In-vehicle device and the like

By orienting the camera outward and display surface inward with non-parallel angles, the device ensures easy visibility for vehicle occupants and difficult visibility for external viewers, addressing the challenge of display content recognition in in-vehicle devices.

JP2025100939AInactive Publication Date: 2025-07-03YUPITERU CORP
View PDF 5 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
JP2025073862
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-04-28
Publication Date
2025-07-03
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing in-vehicle devices, such as drive recorders, face challenges in balancing the ease of display content visibility for occupants inside the vehicle while making it difficult for external viewers, particularly drivers of following vehicles, to recognize the display content, leading to potential distraction and interference with driving.

Method used

The device incorporates a camera directed outward and a display surface oriented inward within the vehicle, with non-parallel directions and specific angles to ensure easy viewing for occupants and difficult viewing from outside, often utilizing a bracket system for positioning.

Benefits of technology

This configuration allows occupants to easily view display content without obstructing their view and minimizes distraction for external viewers, enhancing safety by reducing the likelihood of the display content being noticed by following drivers.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure 2025100939000001_ABST
    Figure 2025100939000001_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To balance the visibility of display contents for people inside a vehicle with the visibility of the display contents for people outside the vehicle.SOLUTION: A dashboard camera 10, which is an in-vehicle device, includes a camera 17 and a display unit 19 having a display surface 19a. When the camera 17 is oriented in a first direction that allows an area outside a vehicle to be captured, the display surface 19a faces a second direction in which a predetermined riding area inside the vehicle is included. This allows a driver to view the display contents at a shallow angle to the display unit, even if the dashboard camera is positioned to be hidden behind a rear-view mirror.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] As an example of an in-vehicle device, there is a drive recorder disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. In paragraph

[0035] of this Patent Document 1, it is described that "As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the drive recorder 100 has a main body 101, a bracket 102, a camera 103, a display 104, buttons 105, a lamp 106, an audio output port 107, a memory card storage section 108, and an audio input port 109." And in paragraph

[0036] , it is described that "The main body 101 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing. The bracket 102 is a member for attaching the main body 101 to a vehicle. The camera 103 is a device for imaging the outside of the vehicle. The lens of the camera 103 is provided on the front side of the main body 101. One end of the bracket 102 is attached to the upper part of the main body 101, and the other end is attached to a predetermined position inside the front glass FG of the vehicle via a double-sided tape or the like so that the lens of the camera 103 faces the front of the vehicle (see FIG. 5). ……" And in paragraph

[0037] , it is described that "The display 104 is provided on the back side of the main body 101 and is a display device such as a liquid crystal for displaying various information. ……"

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] For example, a forward-direction drive recorder may be disposed in, for example, an upper region of the windshield for reasons such as legal requirements or to avoid obstructing the view of the driver during driving. In this case, it may be difficult for a person inside the vehicle (e.g., the driver) to visually recognize the information displayed on the display unit. On the other hand, for example, from the perspective of the driver of a following vehicle, the display surface may be in a position relationship that is almost directly facing the driver. For this reason, problems may occur such that the information displayed on the display surface is visually recognized by the driver of a following vehicle or the like, or that it causes distraction to the driver of a following vehicle and hinders driving. Therefore, it is required to achieve a balance between the ease of visual recognition of the display content for a person inside the vehicle and the difficulty of visual recognition of the display content for a person outside the vehicle.

[0005] The object of the invention of the present application is not limited to this, and the applicant also has the intention of obtaining rights by means of divisional application, amendment, etc. for a configuration aimed at obtaining the effects achieved by the components disclosed in this specification, drawings, etc. For example, the problem of reading the part described as "~ can be done" in this specification as "~ is a problem" is disclosed in this specification. The problems are described as independent ones, and the applicant also has the intention of obtaining rights by means of divisional application, amendment, etc. alone for the configuration for solving these problems. Even if the problem is implicitly grasped from the description of the specification, the applicant has the intention of making a part of the configuration described in this specification the scope of claims by amendment or divisional application. Also, problems combining these independent problems are disclosed.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] (1) There is provided an in-vehicle device including a camera and a display unit having a display surface, wherein when the camera is directed in a first direction capable of photographing a shooting area outside the vehicle, the display surface is directed in a second direction in which a predetermined riding area inside the vehicle exists.

[0007] In this way, when the camera is directed in the first direction in which it can capture the shooting area outside the vehicle, inevitably, the display surface faces the second direction in which a predetermined riding area exists inside the vehicle. Therefore, for a person in the riding area, it is easy to view the display content on the display surface, and it is difficult to view the display content from outside the vehicle. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve both easy viewing of the display content for a person inside the vehicle and difficulty in viewing the display content for a person outside the vehicle.

[0008] (2) It is preferable that the first direction and the second direction are non-parallel.

[0009] In this way, even when the direction in which the shooting area outside the vehicle is located as seen from the camera and the direction in which a predetermined riding area exists inside the vehicle as seen from the display surface are non-parallel, it is possible to make it easy for a person in the riding area to view the display content on the display surface.

[0010] (3) When the shooting area exists in the traveling direction of the vehicle, it is preferable that the second direction is inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the reverse direction of the traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0011] In this way, when shooting the shooting area in the traveling direction of the vehicle, even when there is no predetermined riding area on the opposite side, it is possible to make it easy to view the display content from the riding area, and it is possible to make it difficult to view the display content from the reverse direction side of the traveling direction of the vehicle where there may be a following vehicle.

[0012] (4) It is preferable that the second direction is a direction rotated by the predetermined angle from the reverse direction to one side in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle.

[0013] In this way, since the display surface faces in a direction rotated by a predetermined angle toward one side in the vehicle width direction from the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle, the display content can be easily viewed from the boarding area, and from the side opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle where there may be a following vehicle, the display content can be made difficult to view. For example, even when the in-vehicle device is arranged near the center in the vehicle width direction on the front glass side of the vehicle, the display content on the display surface can be easily viewed by a person sitting in the driver's seat or the passenger seat.

[0014] (5) The second direction may be a direction rotated downward by the predetermined angle from the reverse direction.

[0015] In this way, even when there are eyes of a person in the boarding area below the display surface, the display content can be viewed, and from the side opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle where there may be a following vehicle, the display content can be made difficult to view. For example, when the in-vehicle device is arranged in a region on the front glass side of the vehicle, the display content on the display surface can be easily viewed by a person sitting in the driver's seat or the passenger seat.

[0016] (6) The boarding area may be an area where the driver's seat or the passenger seat of the vehicle is arranged.

[0017] In this way, for a person in the driver's seat or the passenger seat, the display content on the display surface can be easily viewed without having to stand up or take a posture of peering into the display surface.

[0018] (7) The viewing angle of the display surface may be set such that the display content on the display surface is visible from the boarding area and is more difficult to view from the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0019] By doing so, when the viewing angle of the display surface is restricted, it is possible to prevent the display content from being obstructed from being viewed by a person in a predetermined riding area, while making it difficult to view the display content from the opposite side in the traveling direction of the vehicle where there may be a following vehicle.

[0020] (8) When disposed on the traveling direction side of the vehicle with respect to the rearview mirror of the vehicle, the second direction may be a direction in which the display surface does not face the rearview mirror.

[0021] By doing so, when the in-vehicle device is disposed behind the rearview mirror and the presence of the in-vehicle device is made inconspicuous, it is possible to prevent the display content on the display surface from being obstructed from being viewed from a predetermined riding area, and since the display surface is hidden by the rearview mirror from the opposite side in the traveling direction of the vehicle where there may be a following vehicle, it is possible to make it difficult to view the display content on the display surface.

[0022] (9) The display surface may be a first display surface facing a second direction in which a first riding area in the vehicle exists, and the display unit may further have a second display surface facing a third direction in which a second riding area in the vehicle exists.

[0023] By doing so, each of a person in the first riding area and a person in the second riding area can view the display content on the display surface. For example, it is possible to make it easy for both a person in the driver's seat and a person in the passenger seat to view the display content.

[0024] (10) It may have a case in which the camera and the display unit are provided, and the lens of the camera and the display surface may be fixedly provided with respect to the case.

[0025] By doing so, since the relationship between the direction in which the lens of the camera faces and the direction in which the display surface faces becomes fixed, if the direction in which the lens of the camera faces is adjusted, the direction in which the display surface faces is set to a direction in which the display content can be easily viewed from a predetermined riding area, so that it is possible to easily adjust the position and posture of the in-vehicle device.

[0026] (11) It may have an operation unit facing the second direction.

[0027] In this way, since the operation unit faces the second direction, for a person in a predetermined riding area, in addition to making it easier to visually recognize the display content on the display surface, the operation unit can be easily operated.

[0028] (12) It may have a second camera capable of photographing in the second direction.

[0029] In this way, since the second camera can photograph in the second direction, it is possible to easily photograph a person visually recognizing the display content on the display surface or the surrounding area thereof from the front side.

[0030] (13) The display unit may display disaster information related to disasters.

[0031] In this way, it is possible to make it easier for a person in a predetermined riding area to recognize information related to disasters, which is one of the information with a high degree of importance to be notified to people in the vehicle.

[0032] (14) It may be a drive recorder that records an image captured by the camera.

[0033] In this way, it is possible to achieve both easy visual recognition of the display content for a person in the vehicle and difficult visual recognition of the display content for a person outside the vehicle.

[0034] (15) There is provided an imaging device including a camera and a display unit having a display surface. When the lens of the camera is directed in the first direction, the display surface faces a second direction that has a component in a direction opposite to the first direction and is non-parallel to the first direction, and the angle formed by the first direction and the second direction is fixed.

[0035] By doing so, when the lens of the camera is directed in the first direction, inevitably, it faces the second direction which has a component in the direction opposite to the first direction and is non-parallel to the first direction. Thus, while shooting in the desired direction, it is possible to easily view the display content on the display surface from the second direction, and it is difficult to view the display content from the opposite side of the lens.

[0036] The inventions described in (1) to (15) above can be arbitrarily combined. For example, it may be configured to add at least a part of the configuration of at least one of the inventions after (2) to all or a part of the configuration of the invention shown in (1). In particular, it is preferably an invention in which at least a part of the configuration of at least one of the inventions after (2) is added to the invention shown in (1). The applicant of the present application also has the intention to obtain patent rights, design rights, etc. by means of amendment, divisional application, change application for design registration application, etc. for those including these configurations.

Effects of the Invention

[0037] According to the present invention, for example, at least any one of the following effects can be achieved. It is possible to achieve both easy visibility of the display content for a person inside the vehicle and difficult visibility of the display content for a person outside the vehicle. For example, it is possible to make it easy for a driver or the like to view the display content of the display unit, and difficult for a driver or the like of a following vehicle to view the display content.

[0038] The effects of the invention of the present application are not limited to this, and the effects achieved from the parts of the configuration disclosed in this specification, drawings, etc. are also disclosed, and the applicant also has the intention to obtain rights by means of divisional application, amendment, etc. for the configuration achieving the effects. For example, the parts described as "can be" in this specification are descriptions that clearly show the achieved effects, and even if there is no description of "can be", there are parts that show the effects. Moreover, even without such a description, there are effects grasped by the said configuration.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0039]

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

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0040] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. These drawings are used to explain the technical features that the present invention can adopt. The configuration, shape, etc. of the described device are merely illustrative examples, and the present invention is not to be construed as being limited thereto, and various changes, modifications, and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0041] [Background of the Invention Idea] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the external configuration and an example of the arrangement of a drive recorder 90. The drive recorder 90 is a drive recorder according to the conventional configuration and is arranged to photograph the traveling direction of a vehicle. The lens of the camera and the display surface of the drive recorder 90 are back to back and face in opposite directions. In this example, both the direction of the optical axis of the lens and the normal direction of the display surface are in the horizontal direction or substantially horizontal direction.

[0042] The drive recorder 90 may be arranged in the upper region of the windshield for reasons such as legal requirements or to avoid obstructing the view of the driver during driving. Also, regarding the installation of the drive recorder, one of the best positions is behind the rearview mirror. By doing so, the drive recorder 90 does not block the driver's view in the traveling direction, and it is difficult for people inside the vehicle to visually recognize the drive recorder 90, which may be aesthetically desirable in some cases. For this reason, those who use the drive recorder 90 have a positive motivation to place it behind the rearview mirror. However, when such an arrangement is made, as shown in FIGS. 20(a) to 20(c), the display unit provided in the drive recorder 90 is hidden behind the rearview mirror. For people inside the vehicle such as the driver, it becomes difficult to visually recognize the display content of the display unit. Also, even when the drive recorder 90 is not arranged behind the rearview mirror, since the drive recorder 90 is located relatively above, when the driver or others want to see the display content, they need to take a posture that is burdensome, such as looking obliquely upward.

[0043] For example, the windshield of a sports car may be at a sharp diagonal angle. In this case, when the upper part of the windshield is close to directly above the driver, the above problems become more prominent.

[0044] On the other hand, for example, from the perspective of the driver of a following vehicle, the display surface of the display unit of the drive recorder may be in a position almost directly facing. For this reason, there is a possibility that the information displayed on the display surface may be visually recognized by the driver of the following vehicle or others. Also, for the driver of the following vehicle or others, there is a possibility that the display content of the display unit may be concerning and they may stare at it or feel dazzled. These may cause distraction for the driver of the following vehicle and may even interfere with their driving.

[0045] For the above reasons, the inventors of the present application considered that in a drive recorder, it is required to achieve both easy visibility of the display content for a person inside the vehicle and difficult visibility of the display content for a person outside the vehicle.

[0046] [First Embodiment of Drive Recorder] Figs. 1 to 8 and Fig. 19 show a first embodiment of a drive recorder 10. The drive recorder 10 is an example of an in-vehicle device and a photographing device. The drive recorder 10 of this embodiment has a flat and upright main body case 13, and various circuit boards and devices are mounted in the main body case 13. The main body case 13 is attached and fixed to, for example, the front glass 2 of a vehicle, which is an example of an attachment site, via a bracket 18, which is an example of an attachment member. The vehicle may be, for example, a private car or a commercial vehicle, and the vehicle type may also be a special vehicle such as a passenger car, a bus, a truck, or a forklift.

[0047] The main body case 13 is configured by connecting a first case 14 and a second case 15 that are divided into two parts in the front-rear direction. The first case 14 and the second case 15 are box-shaped with their opposing surfaces open, and are connected by a predetermined connecting means in a state where their front end surfaces are joined together. The connecting means may be, for example, composed of a protrusion provided on one of the first case 14 and the second case 15 and a recess provided on the other that engages with the protrusion, and it is preferably configured such that the protrusion and the recess are fitted together, and it is particularly good to fix them using fastening means such as bolts and nuts.

[0048] Both the first case 14 and the second case 15 are horizontally long, and in a state where the drive recorder 10 is arranged in a vehicle, the first case 14 is located on the vehicle traveling direction side and faces the front glass 2. Also, in a state where the drive recorder 10 is arranged in a vehicle, the second case 15 is located on the rear side of the vehicle and is in a posture facing the inside of the vehicle.

[0049] In this embodiment, for example, the vertical direction of the vehicle is the vertical direction, and the direction orthogonal to the vertical direction is the horizontal direction. Therefore, any direction within 360 degrees in the horizontal plane orthogonal to the vertical direction is the horizontal direction.

[0050] The surface 14a of the first case 14 is a flat surface, and the camera 17 is disposed near the longitudinal center in the left - right direction (for example, the vehicle width direction when disposed on the vehicle) and slightly above in the vertical direction. The camera 17 has an image sensor (for example, CMOS or CCD) not shown and a lens 17a, etc. The camera 17 is mounted in the main body case 13 such that the direction of the optical axis of the lens 17a, which is the direction of the camera 17, is parallel to the normal direction of the surface 14a. When the surface 14a of the first case 14 is, for example, horizontally directed in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the lens 17a of the camera 17 faces the traveling direction (front) of the vehicle. The camera 17 photographs an area existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the "photographing area"). The photographing area is an area outside the vehicle. Note that the direction in which the camera 17 (lens 17a) faces is an example of the first direction.

[0051] The first case 14 is a box - shaped deeper than the second case 15 and has a top surface 14b having a predetermined length in the front - rear direction of the vehicle. The top surface 14b is provided with an insertion port 28 for a pin jack to which the plug of the power cable 27 is attached and an insertion port 30 for a female connector to which the minUSB connector terminal of the communication cable 29 is attached.

[0052] The top surface 14b is provided with joint rails 16. The joint rails 16 extend along the front - rear direction and two are provided on the left and right at a predetermined interval. A bracket 18 is detachably attached between the two joint rails 16.

[0053] The bracket 18 has a flat - plate - shaped attachment portion 22 having an attachment surface to be attached to the windshield 2, a pair of ball studs 23 standing up from the attachment portion 22, a socket portion 24 for attaching the ball portion at the tip of the ball stud 23, a nut 26 detachably attached around the socket portion 24, and a base member 25 formed in a pair with the socket portion 24.

[0054] The socket part 24 has cut portions 24a extending from the tip side toward the base member 25 side at predetermined angular intervals in the circumferential direction, and the small piece portions between adjacent cut portions 24a are flexible. Further, an external thread portion is provided on the outer periphery of the socket part 24, and a nut 26 that fits onto the external thread portion is attached to the outer periphery of the socket part 24. Thus, before tightening the nut 26 with the ball part of the ball stud 23 mounted in the socket part 24, the socket part 24 can rotate in a desired direction along the circumferential surface of the ball part to displace the posture and position of the mounting part 22, and when the nut 26 is tightened, its angular position is fixed.

[0055] The bracket 18 is detachably mounted by sliding the base member 25 between a pair of joint rails 16. Then, an adhesive member 21 such as double-sided adhesive tape is attached to the mounting part 22, and it is attached and fixed to the vehicle's windshield 2 via the adhesive member 21.

[0056] In this embodiment, the bracket 18 is fixed by attaching the mounting part 22 near the center in the width direction on the upper side of the windshield via the adhesive member 21. Thereby, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the drive recorder 10 to which the bracket 18 is attached is located on the vehicle traveling direction side (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the back side of the room mirror 31) of the room mirror 31, and when a person riding in the vehicle faces the room mirror 31, substantially the entire inside of the main body case 13 of the drive recorder 10 is hidden by the room mirror 31. By doing so, the drive recorder 10 does not block the driver's view in the traveling direction, and it is difficult for people in the vehicle to visually recognize the drive recorder 10, which may be aesthetically desirable in some cases.

[0057] The second case 15 is formed of a box shape with a shallower bottom than the first case 14. The surface 15a on the side opposite to the opening surface of the second case 15 is divided into two parts on the left and right in the longitudinal direction. When looking at the surface 15a from the inside of the vehicle, the first region R1 on the left side is a plane parallel to the surface 14a of the first case 14, and the second region R2 on the right side is an inclined surface that approaches the surface 14a of the first case 14 towards the end. Since the first region R1 is parallel to the surface 14a of the first case 14, for example, the orientation of the camera 17 (lens 17a) can be aligned based on the first region R1. Since the lens 17a is exposed outside the first case 14, a person can adjust the position and posture of the drive recorder 10 while looking at the lens 17a so as to be able to photograph a desired shooting area.

[0058] Also, such alignment can be performed, for example, by attaching the bracket 18 to the windshield and loosening the nut 26 in a state where the bracket 18 is attached to the main body case 13. Then, the orientation of the first region R1, and thus the orientation of the lens 17a of the camera 17, is set to a desired orientation, for example, facing the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the nut 26 is tightened in that state so that the lens 17a of the camera 17 is fixedly provided.

[0059] In this embodiment, the first region R1 and the second region R2 on the surface 15a of the second case 15 face different directions. That is, since the first region R1 is a plane parallel to the surface 14a of the first case 14, it faces the opposite direction on the same straight line as the orientation of the camera 17. Therefore, for example, when the drive recorder 10 is attached to the vehicle and the optical axis of the camera 17 is arranged to face the traveling direction of the vehicle, the surface 15a of the first region R1 will face the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the vehicle. If the traveling direction of the vehicle is the horizontal direction, the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the vehicle is also the horizontal direction. In this case, the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the vehicle can be said to be directly behind the vehicle. Therefore, for example, using the first region R1 as a reference plane and arranging the first region R1 to face the traveling direction of the vehicle, the lens 17a of the camera 17 can be directed in the traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0060] The opening of the second case 15 has its long side formed parallel to the first region R1 and the second region R2 of the surface 15a. The side on the first region R1 side in the longitudinal direction of the long side becomes a straight side 15d parallel to the surface 14a of the first case 14, and the side on the second region R2 side becomes an inclined side 15e.

[0061] The opening surface of the first case 14 is made to coincide with the opening surface of the second case 15. The first case 14 has a uniform depth from one side in the longitudinal direction on the first region R1 side to a predetermined position beyond the center, and the other side has a gradually shallower form. Accordingly, one side in the longitudinal direction of the long side of the opening surface of the first case 14 becomes a straight side 14d parallel to the surface 14a, and the other side becomes an inclined side 14e. The inclination angle of the inclined side 14e is made equal to the inclined side 15e of the second case 15.

[0062] In this embodiment, the first region R1 side of the second region R2 of the surface 15a of the second case 15 has a shape that protrudes outward from the first region R1. A display unit 19 (display surface 19a) is provided in the second region R2. The display content of the display surface 19a includes display elements exemplified by, for example, characters, images (e.g., those stored by the function of a drive recorder), and icons. The display surface 19a is a rectangular display area, but may be an area of other shapes. The display surface 19a faces obliquely to the second side. In this embodiment, the display surface 19a has the same orientation as the second region R2 and faces the same horizontal direction as the first region R1. The direction in which the display surface 19a faces is, in this embodiment, the normal direction of the display surface 19a. The direction in which the display surface 19a faces is non-parallel to the direction in which the camera 17 (lens 17a) faces. The direction in which the display unit 19 (display surface 19a) faces is an example of the second direction. In this embodiment, the display surface 19a faces a direction rotated by a predetermined angle from the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle to one side in the vehicle width direction. Here, one side in the vehicle width direction is the direction of the side where the driver's seat is located. The predetermined angle is, for example, 45 degrees, but is not limited thereto. The driver's seat is a seat provided in the passenger area of the vehicle. The passenger area is an area where a person exists or may exist in the vehicle. During the running of the vehicle, a driver is sitting on the driver's seat.

[0063] Further, the display unit 19 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD). The display surface 19a of the display unit 19 has a predetermined viewing angle. Therefore, when viewing the display surface 19a obliquely from outside the viewing angle, the display content cannot be visually recognized or can hardly be visually recognized. In the present embodiment, since the second region R2 is arranged on the right side when viewed from the inside of the vehicle toward the surface 15a, it is located on the driver's seat side in a vehicle with a right-hand steering wheel, and the display surface 19a is arranged so as to be obliquely to the right with respect to the rear side of the vehicle and face the driver's seat side. Therefore, a driver sitting on the driver's seat will be almost directly facing the display surface 19a, for example. A viewing angle limiting sheet, for example, may be provided on the display surface 19a as a viewing angle limiting member for limiting the viewing angle.

[0064] As described above, the lens 17a of the camera 17 and the display surface 19a of the display unit 19 are fixedly provided with respect to the case of the drive recorder 10. By doing so, if the direction in which the lens 17a of the camera 17 faces is adjusted, the direction in which the display surface 19a faces is set to a direction in which the display content thereof is easily visible from the driver's seat side, so that the position and posture of the drive recorder 10 can be easily adjusted.

[0065] In addition, the driver's seat on which the driver sits is arranged at a position slightly shifted in the vehicle width direction rather than in the reverse direction of the traveling direction of the vehicle of the drive recorder 10. Even in such a case, the driver can view the display surface 19a within the range of the viewing angle of the front or almost front, and can easily view the display content of the display surface 19a without taking a posture such as standing up or peering into the display surface. In particular, when the drive recorder 10 is arranged behind the rearview mirror 31, in other words, on the windshield side of the vehicle and near the center in the vehicle width direction, the display content of the display surface can be easily viewed by a person sitting on the driver's seat. On the other hand, from the reverse side of the traveling direction of the vehicle where there may be a following vehicle, since it is a visual recognition from a direction outside the viewing angle, the display content can be made difficult to view.

[0066] When the drive recorder 10 is disposed on the rear side (the vehicle traveling direction side) of the rearview mirror 31, the display surface 19a is configured to face a direction not facing the rearview mirror 31. By doing so, the drive recorder 10 is disposed behind the rearview mirror 31 so as not to be conspicuous, and it is possible to prevent the display content on the display surface 19a from being visually recognized from the driver's seat side. Further, from the reverse side of the vehicle traveling direction where a rear vehicle may exist, since the display surface 19a is hidden by the rearview mirror 31, it is possible to make it difficult to visually recognize the display content on the display surface 19a.

[0067] Rather than disposing the main body case 13 of the drive recorder 10 so as to be hidden on the rear side of the rearview mirror 31, for example, even when shifted in the front-rear and left-right directions, since the display surface 19a faces diagonally to the right and toward the driver's seat side and the display surface 19a does not face directly behind the vehicle, it is possible to make it difficult to visually recognize the display content from outside the vehicle. In particular, from the reverse side of the vehicle traveling direction where a rear vehicle may exist, in addition to being in a direction outside the viewing angle and being at a distance, the driver of the rear vehicle etc. will not pay attention, it will not be dazzling, and it will not distract, and it is possible to suppress the hindrance to driving.

[0068] Regarding the attachment of the drive recorder 10, the following can also be said. When the display surface 19a is directed in a direction that is easy to view from the driver's seat, the camera 17 can also be made to face an appropriate direction such as the vehicle traveling direction. For example, even when the case of the drive recorder 10 is located on the rear side of the rearview mirror 31 and the case is hidden by the rearview mirror 31, making it difficult to adjust the orientation of the camera 17, the orientation of the camera 17 can be adjusted based on the orientation of the display surface 19a.

[0069] [Second Embodiment of Drive Recorder] The drive recorder of this embodiment is made based on the knowledge that the attachment site is the upper region of the windshield, the lens is in the vehicle traveling direction, and the position relationship is almost determined to be near diagonally downward when a person views from the position of the drive recorder.

[0070] Figures 9 to 13 show a second embodiment of the drive recorder 40. In this embodiment, the main body case 43 on which the camera 41, the display unit 42, etc. are mounted has a cylindrical shape. A bracket 45, which is an example of a mounting member, is attached to one end side in the axial direction of the cylindrical main body case 43. The bracket 45 includes, for example, a ring-shaped portion 45a having an arc surface that faces the outer peripheral surface of the main body case 43 and is rotatable and has an inner peripheral surface, a connecting portion 45b integrally formed on the outer peripheral surface of the ring-shaped portion 45a, and a plate-shaped mounting portion 45c integrally formed at the tip of the connecting portion 45b.

[0071] In this embodiment, the outer diameter of one end side of the main body case 43 is made smaller, and the ring-shaped portion 45a is attached to the smaller portion. As a result, a wall 43d is formed on the inner side in the axial direction of the portion of the main body case 43 with the smaller outer diameter, and one axial surface of the ring-shaped portion 45a attached to the portion abuts against the wall 43d. Then, with the bracket 45 attached to one end side of the main body case 43 in this way, the fixing member 46 is attached to one end of the main body case 43, and both axial side surfaces of the bracket 45 are sandwiched and fixed between the fixing member 46 and the wall 43d of the main body case 43. The main body case 43 and the ring-shaped portion 45a are configured to be relatively rotatable and to be fixed at an appropriate angular position. Fixing at such a predetermined angular position can be achieved, for example, by providing a female screw portion on the inner peripheral surface of the fixing member 46, forming a male screw portion on the outer peripheral surface of one end side of the main body case 43, fitting the female screw portion and the male screw portion together, and tightening the screw to narrow the distance between the tip of the fixing member 46 and the wall 43d of the main body case 43 to sandwich and fix the ring-shaped portion 45a, or by providing, for example, fitting irregularities on the inner peripheral surface of the ring-shaped portion 45a and the outer peripheral surface of the portion of one end side of the main body case 43, fixing the angle at the position where the irregularities are fitted, and configuring it so that the irregularities are disengaged and it becomes rotatable when a force is applied in the rotational direction. Various configurations such as these may be adopted.

[0072] Then, an adhesive member 47 such as a double-sided tape is attached to the connecting portion 45b of the mounting portion 45c and the surface on the non-connection side, and the bracket 45 is attached to a predetermined position of the front glass 2 using the adhesive member 47. As a result, the main body case 43 supported by the bracket 45 is suspended and fixed at a predetermined position of the front glass 2.

[0073] Inside the cylindrical main body case 43, for example, a first circuit board 51 and a second circuit board 52 connected by a connector 53 are arranged in a posture where they are stacked one behind the other. The first circuit board 51 includes, for example, a CPU, a memory, an imaging element of the camera 41, a control unit of the display unit 42, etc., and is arranged such that the lens 41a of the camera 41 is exposed on the outer surface of the main body case 43. The first circuit board 51 is connected to the display unit 42 via a connection portion 48. The connection portion 48 is, for example, a wiring portion formed of a flexible printed wiring board (FPC), and supplies various signals (for example, a scanning line drive signal and a data line drive signal) for driving the display unit 42 and a signal (video signal) that defines the display content. In this embodiment, by directing the lens 41a in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the camera 41 captures a shooting area existing in the traveling direction (an example of the first direction) of the vehicle. The shooting area is an area outside the vehicle. Note that, as described above, the direction in which the camera 41 (lens 41a) faces is an example of the first direction. Since the lens 41a is exposed outside the main body case 43, a person can adjust the position and posture of the drive recorder 40 so as to be able to capture a desired shooting area while looking at the lens 41a.

[0074] The second circuit board 52 has, for example, a power control circuit, etc., and includes, for example, an electric double layer capacitor 54, an SD card connector portion 55, an operation switch 56, etc. The operation switch 56 and the SD card connector portion 55 are arranged so as to be exposed on the side surface 43a of the main body case 43, etc., and it is preferable to make them operable from the side surface 43a. In this embodiment, the operation switch 56, etc. are provided on the right side surface 43a as viewed from a driver or the like who is a person inside the vehicle. In this example, the operation switch 56, etc. are provided on the side surface 43a on the mounting side of the bracket 45. As a result, the operation switch 56, etc. are arranged on the driver side, and the operability of the driver is improved.

[0075] A flat portion 43b is provided at a predetermined position on the circumferential surface of the main body case 43. One end in the longitudinal direction of the flat portion 43b reaches the side surface 43c on the non-mounted side of the bracket 45 of the main body case 43. Then, the display surface 42a of the display unit 42 is arranged on the flat portion 43b. The display surface 42a is a rectangular display area that is long in the axial direction of the main body case 43, but it may be an area with other shapes. The direction in which the display surface 42a of the display unit 42 faces is non-parallel to the direction in which the camera 41 (lens 41a) faces. The display unit 42 is composed of, for example, an LCD. The camera 41 and the display unit 42 are fixedly provided on the main body case 43 such that the direction in which the display surface 42a of the display unit 42 faces, that is, the normal direction L1 of the display surface 42a, intersects the optical axis L2 of the lens 41a of the camera 41 at a predetermined angle. Therefore, for example, when the main body case 43 is rotated around the axis in a state where it is mounted on the bracket 45, the direction of the camera 41 swings up and down, and rotates while the angle formed by the display surface 42a of the display unit 42 and the camera 41 (lens 41a) is maintained.

[0076] In this embodiment, the display surface 42a is in a direction rotated downward by a predetermined angle from the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle. The display surface 42a faces obliquely downward (an example of the second direction) when the lens 41a is directed in the traveling direction of the vehicle (see FIG. 9 etc.). The direction in which the display surface 42a faces is, in this embodiment, the normal direction of the display surface 42a. The predetermined angle is, for example, 45 degrees, but is not limited to this.

[0077] When the drive recorder 40 is viewed from the directions (A), (B), (C), and (D) in FIG. 11, the appearances are as shown in FIGS. 12(a), (b), (c), and (d) respectively. As shown in FIG. 12(d), when the camera 41 is, for example, in the horizontal direction and facing the traveling direction of the vehicle, as is clear from FIG. 13, for example, when a driver sitting in the driver's seat looks obliquely upward (see (B) in FIG. 12), he / she can face the display surface 42a and view the screen at a shallow angle, making the display content easy to see.

[0078] As described above, by simply turning the display surface 42a downward by a predetermined angle with respect to the direction of the optical axis of the lens 41a of the camera 41, the problems of the conventional configuration can be solved. Further, the cylindrical main body case 43 is suitable for a structure that gives an angle to the display unit 42 (for example, a liquid crystal display), and since the connection portion 48 that connects the display unit 42 and the first circuit board 51 is formed flexibly, it does not result in a forced structure. Also, if the display unit 42 is a relatively inexpensive liquid crystal display, since the viewing angle of such a liquid crystal display is relatively narrow, an effect of improving the visual image quality can be expected.

[0079] Further, the lens 41a of the camera 41 and the display surface 42a of the display unit 42 are fixedly provided with respect to the main body case 43 of the drive recorder 40. By doing so, if the direction in which the lens 41a of the camera 41 faces is adjusted, the direction in which the display surface 42a faces is set to a direction in which the display content is easily visible from below, so that the position and posture of the drive recorder 40 can be easily adjusted. Since the driver is sitting in the driver's seat, the driver (the driver's eyes) exists below the drive recorder 40. Therefore, the driver can view the display surface 42a within the viewing angle range such as the front, and the display content of the display surface 42a can be easily viewed. (Refer to the viewpoint (B) in FIG. 13). A viewing angle control member such as a viewing angle control sheet may be provided on the display surface 42a to control so as to narrow the viewing angle.

[0080] On the other hand, for a person on the opposite side of the traveling direction of a vehicle where a rear vehicle may exist, for example, a person riding in the rear vehicle, they will see the display surface 42a from directly behind, and will view it from a direction outside the viewing angle with respect to the display surface 42a (refer to (A) in FIG. 11). Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult to view the display content from outside the vehicle. In particular, from the opposite side of the traveling direction of a vehicle where a rear vehicle may exist, in addition to being a direction outside the viewing angle, the distance is also far, so the driver of the rear vehicle or the like does not gaze at the display surface 42a, it is not dazzling, and it does not distract, and it is possible to suppress it from interfering with driving.

[0081] Furthermore, when the drive recorder 40 with such a configuration is arranged on the back side (the vehicle traveling direction side) of the room mirror 31 as shown in FIG. 13, for example, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the display surface 42a faces downward with respect to the opposite direction of the vehicle traveling direction. By doing so, the drive recorder 40 is arranged behind the room mirror 31 and its presence becomes inconspicuous. Further, as shown in the viewpoint (A) in FIG. 12, from the opposite side of the vehicle traveling direction where a rear vehicle may exist, the display surface 42a is hidden by the room mirror 31, so that it is possible to make it difficult to visually recognize the display content of the display surface 42a.

[0082] Furthermore, the display surface 42a faces in a direction rotated downward by a predetermined angle from the opposite direction of the vehicle traveling direction. For example, assuming a case where a tall person has a horizontal line of sight with the drive recorder 40 and a case where the windshield 2 is reclined and the drive recorder 40 comes near the head, when it is set to 45 degrees, even if the viewing angle of the display surface 42a is 60 degrees vertically, a margin of 15 degrees can be obtained. Therefore, for example, even in a case where the windshield 2 is reclined and the drive recorder 40 comes near the head, it may be possible to visually recognize it.

[0083] Regarding the attachment of the drive recorder 40, it can also be said as follows. When the display surface 42a is directed in a direction that is easy to view from the driver's seat, it is also possible to make the camera 41 necessarily face an appropriate direction such as the vehicle traveling direction. For example, even in a case where the case of the drive recorder 40 is located on the back side of the room mirror 31 and the case is hidden by the room mirror 31, making it difficult to adjust the direction of the camera 41, the direction of the camera 17 can be adjusted based on the direction of the display surface 42a.

[0084] [Various Modification Examples of Drive Recorder] The direction in which the display surface of the display unit faces may be defined as the direction obtained by rotating a predetermined angle in one direction of the vehicle width direction and a predetermined angle downward with respect to the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle. For example, in the drive recorder 40 provided with the cylindrical main body case 43 as in the second embodiment, the display surface 42a of the display unit 42 may be inclined and arranged so as to face obliquely to the side, for example, obliquely to the right, with respect to the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle so as to face the driver's seat side. For example, in FIG. 14, among the flat portions 43b provided on the main body case 43, the region on the driver's seat side may protrude toward the side opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the region on the passenger seat side may be inclined so as to recess. By doing so, it can be expected that it becomes easier for the driver to visually recognize the display content of the display surface, and it becomes difficult for the following vehicle or the like to visually recognize the display content of the display surface.

[0085] Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 15, the display unit 42 has two display surfaces 42a and 42b (an example of the first display surface and the second display surface) arranged on the left and right, and one of the two display surfaces 42a faces obliquely (an example of the second direction) so as to face the driver's seat side (an example of the first riding area) of a right-hand drive vehicle, and the other display surface 42b faces obliquely (an example of the third direction) so as to face the passenger seat side (an example of the second riding area) of a right-hand drive vehicle. In the figure, for example, the portion between the two display surfaces 42a and 42b may be a flat portion 43b that protrudes most forward and is inclined so as to recess as it goes to both the left and right sides. Note that the area where the passenger seat is arranged is an example of a riding area, which is an area where a person exists or may exist in the vehicle.

[0086] By doing so, the display content can be visually recognized by a person sitting in either the driver's seat or the passenger seat, and it can also be directly applied to a left-hand drive vehicle. The content displayed on the two display surfaces 42a and 42b may be the same or different. If different contents are used, appropriate information can be provided for each.

[0087] In this case, the two display surfaces 42a and 42b may be constituted by separate liquid crystal displays respectively, or may be constituted by a single member using a liquid crystal display that can be curved or bent, etc. As a display unit other than the liquid crystal display, for example, an organic EL display, an electronic paper, etc. may be used.

[0088] Also, as shown in FIG. 16, it is preferable to provide an operation unit 57 around the display unit 42 (display surface 42a). The operation unit 57 faces the same direction as the display surface 42a. The operation unit 57 is provided on the same surface as, for example, the surface of the main body case 43 where the display surface 42a is provided. The operation unit 57 is, for example, a push-type physical button, but may also be a physical button of a slide type or other types. The number of operation units 57 is three in the example of FIG. 16, but is not limited to this. By doing so, in addition to the display content being easy to see, the operation unit is also easy to operate. Since the operation unit 57 faces the direction of, for example, the driver sitting in the driver's seat in the same way as the display surface 42a, the driver can easily confirm the position of the operation unit 57. For example, even when a plurality of operation units 57 are arranged, the driver can confirm the position of each operation unit 57 while sitting and operate the desired operation unit 57 from that position. For example, there may be cases where the driver can operate the desired operation unit 57 while sitting in the driver's seat. Also, in the illustrated example, the operation unit 57 is separately arranged outside the display surface 42a of the display unit 42, but for example, a touch sensor or a proximity sensor may be used as the operation unit, and the operation unit may be arranged overlapping the display surface 42a. Also, in this way, it is preferable to arrange an output means that outputs information such as an LED or other light emitting parts instead of the input means. Since the flat surface portion 43b provided with the display surface 42a of the display unit 42 faces the direction of the driver, etc., the light emitting state of the light emitting part, etc. is also easy to see.

[0089] Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 17, the second camera 58 may be disposed around the display surface 42a. The second camera 58 is provided so as to be able to photograph the direction in which the display surface 42a faces. The second camera 58 is provided at a position where the display surface 42a and the lens of the second camera 58 can be visually recognized simultaneously, such as on the same surface where the display surface 42a is provided among the main body cases 43, for example. In this way, the second camera 58 can easily photograph a person sitting in the driver's seat and / or the passenger seat in the vehicle or the surroundings from the front side. Therefore, for example, by photographing the driver's posture, functions of a DMS (Driver Monitoring System) such as detecting the driver's dozing or looking aside can also be incorporated into the drive recorder. Further, the second camera 58 can be made into a thermograph to measure and record the body temperature of a user such as the driver, so that the health condition can be managed.

[0090] In the above-described embodiments and modifications, the shape of the main body case 43 is based on a cylindrical shape, but the shape is arbitrary, and various shapes such as a sphere, a hemisphere, and a rectangular parallelepiped may be used.

[0091] [Disaster and Danger Warning Function] The drive recorder in the above-described embodiments and modifications may be provided with a disaster and danger warning function. For example, the control unit of the drive recorder may be provided with means for acquiring disaster information, and may control the display unit to display a warning based on the acquired disaster information on the display surface 19a or 42a. The disaster information is information related to a disaster. The disaster information may include information related to either or both of a disaster that has already occurred (for example, an earthquake, a landslide, etc.) or a disaster whose occurrence is predicted (for example, a disaster related to the weather such as a tornado, a typhoon, etc.).

[0092] The means for acquiring disaster information may be provided with a function of receiving disaster and crisis information (an example of disaster information) from Michibiki, for example. In this way, the GPS unit for acquiring position information can be also used.

[0093] And when the location where the acquired disaster / crisis information occurred is far from the current location, the control unit may not issue a warning about the disaster information. For example, it may issue a warning about the disaster information when it is within a set distance range.

[0094] The warning about the disaster information may be displayed on the display surface 19a or 42a. For example, if the display surface faces directly behind the vehicle and the drive recorder is arranged in such a way that it is hidden particularly on the back side of the rearview mirror, even if a predetermined notification screen is displayed on the display surface to issue a disaster danger notification, it cannot be seen. In contrast, in this embodiment, the display surface 19a or 42a faces the direction of the driver or the like. Even if the drive recorder 40 is located on the back side of the rearview mirror 31, since the driver or the like can easily visually recognize the display content, when a notification screen is displayed on the display surface 19a or 42a to issue a warning based on the disaster information, it can be appropriately conveyed to the driver or the like. And since the driver can visually recognize and understand the display content, appropriate actions can be taken in response to the warning.

[0095] Furthermore, the warning may be, for example, to display an icon 60 (an icon representing a tsunami in the example of the figure) corresponding to the content of the disaster / crisis on the display surface 19a or 42a (see Fig. 18 etc.). By doing so, for example, even when the display surface 19a or 42a is small, the occurrence and content of the disaster / crisis can be appropriately notified to the driver or the like.

[0096] Furthermore, the warning may use voice in addition to the display surface 19a or 42a. The warning may be changed according to the situation such as the driving location and speed. For example, if it is a seismic warning and the vehicle is moving on an urban road at a certain speed or less, an icon corresponding to the earthquake is displayed on the display surface 19a or 42a, and at the same time, an audio message such as "Please stop the vehicle at the left end of the place where it is considered safe" is output from the speaker. Furthermore, the content of the warning may be changed according to user settings.

[0097] In addition, the control unit may be provided with a function of guiding to an emergency evacuation location in the event of a disaster. In the case of a tsunami, instead of guiding to an emergency evacuation location, it may be provided with a function of guiding to a safe altitude point nearby. The guidance may include, in addition to notifying the location, a function of performing route guidance navigation.

[0098] Furthermore, when the control unit receives disaster information, it may display a "confirmation" button or the like on the display surface 19a or 42a. After the user's touch operation, the screen of the display surface 19a or 42a may be forcibly switched to the earthquake disaster support mode, and necessary information may be notified. Also, the earthquake disaster support mode may be set to return to the normal screen by a predetermined user operation.

[0099] According to this embodiment, information related to the occurred disaster, which is one of the highly important information to be notified to the people in the vehicle, can be made easily recognizable to the driver and other people in the vehicle. Of course, information other than the disaster information may be displayed on the display surface.

[0100] In the above-described embodiment, the visibility of the display surfaces 19a and 42a from the driver's seat side (driver), which is an example of the riding area, has been described. However, it can also be applied to the visibility of the display surfaces 19a and 42a from the passenger seat side (person sitting in the passenger seat). In this case, it is sufficient that the direction in which the display surfaces 19a and 42a face is the passenger seat side. The same applies when applied to a vehicle with a left-hand drive. Also, the vehicle may be various types such as vehicles in public transportation such as trains, monorails, and linear motor cars. This is because as long as it is a vehicle in which people ride, there is a riding area which is an area where a driver, who is a person in the vehicle, exists or may exist. Seats may or may not be provided in the riding area. Also, the mounting site of the drive recorder is not limited to the front glass, and the present invention may be applied to a drive recorder having a site such as the ceiling of the vehicle, the sun visor, or the dashboard.

[0101] The in-vehicle device of the present invention may be other than a drive recorder as long as it is a device having a camera and a display unit.

[0102] In light of the content of the embodiments and modifications described above, the present invention can also be understood as follows. The imaging device includes a camera and a display unit having a display surface. When the camera is directed in a first direction, the display surface is directed in a second direction that has a component in the direction opposite to the first direction and is non-parallel to the first direction, and the angle formed by the first direction and the second direction is fixed. Such an imaging device may be an in-vehicle device or other imaging devices such as surveillance cameras. By doing so, when the lens of the camera is directed in the first direction, inevitably, since it is directed in the second direction that has a component in the direction opposite to the first direction and is non-parallel to the first direction, while shooting in the desired direction, it is possible to easily view the display content on the display surface from the second direction and make it difficult to view the display content from the opposite side of the lens.

[0103] Note that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed in this specification within its scope. Among the present invention, the configuration for which a patent is sought is specified in the appended claims, but even a configuration that is not currently specified in the claims has the intention of making the configuration disclosed in this specification the scope of the claims in the future.

[0104] The invention of the present application is not limited to the configurations described in the above-described embodiments. The constituent elements of the above-described embodiments and modification examples may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Also, any constituent element of each embodiment or modification example may be arbitrarily combined with any constituent element described in the means for solving the invention or a constituent element obtained by embodying any constituent element described in the means for solving the invention. With respect to these, there is an intention to obtain rights in amendments or divisional applications of the present application. Even if there are descriptions such as "in the case of ~" or "when ~", it is not described as a configuration limited to that case or that time. The present disclosure also includes configurations that are not these cases or times, and there is an intention to obtain rights. Also, the order in the descriptions with an order is not limited to this order. The present disclosure also includes configurations in which some parts are deleted or the order is changed, and there is an intention to obtain rights.

[0105] Further, by changing to a design registration application, there is an intention to obtain rights for the overall design or partial design. Although the drawings depict the entire apparatus in solid lines, the drawings include not only the overall design but also partial designs claimed for a part of the apparatus. For example, not only can a part of the members of the apparatus be made into a partial design, but the drawings also include a partial design of a part of the apparatus regardless of the members. As a part of the apparatus, it may be a part of the members of the apparatus or a part of the members. Regarding the overall design, of course, there is an intention to claim as a right a partial design in which an arbitrary part of the solid-line part of the drawing is made into a broken-line part. Also, regarding the modules, members, parts, etc. inside the housing of the apparatus, those shown in the drawings are all independently subject to transactions, and similarly, there is an intention to make a change to a design registration application and claim as a right.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0106] 2: Front glass 10: Drive recorder 13: Main body case 17: Camera 17a: Lens 18: Bracket 19: Display unit 19a: Display surface 21: Connecting member 31: Rearview mirror 40: Drive recorder 41: Camera 41a: Lens 42: Display unit 42a: Display surface 42b: Display surface 43: Main body case 45: Bracket 47: Connecting member 48: Connection part 57: Operation part 58: Second camera 60: Icon

Claims

1. A drive recorder having a camera and a display surface in a main body case, wherein the main body case is rotatably supported about the axis of the circle by a mounting member including a ring-shaped portion having an inner peripheral surface that faces the outer peripheral surface of the main body case and has an arcuate surface of a rotatable circle, a connecting portion integrally formed on the outer peripheral surface of the ring-shaped portion, and a plate-shaped mounting portion integrally formed at the tip of the connecting portion, a flat portion is provided at a predetermined position on the peripheral surface of the main body case, one end in the longitudinal direction of the flat portion reaches the side surface on the non-mounting side of the mounting member of the main body case, a display surface is provided on the flat portion, and the camera and the display portion are fixedly provided on the main body case such that the normal direction of the display surface and the optical axis of the lens of the camera intersect at a predetermined angle, and the drive recorder is rotatable while the angle formed by the display surface and the camera is maintained.

2. The drive recorder according to claim 1, wherein the display surface provided on the flat portion whose one end in the longitudinal direction reaches the side surface on the non-mounting side of the mounting member of the main body case is configured to face a direction rotated downward by a predetermined angle from the opposite direction of the traveling direction of the vehicle when the camera is directed in the traveling direction of the vehicle.

3. The drive recorder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display surface provided on the flat portion whose one end in the longitudinal direction reaches the side surface on the non-mounting side of the mounting member of the main body case is configured to face obliquely sideways with respect to the opposite direction of the traveling direction of the vehicle so as to face the driver's seat side of the vehicle when the camera is directed in the traveling direction of the vehicle.

4. The drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a slide-type operation portion is provided around the display surface provided on the flat portion whose one end in the longitudinal direction reaches the side surface on the non-mounting side of the mounting member of the main body case.

5. The drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a touch sensor or a proximity sensor is used as the operation portion, and the operation portion is disposed so as to overlap the display surface provided on the flat portion whose one end in the longitudinal direction reaches the side surface on the non-mounting side of the mounting member of the main body case.

6. Having a function of receiving disaster information from the Michibiki satellite positioning system, The drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an icon corresponding to the content of the disaster information received from the guidance is displayed on a display surface provided on a flat surface portion where one end in the longitudinal direction reaches a side surface on the non-attached side of the attachment member of the main body case.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • On-vehicle equipment

    JP2010105530A

  • Reflective light control film and vehicle-mounted image display device having the same

    JP2018005234A

  • System and program and the like

    JP2019128952A

  • Vehicle-mounted equipment, etc.

    JP7680087B2

  • Drive recorder and potential accident recording device

    JP2019139333A