Electronic apparatus, program and the like

Abstract

To provide a drive recorder that does not block a field of view, and capable of capturing an image in an appropriate direction without installation work by a specialist.SOLUTION: A drive recorder 1 includes a main body case 20 for housing a liquid crystal display 13 on a back surface of a half mirror 11. On the back surface side, a camera unit 30 is attached on a left edge of the driver's seat side so that a lens thereof directs toward a front of a vehicle. The camera unit 30 can turn vertically and horizontally so as to direct the lens to any of six positions of P1 to P6. Fitting irregularities for selectively fixing the direction of the lens at the six positions are provided to a lens body and a lens holder. The drive recorder is attached to a room mirror so as to be pinched from above and below by upper and lower clampers 51, 52 on the back surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device, a program, etc. for capturing images of the situation in a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known drive recorders that are attached to the inner surface of the windshield (Patent Document 1) and drive recorders that are integrated into the rearview mirror. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-321423 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Drive recorders that are attached to the windshield, such as those in Patent Document 1, have problems such as difficulty in finding a suitable installation location and obstructing visibility. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that is superior to conventional electronic devices.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is not limited to this, and the applicant intends to obtain rights for configurations that aim to achieve the effects achieved by the components disclosed in the specification and drawings, etc., through divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, this specification discloses problems in which the phrase "can be" is read as "the problem is...." Each problem is described as an independent problem, and the applicant intends to obtain rights for configurations that solve each problem separately through divisional applications, amendments, etc. Even if the problem is implicitly understood from the description in the specification, the applicant intends to include part of the configuration described in this specification in the scope of the patent claim through amendments or divisional applications. Furthermore, the applicant has disclosed configurations that solve problems that combine these independent problems, and the applicant intends to obtain rights for these configurations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] 1. An electronic device capable of displaying content displayed by a display means superimposed on at least a portion of a mirror surface, the display means having a function for displaying an image captured by a camera, and an adjustment function for adjusting to reduce the positional discrepancy between the image reflected on the mirror surface and the portion of the image of the camera displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface.

[0007] This allows the user to view an image with reduced misalignment between the image viewed as reflected on the mirror surface and the camera image displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface. For example, the misalignment between the image viewed as reflected on the mirror surface and the camera image displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface, which appears at the overlapping portion, can be made less noticeable than before. For example, it is possible to reduce the misalignment between the image viewed as reflected on the mirror surface and the image displayed on the display means, which makes it difficult to see. For example, it is possible to reduce the sense of discomfort felt when two images (hereinafter simply referred to as two images) overlap, namely, the image viewed as reflected on the mirror surface and the camera image displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface. For example, when the two images show completely different areas, the viewed image becomes a jumbled mixture of the two images, but this can be reduced.

[0008] The two images may be configured so that they overlap entirely, but it is preferable that they overlap only partially. A configuration in which they overlap partially is preferably achieved by providing a display means having a display screen for the camera image within the entire area of ​​the mirror surface. This can reduce the sense of incongruity in the area where the two images overlap, and also reduce the discrepancy in the image continuity at the boundary between the area where the two images do not overlap and the area where they overlap, thereby reducing the sense of incongruity at this boundary.

[0009] A configuration in which the image is displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface may be, for example, a configuration in which the mirror surface is a half mirror and the display screen of the display means is placed behind the half mirror. The area of ​​the display screen of the display means behind the half mirror may be smaller than the area of ​​the half mirror.

[0010] The positional deviation may be, for example, a deviation in the up / down or left / right positions of the two images, or a combination of these positional deviations. The positional deviation may also be a deviation in the size of the two images. The positional deviation may also be a deviation due to distortion of at least one of the two images. The positional deviation may also be a deviation resulting from a combination of these.

[0011] The adjustment to reduce the positional deviation may be achieved, for example, by providing a function for changing the display range of the camera image displayed on the display means by superimposing at least a portion of the mirror surface. The display range change function may include a function for moving the display position. The display position change function may include a function for translating or rotating. For example, even if the two images, the image reflected on the mirror surface and the camera image displayed on the display means by superimposing at least a portion of the mirror surface, are the same size, if the coordinates are misaligned by a few millimeters, the user may see a composite image as a double image. A further misalignment of about 10 mm may make both images difficult to see, resulting in the mirror's loss of functionality. This problem can be alleviated. Furthermore, the display range change function may include a function for zooming in and out of the display. The display may be enlarged or reduced while maintaining the aspect ratio of the camera image, but it is also preferable to have a function that enlarges only a portion of the camera image without maintaining the aspect ratio, either in addition to or without these.Camera images usually have greater distortion in the peripheral areas, but for example, if the image from the camera is enlarged and displayed near the periphery, the degree of distortion may differ between the top, bottom, left, and right, and when two images overlap in their respective portions, other portions may not overlap; however, by providing a function that makes such adjustments, this problem can be alleviated.

[0012] The mirror may be a flat mirror or a curved mirror, for example, a concave mirror, but particularly a convex mirror. The mirror surface may be a flat mirror or a curved mirror, for example, a concave mirror, but particularly a convex mirror. Based on a correction function or the like previously determined from the curvature of the mirror or the actual reflected image, automatic adjustments may be made to the input camera image to reduce the positional deviation. Furthermore, the automatically adjusted image may be displayed on a display means as an adjusted image based on a manually set correction function or the like.

[0013] The electronic device may be installed in a facility, a store, a house, etc., but is particularly preferably installed in a vehicle, particularly for the driver of the vehicle to check the situation behind, and particularly preferably functions as a rearview mirror installed inside the vehicle. In particular, the electronic device having the mirror surface is preferably an aftermarket rearview mirror that functions as a new rearview mirror by covering the mirror surface of the rearview mirror already installed in the vehicle.

[0014] 2. The adjustment function may include a function to input the image output from the camera, make automatic adjustments to the input camera image to reduce the positional deviation, and then make adjustments to reduce the positional deviation by applying manually set adjustment contents. This reduces the time and effort required for the user to manually adjust the positional deviation.

[0015] 3. The adjustment function may include a function for making adjustments based on parameters for making adjustments to reduce the positional deviation, a function for setting a plurality of the parameters in advance, allowing the user to select which of the plurality of set parameters to apply to the adjustments with fewer user operations than are required for the setting, and a function for making adjustments to reduce the positional deviation to which the selected parameter is applied.

[0016] In this way, the user can set parameters in advance for making adjustments to reduce the positional deviation, and can select which parameters to apply to the adjustments with fewer user operations than are required for setting the parameters, and can view two images that have been adjusted using the selected parameters.

[0017] A configuration that allows a user to select which of the multiple set parameters to apply to the adjustment with fewer user operations than the number of user operations required for the setting may be, for example, a configuration in which the setting is performed using a setting menu and the selection is made with a single touch. A configuration that allows a user to select which of the multiple set parameters to apply to the adjustment with fewer user operations than the number of user operations required for the setting may be a configuration in which the setting is performed using a touch panel and the selection is made by switching parameters in a predetermined order when a physical button is pressed. For example, a configuration in which pressing this button once displays a screen in which the camera image has been adjusted based on preset parameter 1, pressing this button again displays a screen in which the camera image has been adjusted based on preset parameter 2, and so on, pressing this button once n times displays a screen in which the camera image has been adjusted based on preset parameter n. The parameters may be those that indicate the coordinates of the display range in the camera image, or may be coefficients that add adjustments to the coordinate transformation.

[0018] For example, the "multiple settings" may be for daytime, nighttime, etc. For example, the parameters to be set multiple times may be parameters for daytime, parameters for nighttime, etc. For example, it may be provided with a function to notify the user to set the daytime setting and the nighttime setting.

[0019] 4. The adjustment function may include a function for detecting contact of the user's finger with the portion displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface, and, based on the finger contact, performing an adjustment to reduce the positional discrepancy between the image reflected and viewed on the mirror surface and the image of the camera of the portion displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface.

[0020] In this way, the user can use his or her finger to make adjustments to reduce the positional discrepancy between the image reflected on the mirror surface and the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface.

[0021] For example, detection of contact of the user's finger with the portion displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface may be performed by a detection means such as a touch panel superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface.

[0022] For example, when it is detected that a user's finger has been moved while remaining in contact with the portion displayed on the display means, overlapping at least a portion of the mirror surface, the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means may be moved in the direction of the movement of the finger. For example, when it is detected that a user's finger is moving to the right while remaining in contact with the mirror surface, the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means may be moved to the right. For example, when it is detected that a user's finger is moving to the left while remaining in contact with the mirror surface, the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means may be moved to the left. For example, when it is detected that a user's finger is moving upward while remaining in contact with the mirror surface, the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means may be moved upward. For example, when it is detected that a user's finger is moving downward while remaining in contact with the mirror surface, the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means may be moved downward.

[0023] For example, when it is detected that two fingers of a user are in contact with an area displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface and are moving without changing the spacing between the two fingers, the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means may be rotated in the direction of the movement of the two fingers. In this case, the center of rotation may be, for example, the center position of the displayed area, but it is preferable to use the center position of the camera image. When it is detected that one finger of the other hand is touching the area and that two fingers are in contact with the area and are moving without changing the spacing between the two fingers, it is preferable to have a function to rotate the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means in the direction of the movement of the two fingers, with the point where one finger of the other hand is touching as the center of rotation.

[0024] 5. It is preferable to have a function to detect that the orientation of the mirror surface may have changed, and to have a function to notify at least one of the following: that the orientation of the mirror surface has changed and therefore the positional deviation may have occurred, and that the positional deviation needs to be readjusted, or that the orientation of the mirror surface needs to be returned to its original state.

[0025] In this way, the user can easily realize that the positional deviation between the image reflected by the mirror surface and the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface may be caused by a change in the orientation of the mirror surface, and can easily eliminate the positional deviation by, for example, readjusting the positional deviation or returning the orientation of the mirror surface to its original state.

[0026] As a function for detecting that the orientation of the mirror surface may have changed, for example, the electronic device may be provided with a function for detecting the movement and acceleration of the electronic device, for example, by detecting the movement of the electronic device using a GPS or the like, and detecting the direction of gravitational acceleration using an acceleration sensor or the like, and determining that the orientation of the mirror surface may have changed when, for example, the displacement in the direction of gravitational acceleration when the speed is 0 exceeds a predetermined reference value.

[0027] As a function for detecting a possibility that the orientation of the mirror surface has changed, for example, the electronic device may be provided with a second camera separate from the camera, and when a displacement in the second camera's imaging range is detected by image recognition, the electronic device may be provided with a function for determining that the orientation of the mirror surface has changed. The second camera may be a camera provided on a side of the electronic device that is different from the mirror surface. For example, the electronic device may function as the above-mentioned rearview mirror, and the second camera may be a camera that captures the front side of the vehicle. Alternatively, the electronic device may function as the above-mentioned rearview mirror, and the second camera may be a camera that captures the same side as the mirror surface (for example, an area including the rear side). These two cameras may be provided in the electronic device, and whether or not the orientation of the mirror surface has changed may be determined based on images from both cameras.

[0028] 6. The adjustment means may have a function of detecting a displacement in the direction of the mirror surface and adjusting the position to reduce the positional discrepancy between the image reflected on the mirror surface and the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface.

[0029] In this way, when the direction of the mirror surface is displaced, the positional deviation between the image visually recognized as reflected on the mirror surface and the portion of the image of the camera displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a part of the mirror surface is reduced. For example, the electronic device may be provided with a second camera separate from the camera, and when a displacement of the shooting range of the second camera is detected by image recognition, the electronic device may be provided with an adjustment function to correct the positional deviation according to the amount of deviation between the positional range of the image before the displacement and the image after the displacement.

[0030] 7. The electronic device may be provided with a second camera (e.g., a front-facing camera) whose captured range changes in accordance with a change in the orientation of the electronic device, and the adjustment means may have a function of adjusting the positional deviation in accordance with a change in the image of the second camera.

[0031] In this way, the positional deviation between the image reflected on the mirror surface and viewed when the orientation of the electronic device is changed, and the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface, is automatically reduced.

[0032] For example, the electronic device may be provided with a second camera separate from the camera, and when a displacement in the imaging range of the second camera is detected by image recognition, the electronic device may be provided with a function to adjust the positional deviation according to the displacement of the image of the second camera. The second camera may be a camera provided on a surface of the electronic device different from the mirror surface. For example, the electronic device may function as the above-mentioned rearview mirror, and the second camera may be a camera that captures the front side of the vehicle. Also, the electronic device may function as the above-mentioned rearview mirror, and the second camera may be a camera that captures the same surface side as the mirror surface (for example, an area including the rear side). These two cameras may be provided in the electronic device, and it may be determined whether the direction of the mirror surface has possibly changed based on the images from both cameras.

[0033] 8. It is preferable to have a function to detect that the direction of the camera may have changed, and a function to notify at least one of the following: that the change in the direction of the camera may have caused a positional deviation, and that the positional deviation needs to be readjusted or the direction of the camera needs to be returned to its original state.

[0034] In this way, the user can easily realize that the positional discrepancy between the image reflected on the mirror surface and the camera image displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a part of the mirror surface may be caused by a change in the camera direction. For example, the positional discrepancy can be easily resolved by readjusting the positional discrepancy or by returning the camera direction to its original position.

[0035] As a function for detecting that the camera direction may have changed, for example, the camera may be provided with a function for detecting the movement and acceleration of the camera, for example, by detecting the movement of the camera using a GPS or the like, and detecting the direction of gravitational acceleration using an acceleration sensor or the like, and determining that the camera direction may have changed when, for example, the displacement in the direction of gravitational acceleration when the speed is 0 exceeds a predetermined reference value.

[0036] As a function for detecting that the camera direction may have changed, it is desirable to have a function that indicates that the camera direction may have changed when a displacement in the camera's shooting range is detected through image recognition, for example.

[0037] 9. It is preferable to have a function for detecting displacement of the camera direction and adjusting the position to reduce the positional discrepancy between the image reflected on the mirror surface and the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface.

[0038] In this way, when the direction of the camera is displaced, the positional deviation between the image visually recognized as reflected on the mirror surface and the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a part of the mirror surface is reduced. For example, when a displacement of the camera's shooting range is detected by image recognition, it is preferable to provide an adjustment function that corrects the positional deviation according to the amount of deviation between the positional range of the image before the displacement and the image after the displacement.

[0039] 10. The adjustment means may have a function of automatically adjusting the range of the image of the camera displayed on the display means, superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface, in accordance with the set positional relationship between the electronic device and the camera.

[0040] In this way, the user only needs to set the positional relationship between the electronic device and the camera, and the positional discrepancy between the image reflected on the mirror surface and the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface is automatically reduced. The positional relationship may be, for example, the distance between the electronic device and the camera.

[0041] 11. The adjustment means may have a function to adjust the positional deviation between the image reflected on the mirror surface and the portion of the camera image displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface, depending on the detected position of the driver's head.

[0042] In this way, even if the user moves the position of his or her head, the user can view an image in which the positional deviation between the image reflected on the mirror surface and the part of the camera image displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a part of the mirror surface has been adjusted. 12. The device has a function of detecting the range in which an object exists in the image of the camera, and a function of drawing an object representing the detected object, It is preferable to have a function of changing the drawing manner of an object representing the detected object depending on the distance to the detected object. In this way, the user can ascertain the distance to the detected object by looking at the rendering style of the object representing the detected object.

[0043] For example, if there are multiple ranges in which objects exist within the range displayed on the display means, the closest object may be taken as the detected object, and an object representing the detected object may be drawn in a drawing style corresponding to the distance to that object, but it is particularly preferable to draw an object representing the detected object for each of multiple objects in a drawing style corresponding to the distance to that object.

[0044] In addition, the area in which object detection processing is performed may be limited to the range displayed on the display means, and object detection processing may not be performed on areas of the input camera image that are not displayed on the display means.

[0045] 13. The object representing the detected object may be drawn by drawing a frame surrounding the detected object, and the color of the frame may be determined in advance to correspond to the distance to the detected object.

[0046] In this way, the object is surrounded by a frame, which helps the driver to recognize the object more quickly, and the driver can recognize objects close to the vehicle simply by looking at the color of the frame. The driver can also intuitively grasp the distance to the object surrounded by the frame. Furthermore, by changing the color of the frame depending on the distance, the driver is supported in quickly grasping the sense of distance.

[0047] The frame surrounding the object may be a frame that surrounds the entire object, but it is preferable that the frame surrounds at least a part of the object. The color of the frame should change from a cool color to a warm color as the distance becomes shorter.

[0048] For example, objects farther than the first reference distance for which a frame is to be displayed are not surrounded by a frame, objects closer than the first reference distance and farther than the second reference distance (objects that are relatively close) are surrounded by a blue frame, and objects closer than the second reference distance (objects that are close to the vehicle) are displayed by a red frame.

[0049] 14. When the speed of the detected object is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, the object representing the detected object may be drawn in a manner different from the manner in which the object is drawn depending on the distance.

[0050] In this way, the user can easily recognize an object approaching at a speed greater than a predetermined speed (for example, high speed). For example, an object that is approaching at high speed but at a certain distance can be surrounded in orange. For example, even if an object is farther away than the first reference distance, an object that is detected as approaching at a speed greater than a predetermined speed can be displayed in a display mode different from that of 12.

[0051] 15. The device may be provided with a function to detect the range in which an object exists in the image captured by the camera, and a function to draw an object representing the detected object, and if it is determined that the detected object is an object that is not stationary, it may be provided with a function to draw an object representing the detected object, and if it is determined that the detected object is an object that is stationary, it may be provided with a function to not draw an object representing the detected object.

[0052] This prevents the driver from paying attention to stationary objects, and is particularly useful for devices that have the ability to detect objects, particularly in images taken behind a vehicle.

[0053] An electronic device described in any of 16.1. to 15. is an electronic device that includes a second electronic device that is another electronic device and has a display unit, and the second electronic device has a function of displaying an image based on the image input from the camera, and when the image from the camera is displayed on the second electronic device, the second electronic device has a function of not displaying an image based on the image input from the camera on the first electronic device.

[0054] In this way, when the image from the camera is displayed on the second electronic device, the image based on the image input from the camera of the first electronic device can be prevented from being displayed, so the mirror surface of the second electronic device can be used as a normal mirror. In particular, it is recommended that the display screen of the second electronic device be turned off.

[0055] In particular, it is preferable to link the electronic device and the second electronic device so that when the second electronic device changes to a state where it displays the image from the camera, or when that state is transmitted to the electronic device or detected by the electronic device, the electronic device performs control so as not to display the image based on the image input from the camera.

[0056] For example, the second electronic device could be a PND (Portable Navigation Device), and the electronic device could be a drive recorder, linking the two to form a broader electronic device (which can also be called a system), displaying rear camera images on the PND screen and using it as a sub-rearview mirror.Since it can be used in conjunction with a conventional rearview mirror, it can contribute to safer driving by compensating for the disadvantages of both.

[0057] The advantage of mirrors is that they provide a mirrored image, allowing you to instantly grasp the sense of distance and the situation in the same way as with the naked eye. They are easy to focus on because there is little change in focus of the eyes. On the other hand, the disadvantages of mirrors are that blind spots can be created by passengers, luggage, and pillars. They have a narrower field of view than cameras. They can be difficult to see with the naked eye in bad weather or at night.

[0058] In contrast, the advantages of electronic devices and secondary electronic devices are that they are not affected by the interior of the vehicle, so there are no blind spots and a wider field of view than mirrors. By using various cameras such as STARVIS or infrared cameras, it is possible to display clear images even in bad weather or at night. Disadvantages include the fact that it is a screen, making it difficult to grasp distances. There is also a large difference in focus between the naked eye and the mirror, making it difficult to focus. This function can compensate for the disadvantages of both. 17. For example, the functions of the electronic device described in any one of 1. to 16. may be configured as a program for causing a computer to realize the functions.

[0059] (a) An electronic device having a camera, the electronic device comprising: an attachment portion for attachment to a vehicle accessory that is installed so that the facing angle to the driver's seat can be changed; and a protruding portion that protrudes beyond a predetermined side position of the vehicle accessory when attached, the protruding portion having a protruding portion that protrudes in a direction different from the protruding direction of the protruding portion; and the protruding portion comprising the camera and a means for changing the shooting direction of the camera. In this way, it is possible to provide an electronic device or the like that can capture images in an appropriate direction without obstructing the field of view and without requiring installation work by a professional.

[0060] Since these vehicle accessories are installed as necessary items, even if the protruding portion of the vehicle accessory extends beyond a predetermined side position when attached to the vehicle accessory, it does not significantly obstruct the field of view. Furthermore, because the angle of the electronic device attached to the vehicle accessory can be changed relative to the driver's seat, the angle of the electronic device also changes as the angle of the vehicle accessory is adjusted, but the camera's imaging direction can be aimed in the desired direction. In particular, since the camera and the means for changing the camera's imaging direction are provided on a protruding portion that protrudes in a direction different from the protruding direction, even if the camera and the means for changing the camera's imaging direction are large, they do not significantly obstruct the field of view.

[0061] The camera may be a camera that captures the situation in the vehicle, particularly a camera that captures the situation inside the vehicle cabin, for example, the situation of the driver, or a camera that captures the situation outside the vehicle cabin, for example, the situation around the outside of the vehicle, and particularly a camera that captures the area in front of the vehicle.

[0062] The vehicle equipment may be, for example, an item installed in the vehicle cabin. It may also be, for example, an item that is pre-installed in the vehicle itself. In particular, it may be an item that is pre-installed in the vehicle itself and installed in the vehicle cabin. For example, a rearview mirror may be used.

[0063] The predetermined end position may be an end of the vehicle accessory that is least likely to interfere with driving the vehicle. For example, if the vehicle accessory is a rearview mirror, the predetermined end position may be any of the top, left, and right ends of the rearview mirror. For example, in the case of a rearview mirror, an end that extends beyond the bottom end toward the top, left, or right end is preferable because it is less likely to interfere with driving the vehicle. Furthermore, the predetermined end position may be an end that is least likely to interfere with the view in the direction of imaging by the camera. For example, in the case of a rearview mirror, the top end position may be an end other than the top end because a smoked area or the like at the top of the windshield is likely to interfere with the view in the direction of imaging by the camera.

[0064] The mounting unit may be configured to be mountable to the same type of vehicle equipment installed in a plurality of different vehicle models. In particular, the mounting position may be adjustable to accommodate vehicle equipment of a size ranging from the largest size compatible to the smallest size compatible among vehicle equipment of the same type. The compatible size may be determined to be a size that can accommodate vehicle equipment of as many vehicle models as possible.

[0065] The protruding direction of the protruding portion should preferably be a direction that does not include a component of the protruding direction of the protruding portion. This makes it particularly unlikely to interfere with driving. For example, it should preferably be a direction perpendicular to the protruding direction of the protruding portion. This makes it particularly unlikely to interfere with driving and also prevents the protruding portion from hitting electronic devices.

[0066] (b) The mounting portion is configured to be mounted by covering at least a portion of one side of the vehicle equipment, and the protruding portion protrudes to a position beyond the surface opposite to the one side of the vehicle equipment, and at least a portion of the means for changing the shooting direction of the camera is provided at the position beyond.

[0067] In this way, the means for changing the camera's shooting direction is less likely to hit the vehicle equipment. In particular, if the entire means for changing the camera's shooting direction is configured to be located at the above-mentioned exceeding position, the means for changing the camera's shooting direction will not hit the vehicle equipment, for example.

[0068] In particular, (c) when the protruding portion is configured to include an arm portion connecting a portion having the means for changing the shooting direction of the camera with a portion that leads to the protruding portion, and at least a portion of the means for changing the shooting direction of the camera has a portion that protrudes beyond the arm portion in the direction opposite to the protruding direction, the means for changing the shooting direction of the camera is less likely to hit vehicle equipment. For example, the protruding portion may be configured to include a spherical portion having the camera and the means for changing the shooting direction of the camera, and an arm portion that supports the spherical portion with a width smaller than the diameter of the spherical portion, and the sphere may be configured to have a portion that protrudes beyond the arm portion in the direction opposite to the protruding direction.

[0069] (d) The means for changing the shooting direction of the camera may be configured to have a semi-fixed structure that can change the direction of the camera in the up, down, left, and right directions and can fix the direction of the camera when the camera is shooting. In this way, when the angle at which the vehicle equipment faces the driver's seat is changed, the orientation of the camera can be easily readjusted.

[0070] (e) It has a portion that covers one side of the vehicle equipment, and the mounting unit is configured to mount the covering portion to the vehicle equipment, and the outer surface of the covering portion has a function equivalent to the function of the covered portion of the vehicle equipment, and it is preferable that the inside of the covering portion, on the protruding side of the center of the covering portion, is provided with a circuit for processing the video signal of the camera.

[0071] In this way, the electronic device can realize a function equivalent to that of the covered part of the vehicle accessory, and deterioration of the video signal of the camera, for example, can be prevented. In particular, it is preferable to have a circuit for processing the video signal of the camera only on the side of the protruding direction from the center of the covered part. For example, if the vehicle accessory is a rearview mirror, the equivalent function may be a mirror function.

[0072] In particular, (f) the circuit may be configured to include a control board having at least two of a processing unit that processes the video signal of the camera, a display unit that displays the video signal of the camera, a recording unit that records the video signal of the camera, and an input unit that inputs control instructions for the video signal of the camera.

[0073] In particular, it is preferable to configure a control board that includes a processing unit that processes the camera's video signal, a display unit that displays the camera's video signal, a recording unit that records the camera's video signal, and an input unit that inputs control instructions for the camera's video signal, to be located inside the covering part, only on the protruding side of the center of the covering part.

[0074] (g) The means for changing the shooting direction of the camera may be configured to change the shooting direction of the camera in a direction that corrects the deviation of the shooting direction of the camera from the vehicle traveling direction caused by the angle between the vehicle equipment, which is installed so that the facing angle to the driver's seat can be changed, and the vehicle traveling direction when the vehicle is in operation.

[0075] (h) The mounting unit is configured to be mountable to the same type of vehicle equipment installed in vehicles of a plurality of different vehicle models, and the mounting unit has two clamping sections that clamp the vehicle equipment from above and below to mount it, and the length from the center position of the two clamping sections in the left-right direction to the left end of the electronic device is approximately the same as the length from the center position of the two clamping sections in the left-right direction to the right end of the electronic device, and when mounted on the vehicle equipment so that the center position of the two clamping sections is the center position of the vehicle equipment in the left-right direction, it is preferable that the protruding portion is configured to be in a position close to the vehicle equipment when mounted on a vehicle equipment of the largest size that can be accommodated among the vehicle equipment of the same type.

[0076] This makes it easy to fix the same type of vehicle equipment installed on multiple different vehicle models at the center of the vehicle equipment without hitting the largest compatible vehicle equipment, thereby preventing the electronic device from being attached unevenly to the vehicle equipment during installation.

[0077] The protrusion length should be as small as possible, for example, as much as is necessary to support the camera and the means for changing the camera's shooting direction from a predetermined end position of the largest compatible vehicle accessory of the same type, which prevents the electronic device from hitting the vehicle accessory and is particularly unlikely to interfere with driving.

[0078] For example, the configuration shown in Figure 16 may be used. Figure 16 shows a configuration that can be attached to the same type of rearview mirror installed in multiple different vehicle models. The attachment unit has two clamping sections that clamp the rearview mirror from above and below, and the length from the center of the two clamping sections in the lateral direction to the left edge of the electronic device and the length from the center of the two clamping sections in the lateral direction to the right edge of the electronic device are approximately the same, 142.5 mm. The device is attached to the rearview mirror so that the center of the two clamping sections is the center of the rearview mirror in the lateral direction. This is the largest compatible size rearview mirror of the same type, with a lateral width of 24 cm. In this case, a 22.5 mm protrusion is formed on the right side of the rearview mirror, and the protrusion that protrudes from this protrusion toward the back of the main unit is positioned close to the rearview mirror as shown. In this case, the protrusion should be long enough to support the camera at the position where it meets the rear of the rearview mirror, and in some cases, a recess may be provided on the outer surface of the inside of the camera to avoid interference. Of course, a sufficient space may be provided between the rearview mirror and the protrusion so that it is not wasted. (i) More specifically, the following configuration may be used: Of course, what is assumed to be the driver's seat in the following example may be assumed to be the passenger's seat.

[0079] The drive recorder of the present invention, which has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, is a drive recorder that is attached to a vehicle accessory that is installed so that the facing angle toward the driver's seat can be changed, and is characterized by comprising: a main body that can be attached to the vehicle accessory and has a protruding portion that protrudes toward the driver's seat when attached; and a lens holder that rotatably holds a lens body on the back side of the protruding portion, and is configured so that the lens body and the lens holder can be engaged and disengaged at multiple rotational positions within a predetermined range by means of matable concave and convex portions. An example of a vehicle accessory that is installed so that the angle of view of the driver's seat can be changed is a rearview mirror.

[0080] Therefore, more specifically, it can be a drive recorder that has a lens body installed on the back side of a main body that is attached to a rearview mirror so as to face the front of the vehicle, and is characterized in that (1) the main body has a protruding portion that protrudes on the driver's seat side of the rearview mirror, (2) a lens holder that rotatably holds the lens body on the back side of the protruding portion, and (3) the lens body and the lens holder are configured to be engageable and disengageable at multiple rotational positions within a predetermined range by uneven portions that can form pairs between them.

[0081] In addition to the rearview mirror, other vehicle equipment that can change the angle of view of the driver's seat include, for example, a car navigation system that is attached to the front grille and a car television that is hung from the ceiling. Since the dashcam is attached to these vehicle equipment, it can be installed later. Therefore, there is no need to ask a professional to install the dashcam.

[0082] These vehicle accessories are installed as necessary items, so even if there is a protruding portion connected to them on the driver's seat side, it does not significantly obstruct the field of view. However, as the structure allows the angle to be changed relative to the driver's seat as described above, the angle of the main body attached to the vehicle accessories also changes as the angle of the vehicle accessories is adjusted, and the imaging direction of the lens body changes.

[0083] However, according to the present invention, the lens body can be rotated relative to the lens holder provided on the back of the protruding portion to change the imaging direction, allowing the imaging direction to be adjusted to an optimal direction. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the lens body and the lens holder are configured to be engageable and disengageable at multiple rotational positions within a predetermined range, so that the angle of the lens body can be adjusted after adjusting the angle of the vehicle accessories, and the lens body can be fixed in a state facing the optimal direction. Once fixed, the lens body cannot be rotated without releasing the engagement of the concave and convex portions, so the imaging direction will not be changed inadvertently. Furthermore, because the lens body is located on the back of the protruding portion located on the driver's seat side, the above-mentioned rotation operation can be easily performed by reaching out from the driver's seat.

[0084] Here, when the object to be attached is a rearview mirror, it is also preferable to adopt the following configuration: (4) the main body has an area that covers the front of the rearview mirror and is equipped with a half mirror on the front, and the back of the half mirror houses an emissive display device that emits light to display the image captured by the lens body.

[0085] By accommodating an emissive display device on the rear of the half mirror, when adjusting the angle of the lens body after adjusting the angle of the rearview mirror, an image can be displayed on the emissive display device, and the lens body can be rotated to view the changing image, allowing the optimum position to be selected. Furthermore, if the emissive display device is turned off, the entire half mirror can be used for rearview confirmation. In this case, it is particularly preferable to employ the following configuration: (5) the light-emitting display device is accommodated in front of the protruding portion.

[0086] This is because positioning the lens body and the emissive display device on the driver's side of the rearview mirror makes it easier to see the image when rotating the lens body. Another advantage is that the protruding portion can accommodate electronic circuits and other components, making it possible to achieve a compact design.

[0087] A drive recorder that is equipped with a half mirror and is attached to a rearview mirror may further adopt the following configuration: (6) the main body is equipped with clamp members that clamp the rearview mirror from above and below.

[0088] By clamping the rearview mirror from above and below with the clamp members, the weight of the dashcam can be supported by the rearview mirror. In addition, since the top and bottom edges of the rearview mirror are long enough, it is possible to install multiple clamp members spaced apart on the left and right, ensuring a stable installation.

[0089] Furthermore, these drive recorders of the present invention may also adopt the following configuration: (7) the lens holder and the lens body are configured so that their spherical surfaces face each other and the lens body can rotate along the spherical surface.

[0090] This is because the operation of rotating from one mating position to another follows the spherical surface, allowing for smooth operation. Note that in the present invention, by allowing mating and disengagement at multiple positions, the imaging direction can be adjusted by selecting multiple angular positions while still allowing for smooth movement, allowing for quick positioning.

[0091] In this case, (8) it is also preferable to adopt a configuration in which one of the lens holder and the lens body has a rotation axis that rotates the lens body along the spherical surface, and the other has an axis holding groove that supports the rotation axis in a state in which it can move in a predetermined direction.

[0092] By moving the rotation shaft along the shaft holding groove, the angle can be changed within a regulated range. By changing the angle within this regulated range, the direction of rotation during adjustment is determined, making it easier to adjust the imaging direction.

[0093] In this case, it is preferable that the concave and convex portions are formed so as to support the rotation shaft at any one of a plurality of positions within the shaft holding groove. By providing such a configuration, positioning in a direction along the shaft holding groove can be determined in multiple stages, and angle adjustment in that direction can be completed quickly.

[0094] When the structure also includes supporting these pivot shafts in the shaft holding grooves, it is preferable to further adopt the following structure: (10) the concave and convex portions are formed so as to fit at a position where the spherical cover body is rotated a predetermined angle around the pivot shaft while the pivot shaft is supported at a predetermined position within the shaft holding groove.

[0095] By providing such a configuration, it is possible to determine multi-stage positioning in a direction intersecting the axis holding groove, and angle adjustment in that direction can be completed quickly. In addition, when (9) and (10) are provided, multi-stage positioning in the orthogonal direction is possible, which increases the number of angle adjustment positions, and for example, it becomes possible to quickly rotate the lens body to the upper left, lower left, upper right, lower right, etc. in multiple stages in the left-right direction and multiple stages in the up-down direction.

[0096] More specifically, these drive recorders of the present invention may also have the following configuration: (11) the lens holder has a spherical holding portion with an approximately spherical inner surface; (12) the lens body has a spherical cover body with an approximately spherical outer surface; and (13) at least one of the uneven portions on the inner surface of the spherical holding portion and the uneven portions on the outer surface of the spherical cover body is configured to perform a clicking action due to elastic deformation, thereby allowing the fitting positions of each other to be changed.

[0097] By adopting this configuration, the lens body fits securely into the lens holder, preventing it from falling out during angle adjustment. Furthermore, because the lens is engaged and disengaged with a click action, even if the lens body is engaged in the lens holder, you can easily tell that positioning is complete by the click you feel in your hand.

[0098] In this case, (13) the spherical holding portion may further have a configuration in which the spherical holding portion has a window opening on the front side of the vehicle that corresponds to the outlines of the plurality of engagement / disengagement positions within the predetermined range.

[0099] By providing window openings that correspond to the outlines of multiple engagement and disengagement positions within a specified range, the lens body can be rotated so that no dead zones where photography is impossible are created, even when the lens body is fitted into the lens holder.

[0100] In a drive recorder in which these lens bodies are fitted into a lens holder, (14) it is also preferable to adopt a configuration in which the spherical cover body has a rotation axis that protrudes outward on the center line of the sphere that constitutes the spherical surface, and the spherical holding portion has an axis holding groove that allows the rotation axis to slide along a predetermined direction.

[0101] More specifically, in a drive recorder in which these lens bodies are fitted into a lens holder, it is preferable to further adopt the following configuration: (14) the spherical cover body has a rotation axis that protrudes outward on the center line of the sphere that constitutes the spherical surface, and the spherical holding portion has an axis holding groove that allows the rotation axis to slide along a predetermined direction.

[0102] By adopting such a configuration, when manufacturing the spherical cover body by injection molding, there is no need to make it thick, to make it a split assembly shape, or to use a split mold as a core, making manufacturing easier.

[0103] In this case, (15) it is preferable that the spherical cover body has a lever portion that forms part of the spherical surface and has an elastic lever portion that has an uneven portion formed on the lens body side.

[0104] Because the spherical cover body is located on the inside, the lever part elastically deforms inward to release the uneven part, and then elastically returns to the outside, allowing the uneven part to be fitted together, and the fitting and disengagement by clicking can be achieved by utilizing the elastic deformation of the lever part.

[0105] In a drive recorder in which these lens bodies are fitted into a lens holder, more specifically, (16) the spherical holding portion may also be configured to have a plurality of holder-side concave and convex portions that can fit into the lens body-side concave and convex portions at a plurality of sliding positions of the rotation axis within the axis holding groove. By adopting such a configuration, the lens body can be rotated along the shaft holding groove for positioning.

[0106] In a drive recorder in which these lens bodies are fitted into a lens holder, more specifically, (17) the spherical holding portion may also be configured to have a plurality of holder-side concave and convex portions that can engage with the lens body-side concave and convex portions for a plurality of rotation angles when the lens body cover is rotated around the rotation axis at a predetermined position within the axis holding groove. By adopting this configuration, the lens body can be rotated in a direction intersecting the shaft holding groove for positioning.

[0107] The drive recorder of the present invention may further adopt the following configuration: (18) the main body has an operation switch on the front side of the protruding portion. This is because the operation switch is also located on the driver's seat side, and the drive recorder itself can be easily operated from the driver's seat.

[0108] The drive recorder of the present invention may further have the following configuration: (19) the main body is provided with a storage medium mounting section on the driver's seat side of the protruding section, which allows the storage medium to be easily attached and detached from the driver's seat.

[0109] The drive recorder of the present invention may further adopt the following configuration: (20) the main body is provided with a power connector on the rear side of the protruding portion, because the power connector can be easily attached and detached from the driver's seat.

[0110] The drive recorder of the present invention may further employ the following configuration: (21) the main body is provided with a microphone on the underside of the main body, since sound can also be recorded.

[0111] The drive recorder of the present invention may further employ the following configuration: (22) the lens holder has a curved arm that shifts the lens body toward the driver's seat relative to the base of the lens holder, which can reduce the amount of protrusion of the main body from the object to which it is attached.

[0112] In this case, it is also preferable to adopt a configuration (23) in which a power connector is provided near the base of the bent arm, on the opposite side of the base from the driver's seat. This is because the base of the arm acts as a guard, making it less likely that the power connector will be accidentally touched and the power cord will be disconnected when changing the angle of the object to which it is attached or the orientation of the lens body.

[0113] The inventions described in 1. through 17., (a) through (i), and (1) through (23) above can be combined in any manner. For example, all or part of the invention described in 1. may be combined with at least part of the structure of at least one of the inventions described in 2. and subsequent claims. In particular, the invention described in 1. may be combined with at least part of the structure of at least one of the inventions described in 2. and subsequent claims. Furthermore, any structure may be extracted from the inventions described in 1. through (23) and combined. The applicant intends to obtain rights to inventions including these structures. Furthermore, even if a description is made of "in the case of..." or "when...," it is not intended to describe a structure limited to that case or time. These are merely examples of better structures, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to structures other than these cases or times. Furthermore, any descriptions that specify an order are not limited to this order. The applicant also discloses structures in which some parts have been deleted or the order has been changed, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to such structures. [Effects of the Invention]

[0114] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic device or the like that is superior to conventional devices.

[0115] The effects of the present invention are not limited to these, and the effects achieved by the components disclosed in the 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, a phrase such as "can..." clearly states the effect achieved, and there are parts that demonstrate the effect even without the phrase "can...". Furthermore, there are effects that can be understood from the configuration even without such a phrase. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0116] [Figure 1]1 shows a drive recorder according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a front view, (B) is a perspective view seen from the front, (C) is a perspective view seen from the rear, (D) is a front view of the camera unit with the shooting direction facing forward, and (E) is a perspective view showing how the orientation of the lens body is changed. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are six-view diagrams of a drive recorder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1A and 1B show a drive recorder according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 1B is a side view illustrating the mounting state of upper and lower clampers. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B show a camera unit of a drive recorder according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view seen from the mounting portion side, FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 1C is an exploded perspective view of a lens body. [Figure 5] 1A to 1C are six-view diagrams of a lens cover of a drive recorder according to an embodiment, with the state viewed from the front side of the vehicle being the front side. [Figure 6] 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams showing the rotation range of the lens body of the drive recorder according to the embodiment and the movement during rotation. [Figure 7] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a mounting procedure of a drive recorder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams showing the data recording and data reading procedures of the drive recorder of the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation procedure in a video recording mode in the drive recorder of the embodiment. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing operation procedures for changing settings in a video recording mode in the drive recorder of the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation procedure for changing system settings in the drive recorder of the embodiment. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the operation procedure of a still image recording mode in the drive recorder of the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation procedure of a playback mode in the drive recorder of the embodiment. [Figure 14]10 is an explanatory diagram showing the procedure for changing the playback mode setting and formatting an SD card in the drive recorder of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an adjustment range of the angle of incidence of light on the lens in the drive recorder of the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing the state of the drive recorder mounted on the rearview mirror of the largest compatible size among the same type of rearview mirrors installed in a plurality of different vehicle models. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an image reflected in a rearview mirror. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a digital rearview mirror. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a rear camera. [Figure 20] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of display when a display screen is provided over the entire half mirror. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another electronic device. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display on a display screen of another electronic device. [Figure 23] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating advantages of another electronic device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0117] Hereinafter, a drive recorder that is attached to a rearview mirror and used will be described as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0118] This embodiment is a drive recorder suitable for use by attaching it to the rearview mirror of a right-hand drive vehicle. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the drive recorder 1 has a half mirror 11 covering almost the entire front surface as seen from inside the vehicle cabin, and a capacitive touch panel is laminated over the entire front surface of the half mirror 11. The capacitive touch panel is connected to a microcomputer (described below). An operation button 12 is provided on the right edge of the front surface, and a main body case 20 housing a 2.5-inch full-color TFT LCD display 13 is provided on the back of the half mirror, immediately to the left of the operation button 12. The top 12a of the operation button 12 is a power button, and green and red LEDs are provided on the backside; the green LED lights up when the power is on, and the red LED lights up when recording.

[0119] A camera unit 30 is attached to the rear side of the main body case 20 at the left end, which is the driver's seat side, with its lens facing forward of the vehicle. A speaker sound output hole 41 is provided directly below the camera unit 30, and a DC jack 42 is provided below and inside the speaker sound output hole 41. A microphone sound input hole 43 is provided at the center bottom surface of the main body case 20, and upper clampers 51, 51 and lower clampers 52, 52 are provided facing each other at the top and bottom of the rear surface, approximately symmetrically left and right about the center in the width direction. Furthermore, a microSD card insertion slot 45 is provided on the side surface of the main body case 20 on the driver's seat side.

[0120] 3, the main body case 20 is composed of a bottom case 21 located on the rear side, and a top case 22 that is fixed to the front of the bottom case 21 from the rear side with screws. A printed wiring board 14 is housed between the bottom case 21 and the top case 22. The aforementioned operation buttons 12 and 2.5-inch full-color TFT LCD display 13 are installed on the front side of this printed wiring board 14, and an SD slot 16, speaker 17, etc. are installed on the rear side and are connected to the microcomputer circuitry.

[0121] The rear side of the printed wiring board 14 is provided with a control circuit such as a microcomputer, and a wireless communication circuit for communicating via Wi-Fi with a rear camera (shown in FIG. 19 ) that captures images of the rear of the vehicle through the rear glass of the rear window from inside the vehicle cabin, located at the top center of the rear window in the vehicle width direction, and receiving the images captured by the rear camera. The microcomputer executes various processes of this embodiment based on programs stored therein to realize each function. For example, it records the rear camera images along with the time stamp on an SD card inserted in the SD card slot 16 and displays the rear camera images on the LCD display 13. The microcomputer circuit functions as a processing unit for processing the camera image signals, the LCD display 13 as a display unit for displaying the camera image signals, the SD slot 16 as a recording unit for the camera image signals, and the operation buttons 12 as an input unit for inputting control instructions for the camera image signals. In this embodiment, the printed wiring board 14 is provided with these "processing unit," "display unit," "recording unit," and "input unit."

[0122] An opening for exposing the operation buttons 12 is provided at the right end of the top case 22, and a button cover 23 is attached. A display film 18, on which the functions of each operation button are printed and which has a transparent portion that transmits LED light, is attached to the front of the button cover 23. A half mirror 11 is attached to the front side of the area of ​​the top case 22 to the left of the button cover 23. A display window 22a is provided in the top case 22, in a portion facing the liquid crystal display 13 at the right end of the area where the half mirror 11 is attached.

[0123] An opening 21a is formed at the right end (driver's seat side) of the bottom case 21 for passing a cable connecting the printed wiring board 14 and the camera unit 30, and a protrusion 21b is formed on the right side surface of the opening 21a, which constitutes the aforementioned SD card insertion port 45. In addition, an air vent 21c is provided on the left side of the rear cover 21.

[0124] A lower back projection 21d that projects rearward is formed on the lower back surface of the bottom case 21 at a position approximately one-quarter of the way from the left to the right, and an inverted L-shaped metal fitting 24 is attached from the front side so that a protruding portion 24a projects toward the upper back surface above the lower back projection 21d. This inverted L-shaped metal fitting 24 is connected to a hook 21e formed on the lower front surface of the bottom cover 21 by a coil spring 25, and is attached in a downwardly biased state. Rubber bodies that constitute the above-mentioned upper clamper 51 and lower clamper 52 are attached to the protruding portion 24a of the inverted L-shaped metal fitting 24 and the lower back projection 21d of the bottom case 21, respectively. In addition to these, cushion members 26 and 27 are housed inside the main body case 20, and a microphone 18 is also housed in the center of the bottom. As shown in FIG. 4, the camera unit 30 is made up of a lens body 60 and a lens holder 70 that holds the lens body 60 rotatably.

[0125] The lens body 60 is an assembly in which a camera body 62 is housed inside a hemispherical lens cover 61, and a printed wiring board 63 is attached to close the opening side of the lens cover 61.

[0126] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the lens cover 61 has protruding pivot shafts 64L, 64R that pass through the center of the sphere. Beneath each of the left and right pivot shafts 64L, 64R are levers 65L, 65R, each formed by two cuts extending forward from the opening of the hemisphere. The outer surfaces of the left and right levers 65L, 65R are provided with hemispherical convex portions 66L, 66R. The lens cover 61 is manufactured as an injection-molded synthetic resin, and the levers 65L, 65R are elastically deformed by pressure. A circular ring-shaped lens frame 67 protrudes forward from the front end of the lens cover 61.

[0127] 4, the lens holder 70 is configured so that when the halves of the left member 71 and the right member 72 are assembled, a spherical holding portion 73 is formed on the front side of the vehicle and an attachment arm portion 74 is formed on the main body case 20 side. When the left member 71 and the right member 72 are assembled, the arm portion 74 is a bent arm that supports the holding portion 73 at a position shifted toward the driver's seat relative to the base side.

[0128] Slide grooves 75L, 75R are formed in the vertical center of the inner surface of the holding portions 73L, 73R of the left and right members 71, 72, extending over a predetermined range and projecting outward to a predetermined depth. Six hemispherical recesses 76L, 76R are formed in the inner surface below the slide grooves 75L, 75R, projecting outward. The six hemispherical recesses 76L, 76R are arranged in a zigzag pattern, with the distance from the slide grooves 75L, 75R slightly varying. The left and right members 71, 72 are also manufactured by synthetic resin injection molding.

[0129] Furthermore, notches 77L, 77R are provided at the front ends of the holding portions 73L, 73R of the left member 71 and the right member 72 so as to form a horizontally elongated rectangular lens window 77 having rounded corners as shown in FIG. 1(D) when assembled. Notches 78L, 78R are provided at the base sides of the arm portions 74L, 74R of the left member 71 and the right member 72 so as to form an insertion opening 78 through which a cable connected to the connector block 68 on the lens body 60 side can be inserted when assembled. A circular recess 79 recessed inward is formed near the base of the holding portion of the left member 71. This recess 79 helps to avoid interference with the rearview mirror when attached.

[0130] Here, the cable connecting printed wiring board 14 and camera unit 30 is inserted into camera body 30 through insertion port 78 and connected to connector block 68 of printed wiring board 63 on the camera body 62 side. By locating printed wiring board 14 on the side where camera unit 30 is attached, noise can be suppressed.

[0131] The outer diameter of the lens cover 61 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the hold portion 73 of the lens holder 70, so that, when assembled, the lens cover 61 can be rotated inside the hold portion 73. At this time, the lens cover 61 is assembled so that its rotation shafts 64L, 64R fit into the slide grooves 75L, 75R of the hold portion 73. At this time, the lens frame 67 of the lens cover 61 fits into the lens window 77 of the hold portion 73. The convex portions 66L, 66R on the outer surfaces of the lever portions 65L, 65R fit into one of six recesses 76L, 76R on the inner surface of the hold portion 73. Note that the initial assembly position is such that the lens frame 67 is positioned at the center of the lens window 77, as shown in FIG. 1(D), and the rotation shafts 64L, 64R are positioned at the longitudinal center of the slide grooves 75L, 75R. Furthermore, the convex portions 66L, 66R on the lens cover 61 side fit into the third recessed portion from the front among the six recessed portions 76L, 76R.

[0132] By rotating the lens cover 61 in the left-right direction, the rotation shafts 64L, 64R move from one end to the other of the slide grooves 75L, 75R. The lens cover 61 also rotates in the up-down direction around the rotation shafts 64L, 64R. With these operations, in this embodiment, the lens frame 67 can be fixed at one of six positions P1 to P6 shown in FIG. 1(E).

[0133] The rotational movement of the lens cover 61 when fixing it at the six positions P1 to P6 is shown in Fig. 6. When the convex portions 66L, 66R on the lens cover 61 are fitted into the third from the front end of the six concave portions 76L, 76R of the holding portion 73, the P1 position is achieved, with the lens frame 67 positioned above the center of the lens window 77.

[0134] When the lens cover 61 is rotated from the initial position P1 toward the driver's seat, the left-side convex portion 66L of the lens cover 61 fits into the front-most of the six recessed portions 76L of the left member 71, and the right-side convex portion 66R of the lens cover 61 fits into the second-from-the-rear of the six recessed portions 76R of the right member 72, thereby realizing the P2 position in which the lens frame 67 is located at the upper left of the lens window 77.

[0135] When the lens cover 61 is rotated from the initial position P1 in a direction away from the driver's seat, the left convex portion 66L of the lens cover 61 fits into the second-from-the-rear of the six recessed portions 76L of the left member 71, and the right convex portion 66R of the lens cover 61 fits into the front-most of the six recessed portions 76R of the right member 72, thereby realizing the P3 position in which the lens frame 67 is located to the upper right of the lens window 77.

[0136] When the lens cover 61 is rotated downward from the initial position P1, the convex portions 66L, 66R on the lens cover 61 are fitted into the fourth of the six recessed portions 76L, 76R from the front end, and the P4 position is realized, with the lens frame 67 below the center of the lens window 77.

[0137] When the lens cover 61 is rotated downward from the upper left position P2, the left convex portion 66L of the lens cover 61 fits into the second from the front of the six recessed portions 76L of the left member 71, and the right convex portion 66R of the lens cover 61 fits into the rearmost of the six recessed portions 76R of the right member 72, thereby realizing the P5 position in which the lens frame 67 is at the upper left of the lens window 77.

[0138] When the lens cover 61 is rotated downward from the upper right position P3, the left convex portion 66L of the lens cover 61 fits into the rearmost of the six recessed portions 76L of the left member 71, and the right convex portion 66R of the lens cover 61 fits into the second from the front of the six recessed portions 76R of the right member 72, thereby realizing the P6 position in which the lens frame 67 is located at the upper left of the lens window 77.

[0139] Next, the installation procedure for the drive recorder 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. First, the upper clamper 51 is placed against the upper edge of the rearview mirror 81, and the main body is rotated forward while being pulled slightly downward. At this time, the coil spring 25 that is biasing the upper clamper 51 downward expands, allowing the lower clamper 52 to easily position below the rearview mirror 81. Then, when the force that was pulling the main body downward is released, the coil spring 25 contracts, and the drive recorder 1 is installed such that the upper clamper 51 and the lower clamper 52 clamp the rearview mirror 81 from above and below. Note that because the upper and lower clampers 51 and 52 are made of rubber, the elastic deformation of the rubber also acts to firmly yet softly clamp the rearview mirror 81 from above and below.

[0140] When mounting the drive recorder 1, the center of the main body is aligned with the center of the rearview mirror 81. The width of the drive recorder 1 is longer than the width of the rearview mirror 81, and is set to a width such that the camera unit 25 is positioned to protrude on the driver's seat side of the rearview mirror 81. The amount of protrusion on the opposite side of the driver's seat is also set to the same extent, and the air vent 21c is also mounted to be positioned in the protruding portion of the rearview mirror 81 on the opposite side of the driver's seat.

[0141] As a result, the front of the rearview mirror 81 is covered and hidden, but since the front of the drive recorder 1 is made up of the half mirror 11, this half mirror 11 functions as a mirror for checking behind the vehicle, which is the role of the rearview mirror 81. Therefore, the orientation of the drive recorder 1 is adjusted so that rearward checking through this half mirror 11 is appropriate. This orientation adjustment is performed by utilizing the fact that the rearview mirror 81 has a mechanism that allows it to adjust its orientation. The power supply is secured by connecting one end of a power cord 83 to the cigarette lighter socket 82 and the other end to the DC jack 42 .

[0142] Once power is secured, the drive recorder 1 switches to recording mode and begins recording images from the camera and rear camera onto an SD card. Images captured by the camera are displayed on the LCD display 13 housed behind the half mirror 11, and can be viewed from the driver's seat through the half mirror 11. If the image seen at this time is not from the direction that should be recorded by the drive recorder 1, the lens cover 61 can be rotated left and right and up and down as described above to adjust the camera orientation to the most appropriate position among P1 to P6. In this way, the drive recorder 1 can be installed with the camera facing the optimal shooting direction without obstructing the driver's view.

[0143] 8(A), when a micro SD card 84 is inserted into the SD card insertion slot 45, the drive recorder 1 of this embodiment records data captured by the camera and rear camera on the micro SD card 84. The data recorded in this manner can be read by the computer 85 by removing the micro SD card 84 and inserting it into a reader / writer 86 connected to the computer 85.

[0144] The drive recorder 1 of the embodiment is configured to continuously record video on the microSD card 84 while power is being supplied, i.e., for example, from when the engine is started to when the engine is stopped. As shown in Fig. 8(B), the recording method is configured so that the video is divided into files, each of which can be set to a maximum of 15 minutes, and when the recording time exceeds the card capacity, the oldest file is overwritten on a file-by-file basis. The same applies to video from the rear camera.

[0145] As shown in Figure 8(C), the drive recorder 1 of the embodiment is configured to be able to perform "one-touch recording" in which, if a short press of the "REC" button is detected during continuous recording, the video from the camera and rear camera in set file units is moved to the "SWEVT" folder on the microSD card as a non-overwriteable file.

[0146] 8(C), when the drive recorder 1 of the embodiment detects a long press of the "REC" button during continuous recording, if the currently displayed image is an image from the camera (front camera), it switches to an image from the rear camera, and if the currently displayed image is an image from the rear camera, it switches to an image from the camera (front camera). In this way, the user can switch between the images from the front camera and the rear camera and view them through the half mirror.

[0147] The drive recorder 1 of the embodiment is configured to be able to continuously record video like a video camera by selecting the "video recording mode." When video footage from the front camera is displayed and in video recording mode, the LCD display 13 displays the following items (see circled numbers in the figure): [1] video recording mode icon, [2] file division time, [3] viewfinder, [4] zoom magnification, [5] date, [6] time, [7] recording time / remaining recording time, [8] resolution, [9] file protect icon,

[10] microSD icon, and

[11] recording mark. When video footage from the rear camera is displayed, the rear camera image is simply displayed on the LCD display without any superimposed text or icons.

[0148] Here, [7] Recording time / remaining recording time displays the current recording time when recording, and the remaining recording time with the current settings when recording is stopped. Also, [9] File protect icon is displayed on the one-touch recorded file mentioned above.

[10] Micro SD icon indicates that a Micro SD card is inserted, and

[11] Record mark flashes while recording video.

[0149] To record video in this video recording mode, first make sure the power is on, then press the "MODE OK" button to change to video recording mode, and press the "REC" button to start video recording, as shown in Figure 9(B). Note that the viewfinder can also be hidden during video recording, in which case the "MODE OK" button should be pressed while the viewfinder is displayed during video recording.

[0150] Next, we will explain how to change settings in video recording mode. As shown in Figure 10(A), press the "MENU" button to stop video recording, press the "MODE OK" button to select video recording mode, and then press the "MENU" button to display the video recording mode settings menu. The settings menu will be the screen shown in Figure 10(B).

[0151] Once "Resolution" is selected, a selection menu screen for "Front Camera" and "Rear Camera" will be displayed. If "Front Camera" is selected, you can select the recording resolution for the front camera from 1080P (1920 x 1082), 1080P (1440 x 1080), 720P (1280 x 720), VGA (640 x 480), and QVGA (320 x 240). The default setting is 720P.

[0152] On the other hand, when "Rear Camera" is selected, a menu screen for selecting "Resolution" and "Display Adjustment" is displayed. When "Resolution" is selected, the recording resolution of the front camera can be selected from 1080P (1920 x 1082), 1080P (1440 x 1080), 720P (1280 x 720), VGA (640 x 480), and QVGA (320 x 240). The default setting is 720P.

[0153] On the other hand, when "Display Adjustment" is selected, the system enters a state in which an adjustment is made to reduce the positional discrepancy between the image reflected by the half mirror 11 and the partial rear camera image displayed on the LCD display 13, superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11. In this state, the LCD display 13 displays the entire image input from the rear camera. Also, a message is displayed superimposed on the entire rear camera image: "Align the mirror image with the displayed image. To adjust the image position, trace one finger on the mirror surface to move, trace two fingers to rotate, trace two fingers apart to zoom in, trace two fingers together to zoom out, trace three or more fingers apart to zoom in, and trace three or more fingers together to zoom out." When contact movement of one finger on the half mirror 11 is detected, the position of the rear camera image displayed on the LCD display 13 is moved according to the direction and magnitude of the movement. When two fingers are detected touching and moving on the half mirror 11 while maintaining their distance from each other, the rear camera image is rotated and displayed around the center of the image liquid crystal display 13 as the center of rotation according to the direction and magnitude of the movement. When two fingers are detected moving apart on the half mirror 11, the rear camera image is enlarged and displayed while maintaining the aspect ratio of the rear camera image according to the amount of enlargement of the distance between the two fingers. When two fingers are detected moving together on the half mirror 11, the rear camera image is reduced and displayed while maintaining the aspect ratio of the rear camera image according to the amount of reduction of the distance between the two fingers. When three or more fingers are detected touching the half mirror 11, the image within a polygon whose vertices are the touch positions is enlarged or reduced in the range enclosed by the vertices according to the amount of movement of each finger, and the image outside the vertices is reduced or expanded according to the amount of movement of each finger. At this time, the image is deformed with a gradient so that the parts closer to the vertices are enlarged or reduced more than the parts farther away. As a result, the parts closer to the fingers are enlarged or reduced more. In this way, the image can be deformed without maintaining the aspect ratio. For example, distortion can be easily corrected with a lens.

[0154] When the pressing of the "MODE OK" button is detected, the image of the rear camera adjusted by the corrections made so far is displayed on the LCD display 13, and the details of the corrections applied are stored. The next time the power is turned on, the setting screen is switched to the rear camera image, or the display state of the front camera image is switched to the rear camera image, the LCD display 13 displays the adjusted rear camera image based on the stored details of the corrections. The details of the corrections are stored by storing the details and amount of the operation, as well as by calculating and storing a function (e.g., an affine transformation) and its parameters (e.g., a transformation matrix, e.g., a transformation matrix for multiple corrections) for obtaining the corrected image from the image before correction. The rear camera image is then adjusted by performing a transformation process on the rear camera image based on these. The adjustment of the rear camera image is preferably performed in real time.

[0155] For example, if the image shown in FIG. 12(A) is an image output by a rear camera, without adjustment, a raw image without rendering, such as those shown in 1, 3, and 5 in the figure, would be displayed on the LCD display shown in FIG. 1. In this case, for example, assume that the image behind the vehicle is viewed as a reflected image on the half mirror 11, i.e., the central area of ​​an area obtained by dividing the entire left-right direction and the top-bottom direction into three equal parts in FIG. 12. Since the LCD display 13 is located near the right edge as shown in FIG. 1, the image of the truck near the right edge of FIG. 12 is displayed as a reflected image of the half mirror 11, superimposed on the image on the display screen of the LCD display 13 in FIG. 12. This adjustment function allows the image displayed on the display screen to be enlarged with a finger until it matches the reflected image of the part of the half mirror 11 where the display 13 is located, and then moves the display range to the right, thereby adjusting the image so that the same truck image as the reflected image appears on the display screen of the display 13. This allows the reflected image of the half mirror 11 and the displayed image on the LCD display 13 to roughly match, reducing the sense of incongruity. In particular, the larger the size of the LCD display, the more this problem can be reduced. For example, a configuration in which the display is provided over almost the entire rear surface of the half mirror, as shown in Figure 20, provides excellent results.

[0156] The "Recording File Configuration" in Figure 10(B) allows you to select the time to split and store the video file in 5-minute increments, 10-minute increments, or 15-minute increments. The default setting is 5 minutes.

[0157] "Audio Recording" can be switched off or on. The default setting is on. "Continuous Recording Overwrite" can also be switched off or on. When the overwrite setting is on and there is insufficient space on the microSD card, old files will be deleted one by one to make way for new files, as mentioned above. The default setting is on.

[0158] To select a setting item, use the "∧ VOL+" and "∨ VOL-" buttons. These buttons are also used to increase and decrease values. To confirm a setting item, press the "MODE OK" button. Pressing the "MENU" button will exit the setting screen and return to the previous mode on the setting screen (for example, video recording mode).

[0159] Next, we will explain how to change the system settings. As shown in Figure 11(A), press the "MENU" button to stop video recording, press the "MODE OK" button to select video recording mode, press the "MENU" button again to display the video recording mode settings menu, and then press the "MODE OK" button again to display the system settings menu. The system settings menu will be the screen shown in Figure 11(B).

[0160] The system settings menu includes "Date / Time," "Operation Sound," "Flickerless Function," "Default Settings," and "Version." Just as when changing video recording mode settings, you can use the "∧ VOL+," "∨ VOL-" and "MODE OK" buttons to select the desired item and change the setting. The "Operation Sound" setting is on by default and can be switched off. The flickerless function is used to match the commercial frequency of the region in which it is used, and can be set to 50Hz in Eastern Japan or 60Hz in Western Japan. The default setting is 60Hz.

[0161] When setting "Date / Time," use the "∧ VOL+," "∨ VOL-" buttons and the "MODE OK" button on the screen shown in FIG. 11(C) to change the item and increase or decrease the value.

[0162] The drive recorder 1 of the embodiment is configured to be able to select a "still image recording mode" in addition to the aforementioned "video recording mode." By selecting the "still image recording mode," still images can be taken like a digital camera.

[0163] In the still image recording mode, as shown in Figure 12(A), [1] still image recording mode icon, [2] viewfinder, [3] zoom magnification, [4] number of shots that can be taken, and [5] microSD icon are displayed on the LCD display 13 (see the circled numbers in the figure).

[0164] Here, [4] the number of shots that can be taken indicates the number of still images that can be compressed using the remaining capacity of the microSD card. [3] The zoom magnification ranges from 1.0x to 4.0x and can be increased or decreased using the "∧ VOL+" and "∨ VOL-" buttons. Note that the zoom returns to 1.0x when the power is turned off or when switching to another mode.

[0165] To record a still image in this still image recording mode, first make sure the power is on, then, as shown in Figure 12(B), if video recording is in progress, press the "MENU" button to stop video recording, press the "MODE OK" button to switch to still image recording mode, and press the "REC" button to start still image recording. In this embodiment, the resolution of the still image is fixed at 2592 x 1944.

[0166] Next, we will explain how to play back recorded files. As shown in Figure 13(A), press the "MENU" button to stop video recording, and then press the "MODE OK" button to switch to playback mode. Then, use the "∧ VOL+" and "∨ VOL-" buttons to select a recording file, and press the "REC" button to play it back. The video playback screen will be the screen shown in Figure 13(B). The still image playback screen will be the screen shown in Figure 13(C).

[0167] As shown in Figure 13(B), the video playback screen displays [1] video icon, [2] recorded video, [3] video playback operation icon, [4] file number, [5] file resolution, [6] recording date, [7] recording time, and [8] file protection icon on the LCD display 13 (see circled numbers in the figure).

[0168] As shown in Figure 13(C), the still image playback screen displays [1] still image icon, [2] recorded image, [3] operation icon, [4] file number, [5] file resolution, [6] recording date, [7] recording time, and [9] recording date and time on the LCD display 13 (see the circled numbers in the figure). Note that [9] recording date and time is the recording date and time written in the recording file.

[0169] Next, we will explain how to change the playback mode settings. As shown in Figure 14(A), press the "MENU" button to stop video recording, and then press the "MODE OK" button to select playback mode. Press the "MENU" button again to display the playback mode settings menu. The playback mode settings menu will be the screen shown in Figure 14(B).

[0170] The settings available in playback mode are "Volume," "Erase," and "Format." "Volume" sets the playback volume of recorded files, operation sounds, and startup sounds, and can be set to Off or 1 to 8. The default setting is 6. "Erase" deletes recorded files, and you can choose to delete the current file or all files. Note that overwrite-protected files cannot be erased. "Format" initializes the microSD card. Performing "Format" will also erase overwrite-protected files.

[0171] To initialize a microSD card, use the "∧ VOL+" and "∨ VOL-" buttons to select "Format" as shown in Figure 14(C), and then press the "MODE OK" button. This will switch to the format screen as shown in Figure 14(D). On this screen, select "SD card" and press the "MODE OK" button, and the screen will switch to a confirmation message screen as shown in Figure 14(E). Formatting will only begin when you use the "∨ VOL-" button to select "Confirm" and then press the "MODE OK" button.

[0172] As described above, according to this embodiment, the angle of light incident on the camera lens can be changed by 20° to the left, 20° to the right, and 10° downward, as shown in Fig. 15. This makes it possible to set the optimal shooting direction by attaching the camera to the rearview mirror, adjusting the angle of the rearview mirror, and then changing the direction of the camera lens.

[0173] Moreover, this operation can be performed from the driver's seat, so the driver can easily perform it after adjusting the rearview mirror. Furthermore, since the angle is adjusted by selecting from P1 to P6 rather than arbitrarily changing the angle, the angle adjustment operation can be performed quickly and easily. At this time, the driver can easily tell that the lens body is firmly fixed by feeling a clicking action.

[0174] In addition, the lens direction can be adjusted while the image is displayed on the LCD display behind the half mirror, allowing for reliable work, and since the LCD display is on the driver's seat side, the screen can be viewed while looking at what is in front of you.

[0175] In this embodiment, the liquid crystal display 13 is provided in a portion on the right side of the half mirror 11, but it may also be a large, horizontally elongated liquid crystal display (for example, about 9 to 12 inches diagonally) with all four sides located near the edge of the half mirror 11, approximately at the center of the half mirror 11. In this case, the entire left-right image of the rear camera may be displayed in the left-right direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal display 13, and only a portion of the image of the rear camera in the up-down direction, which is the lateral direction, for example, near the center, may be displayed by default in the up-down direction, which is the lateral direction. It is preferable to configure the display in this state to perform the adjustment described above. In this way, it is easy to align the contact position of the finger with the display position, allowing for more intuitive adjustment.

[0176] The drive recorder 1 is capable of displaying the display content on the liquid crystal display 13 by superimposing it on at least a part of the half mirror 11. The liquid crystal display 13 of the drive recorder 1 has a function of displaying an image captured by a rear camera, and has an adjustment function for adjusting to reduce the positional discrepancy between the image reflected on the half mirror 11 and visible, and the part of the image of the rear camera displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 by superimposing it on at least a part of the half mirror 11.

[0177] By doing so, the user can view the image reflected by the half mirror 11 and the rear camera image displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11 as an image with a reduced positional deviation. Also, the positional deviation of the images seen in the overlapping portion of the image reflected by the half mirror 11 and the rear camera image displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11 can be made less noticeable than before. Also, it is possible to reduce the misalignment between the image reflected by the half mirror 11 and the image displayed on the liquid crystal display 13, which makes it difficult to see. For example, it is possible to reduce the sense of discomfort felt in a portion where two images (hereinafter simply referred to as two images), the image reflected by the half mirror 11 and the rear camera image displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11, are viewed overlapping. For example, if two images show completely different areas, the image that is perceived will be a jumbled mixture of the two images, but this can be alleviated.

[0178] The two images may be configured to overlap entirely, but as in this embodiment, it is preferable to configure them so that they only partially overlap. For this partial overlap configuration, as in this embodiment, it is preferable to provide a liquid crystal display 13 having a display screen for the image from the rear camera within the entire area of ​​the half mirror 11. This can reduce the sense of incongruity in the area where the two images overlap, and also reduce the discrepancy in the continuity of the image at the boundary between the area where the two images do not overlap and the area where the two images overlap, thereby reducing the sense of incongruity at this boundary.

[0179] In this embodiment, the display screen of the liquid crystal display 13 is arranged behind the half mirror 11 so as to display an image on the liquid crystal display 13 superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11. The range of the display screen of the liquid crystal display 13 behind the half mirror is smaller than the range of the half mirror.

[0180] The positional deviation may be, for example, a deviation in the vertical or horizontal direction of the two images, or a combination of these positional deviations. The positional deviation may also be a deviation in the size of the two images. The positional deviation may also be a deviation due to distortion of at least one of the two images. The positional deviation may also be a combination of these deviations.

[0181] Therefore, in this embodiment, as an adjustment to reduce the positional deviation, a function is provided to change the display range of the image of the rear camera that is displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 and superimposed on at least a part of the half mirror 11. As a function to change this display range, a function to move the display position is provided. The function to move the display position includes a function to move it parallel and a function to move it rotationally.

[0182] For example, even if the two images, the image reflected by the half mirror 11 and the image of the rear camera displayed on the LCD display 13 superimposed on at least a part of the half mirror 11, are displayed in the same size, if the coordinates are shifted by a few millimeters, the user will see a double composite image.If the coordinates are shifted by a further 10 mm, it will become difficult to see either image, and the mirror will no longer function.However, the configuration of this embodiment can alleviate these problems.

[0183] The display also has a zoom function to change the display range. The zoom function allows you to zoom in and out while maintaining the aspect ratio of the rear camera image, as well as zoom in on at least a portion of the rear camera image without maintaining the aspect ratio. Rear camera images typically have greater distortion in the peripheral areas. However, for example, if you zoom in on the image from the rear camera and position it near the periphery, the degree of distortion may differ between the top, bottom, left, and right. This can lead to issues such as when two images overlap in parts, and other parts do not. Having a function to make such adjustments can alleviate these issues.

[0184] In this embodiment, the mirror is a flat mirror, but applying the present invention to a curved mirror will produce even better results. For example, a concave mirror may be used, but a convex mirror is particularly preferred. The half mirror 11 may be flat as in this embodiment, but may also be curved. For example, a concave mirror may be used, but a convex mirror is particularly preferred. It is preferable to automatically adjust the input rear camera image to reduce positional deviation based on a correction function previously determined from the curvature of the half mirror or the actual reflected image. Furthermore, it is preferable to display the automatically adjusted image on the LCD display 13, adjusted based on the correction function manually set as described above.

[0185] In this embodiment, the electronic device is a drive recorder 1, but it can also be a mirror that displays various camera images or other electronic devices. For example, it can be installed in a facility, store, house, etc., but it is particularly preferable to install it in a vehicle as in this embodiment, and it is particularly preferable to use it to enable the driver of the vehicle to check the situation behind. It is particularly preferable to function as a rearview mirror installed in the vehicle interior as in this embodiment. It can also function as a rearview mirror that is installed in advance in the vehicle, but it is particularly preferable to function as a retrofit rearview mirror that covers the mirror surface of the rearview mirror already installed in the vehicle and functions as a new rearview mirror as in this embodiment.

[0186] In this embodiment, the user manually adjusts the positional deviation, but the adjustment function may include a function that inputs the image output from the rear camera, automatically adjusts the image from the rear camera to reduce the positional deviation, and then applies the manually set adjustment content to the image, thereby reducing the time and effort required for the user to manually adjust the positional deviation.

[0187] As an example of automatic adjustment, in the above-described embodiment, when the image in Fig. 12(A) is described as an image output by a rear camera, without adjustment, a raw image without rendering, such as images 1, 3 to 5 in the figure, is displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 shown in Fig. 1. However, even without adjustment, a range that is expected to be reflected at the position of the liquid crystal display 13 in the half mirror 11 may be stored in advance, and adjustment by the user may be started from a state in which an image within that range is displayed on the liquid crystal display 13. For example, when an image behind the vehicle is viewed as a reflected image in the half mirror 11 in the central region of an area obtained by dividing the entire left-right direction and the top-bottom direction into three equal parts in Fig. 12, since the liquid crystal display 13 is located near the right end as shown in Fig. 1, the image of the truck near the right end in Fig. 12 is displayed superimposed on the position of the image on the display screen of the liquid crystal display 13 in Fig. 12 as a reflected image of the half mirror 11. Therefore, the magnification ratio and the amount of movement of the display range to the right side at which this reflected image and the displayed image on display 13 are the same can be stored, and the image from the rear camera to which this is applied can be displayed as an automatically adjusted image that has not been adjusted by the user, and adjustments by the user can be started from this state.

[0188] The adjustment function of this embodiment has a function of making adjustments based on parameters (e.g., a transformation matrix) for making adjustments to reduce the positional deviation between the image displayed on the LCD display 13 of the rear camera and the image reflected by the half mirror 11. In this embodiment, the user can make only one pattern of adjustments and set one parameter, but multiple patterns may also be set. For example, it is preferable to have a function of setting multiple parameters in advance. It is also preferable to have a function of allowing the user to select which of the multiple set parameters to apply to the adjustment, with fewer user operations than are required for the setting, and making adjustments to reduce the positional deviation to which the selected parameter is applied.

[0189] In this way, the user can set parameters in advance for performing adjustments to reduce this positional deviation, and can select which parameters to apply to the adjustment with fewer user operations than the number of user operations required for the setting, allowing the user to visually view two images in which the adjustments have been performed using the selected parameters. A configuration that allows the user to select which of the multiple set parameters to apply to the adjustment with fewer user operations than the number of user operations required for the setting can be, for example, configured so that the setting is performed using a setting menu and the selection is performed with a single touch. A configuration that allows the user to select which of the multiple set parameters to apply to the adjustment with fewer user operations than the number of user operations required for the setting can be configured so that the setting is performed using a button, as in this embodiment, and the selection is performed using a touch panel. It is particularly advantageous to configure the setting and the selection using physically different input means in this way. For example, the "display adjustment" item of this embodiment may be configured as multiple preset items, such as "display adjustment preset 1," "display adjustment preset 2," ..., and "display adjustment preset n." When the touch panel is touched, the display adjustment presets are switched in a predetermined order to switch parameters. For example, when the touch panel is touched once, a screen in which the rear camera image has been adjusted based on parameter 1 adjusted within the preset display adjustment preset 1 item is displayed; when the touch panel is touched again, a screen in which the rear camera image has been adjusted based on parameter 2 adjusted within the preset display adjustment preset 1 item is displayed; ..., when the touch panel is touched n times, a screen in which the rear camera image has been adjusted based on the preset parameters is displayed. Conversely, settings may be made using the touch panel and selections may be made using physical buttons. The parameters may indicate the coordinates of the display range in the rear camera image, coefficients for adjusting coordinate transformation, or a combination of these.

[0190] For example, the "multiple settings" may be configured to be set for different time periods, such as daytime and nighttime. For example, the parameters to be set multiple times may be parameters for daytime and parameters for nighttime. In particular, it may be provided with a function to notify the user to set the daytime setting and the nighttime setting. For example, the item names may be "display adjustment preset for daytime" and "display adjustment preset for nighttime."

[0191] In this embodiment, adjustments are made using the settings menu, but it would be preferable to further provide a real-time adjustment function that performs adjustments in real time when the above-mentioned operations are performed on the touch panel without entering the settings menu. In this way, when you want to temporarily view a specific location or area of ​​the rear camera image, you can enlarge or move to that location and view it. It would be even better to provide a function that returns the display to the settings previously configured in the settings menu when a specific operation, such as a two-finger touch, is detected in this state.

[0192] In the present embodiment, the configuration is such that adjustment can be made even with a touch panel provided on the half mirror 11 at a position that does not overlap the liquid crystal display 13. However, the adjustment function may be configured to detect contact of a user's finger with a portion displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11, and, based on the finger contact, perform an adjustment to reduce a positional deviation between an image reflected on the half mirror 11 and a rear camera image displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11. In this way, the user can perform an adjustment to reduce a positional deviation between an image reflected on the half mirror 11 and a rear camera image displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11 by operating the display with his / her finger. For example, detection of contact of a user's finger with a portion displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11 may be detected by a detection means such as a touch panel provided on at least a portion of the half mirror 11, and a touch panel may not be provided in an area outside the liquid crystal display 13.

[0193] It is also preferable to provide a function to detect that the direction of the half mirror 11 may have changed, and to provide a function to notify at least one of the following: that because the direction of the half mirror 11 has changed, there may be a positional deviation between the image displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 and the image reflected on the half mirror 11; and that this positional deviation needs to be readjusted; or that the direction of the half mirror 11, i.e., the direction of the drive recorder 1, for example, needs to be returned to its original state.

[0194] In this way, the user can easily realize that the cause of the positional deviation between the image reflected by the half mirror 11 and the image of the rear camera displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 superimposed on at least a part of the half mirror 11 is a possible change in the direction of the half mirror 11. For example, the positional deviation can be easily eliminated by readjusting the positional deviation or returning the direction of the half mirror 11 to its original state.

[0195] As a function for detecting that the direction of the half mirror 11 may have changed, for example, the drive recorder 1 may be provided with a function for detecting the movement and acceleration of the drive recorder 1. For example, the drive recorder 1 may be provided with a GPS and an acceleration sensor connected to a microcomputer, and the GPS may be used to detect the movement of the vehicle equipped with the drive recorder 1, and the acceleration sensor may be used to detect the direction of gravitational acceleration, and when the displacement in the direction of gravitational acceleration when the speed is 0 exceeds a predetermined reference value, the drive recorder 1 may be provided with a function for detecting that the direction of the half mirror 11 may have changed.

[0196] In addition, as a function for detecting that the direction of the half mirror 11 may have changed, it is desirable to have a function that determines that the direction of the half mirror 11 may have changed when, for example, a displacement in the shooting range of the front camera of the drive recorder 1 is detected by image recognition.

[0197] Furthermore, the drive recorder 1 may be provided with a third camera (a camera facing the interior of the vehicle) that captures the same side as the half mirror 11 (for example, an area including the rear side). For example, this camera may be provided at the upper end of the center in the left-right direction of the half mirror 11, on the rear side of the half mirror 11. The drive recorder 1 may be provided with two cameras, a front camera and a third camera, and it may be determined whether the direction of the half mirror 11 has changed based on the images from both cameras.

[0198] It is also preferable to provide a function for detecting a displacement in the direction of the half mirror 11 (for example, a displacement in the direction of the drive recorder 1) and adjusting the position to reduce a positional deviation between an image reflected by the half mirror 11 and a portion of the rear camera image displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11. In this way, when the direction of the half mirror 11 is displaced, a positional deviation between an image reflected by the half mirror 11 and a portion of the rear camera image displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11 is reduced. For example, when a displacement of the shooting range of the camera of the drive recorder 1 is detected by image recognition, it is preferable to provide an adjustment function for correcting the positional deviation according to the amount of deviation in the positional range between the image before the displacement and the image after the displacement.

[0199] The drive recorder 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a camera (for example, a front camera) whose captured range changes depending on the change in the orientation of the drive recorder 1. It is preferable to provide a function for adjusting the positional deviation according to the change in the image captured by this camera.

[0200] In this way, the positional deviation between the image reflected by the half mirror 11 and viewed when the orientation of the drive recorder 1 is displaced and the image of the rear camera displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 superimposed on at least a part of the half mirror 11 is automatically reduced.

[0201] For example, when a displacement in the imaging range of the camera of the drive recorder 1 is detected by image recognition, it is preferable to provide a function to adjust the positional deviation according to the displacement of the camera image. This camera may be a camera (a front camera) provided on a side of the drive recorder 1 different from the half mirror 11. Alternatively, this camera may be a camera that captures the same side as the half mirror 11 (for example, an area including the rear side). These two cameras may be provided in the drive recorder 1, and it may be possible to determine whether the direction of the half mirror 11 has changed based on the images from both cameras.

[0202] The device may also be provided with a function for detecting a possible change in the direction of the rear camera, and a function for notifying at least one of the following: that the change in the direction of the rear camera may have caused a positional deviation; and that the user needs to readjust the positional deviation or return the direction of the rear camera to its original position. This allows the user to easily notice that the positional deviation between the image reflected by the half mirror 11 and the portion of the rear camera image displayed on the LCD display 13 superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11 is due to a possible change in the direction of the rear camera. For example, the user can easily resolve the positional deviation by readjusting the positional deviation or returning the direction of the rear camera to its original position.

[0203] The function for detecting that the direction of the rear camera may have changed may, for example, be provided with a function for detecting the movement and acceleration of the vehicle, for example, by detecting the movement of the rear camera using GPS or the like, and detecting the direction of gravitational acceleration using an acceleration sensor or the like, and determining that the direction of the rear camera may have changed when, for example, the displacement in the direction of gravitational acceleration when the speed is 0 exceeds a predetermined reference value.The function for detecting that the direction of the rear camera may have changed may, for example, be provided with a function for determining that the direction of the rear camera may have changed when a displacement in the shooting range of the rear camera is detected by image recognition.

[0204] It is also preferable to have a function for detecting displacement in the direction of the rear camera and adjusting the image to reduce the positional discrepancy between the image reflected by the half mirror 11 and the portion of the rear camera image displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11.

[0205] This reduces the positional deviation between the image reflected by the half mirror 11 and viewed when the direction of the rear camera is displaced, and the image of the rear camera displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 superimposed on at least a part of the half mirror 11. For example, when a displacement of the imaging range of the rear camera is detected by image recognition, it is preferable to provide an adjustment function that corrects the positional deviation according to the amount of deviation between the positional ranges of the image before the displacement and the image after the displacement.

[0206] The system may also be provided with a function that automatically adjusts the range of the rear camera image displayed on the LCD display 13, superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11, based on the set positional relationship between the drive recorder 1 and the rear camera. In this way, the user can automatically reduce the positional discrepancy between the image reflected on the half mirror 11 and the image from the rear camera displayed on the LCD display 13, simply by setting the positional relationship between the drive recorder 1 and the rear camera. The positional relationship may be, for example, the set distance between the drive recorder 1 and the rear camera. When the aforementioned "Rear Camera" is selected in the settings menu, a selection menu screen for "Resolution," "Display Adjustment," and "Rear Camera Distance" is displayed. When "Rear Camera Distance" is selected, the distance may be set by increasing or decreasing it in 10-cm increments by detecting the pressing of the "∧ VOL+" or "∨ VOL-" button, and adjustments may be made accordingly. For example, because the image reflected on the half mirror tends to become larger as the distance decreases, automatic adjustments may be made to reflect this tendency.

[0207] Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a function for adjusting the positional deviation between the image visually recognized as reflected by the half mirror 11 and the portion of the rear camera image displayed on the LCD display 13 superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11, depending on the detected position of the driver's head. In this way, even if the user moves his or her head position, the image visually recognized as reflected by the half mirror 11 and the portion of the rear camera image displayed on the LCD display 13 superimposed on at least a portion of the half mirror 11 can be visually recognized with the positional deviation adjusted. For example, the correction setting according to the present embodiment is performed by a user operation at a reference position where the driver's head normally looks at the rearview mirror 11. The drive recorder 1 is provided with an in-vehicle camera, or an image from a camera that captures the driver's head, such as a DMS (Driver Monitoring System), is input to detect the driver's head position, and the three-dimensional displacement of the driver's head position from the reference position is calculated. The rear camera image is then moved by an amount corresponding to the displacement of the head position from the position corrected by the user operation and displayed. For example, if the user's head moves to the right from the reference position, the rear camera image should also be moved to the right (to a position where the left side is more visible). In this way, the rear camera image should be moved in the same direction as the head movement, so that the rear camera image shows more of the direction opposite to the head movement. The drive recorder 1 of this embodiment can also function as a digital rearview mirror. Digital rearview mirrors, which display images from a rear camera on the rearview mirror, pose two major challenges in terms of safe driving. Issue 1) Understanding distance

[0208] As shown in Figure 17, the image reflected in a conventional rearview mirror is a virtual image that uses reflection, and what is reflected there reflects the distance between the driver and objects or people, just as if they were seen directly with the naked eye. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 18, a digital mirror is an image captured by a camera, so what the driver sees is simply a screen. Therefore, to get a sense of distance on the screen, the driver needs to recognize the presence of vehicles or pedestrians behind and determine whether they are far or close based on their relative size (large or small), which requires one more process than seeing a virtual image. Task 2) Eye focus

[0209] In a conventional rearview mirror, real and virtual images are displayed at equal distances, so if an object is 80 meters away, you only need to focus on it 80 meters ahead. This means that there is no discomfort when looking at the mirror immediately after looking ahead. However, since a digital mirror is a screen, you must focus your eyes on the mirror itself (about 50 cm away). Immediately after looking at something 80m away, you need to instantly focus on a distance of 50cm, which can be difficult if you have presbyopia.

[0210] Therefore, for example, it is preferable to provide a function to detect the range in which an object exists in the image captured by the rear camera, a function to draw an object representing the detected object, and a function to change the drawing style of the object representing the detected object depending on the distance to the detected object. In this way, the user can grasp the distance to the detected object by looking at the drawing style of the object representing the detected object.

[0211] For example, as shown in Figure 20, if there are multiple ranges in which objects exist within the range displayed on the LCD display (in this figure, the LCD display covers almost the entire back side of the half-mirror surface), the closest object may be considered to be the detected object, and an object representing the detected object may be drawn in a drawing style corresponding to the distance to that object, but it is particularly preferable to draw an object representing the detected object for each of the multiple objects in a drawing style corresponding to the distance to that object.

[0212] In addition, the area in which object detection processing is performed may be limited to the range displayed on the LCD display, and object detection processing may not be performed on areas of the input rear camera image that are not displayed on the LCD display.

[0213] In this case, the object representing the detected object may be depicted by drawing a frame surrounding the detected object, with the frame color being a color that is pre-associated with the distance to the detected object. By framing the object in this way, the driver can quickly recognize the object, and the driver can recognize an object close to the vehicle simply by looking at the color of the frame. Furthermore, the distance to the framed object can be intuitively grasped. Furthermore, changing the color of the frame depending on the distance helps the driver quickly grasp the sense of distance.

[0214] The frame surrounding the object may be a frame that surrounds the entire object, but it is preferable that the frame surround at least a portion of the object. The color of the frame should change from cooler to warmer colors as the distance decreases. For example, objects farther than a first reference distance for which a frame is to be displayed should not be framed, and objects closer than the first reference distance and farther than a second reference distance (objects that are relatively close) should be framed in blue. Furthermore, objects closer than the second reference distance (objects that are close to the vehicle) should be displayed in red.

[0215] Furthermore, when the speed of the detected object is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, the object representing the detected object may be drawn in a different manner from the object's drawing manner based on distance. This allows the user to easily grasp an object approaching at a speed greater than a predetermined speed (e.g., high speed). For example, an object approaching at high speed despite being at a certain distance may be circled in orange. For example, even if the object is farther away than the first reference distance, an object detected as approaching at a speed greater than a predetermined speed may be displayed in a different manner from 12.

[0216] It is preferable to provide a function for detecting the range of an object in the image captured by the rear camera and a function for drawing an object representing the detected object, and to provide a function for drawing an object representing the detected object when it is determined that the detected object is not stationary, and a function for not drawing an object representing the detected object when it is determined that the detected object is stationary. In this way, it is possible to prevent attention from being drawn to stationary objects. It is particularly preferable to provide this function in a device having a function for detecting objects in images captured behind a vehicle.

[0217] Furthermore, the system may include a second electronic device separate from the drive recorder 1 and equipped with a display unit. The second electronic device may have a function for displaying video based on video input from a rear camera and a function for not displaying video based on video input from the rear camera of the drive recorder 1 when the video from the rear camera is displayed on the second electronic device. This prevents the display of video based on video input from the rear camera of the drive recorder 1 when the video from the rear camera is displayed on the second electronic device, allowing the half mirror 11 of the drive recorder 1 to be used as a normal mirror. In particular, the display screen of the drive recorder 1 may be turned off at this time. The second electronic device may be a navigation device equipped with a navigation function, a map display function, etc., as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22.

[0218] In particular, it is preferable to link the drive recorder 1 and the second electronic device, and when the second electronic device changes to a state where it displays the image from the rear camera, or when this state is transmitted to the drive recorder 1 side, or when the drive recorder 1 side detects this, control is performed so that the image based on the image input from the rear camera of the drive recorder 1 is not displayed. This linking is preferably performed by wireless communication such as Bluetooth.

[0219] For example, the second electronic device may be a PND (portable navigation device), and the drive recorder 1 may be the first electronic device. The two may be linked together to form a broad electronic device (which may also be called a system) that displays rearview camera images on the PND screen and serves as a sub-rearview mirror. Because it can be used in conjunction with a conventional rearview mirror, it can contribute to safer driving by compensating for the disadvantages of both. Furthermore, the PND's functions may be implemented by programs executed by a computer inside the PND.

[0220] As shown in Figure 23, the advantage of mirrors is that they provide a mirror image, allowing you to instantly grasp the sense of distance and the situation in the same way as with the naked eye. There is little change in focus of the eye, making it easy to focus. On the other hand, the disadvantages of mirrors are that blind spots can be created by passengers, luggage, and pillars, and the field of view is narrower than that of a rear camera. It can be difficult to see with the naked eye in bad weather or at night.

[0221] In contrast, the advantages of Drive Recorder 1 and Second Drive Recorder 1 are that they are not affected by the interior of the vehicle, so there are no blind spots and a wider field of view than mirrors. By using various rear cameras such as STARVIS or infrared rear cameras, it is possible to capture clear images even in bad weather or at night. Disadvantages include the fact that it is a screen, making it difficult to grasp a sense of distance. For example, there is a large difference in focus between the naked eye and the mirror, making it difficult to focus. This function can compensate for the disadvantages of both.

[0222] In this embodiment, the setting items on the setting screen are displayed as text, and the user looks at the text and selects it with a button, but for example, the drive recorder 1 may be equipped with a microphone connected to a microcomputer, and the setting item names may be recognized by voice and operated. For example, if the voice "Display adjustment preset 1" is recognized, the rear camera image may be adjusted to the adjustment content set as "Display adjustment preset 1" and displayed.

[0223] Each section of the touch panel may be assigned to operate a different operation target. For example, the left and right directions may be divided into n equal parts so that n operation targets can be operated. For example, the left one-third of the area may be used as an operation area for switching between the front camera image and the rear camera image, the central one-third of the area may be used as an operation area for adjusting the brightness of the LCD display, and the right one-third of the area may be used as an area for adjusting the display range on the LCD display.

[0224] The real-time adjustment function may be configured to move the rear camera display range vertically but not horizontally, and to assign a different function to left-right dragging (flicking). For example, the system may be configured to switch between the rear camera and front camera images when a single finger touch on the touch panel is detected, to move the rear camera display range up or down when a drag (e.g., flick) is detected in the vertical direction, or to change the screen brightness according to the direction and amount of movement when a left-right movement is detected. For example, the system may be configured to increase the brightness when dragging to the right and decrease the brightness when dragging to the left. In this embodiment, a liquid crystal display is used, but various other displays such as an organic EL display can also be used.

[0225] The device may have a built-in battery, and if power is lost from the cigarette lighter socket, it can operate on the power of the charged battery when power is available from the cigarette lighter socket. This allows recording while the vehicle is parked. In this case, it is recommended that the above-mentioned adjustment function not be executed during parked recording.

[0226] Incidentally, each function of the drive recorder 1 described above may be configured as a program to be implemented by a computer, and the computer may be built into the microcomputer described above.

[0227] Although the embodiments for carrying out the invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

[0228] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the structures expressly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of various aspects of the invention disclosed herein. While the structures of the invention sought to be patented are specified in the accompanying claims, it is the intention to claim structures disclosed herein in the future, even if they are not currently specified in the claims.

[0229] The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-described embodiments. The components of each 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 intention is to obtain rights to these as well through amendments to this application or divisional applications, etc. Even if a description such as "in the case of..." or "when..." is included, it is not intended to describe a configuration limited to that case or time. Configurations that are not limited to those cases or times are also disclosed, and the intention is to obtain rights. Furthermore, parts described in order are not limited to this order. Configurations in which some parts are deleted or the order is changed are also disclosed, and the intention is to obtain rights.

[0230] Furthermore, we intend to obtain rights to the overall design or partial design by filing a conversion application to a design application. The drawings depict the entire device in solid lines, but they also include partial designs claimed for parts of the device. For example, a partial design may be a partial design for a part of the device, or a part of that part. A partial design may be a part of the device, or a part of that part. We intend to obtain rights not only for the overall design, but also for partial designs in which any part of the solid line portion of the drawings is shown as a broken line. Furthermore, all of the modules, components, and parts inside the device's casing, as shown in the drawings, are subject to independent commerce, and we intend to similarly obtain rights by filing a conversion application to a design application. [Industrial Applicability]

[0231] The present invention can be used, for example, as an in-vehicle device for recording vehicle accidents and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0232] 1 Drive recorder, 11 Half mirror, 12 Operation buttons, 13 LCD display, 17 Speaker, 18 Microphone, 20 Main body case, 21 Bottom case, 21d Lower back projection, 22 Top case, 22a Display window, 24 Inverted L-shaped bracket, 24a Projection, 25 Coil spring, 30 Camera unit, 42 DC jack, 45 SD card slot, 51 Upper clamper, 52 Lower clamper, 60 Lens body, 61 Lens cover, 62 Camera body , 63···Printed wiring board, 64L, 64R···Pivoting shaft, 65L, 65R···Lever portion, 66L, 66R···Semispherical convex portion, 67···Lens frame, 70···Lens holder, 71···Left member, 72···Right member, 73···Holding portion, 74···Mounting arm portion, 75L, 75R···Slide groove, 76L, 76R···Semispherical recess portion, 77···Lens window, 81···Rearview mirror, 82···Cigarette lighter socket, 83···Power cord, 84···Micro SD card, 85···Computer, 86···Reader / writer.

Claims

1. An electronic device capable of displaying content displayed by a display means in a manner superimposed on at least a part of a mirror surface, The display means has a function of displaying an image captured by a camera, The device is provided with an adjustment function for adjusting the position of the image reflected on the mirror surface and the image of the camera displayed on the display means so as to be superimposed on at least a part of the mirror surface, thereby reducing the positional discrepancy between the image and the image. An electronic device characterized by:

2. The adjustment function includes a function of inputting an image output from the camera, automatically adjusting the image input from the camera to reduce the positional deviation, and then applying a manually set adjustment to reduce the positional deviation.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1,

3. The adjustment function includes a function of making adjustments based on parameters for making adjustments to reduce the positional deviation, setting a plurality of parameters in advance, allowing a user to select which of the plurality of set parameters to apply to the adjustments with fewer operations than the number of operations required by the user for the setting, and making adjustments to reduce the positional deviation to which the selected parameter is applied.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2,

4. The adjustment function includes a function of detecting contact of a user's finger with a portion displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface, and adjusting, based on the contact of the finger, to reduce a positional discrepancy between an image visually recognized as reflected on the mirror surface and an image of the camera of the portion displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a portion of the mirror surface.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein:

5. The device is provided with a function to detect that the orientation of the mirror surface may have changed, and a function to notify at least one of the following: that the orientation of the mirror surface has changed, which may have caused the positional deviation; and that the positional deviation needs to be readjusted; or that the orientation of the mirror surface needs to be returned to its original state.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein:

6. The adjustment means has a function of detecting a displacement in the direction of the mirror surface and adjusting the position to reduce a positional difference between an image reflected on the mirror surface and viewed, and a portion of the image of the camera displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a part of the mirror surface.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein:

7. The electronic device is provided with a second camera (for example, a front-facing camera) whose photographed range changes in accordance with a change in the orientation of the electronic device; The adjustment means has a function of adjusting the positional deviation in accordance with the displacement of the image of the second camera.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein:

8. The device is provided with a function to detect that the direction of the camera may have changed, and a function to notify at least one of the following: that the change in the direction of the camera may have caused a deviation in the position; and that the deviation needs to be readjusted or the direction of the camera needs to be returned to its original position.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein:

9. The device has a function of detecting a displacement in the direction of the camera and adjusting the position to reduce the positional discrepancy between the image reflected on the mirror surface and the part of the image of the camera displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a part of the mirror surface.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein:

10. The adjustment means has a function of automatically adjusting the range of the image of the camera that is displayed on the display means so as to be superimposed on at least a part of the mirror surface, in accordance with the set positional relationship between the electronic device and the camera.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein:

11. The adjustment means has a function of adjusting the positional difference between the image reflected on the mirror surface and viewed by the viewer and the part of the image of the camera displayed on the display means superimposed on at least a part of the mirror surface, in accordance with the detected position of the driver's head.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein:

12. The system has a function of detecting an area in which an object exists in the image of the camera, and a function of drawing an object representing the detected object, The system has a function of changing the rendering mode of an object representing the detected object depending on the distance to the detected object.

12. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein:

13. The object representing the detected object is drawn by drawing a frame surrounding the detected object, and the color of the frame is set in a color that is previously associated with the distance to the detected object. The electronic device according to claim 12,

14. When the speed of the detected object is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, the object representing the detected object is drawn in a different manner from the object drawn in accordance with the distance.

14. The electronic device according to claim 12 or 13,

15. The system has a function of detecting an area in which an object exists in the image of the camera, and a function of drawing an object representing the detected object, When it is determined that the detected object is not a stationary object, an object representing the detected object is drawn; The device has a function of not drawing an object representing the detected object when the detected object is determined to be a stationary object.

15. The electronic device according to claim 1,

16. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 15 is an electronic device including a second electronic device that is another electronic device and includes a display unit, The second electronic device has a function of displaying an image based on the image input from the camera, and has a function of not displaying an image based on the image input from the camera on the first electronic device when the image from the camera is being displayed on the second electronic device. An electronic device characterized by:

17. A program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

Images