Recording device

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of appropriately recording video in response to an event occurring in a parked vehicle.SOLUTION: In a recording device 10, a video recording unit 14 is capable of recording video captured by a camera mounted on a vehicle. A control unit (startup control unit 16) executes a first recording control that causes the video recording unit 14 to constantly record video when the elapsed time since the vehicle's ignition switch has been turned off is less than a predetermined time, and executes a second recording control that causes the video recording unit 14 to start recording video when an event occurs for the vehicle when the elapsed time is equal to or greater than the predetermined time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the installation of drive recorders in vehicles has been progressing. In addition to recording during vehicle driving, a drive recorder can also execute recording during parking. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a recording control device that switches between a first parking recording for starting the recording of shooting data when an event is detected according to the state of the power source available during vehicle parking and a second parking recording for constantly recording shooting data when the vehicle is parked.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The inventor of the present invention has recognized a desire to switch the recording control of a drive recorder during parking by a method different from the technology of Patent Document 1.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of appropriately recording images during parking.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a recording device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a video recording unit capable of recording video captured by a camera mounted on a vehicle, and when the elapsed time since the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off is less than a predetermined time, a first recording control for causing the video recording unit to always record video is executed, and when the elapsed time is equal to or more than the predetermined time, a control unit that executes a second recording control for starting to record video in the video recording unit when an event occurs with respect to the vehicle.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for appropriately recording video during parking.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] FIG. 1 shows a schematic functional configuration of a recording device 10 according to an embodiment. The recording device 10 is a drive recorder installed in the passenger compartment of a vehicle (not shown), and operates using, for example, the power of the vehicle battery.

[0010] The recording device 10 operates in a normal mode while the ignition switch of the vehicle is on, and records video of the surroundings of the vehicle captured by the camera. The ignition switch is a switch that is operated when starting or stopping the driving power source for the vehicle to travel, and is also called a start switch or a power switch. As the operation in the normal mode, a known operation can be adopted.

[0011] Also, while the ignition switch of the vehicle is off, that is, while the vehicle is parked, the recording device 10 operates in a first mode or a second mode with lower power consumption than the normal mode. The recording device 10 operates in the first mode until the elapsed time since the ignition switch was turned off reaches a predetermined time, and automatically switches to the second mode when the elapsed time exceeds the predetermined time. The predetermined time may be, for example, within the range of several tens of minutes to ten-odd hours, may be about 12 hours, and can be appropriately determined by experiments or simulations. The predetermined time may also be settable by the user.

[0012] The first mode is a parking monitoring mode that monitors the approach, impact, and alarm activation of pedestrians and records the video before and after the event. It is a powerful mode but consumes more power than the second mode.

[0013] The second mode is a low-power parking monitoring mode that monitors major events such as impacts and alarm activations and records only the video after the event.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the recording device 10 includes a first camera 12a, a second camera 12b, a video recording unit 14, and an activation control unit 16. Hereinafter, the first camera 12a and the second camera 12b are collectively referred to as the camera 12 as appropriate.

[0015] Each camera 12 is mounted on the vehicle. The first camera 12a is installed at a position where it can capture the video in front of the vehicle and outputs the captured video data to the video recording unit 14. The second camera 12b is installed at a position where it can capture the video behind the vehicle and outputs the captured video data to the video recording unit 14. The number of cameras 12 is not limited to two, and a third camera installed at a position where it can capture the video on the left side of the vehicle and a fourth camera installed at a position where it can capture the video on the right side of the vehicle may be further provided. Alternatively, instead of two cameras 12, one camera may be provided, and one camera 12 may be a camera with a fisheye lens that can capture 360-degree video around the vehicle, or a camera that can rotate 360 degrees.

[0016] The video recording unit 14 can record the video captured by the camera 12.

[0017] The startup control unit 16 executes the startup and stop of the camera 12 and each unit in the video recording unit 14, and the recording control of the video, based on a signal indicating the state of the ignition switch of the vehicle and signals from in-vehicle sensors. The startup control unit 16 can also be called the BDC.

[0018] When the elapsed time since the ignition switch was turned off is less than a predetermined time, the startup control unit 16 operates the recording device 10 in the first mode, causes the video recording unit 14 to always record the video, and executes the first recording control to save the video before and after the event from the always-recorded video when an event occurs for the vehicle.

[0019] When the elapsed time is equal to or more than the predetermined time, the startup control unit 16 operates the recording device 10 in the second mode, and instead of the first recording control, executes the second recording control to start recording the video in the video recording unit 14 when an event occurs for the vehicle.

[0020] The video recording unit 14 includes a video output unit 18 and a recording unit 20. The configurations of the video recording unit 14 and the startup control unit 16 can be realized by the CPU, memory, and other LSIs of an arbitrary computer in terms of hardware, and can be realized by a program loaded into the memory in terms of software. Here, however, functional blocks realized by their cooperation are depicted. Therefore, it is understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by hardware only, software only, or a combination thereof.

[0021] The video output unit 18 receives video data from each camera 12, synthesizes the received video data, and outputs the synthesized video data to the recording unit 20. The detailed processing of the video output unit 18 will be described later. The video output unit 18 can also be called the ADC. The video output unit 18 includes a video processing unit 22 and a ring buffer 24.

[0022] The video processing unit 22 is composed of, for example, a SoC (System On Chip) or a microcomputer. The video processing unit 22 synthesizes the video data received from each camera 12 and processes the synthesized video data. In the first mode, the video processing unit 22 constantly stores the video data in the ring buffer 24, and when an event occurs, outputs the video data read from the ring buffer 24 to the recording unit 20. In the second mode, the video processing unit 22 outputs the video data to the recording unit 20.

[0023] The ring buffer 24 is an internal memory capable of temporarily storing video data. In the first mode, the ring buffer 24 holds the video data while updating only the video data of the latest predetermined first time period. The first time period may be, for example, about 1 minute, and can be appropriately determined by experiments or simulations.

[0024] In each of the first mode and the second mode, the recording unit 20 receives the video data from the video output unit 18 and records the received video data. The detailed processing of the recording unit 20 will be described later. The recording unit 20 can also be called a CDC. The recording unit 20 includes a recording processing unit 26 and a non-volatile memory 28.

[0025] The recording processing unit 26 is composed of, for example, a SoC or a microcomputer. The recording processing unit 26 executes processing for storing the video data received from the video output unit 18 in the non-volatile memory 28.

[0026] The non-volatile memory 28 is a recording medium composed of, for example, a flash memory such as an SD card (registered trademark). The non-volatile memory 28 is, for example, inserted into a slot provided in the recording device 10 for use and can be configured to be removable from the recording device 10.

[0027] Figures 2(a) to (c) are diagrams for explaining the operation of the recording device 10 of FIG. 1. In Figures 2(a) to (c), the main data flow is indicated by arrows, and the illustration of the startup control unit 16 is omitted.

[0028] First, the operation of the first mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2(a) and (b). FIG. 2(a) is a diagram for explaining the operation of the recording apparatus 10 before the event detection in the first mode. The startup control unit 16 activates the camera 12 and the video output unit 18, and does not activate the recording unit 20. Therefore, the recording unit 20 maintains a sleep state, and the power consumption of the recording unit 20 is substantially zero. Since the recording unit 20 is not activated, the power consumption in the first mode can be reduced. The startup control unit 16 operates the video output unit 18 in the first mode.

[0029] The startup control unit 16 performs alarm monitoring and impact monitoring. For example, when the startup control unit 16 receives an alarm signal from a security device (not shown) mounted on the vehicle, it detects that the alarm has been activated. The security device outputs an alarm signal when it issues an alarm. The security device issues an alarm, for example, when the vehicle door is unlocked with a mechanical key. Various known techniques can be used as the security device.

[0030] For example, the startup control unit 16 detects that the vehicle has been impacted based on a sensor signal output from a vibration sensor (not shown) that detects the vibration of the vehicle body. Various known techniques can be used for impact monitoring.

[0031] In the video output unit 18, the video processing unit 22 monitors the approach of a person to the vehicle based on the video captured by the camera 12. When the video processing unit 22 detects the approach of a person, it notifies the startup control unit 16 that a person has approached. Various known techniques can be used for monitoring the approach of a person.

[0032] The detection of the activation of the alarm, the impact on the vehicle, and the approach of a person corresponds to the detection of an event.

[0033] The video output unit 18 constantly records the video captured by the camera 12 in the ring buffer 24. Specifically, the video processing unit 22 synthesizes the video data captured by the camera 12, encodes the synthesized video data into, for example, the MP4 format, and sequentially records the encoded video data in the ring buffer 24.

[0034] FIG. 2(b) is a diagram for explaining the recording operation after the event detection in the first mode of the recording apparatus 10. When an event is detected, the activation control unit 16 activates the recording unit 20 and outputs a recording request in the first mode to the video output unit 18 and the recording unit 20.

[0035] In response to the recording request in the first mode, the video output unit 18 outputs the video data of the first hour before and after the event recorded in the ring buffer 24 to the recording unit 20. Specifically, after recording the video data of the first hour before and after the event in the ring buffer 24, the video processing unit 22 reads out the video data of the first hour before and after the event from the ring buffer 24 and outputs the read video data to the recording unit 20. The video data is, for example, the encoded video data for 30 seconds before the event and 30 seconds after the event. When the output of the video data is completed, the video output unit 18 returns to the operation before the event detection.

[0036] In response to the recording request in the first mode, the recording unit 20 records the video data received from the video output unit 18 in the non-volatile memory 28. Specifically, the recording processing unit 26 records the video data received from the video output unit 18 in the non-volatile memory 28. When the recording of the video data by the recording unit 20 is completed, the activation control unit 16 returns the recording unit 20 to the sleep state.

[0037] Next, the operation of the second mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2(c). In the second mode, the activation control unit 16 does not activate the camera 12, the video output unit 18, and the recording unit 20. Therefore, the camera 12, the video output unit 18, and the recording unit 20 remain in the sleep state, and their power consumptions are substantially zero. As a result, the power consumption in the second mode can be reduced. The activation control unit 16 performs alarm monitoring and shock monitoring in the same manner as in the first mode.

[0038] FIG. 2(c) is a diagram for explaining the operation of the recording apparatus 10 after the event in the second mode is detected. When an event is detected, the activation control unit 16 activates the camera 12, the video output unit 18, and the recording unit 20, and outputs a recording request for the second mode to the video output unit 18 and the recording unit 20.

[0039] The activated camera 12 captures the video after the event detection for a predetermined second time, and outputs the video data to the video output unit 18. The second time may be, for example, within the range from several seconds to about one minute, and can be appropriately determined by experiments. The second time may also be settable by the user.

[0040] In response to the recording request in the second mode, the video output unit 18 outputs the video data for the second time after the event detection to the recording unit 20. Specifically, the video processing unit 22 synthesizes the video data for the second time captured by the camera 12, and outputs the synthesized video data to the recording unit 20. The video processing unit 22 keeps the ring buffer 24 in the sleep state. Thereby, the power consumption can be reduced.

[0041] In the recording unit 20, the recording processing unit 26 encodes the video data received from the video output unit 18 in response to the recording request in the second mode, and records the encoded video data in the non-volatile memory 28. Specifically, the recording processing unit 26 encodes the video data received from the video output unit 18, for example, in the MP4 format, and records the encoded video data in the non-volatile memory 28.

[0042] When the recording of video data by the recording unit 20 is completed, the startup control unit 16 returns the camera 12, the video output unit 18, and the recording unit 20 to the sleep state.

[0043] Next, the overall operation of the recording apparatus 10 with the above configuration will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing of the first mode and the second mode of the recording apparatus 10 in FIG. 1. The processing in FIG. 3 starts when the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off from on and is repeatedly executed until it is turned on again.

[0044] If the elapsed time since the ignition switch was turned off is less than a predetermined time (Y in S10), the startup control unit 16 starts the camera 12 and the video output unit 18 (S12). If the camera 12 and the video output unit 18 have already been started, S12 may be skipped. The video output unit 18 constantly records the video data output from the camera 12 in the ring buffer 24 (S14), the video output unit 18 monitors the approach of pedestrians, and the startup control unit 16 monitors shocks and alarms (S16).

[0045] If no event has been detected (N in S18), the process returns to S10. If an event has been detected (Y in S18), the startup control unit 16 starts the recording unit 20 (S20), and the video output unit 18 outputs the video data before and after the event read from the ring buffer 24 to the recording unit 20 (S22). The recording unit 20 records the video data before and after the event in the non-volatile memory 28 (S24), the recording unit 20 stops, and the recording apparatus 10 ends the process. The processing from S12 to S24 is the processing of the first mode.

[0046] In S10, if the elapsed time since the ignition switch was turned off is equal to or more than a predetermined time (N in S10), the startup control unit 16 stops the camera 12 and the video output unit 18 (S30). If the camera 12 and the video output unit 18 have already been stopped, S30 may be skipped. The startup control unit 16 monitors shocks and alarms (S32).

[0047] When no event is detected (N in S34), the process returns to S32. When an event is detected (Y in S34), the startup control unit 16 starts the camera 12, the video output unit 18, and the recording unit 20 (S36), and the video output unit 18 outputs the video data captured by the camera 12 to the recording unit 20 (S38). The recording unit 20 records the video data in the non-volatile memory 28 (S40), the camera 12, the video output unit 18, and the recording unit 20 stop, and the recording device 10 ends the process. The processes from S30 to S40 are the processes in the second mode.

[0048] According to the embodiment, it is possible to appropriately record a video in response to the occurrence of an event for a parked vehicle. In addition, it is possible to detect a minor event such as the approach of a pedestrian, and it is possible to achieve both a powerful first mode in which recording can be performed even before the event occurs and a second mode in which only important events can be detected and long-time monitoring is possible.

[0049] Also, in the first mode, the recording unit 20 is put into the sleep state as much as possible, and by holding only the latest one minute of video in the ring buffer 24, which is a small memory in the video output unit 18, power consumption can be reduced.

[0050] Assuming a comparative example in which the entire recording device is started to record the video before the event occurs, the power consumption increases and monitoring can be performed only for a short time. However, in the embodiment, longer-time monitoring can be realized. Therefore, in a parked vehicle, the surrounding situation of the vehicle can be monitored for as long as possible, and when a specific event occurs, the surrounding video can be recorded.

[0051] Furthermore, in the first mode, since unnecessary video when no event is occurring is not constantly recorded in the non-volatile memory 28, it is possible to prevent the past video already recorded in the non-volatile memory 28 from being overwritten unnecessarily. Since it is not constantly recorded in the non-volatile memory 28 in the first mode, the possibility of excessively shortening the life of the non-volatile memory 28 is also low.

[0052] The present invention has been described based on the embodiments. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments are merely illustrative, and various modifications are possible for the combination of each component and each processing process, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0053] For example, the startup control unit 16 may switch between the first recording control and the second recording control according to the remaining amount of the vehicle battery. The remaining amount of the battery may be, for example, the SOC (State Of Charge). In this case, when the remaining amount of the battery is equal to or more than a predetermined remaining amount, the startup control unit 16 may execute the first recording control, and when the remaining amount of the battery is less than the predetermined remaining amount, the startup control unit 16 may execute the second recording control instead of the first recording control. The predetermined remaining amount may be, for example, a value in the range of 50% to 80%, and can be appropriately determined by experiments or simulations. The predetermined remaining amount may also be settable by the user. Whether to switch between the first recording control and the second recording control according to either the elapsed time since the ignition switch was turned off or the remaining amount of the vehicle battery may be settable by the user. According to this modification example, the video can be appropriately recorded during parking.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0054] 10... Recording device, 12... Camera, 12a... First camera, 12b... Second camera, 14... Video recording unit, 16... Startup control unit, 18... Video output unit, 20... Recording unit, 22... Video processing unit, 24... Ring buffer, 26... Recording processing unit, 28... Non-volatile memory.

Claims

【Claim 1】 A video recording unit capable of recording video captured by a camera mounted on a vehicle, a control unit that executes first recording control to always record video in the video recording unit when the elapsed time after the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off is less than a predetermined time, and executes second recording control to start recording video in the video recording unit when an event occurs with respect to the vehicle when the elapsed time is equal to or greater than the predetermined time; A recording device comprising the same.

Images