System and others

Abstract

To provide a system that temporarily performs parking recording while a cancel area where no parking recording is performed is set, and then when a vehicle is parked in a parking position during the setting while predetermined conditions are not satisfied, performs parking recording originally set without a special operation.SOLUTION: A system has a parking monitoring function of recording a video captured at a parking position, and a function of setting a parking position where actuation of the parking monitoring function is inhibited. The parking monitoring function records a video when predetermined conditions are satisfied, even if a vehicle is parked at the position during the setting.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to, for example, a system. [Background technology]

[0002] In Patent Document 1, with regard to an invention relating to an in-vehicle device and system (paragraph

[0001] , etc.), paragraph

[0055] states, "When the power supply from the ACC power supply is cut off, the monitoring battery switches the power supply source to the drive recorder from the vehicle to the internal battery and continues to supply power to the drive recorder." Furthermore, paragraph

[0076] states, "A 'My Area' is an area where surveillance recording is performed automatically even when the 'Recording Mode' is set to 'Manual.' A 'My Cancellation Area' is an area where surveillance recording is not performed automatically even when the 'Recording Mode' is set to 'Auto.' For example, if a user registers a parking lot at home that has no security as a 'My Area,' surveillance recording can be performed automatically when the user parks in the parking lot at home. A 'My Cancellation Area' can be registered in advance in 'Settings.' Furthermore, for example, if a user registers a parking lot at work that has security as a 'My Cancellation Area,' surveillance recording can be prevented in the parking lot at work." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-195755 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, when monitoring recording is turned on or off while the vehicle is parked, it is necessary to change the registered settings, which can be cumbersome. For example, if a driver wants to get out of the vehicle quickly after parking and turning off the ACC, a system that requires changing the registered settings may not be able to meet the driver's needs. Also, when parking the vehicle and getting out of the vehicle, the driver may want to activate / suppress the appropriate parking monitoring function without having to switch settings, etc.

[0005] Conventionally, monitoring while parked has been standardized, such as whether or not to perform monitoring and recording, and it has not been possible to perform parking monitoring according to the vehicle's status, such as the remaining battery level, the location where the vehicle is parked, the surrounding conditions, the parking time, etc. One of the objects of the present invention is to solve such problems related to monitoring and recording while the vehicle is parked.

[0006] However, there is a problem in that it is difficult to know where the data recorded by a drive recorder is for driving in a situation where an accident is imminent (a so-called near miss). Current drive recorders are specialized in recording accidents, so when there is a large impact that exceeds the threshold of the G sensor, the data is stored with a high level of importance as an event recording (also called an event record). However, unless the user performs an operation to instruct the event button recording when an accident is imminent (a near miss), the image of the near miss may be buried in the images of normal recordings, making it difficult to identify later. This makes it cumbersome to review near miss driving through video. Therefore, another object of the present invention is to solve such problems related to recording while driving.

[0007] The above-mentioned problems are stated as independent, and the present invention does not necessarily solve all of the problems stated. The purpose of the present invention is not limited to these, and the applicant intends to obtain rights for configurations that aim to achieve the effects achieved by parts of the configuration disclosed in the specification and drawings, etc., through divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, this specification discloses a problem in which the phrase "can be" is read as "the problem is...". The problems are stated as independent, and the applicant intends to obtain rights for configurations that solve these problems separately through divisional applications, amendments, etc. Even if the problem is implicitly understood from the description in the specification, the applicant intends to claim part of the configuration described in this specification through amendments or divisional applications. Problems that combine these independent problems are also disclosed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) The system is provided with a parking monitoring function that records video footage taken at parking positions, and a function that sets a parking position that inhibits the operation of the parking monitoring function. The parking monitoring function is preferably configured to record the video footage if certain conditions are met, even if the vehicle is parked at the set parking position.

[0009] When a predetermined condition is met, the system records video captured at the parking position while maintaining the parking position setting that inhibits the activation of the parking monitoring function. Because the parking position setting that does not record is maintained, if the vehicle is subsequently parked at the set parking position without satisfying the predetermined condition, the activation of the parking monitoring function is inhibited. For example, when a driver parks a vehicle and gets out of the vehicle, they can activate / inhibit the parking monitoring function appropriately without having to perform any special operations (e.g., switching cumbersome settings). This solves the problem.

[0010] (2) The suppression of operation of the parking monitoring function may be achieved by not recording the video. In this way, the parking monitoring function will not record video when the vehicle is parked in a set parking position. By setting an appropriate parking position in advance, when parking the vehicle and getting out, parking monitoring can be performed at the desired position, but not at the set parking position. Since the set parking position has not been changed, parking will not be recorded when the vehicle is subsequently parked in that parking position. This ensures that parking will not be recorded in places where parking should not normally be recorded.

[0011] (3) The parking monitoring function may be inhibited from operating if a predetermined condition is met, even if the vehicle is parked in a position other than the set parking position. If the vehicle is parked in a position other than the set parking position, the parking monitoring function records video captured at the parking position, but inhibits operation if a predetermined condition is met. For example, since the parking monitoring function is inhibited without setting a parking position, the next time the vehicle is parked, video footage of the parking situation can be recorded without any special operation.

[0012] (4) The device has a function for setting a parking position at which video footage is recorded while the vehicle is parked, and a parking monitoring function for recording video footage captured when the vehicle is parked at the set parking position. The parking monitoring function may suppress video recording if certain conditions are met, even when the vehicle is parked at the set parking position.

[0013] In this way, when the vehicle is parked in the set parking position, video footage of the parking period can be recorded even when the driver gets out. When a predetermined condition is met, the setting of the parking position that records video footage of the parking period can be maintained, while video recording can be suppressed. In this case, since the setting of the parking position is maintained, if the vehicle is subsequently parked in the set parking position without satisfying the predetermined condition, video footage of the parking period will be recorded. This allows, for example, when the driver parks the vehicle and gets out of the vehicle, to activate / suppress the appropriate parking monitoring function while getting out of the vehicle without performing any special operations (for example, switching complicated settings).

[0014] (5) The parking monitoring function may record video footage of the vehicle being parked if certain conditions are met, even if the vehicle is parked in a location other than the currently set parking location. This allows the video footage to be recorded when the vehicle is parked in a location other than the currently set parking location without changing the settings. Since the currently set parking location has not been changed, the next time the vehicle is parked, the parking footage will not be recorded without any special operation.

[0015] (6) The predetermined condition may be based on the operation performed when the vehicle is parked in the parking position. In this way, if the vehicle is parked in the set parking position based on the operation performed when the vehicle is parked in the parking position, the parking monitoring may be operated in a different manner from the setting.

[0016] (7) It is preferable to provide a function for changing the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit based on the operation. In this way, for example, by checking the light-emitting state when the user performs an operation, it is possible to visually determine whether the current state satisfies a predetermined condition. For example, if the user is unable to perform an operation or performs an incorrect operation, the user can redo the operation to have the system perform the desired operation.

[0017] (8) The operation can be used to switch whether or not the specified condition is met, and if no operation is performed within a specified time after parking, the specified condition is considered to be met.If the operation is performed, the specified time is extended, and it is determined whether or not the specified condition is met after the extended time has passed.

[0018] In this way, even if an incorrect operation is made, the predetermined time is extended by the operation, so there is enough time to make the correct operation again if an unintended operation is made. Also, if the correct operation is made, the content based on the last operation is confirmed after the predetermined time has passed, so a separate operation to confirm the content is not necessary, reducing the user's operational effort and allowing them to disembark quickly.

[0019] (9) It is preferable to provide a function for switching whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied in response to an operation different from the above operation, and a function for updating the setting related to the parking position. In this way, it is easy to select whether to perform an operation different from the setting just this time without changing the setting at the parking position, or to update the setting and perform the same operation as this time from next time onwards.

[0020] (10) A display unit may be provided, and the predetermined condition may be based on an operation on the screen of the display unit when the vehicle is parked in the parking position. The predetermined condition can be easily met by operating the screen of the display unit.

[0021] (11) It is preferable to provide a function that confirms that the predetermined conditions are met when an operation is performed on the screen. This allows the predetermined conditions to be met early, and the driver can exit the vehicle immediately. By looking at the display, there is less risk of making an erroneous operation, such as pressing the wrong button, so we decided to improve convenience by confirming the operation immediately.

[0022] (12) The display unit may simultaneously display a first area for operation to satisfy the predetermined condition and a second area for operation to update the settings for the current parking position. This allows the user to easily instruct whether to perform a different operation from the current setting without changing the settings for the current parking position, or to update the settings and perform the same operation as this time from the next time onwards.

[0023] (13) It is preferable that the system is provided with a display unit, and if the power source supplying power to the system is the vehicle battery, the display unit displays the vehicle battery voltage, and if a separate power source is used, the display unit has a function of not displaying the battery voltage. In this way, when power is being supplied from the vehicle battery, the battery voltage is displayed, so that the user can, for example, recognize the battery status and decide whether or not to perform parking monitoring, and can also recognize the type of power source from whether or not the battery voltage is displayed.

[0024] (14) The system may include a first device having the video recording function, a second device having the display unit, and a connection control device connecting the first device and the second device, wherein the connection control device has a function of supplying power to the first device and the second device based on power supplied from a connected power source, a communication control function of communicating with the first device and the second device, and a power control function of controlling ON / OFF of the power supplied to the first device and the second device. In this way, the connection control device can control the power supply, communication, and ON / OFF of the power to each of the first device having the video recording function and the second device having the display unit.

[0025] (15) A connection control device that connects a first device having a function for recording video using any of the parking monitoring functions described above and a second device that displays a screen related to the parking monitoring function, the connection control device having a function for supplying power to the first device and the second device based on power supplied from a power source, a communication control function for communicating with the first device and the second device, and a power control function for controlling ON / OFF of the power supplied to the first device and the second device. In this way, the connection control device can control at least one of the power supply to the first device and the second device, communication, and ON / OFF of the power.

[0026] (16) The program according to the present invention may be a program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the system described in any one of (1) to (14) or the functions of the connection control device described in (15).

[0027] (17) The present invention may also be specified by a system having a function of determining the state of a vehicle driver and a function of recording an event according to the state of the driver. In this way, recording can be performed automatically according to the state of the vehicle driver.

[0028] The inventions (1) to (17) above can be combined in any way. For example, it is possible to combine all or part of the configuration of the invention shown in (1) with at least part of the configuration of at least one invention from (2) onwards. In particular, it is preferable to combine the invention shown in (1) with at least part of the configuration of at least one invention from (2) onwards. The applicant intends to obtain patent rights, design rights, etc. for those including these configurations by filing amendments, divisional applications, or applications for conversion to design registration applications, etc. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] The present invention provides at least one of the following effects, for example: While maintaining a parking position setting that inhibits activation of the parking monitoring function and records video captured while parking, if a predetermined condition is met, the same processing as for a location where no parking position has been set can be temporarily performed. Because the parking position setting is maintained, if the vehicle is subsequently parked in the set parking position without satisfying the predetermined condition, the originally set processing can be performed without any special operation. For example, when the driver parks the vehicle and exits the vehicle, the driver can activate / inhibit the parking monitoring function appropriately without having to switch settings or the like.

[0030] The effects of the present invention are not limited to these, and effects achieved by the components disclosed in the present specification and drawings, etc., are also disclosed, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to the components that achieve these effects through divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, in this specification, statements such as "can..." clearly state the effects that are achieved, and there are also parts that demonstrate the effects even without the statement "can...". Furthermore, there are effects that can be understood from the components even without such statements. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a preferred embodiment of a system according to the present invention; [Figure 2]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a drive recorder that constitutes the system. [Figure 3] 1(a) is a bottom view showing the drive recorder, and FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view showing the state in which a cable is attached to the female connector of the drive recorder. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a drive recorder is mounted on a vehicle. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the registration and deletion of a cancellation area. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the registration and deletion of a cancellation area. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a function of the drive recorder executed in response to ACCOFF. [Figure 8] 10 is a time chart of the first control section and the second control section that are executed in response to ACCOFF. [Figure 9] 10 is a time chart of the first control section and the second control section that are executed in response to ACCOFF. [Figure 10] 4 is a time chart of the first control section and the second control section executed in response to ACCOFF. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a function of the drive recorder executed in response to ACCOFF. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a second embodiment of the system according to the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a parking recording start flow. [Figure 14] 1A and 1B are front views of a radar detector, in which (a) is a diagram showing an example of a parking monitoring screen on the display unit, and (b) is a diagram showing an example of a power-off screen on the display unit. [Figure 15] FIG. 1( a ) is a diagram showing an example of a parking monitoring screen displayed on a display unit of a radar detector, and FIG. 1( b ) is a diagram showing an example of a power-off screen. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a radar detector. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a power supply state transition diagram. [Figure 18]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a power supply state transition diagram. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a power supply state transition diagram. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen, etc. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an alarm screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. These drawings are used to explain technical features that may be adopted by the present invention. The configurations and shapes of the devices described are merely illustrative examples, and the present invention should not be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes, modifications, and improvements may be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0033] [Basic configuration of one embodiment of the system] 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a drive recorder system, which is a type of device with a parking monitoring function that records video captured while the vehicle is parked. The system 1 of this embodiment includes a drive recorder 2 and a power supply device 3 that supplies power to the drive recorder 2.

[0034] In this embodiment, the drive recorder 2 is a device that is later installed in the vehicle. The drive recorder 2 of this embodiment has a drive recorder function of capturing and recording a predetermined area around the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling, as well as a parking monitoring function of capturing and recording a predetermined area, such as the area in front of the vehicle or the interior of the vehicle, while the vehicle is parked. To achieve this parking monitoring function, the system 1 operates by receiving power from a power supply device 3 provided separately from the vehicle, even when the ignition switch is OFF, i.e., when the ACC (accessory power) is OFF and the vehicle is not supplied with power from the battery.

[0035] The power supply device 3 is interposed between the vehicle and the drive recorder 2 and supplies power to the drive recorder 2. The power supply device 3 is configured in a separate housing from the drive recorder 2. The power supply device 3 includes a charge / discharge control unit 3a, a DC-DC converter 3b, a CPU 3c, and an internal battery 3d. The charge / discharge control unit 3a controls charging of the internal battery 3d and power supply to the drive recorder 2. The internal battery 3d is a secondary battery, for example, a nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery. The DC-DC converter 3b converts a voltage of 12V or 24V supplied from the vehicle battery to a voltage of 5V via the charge / discharge control unit 3a and outputs the converted voltage. The CPU 3c uses a memory (for example, RAM) (not shown) as a work area and controls each unit of the power supply device 3, such as the charge / discharge control unit 3a. The CPU 3c also communicates with the drive recorder 2 connected via a cable 4. The cable 4 includes a power line and a communication line.

[0036] The charge / discharge control unit 3a receives power from the internal battery 3d. While power is being supplied from the vehicle's battery, the charge / discharge control unit 3a controls the power supply path so that power is supplied from the vehicle's battery to the internal battery 3d and the DC-DC converter 3b. As a result, the internal battery 3d is charged, and the DC-DC converter 3b supplies voltage-converted power to the drive recorder 2. The charge / discharge control unit 3a determines whether the vehicle's ACC is on or off and switches between charging and discharging the internal battery 3d. When the charge / discharge control unit 3a determines that the ACC is on, it controls so that power is supplied from the vehicle's battery to the internal battery 3d and the DC-DC converter 3b. When the charge / discharge control unit 3a determines that the ACC is off, it controls so that the internal battery 3d is discharged and so that power is supplied from the internal battery 3d to the DC-DC converter 3b.

[0037] As described above, while the ACC is ON, the power supply device 3 receives power from the vehicle battery and outputs power to the drive recorder 2. When the power supply from the vehicle battery is cut off, the power supply device 3 outputs power to the drive recorder 2 using the internal battery 3d for a specified time after the power supply is cut off. After the specified time has elapsed, the power output is turned off. When the power supply from the vehicle battery is resumed, the power supply device 3 again outputs power to the drive recorder 2 using the vehicle battery.

[0038] This allows the drive recorder 2 to continue operating 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 2. When the drive recorder 2 receives a battery switching signal from the power supply device 3, it transmits a signal commanding the specified time. The CPU 3c may set the specified time to the set value of the specified time included in the signal commanding the specified time that it receives.

[0039] It is also advisable to provide the power supply device 3 with a DIP switch or other operating unit and a function for setting the specified time. In this way, for example, even for a drive recorder without a communication function, power can be supplied for the specified time after the supply from the vehicle battery is cut off.

[0040] When the power supply from the vehicle battery is interrupted, the power supply device 3 switches the power supply source to the internal battery 3d and supplies power to the drive recorder 2. Because the drive recorder 2 continues to receive power before and after the switch, the drive recorder 2 cannot determine whether the power supply source is the vehicle battery or the internal battery 3d. For this reason, when the CPU 3c switches the power supply source to the internal battery 3d, it sends a battery switching signal to the drive recorder 2. If the ACC is turned ON after the power supply device 3 turns OFF its output after a specified time has elapsed, the drive recorder 2 resumes the power supply that had been stopped, and it can be determined that the ACC is ON. On the other hand, if the ACC is turned ON within the specified time, the drive recorder 2 continues to receive power, and it cannot determine whether the power supply source is the vehicle battery or the internal battery 3d. For this reason, if the ACC is turned ON within the specified time, the CPU 3c sends a vehicle switching signal to notify that the power supply source has been switched to the vehicle battery. This allows the drive recorder 2 to recognize that the ACC has been turned on and the power supply source has been switched to the vehicle battery. As will be described later, the drive recorder 2 switches the operation mode in response to input of the battery switching signal and the vehicle switching signal.

[0041] The drive recorder 2 of this embodiment has a function of being able to record and output a spherical image obtained by capturing images in all directions of 360 degrees on a horizontal plane and 360 degrees on a vertical plane. As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the drive recorder 2 includes a main body unit 11 that executes various processes and a camera unit 12 that is disposed below the main body unit 11 when installed in a vehicle. Note that the drive recorder 2 is not limited to one that captures and records a spherical image. It is preferable that the drive recorder 2 captures and records images of at least one of the front, rear, and sides of the vehicle.

[0042] The main body 11 has a flat, rectangular main body case 13, and various circuit boards and devices are mounted inside the main body case 13. The main body case 13 is constructed by connecting a first case 14 and a second case 15. The first case 14 and the second case 15 are box-shaped with open opposing surfaces, and are connected by a connecting means with their tip surfaces butted together. The connecting means may, for example, comprise a protrusion provided on one of the first case 14 and the second case 15, and a recess provided on the other case that links with the protrusion, and the protrusion and the recess may be configured to fit together.

[0043] The first case 14 has a shallow bottom, an approximately rectangular periphery of the opening with rounded corners, and a substantially uniform depth throughout. When the drive recorder 2 is installed in the vehicle, the first case 14 is located at the front of the vehicle. Therefore, the surface of the first case 14 opposite the opening becomes the front surface 13a of the main case 13. A joint rail 16 is provided on this front surface 13a. Two joint rails 16 are provided, one above the other and spaced a predetermined distance apart along the longitudinal direction of the first case 14. A bracket 17 is detachably attached between the two joint rails 16.

[0044] The second case 15 is box-shaped and deeper than the first case 14, and the periphery of the opening is a generally rectangular shape with rounded corners, similar to the first case 14. When the drive recorder 2 is installed in the vehicle, the second case 15 is located at the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, the surface opposite the opening of the second case 15 becomes the rear surface 13b of the main case 13. The portion of the rear surface 13b adjacent to one of the pair of long sides of the rectangle is a flat surface 13b' that is a plane parallel to the front surface 13a of the main case 13, and the portion adjacent to the other of the pair of long sides is an inclined surface 13b''. The inclined surface 13b'' is formed so as to gradually approach the opening surface of the second case 15 from the middle of the short sides toward the outer long sides.

[0045] Therefore, the depth of second case 15 is uniform in the area including flat surface 13b', and gradually becomes shallower toward the long side in the area including inclined surface 13b". By providing inclined surface 13b", the external shape of main case 13 is a shape that is based on a rectangular parallelepiped with one long side chamfered. The one long side to be chamfered is at the rear and upper side of the vehicle when drive recorder 2 is installed in the vehicle. When first case 14 and second case 15 are connected, front surface 13a on the first case 14 side and flat surface 13b' on the second case 15 side are parallel to each other.

[0046] A recess 15b is provided at a predetermined position on the surface opposite the opening of second case 15, which is rear surface 13b of main case 13, and extends in the vertical direction. Recess 15b has a shallow bottom, and its rear surface is located one step further back than the surface of second case 15. Most of recess 15b is located on flat surface 13b' of rear surface 13b of main case 13, and the upper end of recess 15b is located on inclined surface 13b" with an open upper edge. An LED 36, a first button 37, and a second button 38 are arranged in this recess 15b, from top to bottom. The height of first button 37 and second button 38 is greater than the depth of recess 15b, and the surfaces of first button 37 and second button 38 protrude slightly outward from the surface of second case 15 (i.e., flat surface 13b').

[0047] The LED 36 is an example of a light emitter. The light emission state of the LED 36 changes depending on the operating state of the drive recorder 2. The light emission state may be specified by, for example, one or more of the presence or absence of light emission, the color of the light emission, and the timing of light emission. In this embodiment, the first button unit 37 and the second button unit 38 are operating means that accept a pressing operation (push operation). The first button unit 37 located on the upper side is assigned the function of, for example, a start button. If the first button unit 37 is pressed while recording is stopped, recording resumes. The second button unit 38 located on the lower side is assigned the function of, for example, a stop button. If the second button unit 38 is pressed and held during recording, recording stops.

[0048] Bracket 17 has a flat plate 17a, and grooves 17b are formed along the longitudinal direction on a pair of long side surfaces of the plate 17a. These grooves 17b are configured to mate with joint rails 16. The user can attach or detach bracket 17 to or from main case 13 by aligning grooves 17b with joint rails 16 and sliding bracket 17 and main case 13 relative to each other.

[0049] An adhesive member such as double-sided adhesive tape 19 is attached to the surface of bracket 17 opposite to the surface facing main body case 13. When mounting drive recorder 2 to a vehicle, it is attached and fixed to the windshield 5 of the vehicle via double-sided adhesive tape 19 (see FIG. 4(a) and the like). In this mounted state, front surface 13a and flat surface 13b' of main body case 13 are arranged parallel to the mounting surface of windshield 5, the long sides of main body case 13 lie in a horizontal plane, and the side surfaces of the short sides of main body case 13 lie in a vertical plane. Therefore, main body case 13 is fixed in a landscape orientation, attached to windshield 5, and camera unit 12 is arranged suspended from the bottom side of main body case 13.

[0050] A cutout window 14a is formed on one short side of the first case 14, and a cover member 20 is attached to close the cutout window 14a. The cover member 20 is positioned so as to close the cutout window 14a, and is fastened and fixed with screws 21. When the cover member 20 is removed, a card slot 22 mounted in the main body case 13 is exposed through the cutout window 14a. A memory card 23, such as a micro SD card or an SD card, is removably inserted into the card slot 22. The memory card 23 corresponds to a recording medium in which images are stored. The card slot 22 corresponds to an insertion portion into which the memory card 23 is inserted.

[0051] A window hole 15a is provided in the second case 15 on the same side as the side on which the cutout window portion 14a is provided, and a female connector 24 is disposed at the back of the window hole 15a. A male connector 4a provided at one end of the cable 4 is attached to this female connector 24. The cable 4 in this embodiment includes a power line and a communication line, and the drive recorder 2 receives power from an external power source and communicates with external devices via this cable 4.

[0052] On the other hand, camera unit 12 includes housing 25, first camera 26 and second camera 27 mounted within housing 25, and record button 28. Housing 25 has a spherical overall shape and is configured by joining two hemispherical halves, first camera case 25a and second camera case 25b, in a butt-to-button state. First camera case 25a and second camera case 25b can be fixed together, similar to the above-described fixing of first case 14 and second case 15, for example, by fitting a protrusion provided on one of first camera case 25a and second camera case 25b with a recess provided on the other.

[0053] The first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are preferably arranged back to back and fixed and connected to each other so that they take pictures in opposite directions to form a camera unit. The optical axes L of the lens unit, which is one of the components of the first camera 26, and the lens unit, which is one of the components of the second camera 27, are set to be aligned on the same straight line.

[0054] The housing 25 of the camera unit 12 is connected to the main body case 13 via an angle adjustment mechanism 29. The angle adjustment mechanism 29 rotates the housing 25 only around a rotation axis provided on the front side of the bottom surface of the main body case 13 along the long side, thereby allowing for forward and backward swinging (see FIG. 4 ) but preventing sideways swinging. For example, the housing 25 is rotatably attached to a bolt arranged parallel to the long side at a predetermined position inside the main body case 13, and a nut 29a is attached to the male thread of the bolt. The nut 29a is located deep inside a hole 13c provided on one side of the main body case 13. For example, a tool such as a hex wrench is inserted into the hole 13c and engaged with the nut 29a. The hex wrench or other tool is rotated forward and backward to tighten or loosen the nut 29a. When the nut 29a is loosened, the housing 25 of the camera unit 12 rotates forward and backward, allowing for forward and backward swinging. Furthermore, when the head is swiveled and the nut 29a is tightened in an appropriate position, the angle and the direction of the camera unit 12 are fixed in that position.

[0055] Record button 28 is located at the center of the bottom end of housing 25, and its surface is generally circular in plan view, with a curved surface whose radius of curvature is generally equal to the radius of housing 25. For example, when record button 28 is pressed, manual recording is performed, and video footage from a predetermined period before and after the button was pressed is recorded onto memory card 23 as one-touch recording. For example, if record button 28 is pressed during continuous recording, which continuously records video footage taken while driving, the video footage may be recorded as a separate file from the continuous recording file. A recording lamp is built into the rear and back side of record button 28, i.e., inside housing 25. This recording lamp lights up to indicate the recording status.

[0056] Various processing circuits, devices, components, etc. are further mounted inside the main body case 13. That is, the main body case 13 includes, for example, a first control unit 31, a second control unit 32, a sound output unit 33, a microphone 34, a position information storage unit 35, an abnormality detection sensor 39, a GPS receiver 40, a power supply unit 41, and a communication interface 42.

[0057] The first control unit 31 operates mainly to realize the parking monitoring function, and the second control unit 32 operates mainly to realize the drive recorder function. The power consumption of the second control unit 32 is larger than that of the first control unit 31. Therefore, while the vehicle is parked and the parking monitoring function is operating, the operation of the second control unit 32 is normally turned off and the power supply is turned off, thereby reducing the power consumption of the internal battery 3d of the power supply device 3 and enabling long-term operation. The functions of each control unit will be described later.

[0058] The microphone 34 collects sounds around the drive recorder 2. The microphone 34 collects, for example, the voices of passengers in the vehicle and other sounds generated inside the vehicle, as well as impact sounds when an object collides with the vehicle. The microphone 34 corresponds to a sound collection means. The sound output unit 33 is, for example, a speaker or buzzer, and outputs predetermined sounds during predetermined recording, alarms, operations, etc. The card slot 22 is a device that reads and writes data from the inserted memory card 23. For example, images captured by the camera unit 12 and sounds collected by the microphone 34 are recorded on the memory card 23. The GPS receiver 40 has a function of receiving GPS signals and acquiring location information, date and time information, and speed information from the GPS signals.

[0059] The position information storage unit 35 is configured with a non-volatile memory. The position information storage unit 35 includes a last-measured position storage area that stores and holds the last-measured position measured by, for example, the GPS receiver 40. The second control unit 32 stores the position information output from the GPS receiver 40 in the last-measured position storage area and rewrites and updates the position information.

[0060] Furthermore, the parking monitoring function of this embodiment has a cancel function that prevents recording if the vehicle is parked in a registered "cancellation area." For example, if this "cancellation area" is a circular area with a predetermined radius (e.g., 50 m) centered on the registered parking location, it is possible to determine whether the actual parking location is within the cancellation area simply by storing parking location information that identifies the parking location. The location information storage unit 35 has a parking location storage area that stores parking location information to realize this cancellation function. Details of this cancellation function will be described later.

[0061] The abnormality detection sensor 39 is, for example, an acceleration sensor or a six-axis sensor (integrated three-axis acceleration and three-axis angular velocity), and detects the state of the vehicle, such as an impact on the vehicle, the acceleration of the vehicle, tilt, etc. The abnormality detection sensor 39 is not limited to the above-mentioned examples, and may be, for example, a Doppler sensor that detects the approach of an object, a proximity sensor, or any other sensor that detects an event that triggers the recording of various types of video.

[0062] The power supply unit 41 has a function of supplying a power supply voltage to, for example, devices provided in the drive recorder 2, and operating them. The power supply unit 41 is electrically connected to the terminal of the power supply line of the female connector 24, receives power supplied from the power supply device 3, and supplies a power supply voltage of a desired voltage value to each device mounted in the main body case 13.

[0063] The communication interface 42 is connected to a terminal of the communication line of the female connector 24. Communication is performed between the CPU 3c of the power supply device 3 and the first control unit 31 and / or second control unit 32 of the drive recorder 2.

[0064] The first control unit 31 and the second control unit 32 are microcomputers each equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, non-volatile memory, I / O, etc., and are connected to the above-mentioned units as shown in Fig. 1. The functions of the drive recorder 2 of this embodiment are realized by storing firmware in the NAND flash memory of the control unit, for example, to be executed by the CPU of the control unit, and executing this firmware by the CPU of the control unit. The firmware stored in the NAND flash memory can be updated with new firmware stored in the memory card 23.

[0065] The first control unit 31 and the second control unit 32, either individually or in cooperation with each other, control the operation of output devices (e.g., card slot 22, position information storage unit 35, LED 36, etc.) based on information input from the various input devices (e.g., camera unit 12, microphone 34, position information storage unit 35, first button unit 37, second button unit 38, abnormality detection sensor 39, GPS receiver 40, etc.) and output predetermined information, etc. The second control unit 32, for example, accesses the position information storage unit 35 to perform reading and writing, and controls the GPS receiver 40 to acquire position information, etc.

[0066] When the engine is started and the ACC is ON, both the first control unit 31 and the second control unit 32 are activated and operate, and record, for example, video data captured by the camera unit 12 and audio data collected by the microphone 34. This recording may be performed, for example, by performing continuous recording while the vehicle is in a drivable state, such as while the engine is running, and then, when an event condition is met, recording video and audio for a certain period of time before and after the event as separate data. Both the continuous recording data and the separate data at the time of the event are recorded on the memory card 23. Furthermore, when continuous recording is not performed, the second control unit 32 normally temporarily records video and audio for a certain period of time in a buffer memory or the like, and, when the event condition is met, uses the temporarily recorded data or the like to record video and audio for a certain period of time before and after the event on the memory card 23.

[0067] Furthermore, when the vehicle is parked with the engine stopped (ACC OFF), it operates in parking monitoring mode, recording video data captured by the camera unit 12 and the like to the memory card 23 according to set operating conditions. Recording in parking monitoring mode includes, for example, continuous recording, which constantly records images captured for a predetermined recording time (e.g., 30 minutes), and event recording, which continuously records video data for a predetermined time when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection sensor 39. Event recording is performed when an event condition is met, such as "detection of the approach of a person or vehicle," "detection of an impact of a certain level or more," "detection of a vehicle tilt of a certain level or more (e.g., jacked up)," or "detection of a vehicle door opening." The abnormality detection sensor 39 includes one or more sensors for performing these detections.

[0068] After the recording time for continuous recording has elapsed, the system should automatically switch to event recording to continue parking monitoring. Also, if a predetermined event condition is met during continuous recording, video footage for a predetermined period before and after the event occurrence should be recorded as an event recording in a separate file.

[0069] When performing event recording, camera unit 12 stops operating in the absence of a parking operation trigger, but when a moving object such as a person or vehicle is detected within the detection area of ​​a microwave area sensor, for example, camera unit 12 is started and operates to capture images for a predetermined camera standby time, after which camera unit 12 stops operating. If a predetermined event condition is met during that camera standby time, images captured at a predetermined time before and after the occurrence of the event that met the condition are recorded on memory card 23.

[0070] This parking monitoring mode can be activated by an operation trigger, for example, after the vehicle engine is turned off (ACC OFF). The operation trigger can be "manual," which transitions based on manual operation, or "ACC OFF linked," which transitions automatically when the ACC is turned off. Switching between "manual" and "ACC OFF linked," switching the parking monitoring mode recording method (such as "constant recording + event" and "event only"), various types of recording, operation time, etc. can be performed by, for example, various mode setting operations.

[0071] During operation in this parking monitoring mode, the first control unit 31 is in charge of control, and the second control unit 32 is activated as necessary to operate in cooperation with the first control unit 31, after which the second control unit 32 is turned off. For example, the second control unit 32 performs the function of acquiring the current position based on the GPS receiver 40, so when acquiring the current position, the second control unit 32 is activated, and the first control unit 31 acquires the position information from the second control unit 32. The second control unit 32 controls the operation of, for example, the abnormality detection sensor 39 that is activated during operation in the parking monitoring mode.

[0072] [Cancellation area setting for parking recording in the cancel function] As described above, the drive recorder of this embodiment has a cancellation function that prevents parking recording when the parking position is within a registered cancellation area. In this embodiment, this cancellation area is registered by registering the parking position as a point. A predetermined range (e.g., 50 m) around the stored point is then set as the cancellation area. Not performing parking recording is an example of suppressing the operation of the parking monitoring function.

[0073] This location registration is triggered when a predetermined operating means is operated while the drive recorder 2 is operating with the vehicle parked in a parking position that the driver wishes to register. In this embodiment, when the engine is stopped (ACC is turned off), a function is provided to set a cancellation area or delete the set cancellation area based on the push operation of the first button unit 37 and the second button unit 38 performed within a certain period of time. For example, when the driver parks the vehicle in a position that is not a cancellation area and turns off the engine, the first control unit 31 lights up the power lamp LED 36 in red and outputs a "beep beep beep" sound from the sound output unit 33, as shown in FIG. 5(a-1). If the first button section 37 and the second button section 38 are pressed simultaneously within a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) after this sound is output, the second control section 32, in accordance with instructions from the first control section 31, registers parking position information that identifies the current position in a parking position memory area of ​​the position information memory section 35, and after registration, the first control section 31 causes the LED 36 to flash in orange and outputs a "beep beep..." sound from the speaker, as shown in FIG. 5(a-2).

[0074] On the other hand, when the vehicle is stopped at a location within the cancellation area and the engine is turned off, the first control unit 31 lights up the power lamp LED 36 in orange as shown in Fig. 5(b-1), and outputs a "beep, beep..." sound from the sound output unit 33. If the first button unit 37 and the second button unit 38 are pressed simultaneously within a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) after outputting this sound, the second control unit 32 cancels the cancellation area of ​​the current position in accordance with the instruction from the first control unit 31, and after the cancellation, the first control unit 31 flashes the LED 36 in red and outputs a "beep, beep" sound from the speaker as shown in Fig. 5(b-2).

[0075] In this way, if the first button unit 37 and the second button unit 38 are pressed simultaneously within a predetermined time after the ACC is turned off, the first control unit 31 alternately registers and cancels the cancellation area and also restarts the predetermined time. In this embodiment, the second control unit 32 updates the contents stored in the position information storage unit 35 in accordance with the decision made by the first control unit 31. If no button operation is performed within a predetermined time, the first control unit 31 confirms the last state. Therefore, for example, if the current state of the parking position (e.g., whether or not a cancellation area is set) is acceptable, the user can simply exit the vehicle and the operation will proceed as set. However, if, for example, an incorrect operation is made, the first button unit 37 and the second button unit 38 can be pressed simultaneously to set the desired state regarding whether or not a cancellation area is set.

[0076] Conventionally, this type of cancellation area was registered or canceled in the mode settings while the drive recorder was operating. Therefore, for example, if you turned off the engine within the cancellation area and then decided you wanted to use parking monitoring, you had to first turn on the engine, turn on drive recorder 2, delete the cancellation area in the mode settings, and then turn the engine off again, which could be very cumbersome. Similarly, if you turned off the engine outside the cancellation area and confirmed the mode, and then decided you wanted to use parking monitoring, you had to turn on the engine again, operate the drive recorder, and change the settings, which could be very cumbersome.

[0077] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, the current setting (for example, inside / outside the cancellation area) can be switched by operating the buttons (for example, pressing them simultaneously) after turning off the engine, so that the cancellation area can be registered or canceled easily and smoothly.

[0078] The drive recorder 2 of this embodiment does not include a display unit that displays, for example, video captured by the camera unit 12 or a setting screen for various settings. Therefore, it is not possible to display the current situation, such as whether the current location is within the cancellation area. Therefore, in this embodiment, the light emission state (e.g., light emission color) of the LED 36 and the output sound are changed depending on whether the current location is inside or outside the cancellation area. This allows the user to check the current setting status by, for example, checking the light emission color of the LED 36 or listening to the sound being notified. Therefore, when parking and getting out of the vehicle, the user checks the color of the LED to determine whether it is the desired color. If it is not, the user presses both buttons simultaneously to change the setting.

[0079] As described above, in this embodiment, simultaneous pressing of the first button 37 and the second button 38 alternately registers and cancels the cancellation area. Therefore, for example, within the cancellation area, only the cancellation of the cancellation area and the deletion of parking position information are possible, and additional registration of the same position or a position within the distance r from the registered position is not possible. This prevents multiple parking position information from being registered in the same parking lot, for example, and registers one representative central position, thereby reducing memory capacity and enabling the registration of many cancellation areas in different locations.

[0080] The registration point of the cancellation area uses the last positioning point that is successively updated between when the ACC is turned on and when it is turned off. This allows the car to be registered using the last positioning point, such as the entrance, even when the car is parked in a place where the GPS signal cannot be received and positioning is not possible, such as an underground parking lot. Similarly, when determining whether the area is a cancellation area, the second control unit 32 may access the last positioning point storage area in accordance with instructions from the first control unit 31 and make a determination based on the acquired position information.

[0081] In this way, even when parking in a location where positioning is not possible, such as an underground parking lot, the last determined position can be used to determine whether the location is a cancellation area, and the user can set the drive recorder to perform parking monitoring or not as desired. For example, in an underground parking lot, positioning may not be possible near the entrance to the parking lot, so position information determined near the entrance is recorded and stored in the last determined position storage area. When setting an underground parking lot as a cancellation area, if the cancellation area is set while the vehicle is parked in the underground parking lot, the setting is based on the position information near the parking lot entrance stored in the last determined position storage area at that time. Therefore, even if GPS cannot perform positioning when parking in that underground parking lot at a later date, it can be correctly determined that the vehicle is within the cancellation area based on the position information (e.g., near the parking lot entrance) stored in the last determined position storage area.

[0082] For example, even if the engine is started in an underground parking lot but positioning is not possible, and the driver stops the engine and parks the vehicle without moving from that state to an area where positioning is possible, such as outdoors, the location information of the entrance to the parking lot is stored as the last recorded point and the final positioning position, so it is possible to determine whether the area is a cancellation area and perform parking monitoring or not as desired by the user who set up the drive recorder.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, multiple (e.g., 200) cancellation area registration points (parking location information) can be registered. Each piece of parking location information registered in the location information storage unit 35 has a function for registering the number of times it has been referenced in subsequent use in association with that information. In other words, the number of times the registered cancellation area has been parked since is registered in association with that information. When the number of cancellation areas already registered in the location information storage unit 35 is the maximum value that can be registered (e.g., 200), if a new cancellation area is to be registered, the oldest cancellation area that has been referenced the least number of times is deleted before the new cancellation area is registered. Note that if there are multiple cancellation areas with the same number of references and registration date under these conditions, the area with the smallest area number is deleted.

[0084] 6(a), for example, if the current position Y1 of the vehicle is in a cancellation area within a radius r of predetermined parking position information X1 as the center, the cancellation area is canceled by deleting the parking position information X1 that identifies the cancellation area from the position information storage unit 35. In other words, if there is a central position (parking position information) of an area within a distance r from the current position Y1, the parking position information X1 is deleted.

[0085] As mentioned above, additional registrations are not permitted within the cancellation area, but if the current location is outside the cancellation area, it will be registered as a new cancellation area even if the current location is close to that area. As a result, as shown in Figure 6(b), for example, there is an area where the cancellation areas based on the parking position information X2 and X3, which are the respective registration points, overlap. In such a case, if the vehicle is parked in either of the two areas, the system will operate in only one of the cancellation areas and anywhere in the overlapping common area, and will not perform parking monitoring.

[0086] 6(b), if the current vehicle position Y2 is in a cancellation area within a radius r centered on different parking position information X2 and X3, and an instruction to cancel the cancellation area is given while the vehicle is parked in an area where the multiple cancellation areas overlap, the parking position information X2 and X3 that identify each cancellation area is deleted from the position information storage unit 35. In other words, all cancellation areas whose center points are included within the radius r from the current position are deleted.

[0087] (Functions such as temporary parking monitoring and recording within the cancellation area) In this embodiment, even if the vehicle is parked within a cancellation area based on the currently set parking position information, if certain conditions are met, temporary parking monitoring is performed without changing the cancellation area setting. This temporary parking monitoring mode can be activated by pushing a certain button, which is an operating means, within a certain period of time after the engine is turned off (ACC OFF), just like setting / cancelling the cancellation area.

[0088] For example, as described above, when the vehicle is parked in a location within the cancellation area and the engine is turned off, the power lamp LED 36 lights up in orange and the sound output unit 33 outputs a "beep, beep..." sound (see FIG. 5(b-1)). If only the first button unit 37 is operated within a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) after this sound is output, the first control unit 31 activates the parking monitoring mode without canceling the cancellation area for the current position, and the sound output unit 33 outputs a "beep, beep, beep" sound. In this way, the cancellation area set for the parking position remains registered without being canceled. Therefore, if the current parking monitoring ends and the vehicle is parked again, parking monitoring will not be performed based on the set cancellation area. Therefore, this time-only parking monitoring can be performed with a single touch of the first button unit 37.

[0089] Cancellation areas can be set, for example, in areas with separate security such as a parking lot on company premises, a garage with a door or shutter at home, places such as convenience stores where you do not park for long periods and return immediately, coffee shops, cafes, and other facilities where you can see and monitor parked vehicles from where you are staying, places where there is an extremely low risk of intrusion or theft, and places where parking recording is meaningless. Setting a cancellation area can help prevent wasting memory card capacity and battery consumption.

[0090] On the other hand, even if a cancellation area has been set, if there is a reason or circumstance that makes it desirable to record only this time, it is necessary to cancel the cancellation area setting (delete the parking location information) before parking. As described above, in this embodiment, cancellation can be achieved by simultaneously pressing the first button 37 and the second button 38 when exiting the vehicle. This eliminates the cumbersome task of setting functions and modes while the drive recorder is in operation, as in the previous system. However, in order to prevent parking recording from occurring the next time the vehicle is parked, the cancellation area must be reset the next time the vehicle is parked, which is cumbersome. Furthermore, if such resetting is not performed, parking will be recorded, resulting in meaningless recording processing.

[0091] In this embodiment, only when parking monitoring is desired, the first button 37 is pressed to temporarily cancel the cancel function, set a temporary monitoring area, and perform parking recording. The setting of the cancel area remains unchanged, so the next time the vehicle is parked, parking recording will not be performed even if the driver exits the vehicle without performing any special operations. In this way, the same operation can be performed without canceling and resetting the registration of the cancel area, and there is no risk of forgetting to reset it. Therefore, after the driver turns off the engine, the user can exit the vehicle as is or with a simple operation, and still perform appropriate parking monitoring (including not performing parking monitoring) according to the parking location.

[0092] Furthermore, this embodiment has a function to register a temporary cancellation area outside the cancellation area where parking recording will not be performed this time only. This temporary cancellation area can be registered by pushing a predetermined button, which is an operating means, within a predetermined period after the engine is turned off (ACC OFF), just like setting / cancelling the cancellation area.

[0093] For example, as described above, when the vehicle is parked in a location that is not a cancel area and the engine is turned off, the power lamp LED 36 lights up in red and a "beep, beep, beep" sound is output from the sound output unit 33 (see FIG. 5(a-1)). If only the second button unit 38 is pressed within a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) after this sound is output, the first control unit 31 registers the parking position information identifying the current location as a temporary cancel area without registering it in the parking position storage area of ​​the position information storage unit 35. After registration, the sound output unit 33 outputs a "beep, beep, beep..." sound and the LED 36 flashes orange. If the first button unit 37 is pressed again while the "beep, beep, beep..." sound is being output, the first control unit 31 cancels the temporary cancel area. When the area is registered as a temporary cancellation area, parking monitoring is not performed during the current parking period, but since the parking position information is not registered in the position information storage unit 35, the next time the vehicle is parked in the same place, parking recording will be performed even if the engine is turned off and the vehicle is left as is.

[0094] As described above, in this embodiment, registering / cancelling a cancellation area is performed by simultaneously pressing the first button 37 and the second button 38, and temporary registration (temporary parking monitoring / temporary cancellation area) is performed by pressing either the first button 37 or the second button 38. In this way, various settings and specifications can be made simply by pressing the desired button within a predetermined time after stopping the engine. The last button pressed becomes effective, and no button operation for confirmation is required. Therefore, the user can simply exit the vehicle after pressing the desired button. Furthermore, even if the first button 37 and the second button 38 are located close to each other, and there is a risk of unintended operation, such as pressing the wrong button or pressing both buttons simultaneously instead of pressing one button, in this embodiment, button operation restarts the waiting time for content confirmation. Therefore, if the user learns of the error from the LED light color or sound, they can simply press the correct button again within the predetermined time, eliminating the need for a separate cancellation operation.

[0095] The temporary parking monitoring mode is useful when parking in a cancellation area and the parking situation is expected to be unusual, such as when children are playing nearby and may cause trouble, or when the vehicle is likely to be parked for a relatively long time. Registering a temporary cancellation area may be useful, for example, if a cancellation area is not normally set, but if there is a lot of pedestrian traffic, parking recording may be frequently performed due to the detection of nearby people. In such a case, exiting the vehicle without doing so would result in a lot of unnecessary recording, so registering a temporary cancellation area can reduce memory consumption and battery capacity loss. Furthermore, it is useful to disable parking recording for this particular time based on the status of the vehicle's battery and internal battery. Because these events are temporary events associated with this parking situation, the next time the driver or other user exits the vehicle without operating any buttons, processing based on the normally registered cancellation area can be performed.

[0096] In addition, drivers have the problem of not wanting to have to go through the hassle of switching settings when parking the vehicle and getting out, and the problem of wanting to be sure that parking will not be recorded without having to go through the hassle of operations even if the vehicle is temporarily parked in a place where parking should not normally be recorded. This embodiment is advantageous in that it can solve such problems.

[0097] FIG. 7 shows the processing flow executed in response to the ACC OFF, which turns off the engine, as described above. This flowchart is for the case where "ACC OFF linked" is set, which automatically switches to parking monitoring when the ACC is turned off. The flowchart shown in FIG. 7 is performed by the first control unit 31 and the second control unit 32 working together. The first control unit 31 and the second control unit 32 may be collectively referred to simply as the "control unit."

[0098] When ACC is turned OFF, the control unit determines whether the current position is within the cancellation area and checks the ACC status (S1). The ACC status is checked by the first control unit 31, and if it becomes ACCON, it turns on the power of the drive recorder 2. Furthermore, control during parking after ACC is turned OFF is mainly handled by the first control unit 31, and the actual determination of whether the current position is within the cancellation area is made by the second control unit 32, which accesses the position information storage unit 35 and updates the last measured position.

[0099] Therefore, in the determination process of S1, for example, the first control unit 31 inquires of the second control unit 32 as to whether the current position is within the cancellation area, and the second control unit 32 notifies the first control unit 31 of the determination result. Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the first control unit 31 checks the state of the ACC, and if it determines that the ACC is OFF, it notifies the second control unit 32 that the ACC is OFF. Then, upon receiving the "ACC OFF" notification, the second control unit 32 accesses the position information storage unit 35, acquires the stored last measured position, and determines whether the acquired last measured position is within the cancellation area. Whether the current position is within the cancellation area may be determined, for example, by calculating the distance between the last measured position and the center point (parking position information) of all stored cancellation areas, and determining whether any of the cancellation areas is within a radius r that identifies the cancellation area. All parking position information that identifies the cancellation area stored in the position information storage unit 35 can be read and stored in advance by the second control unit 32, for example, at the time of ACCON when the engine is started, and the stored information can be compared with the final positioning position, which is advantageous in that it allows for faster determination processing.

[0100] If the current parking position is not a cancellation area, i.e., if it is a monitoring area, the process proceeds to processing step S2, where the control unit causes the LED 36 to flash in red and outputs a "beep beep" sound three times repeatedly from the sound output unit 33. This notification using the LED 36 and / or the sound output unit 33 may be performed by the second control unit 32 that made the area determination, or may be performed by the first control unit 31 that received the determination result from the second control unit 32.

[0101] Next, the control unit notifies the current situation (not in the cancel area) and then waits for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) to pass. During this wait, the first control unit 31 checks the switch operation of the first button unit 37 and the second button unit 38 and the state of the ACC (S3). If the ACC is turned ON during this wait, the power of the drive recorder 2 is started. When the predetermined time has passed and a timeout has occurred, the control unit turns off the LED 36 (S15) and switches to the parking monitoring mode (see FIG. 8(a)).

[0102] If the second button unit 38 (SW2) is pressed alone during standby in S3, the control unit switches to a temporary cancel area, blinks the LED in a predetermined color, and continuously outputs a "beep beep, beep beep..." sound from the sound output unit 33 (S5). This process may be performed by, for example, the first control unit 31, or if the second control unit controls the LED 36 and the sound output unit 33, the first control unit 31 notifies the second control unit 32 that the first button unit 37 has been pressed, and the second control unit 32, upon receiving the notification, performs a predetermined process. Because it is a temporary cancel area, no registration is made in the position information storage unit 35.

[0103] After this, the process proceeds to step S6, where the first control unit 31 waits for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) to elapse. During this wait, the first control unit 31 checks the switch operation and the ACC status (S6). If ACCON is pressed, the drive recorder 2 is started. If the first button unit 37 (SW1) is pressed alone, the control unit proceeds to step S7, where it sets the area to be monitored, blinks the LED in a predetermined color, and outputs three beeps from the sound output unit 33 (S7). The process then returns to step S3, where the above-described process is performed. If no process is performed during the S6 wait and a timeout occurs, the control unit turns off the LED 36 (S8) and switches to the parking monitoring prohibition mode. When the process switches to the parking monitoring prohibition mode, both the first control unit 31 and the second control unit 32 are turned off, and the power supply to the drive recorder 2 is stopped.

[0104] On the other hand, if the first button unit 37 and the second button unit 38 are pressed simultaneously (SW1+SW2) during standby in S3, the first control unit 31 notifies the second control unit that both buttons have been pressed (see FIG. 9). Then, upon receiving this notification, the second control unit 32 registers the current position, i.e., the last measured position, as parking position information for the cancellation area in the position information storage unit 35. Then, the control unit causes the LED to flash in a predetermined color and outputs a continuous "beep beep, beep beep..." sound from the sound output unit 33 (S4). By executing this processing step S4, the current position is registered in the cancellation area, and the parking position is now within the cancellation area. Therefore, the process proceeds to processing step S10, where the process shifts to the processing system for the cancellation area.

[0105] Furthermore, if it is determined in S1 that the current location is within the cancellation area, the control unit causes the LED to flash in a predetermined color and outputs a continuous "beep beep, beep beep..." sound from the sound output unit 33 (S9). Next, after reporting the current situation (being within the cancellation area) in S9, the control unit waits for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) to elapse. During this wait, the first control unit 31 checks the switch operation of the first button unit 37 and the second button unit 38 and the status of the ACC (S10). If the ACC is turned ON during this wait, the power to the drive recorder 2 is started. If a timeout occurs after the predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit turns off the LED 36 (S8) and switches to the parking monitoring prohibition mode (see FIG. 8(b)).

[0106] If the first button unit 37 (SW1) is pressed alone during standby in S10, the area is designated as a temporary monitoring area, the LED is made to flash in red, and a "beep beep beep" sound is output from the sound output unit 33 (S12). This process may be performed by, for example, the first control unit 31, or if the second control unit 32 controls the LED 36 and the sound output unit 33, the first control unit 31 notifies the second control unit 32 that the first button unit 37 has been pressed, and the second control unit 32, upon receiving the notification, performs a predetermined process. Because the temporary monitoring area is the temporary cancellation of the cancellation area, the cancellation process of the cancellation area corresponding to the current position registered in the position information storage unit 35, i.e., the deletion of the corresponding parking position information, is not performed.

[0107] After this, the process proceeds to step S13, where the first control unit 31 waits for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) to elapse. During this wait, the first control unit 31 checks the switch operation and the state of ACC (S13). If ACCON is pressed, the drive recorder 2 is started. If the second button unit 38 (SW2) is pressed alone, the process proceeds to step S25, where the monitoring cancel area is set, the LED is made to flash red, and a "beep beep" sound is output from the sound output unit 33 three times (S14). Thereafter, the process returns to step S10, and the above-mentioned process is performed. If no process is performed during the wait time of S13 and a timeout occurs, the LED 36 is turned off (S15), and the process transitions to parking monitoring mode.

[0108] On the other hand, if the first button unit 37 and the second button unit 38 are pressed simultaneously (SW1+SW2) during standby in S10, the first control unit 31 notifies the second control unit 32 that both buttons have been pressed (see FIG. 10). Then, upon receiving this notification, the second control unit 32 deletes the parking position information of the cancellation area corresponding to the current position from the position information storage unit 35 and cancels the cancellation area. Then, the control unit causes the LED 36 to flash red and outputs a "beep beep" sound three times from the sound output unit 33 (S11). Execution of processing step S11 cancels the cancellation area including the current position, and the parking position is now outside the cancellation area. Therefore, the process proceeds to processing step S3, where the process shifts to the processing system for the area outside the cancellation area, i.e., the monitoring area.

[0109] FIG. 11 shows an example of a processing flow executed in response to the engine-off and ACC-off states described above. This flowchart is for the case where "Manual," which transitions based on manual operation, is set. When Manual is set, parking monitoring is performed if the first button 37 is pushed within a predetermined time period after ACC-OFF, and is not performed if there is no push operation. In this way, parking monitoring in the manual mode of this embodiment is performed when there is some kind of action from the user, and is not performed if the user exits the vehicle without performing any operation.

[0110] When ACC is turned OFF, the control unit causes the LED 36 to flash in a predetermined color and outputs a continuous "beep, beep..." sound from the sound output unit 33 (S21). Next, the control unit notifies the current status (manual) and then waits for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) to pass. During this wait, the first control unit 31 checks the switch operation of the first button unit 37 (SW1) and the state of ACC (S22). If ACC is turned ON during this wait, the power to the drive recorder 2 is started. If the predetermined time has passed and a timeout has occurred, the LED 36 is turned off (S26) and the mode switches to parking monitoring prohibition mode. This turns off the first control unit 31 and the second control unit 32, and cuts off the power supply to the drive recorder.

[0111] Furthermore, if the first button unit 37 (SW1) is pressed alone during the standby state in S22, the control unit causes the LED 36 to flash in red and outputs three beeps from the sound output unit 33 (S23). If the first button unit 37 is pressed while the manual mode is set, parking monitoring is performed. Then, the first control unit 31 waits for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) to elapse. During this standby state, the first control unit 31 checks the switch operation and the ACC status (S24). If no processing is performed during the standby state and a timeout occurs, the parking monitoring mode specified by pressing the first button unit 37 is confirmed. Then, the LED 36 is turned off (S25), and the system transitions to parking monitoring mode.

[0112] On the other hand, if the second button section 38 (SW2) is pressed alone during standby in S24, this is an instruction to cancel the push operation of the first button section 37, and the process returns to S21 and executes the above-mentioned processes. If ACCON is performed during standby, the drive recorder 2 is started.

[0113] In each of the above-described embodiments, after transitioning to parking monitoring mode, the first control unit 31 is always ON, controls predetermined input and output devices, and controls the ON / OFF of the second control unit 32. When the second control unit 32 is turned ON, shooting begins and video is also recorded. The first control unit 31 determines whether to record. For example, when parking monitoring is performed outside the cancellation area and continuous recording is to be performed, the first control unit 31 keeps the second control unit 32 ON. On the other hand, for event recording, the second control unit 32 is temporarily turned OFF and then turned ON when the event occurs. Note that if the vehicle is within the cancellation area, the second control unit 32 is turned OFF. When the second control unit 32 is turned ON, it is preferable that the second control unit 32 performs normal continuous recording or records video at a slower frame rate.

[0114] [Second embodiment] FIG. 12 shows an example of a second embodiment of the system. The second embodiment also relates to monitoring and recording while the vehicle is parked. In this system, a drive recorder 51 is connected to a vehicle and other devices via a junction unit 52. The junction unit 52 corresponds to a connection control device. The other devices include, for example, a GPS antenna unit 53, a radar detector 54, and a DMS (Driver Monitoring System) unit 55. The junction unit 52 has a main body case of a predetermined shape, such as a rectangle, and connectors for connecting to the above-mentioned devices are provided on the side of the main body case. The connectors include, for example, a first connector 61a for connecting the drive recorder 51, a second connector 61b for connecting the GPS antenna unit 53, a third connector 61c for connecting the radar detector 54, and a fourth connector 61d for connecting the DMS unit 55. Furthermore, the junction unit 52 has a fifth connector 61e for connecting an OBD adapter cable 56 and a sixth connector 61f for supplying power. The sixth connector 61f selectively accepts a connection cable 58 for connecting to the power supply device 57 or a power cable 59 for connecting to the vehicle battery. The connection cable 58 is a four-core cable, while the power cable 59 is a three-core power cord. The radar detector 54 includes a control unit having a CPU and memory, an interface for connecting to the junction unit 52, various sensors, and the like. Each component of the radar detector 54 is controlled by the control unit. The radar detector 54 has an alarm function for detecting a predetermined radar and issuing an alarm. The radar detector 54 may also have a function for detecting a predetermined laser beam and issuing an alarm. As described below, the radar detector 54 also functions as an information display terminal that displays a screen related to the parking monitoring function. The radar detector 54 includes a touch panel with a touch sensor superimposed on the display as a means for accepting operations on the screen. The radar detector 54 turns off the screen during recording using the parking monitoring function. The radar detector 54 corresponds to the second device.

[0115] The power supply device 57 may be the same as the power supply device 3 in the above-described embodiment, for example. This power supply device 57 has a rechargeable internal battery, is connected to the vehicle battery using a cable (not shown), receives power supply from the vehicle battery during ACCON and charges the internal battery, and during ACCOFF, discharges the internal battery to supply power to the junction unit 52 and to each device connected to the junction unit 52. Furthermore, during ACCON, the power supply device 57 charges the internal battery and also supplies power to the junction unit 52.

[0116] The junction unit 52 includes a power supply IC 62, a communication control unit 63, and a power supply control unit 64 in a main body case. The power supply IC 62 has a function of supplying power to each device connected to the junction unit 52 based on power supplied from a power supply. The power supply IC 62 has an input unit connected to a terminal such as a power line of the sixth connector 61f, and an output unit connected to terminals such as power lines of the first connector 61a to the fourth connector 61d and a power supply voltage terminal unit of the communication control unit 63 and the power supply control unit 64, and supplies a predetermined voltage value (e.g., 5V) of an input voltage supplied from the outside via the sixth connector 61f to each device. The power supply control unit 64 has a power control function of controlling ON / OFF of power supplied to each device connected to the junction unit 52. The communication control unit 63 has a communication control function. Some or all of the functions of the power supply IC 62, the communication control unit 63, and the power supply control unit 64 may be realized by executing a program. When realized by executing a program, in the junction unit 52, an arithmetic processing device (computer) such as a CPU reads the program and necessary data into a memory such as a RAM, and performs various arithmetic operations according to the program, thereby realizing each function of the junction unit 52.

[0117] The devices connected to the junction unit 52 transmit and receive information and data to and from each other via a communication control unit 63. For example, the drive recorder 51 acquires current location information from the GPS antenna unit 53. In addition, for example, the drive recorder 51 may communicate with a radar detector 54 and use a touch panel display unit 65 of the radar detector 54.

[0118] The drive recorder 51 includes a front camera unit 66 that is attached to, for example, the windshield of the vehicle and captures images of, for example, the front of the vehicle, a rear camera unit 67 that is attached to, for example, the rear of the vehicle and captures images of, for example, the rear of the vehicle, a connection cable 68 that connects the front camera unit 66 and the rear camera unit 67, and a power cable 69 that connects the front camera unit 66 and the junction unit 52.

[0119] The drive recorder 51 receives power from a predetermined power source via a junction unit 52 and a power cable 69 to the front camera unit 66, and the rear camera unit 67 receives power via a connection cable 68 to the front camera unit 66. The drive recorder 51 starts up when the ACC is turned on and records the images captured by the front camera unit 66 and the rear camera unit 67 according to the set operating conditions. The set operating conditions may be, for example, a continuous recording mode in which the drive recorder continuously records when the AC CON is on, an event recording mode in which the drive recorder does not record normally but records only when a specified event occurs, or a combination of these. Even if the drive recorder is set to a continuous recording mode, the drive recorder may be manually stopped while the vehicle is moving. Therefore, when the engine is stopped and the ACC is switched from ON to OFF, the drive recorder may be in a recording state or a non-recording state.

[0120] 1, and has various functions related to parking monitoring, such as recording the last positioning information in a position information storage unit, registering a cancellation area, not performing parking monitoring when the parking position is in a cancellation area, temporarily performing parking monitoring even if the parking position is in a cancellation area, and temporarily not performing parking recording even if the parking position is outside the cancellation area. The drive recorder 51 corresponds to the first device.

[0121] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a parking recording start flow that starts when ACC, one of the functions of the drive recorder of this embodiment, is switched from ON to OFF. The control unit implemented in the drive recorder 51, for example, the front camera unit 66, checks whether recording is in progress when ACC is switched OFF (S31). If recording is not in progress (No in S31), the control unit does not transition to parking monitoring mode and turns off the power to the drive recorder 51 and the radar detector 54 (S32). The power-off process for the radar detector 54 may be performed, for example, by the control unit sending a power-off instruction to the radar detector 54, and the control unit of the radar detector 54 receiving the instruction performing a shutdown process to turn off the power. As described above, in this embodiment, parking monitoring is not performed if continuous recording is not in progress when the engine is turned off (ACC OFF).

[0122] On the other hand, if continuous recording was being performed when the engine was turned off (ACC OFF) (Yes in S31), the control unit checks whether the parking monitoring mode is set (S33). If the current setting is "no parking monitoring recording" (No in S33), the control unit does not switch to the parking monitoring mode and turns off the power of the drive recorder 51 and the radar detector 54 (S34).

[0123] Furthermore, if the setting is "parking surveillance recording" (Yes in S33), the control unit accesses the position information storage unit 35 of the front camera unit 66 and checks whether the last position measurement position is available (S35).

[0124] If the location information storage unit does not have the last measured position (NO in S35), parking monitoring is started (S36). A state in which the last measured position is not recorded occurs, for example, when the GPS has never measured the position since the system was started. For example, this occurs when a drive recorder is installed and turned on for the first time in a vehicle parked in a location where GPS cannot measure the position, such as an underground parking lot, and the ACC is turned off without measuring the position. In such a case, since it is unclear whether the vehicle is in a cancellation area, parking monitoring is performed. When parking monitoring begins, the power of the radar detector 54 is turned off, and the power of the drive recorder 51 continues to be turned on (S37).

[0125] If the last positioning position is available (Yes in S35), the control unit determines whether the current position (last positioning position) is within the cancellation area (S38). This determination is the same as in the embodiment described above. If the GPS has never been able to perform positioning since the drive recorder was started and the last positioning position is not recorded in the position information storage unit of the drive recorder 51 or the front camera unit 66, the last positioning position stored in the non-volatile memory of the radar detector 54, if any, may be used. This advantageously allows determination of whether the current position is within the cancellation area based on the last positioning position stored in the radar detector 54, even if the last positioning position is not recorded in the drive recorder 51. When using the last positioning position stored in the radar detector 54, if the control unit of the front camera unit 66 accesses its own position information storage unit and the last positioning position is not recorded, the control unit may inquire about the last positioning position information from the radar detector 54 via the communication control unit 63 of the junction unit 52, and obtain the last positioning position information from the radar detector 54.

[0126] If the final positioning position is not in the cancellation area but outside the cancellation area (NO in S38), the control unit sets a timer to 10 seconds and starts it, and displays the "parking monitoring screen" on the display unit 65 of the radar detector 54, and waits for the parking monitoring mode (S39).

[0127] As shown in Figures 14(a) and 15(a), this parking monitoring screen displays a "Parking Monitoring" title item 71a on the left edge of the upper area and a camera mark 71b on the right edge. This allows the user to easily understand from the text and image that the parking monitoring mode is currently selected. Figure 15(a) shows an example of the screen actually displayed on the display unit 65.

[0128] Additionally, a battery voltage display section 71c is located in the center of the upper area of ​​the parking monitoring screen. This battery voltage display section 71c displays the battery voltage, which is the voltage value of the vehicle's battery. When the power cable 59 is connected to the sixth connector 61f and power is supplied directly from the vehicle's battery to the junction unit 52, the battery voltage is acquired and displayed. When the power supply device 57 is connected, the battery voltage is not displayed. When the battery voltage is not displayed, a message saying "Inside Cancel Area" is displayed instead of the voltage value, thereby efficiently utilizing the screen area of ​​the display. Whether the power supply device 57 or the vehicle's battery is connected can be determined, for example, based on whether communication is possible, since the power supply device 57 has a communication function. However, this determination can be easily made based on the voltage value of the input voltage supplied from an external source to the sixth connector 61f.

[0129] The power supply control unit 64 has a wiring directly connected to the sixth connector 61f, separate from the power line through which the power supply IC 62 supplies power. The power supply control unit 64 has a function for detecting the voltage value of the input voltage supplied from an external source via the sixth connector 61f through the wiring. Therefore, for example, when a vehicle battery is directly connected to the sixth connector 61f, the power supply control unit 64 detects the vehicle battery voltage using the function for detecting the voltage value of the input voltage. The battery voltage display unit 71c may display the voltage value obtained by the detection function. On the other hand, for example, when a power supply device 57 is connected to the sixth connector 61f, the function for detecting the voltage value detects the input voltage from the power supply device 57, i.e., the voltage value of the power supply device 57's internal battery, and therefore cannot directly detect the vehicle battery voltage. Therefore, displaying the detected voltage value is meaningless because it is not the vehicle battery voltage. Therefore, when the power supply device 57 is connected, the battery voltage display unit 71c is hidden.

[0130] When connected to the vehicle battery, the battery voltage value is displayed, so the user can check the battery's charge state, etc., and decide whether it is okay to perform parking monitoring while parking, and can set the appropriate setting for whether or not to perform parking monitoring. The battery voltage display unit 71c serves as an indicator for the user to stop parking monitoring when the vehicle's battery is running low, and is an indicator for the user to make a decision.

[0131] Furthermore, the drive recorder 51 and the front camera unit 66 should preferably have a function that will prevent them from starting up if the battery voltage drops below a threshold during parking monitoring, and the threshold value at which they will not start up should preferably be changeable by setting. Since the battery voltage of some vehicles is constantly low / high, and it is not possible to determine a uniform threshold value, the threshold value must be set appropriately, and the threshold value can be set appropriately by checking the battery voltage displayed on the battery voltage display unit 71c on a regular basis.

[0132] In addition, by changing the display mode depending on the power source connected to the sixth connector 61f, it is possible to tell whether the sixth connector 61f is connected to the vehicle battery or the power supply device 57 by looking at the display mode of the battery voltage display area 71c.

[0133] Furthermore, a remaining time indicator 71d is placed at the top in the upper area of ​​the parking monitoring screen. This remaining time indicator 71d displays the remaining time on a timer that is set to 10 seconds and started, with the bar shortening as time passes and reaching the right end when 10 seconds have elapsed. By looking at this remaining time indicator 71d, a user such as the driver can know the remaining time until the mode is confirmed.

[0134] Furthermore, on the parking monitoring screen, the large area below the remaining time indicator 71d is divided into two halves, left and right, with the first area, the cancel area setting button area 71e, located on the left, and the second area, the temporary cancel button area 71f, located on the right. Each button area displays an image and large text representing the content, allowing the content assigned to each button area to be intuitively understood. By providing each button area in many areas of the display unit 65, the occurrence of accidental touches such as pressing the wrong button or accidentally pressing multiple buttons at the same time is reduced.

[0135] As described above, the control unit displays the parking monitoring screen, changes the display of the bar of the remaining time indicator 71d as time passes, and starts parking monitoring when 10 seconds have passed and the timeout has expired (S40). Then, with the start of parking monitoring, the power supply of the radar detector 54 is turned OFF, and the power supply of the drive recorder 51 continues to be ON (S41).

[0136] If the temporary cancel button area 71f on the right side is touched while the "Parking Monitoring Screen" is displayed, the control unit temporarily cancels parking monitoring for this time only, does not transition to parking monitoring mode, and turns off the power of the drive recorder 51 and radar detector 54 (S42). At this time, since a cancellation area is not registered based on the current location, the next time the vehicle is parked in the same place, for example, the control unit displays the parking monitoring screen and waits in parking monitoring mode. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the timer was restarted when a button was operated, but in this embodiment, the decision is made immediately without waiting 10 seconds. This is because both button sections are displayed large and next to each other on the display unit, so there is no chance of pressing the wrong button, and the state is immediately changed, allowing the driver to exit the vehicle immediately.

[0137] Furthermore, if the parking monitoring screen is displayed in S39 and the cancel area setting button area 71e is touched during the waiting time until the time-out, the radar detector 54 notifies the drive recorder of this, and the control unit of the front camera unit 66 sets and registers the current position as the cancel area in accordance with the notification. Thereafter, the control unit displays a "power off screen" on the display unit 65 of the radar detector 54 and restarts the 10-second waiting time (S43).

[0138] As shown in Figures 14(b) and 15(b), the power-off screen displays a "Power Off" title item 72a at the left end of the upper area and a power button-like mark 72b at the right end. The power-off screen also has a layout in which the words "In Cancel Area" 72c are displayed in the center of the upper area. This allows the user to easily understand from the text and image that they are currently in the cancel area. Figure 15(b) shows an example of a screen displayed on the actual display unit 65. Furthermore, a remaining time indicator 72d is located at the top of the upper area of ​​the power-off screen. This remaining time indicator 72d displays the remaining time on a timer that is set to 10 seconds and has started. The bar shortens as time passes, reaching the right end after 10 seconds have elapsed. A user, such as a driver, can know the remaining time until the mode is confirmed by looking at the remaining time indicator 72d.

[0139] Furthermore, on the power-off screen, the large area below the remaining time indicator 72d is divided into two halves, left and right, with the first area, the cancel area release button area 72e, located on the left, and the second area, the temporary parking monitoring button section 72f, located on the right. Each button area displays an image and large text representing the content, allowing the content assigned to each button area to be intuitively understood. By providing each button area in many areas of the display unit 65, the occurrence of accidental touches such as pressing the wrong button or accidentally pressing multiple buttons at the same time is reduced.

[0140] As described above, the control unit displays the power-off screen, changes the bar display of the remaining time indicator 72d as time passes, and when 10 seconds have passed and a timeout occurs, parking monitoring is not performed because the vehicle is within the cancellation area. Then, with this parking monitoring being stopped, the power to the radar detector 54 and the drive recorder 51 is turned off (S44).

[0141] If the temporary parking monitoring button section 72f on the right side is pressed while the "power off screen" is displayed, the system switches to a mode in which parking monitoring is performed this time only, and parking monitoring starts (S45). Then, with the start of parking monitoring, the power to the radar detector 54 is turned off, and the power to the drive recorder 51 continues to be turned on (S46). In this example, too, the decision is made immediately without waiting 10 seconds. Since there is no chance of pressing the wrong button, the state is changed immediately, allowing the driver to exit the vehicle immediately.

[0142] On the other hand, pressing the cancel area release button area 72e on the left side of the "power off screen" releases the cancel area corresponding to the current position, displays the "parking monitoring screen," and restarts the 10-second waiting time.

[0143] If the current position is in the cancel area, the answer is Yes in S38, and the "power off screen" is displayed (S43). Thereafter, the same processing as above is carried out.

[0144] As described above, in this embodiment as well, the "Set Cancel Area" and "Cancel Cancel Area" settings are updated by pressing a button, and the screen transitions alternately (10-second restart).

[0145] As described above, in this embodiment, the "parking monitoring screen" is equipped with a function for displaying the battery voltage. This allows the user to check the battery voltage and temporarily cancel monitoring if the battery is about to run out, or to make a comprehensive decision by weighing the battery voltage against the parking situation and adopting an appropriate usage mode. On the other hand, the battery voltage is not displayed on the power-off screen. Since parking monitoring is not performed in the cancel area, there is little need to notify the battery voltage. By notifying the user that the parking position is registered as a cancel area and parking monitoring will not be performed as is, the user is made aware that the parking position is registered as a cancel area and parking monitoring will not be performed as is, and this provides an opportunity to cancel the cancel area or perform temporary parking monitoring as necessary.

[0146] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 12, 14 to 16, etc., an operation screen is displayed on the display unit 65 of the radar detector 54, making it easy to set cancellation / temporary cancellation and register / delete the cancellation area. In the case of a standalone device with a button unit on the main body case of the drive recorder, such as the drive recorder 2 shown in Figures 1 to 4, the display unit is not provided, or if provided, it is small, making it difficult to use as an input unit for touching the screen. In contrast, in this embodiment, a device separate from the drive recorder is used, so if a device with a large display unit is used or if a device is used that is installed in a position close to the driver, such as on the dashboard, the displayed content is easy to see, and a large area can be secured for the button unit, making it easy to operate.

[0147] Basically, you just get off the train. In other words, for example, you look at the radar detector screen to check if it is what you want, and if it is OK, you get off the train and it will activate after, say, 10 seconds. Also, if you want to give specific instructions, you can do so with just one touch on the screen. You can also register / delete a cancellation area with just one touch. You can see the current status (cancellation area set / not set), so you can see if the current setting status is correct or not, and then you can operate it correctly (get off the train without operating it). Normally, you do this by activating the mode setting screen, but it can also be done easily with just one touch.

[0148] [Power supply control unit functions] The power control unit 64 controls the ON / OFF of the power supply to connected devices and the junction unit 52. Figure 17 shows the power control state transition for the radar detector (RD). The power supply device 57 is referred to as "OP power supply" and the radar detector is referred to as RD. T1 is a power OFF guard timer, which is a guard value when the power supply device 57 does not shut down. It may be set to about 15 seconds, for example. T2 is a timer waiting for the radar detector to shut down, which may be set to about 10 seconds, for example.

[0149] The power supply control unit 64 turns on the radar detector with ACCON. Then, after ACCOFF, it checks the power status of the power supply device, and if the OP power is ON, it waits until the OP power is OFF. If the OP power is OFF, it waits for permission to turn off the RD power, and once permission is granted, it transitions to the power OFF state. Permission to turn off the RD power is determined by the power status of the drive recorder (DVR). It waits for the waiting time (extendable by 10 seconds) for operations to cancel / temporarily cancel parking monitoring or set / cancel a cancel area, and turns it OFF once that is complete. In order to display each screen on the display unit 65 of the radar detector 54, power continues to be supplied to the radar detector 54 to prevent it from being dropped.

[0150] Figure 18 shows the power control state transition for the drive recorder (DVR). In the figure, T1 is the parking recording determination inquiry response reception timer, which may be set to approximately 500 ms, for example. T2 is the parking recording determination result waiting timer, which is the time during which the RD is inquired about whether or not to monitor parking. It may be set to approximately 15 seconds, for example. T3 is the parking recording timer, which is a setting value stored in the DATA FLASH in the junction unit 52. This setting value may be changeable, for example, in the setting menu of the radar detector.

[0151] This power supply control state diagram is the control for the drive recorder that executes the flowchart shown in Fig. 13. If the ACC is turned off and parking monitoring is turned off, the power is immediately turned off, but if a determination is being made, the power remains on.

[0152] In the diagram, in the "Parking recording cancellation judgment" block, the parking monitoring screen / power OFF screen is displayed on the radar detector display and the system is in a state of waiting for instructions from the radar detector. If the instruction and response from the radar detector is not to record parking, the system will turn the power OFF at an appropriate time.

[0153] To give a specific example, the DVR power is turned on when the ACC is ON, and when the ACC is OFF and the parking recording setting is OFF, the DVR power is turned off. On the other hand, when the ACC is OFF and the parking recording setting is ON, the radar detector is queried as to whether or not to cancel parking recording. Depending on the result of the parking recording inquiry from the radar detector, if parking recording is to be performed, the drive recorder (DVR) is instructed to perform parking recording, and if parking recording is not to be performed, the DVR power is turned OFF.

[0154] In the "Parking Recording Determination Transmission" block, if communication is not possible, T1 is set and a retry is made, and if communication is still not possible and the time is up, the power remains ON to start recording. Also, in the "Parking Recording Determination Result Wait" block, each time the Cancel Area Setting button area 71e or Cancel Area Cancel button area 72e on the left side of the screen of the display unit 65 is touched, a 10-second extension command is sent from the radar detector (Timer Extend), and T2 (parking recording determination result waiting timer) is set and restarted.

[0155] Furthermore, when parking recording is performed, as shown in the "Parking Recording" block, the DVR power is turned off when the parking recording time ends or the voltage drops. If the device has a function to change the frame rate during parking recording, it may be possible to select, for example, 1 fps or a normal setting (e.g., 30 fps). Setting parking recording slower than the normal setting, such as 1 fps, reduces battery power consumption and enables longer recording times. If such a function is provided, parking recording start and stop signals should be sent to the DVR only when the setting is 1 fps. During parking recording, the device periodically requests status notification from the DVR (e.g., every 3 seconds). If an abnormality (such as recording stop or no SD card) is detected, the power is turned off. Furthermore, power is supplied continuously during recording, but the power is turned off after a set time (T3: maximum 9 hours) has elapsed.

[0156] In this embodiment, such power supply control is necessary because the radar detector 54 and the junction unit 52 are separate units, and the junction unit 52 determines and controls the power supply state while communicating with the radar detector.

[0157] 19 shows the power control state transition for the junction unit (JCT) 52. In the figure, the control for itself is to turn itself off when the power of all connected devices is turned off.

[0158] For example, when ACC is turned ON, the power supply is turned ON and the power supply becomes self-holding. This power supply self-holding is achieved by, for example, connecting ACC to one of two input ORs and inputting its own output to the other input. Therefore, when the JCT turns ON when ACC is turned ON, it will remain ON even after ACC is turned OFF. While ACC is OFF, once it has been confirmed that all other power supplies are OFF, the JCT power supply is turned OFF and the power supply self-holding is removed. Furthermore, if the ACC is turned ON again while the power supply voltage is dropping after the self-holding function has been removed, the JCT's MPU will be restarted.

[0159] 20 and 21 show examples of setting screens for system configuration. These setting screens are displayed on the display unit 65 of the radar detector 54 while the junction unit 52 and the radar detector 54 communicate with each other. Based on the touched position on the screen, the junction unit 52 performs operations such as switching screens and updating the settings for the corresponding device. FIG. 20(a) shows an example of an "external device setting menu screen" that transitions from the top setting screen (not shown) to a touch on the screen. This menu screen has a title display section 80a at the top, a number of setting item display areas 80b arranged vertically using much of the area below the title display section 80a, cursor buttons 80c at the top and bottom of the right edge, a page display section 80d in the center of the right edge, and a back button 80e and a top button 80f at the bottom of the left edge. The title display section 80a displays "External Device Setting," indicating that this is the external device setting screen.

[0160] When the back button 80e is touched, the control unit of the junction unit performs a process to return the screen display to the screen immediately above. When the top button 80f is touched, the control unit switches to displaying a top screen, for example, a standby screen.

[0161] The setting item display area 80b is formed horizontally, and the titles of the setting items are displayed on the left side thereof. Also, as shown in Figures 20(c) to 20(e), the current setting contents are displayed on the right side of the setting item display area 80b.

[0162] The page display section 80d indicates how many pages the screen consists of. In this embodiment, the setting item display area 80b displays four items per page. If there are five or more items on the setting screen, they are divided into multiple pages and displayed. The page display section 80d displays the total number of pages and the page number of the currently displayed screen. For example, in the example of FIG. 20(a), the external device to be set has four items, so it consists of one page, and the page display section 80d displays "1 / 1." Also, in the example of FIG. 20(c), the drive recorder setting screen has a total of three pages, and since this is the first page, the page display section 80d displays "1 / 3." The cursor button 80c is a button for switching between each screen when the setting screen consists of multiple screens as described above. For example, FIG. 20(c) shows the first page, so touching the down cursor button 80c displays the second page as shown in FIG. 20(d).

[0163] To set up parking monitoring in the drive recorder, touch the top setting item display area 80b (DR) on the menu screen shown in FIG. 20(a). When the control unit detects this touch, it switches to displaying the drive recorder setting screen shown in FIG. 20(c). If recording is currently in progress, it stops recording to allow for setting. At this time, before switching the screen from FIG. 20(a) to FIG. 20(c), it displays a notification screen to notify the user that recording has stopped, as shown in FIG. 20(b). Then, when recording stops, it acquires the current setting values ​​from the drive recorder 51 and displays the first page of the drive recorder setting screen (see FIG. 20(c)).

[0164] This drive recorder setting screen displays "DR Settings" in the title display area 80a to indicate that it is a drive recorder function setting. Furthermore, in each setting item display area 80b, the title of the setting item is displayed on the left edge, and the acquired current setting content is displayed on the right edge. Touching the cursor button 80c transitions between Figures 20(c), (d), and (e). Then, when it detects that the fourth setting item display area 80b, "Parking Monitoring," has been touched on the second page setting screen shown in Figure 20(d), the control unit of the junction unit 52 displays the parking monitoring setting screen shown in Figure 20(f).

[0165] The default setting for "Parking Surveillance Recording" in the top setting item display area 80b may be set to OFF, for example. Some users who purchase this type of system will use it with the default setting. If the default setting is set to ON and parking monitoring is enabled, the vehicle battery and the internal battery of the power supply unit may be unexpectedly consumed. Furthermore, if the user is unaware that parking monitoring is enabled, memory capacity may be wasted. Therefore, a user who wants to enable parking monitoring by setting the default setting to OFF can change the setting at their own will and operation, thereby enabling subsequent parking monitoring to be performed in an appropriate state, and battery management and the use of parking-recorded video may also be performed appropriately. Figure 20(f) shows an example in which parking surveillance recording is selected through settings ("ON" is displayed at the right end of the setting item display area 80b).

[0166] When parking surveillance recording is OFF, the bottom three items cannot be selected, and pressing them will not switch the screen. Furthermore, to change the parking surveillance time, one of the setting items on the parking surveillance setting screen (FIG. 20(f) shows an example where 9 hours is set), the user touches the second setting item display area 80b from the top. When this touch is detected, the control unit displays the first page of the parking surveillance time setting screen shown in FIG. 20(g). In response to a touch of the cursor button 80c, the control unit switches the screen between FIG. 20(g) and FIG. 20(h) and sets the parking surveillance time to the time assigned to the touched selection item display area. When the set parking surveillance time has elapsed, parking recording stops and the power is turned off.

[0167] Furthermore, to change the parking monitoring end voltage, one of the setting items on the parking monitoring setting screen (FIG. 20(f) shows an example where 12.2 V is set), the user touches the third setting item display area 80b from the top. When this touch is detected, the control unit displays the first page of the parking monitoring end voltage setting screen shown in FIG. 20(i). In response to a touch of the cursor button 80c, the control unit switches the screen between FIG. 20(i) and FIG. 20(j) and sets the parking monitoring end voltage to the voltage assigned to the touched selection item display area. When the external battery voltage, for example, the input voltage to the junction unit 52, falls below the set parking monitoring end voltage, the junction unit 52 stops parking recording and performs a power-off process. To prevent the vehicle battery from running out, it is recommended to assign a high value to the voltage of the selection item so that the end voltage can be set high.

[0168] The "Parking monitoring end voltage" item is disabled only when a specified power supply device is connected to the sixth connector 61f of the junction unit 52. This is because the specified power supply device is designed to end parking monitoring when the set time has elapsed or the battery runs out, and is not designed to end recording by setting the battery voltage.

[0169] FIG. 21(a) shows an example of a system setting screen displayed on the display unit 65. This system screen is equipped with a function for erasing a cancellation area. When it detects that the second setting item display area 80b from the top, which displays "Parking Monitoring Cancellation Area," has been touched, the control unit switches the display on the display unit 65 to the confirmation screen shown in FIG. 21(b). When the Yes button 80g is touched on this confirmation screen, the specific information (center position) of all cancellation areas registered in the position information storage unit 35 is deleted. Furthermore, when the Back button 80h is touched, the screen switches to the next higher level screen, for example, the screen shown in FIG. 21(a). In this way, in this embodiment, cancellation areas including the current position can be registered / cancelled by touching the screen when placed in a parking position, but this can also be done by setting, so that registration / cancellation can be performed in an appropriate manner.

[0170] When parking monitoring is actually performed, it will be performed according to the settings made on this setting screen. If you are in a cancellation area or outside the area and want to temporarily cancel parking monitoring, it will be turned off without even looking at this setting.

[0171] 21(c) and (d) show an example of version information displayed on the display unit in response to a specified screen operation. The version of the junction unit 52 is displayed to the right of the "Junction" item at the bottom of the screen. In this version information display, if there is an "M" at the end of the junction version, it indicates that a specified power supply device is connected to the junction unit. This makes it easy to understand by checking this version information, even if, for example, the power supply device is located in a position that is difficult to see from the driver's seat and it is not immediately possible to confirm whether it is connected to the vehicle battery or the power supply device.

[0172] [Third embodiment] This embodiment describes an embodiment in which event recording is performed according to the driver's condition. Event recording is provided to enhance the importance of recorded data. A problem with drive recorders is that it is difficult to identify where data recorded during near-accident situations (so-called "near misses") is stored. Current drive recorders are specialized for recording accidents, so when a significant impact occurs that exceeds the G-sensor threshold, the data is stored as an event recording with a higher priority. However, unless a user selects an event button to record during a near-accident situation (near miss), the near-miss images may be buried among the normal recording images, making them difficult to identify later. This makes it cumbersome to review near-miss driving experiences through video. Therefore, the inventors considered that new value could be added by assigning a higher priority to near-miss driving experiences than normal recordings and storing them separately.

[0173] The system configuration of this embodiment is based on the system configuration of the second embodiment described above, and the following explanation focuses on the differences. The vehicles are general four-wheeled passenger cars, medium-sized or larger passenger cars such as buses, freight vehicles such as trucks, etc.

[0174] The DMS unit 55 includes a control unit having a CPU and memory, an image processing unit that performs image recognition and the like, an operation unit that accepts user operations, a camera, an interface that connects to the junction unit 52, and the like. Each component of the DMS unit 55 is controlled by the control unit. The DMS unit 55 captures an image of the driver (mainly the face) and recognizes the captured image to determine the driver's state. A known image recognition algorithm may be used for image recognition. The DMS unit 55 determines the driver's state by detecting, for example, the direction of the user's face, the direction of their eyes, and whether their eyelids are open or closed. The driver's state is a predetermined driver state, and in this embodiment, it is a state in which the driver is dozing or distracted while driving. The state in which the driver is dozing or distracted while driving includes not only cases in which the driver is actually in such a state, but also cases in which the DMS unit 55 determines that there is a possibility of such a state. Such a driver state may induce danger, such as an accident.

[0175] When the DMS unit 55 determines that the driver is dozing off or distracted while driving, it generates a predetermined event (hereinafter referred to as a "DMS event") and notifies the junction unit 52. The DMS event may be a signal that can identify the type of driver's state (such as dozing off or distracted driving). The DMS unit 55 is preferably mounted above the windshield, which is higher than the user's eye level, using a predetermined mounting member, but may also be mounted on the rearview mirror, dashboard, or other location. The junction unit 52 (communication control unit 63) outputs a DMS event signal indicating the occurrence of a DMS event to the radar detector 54. Upon receiving the DMS event signal, the radar detector 54 outputs a DMS event recording signal to the drive recorder 51, instructing the drive recorder 51 to perform event recording (hereinafter referred to as "DMS event recording").

[0176] The drive recorder 51 performs DMS event recording when it receives a DMS event recording signal (i.e., when the driver is dozing off or distracted while driving). DMS event recording is a process of storing image data captured during a predetermined period (e.g., 30 seconds before and after) before and after the reception of the DMS event recording signal (i.e., before and after the occurrence of a DMS event). When the DMS event recording is completed, the radar detector 54 again determines the state of the driver, and if it determines that the driver is dozing off or distracted while driving, it outputs a DMS event recording signal to the drive recorder 51; otherwise, it does not output the signal.

[0177] The drive recorder 51 performs continuous recording while the vehicle is in operation using, for example, the first storage area, and performs DMS event recording using the second storage area. Continuous recording is performed by overwriting image data in the first storage area. That is, continuous recording is performed by writing image data to the entire first storage area and then overwriting the oldest image data with newer image data. Therefore, old image data from continuous recording may be lost due to overwriting. Video recorded by DMS event recording is not lost due to overwriting by other image data. For this reason, overwriting recording is not used in DMS event recording. The first storage area and the second storage area are secured, for example, by logically dividing the storage area of ​​the same storage medium (e.g., the memory card described above). In this case, the drive recorder 51 can prevent the image data from being overwritten by DMS event recording by saving the image data from near misses in a folder separate from the folder where the image data from continuous recording is saved.

[0178] However, the first storage area may be allocated in the first storage medium, and the second storage area may be allocated in the second storage area, in which case the first storage area and the second storage area are physically separated.

[0179] Image data of event recording (so-called manual recording) performed in response to a user's operation to instruct event button recording may be stored, for example, in a second storage area. If multiple events occur, the event that entered the event state first is given priority. In this embodiment, when DMS event recording is performed during manual recording, the drive recorder 51 stores image data of the near miss event through the ongoing manual recording.

[0180] The radar detector 54 also issues an alarm triggered by receiving a DMS event signal. The radar detector 54 issues an alarm simultaneously with DMS event recording by the drive recorder 51. The alarm may be, for example, an audio alarm, including a message to warn the driver, such as "Be careful, beep" in the case of distracted driving, or "It's dangerous! It's dangerous" in the case of drowsy driving. The alarm may be, for example, an on-screen display, such as the screen display shown in FIG. 22(a) in the case of distracted driving, or the screen display shown in FIG. 22(b) in the case of drowsy driving. The display "02 / 32" in FIGS. 22(a) and 22(b) indicates that 32 event files can be recorded, but two event files are currently being recorded. The alarm may also be issued by illuminating a light-emitting element (e.g., an LED) provided in the radar detector 54. In this case, the radar detector 54 may change its light-emitting state depending on whether the driver is distracted or drowsy driving. In the case of drowsy driving, the radar detector 54 may change the sound and screen display depending on at least one of the length of time the driver's eyes are closed and the number of times the warning has been issued. The radar detector 54 stops the warning when the driver faces forward, and stops the drowsy driving warning when the driver opens their eyes.

[0181] DMS event recording may be performed only when an alarm from the radar detector 54 continues for a certain period of time. The radar detector 54 may start an alarm, and when the alarm continues for a certain period of time, output a DMS event recording signal to the drive recorder 51. In this case, the alarm starts and DMS event recording begins a certain period of time later. This is based on the idea that if the driver is dozing off or distracted driving for a short period of time, an alarm is issued as a minor condition, and if the condition continues for more than a certain period of time, an alarm is issued and event recording is performed as a major condition. This prevents unnecessary event recording and also has the effect of saving storage space.

[0182] When an alarm is issued, it is advisable to determine whether a warning is in order or within the normal range by comprehensively assessing not only the information on drowsiness and inattentiveness detected by the DMS unit 55 but also the vehicle's condition. Even if regular recording is set to overwrite, it is possible to set it not to overwrite in order to give higher priority to recording of near misses. For example, one or more of the following can be adopted.

[0183] (1) The radar detector 54 acquires vehicle speed information from the vehicle via the junction unit 52, and issues an alarm and records a DMS event if the vehicle speed is above a predetermined speed, but does not issue an alarm or record a DMS event if the vehicle speed is below the predetermined speed. The predetermined speed is, for example, 10 km / h or less. When the vehicle speed is low, the driver may be looking around, perhaps searching for a parking space in a parking lot. In this case, an alarm for distracted driving is not appropriate, so unnecessary alarms and recordings are suppressed.

[0184] (2) The radar detector 54 may detect the vehicle's driving state using, for example, a gyro sensor, and if a predetermined condition indicating a large change in inclination is met, it may be possible that the driver is looking around at an intersection or parking lot, searching for a parking space. In this case, an alert for distracted driving is not appropriate, so unnecessary alerts and recordings are suppressed.

[0185] (3) To improve the detection accuracy of the DMS unit 55, when brightness suddenly changes, the illuminance sensor in the radar detector 54 may be used to determine the change in brightness as a countermeasure against the possibility of the camera in the DMS unit 55 falsely detecting an image. A large difference in illuminance may cause a malfunction in the DMS, which monitors the driver's status based on images captured by the camera. Therefore, the radar detector 54 may not issue an alarm or perform DMS event recording if it determines that the change in illuminance difference is greater than a certain value. This prevents an alarm due to false image detection.

[0186] Changes in illumination are likely to occur in tunnels during the day. Therefore, the radar detector 54 may supplement the information by using data indicating the location of the tunnel to prevent alarms from being issued. Examples of such data include map data and tunnel POIs. The radar detector 54 may, for example, prevent alarms and DMS event recording near the entrance or exit of a tunnel. This prevents unnecessary alarms and recordings.

[0187] (4) The DMS's inattentive / drowsy driving detection is also executed when it is necessary to change the direction of the driver's gaze, such as when changing lanes and checking the rearview mirror. Therefore, it is recommended that the radar detector 54 not issue an alarm or record a DMS event based on turn signal information from the turn signal wire or OBD2 adapter. This prevents unnecessary alarms and recording.

[0188] (5) The radar detector 54 may be configured to cause the drive recorder 51 to record for a certain period of time when the driver has changed based on the results of the driver's face recognition. This is because if the driver is different from usual, there is a high possibility that the driver is an inexperienced driver. In this case, the radar detector 54 may be configured to record from the start of driving until a predetermined time has elapsed when the driver has changed. This recording may be performed when a new driver is recognized, but may also be performed when a different driver is recognized from the previous time. In this way, if the driver is different from usual and there is a possibility that the driver is an inexperienced driver, the drive recorder 51 can automatically record.

[0189] In this embodiment, the setting may prohibit overwriting of continuous recording or permit overwriting of event recording. The vehicle may be a vehicle that runs on a railroad track or a similar track, such as a train, monorail, linear motor car, etc.

[0190] [Variations] In the above-described embodiments, suppressing the operation of the parking monitoring function means not recording parking in an area where the parking position is stored (cancellation area), but it may also be possible to not record, record but not record, or record at a lower quality than the normal recording that is performed when the vehicle is parked in an area where a parking position is not set. Recording at a lower quality may involve slowing down the frame rate, lowering the resolution, recording only when certain conditions are met rather than recording all the time, etc. Other possible methods include reducing memory capacity usage and battery consumption.

[0191] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and modified example, the parking monitoring function is inhibited from operating when the vehicle is parked in the set parking position, but it is preferable to provide a parking monitoring function that records captured video when the vehicle is parked in the set parking position, and a parking monitoring function that inhibits video recording when certain conditions are met even when the vehicle is parked in the set parking position.

[0192] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and modified examples, a predetermined area, such as a set parking position, is stored, and parking monitoring is performed differently inside and outside that area, but for example, when combining various aspects of the present invention disclosed in this specification, the idea of ​​using such an area and a cancel area is not essential, and the present invention may be applied to a system that does not register an area and has a function to perform parking monitoring when an operation is performed, or to not perform parking monitoring when an operation is performed. For example, the present invention may be applied to a device that does not have the concept of a cancel area in terms of screen display, operation, power control, etc.

[0193] The operation means provided in the drive recorder 2 for accepting user operations may be an operator other than a push-type button (for example, a slide-type), a sensor such as a touch sensor or a proximity sensor, an imaging means such as a camera, a sound collection means such as a microphone, etc. Examples of operations include push, slide, touch, proximity, gesture, and voice operation.

[0194] The "parking location where the parking monitoring function is inhibited from operating" may be an area having a certain range, but may also be a pinpoint-specified location.

[0195] Although the drive recorder 2 is a system without a display unit, even if the system includes a display unit, a light-emitting unit may be provided separately from the display unit, or the display unit may function as a light-emitting unit. For example, even if a system includes a display unit, if there is other information to be displayed on the display unit, it may be possible to notify the user by, for example, changing the background of the display unit or the light-emitting state of a specified area. For example, if the system is a drive recorder with a display unit integrated into a case that includes a camera, a small drive recorder would have a small display unit that would make messages, icons, and marks difficult to see. However, simply changing the light-emitting state, such as the light-emitting color, would make it easier to recognize various changes in the display. Furthermore, drive recorders are often installed at the upper part of the vehicle's interior, such as above the windshield. Depending on the installation location, they may even be installed behind the rearview mirror as viewed from the driver's seat. Even in such a situation, changes in the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit are easy to see, which is advantageous. As such, while a display unit may or may not be required, it is more preferable to apply this to a system without a display unit. The light-emitting unit such as the LED 36 may be located in a position other than that described in the embodiment, as long as it is positioned in a position where the light-emitting unit can be seen by a user such as a driver sitting in the driver's seat or a driver who has performed an operation. The specific aspects of the operation method, light-emitting state, screen, output sound, etc. described in the above-described embodiment are examples. The way in which the first control unit 31 and the second control unit 32 cooperate in the above-described embodiment is an example. The functions of the first control unit 31 and the second control unit 32 may be realized by a single control unit (processor, etc.).

[0196] While various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments and modifications, it should be noted that these embodiments and descriptions are provided to aid in understanding the present invention and are not intended to limit its scope. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations expressly described in the specification, but also encompasses combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. While the configurations of the present invention sought to be patented are specified in the claims attached to this application, it is hereby expressly stated that configurations not currently specified in the claims but disclosed herein may be claimed in the future. The applicant intends to obtain rights to such portions and combinations through amendments, divisional applications, conversions to design applications, etc.

[0197] The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-described embodiments. The components of the above-described embodiments and variations may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Furthermore, any component of each embodiment or variation may be arbitrarily combined with any component described in the Summary of the Invention or any component embodying any component described in the Summary of the Invention. The present invention intends to obtain rights to such configurations through amendments to this application or divisional applications, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0198] 1: System 2: Drive recorder 3: Power supply 4: Cable 11: Main body 12: Camera section 13: Main body case 22: Card slot 23: Memory card 26: First Camera 27: Second camera 31: First control section 32: Second control section 33: Sound output unit 34:Mike 35: Location information storage unit 36: LED 37: First button part 38: Second button part 39: Abnormality detection sensor 40: GPS receiver 41: Power supply section 42: Communication interface 51: Drive recorder 52: Junction unit 53: GPS antenna unit 54: Radar detector 56: OBD adapter cable 57: Power supply 58: Connection cable 59: Power cable 62: Power IC 63: Communication control section 64: Power supply control unit 65:Display section 66: Front camera unit

Claims

1. Parking monitoring function that records video taken at the parking position, a function of setting a parking position at which the parking monitoring function is inhibited from operating; The parking monitoring function is a system that records the video if certain conditions are met, even if the vehicle is parked in the set parking position.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein suppressing the operation of the parking monitoring function means not recording the video.

3. 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the parking monitoring function is inhibited from operating if a predetermined condition is met even when the vehicle is parked at a position other than the currently set parking position.

4. A function to set the parking position to record video while parking, A parking monitoring function that records captured video when the vehicle is parked in the set parking position, The parking monitoring function is a system that suppresses the recording of the video if certain conditions are met, even if the vehicle is parked in the set parking position.

5. 5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the parking monitoring function records video of the vehicle while it is parked if a predetermined condition is met, even if the vehicle is parked in a position other than the currently set parking position.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition is based on an operation performed when the vehicle is parked in the parking position.

7. The system according to claim 6 , further comprising a function of changing the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit based on the operation.

8. The operation switches whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied, If the operation is not performed within a predetermined time after parking, the predetermined condition is considered to be met.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein when the operation is performed, the predetermined time is extended, and it is determined whether the predetermined condition is met or not after the extended time has elapsed.

9. a function of switching whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied in response to an operation different from the operation; a function for updating settings related to the parking position; 9. The system according to claim 6, comprising:

10. A display unit is provided, The system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition is based on an operation on the screen of the display unit when the vehicle is parked in the parking position.

11. The system according to claim 10 , further comprising a function of determining that the predetermined condition is met when an operation is performed on the screen.

12. The system described in claim 10 or 11, wherein the display unit simultaneously displays a first area that is operated to satisfy the specified condition and a second area that is operated to update settings related to the current parking position.

13. A display unit is provided, The system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a function of displaying the battery voltage of the vehicle on the display unit when the power source supplying power to the system is a vehicle battery, and not displaying the battery voltage when the power source is another power source device.

14. a first device having a function of recording the video; a second device having the display unit; a connection control device that connects the first device and the second device; The system described in any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the connection control device has a function of supplying power to the first device and the second device based on power supplied from a power source, a communication control function of communicating with the first device and the second device, and a power control function of controlling the ON / OFF of the power supplied to the first device and the second device.

15. A connection control device that connects a first device having a function of recording video by a parking monitoring function and a second device that displays a screen related to the parking monitoring function, a function of supplying power to the first device and the second device based on power supplied from a power source, a communication control function of communicating with the first device and the second device, and a power control function of controlling ON / OFF of the power supplied to the first device and the second device; A connection control device comprising:

16. A program for causing a computer to realize the functions used in the system according to any one of claims 1 to 14 or the functions of the connection control device according to claim 15.

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