is particularly good. Incidentally, the power supply and discharge control unit and the control unit may be realized by one control means, or may be realized by separate control means respectively.

[0018] (6) The device includes a communication means for communicating with in-vehicle devices and a control unit. The power supply and discharge control unit switches the power supply source to the in-vehicle device from the battery to the vehicle when the power supply from the vehicle resumes. The control unit is configured to output, by the communication means, a signal (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle switching signal) indicating that the power supply source has been switched to the vehicle when the power supply and discharge control unit switches the power supply source to the in-vehicle device from the battery to the vehicle during the period when the power supply source to the in-vehicle device is the battery.

[0019] By doing so, the in-vehicle device can know that the power supply source has been switched back to the vehicle again. In particular, when combined with the configuration of (11) where the shooting conditions are switched according to the power supply source, since the shooting conditions can be switched according to the power supply source being switched back to the vehicle again, it is particularly good. Incidentally, when having the configurations of (5) and (6), each communication means and each control means may be realized so as to share one communication means and one control means, or may be realized by separate communication means and control means respectively.

[0020] (7) It is advisable to configure in-vehicle equipment powered by this device to operate during the power supply period and stop when the power supply is stopped.

[0021] In this way, even if the power supply from the vehicle is cut off, the in-vehicle equipment can continue to operate by receiving power from the device.

[0022] (8) The in-vehicle equipment includes a first always-on recording function that is a function of recording when receiving power from the vehicle, a first event recording function that is a function of recording when a predetermined event occurs while receiving power from the vehicle, a second always-on recording function that is a function of recording when receiving power from the battery, a second event recording function that is a function of recording when a predetermined event occurs while receiving power from the battery, a first setting function for setting the first always-on function, a second setting function for setting the second always-on function, and a third setting function for commonly setting the settings of the first event recording and the second event recording. It is advisable to adopt such a configuration.

[0023] When setting, the user may feel bothered when there are many settings, and there is also a possibility of difficulty in grasping. By making the settings include the setting of the first always-on function, the setting of the second always-on function, and the third setting function for commonly setting the settings of the first event recording and the second event recording, the annoyance felt by the user can be reduced and it can be made easier to grasp. The in-vehicle equipment can operate with an optimal setting according to the applied state.

[0024] In addition, configurations other than that in (8) are also possible. For example, it is also advisable to adopt a configuration including a setting function for setting the first always-on function, a setting function for setting the first event function, and a setting function for commonly setting the setting of the second always-on recording and the setting of the second event recording.

[0025] The in-vehicle device includes a wireless communication function and a creating means for creating communication data of one communication unit having a plurality of frames to be transmitted by the wireless communication function based on the video captured by the photographing means. Among the plurality of frames included in the communication data of one communication unit, it is preferable to have a reference frame that is a frame that can be reproduced independently in at least one frame.

[0026] In this way, if only the reference frame of the communication data of one communication unit can be received, the video during the period of the one communication unit included in the communication data of the one communication unit can be reproduced independently. The video is preferably, for example, information of an image in which information of still images having information such as 30 frames per second is arranged in time series. One communication unit is preferably a single unit delimited based on, for example, time, the number of frames, data capacity, etc. The communication data of one communication unit may be, for example, data delimited at a fixed time, data up to a certain number of frames, data exceeding a certain data capacity, etc. The data length of the communication data of one communication unit may be variable length or fixed length. The communication data of one communication unit may have a variable number of frames, but it is preferable to have a fixed number of frames. The number of frames of the communication data of one communication unit is preferably a plurality, for example. The reference frames among the plurality of frames may be a plurality, but it is particularly preferable to have one. However, for example, when there are a plurality of reference frames in the communication data of one communication unit, as long as at least one of the plurality of reference frames can be received, there will be no situation where no video is displayed during the period of one communication unit. For example, it is preferable to have a playback device including a receiving means for receiving the communication data of one communication unit transmitted by the in-vehicle device and a playback means for displaying the video on a display means based on the received communication data of one communication unit. According to such a playback device, the video based on the communication data of one communication unit transmitted by the in-vehicle device can be played back. The user can view the played-back video.

[0027] (9-1) The in-vehicle device may be configured to repeat the creation of the communication data for one communication unit by the creation means and the transmission of the created communication data for one communication unit by the wireless communication function. In this way, when the imaging means continuously captures images, continuous video can be transmitted. The creation of the communication data for one communication unit and the transmission of the communication data by the wireless communication function may be performed as separate processes. For example, after creating 10 pieces of communication data for one communication unit and creating 10 pieces of communication data for one communication unit, the 10 pieces of communication data for one communication unit may be transmitted 10 times for each communication unit. However, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which, once the communication data for one communication unit is created, the created communication data for one communication unit is transmitted. Also, one communication unit may be created based on the same standard for each repetition unit. The standard may be, for example, based on the time, the number of frames, the data capacity, etc. as described above and should be a fixed quantity for each repetition unit. If the communication data for one communication unit cannot be transmitted, the entire communication data for that one communication unit may be retransmitted. However, it is preferable to do as follows in (9-3).

[0028] (9-2) The in-vehicle device may be configured to store the frames that could not be transmitted among the communication data for one communication unit and transmit the frames that could not be transmitted. In this way, even if there are frames that could not be transmitted, the frames that could not be transmitted can be transmitted later. For example, an identifier such as a serial number may be assigned to the frame, for example, before transmission. If transmission fails, the identifier of the frame that could not be transmitted may be recorded to identify the frame that could not be transmitted. Also, an identifier such as a serial number may be assigned to the communication data for one communication unit. If transmission fails, the identifier of the communication data that could not be transmitted and which frame number the frame that could not be transmitted is may be recorded to identify the frame that could not be transmitted. Also, the identifier may be, for example, a date, time, etc. Among the plurality of frames included in the communication data for one communication unit, the next frame of a certain frame may be used as differential data with the previous reference frame. However, it is preferable to do as follows in (9-3).

[0029] (9-3) The in-vehicle device may be configured such that, among a plurality of frames included in the communication data of the one communication unit, the next frame of a certain frame is a difference frame that is difference data from the frame one frame before. For example, when a certain frame is used as a reference frame, the next frame of the certain frame becomes a difference frame with respect to the reference frame. For example, if a certain frame is a difference frame, the next frame of the certain frame becomes a difference frame with respect to the frame created by that difference frame. By doing so, the data amount of the communication data can be reduced compared to the case where all frames are used as reference frames. Also, it is preferable that the next frame of the difference frame is also a difference frame. In particular, since there is a reference frame as a certain frame among the frames included in the communication data of the one communication unit, the video during the period of the one communication unit can be reproduced alone, and the data amount can be reduced. When the in-vehicle device is a drive recorder that captures the outside of the vehicle while driving, since the entire frame changes more than, for example, a fixed-point camera that captures a place with little background change, it is better that the next frame of a certain frame is difference data from the frame one frame before rather than difference data from the previous reference frame. Also, it is preferable that the reference frame is at the head of the communication data of the one communication unit.

[0030] (9-4) The in-vehicle device is an in-vehicle device including a photographing means and a sound collecting means, and includes a wireless communication function and a creating means for creating communication data of one communication unit having a plurality of frames, which transmits the video photographed by the photographing means and the sound collected by the sound collecting means by the wireless communication function. The communication data of the one communication unit is preferably configured to be arranged in order from the head as a reference frame that can be reproduced alone, audio data, and a difference frame indicating the difference from the frame one frame before.

[0031] In this way, even if the communication is interrupted during the transmission of communication data for one communication unit, at the receiving end, at least a still image based on the reference frame can be viewed. Subsequently, if the audio data can be received, the audio can be listened to. Subsequently, if the differential frame can be received, a video based on the differential frame can be viewed. The order of reception at the receiving end is still image, audio, and video. When the communication data is, for example, something that captures the situation of an accident, first, the outline of the accident can be viewed from the still image. Subsequently, the situation of the accident can be known from the audio. Subsequently, the details of the accident can be known from the video. Even if the communication is interrupted during the audio data, at least the outline of the accident can be viewed at the receiving end. The playback device preferably further has an audio playback function and is configured to be able to play back the audio received from the communication data for one communication unit. In such a playback device it is possible to play back the audio based on the communication data for one communication unit transmitted by the in-vehicle device. The user can listen to the played-back audio.

[0032] (10) The in-vehicle device is an in-vehicle device provided with photographing means, and has a switching function for switching the writing destination of data based on the video photographed by the photographing means among a plurality of recording media, and a wireless communication function for transmitting data based on the video. When the data based on the video cannot be transmitted by the wireless communication function, the data based on the video that could not be transmitted is read from the recording medium storing the data based on the video that could not be transmitted during the period when the storage medium is not the writing destination, and is transmitted by the wireless communication function. This is a good configuration.

[0033] In this way, even when the wireless communication means fails to transmit the video, the video that has failed to be transmitted can be read from one of the recording media that is not the writing destination and then transmitted. It may be difficult to simultaneously write data to and read data from the recording media. For example, in the case of writing data based on a video to the recording media for recording, there may be a situation where the period during which the data based on the video captured by the imaging means is stored in the storage media overlaps with the period during which the data based on the video stored in the storage media is read for transmission. By switching the writing destination among a plurality of storage media to create a period during which the storage media storing the data based on the video is not the writing destination, the data based on the video can be easily read. It is also possible to use three or more storage media, but two storage media are particularly preferable. Further, as different data from the data based on the video for recording and the data based on the video to be transmitted, it is preferable to set their data amounts differently, and it is preferable that the data amount of the data based on the video to be transmitted is less than the data amount of the data based on the video for recording. When constantly writing data based on the video for recording to the recording media, it is preferable to alternately switch between two recording media to write the data based on the video for recording. The data based on the video to be transmitted may also be constantly written by alternately switching between two recording media, but for the data based on the video that has been successfully transmitted, it is not necessary to write it to the recording media. The recording media for writing the data based on the video that could not be transmitted is preferably the recording media that is writing the data based on the video for recording at that time. The data based on the video that could not be transmitted by the wireless communication function may be in units of one communication or in units of frames. For example, an identifier such as a serial number is added to the frame, for example, before transmission. If transmission fails, the identifier of the frame that could not be transmitted and which recording media to write to are recorded to identify the storage media storing the frame that could not be transmitted. Also, a part of the storage area of the recording media may be previously divided as an area for recording data based on the video that could not be transmitted, and the data based on the video stored in that area of the storage media that is not the writing destination may be read out.

[0034] The in-vehicle device (10-1) is an in-vehicle device equipped with imaging means, has a wireless communication function for transmitting data based on the video, and is configured such that the communication speed when transmitting the data based on the video captured by the imaging means can be transmitted in a time shorter than the time required for capturing the data based on the video.

[0035] In this way, the in-vehicle device can transmit the data based on the stored video at once. The data based on the video can be captured for a certain period, stored for the data based on the video of a certain period, and transmitted in a time shorter than the time required for the capture. For example, when storing and transmitting the data based on the video for one communication unit, it can be transmitted in a time shorter than the time required for capturing one communication unit. During the remaining time, the data based on the video that could not be transmitted can be transmitted. It can be transmitted in a time shorter than the real-time of the video. There will be a free time until the start of the capture of the next communication unit. It is possible to ensure the time for transmitting the data based on the video that could not be transmitted by reading out the data based on the video that could not be transmitted from the storage medium storing the data based on the video that could not be transmitted and transmitting it by the wireless communication function. In particular, it exhibits excellent effects in the configuration of (10-2). Also, in the case of the configuration where transmission is performed during the period when the power supply source is a battery as in (14), ( If it is not as in (10-1) and the communication speed is slow, the time for transmitting the data based on the video that could not be transmitted becomes extremely long after the power supply source becomes a battery. In the configuration of (10-1), since the data based on the video that could not be transmitted is transmitted before the power supply source becomes a battery, the time for transmission during the period when the power supply source is a battery can be shortened or eliminated.

[0036] (10-2) The in-vehicle device is an in-vehicle device equipped with imaging means, and has a switching function for switching the write destination of data based on the video captured by the imaging means among a plurality of recording media, a wireless communication function for transmitting data based on the video, and a real-time transmission function for writing data based on the video to a storage medium and transmitting the data based on the video in real time by the wireless communication function. When the data based on the video cannot be transmitted by the real-time transmission function, the data based on the video that could not be transmitted is read from the recording medium that stores it during the period when the storage medium is not the write destination, and is transmitted by the wireless communication function. This configuration is preferable.

[0037] In this way, when the data based on the video cannot be transmitted by the real-time transmission function, almost simultaneously with the real-time transmission, during the period when the storage medium that stores the data based on the video that could not be transmitted is not the write destination, the data based on the video that could not be transmitted is read and the data based on the video that could not be transmitted can be transmitted. In particular, it is preferable to constantly write the data based on the video for recording. The data amount of the data based on the video for recording may be set to be larger than the data amount of the data based on the video to be transmitted, for example, high-quality data, as different data from the data based on the video to be transmitted.

[0038] (11) A system comprising this device and in-vehicle equipment, the device comprising communication means for communicating with the in-vehicle equipment and a control unit. When the power supply control unit switches the power supply source to the in-vehicle equipment from the vehicle to the battery, the control unit outputs a switching signal (hereinafter referred to as the battery switching signal) indicating that the power supply source has been switched to the battery by means of the communication means. The in-vehicle equipment is a drive recorder that captures the outside of the vehicle based on shooting conditions, and comprises equipment communication means for communicating with the device. During a first period when the power supply source is the vehicle, a first condition is applied as the shooting condition, and during a second period when the power supply source is the battery, a second condition that is more power-saving than the first condition is applied as the shooting condition. When receiving the switching signal (battery switching signal), it is preferable to configure the shooting condition to be switched from the first condition to the second condition and continue shooting.

[0039] In this way, since the amount of power supplied by the battery is reduced, the battery can be made to last longer. Here, the shooting condition is not the condition for starting shooting, but the condition during shooting. The shooting conditions preferably include, for example, frame rate, resolution, etc. As a power-saving condition, it is preferable to lower the frame rate, lower the resolution, etc. When the configurations of (5), (6) and (11) are provided, each communication means and each control means may be realized by sharing one communication means and one control means, or may be realized by separate communication means and control means. This device is preferably any one of the devices from (1) to (6), and the in-vehicle equipment is preferably the in-vehicle equipment described in (7). The same applies to (13) to (15) described later.

[0040] (12) A system comprising this device and in-vehicle equipment, the device comprising communication means for communicating with the in-vehicle equipment and a control unit. The control unit outputs, by means of the communication means, a signal indicating the remaining amount of the battery and a switching signal (battery switching signal) indicating that the power supply source to the in-vehicle equipment has been switched from the vehicle to the battery when the power supply control unit makes the switch. The in-vehicle equipment is a drive recorder that captures the outside of the vehicle based on shooting conditions including shooting time and frame rate, equipment communication means for communicating with the device, shooting means, and an image captured by the shooting means A storage medium for storing, and a user interface for receiving setting of shooting conditions. When receiving a signal indicating the remaining battery level and a switching signal (battery switching signal), it is preferable to have a configuration that determines either the shooting time or the frame rate based on the remaining battery level, the remaining capacity of the recording medium, and either the received shooting time or the frame rate.

[0041] In this way, the in-vehicle device can determine either the shooting time or the frame rate by prioritizing either one of the shooting time and the frame rate. If the user sets the desired shooting time or frame rate, the in-vehicle device can be operated. Incidentally, when having the configurations of (5), (6), and (12), each communication means and each control means may be realized so as to share one communication means and one control means, or may be realized by separate communication means and control means respectively.

[0042] (13) A system including this device and an in-vehicle device. The device includes a communication means for communicating with the in-vehicle device and a control unit. When the charge / discharge control unit switches the power supply source to the in-vehicle device from the vehicle to the battery, the control unit outputs a switching signal (battery switching signal) indicating that the power supply source has been switched to the battery by means of the communication means. The in-vehicle device is a drive recorder for shooting the outside of the vehicle based on shooting conditions, and includes a positioning means for positioning the vehicle's position, a device communication means for communicating with the device, and a storage means for storing the shooting conditions set by the user in association with the position. When receiving the switching signal (battery switching signal), if the current position is within a predetermined area of the position stored in the storage means, it is preferable to have a configuration that determines the shooting conditions associated with the position as the current shooting conditions.

[0043] In this way, when the in-vehicle device is within a predetermined radius of a position that has been set in the past, the in-vehicle device can use the shooting conditions stored in the storage means as the current shooting conditions. The user can operate the in-vehicle device without the trouble of setting it many times. Also, even when the current position does not match the position stored in the storage means, if it is within a predetermined area of the stored position, the in-vehicle device can use the shooting conditions associated with that position as the current shooting conditions. For this reason, even when the user freely parks in a parking lot having a predetermined site, for example, the same shooting conditions can be applied. As the predetermined area, for example, it is preferably an arbitrary shape centered on the latitude and longitude specifying the position, particularly a circular shape having a predetermined radius. Incidentally, when the configurations of (5), (6), and (11) are provided, each communication means and each control means may be realized so as to share one communication means and one control means, or may be realized by separate communication means and control means respectively.

[0044] (14) A system including the present device and an in-vehicle device, the device including a communication means for communicating with the in-vehicle device and a control unit. When the power supply control unit switches the power supply source to the in-vehicle device from the vehicle to the battery, the control unit outputs a switching signal (battery switching signal) indicating that the power supply source has been switched to the battery by the communication means. The in-vehicle device is a drive recorder that shoots outside the vehicle based on shooting conditions during a first period when the power supply source is the vehicle, and includes a device communication means for communicating with the device, a shooting means, a recording means for recording an image shot by the shooting means, and a transmission means for transmitting the image via a network. When receiving the switching signal (battery switching signal), it is preferable to configure to transmit the images that could not be transmitted during the first period during the period when the power supply source is the battery.

[0045] In this way, even if the recording cannot be transmitted during the first period, the recording can be surely transmitted. As the transmission destination, for example, it is preferable to use a database that can be browsed by an administrator who manages the vehicle. As the network, for example, it is preferable to use a network for mobile terminals. The first period often corresponds to when the vehicle is running. During running, for example, due to switching of base stations or driving in an area with a slow communication speed, the communication may be interrupted and there may be a period during which transmission is impossible. Also, the second period often corresponds to the parking period. During the parking period, since the vehicle rarely moves, the driving record can be surely transmitted. Incidentally, when the configurations of (5), (6) and (14) are provided, each communication means and each control means may be realized so as to share one communication means and one control means, or may be realized by separate communication means and control means respectively.

[0046] (15) A system including the present device and in-vehicle equipment, the device including a communication means for communicating with the in-vehicle equipment and a control unit. When the charge and discharge control unit switches the power supply source to the in-vehicle equipment from the vehicle to the battery, the control unit outputs a switching signal (battery switching signal) indicating that the power supply source has been switched to the battery by the communication means. The in-vehicle equipment is a drive recorder that photographs the outside of the vehicle based on photographing conditions during the first period when the power supply source is the vehicle, and includes a photographing means, a recording means for recording the image photographed by the photographing means, and a transmitting means for transmitting the image via a network. During the first period, the bit rate of the image is lowered for transmission, and when the switching signal (battery switching signal) is received and the communication speed is higher than the reference value, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which an image with a higher bit rate than that in the first period is transmitted.

[0047] By doing so, in the first period, since the amount of data per unit time can be reduced, the time of the image with respect to the transmission time can be lengthened. As a method of lowering the bit rate, for example, it is good to reduce the image quality. Also, as the network, a network for mobile terminals, a wireless LAN, etc. may be used. Further, as for the case where the power supply source is switched to the battery, for example, it may be the case of parking. When a high-speed wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) can be used in the parking lot, it can be expected that the image can be transmitted in a short time without reducing the amount of data per unit time of the traveling image. Therefore, for example, a traveling image with good image quality can be transmitted. Incidentally, when the configurations of (5), (6) and (15) are provided, each communication means and each control means may be realized so as to share one communication means and one control means, or may be realized by separate communication means and control means respectively.

[0048] (16) A system including the present device and in-vehicle equipment, the device including a communication means for communicating with the in-vehicle equipment and a control unit. When the charge / discharge control unit switches the power supply source to the in-vehicle equipment from the vehicle to the battery, the control unit outputs a switching signal indicating that the power supply source has been switched to the battery by the communication means. The in-vehicle equipment is a drive recorder that captures the outside of the vehicle based on shooting conditions during a first period when the power supply source is the vehicle, and includes a shooting means, a wireless communication function, and a creating means for creating communication data of one communication unit having a plurality of frames to be transmitted by the wireless communication function based on the video captured by the shooting means. Among the plurality of frames included in the communication data of one communication unit, it is preferable to have a configuration including a reference frame that is a frame that can be reproduced independently in at least one frame.

[0049] By doing so, if only the reference frame of the communication data of one communication unit can be received, the video can be reproduced independently.

[0050] (17) A system including the present device and in-vehicle equipment, the device including communication means for communicating with the in-vehicle equipment and a control unit. When the charge / discharge control unit switches the power supply source to the in-vehicle equipment from the vehicle to the battery, the control unit outputs a switching signal indicating that the power supply source has been switched to the battery by the communication means. The in-vehicle equipment is a drive recorder that captures the outside of the vehicle based on shooting conditions during a first period when the power supply source is the vehicle, and includes shooting means, a switching function for switching the writing destination of data based on the video captured by the shooting means among a plurality of recording media, and a wireless communication function for transmitting data based on the video. When data based on the video cannot be transmitted by the wireless communication function, the data based on the video that could not be transmitted is read from the recording medium storing the data based on the video that could not be transmitted during a period when the storage medium is not the writing destination, and transmitted by the wireless communication function.

[0051] In this way, even when the wireless communication means fails to transmit the video, the video that failed to be transmitted can be read from any of the recording media that is not the storage destination and transmitted.

[0052] It is preferable to arbitrarily select and combine (1) to (17), and it is particularly preferable to combine the configurations of (2) to (17) after including (1). Also, it is preferable to arbitrarily select and combine the elements of (1) to (17).

Advantages of the Invention

[0053] According to the device etc. of the present application, power supply to the in-vehicle equipment etc. can be performed well.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0054]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Figure 20

Figure 21

Figure 22

Figure 23

Figure 24

Figure 25

Figure 26

Figure 27

Figure 28

Figure 29

Figure 30

Figure 31

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0055] <Overall Configuration> The overall configuration of system 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. System 1 is installed inside the vehicle. System 1 is a system retrofitted to the vehicle and is composed of a monitoring battery 3, a drive recorder 4, a power cable 11, a cable 12, etc. When the monitoring battery 3 is powered from the ACC power supply (Figure 2), it powers the drive recorder 4 with the ACC power supply as the power source and charges the built-in internal battery 34 (Figure 2). Also, when the power supply from the ACC power supply is cut off, the monitoring battery 3 switches the power source for the drive recorder 4 from the vehicle to the internal battery 34 and continues to supply power to the drive recorder 4. The monitoring battery 3 is provided with an input connector 3a and an input / output connector 3b. The drive recorder 4 is provided with an input / output connector 4a and a display 41. One end of the power cable 11 is provided with a cigarette plug, and the other end is provided with an output terminal 11a. One end of the cable 12 is provided with a first terminal 12a, and the other end is provided with a second terminal 12b. The cigarette plug provided on the power cable 11 is connected to the cigarette socket of the vehicle, and the output terminal 11a of the power cable 11 is connected to the input connector 3a of the monitoring battery 3. Thereby, the monitoring battery 3 can receive power supply from the ACC power supply. Also, the input / output connector 3b of the monitoring battery 3 is connected to the first terminal 12a of the cable 12, and the second terminal 12b of the cable 12 is connected to the input / output connector 4a of the drive recorder 4. Thereby, the monitoring battery 3 can supply power to the drive recorder 4 and can communicate serially with the drive recorder 4.

[0056] <Configuration of Monitoring Battery> Next, the electrical configuration of the monitoring battery 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The monitoring battery 3 includes a charge / discharge control unit 31, a DC-DC converter 32, a CPU 33, an internal battery 34, an indicator 35, a DIP switch DIPSW 36, and the like. The charge / discharge control unit 31 controls the charging of the internal battery 34 and the power supply to the drive recorder 4. The internal battery 34 is a secondary battery, specifically realized by a nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery. The DC-DC converter 32 converts the 12V or 24V voltage supplied from the ACC power supply via the charge / discharge control unit 31 into a 5V voltage and outputs it. The CPU 33 controls the charge / discharge control unit 31, the indicator 35, and the like. Further, the CPU 33 communicates with the drive recorder 4 connected via the cable 12. The indicator 35 includes a lamp for notifying the operating state and a lamp for displaying the remaining battery level of the internal battery 34. The lamp is realized by an LED. The DIP switch DIPSW 36 includes three switches. In the following description and figures, the internal battery 34 may be referred to as the built-in battery.

[0057] The charge / discharge control unit 31 is powered by and receives power from the internal battery 34. While the charge / discharge control unit 31 is powered by the ACC power supply, it controls the power supply path so that power is supplied from the ACC power supply to the internal battery 34 and the DC-DC converter 32. Thereby, the internal battery 34 is charged, and the DC-DC converter 32 supplies the power with the voltage converted to the drive recorder 4. Note that the charge / discharge control unit 31 determines the ON / OFF of the ACC power supply and switches whether to charge or discharge the internal battery 34. When the charge / discharge control unit 31 determines that the ACC power supply is ON, it controls so that power is supplied from the ACC power supply to the internal battery 34 and the DC-DC converter 32. When the charge / discharge control unit 31 determines that the ACC power supply is OFF, it discharges the internal battery 34 and controls so that power is supplied from the internal battery 34 to the DC-DC converter 32.

[0058] Next, the operation of the monitoring battery 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The monitoring battery 3 outputs power to the drive recorder 4 using the ACC power supply during the period when the ACC power supply is ON. ACC When the supply of the ACC power supply is cut off, power is output to the drive recorder 4 using the internal battery 34 for a specified time after the cut-off. When the specified time has elapsed, the power output is turned OFF. When the supply of the ACC power supply resumes, power is again output to the drive recorder 4 using the ACC power supply. As a result, the drive recorder 4 can continue to operate for a specified time after the ACC power supply is cut off. The specified time is set by serial communication from the drive recorder 4. When the drive recorder 4 receives a battery switching signal described later from the monitoring battery 3, it transmits a signal instructing the specified time. The CPU 33 sets the set value of the specified time included in the signal instructing the received specified time as the specified time.

[0059] In addition, when a drive recorder without a communication function is connected to the monitoring battery 3, the CPU 33 sets the time set by the dip switch DIPSW36 as the specified time. When the drive recorder 4 having a communication function is turned on, it transmits a signal asking about the remaining amount of the internal battery 34. When the CPU 33 does not receive a signal asking about the remaining amount of the internal battery 34, it determines that the drive recorder is not connected. When the CPU 33 determines that the drive recorder is not connected, it refers to the setting of the dip switch DIPSW36. The dip switch DIPSW36 can hold setting values related to a total of eight specified times in binary by the ON / OFF combination of three switches. Specifically, the set values of the specified time are 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours, 16 hours, 32 hours, and 64 hours. When connecting a drive recorder without a communication function, the user refers to the instruction manual attached to the monitoring battery 3 and turns each switch ON or OFF so as to correspond to the desired time.

[0060] When the supply of the ACC power is cut off, the monitoring battery 3 switches the power supply source to the internal battery 34 and supplies power to the drive recorder 4. Since the drive recorder 4 continues to be powered before and after the switching, the drive recorder 4 cannot determine whether the power supply source is the ACC power or the internal battery 34. Therefore, when the CPU 33 switches the power supply source to the internal battery 34, it transmits a battery switching signal to the drive recorder 4. When the ACC power is turned on after the monitoring battery 3 turns off the output after the elapse of the specified time, since the power supply that had been stopped for the drive recorder 4 resumes, it can be determined that the ACC power has been turned on. On the other hand, when the ACC power is turned on within the specified time, since the drive recorder 4 continues to be powered, it cannot determine whether the power supply source is the ACC power or the internal battery 34. Therefore, when the ACC power is turned on within the specified time, the CPU 33 transmits a vehicle switching signal notifying that the power supply source has been switched to the ACC power. As a result, the drive recorder 4 can recognize that the ACC power has been turned on and the power supply source has been switched to the ACC power. As will be described later, the drive recorder 4 switches the operation mode according to the input of the battery switching signal and the vehicle switching signal. In addition, the monitoring battery 3 transmits a signal indicating the remaining battery level of the internal battery 34 every 1 s. As a result, the drive recorder 4 can know the remaining battery level of the internal battery 34.

[0061] Next, the shape of the monitoring battery 3 and the like will be described. The monitoring battery 3 includes a mechanism case. The mechanism case is made of a heat-resistant resin and is fixed to the vehicle with a tie wrap or double-sided tape. The mechanism case has a size similar to that of a lunch box for elementary school students and is installed with the largest surface facing down under the seat in the front row of the vehicle. Since the monitoring battery 3 is installed under the seat where direct sunlight is blocked, the temperature of the monitoring battery 3 can be made difficult to rise. Since the temperature of the monitoring battery 3 is difficult to rise, the internal battery 34 is less likely to be restricted in charging and discharging due to temperature rise. As a result, power supply stop from the monitoring battery 3 is less likely to occur, and the operation stop of the drive recorder 4 is less likely to occur. Also, since the monitoring battery 3 is configured to be installed under the seat, the size of the internal battery 34 can be increased to the extent that it can fit under the seat. Thereby, the capacity of the internal battery 34 can be increased For example, if the monitoring battery is configured to be attached to the windshield like the drive recorder 4, there is a risk of it falling due to its weight, but if it is under the seat, the risk of falling is eliminated. Also, since the monitoring battery 3 is installed under the seat, it does not compress the living space of the vehicle and there is no risk of getting in the way when a person drives or gets in and out of the vehicle.

[0062] The drive recorder 4 is attached to the windshield and is located away from the monitoring battery 3 installed under the seat. Since the length of the power cable 11 is about 4 m, the user can connect the monitoring battery 3 and the drive recorder 4 that are located away from each other.

[0063] <Configuration of Drive Recorder> Next, the drive recorder 4 will be described. The drive recorder 4 is installed by being attached to the vehicle interior side of the windshield, and has a recording function of photographing the front of the vehicle through the windshield and recording it on an SD card. Further, in addition to the recording function that a general drive recorder has, the drive recorder 4 has a communication function of communicating with the monitoring battery 3. The drive recorder 4 includes a display 41 (FIG. 1). Further, the drive recorder 4 includes a control unit, a GPS sensor, a G sensor, a camera, a microphone, an OBD connection cable, an SD card interface, operation buttons, display lamps, a speaker, etc., which are not shown in the figure. The display 41 is a full-color displayable liquid crystal display having a backlight, and displays an image according to the control of the control unit. The GPS sensor measures the position of the drive recorder 4 and outputs the vehicle position, which is position information, to the control unit. The G sensor measures acceleration and outputs the measured acceleration to the control unit. The camera photographs and outputs the photographed image data to the control unit. The microphone collects sound and outputs the collected voice data to the control unit. The OBD connection cable is a cable that can be connected to an OBD-II connector mounted on the vehicle. The control unit acquires vehicle information, which is self-diagnosis performed by the ECU mounted on the vehicle, via the OBD connection cable. The SD card interface includes an SD card insertion slot, and when an SD card is inserted into the SD card insertion slot, it notifies that the SD card has been inserted. Further, according to the control of the control unit, the information recorded on the SD card is read out and output to the control unit. Also, information such as image data output from the control unit is written to the SD card.

[0064] There are a plurality of operation buttons, which are physical buttons provided on the mechanism case of the drive recorder 4. When the operation buttons are pressed by the user, for example, they output information indicating that they have been pressed to the control unit. The operation buttons are composed of a "Cursor (Up) / REC" button, an "OK" button, a "Cursor (Down) / One-touch Recording" button, an "SD Card Format" button, a "MENU / MUTE on / off" button, a "Mode Switching" button, a "Power" button, and the like. Hereinafter, the "Cursor (Up) / REC" button, the "Cursor (Down) / One-touch Recording" button, the "SD Card Format" button, and the "MENU / MUTE on / off" button may be described as the "Cursor (Up)" or "REC" button or "Up" button, the "Cursor (Down)" button or "Down" button, the "SD" button, and the "MENU" button, respectively. Furthermore, the "button" may be described as a "key". The display lamp is realized by an LED and lights up and goes out according to the control of the control unit. The display lamp is composed of a power lamp that lights up when the power is turned on and a recording lamp that lights up during recording. The speaker emits sound according to the control of the control unit.

[0065] The control unit includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a non-volatile storage unit, and the like. The CPU controls each unit by executing various programs stored in the ROM. Here, each unit refers to a display 41, a GPS sensor, a G sensor, a camera, an SD card interface, an operation button, a display lamp, and a speaker. Programs and data necessary for program execution are stored in the ROM. The RAM is used as a main storage device for the CPU to execute various processes. The RAM temporarily stores the captured image data. It stores. Also, two codices of image data are stored in the ROM. They are programs for encoding image data to be transmitted via the Internet and programs for encoding image data to be stored in the SD card, etc. Details such as codices will be described later. The non-volatile memory unit stores, for example, set values set by the user. The CPU communicates with the monitoring battery 3 connected via the cable 12.

[0066] Furthermore, the drive recorder 4 includes a LAN interface capable of connecting to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) not shown, compliant with the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard, and a mobile communication interface 52 (Fig. 19) capable of connecting to a network for mobile terminals compliant with LTE (Long term Evolution), 4G (Generation). Thereby, the drive recorder 4 can be connected to the Internet via a wireless LAN through a Wi-Fi connectable router. Also, it can be connected to the Internet via a base station. The LAN interface is preferably a wireless LAN communicator, and the mobile communication interface is preferably a communicator such as LTE or 4G. Also, in an area where both wireless LAN connection and connection to the base station are possible, it has a function of preferentially connecting to the wireless LAN.

[0067] The drive recorder 4 is provided with a control unit, and further, since the control unit processes image data, the heat generation amount is large. For this reason, if the monitoring battery 3 is near the drive recorder 4, it is easily affected by the heat generation. As described above, in the system 1, the drive recorder 4 is installed on the front glass, and the monitoring battery 3 is installed under the seat. Thereby, the monitoring battery 3 can be made less susceptible to the influence of the heat generation of the drive recorder 4. Since the monitoring battery 3 is less likely to have its temperature rise, the internal battery 34 is less likely to be restricted in charging and discharging due to the temperature rise. Thereby, power supply stop from the monitoring battery 3 is less likely to occur, and operation stop of the drive recorder 4 is less likely to occur.

[0068] Here, the effects when adopting the configuration of the system 1 as compared with the conventional configuration will be described. For example, there is a drive recorder equipped with a battery such as a lithium-ion polymer battery (LiPo). The drive recorder with this configuration can operate for about 20 to 30 minutes after the ACC power is turned off. However, the drive recorder is usually installed to shoot outside the vehicle through the front glass, and since it needs to be installed in a place exposed to the sun, it may be exposed to high temperatures such as in midsummer, and the lithium-ion polymer battery may not be able to be charged. For example, in summer, it is difficult to charge during the day, and in many cases, it can be charged only barely at night. Also, since the drive recorder is attached to the front glass, there are limitations in size and weight. There is also a separate type of drive recorder in which a camera unit equipped with a camera and a main body equipped with a CPU and a battery are separate bodies. In this case, heat such as that from the CPU may be trapped inside the case of the main body, and the temperature of the battery in the same case as the main body may become higher than the temperature in a place where the vehicle is not exposed to the sun. In this regard, in the system 1, since the drive recorder 4 is separate from the monitoring battery 3, it is possible to make it less susceptible to the heat generated by the CPU provided in the drive recorder 4. Also, since the monitoring battery 3 is installed under the seat, it is possible to make it less susceptible to the influence of temperature rise due to sunlight.

[0069] Also, the internal battery 34 is a nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery, and since the upper limit temperature at which charging is possible is about 70°C, which is higher than that of a lithium-ion polymer battery with a charging temperature of about 0 to 45°C, it is possible to suppress the battery from becoming unable to be charged even in summer. The monitoring battery 3 can supply power for about 10 hours after the ACC power is turned off, depending on operating conditions such as the environment. It is also possible to directly connect the drive recorder to the vehicle battery installed in the vehicle. However, in this configuration, the remaining amount of the vehicle battery for rotating the vehicle's cell motor It is necessary to leave some remaining amount and it is necessary to grasp the remaining amount, but there is a problem that it is difficult to accurately grasp the remaining amount. As a method for grasping the remaining amount of the vehicle battery, there is a method of drawing current and measuring the voltage at this time. As the remaining amount of the vehicle battery decreases, the voltage decreases. Therefore, for example, when the voltage becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value, it can be determined that the remaining amount of the vehicle battery has decreased. However, the current consumption of the drive recorder is, for example, less than 1 A, which is small compared to the current consumption when rotating a cell motor of, for example, several to several tens of amperes. Therefore, the amount of voltage drop also becomes small, making it difficult to accurately grasp the remaining amount of the vehicle battery. In this regard, in System 1, when the ACC power supply is turned off, the monitoring battery 3 uses the internal battery 34 to supply power to the drive recorder 4, so that it is possible to avoid the vehicle battery from rising.

[0070] <Continuous recording mode, monitoring recording mode, event recording> Next, the recording function of the drive recorder 4 will be described. The drive recorder 4 operates according to the operation mode. The operation modes include the always-on monitoring mode and the monitoring and recording mode. The drive recorder 4 records in the always-on recording mode and the monitoring and recording mode. Also, in the always-on recording mode and the monitoring and recording mode, event recording is performed according to a predetermined trigger. There are two predetermined triggers. One is when the control unit determines that an event has occurred based on the information of the G-sensor, and the other is when the user presses the "Cursor (down)" button. Specifically, the control unit determines that an event has occurred when the acceleration measured by the G-sensor exceeds the threshold value. Thereby, when the vehicle is impacted, for example, due to an accident, the drive recorder 4 can execute event recording. The case where the "Cursor (down)" button is pressed means, for example, when a user who senses danger presses the "Cursor (down)" button. The drive recorder 4 finely records about 10 to 30 seconds before and after the generated event as event recording. Note that the recording in the always-on recording mode and the monitoring and recording mode performed by the drive recorder 4 is described as always-on recording and monitoring recording, respectively. Also, the event recording started when the control unit determines that an event has occurred based on the information of the G-sensor may be referred to as G-sensor event recording or G-sensor event record. The event recording started when the "Cursor (down)" button is pressed may be referred to as one-touch recording or one-touch event record.

[0071] When the power of the drive recorder 4 is turned on and it is always-on recordable, the drive recorder 4 operates in the always-on recording mode and starts always-on recording. In the always-on recording mode, when receiving a battery switching signal from the monitoring battery 3, the control unit determines whether to shift to the monitoring and recording mode or turn off the power of the drive recorder 4 based on the setting. After shifting to the monitoring and recording mode, if it is monitoring recordable, the drive recorder 4 starts monitoring recording. Also, when receiving a vehicle switching signal from the monitoring battery 3 and it is always-on recordable, the drive recorder 4 shifts from the monitoring and recording mode to the always-on recording mode and starts always-on recording.

[0072] When the monitoring battery 3 is being powered from the ACC power supply, it is often the case that the vehicle is driving the engine and even running. When the power supply from the ACC power supply to the monitoring battery 3 is cut off, it is often the case that the vehicle has stopped the engine and is even parked. When the drive recorder 4 operates in the always-recording mode, it is when the monitoring battery 3 is being powered from the ACC power supply. When the drive recorder 4 operates in the monitoring-recording mode, it is when the monitoring battery 3 is not being powered from the ACC power supply. The drive recorder 4 changes the operation mode according to whether the monitoring battery 3 is being powered from the ACC power supply or not, and changes the operation mode between when the vehicle is running and when it is parked. Incidentally, in the following description and figures, instead of ON / OFF of the ACC power supply, it may be described as engine ON / OFF.

[0073] The drive recorder 4 records according to the recording conditions corresponding to each of always recording, monitoring recording, and event recording. Here, the recording conditions are settings regarding the image data to be stored, and specifically, are composed of setting items such as "number of recording frames", "resolution", and "recording time". The number of recording frames in event recording is as many as about 30 fps, and the "resolution" is as high as about 1080pHD. Thereby, the situation of the accident is recorded in detail. Incidentally, in the following description and figures, the "number of recording frames" may be described as "frame rate".

[0074] <Monitoring Recording Mode> Next, the surveillance recording mode will be described. As described above, in the always-on recording mode, when the control unit receives a battery switching signal from the surveillance battery 3, it determines whether to switch to the surveillance recording mode or turn off the power of the drive recorder 4 based on the settings. Here, the settings refer to the settings related to the surveillance recording mode. The setting items for the settings related to the surveillance recording mode include "recording mode", "my area", "my cancellation area", etc. The drive recorder 4 prepares a plurality of options for each of "recording mode", "my area", and "my cancellation area". The user can configure to preset any of the options on the setting screen described later. Incidentally, the "settings" will be described after the description of the surveillance recording mode.

[0075] The options for the "recording mode" are three: "automatic", "manual", and "OFF". When the "recording mode" is "automatic", the drive recorder 4 automatically performs surveillance recording when the ACC power is turned off. Here, "automatic" means operating without relying on input, such as whether the user has operated an operation button. Also, when the drive recorder 4 receives a battery switching signal from the surveillance battery 3, it determines that the ACC power has been turned off. The same applies in the following descriptions. When the "recording mode" is "manual", when the ACC power is turned off, a POPUP display is shown on the display 41 to confirm with the user whether to perform surveillance recording. When the "recording mode" is "OFF", no surveillance recording is performed. Since it can be set to "manual", the user can set the recording conditions by himself according to the position of the vehicle, the remaining amount of the internal battery 34 (hereinafter referred to as the battery remaining amount), and the remaining amount of the SD card (hereinafter referred to as the SD card remaining amount), etc. Incidentally, as will be described later, the settings of "my area" and "my cancellation area" take precedence over the setting of the "recording mode". Also, in the following descriptions and figures, the "recording mode" may be described as the "surveillance recording setting".

[0076] "My Area" is an area where surveillance recording is automatically performed even when the "recording mode" is set to "manual". "My Cancel Area" is an area where surveillance recording is not automatically performed even when the "recording mode" is set to "auto". "My Area" and "My Cancel Area" can be registered in advance in the "settings". For example, if the user registers the parking lot of their home where there is no security as "My Area", when parking in the parking lot of their home, surveillance recording can be automatically performed. Also, for example, if the user registers the parking lot of their workplace where there is security as "My Cancel Area", surveillance recording can be prevented in the parking lot of their workplace. In the following explanations and figures, "My Area" and "My Cancel Area" may sometimes be referred to as "Surveillance My Area" and "Surveillance My Cancel Area", respectively.

[0077] The control unit determines to shift to the surveillance recording mode in the following settings. The first is when the "surveillance recording setting" is "auto" and the vehicle position is outside the areas of "Surveillance My Area" and "Surveillance My Cancel Area". The second is when the "surveillance recording setting" is "manual" and the vehicle position is within the area of "Surveillance My Area". The third is when the "surveillance recording setting" is "auto", the vehicle position is within the area of "Surveillance My Cancel Area", and the "REC" button is pressed within 30 seconds after the screen Sa1 (Figure 4) is displayed. The fourth is when the "surveillance recording setting" is "manual", outside the area of "Surveillance My Area", and the "REC" button is pressed within 30 seconds after the screen Sa2 (Figure 4) is displayed.

[0078] When the "monitoring recording setting" is set to "manual", the drive recorder 4 displays the screen Sa2 and prompts the user to operate the "REC" button, except when the vehicle position is within the "monitoring my area". When the "REC" button is pressed, the monitoring recording starts. When the "monitoring recording setting" is set to "automatic", the drive recorder 4 starts the monitoring recording without waiting for the user's operation, except when the vehicle position is within the "monitoring my cancel area". By registering the parking position in advance in the "monitoring my area" before parking, the user can start the monitoring recording on the drive recorder 4 automatically when parking at the parking position. By registering the parking position where monitoring recording is not required in advance in the "monitoring my cancel area" before parking, the user can cancel the start of the monitoring recording on the drive recorder 4 automatically when parking at the parking position where monitoring recording is not required.

[0079] The control unit determines to turn off the power of the drive recorder 4 in the following settings. The first is when the "monitoring recording setting" is "automatic", the vehicle position is within the "monitoring my cancel area", and 30 seconds have elapsed without the "REC" button being pressed after the screen Sa1 (Fig. 4) is displayed. The second is when the "monitoring recording setting" is "manual", the vehicle position is outside the "monitoring my area", and 30 seconds have elapsed without the "REC" button being pressed after the screen Sa2 (Fig. 4) is displayed.

[0080] Next, with reference to Figs. 4 to 7, the operation of the drive recorder 4 after receiving the battery switching signal in the continuous recording mode will be described using the display screen displayed on the display 41. The "monitoring recording" in Fig. 4 indicates that it is after receiving the battery switching signal in the continuous recording mode.

[0081] When the "Monitoring Recording Setting" is "Automatic" and the vehicle position is within the area of the "My Cancellation Area", the screen Sa1 is displayed. On the screen Sa1, a message "Cursor (Up) / REC Button: Start Monitoring Recording, Power OFF in ○○ seconds" is displayed in white characters with a red background. If the "REC" button is pressed before 30 seconds have elapsed, the system shifts to the monitoring recording mode. Also, when the "Monitoring Recording Setting" is "Manual" and the vehicle position is within the area of the "Monitoring My Area", the system shifts to the monitoring recording mode. Further, when the "Monitoring Recording Setting" is "Automatic" and the vehicle position is outside the areas of the "Monitoring My Area" and the "My Cancellation Area", the system shifts to the monitoring recording mode. When the "Monitoring Recording Setting" is "Manual" and the vehicle position is outside the areas of the "My Cancellation Area" and the "Monitoring My Area", the screen Sa2 is displayed. On the screen Sa2, a message "Cursor (Up) / REC Button: Start Monitoring Recording, Power OFF in ○○ seconds" is displayed in white characters with a red background. If the "REC" button is pressed by the user within 30 seconds, the system shifts to the monitoring recording mode. Also, when the "Monitoring Recording Setting" is "OFF", after displaying the ending screen, which is the screen Sa3, the power is turned off. Note that if the "REC" button is not pressed within 30 seconds after displaying the screen Sa1 and the screen Sa2, an inactivity timeout occurs, and after displaying the screen Sa3, the power is turned off.

[0082] Note that if the GPS sensor fails to acquire the position information, when the "Monitoring Recording Setting" is "Manual" and the vehicle is outside the area of the "Monitoring My Area", the same as the case where the screen Sa2 is displayed and the "REC" button is pressed within 30 seconds, the system shifts to the monitoring recording mode.

[0083] Next, the control unit determines whether the remaining amount of the SD card is sufficient for the "settings" of the recording conditions in the surveillance recording mode. If the control unit determines that the remaining amount of the SD card is sufficient, it starts the surveillance recording. The recording conditions in the surveillance recording mode include setting items such as "recording time", "resolution", and "number of recording frames". The control unit records the image data on the SD card. Therefore, if the remaining amount of the SD card is not sufficient, it may not be possible to record as set. Thus, before executing the surveillance recording, the control unit determines whether the remaining amount of the SD card is sufficient for the settings based on the settings of the recording conditions and the remaining amount of the SD card. Specifically, it calculates the data amount per second by multiplying the data amount corresponding to the "resolution" by the "number of recording frames". It calculates the total data amount by multiplying the calculated data amount per second by the "recording time", and determines that it can record according to the settings when the total data amount is less than or equal to the remaining amount of the SD card. Note that the "resolution" vs. "data amount" table is pre-recorded in the ROM. The control unit refers to the table, reads out the data amount corresponding to the corresponding "resolution", and calculates. "SD card: OK" shown in FIG. 5 indicates the case where the control unit determines that the remaining amount of the SD card is sufficient. "SD card: NG" indicates the case where the control unit determines that the remaining amount of the SD card is not sufficient.

[0084] In addition, the control unit determines whether the battery remaining amount is sufficient for the "settings" of the recording conditions in the surveillance recording mode. In the recording surveillance mode, the drive recorder 4 operates using the power supply from the internal battery 34 of the surveillance battery 3 as the power source. Therefore, if the battery remaining amount is not sufficient, it may not be possible to record as set. Thus, the control unit determines whether the battery remaining amount is sufficient for the "recording time". The surveillance battery 3 transmits a signal indicating the battery remaining amount of the internal battery 34 to the drive recorder 4. The signal indicating the battery remaining amount of the internal battery 34 is a signal indicating the information of the numerical value showing the battery remaining amount as a percentage and the information of the type of the internal battery 34. Here, the type of the internal battery 34 is, for example, the capacity of the battery such as 500 mAh or 10,000 mAh. The control unit calculates the remaining capacity of the internal battery 34 by multiplying the numerical value showing the battery remaining amount as a percentage by the type of the internal battery 34. The calculated remaining capacity of the internal battery 34 is divided by its own current consumption stored in the ROM in advance to calculate the "usable time". When the "usable time" is equal to or greater than the recording time, it is determined that the battery remaining amount is sufficient. "External battery remaining amount: OK" shown in FIG. 5 indicates the case where the control unit determines that the battery remaining amount is sufficient. "External battery remaining amount: NG" indicates the case where the control unit determines that the battery remaining amount is not sufficient.

[0085] When recording on the SD card, it is also possible to overwrite and record the already stored data. The drive recorder 4 is configured to be able to set whether to overwrite in the "Settings". Specifically, there is a setting item "Overwrite of surveillance recording" in the setting items, and it is configured to be able to select either "ON" or "OFF". Also, the SD card is pre-folder-divided into four types: "Continuous recording", "Continuous event recording", "Surveillance recording", and "Event recording during surveillance". Regarding overwriting, in addition to "Overwrite of surveillance recording", there are setting items such as "Overwrite of event recording", and it is configured to be able to set in the same way as "Overwrite of surveillance recording". Note that "Continuous event recording" refers to event recording in the continuous recording mode. Similarly, "Event recording during surveillance" refers to event recording in the surveillance recording mode. Also, in the following explanations and figures, "Overwrite of surveillance recording" may be described as "Overwrite of previous recording". "Overwrite of previous recording: ON" shown in FIG. 5 indicates the case where "Overwrite of surveillance recording" is set to "ON". "Overwrite of previous recording: OFF" indicates the case where "Overwrite of surveillance recording" is set to "OFF".

[0086] When the control unit determines that the remaining amount of the SD card and the remaining amount of the battery are sufficient and "Overwrite of surveillance recording" is set to "ON" (shown as "SD card remaining amount: OK", "External battery remaining amount: OK", "Overwrite of previous recording: ON" in FIG. 5), the control unit determines that it can execute surveillance recording according to the "Settings" and displays the screen Sa4. On the screen Sa4, a message "Start surveillance recording, surveillance recording time: ○○○ minutes, external battery remaining amount:" is displayed. Also, to the right of "External battery remaining amount:", an icon indicating the remaining amount of the battery is displayed. The icon indicating the remaining amount of the battery is an icon that shows the remaining amount step by step on the outer shape of the battery. The control unit displays the calculated "usable time" to the right of "Surveillance recording time:". Also, based on the percentage of the remaining amount of the battery transmitted from the surveillance battery 3, it is displayed as an icon. Next, after 3 minutes have passed, the screen Sa8 is displayed. will start, surveillance recording time: ○○○ minutes, external battery remaining amount:". Also, to the right of "External battery remaining amount:", an icon indicating the remaining amount of the battery is displayed. The icon indicating the remaining amount of the battery is an icon that shows the remaining amount step by step on the outer shape of the battery. The control unit displays the calculated "usable time" to the right of "Surveillance recording time:". Also, based on the percentage of the remaining amount of the battery transmitted from the surveillance battery 3, it is displayed as an icon. Next, after 3 minutes have passed, the screen Sa8 is displayed.

[0087] Also, when the control unit determines that the remaining amount of the SD card is sufficient, determines that the remaining battery level is insufficient, and "overwriting of surveillance recording" is set to "ON" (shown as "SD card remaining amount: OK", "external battery remaining amount: NG", "previous recording overwriting: ON" in Fig. 5), the control unit determines that the remaining battery level is low and the set "recording time" of surveillance recording cannot be executed, and displays screen Sa5. On screen Sa5, a message "Surveillance recording will start. External battery remaining amount is insufficient. There is a risk of ending surveillance during recording. External battery remaining amount:" is displayed. Also, to the right of "External battery remaining amount:", an icon indicating the remaining amount is displayed. Next, before the set "recording time" elapses, as the remaining battery level decreases to the extent that the drive recorder 4 becomes inoperable, the screen transitions to screen Sa3.

[0088] Also, when the control unit determines that the remaining amount of the SD card is insufficient and "overwriting of surveillance recording" is set to "OFF" (shown as "SD card remaining amount: NG", "previous recording overwriting: OFF" in Fig. 5), the control unit displays screen Sa6 to prompt the user to change "settings", for example, change "previous recording overwriting" to ON. On screen Sa6, a message "There is no space in the surveillance recording folder. MENU button: change settings, SD button: delete surveillance recording, power OFF in another ○○ seconds" is displayed. In response to the user pressing the "MENU" button within 30 s from the start of the display of screen Sa6, screen Sa14 (Fig. 8) is displayed. Screen Sa14 is a setting screen that accepts "settings". As will be described later, during the display of the setting screens (screens Sa14 to Sa17), when the "MENU" button is pressed, "settings" may be changed, so it returns to the "surveillance recording mode" shown in Fig. 5, and again the control unit determines whether the remaining amounts of the SD card and the battery are sufficient. On the other hand, if the "SD" button and the "MENU" button are not pressed within 30 s from the start of the display of screen Sa6, it times out due to no operation and transitions to screen Sa3 to turn off the power.

[0089] After the screen Sa6 is displayed, if the "SD" button is pressed, since the user has instructed to erase the data of the SD card, the control unit displays the screen Sa12. On the screen Sa12, a message "The surveillance recording folder will be erased. MENU button: Cancel. Recording of surveillance after erasure will start in ○○ seconds" is displayed. Next, after the screen Sa12 is displayed, if the "MENU" button is not pressed within a predetermined time, it is determined that the user has approved the execution of erasing the data of the SD card. After clearing the surveillance recording folder, the screen Sa5 is displayed. On the other hand, if the "MENU" button is pressed within a predetermined time after the screen Sa12 is displayed, it is determined that the user has canceled the execution of erasing the data of the SD card, and the screen of Sa6 is displayed without clearing the surveillance recording folder. In this way, when the remaining amount of the SD card of the SD card is small, the user can erase the parking recording data with a simple operation of pressing the button once. Here, the parking recording data is the recording data stored in the parking recording.

[0090] The recording data stored in the folders assigned to "surveillance recording" and "event recording during surveillance" is unnecessary data if there is no abnormality in the vehicle. Therefore, by pressing the simple erase button, the user can erase the data. Here, the simple erase button is the "SD" button pressed during the display of the screen Sa6.

[0091] Screens Sa8 and Sa10 are display screens during surveillance recording. Screens Sa7 and Sa9 are display screens during event recording. Screens Sa8 and Sa7 are in the screen-off state, and screens Sa10 and Sa9 are in the screen-on state. The screen-off state means that the backlight is not lit, and the screen-on state means that the backlight is lit. Although screens Sa8 and Sa7 are in the screen-off state, in order to notify the user that recording is in progress, the control unit lights the recording lamp with a lighting pattern different from that of normal recording at all times. Screens Sa10 and Sa9 display the video being captured by the camera in real time, and at the upper left of the screen, an icon depicting the camera and an icon with a red circle drawn to indicate that recording is in progress are displayed. Also, at the upper right of the screen, the elapsed time and resolution since the start of recording are displayed. Also, the time is displayed at the lower left of the screen.

[0092] When the control unit determines that an event has occurred in the state of surveillance recording with screen Sa8 being displayed, it transitions to screen Sa7 and switches to event recording. Also, when it detects the end of an event in the state of surveillance recording with screen Sa7 being displayed, it transitions to screen Sa8 and switches to surveillance recording. Similarly, when the control unit determines that an event has occurred in the state of surveillance recording with screen Sa10 being displayed, it transitions to screen Sa9 and switches to event recording. Also, when it detects the end of an event in the state of surveillance recording with screen Sa9 being displayed, it transitions to screen Sa10 and switches to surveillance recording. Incidentally, the control unit determines that the event has ended when 30 s have elapsed since it determined that the event has occurred. Also, screens Sa8 and Sa10 are alternately switched each time the "MODE" button is pressed. Also, after 10 s have elapsed since the start of the display of screen Sa10, it is switched to screen Sa8. By using screens Sa7 and Sa8 as the display screens, power consumption can be reduced more than when using screens Sa9 and Sa10, and the internal battery 34 can be made to last longer. Also, it can be photographed secretly.

[0093] During the surveillance recording while the screen Sa8 is being displayed, if the "Surveillance Recording Time" expires, if the battery level of the internal battery 34, which is an external battery, drops to "LOBATT", and if the cable 12, which is the power cord, is unplugged, the screen will transition to Sa3. Similarly, during the surveillance recording while the screen Sa10 is being displayed, if the "Surveillance Recording Time" expires, if the battery level of the internal battery 34, which is an external battery, drops to "LOBATT", and if the cable 12, which is the power cord, is unplugged, the screen will transition to Sa3.

[0094] During the surveillance recording while the screen Sa10 is being displayed, if the "REC" button is pressed, the screen will transition to Sa11 and the surveillance recording will stop. Next, 1 minute after starting the display of the screen Sa11, the screen will transition to Sa3. Also, when an event is determined to have occurred while the screen Sa4 is being displayed, the screen will transition to Sa9 and the event recording will start.

[0095] In addition, among the recording conditions in the event recording mode, the "number of recording frames" is preset and is 30fps. Also, in the above, it was explained that event recording is performed when the end of the event is detected. However, in the "Settings", when the "Event Recording Overwrite" of the recording conditions in the "Event Recording Mode" is "OFF" and there is no remaining capacity on the SD card assigned to event recording, event recording is not executed. Also, the control unit does not perform event recording for 3 minutes from the start of surveillance recording. This can prevent the control unit from determining that an event has occurred and recording the event for activities such as the user getting in and out or loading and unloading luggage, which involve opening and closing the door.

[0096] <Settings for Surveillance Recording in Surveillance Recording Mode> Next, the setting screen that transitions when the "MENU" button is pressed while the screen Sa6 is being displayed will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 9. The screens Sa14 to Sa17 are all setting screens for performing surveillance recording settings. As shown in the screen Sa14, the control unit displays "Surveillance Recording Settings" in the upper right corner of the screen. Display "Fixed", and display the message "MENU, SD available: ○○○ minutes" below the screen. To the right of "MENU", display an icon with a return arrow drawn on it. By doing this, it is possible to inform the user that pressing the "MENU" button will return to the previous display screen. Also, the control unit displays the calculated "usable time" to the right of "SD available:". In the center of the screen, list display "recording time", "recording resolution", "number of recording frames", and "overwrite previous recording", which are the setting items in the surveillance recording mode. Note that the number of items that can be displayed on the screen is 4, and a configuration is adopted in which items that are not displayed are scrolled and displayed in response to pressing the "up" key or the "down" key. Also, currently, in order to distinguish the selected item from other items, it is displayed with a different background color (hereinafter referred to as "selection display"). Specifically, for example, both are displayed in white characters, the background color of the selected item is set to blue, and the background color of other items is set to black. Note that in FIGS. 8 and 9, the currently selected item is shaded for illustrative purposes.

[0097] As described above, when the "MENU" button is pressed during the display of screen Sa6, screen Sa14 is displayed. Each time the "down" key is pressed, the screen transitions in order to screen Sa15, screen Sa16, screen Sa16, screen Sa17, and back to screen Sa15 again. Similarly, each time the "up" key is pressed, the screen transitions in order to screen Sa17, screen Sa16, screen Sa15, screen Sa14, and back to screen Sa17 again.

[0098] While the screen Sa14 is being displayed, if the "OK" key is pressed, the screen Sa18 is displayed. On the screen Sa18, "Recording Time", which is the item being set, is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen, and "1 / 5", which indicates the page number of the display screen of "Recording Time", is displayed in the lower left corner of the screen. Similar to the screen Sa14, the number of items to be displayed is four, and they are separated every four items. One group of separated items is displayed as one page. As will be described later, there are a total of 17 options for "Recording Time", and the total number of pages is five. As the "Down" key is pressed, the next page is displayed. As the "Up" key is pressed, the previous page is displayed. Note that the illustration of the second page and subsequent pages is omitted. The options for "Recording Time" are 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes (1 hour), 90 minutes (1.5 hours), 120 minutes (2 hours), 180 minutes (3 hours), 240 minutes (4 hours), 300 minutes (5 hours), 360 minutes (6 hours), 420 minutes (7 hours), 480 minutes (8 hours), 540 minutes (9 hours), 600 minutes (10 hours), 660 minutes (11 hours), and 720 minutes (12 hours). On the display screen of "Recording Time", if there is a currently set option, a check mark is displayed at the left end of the currently set option.

[0099] Also, options that are impossible to record, which are longer than the "Available Time" calculated based on the remaining amount of the SD card, are displayed in red (illustration omitted). For example, if the "Available Time" is 60 minutes, options of 90 minutes or more are displayed in red. This allows the user to avoid setting options that are impossible to record. When the "OK" key is pressed while the screen Sa18 is being displayed, the selected option is used as the set value of "Recording Time" to update the non-volatile memory unit, and the screen transitions to the screen Sa14. Also, when the "MENU" key is pressed while the screen Sa18 is being displayed, the screen transitions to the screen Sa14 without updating the set value of "Recording Time" stored in the non-volatile memory unit.

[0100] While the screen Sa14 is being displayed, if the "Down" key is pressed, the screen Sa15 is displayed. On the screen Sa15, "Recording Resolution" is "Selectively Displayed". While the screen Sa15 is being displayed, if the "OK" key is pressed, the screen Sa19 is displayed. On the screen Sa19, the item being set, "Recording Resolution", is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen, and "1 / 1", which indicates the page number of the display screen of "Recording Resolution", is displayed in the lower right corner of the screen. There are 4 options for "Recording Time", and there is 1 page for the "Recording Resolution" page. Specifically, the options are 1080pHD (1920×1080), 1080p (1440×1080), 720p (1280×720), and VGA (640x480). Similar to "Recording Time", if there is a currently set option, a check mark is displayed at the left end of the currently set option. While the screen Sa19 is being displayed if the "OK" key is pressed, the selected option is used as the set value of "Recording Resolution" to update the non-volatile memory unit, and the screen transitions to Sa15. Also, while the screen Sa18 is being displayed, if the "MENU" key is pressed, the screen transitions to Sa15 without updating the set value of "Recording Resolution" stored in the non-volatile memory unit.

[0101] While the screen Sa15 is being displayed, if the "Down" key is pressed, the screen Sa16 is displayed. On the screen Sa16, "Number of Recording Frames" is "selectively displayed". While the screen Sa16 is being displayed, if the "OK" key is pressed, the screen Sa20 is displayed. On the screen Sa20, the item being set, "Number of Recording Frames", is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen, and in the lower right corner, "1 / 2" indicating the page number of the display screen for "Number of Recording Frames" is displayed. Although the illustration of the second page is omitted, there are two pages for the "Number of Recording Frames". Also, there are five options for the "Number of Recording Frames". Specifically, they are 1fps, 5fps, 10fps, 15fps, and 30fps. Similar to the "Recording Time", if there is a currently set option, a check mark is displayed at the left end of the currently set option. While the screen Sa20 is being displayed, if the "OK" key is pressed, the selected option is used as the set value for the "Number of Recording Frames" to update the non-volatile memory unit, and the screen transitions to Sa16. Also, while the screen Sa20 is being displayed, if the "MENU" key is pressed, the screen transitions to Sa16 without updating the set value of the "Number of Recording Frames" stored in the non-volatile memory unit.

[0102] Also, similar to the "Recording Time", options that are not available for recording are displayed in red (illustration omitted). The available number of recording frames is calculated by dividing the remaining amount of the SD card by the set value of the "Recording Time" and further dividing by the data amount corresponding to the "Resolution". Options with an fps value greater than the calculated available number of recording frames are displayed in red. For example, if the available number of recording frames is 10fps, options of 15fps and above are displayed in red. This allows the user to avoid setting options that are not available for recording. Note that the "Resolution" vs. "Data Amount" table is pre-recorded in the ROM.

[0103] While the screen Sa16 is being displayed, if the "Down Key" button is pressed, the screen Sa17 is displayed. On the screen Sa17, "Overwrite Monitoring Recording" is "Selectively Displayed". While the screen Sa17 is being displayed, if the "OK Key" is pressed, the screen Sa21 is displayed. On the screen Sa21, "Overwrite Monitoring Recording", which is the item being set, is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen. There are two options for "Overwrite Monitoring Recording", namely "ON" and "OFF". Similar to the "Recording Time", if there is a currently set option, a check mark is displayed for the currently set option. While the screen Sa21 is being displayed, if the "OK Key" is pressed, the selected option is used to update the non-volatile memory unit as the set value of "Overwrite Monitoring Recording", and the screen transitions to Sa17. Also, while the screen Sa21 is being displayed, if the "MENU Key" is pressed, the screen transitions to Sa17 without updating the set value of "Overwrite Monitoring Recording" stored in the non-volatile memory unit.

[0104] While the screen Sa14 to Sa17 are being displayed, if the "MENU Key" is pressed, the system transitions to the "Monitoring Recording Mode" (Figure 5). Also, while the screen Sa14 to Sa17 are being displayed, if the remaining battery level of the monitoring battery 3 decreases, or if the power cable 11, which is the power cord, is unplugged, the screen transitions to Sa3.

[0105] As described above, when the user who wants to perform monitoring recording has a small remaining SD card capacity with the previously set values and cannot record, the user can immediately display the screens Sa14 to Sa17 and change the set values to options that match the remaining SD card capacity. Also, the drive recorder 4 displays the options that are impossible to record for the "Recording Time" and "Number of Recording Frames" in red. As a result, after the user sets either one of the "Recording Time" and "Number of Recording Frames" that they prioritize, the user can set the other one of the "Recording Time" and "Number of Recording Frames" to an option that is possible to record.

[0106] <Monitoring Recording Settings> In the above, in the surveillance recording mode, the setting screen in the surveillance recording mode that transitions when the remaining amount of the SD card is insufficient was explained. Separately from this, the drive recorder 4 is configured to accept more detailed settings for the surveillance recording mode in the always-on surveillance mode. Next, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.

[0107] First, the always-on recording mode and event recording will be described. As described above, when the power of the drive recorder 4 is turned on and it is possible to record continuously, the drive recorder 4 starts continuous recording in the always-on recording mode. Specifically, when the power of the drive recorder 4 is turned on, after displaying the opening screen, the message "Recording is in progress. Please wait a moment" is displayed on the screen. Here, the control unit determines whether continuous recording is possible when the setting of "continuous overwrite recording" is "ON" or when there is free space in the folder of the SD card assigned to continuous recording. If it is determined that continuous recording is possible, continuous recording is started. On the other hand, if it is determined that continuous recording is not possible, the screen is switched to the camera video through display screen. The camera video through display screen is a screen that displays the image captured by the camera in real time. In addition, if event recording was executed during the surveillance recording before the power was turned on, after displaying the opening screen, the screen transitions to a screen that displays the message "There was an event recording during the surveillance recording". As a result, the user can know that there was an event during the surveillance recording. When the "OK" button is pressed while the message "There was an event recording during the surveillance recording" is being displayed, or after 60 seconds have passed without any operation since the display started, the screen transitions to the screen that displays the above-mentioned "Recording is in progress. Please wait a moment".

[0108] As described above, in continuous recording, the drive recorder 4 switches to event recording according to a predetermined trigger. During continuous recording, if the G-sensor detects an impact, the screen switches to the G-sensor event recording screen, and if the "Cursor (down)" button is pressed, the screen switches to the one-touch recording screen. When the event recording ends, the screen switches back to the continuous recording screen. On the G-sensor event recording screen and the one-touch recording screen, different icons are displayed to inform the user which screen it is, whether it is the G-sensor event recording screen or the one-touch recording screen.

[0109] While the camera video pass-through display screen is being displayed, if the "MENU" key is pressed, a menu screen is displayed. The menu screen is a screen that lists the setting items that the user can set. Similar to the screen Sa14, the number of items displayed on the menu screen is four, and they are separated every four items, and one group of separated items is displayed as one page. In addition to the above, the control unit also displays the camera video pass-through display screen even after the "REC" button is pressed during continuous recording and continuous recording stops. Also, during the display of the camera video pass-through display screen, if there is a trigger for event recording, the control unit starts event recording, and when the event recording ends, the screen switches back to the camera video pass-through display screen again.

[0110] The screen Sb1 shown in FIG. 10 is the third page of the menu screen. As shown in the screen Sb1, the control unit displays "Recording Settings" in the upper right of the screen and "MENU" in the lower part of the screen. To the right of "MENU", an icon with a return arrow is displayed. The page number is displayed in the lower right of the screen. There are 14 items for recording settings. Specifically, they are "Resolution", "Recording Frame Rate", "Audio Recording", "Event Beep Sound", "Overwrite Recording Continuously", "One-Touch Recording Overwrite", "G-Sensor Recording Overwrite", "Auto Screen Off", "G-Sensor Settings", "G-Sensor Sensitivity", "Surveillance Recording Settings", "Surveillance My Area", "Surveillance My Cancel Area", and "My Area Release". Note that "Resolution" and "Recording Frame Rate" are recording conditions applied to continuous recording. Also, "One-Touch Recording Overwrite", "G-Sensor Recording Overwrite", "G-Sensor Settings", and "G-Sensor Sensitivity" are settings commonly applied to event recording in continuous recording mode and event recording in surveillance recording mode. As a result, the user does not need to separately set event recording in continuous recording mode and event recording in surveillance recording mode, which can reduce the annoyance felt by the user and make it easier to understand and grasp. This can be achieved and made easier to understand.

[0111] The screens Sb11 to Sb15 are all screens for setting surveillance recording settings. As shown in the screen Sa14, the control unit lists and displays "Surveillance Recording Settings" in the upper right of the screen and the items for surveillance recording settings, "Recording Mode", "Recording Time", "Recording Resolution", "Recording Frame Rate", and "Overwrite Previous Recording", in the center of the screen. Note that the number of items displayed on the screen is 4, and a configuration is provided such that items not currently displayed can be scrolled and displayed in response to pressing the "Up" key or the "Down" key. Also, the currently selected item is "highlighted for display". Note that in FIGS. 10 and 11, the currently selected item is shaded for illustration purposes. Here, the configurable items are those obtained by adding "Recording Mode" to the items displayed on the setting screen in surveillance recording mode (FIGS. 9 and 10). Therefore, the explanations of the items "Recording Time", "Recording Resolution", "Recording Frame Rate", and "Overwrite Previous Recording", which are the items displayed on the setting screen in surveillance recording mode, will be omitted as appropriate.

[0112] While the screen Sb1 is being displayed, if the "OK" button is pressed, the screen Sb11 is displayed. While the screen Sb11 is being displayed, if the "OK" button is pressed, the screen Sb111 is displayed. On the screen Sa11, "Monitoring Recording Settings", which is the item being set, is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen, and "1 / 2", which indicates the page number of the display screen of "Monitoring Recording Settings", is displayed in the lower left corner of the screen. On the screen Sa111, "Recording Mode", which is the item being set, is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen. There are three options for the "Recording Mode": "Automatic", "Manual", and "OFF". Since the "Recording Mode" has been described above, the description is omitted. Incidentally, when the monitoring battery 3 is powered on, it sends a signal to inquire about the battery remaining amount, and when it receives a signal indicating the battery remaining amount, it determines that the monitoring battery 3 is connected. On the other hand, when it does not receive a signal indicating the battery remaining amount, it determines that the monitoring battery 3 is not connected. When the monitoring battery 3 is not connected, since monitoring recording cannot be performed, the control unit grays out "Automatic" and "Manual". Specifically, the text is displayed in gray instead of white so that the user cannot select it.

[0113] The screens Sb12, Sb13, Sb14, and Sb15 are the same as the screens Sa14, Sa15, Sa16, and Sa17 respectively, so the description is omitted.

[0114] Here, the "Overwrite Previous Recording" set on the screen Sa17 and the screen Sb15 will be described with reference to FIG. 12. "Overwrite Previous Recording" is used to set whether to overwrite the monitoring recording data, which is the monitoring recording data recorded up to the previous time. In the case of "OFF", recording is performed within the remaining capacity of the monitoring recording folder without overwriting. Record in the available space, and as the available space runs out, end the recording. In the case of "ON", first, recording is performed within the monitoring recording folder. As the capacity becomes full and the available space runs out, overwrite the previous monitoring recording from the oldest one. In this case, the monitoring recording data being captured this time is not overwritten, and as the data for this time is recorded in the capacity of the SD card, the recording ends.

[0115] For example, if the user confirmed that there were no abnormalities in the vehicle during the previous parking, the user can set it to "ON". If the user has not confirmed yet, the user can set it to "OFF".

[0116] Next, the "monitoring area" shown on screen Sb2 (Fig. 13) will be described. In the setting of the "monitoring area", the user can set recording conditions different from normal recording and monitoring recording for the area registered as the "monitoring area" in the setting. The "monitoring area" is defined by the center position and the area radius. The control unit receives the center position of the "monitoring area" in the "registration execution" described later. The control unit receives the area radius of the "monitoring area" in the setting of the "monitoring area".

[0117] As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the options for the "monitoring area" are "recording time", "recording resolution ", "number of recording frames", "area radius", and "registration execution", a total of five. Among them, the setting screens Sb21 to Sb23 for "recording time", "recording resolution", and "number of recording frames" are the same as the above-described screens Sb12 to Sb14, respectively, so the description is omitted. On screen Sb24 (Fig. 14), the control unit "selectively displays" the "area radius". When the "OK" key is pressed during the display of screen Sb24, the screen transitions to Sb241. In the lower right of the screen of Sb241, "1 / 2" indicating the page number of the display screen of the "area radius" is displayed. The options for the "area radius" are five: "15m", "30m", "50m", "100m", and "200m". The number of displayed items is four, and they are separated every four. One group of separated items is displayed as one page. The total number of pages for the "area radius" is two pages. The illustration after the second page is omitted. When the "OK" key is pressed during the display of screen Sb241, the selected option is used as the set value of the "area radius" to update the non-volatile memory unit, and the screen transitions to Sb24. Also, when the "MENU" key is pressed during the display of screen Sb241, the screen transitions to Sb24 without updating the set value of the "area radius" stored in the non-volatile memory unit. As described above, the "area radius" is specified by the user.

[0118] While the screen Sb24 is being displayed, if the "Down" key is pressed, the screen Sb25 (Figure 14) is displayed. On the screen Sb25, the control unit "selectively displays" "Registration Execution". When the "OK" key is pressed while the screen Sb25 is being displayed, the screen transitions to Sb251. On the screen Sb251, a message "Do you want to register the current location as a monitored area?" and options "OK" and "Cancel" are displayed. Also, the control unit refers to the non-volatile memory unit, reads the number of locations recordable in the non-volatile memory unit and the number of locations recorded in the non-volatile memory unit, and displays an indication (○ / ○ cases) to indicate which registration this is. When the "OK" button is pressed, the control unit displays the screen Sb252 and records the position information output from the GPS sensor as the center position of the "monitored area" in the non-volatile memory unit. The screen Sb252 displays a message "The current location has been registered as a monitored area (○ / ○ cases)". Three seconds after the start of the display of the screen Sb252, and when the "OK" button is pressed, the screen transitions to Sb251.

[0119] As shown in Figure 15, in "Registration Execution", the control unit recognizes the area within the circle A1 drawn with the set value of the area radius set as the "Area Radius" as the "monitored area", which is the parking area, centered on the location P1 recorded in the non-volatile memory unit as the center position of the "monitored area".

[0120] For example, assume that the user parks at the location P1 where they park for the first time and presses the "OK" button while the screen Sb251 is being displayed. The control unit records the location P1 as the center position of the "monitored area" in the non-volatile memory unit. When parking at the location P2 within the circle A1, which is within the "monitored area" for the second and subsequent times, the control starts monitoring recording according to the set recording conditions of the "monitored area". The recording conditions include "recording time", "recording resolution", and "recording frame rate". Once the user sets the recording conditions, the control unit automatically performs monitoring recording with those settings from the next time.

[0121] Suppose the user registers the location where they park for the first time as the center position of the "Monitoring My Area". If the "Monitoring Recording Setting" is set to "Automatic", then when parking within the "Monitoring My Area" for the second time and onwards, the drive recorder 4 will automatically record the monitoring video. Also, if the "Monitoring Recording Setting" is set to "Manual", then starting from the second time, by manually pressing the "REC" button, the drive recorder 4 will start recording the monitoring video. For places where the user doesn't care much (such as convenience stores where parking is safe and for a short time), the user may want to have automatic recording with the minimum setting (1fps). In cases where it seems to be a long shopping trip, etc., the user can respond to requests such as checking the remaining SD card capacity and battery capacity and then making settings as desired.

[0122] While the screen Sb2 is being displayed, if the "Down" key is pressed, the screen Sb3 (Figure 13) is displayed. On the screen Sb3, the control unit "selectively displays" the "Monitoring My Cancel Area". When the "OK" button is pressed while the screen Sb3 is being displayed, the transition to the next setting screen occurs. Since the setting screen is the same as that of the "Monitoring My Area", the illustration and description are omitted. The options for the "Monitoring My Cancel Area" are the same as those of the "Monitoring My Area", namely, "Recording Time", "Recording Resolution", "Number of Recording Frames", "Area Radius", and "Registration Execution", a total of five. Also, for "Recording Time", "Recording Resolution", "Number of Recording Frames", "Area Radius", and "Registration Execution", there are multiple options, just like in the "Monitoring My Area". Note that the conditions set in the "Monitoring My Cancel Area" are applied when the "REC" button is pressed on the screen Sa1.

[0123] While the screen Sb3 is being displayed, if the "Down" key is pressed, the screen Sb4 (Fig. 13) is displayed. On the screen Sb4, the control unit "selectively displays" "My Area Release". The screen Sb4 is a screen for accepting the cancellation of the registration of the "Monitoring My Area". If the "OK" button is pressed while the screen Sb4 is being displayed, a screen that lists the options of "Current Location Release" and "All Locations Release" is displayed. When the "OK" button is pressed in the state where "Current Location Release" is "selectively displayed", options of "OK" and "Cancel" are displayed together with the message "Do you want to cancel the My Area information of the current location?". Furthermore, when the "OK" button is pressed in the state where "OK" is selected, the screen transitions to a screen that displays the message "Cancelled", and the position information that matches the vehicle position output from the G sensor among the position information stored as the center position of the "Monitoring My Area" in the non-volatile memory unit is erased from the non-volatile memory unit. Also, when the "OK" button is pressed in the state where "Cancel" is "selectively displayed", it is determined that the user has cancelled the cancellation, and the screen transitions to a screen that displays the items of "Current Location Release" and "All Locations Release".

[0124] On the other hand, on the screen that lists the options of "Current Location Release" and "All Locations Release", when the "OK" button is pressed in the state where "All Locations Release" is "selectively displayed", options of "OK" and "Cancel" are displayed together with the message "Do you want to cancel all the My Area information?", and when the "OK" button is pressed, the screen transitions to a screen that displays the message "Cancelled", and all the position information stored as the center position of the "Monitoring My Area" in the non-volatile memory unit is erased from the non-volatile memory unit.

[0125] When the drive recorder 4 records on an SD card, for each of "continuous recording", "G-sensor recording" which is event recording, "one-touch recording" which is event recording, "parking surveillance recording", etc., it determines the upper limit of the capacity and records. Also, it can play back the recorded video data and erase the recorded video data. Specifically, on the above-described camera video through display screen, when the "MODE" key is pressed, it transitions to a screen that displays options for "continuous recording", "G-sensor recording", "one-touch recording", and "surveillance recording" as playback folders. For example, when the "OK" key is pressed while "surveillance recording" is selected, the recorded data is displayed on the display 41. Also, the SD card can be removed from the drive recorder 4 and played back on, for example, a PC. Here, "G-sensor recording" is event recording that starts when the control unit determines that an event has occurred based on the information of the G-sensor. "One-touch recording" is event recording that starts by the control unit when the "cursor (down)" button is pressed. "Parking surveillance recording" refers to surveillance recording.

[0126] Also, when you want to erase the data recorded on the SD card, on the camera video through display screen, when the "SD" button is pressed, it transitions to the "SD card maintenance" screen display. When "surveillance recording folder clear" is selected and the "OK" button is pressed, the data that has been "surveillance recorded" is erased.

[0127] <Communication function> After the engine is stopped, the drive recorder 4 receives power supply from the monitoring battery 3 and transmits the continuously recorded and event-recorded video data to a center connected to the Internet. Here, the center is, for example, a database that can be browsed by an administrator who manages the vehicle.

[0128] The CPU executes two codings and, in continuous recording, executes in parallel as separate processes the coding of the recording data for transmission from the LAN interface or the mobile communication interface 52 and the coding of the recording data for writing to the SD card. As a result, the recording data for transmission from the LAN interface or the mobile communication interface 52 and the recording data recorded on the SD card can be made different. Here, it is assumed that the recording data recorded on the SD card has a smaller compression ratio and clearer images during playback than the recording data for transmission from the LAN interface or the mobile communication interface 52.

[0129] Next, a data transfer method in the communication of continuously recorded data will be described with reference to FIG. 16. During continuous recording, the control unit records the images output from the camera in the RAM and the SD card. Specifically, the CPU stores the recording data obtained by converting the images output from the camera into the JPEG format in the RAM. Also, the CPU outputs the recording data for the SD card obtained by compressing the recording data recorded in the RAM to the SD card interface. Here, the recording data for the SD card is in the JPEG format, and the data volume can be reduced to about 1 / 10 or 1 / 20 of the recording data recorded in the RAM. The SD card interface writes the input recording data for the SD card to the SD card. Also, the CPU outputs the recording data for communication obtained by compressing the recording data recorded in the RAM to the LAN interface or the mobile communication interface 52. The LAN interface or the mobile communication interface 52 packetizes the input recording data for communication and transmits it to the destination via the Internet. In the case of event recording as well, the control unit records the JPEG format recording data in the RAM and the SD card. As described above, the recording data in continuous recording and the recording data in event recording are each stored in the corresponding folder of the SD card.

[0130] During continuous recording, it connects to the Internet via a base station and transfers the recorded data to the destination. The communication speed of mobile communication for mobile terminals is not uniform. For example, it is about 10 Mbps in rural areas and about 2 Mbps in urban areas. In an area with a slow communication speed, if the data volume of the recorded data to be transmitted is not reduced to about 1 to 2 Mbps, for example, the transmission will not be in time. Therefore, the control unit generates and transmits recorded data for communication by compressing the recorded data stored in the RAM. Incidentally, the recording conditions for data of about 1 Mbps are a resolution of 720×400 and a frame rate of about 15 fps. Also, when the vehicle is running, there may be a period when communication is unavailable. For example, when the base station switches or when entering an area with a large communication volume. In this case, during the period when communication is unavailable, the recorded data cannot be transferred. That is, a part of the recorded data that cannot be transmitted occurs.

[0131] When the control unit resumes data transfer from the currently recorded data as communication becomes available from unavailable. That is, recorded data with missing parts during the communication-unavailable period will be transferred to the destination. When the engine is turned off and the ACC power supply is turned off, continuous recording ends, and the parts that could not be transmitted are transmitted. Next, the event recording part is transmitted.

[0132] When the control unit receives a battery switching signal indicating that the power supply source has switched to the internal battery 34 from the monitoring battery 3, it measures the communication speed. The control unit transmits recorded data with a bit rate corresponding to the communication speed. For example, when the communication speed is 100 Mbps, recorded data of 100 Mbps is transmitted. Specifically, the CPU records the recording in the RAM Compress the data to a predetermined bit rate. Next, the CPU outputs the compressed recording data for communication to the one with the higher communication speed among the LAN interface and the mobile communication interface 52. On the other hand, when the communication speed is slower than the reference value, the control unit compresses and transmits the recording data recorded in the RAM into recording data with the same bit rate as when the ACC power was ON. When the ACC power is ON, by reducing the amount of data per unit time of the recording data, the time of the image with respect to the transmission time can be lengthened.

[0133] <Modification example of data transfer method> Next, Method 2, which is a modification example of the data transfer method, will be described with reference to FIG. 17. Since the method of writing to the SD card is the same as Method 1, the description will be omitted. In Method 2, when communication becomes possible, transfer is performed from the data until communication becomes impossible, rather than the current recording data. That is, time-series data is transferred to the transmission destination. When the engine is turned off and continuous recording ends, the part that could not be transmitted is transmitted. Next, the event recording part is transmitted.

[0134] Next, Method 3, which is a modification example of the data transfer method, will be described with reference to FIG. 18. Since the method of writing to the SD card is the same as Method 1, the description will be omitted. In Method 3, during continuous recording, the data transfer of continuous recording and the data transfer of event recording are executed in parallel. When communication becomes possible, transfer is performed from the recording data until communication becomes impossible, rather than the current recording data. That is, time-series recording data of continuous recording and recording data of event recording are transferred to the transmission destination. When the engine is turned off and continuous recording ends, the parts of the recording data of continuous recording and the recording data of event recording that could not be transmitted are transmitted.

[0135] As described above, the drive recorder 4 can transmit the recording data that could not be transmitted during the period when the ACC power was ON after the ACC power is turned off, receiving power supply from the monitoring battery 3.

[0136] Next, another example of a drive recorder is shown. This is also a modification of the data transfer method. The data transfer method and its configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 to 22. Note that the same components as those in the above-described embodiment will be described with the same names and reference numerals. In Methods 1 to 3 of the above-described data transfer method, it was explained that the recorded data that could not be transmitted due to a period of communication failure was transmitted after the engine was turned off. In Method 4, the drive recorder 4 combines the recorded data that could not be transmitted with the real-time recorded data and transmits it during the period when the engine is on.

[0137] First, the configuration of the drive recorder 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 19. The drive recorder 4 includes, in addition to a camera 42, a microphone 43, an SD card interface 47, and a mobile communication interface 52, a storage compression unit 44, a communication compression unit 45, an audio compression unit 46, an image buffer 48, an audio buffer 49, a communication data creation unit 50, and a ring buffer 51. The storage compression unit 44 and the communication compression unit 45 are realized by the above-described "coding of recorded data for writing to the SD card" and "coding of recorded data for transmission from the LAN interface or the mobile communication interface", respectively. The storage compression unit 44 and the communication compression unit 45 output the compressed image data to the SD card interface 47 and the image buffer 48, respectively. Note that the communication compression unit 45 detects the current communication rate and automatically varies the data capacity that can be transmitted in real time as much as possible to generate image data that is video data. When compressing, the communication compression unit 45, for example, acquires the communication rate measured by the mobile communication interface 52 and compresses the image data at a compression rate corresponding to the acquired communication rate. The SD card interface 47 has two SD card insertion slots, and SD cards 61 and 62 are inserted. The storage compression unit 44, the communication compression unit 45, a part of the audio compression unit 46, the SD card interface 47, the image buffer 48, the audio buffer 49, the communication data creation unit 50, the ring buffer 51, and the mobile communication interface 52 is preferably realized by an SOC (System On a Chip).

[0138] The audio compression unit 46 compresses the audio data collected by the microphone 43 into audio data in the MP3 format, and outputs the compressed audio data to the SD card interface 47 and the audio buffer 49. The image buffer 48 and the audio buffer 49 buffer the compressed image data and audio data, respectively. The communication data creation unit 50 reads the compressed image data and audio data from the image buffer 48 and the audio buffer 49, respectively, creates communication data, attaches information on the date and time when the communication data was created, and outputs the created communication data to the ring buffer 51. The ring buffer 51 buffers four pieces of communication data to which information on the created date and time is attached. The mobile communication interface 52 reads the communication data from the ring buffer 51, packetizes it, and transmits it to the destination.

[0139] The SD card interface 47 writes the compressed image data and audio data output from the storage compression unit 44 and the audio compression unit 46 to the storage area of the SD card 61 or the SD card 62. Here, for each of the SD card 61 and the SD card 62, the SD card interface 47 divides the memory area into a storage area and a communication area, and writes the recording data. The memory area is an area for leaving it clean, and is an area for storing the image data output from the storage compression unit 44 and the audio data output from the audio compression unit 46. The communication area is an area for storing all or part of the communication data that could not be transmitted. As described above, in an area where the communication speed is slow, if the data volume of the communication data, which is the recording data to be transmitted, is not reduced, the transmission will not be in time. Therefore, the communication data is data compressed according to the communication speed. The area for leaving it clean is an area for leaving recording data with a smaller compression ratio than the communication data and with a clean image during playback. Incidentally, the SD card interface 47 determines the upper limit capacity for each of "continuous recording", "G-sensor recording", "one-touch recording", "parking monitoring recording", etc. and writes in each area of the storage area and the communication area. The SD card interface 47 reads all or part of the communication data that could not be transmitted from the ring buffer 51 and writes it to the communication area of the SD card 61 or the SD card 62. Also, the SD card interface 47 reads all or part of the communication data that could not be transmitted from the communication area of the SD card 61 or the SD card 62 and outputs it to the mobile communication interface 52. Incidentally, the audio compression unit 46 and the communication data creation unit 50 are realized by the CPU executing a program stored in the ROM or the like.

[0140] Next, the configuration of the communication data will be described with reference to FIG. 20. In FIG. 20, "image data" indicates the image data output by the communication compression unit 45, "audio data" indicates the audio data output by the audio compression unit 46, and "communication data" indicates the communication data created by the communication data creation unit 50. Also, the horizontal axis of the data is the time axis. The image data is composed of I-frames and P-frames. Here, an I-frame is data that can be reproduced independently, and a P-frame is differential data from the image data one frame before. The image data has one I-frame and a plurality of P-frames. The communication compression unit 45 assigns a serial number, which is additional information, to each frame in order from the first frame. The serial number serves as an identifier indicating the chronological order. The audio compression unit 46 divides the audio data into sections corresponding to the interval from one I-frame of the image data to the next I-frame, and assigns a serial number to each of the divided audio frames. The communication data creation unit 50 creates communication data with one I-frame, one section of audio data, and a plurality of P-frames as one communication unit. The communication data is data in which the I-frame, the audio data, and the P-frames are arranged sequentially.

[0141] The communication compression unit 45 creates three I-frames in one second. For example, the frame rate When the frame rate is 15 fps, the communication compression unit 45 converts the image data into one I-frame and four P-frames every 1 / 3 s. The audio compression unit 46 marks the audio data in synchronization with the conversion of the communication compression unit 45 into an I-frame. The communication data creation unit 50 first reads out the I-frame from the image buffer 48, then reads out one section of the audio data from the audio buffer 49 from the mark corresponding to the I-frame to the mark corresponding to the next I-frame, then reads out the P-frames from the image buffer 48 up to the next I-frame, and outputs the communication data with each read data as one communication unit to the ring buffer 51. The ring buffer 51 sequentially buffers the communication data of one communication unit, and when the memory area is full, overwrites the oldest communication data with the latest communication data. When the frame rate is 15 fps, the playback time of one communication unit of the communication data is 1 / 3 s. The ring buffer 51 can hold a plurality of communication data of one communication unit. Incidentally, at the receiving end, there is a playback device that can receive and play back the communication data, and can play back the received communication data to view the video and listen to the audio. Also, when an I-frame, which is part of the communication data, is received, the playback device can play back the still image based on the I-frame. Also, when an I-frame and audio data, which are part of the communication data, are received, the playback device can play back the still image based on the I-frame and the audio. In this case, when the audio data is received only up to the middle, the received section of the audio can be played back. Also, when an I-frame, audio data, and up to the middle of the P-frame, which are part of the communication data, are received, the playback device can play back the video based on the received P-frame up to that point and the audio.

[0142] Incidentally, the configuration of the communication data described above can be applied not only when method 4 is used, but also when methods 1 to 3 are used.

[0143] Next, the communication process executed by the CPU to transfer recording data to the destination in real time during continuous recording will be described with reference to FIG. 21. In the following description, the real-time transfer of recording data by the communication process may be referred to as real-time transfer. When the CPU starts continuous recording, it starts the communication process. First, the CPU causes the mobile communication interface 52 to read out the communication data buffered in the ring buffer 51 (S1). The communication data here refers to the communication data of one communication unit, and is the same in the following description. Next, the mobile communication interface 52 is caused to transmit the communication data (S3). As a result, the continuous recording data is transferred to the destination in real time. Next, after a predetermined time has elapsed, it is determined whether or not the transmission by the mobile communication interface 52 has been successful (S5). Here, the predetermined time is a time equal to or less than the playback time of the communication data. During continuous recording, since communication data is generated one after another, if it is not transmitted within a time equal to or less than the playback time of the communication data, the communication data that could not be transmitted will accumulate. In order to perform real-time transfer while executing continuous recording, it is necessary to complete the transfer of one communication unit of communication data within the playback time of one communication unit of communication data. If the CPU cannot transmit, it stores the I-frame, P-frame, and audio data for one section of the communication data that could not be transmitted in the SD cards 61 and 62. The mobile communication interface 52 further divides the communication data, packetizes it, and transmits it. When there is an error in the packet transmission, a retransmission process for retransmitting the packet that could not be transmitted due to the error is also performed. For example, when the communication data of one communication unit cannot be transmitted due to frequent occurrence of playback processing due to poor radio wave conditions, etc., the communication data that could not be transmitted is stored in the SD cards 61 and 62. When the mobile communication interface 52 can transmit the communication data of one communication unit, the CPU determines that the transmission has been successful. When the CPU determines that the transmission has been successful (S5: Yes), it proceeds to step S7 for the transmission of the next communication data.On the other hand, when the CPU determines that the transmission has failed (S5: No), it reads out the I-frame, P-frame, and one-section audio data of the communication data that could not be transmitted from the ring buffer 51 to the SD card interface 47, stores them in the SD card 61 or the SD card 62, stores the fact that transmission was impossible in the RAM (S9), and proceeds to step S7. When the I-frame could not be transmitted, I, which is the communication data for one communication unit. The frame, P-frame, and one-section audio data are stored. If all of the one-section audio data could not be transmitted, the one-section audio data and the P-frame are stored. If all of the multiple P-frames could not be transmitted, the non-transmittable P-frames are stored. If transmission is impossible within the playback time of the communication data for one communication unit (S5: NO), transmission of the next communication data unit (S1, S3) is performed. At the receiving end, although the communication data for one communication unit cannot be received, since the communication data for one communication unit can be played back even without the previous and next communication data units, if the receiving end can receive the next communication data unit, that communication data unit can be played back. Even when the communication data for one communication unit could not be transmitted, the non-viewable section can be limited to the real time for one communication unit, which is 1 / 3 s in the above example.

[0144] In step S7, it is determined whether the communication data has ended. When continuous recording ends, since no new communication data is generated, the new communication data is not overwritten in the ring buffer 51. The CPU moves the read position of the ring buffer 51 to the next position, and if the creation date and time information attached to the communication data at that position is older than the creation date and time information attached to the communication data read in step S1, it is determined that the communication data has ended. When it is determined that the communication data has ended (S7: Yes), the communication process ends. On the other hand, when it is determined that the communication data has not ended (S7: No), step S1 is executed for the next communication data. The CPU reads the communication data at the moved read position of the ring buffer 51.

[0145] Still, the CPU reads out and transmits all or part of the communication data that could not be transmitted in the communication process from the SD card 61 or the SD card 62 in response to the communication being restored and becoming communicable. Also, the CPU performs the transmission of all or part of the communication data that could not be transmitted in parallel with the communication process. At the same time as the real-time transfer, the data at the time when the real-time transfer could not be performed is read from the medium of the SD card 61 or the SD card 62 that is not being recorded as described later and transferred simultaneously. Here, during constant recording, since the SD card interface 47 is writing the recording data for storage, the writing of the recording data and the reading of the communication data are to be executed simultaneously. It is difficult to execute writing and reading in parallel for one SD card. Therefore, in Method 4, two SD cards are used to perform the writing of the storage data and the reading of the communication data that could not be transmitted. Still, when the communication data cannot be transmitted, it is the case where a communication interruption has occurred as described above, for example, when the base station switches, or when entering an area with a large communication volume.

[0146] In FIG. 22, the horizontal axis is the time axis, and the “recording data” indicates the communication data created by the communication data creation unit 50 and the storage data. Here, the storage data is the compressed image data and audio data output from the storage compression unit 44 and the audio compression unit 46. “Memory medium 1 data recording” and “memory medium 2 data recording” respectively indicate the periods during which the storage data is written to the SD card 61 and the SD card 62. Also, the hatched portion indicates the period during which the communication data is written to the SD card 61 or the SD card 62. However, during the periods indicated by the rectangular figures of “memory medium 1 data recording” and “memory medium 2 data recording” in FIG. 22, writing is not continuously performed. Writing is performed for a short time within the period, and there are periods during which no writing is performed between the periods when writing is performed. During the period indicated by the rectangular figure of “memory medium 1 data recording” in FIG. 22, the storage data is written and the communication data is written. In the “communication connection state”, the period during which communication is possible at the mobile communication interface 52 is indicated by an arrow. “Real-time transfer in communication” indicates the period during which communication data is being transmitted in the communication process. “Data transfer that could not be transmitted” indicates the period during which the communication data that could not be transmitted by the mobile communication interface 52 in the communication process is being transmitted. is.

[0147] During the period of continuous recording, the SD card interface 47 alternately switches the write destination of the data for storage between the SD card 61 and the SD card 62 every predetermined time (for example, every 10 s) and writes in a time-division manner. Thereby, during the period when one of the SD cards 61 and 62 is being written, the other is not being written, so the SD card interface 47 can easily read from the other. One of the SD cards 61 and 62 is used for writing the data for storage, which is the recorded data for storage, and for recording, and the other of the SD cards 61 and 62 is used for reading and transmitting the communication data that could not be transmitted. During the period from time t1 to time t2 when communication is possible, the mobile communication interface 52 executes communication processing and transmits communication data. During the period from time t2 to time t4 when communication is not possible, the SD card interface 47 writes the data for storage to the storage area for the data for storage and writes the communication data to the communication area for the communication data. Here, the SD card interface 47 writes the communication data to the same SD card as the SD card to which the data for storage is written. The step S9 of the communication processing is performed during the idle time when the writing of the data for storage to the storage area for the data for storage is not being performed. At time t4, when communication becomes possible, the CPU, together with the transmission in the communication processing, causes all or part of the communication data that could not be transmitted and was written to the SD card 62, which is indicated by the hatched portion in FIG. 22, to be read out from the SD card 62 and transmitted. Specifically, when receiving a signal indicating that communication has become possible from the mobile communication interface 52, it is determined whether it is stored in the RAM that transmission could not be performed. If it is determined that it is stored that transmission could not be performed, it is determined whether communication data is stored in the communication area of the SD card 62, which is the SD card that is not performing the writing of the data for storage. If it is determined that communication data is stored, all or part of the stored communication data is read out and transmitted. The time for transferring the communication data is shorter than the time for writing the communication data to the SD cards 61 and 62. The period from time t4 to time t5 when the communication data is transferred is shorter than the period from time t2 to time t3 when the writing to the SD card 62 is performed.Therefore, the drive recorder 4 can transmit all or part of the communication data that could not be transmitted during the period from time t2 to time t3 during the period from time t4 to t5. At times t4 to t5, since the SD card interface 47 is writing the data for storage to the SD card 61, all or part of the communication data is read from the SD card 62 that is not being written to. Next, at time t5, when the write destination is switched to the SD card 62, all or part of the communication data that could not be transmitted is read from the SD card 61 and transmitted. Similarly, for all or part of the communication data that could not be transmitted during the period from time t6 to time t7 when communication is unavailable, when communication becomes possible at time t7, the CPU causes all or part of the communication data to be read from the SD card 62 that is not written to and transmitted. Next, at time t8, when the write destination is switched to the SD card 62, the CPU causes all or part of the communication data that could not be transmitted to be read from the SD card 61 and transmitted. For example, if the actual time required for shooting one communication unit is 1 s and the predetermined time for switching the write destination of the data for storage is 10 s, one cycle of steps S1 to S7 of the communication process is performed 10 times in 10 s. In FIG. 22, for example, at time t2, the time when the communication connection state becomes unavailable and the start time of the period during which the communication data indicated by the hatched portion is written to the SD card 62 are shown as the same time. However, in detail, after the communication becomes unavailable and step S5 is executed, step S9 is executed, so the time when the writing of the communication data to the SD card 62 starts is after the time when the communication connection state becomes unavailable.

[0148] Although not shown in FIG. 22, if all the communication data could not be transmitted during the period when the engine is ON, after the engine is turned off, the drive recorder 4 is powered by the monitoring battery 3 and transmits the remaining communication data.

[0149] The period during which communication is unavailable is indefinite and it is not known where the communication will be interrupted. Therefore, in the communication process There may be a communication failure during the execution of step S3. Here, the data is transmitted to the destination starting from the beginning of the communication data. That is, it is transmitted in the order of I-frame, audio data, and P-frame. If the communication fails during the transmission of the P-frame, the I-frame and audio data have been transmitted to the destination. Since the I-frame is data that can be played back alone, at least the still image and audio data can be played back at the destination. Also, since the communication data that could not be transmitted due to the communication failure is transmitted later, the destination will receive communication data that is not arranged in time series. Since the communication data is assigned a serial number for each frame, at the destination, after receiving all the communication data, it can be easily played back by sorting the communication data in the order of the serial numbers. A general video file has a management area that manages the allocation of data areas at the beginning and end of the file. Since the management area is essential for playing back the video file, if the management area at the end is not transmitted to the destination, the video file cannot be played back. In this regard, since the communication data does not have a management area, as described above, the communication data in the transmitted section can be played back at the destination. Also, since one unit of communication data has one I-frame, even if one unit of communication data cannot be transmitted, other units of communication data can be played back.

[0150] <SD Card Storage and Data Transfer Settings> The drive recorder 4 is configured to accept whether to execute recording to and data transfer from the SD card for each "data item" and "data content". As shown in FIG. 23, the "data items" include "continuous recording", "G-sensor event recording", "one-touch event recording", and "history". The "history" is data that does not have image and audio data such as recorded video data. Among these, the "data content" of "continuous recording", "G-sensor event recording", and "one-touch event recording" includes "video data", "audio data", "GPS", "acceleration sensor", and "vehicle information". The "data content" of "history" includes "GPS", "acceleration sensor", and "vehicle information". The CPU records the vehicle position output from the GPS sensor, the acceleration output from the G sensor, and the vehicle information obtained via the OBD connection cable together with the date and time in the RAM during the periods of "continuous recording", "G-sensor event recording", and "one-touch event recording". The "GPS", "acceleration sensor", and "vehicle information" in the "data content" are the vehicle position, acceleration, and vehicle information recorded together with the date and time, respectively. When transferring "GPS", "acceleration sensor", and "vehicle information" to the transfer destination via the LAN interface or the mobile communication interface 52, the CPU separates and transfers the data of the vehicle position, acceleration, and vehicle information every one frame or every 1 s of the video data.

[0151] In the "Settings" described in FIG. 23, "Recording" refers to the storage of recorded data on the SD card. "Transfer" refers to the transfer of recorded data to a transmission destination via the LAN interface or the mobile communication interface 52. The "○" described in FIG. 23 indicates a setting for executing "Recording" or "Transfer", and in the case of "×", it indicates a setting not to execute. The non-volatile memory unit of the drive recorder 4 stores settings with "○" and "×" as parameters corresponding to "Data Item", "Data Content", "Recording", and "Transfer". The drive recorder 4 receives the above settings on, for example, a setting screen and executes "Recording" and "Transfer" in the case of "○". There may be a case where the driver of the vehicle is different from, for example, an administrator who manages the vehicle and views the data that has been "recorded" or "transferred". In this case, the driver may request not to "record" or "transfer" all "Data Contents". By accepting the "Recording" or "Transfer" settings in detail for each "Data Item" and "Data Content", it is possible to provide a drive recorder 4 that can be set according to the intentions of both the driver and the administrator. The user can set according to the operation method and needs of the drive recorder 4. Further, when there is "Data Content" that is not being recorded during continuous recording, G-sensor event recording, or one-touch event recording, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the fact that it is not being recorded is clearly indicated on the display 41.

[0152] Here, the drive recorder 4 is an example of an in-vehicle device, the monitoring battery 3 is an example of a device, and the internal battery 34 is an example of a battery. Also, the input / output connector 3b is an example of a communication means, and the CPU 33 is an example of a control unit. The "resolution" and "number of frames per second for recording" that can be selected on the setting screen are examples of the first setting function, the "monitoring recording setting" that can be selected on the setting screen is an example of the second setting function, and the "G-sensor setting" that can be selected on the setting screen is an example of the third setting function. The input / output connector 4a is an example of a device communication means, the camera is an example of a photographing means, the SD card is an example of a storage medium, the operation button is an example of a user interface, the GPS sensor is an example of a positioning means, and the non-volatile recording unit is an example of a recording means. The battery switching signal is an example of a "switching signal indicating that the power supply source has been switched to the battery", and the vehicle switching signal is an example of a "signal indicating that the power supply source has been switched to the vehicle". The power cable 11 is an example of a "power supply line between the vehicle and this device", and the cable 12 is an example of a "power supply line between this device and the in-vehicle device". The communication data creation unit 50 is an example of a creation unit, and the SD cards 61, 62 are examples of the first and second storage media. The mobile communication interface 52 and the LAN interface are examples of transmission means. The SD card interface 47 is an example of a storage control means.

[0153] According to the above-described embodiment, the following effects are achieved. The monitoring battery 3 can continue to supply power to the drive recorder 4 even when the power supply from the vehicle is cut off. Also, although the drive recorder 4 generates heat from inside the housing, since the monitoring battery 3 is separate from the drive recorder 4, it is less likely to be affected by the heat generated from inside the drive recorder 4. By making it difficult for the temperature of the internal battery 34 to rise, it is possible to suppress the charging and discharging from becoming impossible due to the temperature rise, and it is possible to make it less likely that the power supply to the drive recorder 4 becomes unavailable. Since the monitoring battery 3 is installed under the seat, it can be made large and heavy enough to be installed under the seat, so the capacity of the internal battery 34 can be increased. Thereby, the drive recorder 4 can continue to operate for a long time even after the power supply from the vehicle is cut off. Also, since the monitoring battery 3 is installed under the seat, it does not compress the living space and can be installed without hitting people or getting in the way during driving operations and when getting in and out of the vehicle while riding in the car.

[0154] When the CPU 33 switches the power supply source to the internal battery 34, it outputs a switching signal. Also, when the ACC power supply is turned on within a specified time, the CPU 33 outputs a switching signal for notifying that the power supply source has been switched to the ACC power supply. Thereby, the drive recorder 4 can know that the power supply source has been switched to the internal battery 34.

[0155] "One-touch recording overwrite", "G-sensor recording overwrite", "G-sensor setting", and "G-sensor sensitivity" on the setting screen are settings that are commonly applied to event recording in the always-recording mode and event recording in the monitoring recording mode. Thereby, the user does not have to separately set event recording in the always-recording mode and event recording in the monitoring recording mode, the annoyance felt by the user can be reduced, and it can be made easier to understand.

[0156] In the setting of surveillance recording in the surveillance recording mode, the drive recorder 4 displays in red the options of "recording time" and "number of recording frames" that cannot be recorded. As a result, after the user sets either one of the "recording time" and "number of recording frames" that they want to prioritize, they can set the other one of the "recording time" and "number of recording frames" to an available option. Also, in the state of transitioning to the surveillance recording mode, the drive recorder 4 determines whether the position information output from the GPS sensor is included in the "surveillance area". If it is determined that the position information is included in the "surveillance area" and the "surveillance recording setting" is "automatic", the subsequent processing is executed with the recording conditions set in the "surveillance area" as the recording conditions for the surveillance recording. Similarly, in the state of transitioning to the surveillance recording mode, if it is determined that the position information is included in the "monitoring cancellation area", the "surveillance recording setting" is "automatic", and the "REC" button is pressed, the subsequent processing is executed with the recording conditions set in the "monitoring cancellation area" as the recording conditions for the surveillance recording. As a result, the user can operate the drive recorder 4 without the trouble of setting it multiple times. Also, even when the position information does not match the position stored in the non-volatile memory unit, if it is in the "surveillance area" and the "monitoring cancellation area", the shooting conditions associated with the "surveillance area" and the "monitoring cancellation area" can be used as the shooting conditions for this time.

[0157] The drive recorder 4 can surely transmit the recorded data recorded constantly after the engine is stopped by receiving power supply from the monitoring battery 3. When the ACC power is ON, by reducing the data amount per unit time of the recorded data, the time of the image with respect to the transmission time can be lengthened.

[0158] Electrical components equipped with a function to receive radio waves attached to a vehicle, and antennas for reception, are often installed on the dashboard or above the front windshield, etc. However, since the monitoring battery 3 is configured to be installed under the seat, the influence of noise from its charge / discharge control unit 31, DC-DC converter 32, CPU 33, etc. on these electrical components and antennas can be greatly suppressed.

[0159] Since one I-frame is included in one communication unit of communication data, the transmission data can be reproduced at the transmission destination where the transmission data is sent. The transmission data can be viewed as a video to check its image. When one communication unit of communication data is 1 / 3 s, the image can be checked at least every 1 / 3 s. For example, when the communication data is of an accident scene during a collision, the video of the accident can be surely checked at the transmission destination. Also, in communication processing, even when the mobile communication interface 52 fails to transmit communication data, the mobile communication interface 52 can transmit by the SD card interface 47 reading from either one of the SD cards 61, 62 which is not the storage destination, the communication data that could not be transmitted. At the transmission destination where the communication data is sent, the communication data can be acquired during the period when the engine is ON. By switching between the SD cards 61, 62 as the storage destination and reading from either one of the SD cards 61, 62 which is not the storage destination, the SD card interface 47 can easily read the communication data.

[0160] <Modification Example> Note that although the above-described embodiment is a desirable form of the present invention, it is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the value of the option of "recording resolution" in the "monitoring recording settings" may be set lower than the value of the option of "recording resolution" in the continuous recording settings. Also, the value of the option of "number of recording frames" in the "monitoring recording settings" may be set lower than the value of the option of "number of recording frames" in the continuous recording settings. Further, among the options of "recording resolution" and "number of recording frames" in the "monitoring recording settings" and the continuous recording settings, the initial values may be explicitly displayed, and the initial values of "recording resolution" and "number of recording frames" in the "monitoring recording settings" may be set lower than the initial values in the continuous recording settings. In monitoring recording, since the vehicle often does not move, even if the frame rate and resolution are reduced, moving objects outside the vehicle can be captured. Also, since event recording can be performed according to the settings, when an event occurs, it is recorded. As a result, the recording conditions in the monitoring recording can be made power-saving. Since the amount of power supplied by the internal battery 34 decreases, the internal battery 34 can be made to last longer.

[0161] Also, although it has been described that the monitoring battery 3 receives power supply from the ACC power supply via the power cable 11 connected to the cigarette socket of the vehicle, it is not limited to this. The power cable 11 may be directly connected to the ACC power supply, and the monitoring battery 3 may be configured to be powered from the ACC power supply. Also, although it has been described that the output terminal 11a and the input connector 3a are mini-USB connectors, they may be USB connectors other than mini-USB. Also, although it has been described that the input / output connector 3b and the first terminal 12a are 10-pin connectors, it is not limited to 10 pins, and the number of pins may be more or less than this. Also, although it has been described that the DIP switch DIPSW36 has three switches, the number of switches is not limited.

[0162] Also, although it has been described that the monitoring battery 3 is powered from the ACC power supply via the power cable 11, it is not limited to this. A configuration in which a mobile battery is connected may also be acceptable.

[0163] Also, it was explained that the monitoring battery 3 outputs a signal indicating the remaining battery level of the internal battery 34 every 1 s. However, the time is not limited to 1 s and may be 1 minute or 3 minutes.

[0164] Also, it was explained that when the CPU 33 switches the power supply source to the internal battery 34, it transmits a battery switching signal to the drive recorder 4. In this way, when there is a change in the power supply state from the ACC power supply, a signal to that effect may be transmitted to the drive recorder 4. However, it is preferable to transmit a signal indicating the presence or absence of power supply from the ACC power supply to the drive recorder 4 at a predetermined time interval, for example, at intervals of 1 second.

[0165] Also, it was explained that when the drive recorder 4 receives a battery switching signal from the monitoring battery 3 in the always-recording mode, it determines whether to shift to the monitoring recording mode or turn off the power of the drive recorder 4. However, it is preferable to make the determination based on a plurality of battery switching signals rather than a single one. For example, in the always-recording mode, it is preferable to determine whether to shift to the monitoring recording mode when a plurality of battery switching signals are received continuously. In this way, it is possible to prevent the switching between the always-recording mode and the monitoring recording mode from occurring when the power supply from the ACC power supply to the monitoring battery 3 is interrupted for a moment and then restored. Similarly, it is preferable to determine whether to shift to the always-recording mode based on a plurality of vehicle switching signals from the monitoring battery 3.

[0166] Also, it was explained that when the drive recorder 4 receives a vehicle switching signal from the monitoring battery 3 and is capable of always recording, it shifts from the monitoring recording mode to the always-recording mode and starts always recording. However, the shift to the always-recording mode may be performed by resetting the drive recorder.

[0167] As a configuration performed by reset, the drive recorder 4 itself may perform the reset process. However, an instruction signal for turning off the power supply to the monitoring battery 3 from the drive recorder 4 for a predetermined time may be transmitted. When the monitoring battery 3 receives this signal, after stopping the power supply to the drive recorder 4 for a predetermined time, the power supply may be restarted. By doing so, the switching from the monitoring recording mode to the always-on recording mode can be performed with a reliable reset of turning off the power supply, and the possibility of more reliably recording situations such as accidents in the always-on recording can be increased. For example, when shifting from monitoring recording to always-on recording, by turning off the output from the monitoring battery 3 for a predetermined time, a hard reset of the drive recorder 4 can be executed, and the always-on recording can be started reliably and normally.

[0168] For the above-mentioned purpose of resetting the drive recorder 4, the predetermined time for which the monitoring battery 3 stops the power supply to the drive recorder 4 may be, for example, a time longer than the time required for the drive recorder 4 to surely turn off after the monitoring battery 3 stops the power supply. For example, when the drive recorder has a configuration including a supercapacitor in addition to the configuration described for the drive recorder 4, it may be set to a time longer than the maximum time required to close a file using the power from the supercapacitor or the like. For example, it may be set to about 3 seconds. Note that the supercapacitor is charged while the drive recorder is being powered and discharges while the drive recorder is not being powered. Also, "closing a file" means, for example, completing the writing of data to an SD card.

[0169] However, for example, after the user turns off the ACC power of the vehicle for parking, if there is an operation such as forgetting to retract the electric mirrors or close the windows of the vehicle, the ACC power of the vehicle may be turned on and then turned off again. In this case, the ACC power will be repeatedly turned off, on, and off from the on state. If the timing of this second turn-off is within the period when the above-mentioned monitoring battery 3 has stopped supplying power to the drive recorder, various problems may occur, such as the inability to continue monitoring recording. This is because after the ACC power is switched from off to on and the monitoring battery 3 stops supplying power for a predetermined time for continuous recording, the ACC power may be off when the power supply resumes. Therefore, this predetermined time should be a time when it can be surely turned off after the power supply to the drive recorder is stopped, and it is better to make it as short as possible. For example, it can be about 1.5 seconds. By shortening the off period of the monitoring battery 3 from 3 seconds to 1.5 seconds in this way, the probability that the period when the power supply to the drive recorder is stopped overlaps with the timing when the ACC power of the vehicle is turned off can be reduced. At the same time, by this measure, the unrecorded period from the monitoring recording when the ACC power of the normal vehicle is turned on to the start of continuous recording can be shortened.

[0170] Also, as described above, since the inventors found that the ACC power of the vehicle may be repeatedly turned off, on, and off from the on state, it may be configured as follows. When the CPU 33 switches the power supply source to the internal battery 34, instead of immediately sending the battery switching signal to the drive recorder 4, on the condition that the off state of the ACC power of the vehicle continues for a supposed predetermined time in the case where such ACC power is turned on for a short time, it is better to send the battery switching signal to the drive recorder after the elapse of that predetermined time. For example, when the power supply from the ACC power of the vehicle has been off for a predetermined time, for example, 20 seconds, and the power supply from the ACC power has been in the off state continuously, it is better to send the battery switching signal to the drive recorder.

[0171] In addition, after the drive recorder is powered on, the control unit performs various initialization processes and the like, and then starts continuous recording. That is, after power-on, it takes a predetermined start time until continuous recording starts. Furthermore, depending on the configuration of the drive recorder, some are designed to first start recording in the continuous recording mode. Therefore, it is preferable that the monitoring battery 3 transmits a signal indicating the presence or absence of power supply from the ACC power supply to the drive recorder at predetermined time intervals, and from the time when power supply to the drive recorder is started upon receiving power supply from the ACC power supply, for a predetermined time, regardless of the presence or absence of power supply from the vehicle's ACC power supply, a signal indicating that there is power supply from the vehicle is output to the drive recorder. This predetermined time may be, for example, about 10 seconds.

[0172] Also, although it has been described that when the drive recorder 4 receives a battery switching signal from the monitoring battery 3, it transmits a signal instructing a specified time, it is not limited to this. The drive recorder 4 may be configured to transmit a signal instructing to stop power supply to the monitoring battery 3 after the specified time has elapsed.

[0173] Also, although it has been described that when the drive recorder 4 receives a battery switching signal from the monitoring battery 3, it transmits a signal instructing a specified time, the timing of transmitting the signal instructing the specified time is not limited to this. It may be configured to transmit at the time when the power of the drive recorder 4 is turned on, when the set value of the specified time is changed, or every predetermined time. The predetermined time may be 1 s, 1 minute, 3 minutes, etc.

[0174] Also, although it has been described that when the CPU 33 does not receive a signal asking about the remaining amount of the internal battery 34, the drive recorder having a communication function determines that it is not connected, the received signal is not limited to the signal asking about the remaining amount. A signal instructing a specified time or the like may also be used. Also, the switches provided in the DIP switch DIPSW 36 may be configured to indicate whether a drive recorder having a communication function is connected. In this case, when the corresponding switch is OFF, it is configured to indicate that a drive recorder having a communication function is not connected.

[0175] Also, although it has been described that the control unit displays screens Sa14 to Sa17 and accepts the setting of recording conditions, it is not limited to this. It may be configured to have a function of automatically determining the longest recordable time with priority given to the frame rate. When the control unit accepts a change in the set value of the "number of recording frames" on the screen Sa20 that transitions from the screen Sa16, it calculates the "usable time" based on the set value of the "number of recording frames". It determines the set value of the "recording time" as the longest "recording time" option within the calculated "usable time". Alternatively, it may be configured to have a function of automatically determining the longest recordable time with priority given to the resolution.

[0176] Also, although it has been described that when the control unit determines that the remaining amount of the SD card is insufficient after transitioning to the "monitoring recording mode" and the "monitoring recording overwrite" is set to "OFF", it displays the screen Sa6, it is not limited to this. In this case, if there is no remaining amount of the SD card, since monitoring recording cannot be performed, a screen may be displayed to notify the user by sound and display and allow the user to select whether to delete the monitoring recording data or not perform monitoring recording. Here, the monitoring recording data refers to the recorded video data obtained by monitoring recording.

[0177] Also, in the continuous recording mode, although it has been described that when receiving a battery switching signal from the monitoring battery 3, it displays the screen Sa1 or the like according to the setting, it is not limited to this. It may be configured to automatically transition to the necessary minimum setting screen when the engine is turned off.

[0178] Also, although it has been described that the monitoring battery 3 uses the set value transmitted by serial communication from the drive recorder 4 as the specified time, it is not limited to this. Instead of serial communication, it may receive a 1-bit Hi / Low signal and use the time corresponding to the Hi / Low signal as the set value. Specifically, the monitoring battery 3 receives a command indicating the specified time and a Hi or Low signal. The monitoring battery 3 stores in advance the corresponding times of 3 hours when the signal is Hi and 6 hours when the signal is Hi. The monitoring battery 3 sets the time corresponding to the Hi / Low of the signal as the specified time. Note that the signal is not limited to 1 bit and may be 2 bits or more.

[0179] Also, although it has been described that the drive recorder 4 performs monitoring recording according to the recording conditions of the set "monitoring area", it is not limited to this. The drive recorder 4 may be configured to have a function of determining the recording conditions for each "monitoring area" which is a plurality of parking areas. The recording conditions include the necessity / non-necessity of monitoring recording (parking monitoring), frame rate, recording time, etc.

[0180] Also, although it has been described that the control unit stores the JPEG format image data in the RAM, the format is not limited. It may be in MP4 format, MP2 format, H.264 format, H.265 format.

[0181] Also, although it has been described that the control unit transmits the recording data with a bit rate corresponding to the communication speed, the bit rate of the recording data to be transmitted is not limited to this. For example, when the communication speed is 100 Mbps, although the transmission time will be longer, it may be configured to transmit the data at 10 Mbps.

[0182] Also, in the setting of the monitoring recording in the monitoring recording mode, it may be configured to add "total capacity in the folder" to the item of "recording time". "Total capacity in the folder" indicates that the monitoring recording is executed until the remaining amount of the SD card runs out. Also, when "recording time" is set to "total capacity in the folder", the options are not displayed in red.

[0183] Also, it was explained that the frame rate in event recording is set to about 30 fps and the resolution is made finer to record details. However, the frame rate of event recording in surveillance recording may be decreased and the resolution may be made coarser. When a large vehicle passes by, there is a large vibration and it may be event-recorded. At the location where a large vehicle is passing by, it is expected that people who may cause harm to the vehicle often do not pass by. Therefore, in event recording in surveillance recording, for safety reasons, the frame rate may be decreased and the resolution may be made coarser.

[0184] Also, it was explained that when the "SD" button or the "MENU" button is not operated within a predetermined time after the screen Sa6 is displayed, it times out due to no operation. However, if there is remaining SD card capacity, recording is performed for that amount, and if there is no remaining capacity, recording cannot be performed. Therefore, it may be configured to notify the user by sound and display, and display a selection screen for the user to choose whether to delete the surveillance recording or not record.

[0185] Also, it was explained that the control unit shifts to the surveillance recording mode when it determines that the transition condition to the surveillance recording mode is satisfied. It was explained that the items of the transition condition include "My Area" and "My Cancel Area", etc., but "Time" may be added to this configuration. It is preferable to configure it to determine whether to shift to the surveillance recording mode based on the set "Time" and the time. Thereby, the user can, for example, perform surveillance recording only at night in the "My Area". Also, separately from "My Area" etc., for example, it may be configured to determine whether to shift to the surveillance recording mode only based on "Time". For example, when wanting to record from around 4 am to around 6 am, if the time to be recorded most (5 am) is input, the recording is configured to always include that time. When the remaining battery level or the SD card capacity is insufficient, it is possible to select whether to prioritize the front side, the rear side, or the center of that time. Allocate the recording time zone more importantly to the one with the priority setting. Thereby, the user can know whether it is a stray cat or a crow that rummages through the garbage at the garbage dump in front of the car in the early morning.

[0186] Also, in the setting of "Registration Execution" in the "Monitoring Area", although it was described that location registration is performed based on the location information from the GPS sensor, it is not limited to this. It may also be configured to display a map on the display 41 and allow the user to specify a location on the map to register the location on the map.

[0187] Also, in the surveillance recording, for example, in the case of a video with no change, it may be configured to automatically reduce the frame rate using motion detection. Furthermore, it may be configured to increase the frame rate and record from a few seconds before the change occurred.

[0188] Also, in the surveillance recording, although it was described that event recording is not performed for 3 minutes from the start of the surveillance recording where an event occurs due to opening and closing of the door, it may also be configured to record the linkage with the door while performing event recording. In this way, the overlapping part of the event recording based on the acceleration detected by the G sensor and the recording of the door can be excluded based on the time when checking the recording data later.

[0189] Also, although it was described that after displaying the opening screen, the screen transitions to a screen that displays a message "There was an event recording during the surveillance recording", for a few seconds after the engine is turned off or a few seconds before the engine is turned on, event recording is performed, but when the engine is turned on, it may be configured not to notify that there was an event during the monitoring function. It may also be configured not to notify that there was an event during the monitoring function when the engine is turned on.

[0190] Also, in the surveillance recording mode, the method for calculating the "usable time" displayed as the "surveillance recording time" on the screen Sa4 is not limited to the above. Instead of the drive recorder 4, the surveillance battery 3 may be configured to calculate the supplyable time based on the current current being supplied, i.e., the power consumption current of the drive recorder 4. Alternatively, the surveillance battery 3 may be configured to calculate the supplyable time from the percentage of the remaining battery level and a preset fixed current value. Alternatively, the surveillance battery 3 may be configured to calculate the supplyable time from the percentage of the remaining battery level and the current value determined from the type of the drive recorder 4 known through communication according to the type. The internal battery 34 may be configured to transmit the calculated supplyable time to the drive recorder 4, and the control unit may be configured to display the received supplyable time to the right of "Surveillance recording time:".

[0191] Also, the specifications of the drive recorder 4 are preferably the above-described configuration, but are not limited thereto. Although the drive recorder 4 has been described as including a camera, the camera unit including the camera and the main body including the control unit may be configured as separate bodies. In this case, the camera unit is installed, for example, on the front glass, and the main body is installed, for example, on the dashboard.

[0192] Although the drive recorder 4 has been described as including a camera, it may be configured to include two cameras. In this case, the two signals from the cameras may be combined into one signal and stored. Specifically, the screen is divided, for example, into two left and right parts, and each part is assigned to the data captured by each of the two cameras for signal processing. The two signals from the cameras are combined into one image. Thereby, the data amount of the recorded data can be reduced, and particularly when transmitting, the time of the recorded data that can be transmitted per unit time can be increased. Also, it is not limited to two divisions, and the number of divisions may be two or more.

[0193] Also, although the display 41 was described as an LCD, it is not limited to this and may be a touch panel. Alternatively, a configuration without a display may also be used. In the case of a product without a display, the user writes the settings to a recording medium such as an SD card and inserts the SD card with the settings written into the drive recorder. The drive recorder reads and operates the SD card. Incidentally, the settings written on the SD card may be stored in a non-volatile memory unit and operate, or may be configured to read the settings stored on the SD card as appropriate without storing them in the non-volatile memory unit and operate.

[0194] Also, the brightness of the indicator 35 may be configured to be variable between daytime and nighttime. When switching to event recording during surveillance recording, it is displayed at the bright brightness of daytime even at night.

[0195] Although the drive recorder 4 was described as having a communication function, a configuration without a communication function may also be used. In this case, although it is not possible to set the specified time for continuing power supply after the supply of the ACC power of the monitoring battery 3 is cut off, since the monitoring battery 3 is provided with the dip switch DIPSW36, it is possible to supply power for the specified time according to the setting of the dip switch DIPSW36.

[0196] Also, although the monitoring battery 3 was described as outputting for a specified time, it may supply all of the battery remaining amount.

[0197] Also, for example, the camera provided may be configured to be movable 360 degrees. In this way, since it is possible to monitor the entire perimeter outside the vehicle, particularly in the surveillance recording mode, the surveillance can be strengthened. Also, for example, the drive recorder is LoRa (Long Range) It may be configured to have a wireless communication function and be operable with an attached remote control that is also wirelessly communicable. In this way, users with a remote control who are in a distant location can turn on / off surveillance recording, periodically transmit recording times, switch recording settings, report the occurrence of an event, transfer and save still images in the remote control when an event occurs. Also, for example, if the drive recorder is configured to have a Wi-Fi communication function, it can communicate with a communication terminal such as a smartphone. It may be configured to transfer recording data of event recording within the range where Wi-Fi reaches.

[0198] Also, although it was explained that the control unit provided in the drive recorder 4 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, non-volatile storage unit, etc., it is not limited to this. For example, it may be configured to include a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) and operate in cooperation.

[0199] Also, although a drive recorder installed in a vehicle as an in-vehicle device was exemplified, it is not limited to this and may be installed in a forklift. Since forklifts are often used for business, it can be expected that an environment where Wi-Fi can be used can be prepared in the operating area of the forklift. In this case, it is advisable to configure the data transfer during the operation of the forklift to use Wi-Fi.

[0200] The method of data transfer is not limited to the above. In the above, it was explained that after the ACC power is turned off, the CPU reads out the recorded data stored in the RAM, compresses it, and transmits it. However, it is not limited to this, and it may be configured to read out and transmit the recorded data stored in the SD card. Alternatively, the transmission method may be different for the recorded data of event recording and the recorded data of continuous recording. For example, the recorded data of event recording to be transmitted may be read out from the RAM and transmitted. In the RAM, the playback image before compression for transmission is stored as cleaner recorded data than the recorded data stored in the SD card. On the other hand, the recorded data of continuous recording may be read out from the SD card and transmitted. Since event recording often records, for example, accidents, it is better to be able to confirm the details of the accident with a cleaner image than the recorded data stored in the SD card. Also, after the ACC power is turned off, all the recorded data including the data already transmitted during driving may be transmitted as a uniform bit rate so as to be a uniform image. Also, instead of the recorded data of event recording, time and position information may be transmitted. Also, it may be configured to transmit the recorded data of event recording first after parking. Also, it may be configured to transmit the recorded data of surveillance recording. Also, it may be configured to transmit the recorded data of parking surveillance.

[0201] Also, the drive recorder 4 may be configured to have a function of outputting an instruction to change the orientation of the camera provided. For example, if the trash bin is not in front of the parking lot but diagonally in front to the right, in order to take the trash bin, it is necessary to turn the drive recorder diagonally in front to the right, but the user may forget to change the orientation of the camera. Therefore, when the engine is turned off (on), or according to the position information measured by the GPS sensor, it is good to notify with voice or the like "Please check the orientation of the drive recorder". The orientation may be registered and notified, or a voice memo may be recorded and played back. Furthermore, it may be configured to automatically move the orientation of the camera with a motor.

[0202] Also, although the drive recorder 4 was described as performing event recording according to a predetermined trigger, the trigger in the monitoring recording mode is not limited to the above, and it may be configured to record events using the operation of auxiliary equipment in the parking lot as a trigger. There is a risk that robots or the parking lot may cause harm to the vehicle. Since the operation of the parking lot is related to the movement of others, it may be configured to record events using the operation of auxiliary equipment in the parking lot as a trigger. In a gate-type parking lot, the gate opening / closing signal is received and event recording is performed using it as a trigger. In a flap-type parking lot where a flap installed on the ground contacts the underside of the vehicle body, the flap raising / lowering signal is received and event recording is performed using it as a trigger. In a mechanical multi-story parking type, it is advisable to record events using signals corresponding to the lateral and longitudinal movement of the carriage of the vehicle body with a G-sensor. In this case, the threshold value may be set to the extent that the acceleration level generated during parking is detected as an event.

[0203] Also, although the drive recorder 4 was described as shifting to the monitoring recording mode according to the setting when receiving a battery switching signal in the continuous recording mode, it is not limited to this. Also, although the drive recorder 4 was described as performing event recording according to a predetermined trigger, it is not limited to this. In summer, if the vehicle is parked, the interior of the vehicle becomes scorching hot, so the window may be opened slightly remotely at the upper part. Therefore, the drive recorder 4 may be configured to record events or shift to the monitoring recording mode using the time when the window is open as a trigger and perform monitoring recording. Note that "slightly" means that the window should be opened to the extent that a hand cannot fit through.

[0204] Also, when the control unit determines that the remaining amount of the SD card is sufficient and the remaining amount of the battery is insufficient, and when "monitoring recording overwrite" is set to "ON", the drive recorder 4 displays the screen Sa5 (Fig. 5), and as the remaining amount of the battery decreases, it transitions to the screen Sa3 and turns off the power as described above, but it is not limited to this. If the internal battery 34 is about to run out during monitoring recording, it may be configured to notify a remote control having a function of starting the vehicle engine so that the engine can be started and power can be generated in the vehicle to continue recording. Also, the engine may be turned off again when the internal battery 34 is charged to a certain extent. If recording continues for a predetermined time, it may be configured to further inquire whether to continue recording or display an instruction on the remote control, and continue if a continue instruction is received.

[0205] Also, as described above, when the drive recorder 4 receives a battery switching signal in the continuous recording mode, it switches to the monitoring recording mode and starts monitoring recording according to the setting, but it is not limited to this. Also, as described above, the drive recorder 4 performs event recording according to a predetermined trigger, but it is not limited to this. The drive recorder 4 may be configured to have a function of monitoring recording or monitoring recording triggered by the approach of a drone. Thereby, it is possible to record an accident of contact with a vehicle when the drone drops in a parking lot. The approach of the drone may be detected, for example, by detecting radio waves emitted by the drone or by image recognition.

[0206] Also, although it has been described that when the drive recorder 4 receives a battery switching signal in the always-recording mode, it switches to the monitoring recording mode according to the settings, it is not limited to this. It may be configured to automatically record when parking in an area with a high degree of danger in conjunction with the navigation map data. It may also be configured to switch to the monitoring recording mode when the vehicle position is within an area with a high degree of danger. Or the recording conditions may be set to a higher level than normal. Here, setting the recording conditions to a higher level than normal means increasing the "number of recording frames" of the recording conditions to record in finer detail. An area with a high degree of danger is, for example, an area with frequent thefts, an area with frequent crimes, etc., and is, for example, information published on the official website of the Metropolitan Police Department.

[0207] Also, although it has been described that when the drive recorder 4 receives a battery switching signal in the always-recording mode, it switches to the monitoring recording mode according to the settings, it is not limited to this. When parking during EV charging, it is configured to record. Or the recording conditions may be set to a higher level than normal. In recent years, EV chargers have been installed in commercial facilities and the like. Since it may be easily vandalized during EV charging, recording is effective. It may be judged based on the area of the EV station in the map data, or it may be judged by obtaining the charging state of the vehicle from OBD (On-board diagnostics) or the like.

[0208] Also, the drive recorder 4 may be configured to have a function of stopping the recording of monitoring recording when the amount of light is insufficient for shooting, such as in the middle of the night. It is good because power supply from the battery can be controlled by judging the brightness with a light sensor separate from the imaging element provided in the camera, which can save power.

[0209] Also, when the drive recorder 4 receives a battery switching signal in the always-recording mode, it switches to the monitoring recording mode and starts monitoring recording according to the settings, and when the monitoring recording time expires, it turns off the power as described above, but it is not limited to this. The drive recorder 4 may be configured to stop recording the monitoring recording when the amount of packets flowing through the OBD's CAN (Controller Area Network) is low, and to record the monitoring recording when the amount of packets is high. Since the situation where a large number of packets are flowing even though the engine is turned off is likely to be a situation where the vehicle sensor has detected some operation around the vehicle, it is effective to record.

[0210] Also, in the description of the screen Sb25 (FIG. 14), it was explained that when the "OK" button is pressed, the control unit displays the screen Sb252 and records the position information output from the GPS sensor as the center position of the "monitoring area" in the non-volatile memory unit. When the position registered as the "monitoring area" or "monitoring cancellation area" is an indoor parking lot, there are problems such as difficulty in obtaining the position by the GPS sensor or low position accuracy. Therefore, for example, the position that could be positioned, or the position that could be positioned with a predetermined or higher accuracy (which may be determined based on the GPS positioning accuracy information), may be set as the registered position by going back in time from the time when the registration operation was performed. For example, position information (and positioning accuracy information) is obtained at predetermined time intervals (e.g., 1 second), and the position information is stored as a position history. When registering, the history is traced back to set the position that could be positioned, or the position that could be positioned with a predetermined or higher accuracy, as the registered position.

[0211] Not limited to the above-described embodiments, various modifications and the like are possible. Next, a monitoring battery according to Modification 1, which is a modification of the monitoring battery 3, will be described with reference to FIGS. 24 to 26. As shown in FIG. 24, the monitoring battery according to Modification 1 includes an input connector into which the input cord of the monitoring battery is inserted, an input / output connector into which the output cord is inserted, a USB Type-A connector, a DIP switch, a plurality of LEDs, etc. on the front of the mechanism case of the monitoring battery. Here, the input cord corresponds to the power cable 11 in the monitoring battery 3. The output cord corresponds to the cable 12 in the monitoring battery 3. Although it was described that one end of the power cable 11 of the monitoring battery 3 has a cigarette plug, it may be configured to include a red cord connected to the accessory power supply and a black cord connected to the metal part of the vehicle. Note that the accessory power supply is the ACC power supply of the vehicle that turns ON / OFF in conjunction with the engine key. The USB Type-A connector is connected to a commercially available USB cable or the like to charge the connected smartphone. Hereinafter, the ACC power supply may be referred to as the accessory power supply.

[0212] Although it was described that the DIP switch DIPSW36 of the monitoring battery 3 includes three switches, as shown in FIG. 25, the monitoring battery according to Modification 1 includes four DIP switches. By the ON / OFF combination of the four DIP switches, the specified time can be set to 0.5 hours, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, or it can be set not to set the specified time by the DIP switch. Note that in the description of the DIP switch in FIG. 25, up / down indicates the ON / OFF of each DIP switch.

[0213] As shown in FIG. 26, the indicator of the monitoring battery according to Modification 1 includes six LEDs. The six LEDs are an LED that lights up when power is supplied to the monitoring battery from the ACC power supply, an LED that lights up while the built-in battery is being charged, and four LEDs that light up according to the remaining amount of the built-in battery. Note that the internal battery of the monitoring battery is configured to be replaceable when its life deteriorates. Also, the monitoring battery does not interfere during driving or airbag operation Avoid installing it in places where it may get caught, places that are exposed to hot air from air conditioners, heaters, etc., places that receive direct sunlight, unstable places, places where there is a possibility of disconnection or short circuit due to wire entanglement or coating friction, and near vehicle electrical equipment (including antennas, etc.).

[0214] Next, the monitoring battery according to Modification 2, which is a modification of the monitoring battery 3, will be described with reference to FIGS. 27 to 31. As shown in FIG. 27, the planar surface of the mechanism case of the monitoring battery according to Modification 2 is provided with eight dip switches, a power switch, and display LEDs, the left side surface is provided with input terminals, and the front surface is provided with an output cable. Here, the input terminals correspond to the input connector 3a in the monitoring battery 3. The output cable corresponds to the cable 12 in the monitoring battery 3. The power switch is a switch for switching the ON / OFF of the power supply of the monitoring battery. When the power switch is OFF, the input of power to the monitoring battery and the output of power from the monitoring battery are cut off. Thereby, the user can safely remove the monitoring battery. Also, the dip switches are installed closer to the bottom surface than the power switch.

[0215] Also, as shown in FIG. 28, the input cord connected to the input terminals has a red cord connected to the vehicle battery power supply, a yellow cord connected to the accessory power supply, and a black cord connected to the metal part of the vehicle. Note that the input cord corresponds to the power supply cable 11 in the monitoring battery 3. In this way, the monitoring battery may be supplied with power from the vehicle battery power supply that is constantly powered regardless of the ON / OFF of the engine, separately from the accessory power supply, and the charge / discharge control unit 31 may be operated by receiving power supply from the battery power supply. Also, as shown in FIG. 29, the monitoring battery according to Modification 2 is provided with an LED that lights up when the engine is ON and during the operation of the monitoring battery.

[0216] The monitoring battery according to Modification 2 monitors the power supply of the vehicle's battery power supply, and when the voltage drops below a set voltage (hereinafter referred to as the detection voltage), it stops the power output from the monitoring battery. Also, after the vehicle engine is turned off, similar to the monitoring battery 3, it outputs power for a specified time (hereinafter referred to as the off-timer). As shown in FIG. 30, the detection voltage may be switched between 12V and 24V by three dip switches. In order to correspond to the case where the vehicle battery specification is 12V, it accepts any setting of 11.6V, 11.8V, 12V, or 12.2V. Similarly, in order to correspond to the case where the vehicle battery specification is 24V, it accepts settings of +0.2V, ±0V, -0.2V, and -0.4V for 24V. Here, by having two negative-side setting values and one positive-side setting value more than the vehicle battery specification, the monitoring battery may be able to continue output even when the vehicle battery drops. As shown in FIG. 31, the off-timer setting is accepted by three dip switches separate from the detection voltage setting, similar to the monitoring battery of Modification 1. As shown in FIG. 30, out of the eight dip switches arranged in a row, three are assigned to the detection voltage setting, three are assigned to the off-timer setting, and two are not used. By arranging one unused switch between the three used for the detection voltage setting and the three used for the off-timer setting, setting errors by the user are suppressed.

[0217] In the description of Method 4 of the data transfer method, it was explained that the image data has a plurality of P frames for one I frame. However, the configuration may be such that the image data does not have P frames. Also, although it was explained that the communication compression unit 45 creates three I frames in 1 second, the number of frames is not limited. The number of I frames per second may be less than 3 or 4 or more. Note that in the case of video with little movement, the number of frames may be reduced, and in the case of video with intense movement, the number of frames may be increased. Also, as explained in Method 1 of the data transfer method, the communication compression unit 45 may be configured to change the frame rate, the number of I frames, and the compression rate of the image data according to the communication speed. Also, although it was explained that the communication data is arranged in the order of I frame and audio data from the beginning, the position of the audio data is not limited. It may be configured to be located before the I frame or after the P frame is also acceptable.

[0218] Also, although it was explained that a serial number is assigned to each frame, it may be configured to assign a serial number to the communication data of one communication unit arranged in time series, and to assign a serial number to each frame within one communication unit. For example, the communication data of the first communication unit is numbered 1, the communication data of the second communication unit is numbered 2, the P frame of the communication data of the first communication unit is numbered 1, the next P frame is numbered 2, the P frame of the communication data of the second communication unit is also numbered 1, and the next P frame is numbered 2. By doing so, the frame can be specified in terms of which frame of which communication unit it is. Also, the identifier to be assigned is not limited to a serial number, and any sortable identifier may be used. For example, it may be time or date, or any combination of serial number, time, and date may be used.

[0219] Also, in step S5 of the communication process, it was described that I-frames, P-frames, and one-section worth of audio data for which communication data could not be transmitted were stored in the SD cards 61 and 62. However, a configuration may be adopted in which communication data for one communication unit, including the parts that could be communicated, is stored in the SD cards 61 and 62. Also, when communication is restored and retransmission is performed, a configuration may be adopted in which communication data for one communication unit is transmitted.

[0220] Also, during the period of continuous recording, it was described that the SD card interface 47 alternately switches the write destination of the data for storage between the SD card 61 and the SD card 62, for example, every 10 s. Although the period is not limited, it is preferably set to a time longer than the time required for shooting communication data for one communication unit.

[0221] Also, it was described that all or part of the communication data written to the SD card 62 because it could not be transmitted was read from the SD card 62 and transmitted. In step S9 of the communication process, it was described that the fact that transmission was not possible was stored in the RAM. However, in step S9 of the communication process, information associating the identifier for specifying all or part of the communication data that could not be transmitted with the identifier for specifying the SD card as the write destination is stored in the RAM. When communication becomes possible, a configuration may be adopted in which, with reference to that information, the SD card storing all or part of the communication data that could not be transmitted is specified.

[0222] Also, in the description of another example of the drive recorder in FIG. 19, it was described that the communication compression unit 45 automatically varies the data capacity according to the current communication rate. Changing it in real time so that transmission is possible according to the current communication rate is not limited to the compression ratio, and a configuration may be adopted in which the frame rate is changed.

[0223] Also, in another example of the drive recorder shown in FIG. 19, it was described that two SD cards were inserted. However, a configuration may be adopted in which one SD card is inserted. Also in this case, the drive recorder preferably has a configuration in which the storage area of the SD card is divided into a storage area and a communication area, and the recording data is written.

[0224] Also, as shown in FIG. 20, only one I-frame may be included in one communication unit, but a plurality of I-frames may be included. At this time, it is preferable to be able to specify which P-frame group corresponds to which I-frame. For example, the number of P-frames for one I-frame may be made the same for specification, or all frames may be assigned serial numbers. When there are a plurality of I-frames in one communication unit, the I-frame group may be transmitted continuously first, and then the P-frame group following the I-frame group may be transmitted. However, a frame group with an alternating order such as I-frame · P-frame · I-frame · P-frame ··· may be used as one communication unit.

[0225] The frame rate should be made adjustable. For example, it may be set to 1 fps, 5 fps, 10 fps. It is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the number of I-frames included in one communication unit is changed according to the frame rate. The higher the frame rate, the more I-frames should be included in one communication unit.

[0226] The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above embodiments, and the configurations of the above embodiments and the configurations of the above modification examples may be arbitrarily combined. Also, a part of the configurations of the above embodiments and a part of the configurations of the above modification examples may be arbitrarily combined. Further, a part of the configurations described in "Means for Solving the Problems", a part of the configurations of the above embodiments, and a part of the configurations of the above modification examples may be arbitrarily combined.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0227] 1 System 3 Monitoring Battery 3a Input Connector 3b Input / Output Connector 4 Drive Recorder 4a Input / Output Connector 11 Power Cable 12 Cable 31 Charge / Discharge Control Unit 34 Internal Battery 33 CPU 35 Indicator 36 DIP switches DIPSW 47 SD card interface 52 Mobile communication interface

Claims

1. A system to be installed in a vehicle having a function of switching an operation mode depending on whether or not power is being supplied from an ACC power source, The camera is provided with a function for determining that an event has occurred based on the acceleration measured by the G sensor during surveillance recording, which is surveillance recording mode when power is not being supplied from the ACC power source, and for performing event recording; The drive recorder is provided with a function of displaying on the screen, after displaying an opening screen, a message indicating that an event has been recorded during surveillance recording when the event recording is executed during the surveillance recording before the ACC power source is turned on.

2. A drive recorder as described in claim 1, which records the event for a predetermined time after the ACC power is turned off, but has a function of not notifying that an event has occurred during the monitoring function when the ACC power is turned on.

3. A drive recorder as described in claim 2, which records the event for a predetermined period of time before the ACC power is turned on, but has a function of not notifying that an event has occurred during the monitoring function when the ACC power is turned on.

4. A program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images