System, and program or the like

Abstract

To take measures against children left in a vehicle as well as heat stroke of the children or the like inside a vehicle.SOLUTION: A drive recorder 10 is attached to a predetermined position above a windshield 2 of a vehicle 1. A child seat 4 is arranged on a back seat 3 of the vehicle, and a camera of the drive recorder photographs an area including the child seat. A control part of the drive recorder that image-analyzes an image photographed by the camera determines whether or not a child is present on the child seat, when ACC is turned off to be in a parking mode. When the child is present thereon, an alarm is output from the drive recorder and an analysis result thereof is communicated outside to give notice of a driver's smart phone or the like. Thus, the driver can confirms there is the child when getting off the vehicle. Further, notification is received even when the child is left in the vehicle, and thus the child is prevented from being left therein, and heat stroke or the like can be previously prevented from being generated, by early returning to the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to, for example, systems and programs.

Background Art

[0002] For example, as shown in Patent Document 1 and the like, there is a drive recorder that suppresses the discharge of in-vehicle batteries and enhances the security function during parking. This Patent Document 1 discloses that even during parking, by continuing to take pictures at a frame rate smaller than the shooting frame rate during driving, not only accidents during driving but also countermeasures against vandalism in the vehicle, mischief to the vehicle, and incidents around the vehicle that often occur when leaving the vehicle are taken.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] One of the objectives is to provide a technology different from the conventional vehicle monitoring. For example, the conventional monitoring during parking aims to suppress mischief to the vehicle, theft, etc. For example, it cannot solve problems such as preventing children from being left in the vehicle or suppressing the occurrence of accidents where children locked in the vehicle suffer from heatstroke, etc.

[0005] The above-described problems are described as independent ones, and the present invention does not necessarily have to solve all of the described problems. 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 an effect exerted by a part of the configuration disclosed in this specification, drawings, etc. For example, a problem obtained by reading a part described as "can be" 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 a configuration for solving this problem. Even if a 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 Problems

[0006] The following is an example of means for solving problems related to the monitoring of conventional vehicles.

[0007] (1) It is preferable to adopt a system having a detection function for detecting the state inside the vehicle cabin of a vehicle during parking and / or stopping, and an output function for outputting predetermined information based on the detection result. By doing so, since predetermined information based on the state inside the vehicle cabin is output, the state inside the vehicle cabin can be known. The output function may be, for example, a function in which the system directly gives a notification or communicates and sends it to the outside. The predetermined information may be, for example, the detection result itself, the information used for detection, other information, etc.

[0008] (2) The state inside the vehicle cabin detected by the detection function is preferably whether or not there is a person on the rear seat side of the vehicle. By doing so, for example, when there is a person on the rear seat, a predetermined output is made, so that the driver can know that there is a person on the rear seat, and for example, the occurrence of leaving a child behind can be prevented. Also, even when leaving a child or the like in the vehicle, it can be confirmed that the person is in the vehicle, so for example, the occurrence of an accident can be prevented, such as returning to the vehicle quickly.

[0009] (3) The state of the passenger compartment detected by the detection function may be whether or not there is a person in the child seat installed in the vehicle. By doing so, for example, when there is a child in the child seat, a predetermined output is made, so the driver can know that there is a child in the child seat and can prevent, for example, the occurrence of leaving a child behind. Also, even when leaving a child or the like in the vehicle, it can be confirmed that they are in the vehicle, so the occurrence of an accident can be prevented, for example, by quickly returning to the vehicle.

[0010] (4) It is preferable to provide a function of performing image analysis on an image obtained from means for photographing the rear seat side of the vehicle or the child seat and analyzing whether or not there is a person in the image. By doing so, the presence of a person can be surely known by image analysis. If the image analysis is performed by an image processing circuit (edge side) installed in the vehicle, the data volume of communication performed after the analysis can be reduced.

[0011] (5) When performing the image analysis and detecting the presence of a person in the image, the output function may send the detection result without sending the image. By doing so, when a person is detected, the detection result is sent, but the image data is not transmitted, so it can be notified quickly and the data volume of communication can be reduced.

[0012] (6) The state of the passenger compartment detected by the detection function may be the presence or absence of an object moving in the passenger compartment. Since an object moving in the passenger compartment is, for example, a person or an animal, the driver or the like can know that such an object exists and can prevent leaving it in the vehicle or the like.

[0013] (7) The detection function shall acquire the sounds audible in the vehicle interior and detect a dangerous state from the acquired sounds, and the output function shall communicate externally to notify when the dangerous state is detected. By doing so, for example, a driver or the like who is away from the vehicle can know that the vehicle is in a dangerous state. As a result, the driver or the like can quickly return to the vehicle. The sounds audible in the vehicle interior include, for example, sounds generated in the vehicle interior such as the voices of people remaining in the vehicle, sounds generated from the vehicle, and sounds generated around the vehicle that are audible in the vehicle interior.

[0014] (8) The detection function shall detect a dangerous state based on the temperature in the vehicle interior, and the output function shall communicate externally to notify when the dangerous state is detected. By doing so, for example, a driver or the like who is away from the vehicle can know that the vehicle is in a dangerous state. As a result, the driver or the like can quickly return to the vehicle.

[0015] (9) The detection function shall detect a dangerous state based on the temperature in the vehicle interior, The output function shall not communicate the predetermined information externally when the dangerous state is not detected. By doing so, for example, when the driver intentionally leaves a child or the like in the vehicle, no notification is given when the temperature in the vehicle interior is not dangerous, thus eliminating the annoyance of receiving unnecessary notifications and preventing unnecessary notifications. Therefore, for example, necessary information can be notified at the necessary time.

[0016] (10) The predetermined information shall preferably be the detection result. By doing so, the driver or the like can know the state of the vehicle interior based on the detection result.

[0017] (11) The detection function shall preferably detect the state of the vehicle interior based on the output of a seating sensor provided on a child seat installed in the vehicle. By doing so, the presence or absence of a child can be reliably detected, and appropriate output can be performed based thereon.

[0018] (12) It is provided with means for detecting the driver's movement, and when the driver gets out of the vehicle with a person present on the child seat, the output function may output an alarm. By doing so, the driver can confirm that there is a person (such as a child, etc.) on the child seat when getting out of the vehicle, prevent the occurrence of unintended forgetfulness, and also prevent the occurrence of accidents such as returning in a short time by getting out of the vehicle knowing that there is a child or the like remaining in the vehicle.

[0019] (13) When there is a person present on the child seat, it may be provided with a function to prevent the locking of the vehicle door. By doing so, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation where a child or the like is left locked inside the vehicle.

[0020] (14) When there is a person present on the child seat and the lock operation of the vehicle door is performed, it may have a function to notify that there is a person present and prevent the locking, and when the lock operation is performed after the notification, it may be locked. By doing so, since the presence of a person on the child seat is notified with the lock operation, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of unintended forgetting of a child or the like being left in the vehicle, and furthermore, when intentionally leaving a child or the like in the vehicle, the vehicle door can be locked.

[0021] (15) The detection function is for detecting the temperature inside the vehicle cabin, the output function is for transmitting to a predetermined communication destination when the temperature inside the vehicle cabin meets the conditions, and the terminal of the predetermined communication destination may be provided with a function to change the state inside the vehicle cabin by remote operation on the vehicle.

[0022] By doing so, by appropriately setting the conditions, it is possible to know, for example, whether the inside of the vehicle is at a high temperature where there is a risk of heat stroke or the like, whether it is at a low temperature where there is a risk of hypothermia or the like, or a state just before reaching such dangerous states. Then, the driver can, for example, return to the vehicle and quickly take avoidance measures or the like from those dangerous states. Furthermore, from the terminal of the communication destination, the state inside the vehicle can be changed by remote operation on the vehicle, and for example, the avoidance of the inside of the vehicle becoming a dangerous state can be carried out more quickly.

[0023] (16) It is preferable that the detection function has a function of photographing the inside of the vehicle, and the output function transmits the photographed image to a predetermined communication destination. By doing so, a user such as a driver who is at a location away from the vehicle can know the state inside the vehicle, appropriately judge whether it is necessary to return to the vehicle, etc., and act.

[0024] (17) It is preferable that each of the functions is constituted by a drive recorder.

[0025] (18) It is provided with a smart band worn on a child's foot or arm for detecting the ecological information of the child, the state inside the vehicle detected by the detection function is the ecological information of the child in the vehicle interior, and the output function is preferably realized by a communication function for sending the ecological information provided by the smart band. By doing so, a user such as a driver who is at a location away from the vehicle can know the state of the child in the vehicle, appropriately judge whether it is necessary to return to the vehicle, etc., and act.

[0026] (19) It is preferable that a program for realizing the functions of the system according to any one of (1) to (18) on a computer is provided.

[0027] The system described above may be composed of one device or a plurality of devices.

[0028] The inventions described in (1) to (18) 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 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. through amendments, divisional applications, change applications for design registration applications, etc. for those including these configurations.

Advantages of the Invention

[0029] According to the present invention, a driver or the like can check the state inside the vehicle cabin. Also, depending on the output timing, the driver can check when getting off the vehicle or after leaving the vehicle. And the driver can take measures to avoid getting into a dangerous state.

[0030] The effects of the invention of the present application are not limited to this, and the effects achieved by the parts of the configuration disclosed in this specification, drawings, etc. are also disclosed, and the applicant also has the intention to obtain rights through divisional applications, amendments, etc. for the configurations that achieve such effects. For example, the parts described as "can" in this specification are descriptions that clearly indicate the achieved effects, and even if there is no description of "can", there are parts that indicate the effects. Also, even without such descriptions, there are effects grasped by the said configuration.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0031]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. These drawings are used to explain the technical features that can be adopted by the present invention. The configurations, shapes, etc. of the described devices 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. In the following description, the numerical labels "first" and "second" are used to identify each element and do not define the number of elements.

[0033] [The Process of Arriving at the Idea of the Invention of the Present Application] When driving with a child under 6 years old in the vehicle, it is mandatory to use a child seat. Also, even for children over 6 years old, it is recommended to use a child seat appropriate for their growth until they reach a height of 140 cm at which they can wear the vehicle seat belt. There is a type of child seat that is installed in the rear seat of the vehicle. For example, leaving a child sitting in the child seat unattended in the vehicle has become a social problem due to accidents such as heatstroke of the child confined in the vehicle. As factors contributing to such accidents, for example, when the driver forgets the presence of the child sitting in the child seat and gets out of the vehicle as it is, or even if the driver is aware of the child's presence but when seeing the child sleeping when getting out of the vehicle, thinks it's pitiful to wake the child and gets out of the vehicle as it is, for example, thinking "It should be okay for the shopping time" or "It should be okay because I'll be back soon", and various other reasons can be considered. Also, considering the child remaining in the vehicle, when getting out of the vehicle with the air conditioner running with the engine on, for example, the engine may stop due to some reason and the air conditioner may stop. In such a case, the temperature inside the vehicle cabin rises, and there is a risk that the child in the vehicle may be exposed to dangers such as heatstroke. Regardless of the presence or absence of a child seat, for example, if the driver plans to return soon and leaves a child or the like in the vehicle and takes longer than expected to return to the vehicle, a similar situation may occur. Also, accidents that occur when leaving a child unattended in a parked vehicle are not limited to heatstroke associated with the increase in the temperature inside the vehicle cabin as described above. For example, there are also hypothermia and the like associated with the decrease in the temperature inside the vehicle cabin in winter and the like. The following embodiments are an example of embodiments for solving such problems.

[0034] [Basic Configuration of an Embodiment of the System] Figures 1 and 2 show a preferred embodiment of the system. The system of this embodiment includes an electronic device, a drive recorder 10 which is an aspect of in-vehicle equipment, and a power supply device 30 that supplies power to the drive recorder 10. The drive recorder 10 can operate for a predetermined period even when, for example, the engine or the like is OFF and the vehicle is parked, by receiving power supply from the power supply device 30. Further, the drive recorder 10 constitutes an embodiment of the system of the present application by itself.

[0035] In this embodiment, the drive recorder 10 is a device installed later with respect to the vehicle 1. This drive recorder 10 is attached at an appropriate position, for example, at a predetermined position above the front glass 2 of the vehicle 1 or on the dashboard. In the illustrated example, a child seat 4 is installed on the rear seat 3 of the vehicle 1. The child seat 4 is, for example, an auxiliary device for infants, and examples include an infant child seat (also referred to as a baby seat), a child seat for toddlers, and a child seat for schoolchildren (also referred to as a junior seat).

[0036] The power supply device 30 is a device interposed between the vehicle and the drive recorder 10 and supplies power to the drive recorder 10. The power supply device 30 is composed of a housing separate from the drive recorder 10. The power supply device 30 includes a charge / discharge control unit 30a, a DC-DC converter 30b, a CPU 30c, and an internal battery 30d, etc. The charge / discharge control unit 30a controls charging of the internal battery 30d and power supply to the drive recorder 10. The internal battery 30d is a secondary battery and is realized, for example, by a nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery. The DC-DC converter 30b converts a voltage of 12V or 24V supplied from the vehicle battery into a voltage of 5V through the charge / discharge control unit 30a and outputs it. The CPU 30c uses a memory (for example, RAM) not shown as a work area and controls each part of the power supply device 30 such as the charge / discharge control unit 30a. Further, the CPU 30c communicates with the drive recorder 10 connected via the cable 5. The cable 5 includes a power line and a communication line.

[0037] The charge / discharge control unit 30a receives power supply from the internal battery 30d. While being powered by the vehicle battery, the charge / discharge control unit 30a controls the power supply path to supply power from the vehicle battery to the internal battery 30d and the DC-DC converter 30b. Thereby, the internal battery 30d is charged, and the DC-DC converter 30b supplies the voltage-converted power to the drive recorder 10. The charge / discharge control unit 30a determines whether the ACC of the vehicle is ON or OFF and switches between charging and discharging the internal battery 30d. When it determines that the ACC is ON, the charge / discharge control unit 30a controls to supply power from the vehicle battery to the internal battery 30d and the DC-DC converter 30b. When it determines that the ACC is OFF, the charge / discharge control unit 30a discharges the internal battery 30d and controls to supply power from the internal battery 30d to the DC-DC converter 30b.

[0038] As described above, during the period when the ACC is ON, the power supply device 30 receives power supply from the vehicle battery and outputs power to the drive recorder 10. When the power supply from the vehicle battery is cut off, power is output to the drive recorder 10 using the internal battery 30d for a specified time after the cut-off. When the specified time elapses, the power output is turned OFF. When the power supply from the vehicle battery resumes, power is again output to the drive recorder 10 using the vehicle battery.

[0039] Thereby, the drive recorder 10 can continue to operate for a specified time after the ACC is turned OFF and the power supply from the vehicle battery is cut off. The specified time may be set, for example, by serial communication from the drive recorder 10. When the drive recorder 10 receives a battery switching signal from the power supply device 30, it transmits a signal commanding the specified time. The CPU 30c may use the set value of the specified time included in the received signal commanding the specified time as the specified time.

[0040] In addition, it is preferable to provide the power supply device 30 with a dip switch or other operation unit and have a function of setting a specified time. By doing so, for example, even for a drive recorder without a communication function, power supply can be provided until the specified time elapses after the supply from the vehicle battery is cut off.

[0041] When the power supply from the vehicle battery to the power supply device 30 is cut off, the power supply source is switched to the internal battery 30d, and power is supplied to the drive recorder 10. Since the drive recorder 10 continues to be powered before and after the switching, the drive recorder 10 cannot determine whether the power supply source is the vehicle battery or the internal battery 30d. Therefore, when the CPU 30c switches the power supply source to the internal battery 30d, it transmits a battery switching signal to the drive recorder 10. After the specified time elapses and the power supply device 30 turns off the output, when ACC is turned on, since the power supply that had stopped for the drive recorder 10 is restarted, it can be determined that ACC has been turned on. On the other hand, when ACC is turned on within the specified time, since the drive recorder 10 continues to be powered, it cannot determine whether the power supply source is the vehicle battery or the internal battery 30d. Therefore, when ACC is turned on within the specified time, the CPU 30c transmits a vehicle switching signal for notifying that the power supply source has been switched to the vehicle battery. As a result, the drive recorder 10 can recognize that ACC has been turned on and the power supply source has been switched to the vehicle battery. The drive recorder 10 may switch the operation mode according to the input of the battery switching signal and the vehicle switching signal.

[0042] The drive recorder 10 is equipped with functions such as imaging a predetermined area by a camera which is an imaging device, generating the captured image and other data, and outputting the generated data. The output of the data includes output for recording the data in a storage area, output (i.e., transmission) of the data by communication, output to an external device via a data output terminal, etc. Further, the predetermined area imaged by the drive recorder 10 of this embodiment may be, for example, the front area of the vehicle and the interior area including the child seat 4 in the vehicle interior. Thus, cameras for imaging the front area and the interior area may, for example, be equipped with a plurality of cameras and direct the field of view of each camera in the direction of each area, or, for example, use a 360° camera or a camera having a wider angle of view to image the front and the interior of the vehicle with one camera. In particular, when using a plurality of cameras, it is good because the area including the child seat can be imaged accurately.

[0043] The drive recorder 10 includes a camera 11, a microphone 12, an abnormality detection sensor 13, a GPS module 14, an operation unit 15, a control unit 16, a temporary storage memory 17, a monitor 18, a speaker 19, a memory card slot 20, a microwave sensor 22, a temperature and humidity sensor 23, a communication unit 24, etc. The camera 11 is provided with one or a plurality of cameras and images a predetermined area such as the front of the vehicle and a predetermined area in the vehicle interior. The microphone 12 collects ambient sounds, for example. The microphone 12 collects sounds such as the voices of people riding in the vehicle and other sounds generated in the vehicle interior, and impact sounds when an object collides with the vehicle. The abnormality detection sensor 13 is, for example, an acceleration sensor or a 6-axis sensor (integrated type of 3-axis acceleration and 3-axis angular velocity) and detects the state of the vehicle such as the impact applied to the vehicle, the acceleration of the vehicle, and the inclination.

[0044] When the detection value of the abnormality detection sensor 13 exceeds a threshold value or shows a predetermined temporal change indicating, for example, that an impact has occurred, the control unit 16 estimates that an accident (collision) has occurred. Further, in addition to the occurrence of an accident, the control unit 16 may detect driving situations such as hard braking, sudden steering, sudden acceleration, and hard braking and use them to record the history.

[0045] The GPS module 14 receives GPS signals based on positioning. GPS is an example of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), a global navigation satellite system for positioning. Positioning by GNSS is generally customarily referred to as GPS positioning. GPS signals are signals that can be received from GPS satellites. The GPS module 14 obtains position information (longitude, latitude) of the current position from the received GPS signals using its own algorithm. The control unit 16 may, for example, acquire the position information output from the GPS module 14 regularly (e.g., every 1 second). Satellite System). Positioning by GNSS is generally customarily referred to as GPS positioning. GPS signals are signals that can be received from GPS satellites. The GPS module 14 obtains position information (longitude, latitude) of the current position from the received GPS signals using its own algorithm. The control unit 16 may, for example, acquire the position information output from the GPS module 14 regularly (e.g., every 1 second).

[0046] The operation unit 15 is a button that gives various instructions to the control unit 16 and has, for example, a function of giving a recording start instruction. Triggered by the pressing of this operation unit 15, the control unit 16 may perform event recording to start recording the video captured by the camera 11 and the sound collected by the microphone 12, etc. Also, the operation unit 15 may have a function of giving a recording stop instruction. The recording start instruction and the recording stop instruction may be, for example, different buttons for giving each instruction, but it is better to perform them by different operations on the same button. By doing so, the number of buttons installed can be reduced, and the drive recorder 10 can be made smaller, which is good.

[0047] The temporary storage memory 17 is, for example, a RAM that temporarily stores video data captured by the camera 11, etc. The control unit 16 always stores at least the video data captured from the present to a certain time or more in the past. Since the storage capacity is limited, the control unit 16 deletes old video data, etc. based on a certain criterion. The certain criterion may be, for example, video data stored more than a certain time ago or when the memory capacity to be stored reaches a certain level or more. In this embodiment, the temporary storage memory 17 may be configured by, for example, a ring buffer.

[0048] The monitor 18 is a display unit that displays images. The control unit 16, for example, displays video data captured by the camera 11 in real time on the monitor 18. The speaker 19 outputs sound. The control unit 16 outputs a predetermined sound from the speaker 19 at the time of predetermined recording, alarm, operation, etc. The control unit 16, for example, uses the speaker 19 to notify the operation sound in the operation unit 15 and various messages (guides, alarms, etc.).

[0049] The memory card slot 20 can detachably hold, for example, a micro SD card 21. When the micro SD card 21 is mounted, the control unit 16 reads and writes data to and from the micro SD card 21. The micro SD card 21 is a storage medium on which data such as video and position information is recorded by the drive recorder 10. The micro SD card 21 is an external storage means that can be detached from the memory card slot 20. Instead of or in combination with this, internal storage means (for example, a hard disk or EEPROM) of the drive recorder 10 or other storage means may be used. However, it is desirable to protect the data stored in the storage means so that the drive recorder 10 can access a system capable of recording data without using an environment where an unspecified number of people can access (for example, a cloud computing environment).

[0050] The microwave sensor 22, for example, detects the movement of an object inside the vehicle. For example, it is preferable to detect the movement of an object (for example, a person) on the rear seat 3 or the child seat 4. The temperature and humidity sensor 23 detects the temperature and humidity inside the vehicle cabin. The communication unit 24 may use, for example, an LTE-M module capable of LTE (Long Term Evolution) communication.

[0051] The control unit 16 is a microcomputer equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, non-volatile memory, I / O, etc. Based on the information input from the various input devices (camera 11, microphone 12, anomaly detection sensor 13, GPS module 14, operation unit 15, temporary storage memory 17, memory card slot 20, microwave sensor 22, temperature and humidity sensor 23, etc.) described above, it executes predetermined processing and outputs predetermined information using output devices (temporary storage memory 17, monitor 18, speaker 19, memory card slot 20, communication unit 24, etc.). The functions of the drive recorder 10 are stored on the EEPROM of the control unit 16 as programs executed by the computer in the control unit 16, and are realized by the computer in the control unit 16 executing these programs. As functions realized by the computer according to the programs in the control unit 16, it has functions for performing various controls in the drive recorder 10. The control unit 16 has functions such as recording data such as information related to video and position, outputting data, and displaying images (videos).

[0052] The control unit 16 is a circuit for realizing the basic functions of the drive recorder 10. It stores the video data captured by the camera 11 as a video file in the temporary storage memory 17, or stores the captured video file in the non-volatile memory based on the detection signal from the anomaly detection sensor 13 or the pressing of the operation unit 15. In this embodiment, as the non-volatile memory, a micro SD card 21 mounted in the memory card slot 20 is used. By removing this micro SD card 21 and mounting it on a memory card reader or the like connected to a personal computer, the data can be imported into the personal computer and the video file can be played back using a viewer installed on the personal computer. Also, the recorded videos, etc. should not be limited to removing and taking out the micro SD card 21 externally as described above, but may be performed by data transmission via wired communication or wireless communication, etc. Also, in order to perform wired communication, the main body of the drive recorder 10 may be provided with a connector for connecting a communication cable, a USB, etc.

[0053] The function of recording this video data (recording function) will be described in more detail. For example, when the ACC is ON after the engine is started, the camera 11 always captures the surrounding situation of the vehicle itself, for example. Then, the control unit 16 stores the video data captured by the camera 11 in a temporary storage memory 17 such as a ring buffer. The video stored in this temporary storage memory 17 is sequentially updated with the latest one, and the video data of the past for the set time is retained.

[0054] And, for example, when the output value of the abnormal detection sensor 13 exceeds the threshold value or shows a predetermined temporal change at the time of an impact occurring at the time of an accident, sudden braking, or sudden steering, the control unit 16 reads out the video data for a certain period before the impact detection time from the temporary storage memory 17 and stores it in a non-volatile memory, for example, a micro SD card 21. And after the time when the threshold value is exceeded, the video of the camera 11 captured thereafter is recorded directly on the micro SD card 21 or via the temporary storage memory 17. Thereby, the video for a predetermined time before and after the impact is stored in the micro SD card 21 which is a non-volatile memory. Also, at this time, the control unit 16 also records the surrounding sound collected by the microphone 12 in association with the video data. The control unit 16 temporarily stores this recording in the temporary storage memory 17 as well, and when storing the video data in the micro SD card 21, the recorded audio data is also stored in the micro SD card 21.

[0055] The storage of data in the micro SD card 21 in the drive recorder 10 is not limited to being triggered by the detection signal of the abnormal detection sensor 13 as described above. The control unit 16 may be provided with a function that is triggered by, for example, the pressing of the operation unit 15. In this way, when a situation that the user wants to record occurs, video recording can be performed.

[0056] Furthermore, recording onto the microSD card 21 is not limited to the event recording mode which is performed, for example, when an accident or the like occurs based on the output of the abnormality detection sensor 13, or when the recording start condition is satisfied such as when the operation unit 15 is pressed. For example, the drive recorder 10 may be provided with a continuous recording mode in which recording is performed onto the microSD card 21 from when the power is turned on until it is turned off. The continuous recording mode is a mode in which continuous recording, which is an example of recording other than event recording, is performed. When the continuous recording mode is provided, the control unit 16 may record the video data output from the camera 11 and the audio data output from the microphone 12 directly onto the microSD card 21 instead of the temporary storage memory 17. By directly recording onto the microSD card 21 in this way, the process of writing to the temporary storage memory 17 once becomes unnecessary, which is preferable.

[0057] Also, in the case of directly writing video data and the like onto the microSD card 21, when both the continuous recording mode and the event recording mode are provided, when the control unit 16 satisfies the event recording start condition, for the data in the past interval since it was satisfied, it is preferable to use the data that has been recorded as continuous recording. Then, in event recording, the control unit 16 may record, for example, as a file separate from the continuous recording file. The event recording mode is a mode in which event recording is performed. Event recording is recording that is triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event (an example of an event). Event recording is performed triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event even when no explicit recording start instruction is given by the user.

[0058] When the vehicle is parked with the engine stopped (ACC off), it may operate in a parking monitoring mode and record video data captured by camera 11 in micro SD card 21 according to the set operating conditions. Similar to when ACC is on, the recording in the parking monitoring mode may include, for example, continuous recording that always records images captured during a predetermined recording time (e.g., 30 minutes), and event recording that continuously records video data for a predetermined time when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection sensor 13. Event recording may be performed, for example, when event conditions such as "detecting that a person or vehicle has approached", "detecting a shock above a certain level", "detecting a vehicle tilt above a certain level (e.g., jacking up)", and "detecting the opening of a vehicle door" are satisfied. The abnormality detection sensor 13 includes one or more sensors for performing those detections.

[0059] [Function for Notifying and Avoiding Dangerous Situations Inside the Vehicle] When the vehicle is stopped or parked, the drive recorder 10 has a function of notifying a driver or the like and performing a predetermined danger avoidance process when a dangerous situation occurs inside the vehicle. Dangerous situations include, for example, forgetting to leave a child or the like inside the vehicle, or a situation where children left inside the vehicle may be at risk of life-threatening conditions such as heat stroke. When the drive recorder 10 receives a battery switching signal from the power supply device 30 (ACC is off), it switches to a monitoring mode for monitoring the presence or absence of a dangerous situation inside the vehicle, and the control unit 16 performs the following processes.

[0060] *Detection Based on Images The control unit 16 is equipped with an image analysis function that analyzes whether a person is captured in the image to be processed. When switching to the monitoring mode, it acquires the image captured by the camera 11 that captures the area including the child seat 4, performs image analysis, and determines the presence or absence of a person. When a person is detected in the image, the control unit 16 transmits predetermined information to the registered destination using the communication unit 24. The predetermined information may include a presence notification indicating the presence of a child, the acquired image, the temperature information and humidity information inside the vehicle obtained from the temperature and humidity sensor 23, the position information obtained from the GPS module 14, etc. However, if only the recognition result is sent without sending the image, the communication volume can be reduced and the notification can be made quickly, which is preferable. Also, the image analysis may be processed by software, but for example, it may be a chip having an image recognition function and a function of sending only the recognition result to the server without sending the image.

[0061] The registered destination may be, for example, a server 32 such as a cloud server or the driver's smartphone 33. The server 32 stores the information of the drive recorder 10 and the user's destination in association, and when predetermined information is sent from the drive recorder 10, it stores the received information and transmits all or part of the acquired information to the user's destination associated therewith. Thereby, for example, when the ACC is turned off to park the vehicle and a child is sitting on the child seat 4, the driver's smartphone 33 etc. is notified directly or via the server 32. Thereby, the driver is reminded of the presence of the child again, and the possibility that the driver forgets the presence of the child sitting on the child seat 4 and gets out of the vehicle as it is can be suppressed as much as possible. Also, even when the child is left in the vehicle for some reason etc., by being reminded of the presence of the child, for example, countermeasures such as restarting the engine and turning on the air conditioner or returning to the vehicle as soon as possible can be taken, and the possibility that the child left in the vehicle suffers from heat stroke etc. can be avoided as much as possible.

[0062] When setting the destination of the drive recorder 10 to the server 32, for example, access information to the server 32 can be registered in advance at the time of shipment of the drive recorder 10 or the like. The user who purchased the drive recorder 10 does not need to register the destination such as the user's phone number or address with the drive recorder 10. The drive recorder 10 is, for example, small and may be hidden behind the rearview mirror at a predetermined position above the windshield or the like when installed, making it difficult to perform operations such as mode setting. However, the process for the drive recorder 10 for registering the destination becomes unnecessary. Then, the user can receive notifications via the server by accessing the server 32 and registering information such as a smartphone for which the user wishes to receive notifications with the server 32. Access to the server 32 and the registration process can be performed relatively easily.

[0063] Also, after performing the above transmission, the control unit 16 acquires the image captured by the camera 11 at an appropriate timing, performs image analysis, and determines the presence or absence of a person. When a person is detected in the image, the control unit 16 transmits predetermined information to the registered destination using the communication unit 24. The predetermined timing may be on the order of "minutes", such as from a few minutes to a dozen or so minutes. By regularly receiving notifications that there is a child in the vehicle, it can serve as a reminder of the presence of the child and an opportunity to return to the vehicle earlier.

[0064] Also, not only the recognition result but also the image captured by the camera, the temperature information and humidity information detected by the temperature and humidity sensor 23, etc. may be used as the predetermined information. By doing so, when getting out of the vehicle leaving a child in the vehicle, the state of the interior of the vehicle is periodically sent to a mobile terminal such as the driver's smartphone 33, etc., so that in case something happens, one can return to the vehicle and prevent an accident from occurring. For example, when sending the image captured by the camera 11 as the predetermined information, for example, when the child was sleeping at the time of getting out of the vehicle and is still in the vehicle, one can know that the child has woken up, which can serve as an opportunity to immediately return to the vehicle. Also, when the temperature information, humidity information, etc. are used as the predetermined information, a driver, etc. who is at a position away from the vehicle can know early about temperature changes such as a temperature rise or a temperature drop and humidity changes, and return to the vehicle and take countermeasures before it becomes a dangerous environment where heat stroke, hypothermia, etc. may occur.

[0065] On the other hand, when the result of image analysis shows that there is no person present, the control unit 16 does not transmit to the server 32, the smartphone 33, etc. By communicating only when there is an abnormality or the like in this way, the number of communication times can be reduced and the communication data volume can be reduced. That is, the captured image may be sent to the server and image analysis may be performed on the server side, but as in this embodiment, it is better to make a determination on the edge side such as the drive recorder 10 and communicate only when there is an abnormality. Since the image is not transmitted when there is no abnormality, the communication data volume can be reduced. Furthermore, by processing on the edge side so that the predetermined information transmitted in case of an abnormality does not include an image, an even greater reduction in the data volume can be achieved.

[0066] Also, the predetermined information to be transmitted may be the same each time or may be different. For example, when switching to the monitoring mode and at the time of the first notification, it is advisable to notify the presence of a person and not send other information such as images, and after a predetermined number of times or after a predetermined period of time, send images or the like. Since the driver is often present inside or near the vehicle at the time of the first notification, by notifying, the driver can directly confirm the presence of the child visually. Also, even after a predetermined number of times or after a predetermined period of time, for information with a large data volume such as an image, it is advisable to send it once every several times. By doing so, the communication load can be suppressed, the presence of the child can be notified efficiently and quickly, and sometimes notifying the actual situation with an image can enhance the sense of reality and prompt the driver to return to the vehicle earlier, which is good.

[0067] If, as a result of image analysis, no person is present, it is advisable not to perform subsequent analysis. When no person is present, there may be a risk of leaving the child behind or taking the child out, so even if subsequent image analysis is performed, the analysis result of "not present" will continue to appear. Therefore, by not performing the analysis process itself, the load on the drive recorder 10 can be reduced, which is good. Also, since there is a risk of misjudgment even if an analysis result of "not present" appears once, for example, when there are multiple analysis results of "not present", it is advisable not to perform subsequent analysis.

[0068] In the above-described embodiment, the presence or absence of a person is determined by image analysis, and when a person is present, notification is made. However, it is preferable to acquire second information, make a determination in consideration of this information, and then perform notification. The second information may be, for example, the detection result of the temperature and humidity sensor 23. For example, when switching to the monitoring mode, if a person is detected based only on image analysis, transmission is performed. After a predetermined number of times or after a predetermined period of time has elapsed thereafter, transmission is performed when a person is detected and the temperature or humidity, which is the second information, exceeds a set threshold value, or when the change in temperature and humidity is large. When a person is detected but the temperature or the like is within a predetermined range, transmission may not be performed. If an alarm is continuously received when a child is consciously left in the vehicle, it becomes troublesome, and there is also a risk of causing an alarm. In contrast, in this embodiment, when the temperature inside the vehicle is in a state where there is no risk of heat stroke or the like, transmission is not performed, and when it is likely to enter a dangerous state such as a temperature rise, transmission is performed, thereby notifying the driver or the like of an emergency situation and providing an opportunity to immediately return to the vehicle.

[0069] Further, for example, when a person is in the vehicle as described above, instead of or in addition to the function of monitoring the temperature inside the vehicle and transmitting predetermined information to notify the driver or the like when the temperature inside the vehicle becomes higher or lower than a certain level, the air conditioner may be automatically started. By doing so, since the temperature inside the vehicle becomes within an appropriate range before the driver returns to the vehicle, the safety of the person remaining in the vehicle can be ensured. Such a function is also beneficial, for example, as an insurance product utilizing a connected car.

[0070] In addition, the image analysis should be able to recognize not only the presence or absence of a person but also the state of the person. The state of the person may be recognizable as, for example, sleeping / waking / crying, etc. Then, the recognition result may be transmitted.

[0071] In the above-described embodiment, it is configured to detect that the ACC has been turned off based on a signal from the power supply device 30. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the fact that the ACC has been turned off may be directly acquired from the vehicle, for example, and may be detected by various methods.

[0072] On the other hand, when parking without turning off the engine, ACC does not turn off. Therefore, for example, it is advisable to be equipped with means for detecting the driver's getting out of the vehicle and perform the above-described processing when the driver's getting out of the vehicle is detected. As the means for detecting the driver's getting out of the vehicle, for example, a seating sensor installed on the driver's seat may be used. The seating sensor turns on when a person sits on the driver's seat and turns off when getting up from the driver's seat. Then, when the seating sensor installed on the driver's seat turns from ON to OFF, it may be determined that the driver has gotten out of the vehicle. In addition, a sensor for detecting the opening and closing of the door on the driver's side may be provided, or information on the opening and closing of the door may be obtained from the vehicle. For example, when the door of the driver's seat opens from the closed state, it may be determined that the driver has gotten out of the vehicle. Also, various methods may be used, such as setting the imaging range of the camera to include the driver's seat and determining whether there is a person in the driver's seat by image analysis.

[0073] *Detection Based on Sound When switching to the monitoring mode, for example, the control unit 16 acquires the sound detected by the microphone 12 and performs voice analysis. The voice analysis may be performed by a method using deep learning (neural network) or other machine learning. When the control unit 16 detects an abnormal sound by voice analysis, it transmits predetermined information to the registered destination using the communication unit 24. The predetermined information may be the analysis result, and in addition to the analysis result, position information, room temperature, humidity, etc. may also be transmitted. Abnormal sounds include, for example, the sound of glass breaking, collision sounds, screams, cries, etc. Screams include, for example, the cries of children such as "Help". Cries include, for example, the cries of infants. The analysis result to be transmitted may be the presence or absence of an abnormal sound, but the analyzed content may also be transmitted.

[0074] For example, when the driver leaves a sleeping child in the vehicle when getting out of the vehicle, the driver can know that the child has woken up due to, for example, screams or cries, which serves as an opportunity to return to the vehicle early. Also, by knowing the abnormalities that have occurred in the vehicle due to the sound of glass breaking or collision sounds, etc., the driver can check the condition of the vehicle. In particular, when leaving a child in the vehicle, it is possible to know the need to return more quickly.

[0075] Voice analysis may be performed to determine what kind of sound it is through various types of analysis using a database or the like. Also, voice analysis is not limited to the sound generated inside the vehicle, and it may be performed based on the ambient sound outside the vehicle. For example, when a person who has found that a child has been left in the vehicle is making a commotion outside the vehicle, the control unit 16 may recognize and transmit the fact that the child has been left behind or the state of the child inside from the content of the recognized voice.

[0076] Also, the operation timing and the information to be transmitted in the detection based on this sound can be the same as those in the embodiments and variations of the detection based on the above-described image. For example, information to be transmitted similar to the analysis result may include temperature, humidity, or an indoor image taken by a camera. In addition to having means for detecting the driver getting out of the vehicle and starting the operation after detecting the getting out of the vehicle, various other elements can be applied.

[0077] *Detection Based on Microwave Sensor When the control unit 16 switches to the monitoring mode, for example, it acquires the output of the microwave sensor 22 and determines the presence or absence of an object moving inside the vehicle. If there is a moving object, since there may be a child or the like in the rear seat 3 or the child seat 4, predetermined information is transmitted to the registered destination using the communication unit 24. Also, the detection based on this microwave sensor 22 may be periodically detected in the same manner as in the above-described examples even after being transmitted once, and the determination result and the like may be output.

[0078] Also, the moving object based on the microwave sensor 22 is not limited to a person, for example, and it may be possible to detect animals or the like inside the vehicle. By doing so, it becomes possible to detect the forgetting of a pet.

[0079] In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, the drive recorder 10 is used to transmit predetermined information to a registered destination when an abnormality is detected. However, it is not always necessary to transmit the information externally. In a situation where the driver is present inside or near the vehicle, such as immediately after switching to the monitoring mode, for example, an alarm may be issued from the speaker 19 of the drive recorder 10.

[0080] Also, in each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, power is supplied from the power supply device 30. However, the vehicle may be directly supplied with power from the vehicle battery so that power can be supplied even after the ACC is turned off, or an internal battery may be provided to supply power from the internal battery after the ACC is turned off. In such a case, the internal battery is preferably a rechargeable secondary battery.

[0081] Also, in each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, it is implemented as part of the function of the drive recorder. However, it is not limited to the drive recorder and may be implemented as part of the functions of various in-vehicle devices, electronic devices, etc., or realized as an independent device or equipment.

[0082] For example, in the case of a system using image analysis, it is advisable to use a camera that supports LTE communication and is capable of edge AI processing. This camera integrates a communication module, a SIM card, a camera, and a power supply and is an AI camera capable of edge processing. Also, device management such as replacing the AI algorithm and monitoring the communication connection status can be performed remotely via a cellular line. Detection of a person by image analysis can be relatively easily deep-learned and implemented using, for example, NNC (Neural Network Consol). With this AI-processable camera, for example, the rear seat side including the child seat is photographed, and the obtained image is AI-processed to analyze the presence or absence of a person. Then, for example, when a person is detected in the image, the communication module may be operated to transmit the detection result, etc. to a predetermined destination.

[0083] [Alarm Based on the Occupancy Sensor Installed in the Child Seat] Figure 3 shows a block diagram of a system according to another embodiment. The system of this embodiment is another embodiment for preventing the forgetting of infants or the like in the vehicle. As shown in the figure, it includes a main body device 40 and a seating sensor 41 or the like. In this embodiment, it is configured as a dedicated device, but it may also be implemented as a function of a drive recorder or other in-vehicle devices, or realized as an independent device or equipment. Further, the main body device 40 may be composed of the same housing or a plurality of housings.

[0084] In this embodiment, for example, the seating sensor 41 is installed on the child seat. A plurality of such seating sensors 41 are provided and may be arranged at appropriate positions on the seat surface or the backrest portion of the child seat. The seating sensor 41 turns ON when an infant or the like is on the child seat and turns OFF when not. The main body device 40 includes an interface unit 43 that receives an input signal from the seating sensor 41, a control unit 42, a speaker 45, an interface unit 46 that outputs a control signal to the vehicle side, and the like.

[0085] The interface unit 43 for the seating sensor 41 includes, for example, a pin jack or a connector into which the output terminal portion of the seating sensor 41 is inserted, and transmits the output signal of the seating sensor 41 to the control unit 42. When an infant or the like is on the child seat, the control unit 42 has a function of outputting an alarm from the speaker 45 when the driver leaves or stands up from the driver's seat. Further, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the control unit 42 has a function of outputting a signal for preventing the vehicle side from locking the door via the interface unit 46.

[0086] To realize such a function, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 42 determines whether the seating sensor is ON (S1). If the seating sensor is OFF, since there is no infant or the like, S1 is looped.

[0087] When an infant or the like is in the child seat, the control unit 42 determines whether the driver has left the seat or not. Leaving the seat or the like may occur, for example, when the driver leaves the driver's seat or stands up from the driver's seat at the preparatory stage. The determination of leaving the seat or the like may be based on, for example, providing a seating sensor on the driver's seat and the output of the seating sensor turning off or the ACC turning off. Based on this, even if there is a situation of leaving the seat or the like (branch determination is Yes) immediately when those states occur, the branch determination may be set to Yes after a predetermined fixed time has elapsed. Making the determination of leaving the seat or the like immediately is better because the alarm will surely sound before the driver leaves the vehicle. Additionally, for example, if the driver holds a slave unit that can communicate wirelessly with the master unit installed in the vehicle and the distance between the master unit and the slave unit is separated by a certain distance or more, it may be determined that the driver has left the seat or the like. Also, for example, a camera for photographing the driver's seat may be provided, and the image captured by the camera may be analyzed to determine whether the driver has left the seat or the like.

[0088] When the driver has not left the seat or the like (No in S2), the process returns to S1 to determine the ON / OFF of the seating sensor. And when the driver's seat has been left or the like (Yes in S2), the control unit 42 issues an alarm from the speaker (S3). The alarm may be a buzzer sound or an alarm message by voice. By doing so, the driver will notice that a child such as an infant is in the child seat due to the alarm, so that the occurrence of forgetting the child in the vehicle can be suppressed as much as possible.

[0089] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after generating the alarm, the control unit 42 makes it impossible to lock the vehicle doors (S4). For example, the control unit 42 outputs an unlock signal to the vehicle side via the interface unit 46. As a result, the vehicle doors are maintained in an unlocked state without being locked, and even if a child is left in the vehicle, a third party (finder) can open the vehicle doors and provide assistance.

[0090] When the seating sensor is turned off (Yes in S5), the control unit 42 releases the non-lockable state and enables locking (S6). As a result, by removing a child or the like from the child seat, locking becomes possible, and the driver can, for example, perform a locking operation to lock and leave the vehicle with confidence.

[0091] Also, by attaching a seating sensor to the child seat itself, it is possible to detect the child seat regardless of which seat it is installed on. Further, this system may be connected to a drive recorder, and the non-lockable state described above may be used as an external trigger to notify a smartphone or a server from the drive recorder. Such notification may be configured to send predetermined information including video, similar to the above-described embodiments.

[0092] As described above, by making the determination of leaving the seat or the like conditional on the ACC being turned off, it is possible to alert when the engine is turned off with a child seat in the vehicle and a child in it. Also, by making an alarm sound when the engine is turned off, for example, when the driver performs the operation of removing a child from the child seat himself / herself, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of unnecessary alarms by keeping the engine running.

[0093] FIG. 5 shows another embodiment using a seating sensor. In this embodiment, for example, the function of determining leaving the seat or the like in the control unit 42 in the system shown in FIG. 3 is replaced, and the opening and closing of the driver's seat side door are used to determine whether the driver has left the seat or the like. Similar to the above, the control unit 42 determines whether the seating sensor is ON (S11). When the seating sensor is OFF, since there is no infant or the like, the process loops through S1.

[0094] When the seating sensor is ON, the control unit 42 determines whether the driver's side door is in an open state (S12). If the door is closed, the process returns to S11. If the door is open, the control unit 42 then waits for the door to close (S13). When the door closes (Yes in S13), the control unit 42 issues an alarm from the speaker (S14). The alarm may be a buzzer sound or an alarm message by voice. By doing so, the driver can notice from the alarm that a child such as an infant is sitting on the child seat, so that the driver will not forget the presence of the child and get out of the vehicle, and the occurrence of leaving the child in the vehicle can be suppressed as much as possible.

[0095] Furthermore, also in this embodiment, after generating the alarm, the control unit 42 makes it impossible to lock the vehicle door (S15). Thereby, even if a child is left in the vehicle, a third party (finder) can open the vehicle door and rescue the child.

[0096] When the seating sensor is turned OFF (Yes in S16), the control unit 42 releases the unlock - impossible state and makes it possible to lock (S17). Thereby, by taking the child etc. out of the child seat, locking becomes possible, and the driver can leave the vehicle with confidence.

[0097] In the above - described embodiment, after the door is opened, the alarm is issued after waiting for the door to close. However, the alarm may be issued when the door is opened without providing the processing step S13. However, when the driver gets the child on the child seat out by himself / herself, in many cases, the driver opens the driver's seat door, moves outside the vehicle, and reaches the rear seat side. Therefore, if the driver opens the driver's seat door to get the child out, the alarm will sound, which may cause annoyance to the driver. Therefore, by making the closing of the door a condition for the alarm as in this embodiment, for example, if the driver takes the child out of the child seat with the door open and then closes the driver's side door, the alarm will not sound.

[0098] In each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, instead of making it impossible to lock even when attempting to lock by disabling the lock at S4 or S15, an alarm may be issued when attempting to lock. In this case, the alarm at S3 or S14 may not be issued, but it is okay to issue a double alarm if it is issued.

[0099] Also, instead of disabling the lock at S4 or S15, it may be possible to lock after an alarm or to be able to lock when there is a lock operation again after an alarm. By doing so, while leaving a child or the like in the vehicle according to the driver's intention and locking, it is possible to prevent a suspicious person or the like from entering the vehicle.

[0100] [Communication-Type Temperature Measuring Device] FIG. 6 shows an example of a system for preventing heat stroke or the like of a child or the like left in the vehicle based on the temperature inside the vehicle. The system 50 of the present embodiment includes a function for measuring the temperature inside the vehicle (for example, a temperature and humidity sensor 51), a communication function (for example, a communication unit 52), a control unit 53 that controls them, and the like. When the temperature inside the vehicle exceeds the set temperature, the control unit 53 notifies the registered destination using the communication function. The communication function may use, for example, an LTE-M module capable of LTE communication, and notifies, for example, the server 32 or the driver's smartphone 33 registered in advance. When transmitting to the server 32, it is preferable to be notified to the driver's smartphone 33 or the like via the server.

[0101] When this system is installed in a vehicle and the inside of the vehicle approaches a temperature where there is a risk of heat stroke after the engine is stopped, a notification is sent to the driver's smartphone or the like to inform that danger is approaching. By doing so, the driver receives the notification and takes appropriate measures towards the vehicle to prevent the high temperature inside the vehicle. Also, in this embodiment, like each of the above-described embodiments, a function for determining whether a child is present inside the vehicle may be provided, but not providing it may simplify the configuration.

[0102] Also, it may be configured to detect engine stop such as when the ACC is OFF, and then monitor the room temperature and notify when the conditions are met. However, the engine stop detection function is not necessarily required. Generally, when the driver is in the vehicle and the engine is running and the vehicle is drivable, for example, when using the air conditioner or opening the window, the possibility of the temperature rising to a dangerous room temperature that may cause heat stroke or the like is low. Therefore, it is often the case when the vehicle is parked with the engine turned off that the temperature inside the vehicle becomes higher than the set temperature. Therefore, by not providing the engine stop detection function, it can be installed independently of the vehicle, and with a simple configuration, it can effectively prevent heat stroke and the like.

[0103] In this embodiment, by notifying the smartphone when the temperature is high, it is possible to deal not only with forgetting a child but also when leaving the vehicle for a short time. Also, by appropriately setting the temperature to be notified, it is possible to notify in advance from the caution stage and rush to the vehicle before the dangerous temperature is reached. This temperature to be notified may be set with an appropriate value as the initial value in consideration of the temperature at which the risk of heat stroke occurs, and may be made changeable by the user's setting.

[0104] Also, although temperature is one of the important factors in heat stroke, humidity also has an impact. Therefore, it is advisable to provide a function to measure temperature and humidity and notify when the relationship between temperature and humidity meets a predetermined condition. When humidity is taken into account, it is possible to notify even when the environment may cause heat stroke or the like due to the relationship of humidity even if the temperature is relatively low.

[0105] [Communication-type thermometer + Remote-responsive operation] In addition to the functions of the above-described embodiment of the communication-type thermometer, for example, it may be provided with functions such as connecting to an OBD and remotely opening a window or enabling engine start. In this way, for example, when a notification informing of high temperature reaches the driver's smartphone, a guidance such as "Do you want to fully open the window?" or "Do you want to start the engine?" is displayed on the screen of the smartphone. When the "YES" button part displayed on the screen is touched, remote operation becomes possible. Thereby, by opening the window to take in outside air or turning on the air conditioner in advance, it is possible to cool the inside of the vehicle when starting the engine, and it is possible to prevent heatstroke of children before rushing to the vehicle.

[0106] In this embodiment, it becomes a function effective in a situation where one cannot rush to the vehicle immediately even when a notification comes. Also, even in a situation where one can immediately return to the vehicle, by responding immediately, it is possible to release the child from a dangerous state as soon as possible.

[0107] Also, such remote operation should be allowed to be performed only in case of danger. In this way, it is possible to suppress as much as possible the occurrence of situations such as the window being opened unnecessarily and allowing entry and exit, or the vehicle accidentally starting to move due to the engine being engaged.

[0108] [In-vehicle drive recorder (with motion detection)] For example, set the shooting area of the camera of the drive recorder shown in FIGS. 1, 2, etc. inside the vehicle. Also, register, for example, the driver's smartphone 33 as the transmission destination of the communication unit 24, and provide a function to link the drive recorder 10 and the smartphone to transmit the image being shot by the drive recorder to the smartphone. Thereby, the user can check the state of the child in the rear seat in real time from the smartphone. Also, for example, the state of the child can be viewed remotely via LTE communication. Furthermore, it is preferable to use a drive recorder specialized for in-vehicle recording. Additionally, if a temperature sensor is provided in the drive recorder to simultaneously display the in-vehicle temperature, it can lead to early detection of heat stroke, which is good. It is even better to provide a humidity sensor and display the humidity together with the temperature. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, since the temperature and humidity sensor 23 is provided, both the temperature and humidity can be displayed.

[0109] Also, for the above-described video confirmation, for example, it is preferable to have a method in which the user spontaneously connects to the drive recorder to view it and a method in which the drive recorder transmits the video to the smartphone when there is movement inside the vehicle detected by motion detection, and it should be possible to select them through user settings. By installing the motion detection function, it can also be useful for crime prevention while parked.

[0110] [Smart Band] FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of yet another system. The system of this embodiment includes a smart band 60. This smart band 60 includes, for example, a band portion 60a for wearing on a child's foot, leg, arm, etc. Inside the main body of the smart band 60, there are provided a biological information acquisition sensor 61 for measuring biological information such as the body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, etc. of the wearing user, a communication unit 62 for transmitting the biological information to the smartphone 33, a control unit 63 for controlling them, etc. Then, the smart band 60 is worn on, for example, a child's foot, leg, arm, etc. Thereby, biological information such as the body temperature and heart rate of a child waiting inside the vehicle can be constantly monitored using the smartphone 33 held by a user away from the vehicle.

[0111] In addition, the wearing location of this smart band 60 is preferably, for example, the foot or the leg. For example, when worn on the arm, a child sitting in a child seat may touch, remove, turn off the power, or cause a malfunction of the smart band 60. On the other hand, when worn on the foot or leg, it is difficult to reach the smart band 60 in such a state, and it is good that the above problems can be suppressed as much as possible.

[0112] When a child wearing the smart band 60 is in a dangerous state, it is preferable that the smart band 60 has a function of sending a notification to the smartphone 33. The dangerous state of the child may be, for example, when the detection value of the biological information acquisition sensor 61 exceeds a preset threshold value. In addition, this smart band is preferably configured to exclude the screen and be specialized for information transmission. By not providing a screen, in addition to reducing costs, simplifying the configuration, and making it smaller and thinner, if a screen is provided, there is a risk that a child may touch the screen or the like out of interest, but it is good that such a situation can be suppressed as much as possible.

[0113] In addition, the notification destination of the smart band is the smartphone in the above-described embodiment, but it is not limited to this. For example, it may be transferred to a smartwatch carried by the user. Since there is a possibility that the smartphone may not be carried around at home, it is preferable to use a smartwatch that is easy to wear and easy to check notifications.

[0114] In addition, this embodiment is not limited to being worn on a child left in a vehicle. For example, it can be used not only in vehicles but also at home or when going out. For example, dual-income families, of course, may be separated from their children even at home, so it is good for preventing unexpected accidents in each place.

[0115] In the above-described embodiment, the case where GPS is used as the satellite positioning system has been described. However, GLONASS, Galileo, the quasi-zenith satellite system, etc. may be used without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0116] Note that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations explicitly described in the specification or limited ones, 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. However, even for a configuration not currently specified in the claims, the configuration disclosed in this specification has the intention of being the subject of claims in the future.

[0117] 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 embodying any constituent element described in the means for solving the invention. Regarding these, there is also the intention of obtaining rights in the amendment or divisional application 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 has the intention of obtaining rights. Also, the descriptions with an order are not limited to this order. The present disclosure also includes configurations in which some parts are deleted or the order is changed and has the intention of obtaining rights.

[0118] In addition, due to a change to a design registration application, there is the intention of obtaining rights for the overall design or partial design. Although the drawings depict the entire device in solid lines, the drawings include not only the overall design but also partial designs claimed for a part of the device. For example, not only can a part of the members of the device be a partial design, but the drawings also include a partial design of a part of the device regardless of the members. As a part of the device, it may be a part of the members of the device or a part of those members. Regarding the overall design, of course, there is the intention of patenting a partial design in which an arbitrary part of the solid-line part of the drawings is changed to a dashed line.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0119] 1: Vehicle 2: Front windshield 3: Rear seat 4: Child seat 5: Cable 10: Drive recorder 11: Camera 12: Microphone 13: Abnormality detection sensor 14: GPS module 15: Operation unit 16: Control unit 17: Temporary memory 18: Monitor 19: Speaker 20: Memory card slot 21: Micro SD card 22: Microwave sensor 23: Temperature and humidity sensor 24: Communication unit 30: Power supply device 32: Server 33: Smartphone

Claims

1. A drive recorder having a function of transmitting predetermined information to a registered destination when a person is detected in a captured image, characterized in that, by registering access information to a server in advance at the time of shipment of the drive recorder, the user does not need to register a transmission destination with the drive recorder.

2. The predetermined information includes at least any one of a presence notification indicating the presence of a child, a captured image, temperature information or humidity information inside the vehicle obtained from a temperature and humidity sensor, and position information obtained from a GPS module. The drive recorder according to claim 1, characterized by comprising the above.

3. Characterized in that it has a function of sending only the image recognition result to the server without sending the image. The drive recorder according to claim 1, characterized by comprising the above.

4. When a person is detected in the captured image, after transmitting the predetermined information to the registered destination, the captured image obtained at a predetermined timing is also analyzed, and when a person is detected in the image, the function of transmitting the predetermined information to the registered destination is provided. The drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by comprising the above.

5. When ACC is OFF, it switches to a monitoring mode for monitoring the presence or absence of a dangerous state inside the vehicle, and when a person is detected in the captured image, the process of the function of transmitting predetermined information to the registered destination is performed. The drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by comprising the above.

6. When the result of image analysis of the captured image shows that no person is present, it is not transmitted to the server. The drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by comprising the above.

7. When switching to the monitoring mode and at the time of the first notification, it notifies the presence of a person, does not send other information such as an image, and has a function of sending an image after a predetermined number of times or after a predetermined time has elapsed. The drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by comprising the above.

8. Even after the predetermined number of times or after a predetermined time has elapsed, information with a large data volume such as an image is provided with a function of being sent once every several times. The drive recorder according to claim 7, characterized by comprising the above.

9. A program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A system comprising the drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and the server, wherein the server has a function of notifying the smartphone by registering information of the smartphone to be notified in the server in response to an access by the user, via the server. The system is characterized by the above.

11. When the predetermined information is sent from the drive recorder, it has a function of storing the received information and transmitting all or part of the acquired information to the transmission destination of the user associated therewith. The system according to claim 10, characterized by the above.

Images