Room mirror for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a room mirror for a vehicle which is equipped with a camera for imaging a rear side, capable of suppressing discomfort which a passenger is possible to feel.SOLUTION: A room mirror 1 for a vehicle which is provided in a cabin for a driver to confirm a rear side includes a rear camera 21 for imaging a rear side that is opposite to an advancement direction of a vehicle, a shielding means which shields a line of sight from a passenger side in a vehicle to make the rear camera 21 inconspicuous, and an adjusting means for adjusting an imaging direction of the rear camera 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle rearview mirror or the like that is installed inside a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, drive recorders have been used to capture and record the driving environment of a vehicle. Drive recorders that capture the image ahead of the vehicle are generally installed on the top of the windshield of the vehicle. In order to ensure the driver's field of vision as wide as possible, a rearview mirror-type drive recorder in which a camera is embedded in the rearview mirror has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Images captured by a drive recorder are useful for investigating the cause of an accident when a vehicle is involved in or causes an accident. When investigating the cause of an accident, it is useful to analyze not only images of the area ahead of the vehicle, but also the driver's condition and the rearward situation. Therefore, the rearview mirror-type drive recorder of Patent Document 1 above is equipped with multiple cameras so that it can record images of the rearward side in addition to images of the area ahead of the vehicle. Each camera can capture images of the area ahead of the vehicle, and can also change its capture direction so that it can capture images of the rearward side.

[0004] For example, if a camera is set up to film the driver, it can record how the driver drives. For example, transportation companies and taxi companies find it difficult to directly manage the driving status of their employee drivers, but if they record the driving status, they can provide post-event management and guidance, thereby improving safety. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3170691 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the conventional rearview mirror-type drive recorder capable of recording the rearward view has the following problems: For example, for a driver who is an employee, the drive recorder may feel uncomfortable because it acts as a camera monitoring the driver. Also, if the driver installs the drive recorder himself, passengers may feel similarly uncomfortable because the camera is facing them.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a vehicle rearview mirror equipped with a camera that photographs the rearward side, which can suppress the discomfort that occupants may feel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) A vehicle rearview mirror installed inside the vehicle to allow the driver to check behind the vehicle. a rear imaging means for imaging the rear side; a shielding means for blocking the line of sight from the passenger side of the vehicle to make the rear imaging means less noticeable; The vehicle rearview mirror may preferably include an adjustment means for adjusting the photographing direction of the rear photographing means.

[0009] This vehicle rearview mirror is provided with a shielding means that blocks the line of sight and makes the rear imaging means less noticeable. Making the rear imaging means less noticeable reduces the likelihood that vehicle occupants will notice the presence of the rear imaging means, thereby reducing the risk of discomfort.

[0010] In the case of a vehicle rearview mirror, the orientation of the mirror surface is adjusted appropriately depending on the driver's viewpoint height, etc. If the shooting direction of the rear image capturing means were fixed, the shooting direction would change depending on the driver, and the desired captured image may not be obtained. The vehicle rearview mirror of the present invention is equipped with an adjustment means for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear image capturing means, so the desired captured image can be obtained without depending on the driver's adjustment of the mirror surface orientation, etc.

[0011] Furthermore, while the mirror surface is generally tilted toward the driver so that the driver can see directly behind through the mirror surface, the shooting direction toward the subject may be set to a direction different from the mirror surface. As a result, there is a problem that the passenger who is the subject of the image can easily notice that the shooting direction is different from the mirror surface direction, which can cause discomfort. However, this method can solve this problem specific to vehicle rearview mirrors.

[0012] In this way, by adopting the above-described configuration, it is possible to capture images of the rear side while suppressing discomfort that may be felt by the occupants.

[0013] Furthermore, with the above configuration, it is possible to acquire the desired captured image while minimizing the risk of the occupants noticing. For example, when capturing an image of the outside of the vehicle through the rear window, it is possible to acquire an image of the outside of the vehicle while minimizing the occupants' unnecessary concerns that they may be being photographed. For example, when a vehicle manager or the like wants to photograph the driver, it is possible to acquire an image of the driver while minimizing the occupants' discomfort at being photographed.

[0014] The shielding means may be configured to "block the line of sight," for example, by making it difficult for the occupant to recognize the imaging direction of the rear imaging means, and particularly by making it impossible for the occupant to recognize the imaging direction of the rear imaging means. An example of a manner in which the line of sight is blocked is by making it difficult for the occupant to see at least a portion of the rear imaging means, and preferably by making it difficult for the occupant to see the entire rear imaging means. A particularly difficult-to-see manner is by making it invisible. The shielding means may be configured, for example, by making at least a portion of the rear imaging means invisible to the occupant, and preferably by making it difficult for the occupant to recognize the imaging direction of the rear imaging means. The occupant may particularly be an occupant who is the subject of image capture by the rear imaging means.

[0015] Furthermore, for example, the shielding means may be configured to shield the image capturing direction of the rear image capturing means, and may be configured to enable acquisition of an image beyond the shielding means through the shielding means. For example, the shielding means may be configured as a slit or a group of slits that are difficult to see from the outside and are provided in the image capturing direction of the rear image capturing means. The shielding means may also be a means that is translucent at least in the image capturing direction and makes the rear image capturing means difficult for occupants to see. For example, the following configuration (2) may be used. The rearward imaging means may be configured to capture an image of at least an area behind the mirror surface of the rearview mirror. The rearward imaging means may be configured to capture an image including the area in front of the vehicle, or may be configured to be adjustable by an adjustment means so that only the area in front of the vehicle can be captured.

[0016] (2) The shielding means is a translucent mirror that forms at least a part of the mirror surface of the vehicle rearview mirror, The rearward imaging means may be configured to take an image through the half mirror.

[0017] By using the half mirror that forms at least a part of the mirror surface, the rear image capturing means can be made less noticeable by the mirror surface that realizes the original function of the vehicle rearview mirror, and the risk of causing discomfort to the occupants is reduced. Furthermore, since it is possible to suppress the need to arrange an optical lens or the like that constitutes the rear image capturing means outside the mirror surface, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the vehicle rearview mirror and maintain good forward visibility for the driver.

[0018] The adjustment means may be configured so that the rear imaging means can be swiveled, particularly in the left-right direction. It may also be configured to include a shielding means for the adjustment means that makes the adjustment means less noticeable. The shielding means for the adjustment means may also be configured in the same way as the shielding means (hereinafter also referred to as the imaging means shielding means). The adjustment means may also be configured as in (3) below.

[0019] (3) The adjustment means may be configured to be able to change the photographing direction of the rear photographing means in the horizontal and vertical directions. In this case, if the shooting direction can be changed up, down, left, or right to acquire the desired image, it becomes possible to appropriately respond to cases where, for example, an image of a passenger such as a driver is to be captured, or an image of the rear of the vehicle over the passenger's head is to be captured, and the desired image can be easily acquired. Note that the adjustment means should preferably be configured to be attached inside the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror. In other words, it is preferable to attach it inside the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror, rather than attaching it to the outside as in Patent Document 1.

[0020] If the orientation of the vehicle rearview mirror is adjustable, a misalignment may occur between the coordinate axes based on the vehicle rearview mirror and those based on the direction of gravitational acceleration, such as a misalignment between the up-down direction of the vehicle rearview mirror and the direction of gravitational acceleration. The horizontal and vertical directions may be horizontal and vertical with respect to the coordinate axes based on the vehicle rearview mirror, but it is particularly preferable to set them horizontal and vertical with respect to the coordinate axes based on the direction of gravitational acceleration. This allows for capturing images with reduced tilt of the subject regardless of the orientation of the vehicle rearview mirror. The horizontal and vertical directions with respect to the coordinate axes based on the direction of gravitational acceleration may be set in advance to accommodate the angle of misalignment based on the degree to which the vehicle rearview mirror is typically misaligned with the direction of gravitational acceleration. However, it is particularly preferable for the adjustment means to be rotatable around a predetermined axis, and for the rotation to change the shooting direction of the rearview imaging means. The predetermined axis may particularly preferably be the shooting direction of the rearview imaging means. In this way, it is possible to cancel out horizontal and vertical fluctuations caused by adjusting the rearview mirror and easily align the vertical direction of the captured image with the direction of gravity, preventing the image from being difficult to see when viewed on the screen due to being tilted relative to the four sides or horizontal lines of the screen, and reducing the possibility of misevaluating the content of the image.

[0021] (4) The rear imaging means is preferably held on the main body side of the vehicle rearview mirror via a ball joint mechanism that slidably holds a spherical portion having a convex spherical outer surface with a concave spherical inner surface, and the imaging direction can be adjusted using the ball joint mechanism.

[0022] In this case, a mechanism for changing the imaging direction can be realized with a relatively simple configuration. Furthermore, if a ball joint mechanism is used, both a mechanism for changing the imaging direction in the vertical direction and a mechanism for changing the imaging direction in the horizontal direction can be realized simultaneously, thereby achieving a smaller size and lower cost compared to, for example, when each mechanism is provided independently. For example, the imaging means may be housed in a spherical housing with a portion thereof open, including the imaging direction, and the housing may be placed in the housing of a vehicle rearview mirror, and the housing containing the imaging means may be attached so that it can be moved to adjust the imaging direction of the imaging means. In particular, a type of ball joint structure is preferable. This allows the angle to be changed relatively freely. In particular, the rear imaging means may be provided inside the ball joint.

[0023] The operation unit for changing the shooting direction may be configured to be adjustable, for example, from the back side of the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror (the side opposite the mirror). Even if the angle between the mirror surface and the shooting direction is adjusted so that the rearward imaging means faces a predetermined shooting direction, the vehicle rearview mirror may need to be readjusted depending on the driver's physique and seat position, so it is desirable to adjust the angle of the rearward imaging means relative to the mirror surface accordingly. Also, depending on how the vehicle is used, it may be better to set the shooting direction to an angle that compensates for the blind spot of the vehicle rearview mirror rather than centering it on the rearward front. If the shooting direction of the imaging means can be adjusted from the back side of the vehicle rearview mirror in this way, the adjustment mechanism will not be visible to the driver or passengers, which is a good appearance.

[0024] (5) It is preferable that the operation unit for changing the photographing direction is disposed on the side. If the operation unit is located on the rear side, it may be difficult for the occupant to change the shooting direction because it is not visible to the occupant. On the other hand, if the operation unit is located on the front side, the vehicle rearview mirror will become larger, which may impair forward visibility. Therefore, if the operation unit is located on the side, the driver or the like can reach out and change the shooting direction relatively easily, and the vehicle rearview mirror can be prevented from becoming larger, thereby maintaining good forward visibility.

[0025] (6) A vehicle rearview mirror that is retrofitted by covering the mirror surface of an existing rearview mirror installed in the vehicle interior so that the driver can check behind the vehicle. The operating unit for changing the shooting direction may be provided on the back of the vehicle rearview mirror in a portion that does not face the existing rearview mirror when attached to the existing rearview mirror.

[0026] Even in the case of a vehicle rearview mirror of an aftermarket type that covers an existing rearview mirror, if the operating unit is arranged in a part that does not face the existing rearview mirror as described above, the operating unit can be operated without removing it from the existing rearview mirror, and whenever it becomes necessary to change the shooting direction, the shooting direction can be easily changed without removing it from the existing rearview mirror.

[0027] (7) A vehicle rearview mirror that is retrofitted by covering the mirror surface of an existing rearview mirror installed in the vehicle interior so that the driver can check behind the vehicle. The operation unit for changing the shooting direction may be provided on the rear surface facing the existing rearview mirror at a position that can be operated from the outer periphery of the existing rearview mirror.

[0028] Even in the case of a vehicle rearview mirror of an aftermarket type that covers an existing rearview mirror, if the operating unit is located in a position that can be operated from the outer periphery of the existing rearview mirror as described above, the operating unit can be operated without removing it from the existing rearview mirror.Whenever it becomes necessary to change the shooting direction, the shooting direction can be easily changed without removing it from the existing rearview mirror.

[0029] The operation unit may be configured to adjust the shooting direction of the rear imaging means using, for example, a tool. For example, a hole may be provided for inserting a rod-shaped object such as a screwdriver, and the object may be inserted into the hole to adjust the shooting direction. However, it is particularly preferable to configure the operation unit to adjust the shooting direction with a finger. For example, a protrusion may be provided on the operation unit, and the shooting direction may be adjusted by placing a finger on the protrusion. In particular, a protrusion may be provided on the housing that houses the rear imaging means in the direction opposite to the lens surface of the rear imaging means, and a hole may be drilled on the back of the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror so that the protrusion can be touched through the hole, and the angle of the shooting direction of the rear imaging means may be adjusted by moving the protrusion. By providing the protrusion, the angle can be adjusted relatively easily with a fingertip without a special tool.

[0030] It is preferable to have a structure in which the imaging means and a circuit for recording the image captured by the imaging means are housed in the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror, and the vehicle rearview mirror can be attached by placing it over the vehicle's existing rearview mirror. In this way, when retrofitting the vehicle, it can be installed more easily than replacing the vehicle's existing rearview mirror. In a vehicle rearview mirror that is attached to an existing vehicle rearview mirror, the imaging device is provided inside the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror, while the adjustment device has a portion that protrudes outside the existing rearview mirror. In this way, the attached vehicle rearview mirror can be adjusted without having to be removed each time.

[0031] (8) The rear imaging means may have a control means for storing the captured images acquired in a storage medium, and the control means may be configured to repeatedly store new captured images while securing storage space by deleting older captured images while receiving power from the vehicle. In this case, a rearview mirror type drive recorder can be realized. By providing the drive recorder function to the rearview mirror, the drive recorder function can be realized while ensuring a wide field of view for the driver, and the possibility that the vehicle occupants will not notice the presence of the rear imaging means is reduced, allowing the state of the occupants to be recorded in a natural state without being aware that they are being filmed.

[0032] (9) It is preferable that the vehicle is configured to include a front imaging means for capturing an image of the space outside the vehicle in front of the vehicle. In this case, a photographed image of the front side can be acquired without installing a camera for the front side, etc., separately from the vehicle rearview mirror of the present invention, on the windshield, etc. By using this vehicle rearview mirror, it is possible to acquire both a photographed image of the rear side and a photographed image of the front side, with little risk of causing a complicated installation situation.

[0033] (10) At least a part of the mirror surface of the vehicle rearview mirror is formed by a half mirror which is a light-transmitting mirror surface, and the rear image capturing means is configured to capture images through the half mirror, It is preferable to provide a brightness adjustment means for suppressing the difference in brightness between the image captured by the rear imaging means, which captures images through a half mirror, and the image captured by the front imaging means, which captures images without using a half mirror.

[0034] When an image is captured through a half mirror, which has the optical property of reflecting part of the incident light and transmitting part of it, the brightness of the captured image tends to be impaired. Therefore, there is a high possibility that a difference in brightness will occur between the image captured by the rear imaging means through the half mirror and the image captured by the front imaging means without the half mirror. By providing the brightness adjustment means, the difference in brightness can be reduced, and the sense of incongruity can be reduced, for example, when the image captured by the rear imaging means and the image captured by the front imaging means are displayed side by side or when they are switched between being displayed.

[0035] (11) It is preferable that the camera is configured to include an adjustment means for adjusting the photographing direction of the front photographing means. In this case, it is possible to photograph the desired forward direction regardless of the direction in which the driver adjusts the mirror surface.

[0036] (12) It is preferable that an adjustment means is shared between the rearward imaging means and the forward imaging means, and that the imaging direction of the rearward imaging means and the imaging direction of the forward imaging means can be changed in conjunction with each other.

[0037] For example, when the front imaging means captures the image in the direction of travel of the vehicle and the rear imaging means captures the image behind the vehicle along the direction of travel of the vehicle, the imaging directions of the front imaging means and the rear imaging means are opposite by 180 degrees. If the adjustment means is shared between the front imaging means and the rear imaging means, the effort required to adjust the imaging directions can be reduced. In this way, it is particularly preferable to configure the imaging directions of the front imaging means and the rear imaging means to be able to change the imaging directions in conjunction with each other by the adjustment means while maintaining a preset angular relationship.

[0038] (13) It is preferable to provide an image display means for displaying image information, and a means for suppressing reflection of light from the image display means onto the rearward imaging means. If light from the screen on which the image display means displays image information is reflected on the rear image capturing means, it will be impossible to obtain a high-quality captured image. By providing a means for suppressing light reflection on the rear image capturing means as described above, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the captured image by the rear image capturing means even when the image display means is provided. In particular, a significant effect is achieved when the capturing direction of the rear image capturing means and the display direction of the image display means are both configured to face the vehicle interior. Furthermore, for example, a vehicle rearview mirror may be configured such that an image display means for displaying image information is provided outside the housing of the mirror incorporating the rearview imaging means, thereby suppressing light reflection from the image display means. In particular, a vehicle rearview mirror may be configured such that the image display means for displaying image information is provided outside the housing of the mirror incorporating the rearview imaging means, and the image display means is attached to the housing of the mirror with a foldable structure or a sliding structure that can be removed when needed, thereby suppressing light reflection from the image display means. In this manner, images captured by the rearview imaging means can be viewed on the image display means only when desired, and the image display means can be stored in an inconspicuous position at other times. Furthermore, a vehicle rearview mirror may be configured such that image information is transmitted between the external image display means for displaying image information and the rearview mirror incorporating a rearview imaging camera via wireless communication. The external image display means may be a smartphone (multi-function mobile phone) or the like. The wireless communication may be performed, for example, via Wi-Fi, for example, by transmitting images captured by the rearview imaging means to the smartphone and displaying the received images on the smartphone. (14) It is preferable that the vehicle be configured to include a lighting means for illuminating at least a part of the imaging range of the rear imaging means, and a light shielding means for blocking the line of sight from the vehicle occupants to make the lighting means less noticeable. If a high-sensitivity infrared camera is used as the rear imaging means, the illumination means can be omitted. However, if the configuration described in (14) is adopted, even if a general camera is used, it is possible to capture a clearer image of the area illuminated by the illumination means even in a situation where there is insufficient light for the rear imaging means to capture an image, such as at night. For example, when the rear imaging means captures an image of the interior of a vehicle, it is preferable to set the capture range so that at least a portion of the passengers inside the vehicle are captured. The illumination means may be, for example, a means that emits light that is difficult for people to see so as not to stand out. In particular, the rear imaging means may be one that has sensitivity characteristics from the visible light region to the infrared region, and the illumination means may be an infrared LED. The illumination shielding means may be a plate-like or lens-like object. In particular, it may be an object that covers the direction of irradiation of the illumination means. If the illumination means emits infrared light, it may be covered with a plate-like or lens-like object that has filter properties that allow infrared light to pass through. (15) The illumination shielding means may be the shielding means. The shielding means and the illumination shielding means may be made of the same material, and in particular, the shielding means and the illumination shielding means may be made of the same material. For example, an infrared LED can be used as the lighting means, and the shielding means and lighting shielding means can be placed inside a half mirror made of the same material, along with a camera or the like as a rear imaging means. In this way, it will not stand out from the outside, and it will be difficult for the subject of the photograph to realize that lighting and imaging are being performed. (16) It is preferable to provide an incidence suppression means for suppressing the incidence of reflected light from the illumination blocking means on the image captured by the rear imaging means. For example, if the shielding means and the illumination shielding means are made of the same member, for example, a half mirror, the illumination light from the illumination means will be reflected by the half mirror and enter the rear imaging means, and the image of the imaging range will not be captured due to the light reflected by the half mirror, making it impossible to take a normal photograph. This problem occurs particularly when the configuration of (15) is provided. Therefore, by adopting the above (16), the image within the imaging range of the rear imaging means can be properly captured by the light reflected by the illumination blocking means. The incidence suppression means may have any configuration as long as it is configured to suppress the incidence of light reflected by the illumination shielding means, but it is particularly preferable to have a structure that optically separates the space between the illumination means and the illumination shielding means and the space between the rear imaging means and the shielding means. For example, a shielding plate or the like may be provided between the two spaces. It is also preferable to have a structure that separates the two spaces by a distance greater than that at which reflected light from the illumination shielding means is unlikely to enter. (17) The illumination shielding means may be disposed outside the shielding means. In particular, it is preferable that the illumination shielding means is configured as a separate body from the shielding means. (18) The illumination blocking means may comprise at least one of an operating unit provided on the vehicle rearview mirror and a dummy member that appears to be an operating unit provided on the vehicle rearview mirror. In this way, the presence of the lighting means becomes less noticeable to the person being photographed. As an example of the configuration of (14) to (18) above, for example, the following is preferable. 1. The infrared LED for lighting is placed outside the mirror, and a partition is placed between the mirror and the infrared LED. 2. To camouflage the infrared LED, cover it with a plate-like or lens-like object that has filtering properties that allow infrared light to pass through. 3. A partition is provided between the plate-like or lens-like object and the mirror. 4. An operation button or a dummy operation button is made from a resin or the like that transmits infrared light and is installed on the outside of the mirror, so that infrared light is emitted from behind the button.

[0039] (19) The vehicle rearview mirror may be provided with a fixing means for fixing the rear imaging means in place of the above-described adjusting means or together with the adjusting means. The fixing means may be configured to fix the rear imaging means to the housing, for example, by fixing a board equipped with a camera with screws or the like. The configuration that includes a fixing means for fixing the rear imaging means instead of an adjustment means is a vehicle rearview mirror that is installed inside the vehicle cabin so that the driver can check behind, and is equipped with a rear imaging means for photographing the rear side and a shielding means for blocking the line of sight from the vehicle occupants to make the rear imaging means less noticeable. For example, in the above-described configuration, an adjustment means is provided. However, the adjustment means may not be provided, and the imaging means may be housed in the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror, with the imaging means attached at an angle where the imaging direction (e.g., the optical axis of the camera) of the imaging means is offset from the normal direction of the mirror surface (the direction perpendicular to the mirror surface). The vehicle rearview mirror adjusts the angle of the mirror surface so that the driver can check the rear. In this case, if the rear imaging means is attached so that the imaging direction is the normal direction of the mirror surface, the rear imaging means will not face the rearward direction. In this way, this can be corrected to enable the rearward direction to be photographed.

[0040] For example, the components described in each of the above items (1) to (19) may be arbitrarily combined to form a device. In particular, a device having at least one of the components (1) or (19) is preferable. More preferably, a device having a combination of the components described in each of the above items (1) to (19) is preferable. Although each component may be formed independently, a device having a combination of two or more components from any of (1) to (19) will provide excellent effects. In particular, a combination having the component (1) is preferable. An example of the configuration is as follows. A rearview mirror installed inside the vehicle to allow the driver to check behind the vehicle. a first imaging means for capturing an image of the area in front of the vehicle; a second imaging means for imaging the interior and rear of the vehicle; a recording means for recording images captured by both of the imaging means; At least the second imaging means is disposed inside the housing of the rearview mirror; The shooting angle and the rear window are set to capture both the passengers and the situation outside the vehicle. Set the installation accuracy, a shielding means for blocking the line of sight from the passenger side of the vehicle to make the second imaging means less noticeable; A vehicle rearview mirror equipped with: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0041] [Figure 1]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rearview mirror in the first embodiment, viewed from the front side. [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view of the rearview mirror in the first embodiment, viewed from the rear side. FIG. [Figure 3] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams showing a procedure for attaching the device to an existing rearview mirror in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the assembly structure of the rearview mirror in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a case for accommodating an electronic board in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of a camera holding part in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the cross-sectional structure of a camera holding portion in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 3A and 3B are a front view and a side view showing a forward camera in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 3A and 3B are a front view and a side view showing a rear camera in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an adjustment means for the camera axis of the front camera in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an adjustment means for the camera axis of the rear camera in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an electronic board in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of power supply through a cigarette lighter plug cord in the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a method for viewing image data recorded on a microSD card on a PC in the first embodiment. [Figure 15] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the cross-sectional structure of another camera holding portion in the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing another camera adjustment means in the first embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a first rearview mirror in a second embodiment, seen from the rear side. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a second rearview mirror in the second embodiment, seen from the rear side. [Figure 19]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure of a second rearview mirror in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] The embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described using the following examples. Example 1 The vehicle rearview mirror 1 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is an aftermarket rearview mirror that is attached by covering the rearview mirror already installed in the vehicle as shown in Figure 3. This vehicle rearview mirror 1 is an electronic device that includes a front camera 25 (described later with reference to Figure 8) that captures an image ahead in the traveling direction, a rearview camera 21 (Figure 9) that is an example of a rearward imaging means that captures an image behind, and a liquid crystal display 30 (Figure 4) that is an example of an image display means, and has an image recording function (video recording function) and a display function. In the following description, the vehicle rearview mirror of the present invention will be simply referred to as the rearview mirror 1, and the rearview mirror originally installed in the vehicle will be referred to as the existing mirror.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a mirror surface 160 is formed on the front of the rearview mirror 1 that faces the driver when the rearview mirror 1 is mounted, and an operation area 170 is provided on the left end where operation buttons 171 for operation and setting are arranged. On the mirror surface 160, the screen area of ​​the liquid crystal display 30 (dashed line area 165 in FIG. 1) is located on the left side, and the lens area of ​​the rearview camera 21 (dashed line area 161) is located on the right side. The mirror surface 160 excluding the dashed line areas 161 and 165 reflects nearly 100% of incident light, while the dashed line areas 161 and 165 have the characteristics of a half mirror that reflects part of the incident light and transmits part of it. In particular, the half mirror in the dashed line area 161 serves as an example of a shielding means that blocks the view from the passenger side, making the rearview camera 21 less noticeable.

[0044] A camera holder 130 for holding the rear camera 21 is provided on the rear side of the right end, which is the driver's side of a right-hand drive vehicle. As will be described later with reference to Figure 7, the front camera 25 is housed at the tip of the camera holder 130, and the rear camera 21 is housed at the base. A power terminal 37 for supplying power and a slot 35 for inserting a microSD card are arranged on the side surface of the end on the opposite side of the rearview mirror 1 (see Figure 2).

[0045] Hooks 141 and 142 are provided in the center of the rear face of the rearview mirror 1 for attachment to an existing mirror (see FIG. 2). A total of four hooks are provided, with a pair of upper and lower hooks 141 and 142 arranged on the left and right sides of the center of the rearview mirror 1. The upper hook 141 is able to slide up and down relative to the lower hook 142 fixed to the rear face of the rearview mirror 1. The upper hook 141 is biased toward the lower hook 142 by an elastic member (not shown), and is positioned so that the gap between the upper hook 141 and the lower hook 142 is narrowest when the rearview mirror 1 is removed.

[0046] 3(A), when attaching the rearview mirror 1 to the existing mirror 81, the upper hook 141 is hooked onto the top of the existing mirror 81, and the rearview mirror 1 is pulled downward to slide the hook 141 and increase the distance between the upper and lower hooks 141, 142. With the upper and lower hooks 141, 142 spread apart in this manner, the lower hook 142 is turned to the underside of the existing mirror 81, and then the rearview mirror 1 is pushed upward until the lower hook 142 presses against the lower edge of the existing mirror 81.

[0047] At this time, the upper hook 141, to which the biasing force of the elastic member is applied, slides to reduce the distance between it and the lower hook 142 while maintaining a state of being pressed against the upper edge of the existing mirror 81. As a result, as shown in Fig. 1B, the existing mirror 81 is sandwiched between the upper and lower hooks 141, 142, thereby enabling the rearview mirror 1 to be attached, and this attached state is maintained by the above-mentioned biasing force. Note that in Fig. 1B, the camera holder 130 that protrudes on the rear side is not shown.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 4, the rearview mirror 1 is configured by housing an electronic board 3 in a horizontally elongated housing 10. The housing 10 has a two-part structure consisting of a front cover 15 facing the driver and a rear case 11 facing the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0049] The cover 15 is a resin member having a recess 158 formed on the front side to accommodate the plate-shaped mirror 16, and an outer peripheral frame 159 formed to surround the recess 158. A through-hole 152 or a through-window 155 is formed in the bottom surface of the recess 158, corresponding to the dashed-line areas 161 and 165 in FIG. 1. In FIG. 4, the through-window 155 on the left side is a window that opens at a position corresponding to the display screen of the liquid crystal display 30 housed inside. The through-hole 152 on the right side is a hole that opens at a position corresponding to the lens 213 (FIG. 9) of the rear camera 21 housed inside. This through-hole 152 is provided at a position corresponding to a communication hole 112 on the case 11 side, which will be described later.

[0050] Like the cover 15, the case 11 is a resin member, and is configured so that the electronic board 3 can be housed in the internal space when the cover 15 is combined. Inside the case 11, a partition 115 is provided to separate the space at the base of the camera holding part 130. The electronic board 3 is located on the opposite side separated by this partition 115 (see FIG. 5). Although not shown, a corresponding partition is also provided on the cover 15 side. When the case 11 is combined with the cover 15, both partitions match and function as a partition wall (reference numeral 107 in FIG. 7) that separates the internal space of the housing 10.

[0051] The camera holding portion 130, which is erected on the rear side of the case 11, has a split structure, split into left and right halves along its erection direction, as shown in FIG. 6 . The camera holding portion 130 is formed by combining a receiving portion 130A, which is resin-molded integrally with the case 11, with a camera cover 130B, which is a fitted component. A groove 130T is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the camera holding portion 130, along the mating surface between the receiving portion 130A and the camera cover 130B. This groove 130T is for accommodating the control cable 21C of the rear camera 21 and the control cable 25C of the front camera 25. The groove 130T is formed to communicate between a hole 130H drilled approximately midway along the erection direction of the camera holding portion 130 and a hole 11H drilled to open to the rear surface of the case 11. The groove 130T can be covered with a cover 130C. By attaching the cover 130C, the external appearance can be improved and the control cables 21C and 25C can be protected.

[0052] 6 and 7, the receiving portion 130A on the main body side of the case 11 has two substantially hemispherical accommodation shapes 131A and 135A formed at the tip and base sides. Note that Fig. 7 shows the cross-sectional structure of the rearview mirror 1 along the erection direction of the camera holding portion 130. The camera cover 130B side also has an approximately hemispherical storage shape (not shown) similar to that on the case 11 side, and when the camera cover 130B is combined with the receiving part 130A, storage parts 131 and 135 forming approximately spherical spaces are formed at two locations, at the tip side and base side of the camera holding part 130.

[0053] The tip-side storage section 135 communicates with the outside (forward in the direction of travel) via an opening 136 at the tip of the camera holding section 130. The base-side storage section 131 communicates with the internal space of the housing 10 via a communication hole 112 on the bottom surface of the case 11. The tip-side storage section 135 stores the front camera 25 of FIG. 8, and the base-side storage section 131 stores the rear camera 21 of FIG. 9. An adjustment hole 132 for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 is provided in the part of the outer periphery of the storage section 131 on the outer periphery of the camera cover 130B.

[0054] 8 is a camera in which a camera unit including an imaging element is housed in a substantially spherical holder 250. A lens tube 252 having a substantially cylindrical outer shape and holding a lens 253 protrudes from one point on the outer periphery, and a control cable (not shown) extends from the opposite side. 9 is a camera in which a camera unit is housed in a substantially spherical holder 210, similar to the front camera 25. The rear camera 21 in Fig. 9 differs from the front camera 25 in that it is provided with an adjustment knob 215, which is an example of an operation unit that constitutes a means for adjusting the shooting direction. This adjustment knob 215 protrudes in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the lens 213, which corresponds to the shooting direction.

[0055] The front camera 25 is assembled with the lens barrel 252 positioned in the opening 136 provided at the tip of the camera holding part 130 (see FIG. 7). The rear camera 21 is assembled with the adjustment knob 215 positioned in the adjustment hole 132 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the camera cover 130B and the lens 213 positioned in the communication hole 112 of the case 11 (see FIGS. 5 and 7). In the rearview mirror 1, the combination of the adjustment knob 215 and the adjustment hole 132 is an example of an adjustment means for adjusting the shooting direction (camera axis) of the rearview camera 21.

[0056] Rear camera 21 captures an image of the rearward direction through communication hole 112 in case 11, through-hole 152 in cover 15, and dashed line area 161 in mirror 16 (see FIG. 7). Note that dashed line area 161 is an area in mirror 16, which has reflective films 165, 166 laminated on the rear surface of transparent glass 163. Unlike the nearly perfect reflective film 165 around it, dashed line area 161 is an area where reflective film 166 is laminated, which has enough translucency to allow rear camera 21 to capture an image of the rearward direction, and exhibits the properties of a half mirror.

[0057] 7 to 9, the radius of curvature of the inner peripheral surface of each housing portion 131, 135 of camera holding unit 130 is approximately the same as the radius of the approximately spherical holders 210, 250 of the corresponding cameras 21, 25. However, in camera cover 130B, the depth of each approximately hemispherical housing shape is slightly shallower than the radius of holders 210, 250. When camera cover 130B is fitted into receiving portion 130A with each camera 21, 25 positioned in a predetermined position, a pressing force is generated from the inner peripheral surface of camera holding unit 130 onto the outer peripheral surface of each camera 21, 25. This pressing force allows the shooting direction of each camera 21, 25 to be appropriately fixed, i.e., so that the cameras do not move when no operation is applied with a fingertip or the like, but move only to the extent that they move when an operating force is applied with a fingertip or the like.

[0058] 10, the shooting direction of front camera 25 can be adjusted up and down and left and right by operating with a fingertip or the like to change the position of lens barrel 252 within opening 136 at the tip of camera holding part 130. Furthermore, by pinching and rotating lens barrel 252, it can be rotated around the camera axis corresponding to the shooting direction, and the tilt of the captured image can be adjusted.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 11, the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 can be adjusted up and down and left and right by using a fingertip or the like to change the position of an adjustment knob 215 in an adjustment hole 132 that opens into the outer peripheral side surface of the camera holding part 130. The shooting direction can be adjusted left and right by moving the adjustment knob 215 back and forth in the direction of travel. The shooting direction can be adjusted up and down by rotating the adjustment knob 215. The tilt of the captured image can be adjusted by moving the adjustment knob 215 up and down. As described above, each of the cameras 21 and 25 is appropriately fixed as described above by the pressing force from the inner peripheral surface of the camera holding portion 130, so that the adjusted photographing direction can be held with high reliability.

[0060] In the camera holding portion 130 that holds the rear camera 21 and the front camera 25, an internal space 130R is formed in the intermediate portion sandwiched between the two cameras 21, 25. The control cables 21C, 25C of each camera 21, 25 are connected to the rear side of each camera 21, 25, i.e., the side opposite the lens, so as to be positioned in this internal space 130R. The control cables 21C, 25C are flexible enough to allow for fluctuations in the shooting direction of each camera 21, 25, and are slackened within the internal space 130R. The control cables 21C, 25C are taken out to the outer periphery through a hole 130H drilled in the camera holding portion 130 and reach the inside of the housing 10 via a groove 130T and a hole 11H.

[0061] The electronic board 3 of the rearview mirror 1 shown in Fig. 12 is a double-sided board. The mounting surface (Fig. 1A) corresponding to the front side of the rearview mirror 1 is provided with an LCD display 30, chip switches 36 corresponding to the operation buttons 171 (Fig. 1), etc. The mounting surface (Fig. 1B) corresponding to the rear side is provided with an electronic circuit including a microcomputer 32 equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, RTC (timekeeping unit), etc., a card connector 350, a plug connector 370, etc. The front camera 25 and rear camera 21 are electrically connected to the electronic board 3 via control cables 25C, 21C. Each camera 21, 25 is supplied with power via these control cables 21C, 25C to operate, and outputs an output signal via the control cables 21C, 25C.

[0062] The card connector 350 is a connector that holds a microSD card inserted into the slot 35. The card connector 350 holds a microSD card, which is an example of an electronic storage medium, and establishes an electrical connection with the electronic board 3. The plug connector 370 is a component of the power terminal 37. The plug connector 370 is a connector that is compatible with the plug 45 (see FIG. 13) provided at the tip of a cigarette lighter plug.

[0063] The ROM of the microcomputer 32 stores various programs such as an image processing program for recording image data acquired by the front camera 25 and the rear camera 21 onto a microSD card, an OS (Operating System), etc. The CPU of the microcomputer 32 reads and executes these programs to realize various functions such as continuous recording of image data and display of recorded image data.

[0064] A rearview mirror 1 with a drive recorder function operates by receiving power from the vehicle via a power cord such as a cigarette lighter plug cord 4, as shown in Fig. 13. The cigarette lighter plug cord 4 is a power cord having a cigarette lighter plug 40 for connecting to a cigarette lighter socket 83 on the vehicle, to which power supply starts when the vehicle's ignition switch is turned on. If the plug 45 of the cigarette lighter plug cord 4 is connected to the power plug 37, power supply to the rearview mirror 1 starts when the ignition switch is turned on, and the rearview mirror 1 begins operating.

[0065] For example, if an operating mode for continuously recording image data is set, the microcomputer 32 erases old image data to secure recording space on the microSD card while recording new image data, thereby recording image data covering a predetermined period of time from the present to the microSD card. Furthermore, it is also possible to display image data on the LCD display 30 while recording it.

[0066] Image data recorded on the microSD card 304 can be played back and displayed on the rearview mirror 1, or can be played back using a personal computer 5 that has a card reader function or is externally connected to a card reader 51 (FIG. 14). To view the played back images on the personal computer 5, the microSD card 304 is removed from the rearview mirror 1 and inserted into a card reader 51 or the like that is externally connected to the personal computer 5. Next, a predetermined image viewing application that has been installed in advance on the personal computer 5 is started, and a file read operation is performed on the application screen (not shown), allowing the played back images to be viewed.

[0067] In the rearview mirror 1 configured as described above, the rearview camera 21 is disposed on the rear side of the dashed line area 161 of the mirror surface 160, which has the characteristics of a half mirror. In this rearview mirror 1, the mirror surface 160 blocks the line of sight from the occupant, making the rearview camera 21 less noticeable. In particular, by using a half mirror that forms at least a part of the mirror surface 160, the mirror surface 160, which is used to realize the original function of the rearview mirror 1, can make the rearview camera 21 less noticeable, thereby reducing the sense of discomfort felt by the occupant. Furthermore, since it is possible to reduce the need to dispose the lens of the rearview camera 21, for example, on the outer periphery of the mirror surface 160, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the rearview mirror 21 and maintain good forward visibility for the driver.

[0068] The orientation of the mirror surface 160 can be tilted toward the driver so that the driver can see directly behind by adjusting the orientation of the existing mirror 81 using a direction adjustment mechanism provided on the vehicle side, but the shooting direction that should be directed toward the subject may be set to a direction different from the orientation of the mirror surface 160. This poses a problem, particularly for the occupant who is the subject of the image, as they can easily recognize that the shooting direction is different from the orientation of the mirror surface 160, which can cause discomfort. In contrast, in the rearview mirror 1 of this example, the rearview camera 21 is arranged so as not to be conspicuous, which can solve the above-mentioned problems inherent to rearview mirrors and prevent occupant discomfort.

[0069] By disposing the rear camera 21 inconspicuously, the desired captured image can be acquired without being noticed by the occupants. For example, when capturing an image of the outside of the vehicle through the rear window, the image of the outside of the vehicle can be acquired without causing unnecessary concern to the occupants that they are being photographed. On the other hand, when capturing an image of the driver of a taxi, truck, bus, or the like, the image of the driver can be acquired without causing any discomfort to the occupants.

[0070] In the rearview mirror 1 of this example, a half mirror is used as a shielding means for making the rear camera 21 less noticeable. This half mirror is an example of a structure that shields the shooting direction of the imaging means and allows images beyond the shielding means to be acquired through the shielding means. Instead of this, the shielding means may be configured as a slit or a group of slits that are difficult to see from the outside.

[0071] In general, in the case of a rearview mirror, the orientation of the mirror surface 160 is adjusted as appropriate depending on the driver's viewpoint height, etc. If the shooting direction (camera axis) of the rearview camera 21 were fixed, the shooting direction would change depending on the adjustment of the mirror surface 160, which could make it impossible to capture the desired image. In contrast, the rearview mirror 1 of this example is adjustable in the shooting direction of the rearview camera 21, so the desired image can be captured without relying on adjustments to the mirror surface orientation for each driver.

[0072] In the rearview mirror 1 of this example, the shooting direction of the rearview camera 21 can be changed horizontally (left and right) and vertically (up and down). This ability to change the shooting direction up, down, left, and right to capture the desired image makes it possible to appropriately capture images of vehicle occupants or the rear of the vehicle over the occupants' heads, making it relatively easy to capture the desired image. Note that if the orientation of the mirror surface 160 of the rearview mirror 1 is adjustable, a misalignment will occur between the coordinate axes based on the rearview mirror 1 and those based on the direction of gravitational acceleration, such as a misalignment between the up and down direction of the rearview mirror 1 and the direction of gravitational acceleration. The horizontal and vertical directions may be horizontal and vertical with respect to the coordinate axes based on the rearview mirror 1, but it is particularly preferable to set them horizontal and vertical with respect to the coordinate axes based on the direction of gravitational acceleration. In this way, an image with reduced tilt of the subject can be captured regardless of the orientation of the rearview mirror 1.

[0073] In the rearview mirror 1 of this example, cameras 21, 25, each of which has a camera unit housed in a substantially spherical holder 210, 250, are housed in a substantially spherical housing 131, 135. The orientation of each camera 21, 25 can be adjusted together with the holder 210, 250 within the housing 131, 135, thereby adjusting the shooting direction of the camera 21, 25. By employing a ball joint mechanism in this manner, the shooting direction of each camera 21, 25 can be freely changed. Considering that the mirror surface 160 is appropriately adjusted, adjustment of the cameras 21, 25 requires not only vertical but also horizontal swing. The ball joint mechanism described above makes it easy to adjust the cameras. Furthermore, the ball joint mechanism allows the cameras 21, 25 to rotate around the optical axis of the lens, thereby enabling adjustment of the tilt of the captured image.

[0074] By using the ball joint mechanism described above as a means for adjusting the camera's shooting direction, the shooting direction of each camera 21, 25 can be adjusted relatively freely. Furthermore, since both a mechanism for changing the vertical direction and a mechanism for changing the horizontal direction can be realized simultaneously, it is possible to achieve a smaller size and lower costs compared to, for example, providing each mechanism independently. In particular, the shooting direction of the rear camera 21 can be adjusted by moving the adjustment knob 215 that protrudes from the outer peripheral side surface of the camera holding part 130. By providing such an adjustment knob 215, the angle can be easily adjusted with a fingertip or the like, without the need for special tools.

[0075] In the rearview mirror 1, an adjustment knob 215, which is an example of an operation unit for changing the shooting direction, is disposed on the rear face side opposite the mirror surface 160. Even if the angle between the mirror surface 160 and the shooting direction is adjusted so that the rearview camera 21 faces a predetermined shooting direction, the rearview mirror 1 needs to be readjusted depending on the driver's physique and seat position, so it is desirable to adjust the angle of the rearview camera 21 relative to the mirror surface 160 accordingly. Also, depending on how it is used, it may be better to set the shooting direction to an angle that compensates for the blind spot of the rearview mirror 1 rather than centering it on the front rear. If the shooting direction of the rearview camera 21 can be adjusted on the rear face side of the rearview mirror 1, the adjustment mechanism is less visible to the occupants, which improves the appearance.

[0076] Furthermore, in the rearview mirror 1 of this embodiment, a means for adjusting the shooting direction of the rearview camera 21 is located on the driver's seat side, behind the mirror surface 160. For example, if the rearview mirror 1 of this embodiment is installed in a taxi or the like, it would be unpleasant for taxi passengers to be constantly being photographed. Even in a regular car, for example, indoor photography is likely to cause discomfort to passengers. Therefore, by placing the rearview camera 21 behind the half mirror to make it less noticeable, and further by locating the adjustment means on the rear side of the mirror surface 160, the presence of the rearview camera 21 can be made less noticeable, which is effective in preventing discomfort to, for example, taxi passengers and passengers in regular cars.

[0077] If the operation unit such as adjustment knob 215 is located on the back surface of housing 10, it may be difficult to change the shooting direction because it is not visible to the passengers. On the other hand, if the operation unit such as adjustment knob 215 is located on the front side, the vehicle rearview mirror may become larger, which may impair forward visibility. If the operation unit is located on the side, the driver or the like can reach out and relatively easily change the shooting direction of rear camera 21, and the rearview mirror 1 does not have to be larger, thereby maintaining good forward visibility.

[0078] The rearview mirror 1 with a drive recorder function can be attached by covering an existing mirror. If it can be retrofitted to the vehicle in this way, it can be installed more easily than replacing the existing mirror. Furthermore, the rearview mirror 1 has an adjustment knob 215, which serves as an operation unit for adjusting the shooting direction of the rearview camera 21, arranged so that it can be adjusted with a fingertip or the like even when attached to the existing mirror. By arranging the adjustment knob 215 in this way, the shooting direction of the rearview camera 21 can be adjusted without removing the rearview mirror 1 from the existing mirror.

[0079] In the rearview mirror 1, the shooting direction of the rearview camera 21 and the display direction of the LCD display 30 both face toward the vehicle interior. Generally, if light emitted when the LCD display 30 displays image information is incident on the rearview camera 21, there is a risk that a high-quality captured image cannot be obtained. Therefore, in the rearview mirror 1 of this example, as an example of a configuration to suppress reflection of light onto the rearview camera 21, the LCD display 30 is located on the left side as viewed from the driver's side, the rearview camera 21 is located on the right side as viewed from the driver's side, and a partition wall 107 (see FIG. 7) is provided inside the housing 10. By adopting such a configuration, degradation of the image captured by the rearview camera 21 can be suppressed in advance, even when an image display means such as the LCD display 30 is provided.

[0080] The rearview mirror 1 is equipped with not only the rear camera 21 but also the front camera 25. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a photographed image of the front side without installing a front camera or the like on the windshield or the like in addition to the rearview mirror 1. By using the rearview mirror 1, it is possible to obtain both a photographed image of the rear side and a photographed image of the front side without inviting a complicated installation situation.

[0081] Since there is a high possibility that the brightness of the images captured by the rear camera 21, which takes images through a half mirror, and the front camera 25, which is exposed to the outside, will differ, it is advisable to provide a brightness adjustment means to suppress this difference in brightness. Suppressing the difference in brightness between the images captured by the cameras 21 and 25 can reduce the sense of incongruity, for example, when the images are displayed side by side on the LCD display 30 or when they are displayed by switching them over time. Examples of the adjustment means include a means for adjusting image brightness by optical adjustments such as aperture and exposure time (shutter speed), or a means for adjusting image brightness via software. Software adjustment means, for example, can display both images side by side on the LCD display 30 when the power is first turned on after installation, and display the brightness of each image as the corresponding brightness adjustment switch is operated up or down. The adjustment state can be stored when the confirmation switch is pressed, and the brightness of both images can be adjusted based on the stored adjustment state thereafter. Alternatively, the CPU of the microcomputer 32 can compare the brightness of both images and automatically adjust them as needed, for example, to reduce the difference between the two images. In adjusting the image brightness by software, it is preferable to control the brightness of the image captured by the front camera 25 to be reduced and the brightness of the image captured by the rear camera 21 to be increased.

[0082] For example, when the front camera 25 captures the image in the direction of travel of the vehicle and the rear camera 21 captures the image behind the vehicle along the direction of travel of the vehicle, the image capturing direction of the front camera 25 and the image capturing direction of the rear camera are 180 degrees opposite. For example, as shown in FIG. 15 , a camera 28 may be used in which two camera units are housed in a substantially spherical holder 280, lenses 281 and 283 are arranged at two opposing locations on the outer circumferential surface of the holder 280, and an adjustment knob 285 is disposed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the camera. With a camera 28 configured in this way, the adjustment means can be shared between the front camera and the rear camera. By adjusting one camera by operating the adjustment knob 285, the other camera is adjusted to a position 180 degrees opposite, thereby reducing the effort required to adjust the image capturing direction.

[0083] As described above, the rearview mirror 1 is equipped with a means for adjusting the shooting direction of the rearview camera 21. Alternatively, the rearview camera 21 may be housed within the housing 10 of the rearview mirror 1, and the shooting direction of the rearview camera 21 may be shifted in advance relative to the vertical direction of the mirror surface 160. The angle of the mirror surface 160 of the rearview mirror 1 is adjusted so that the driver can check the rear. In this case, if the rearview camera 21 is installed with its shooting direction aligned with the vertical direction of the mirror surface 160, the rearview camera 21 will not face the front rear view. If the shooting direction of the rearview camera 21 is shifted appropriately in advance as described above, the tilt of the mirror surface 160 can be corrected and the rearview camera 21 can also capture an image of the front rear view.

[0084] It is also possible to provide two cameras, the front camera 25 and the rear camera 21, and configure them both to be able to rotate 180 degrees. If the two cameras are pointed in different forward directions, it is possible to simultaneously capture images in two forward directions. It is also possible to capture images of both the rear and front, or two different rear directions, such as the outside and the interior of the vehicle behind the vehicle, and the like, allowing for free configuration according to the user's wishes.

[0085] Generally, dashcams are often installed near the top center of the windshield, for example, due to the need to capture as wide an image as possible from above, below, left, and right in front of the vehicle. The top center of the windshield is located behind the vehicle's rearview mirror (existing mirror), but if a dashcam equipped with a front camera and a rearview camera is installed in this position, the existing mirror will interfere with the recording of at least one of the cameras. Therefore, a dashcam equipped with two cameras must be installed in a different location, avoiding the existing mirror, so that the existing mirror does not interfere with the recording. Such a different location is not necessarily the optimal location, at least for the front camera. On the other hand, a rearview mirror-type dashcam such as Rearview Mirror 1 can be installed by covering the existing mirror without having to avoid the position of the existing mirror. By installing it by covering the existing mirror in this way, the front camera and rearview camera can be set in a near-optimal position, near the top center of the windshield.

[0086] The rearview mirror 1 is equipped with two cameras, a front camera 25 and a rear camera 21, but the number of cameras can be increased. For example, a camera that captures images of the side may be installed. If images captured by the rearview camera 21 or the side camera are displayed on the LCD display 30, the rearview mirror 1 can play a role in assisting rearward and sideward confirmation. It is also desirable to be able to adjust the shooting direction of the side camera.

[0087] In the rearview mirror 1 of this example, an adjustment knob 215 that can be operated with a fingertip or the like is illustrated as an operation unit for adjusting the shooting direction of the rearview camera 21. Instead of this, for example, a tool may be used to adjust the shooting direction of the rearview camera 21. For example, an adjustment hole into which a rod-shaped object such as a screwdriver or wrench is inserted may be provided, and adjustment may be performed by inserting the object into the adjustment hole (see FIG. 16).

[0088] In the example shown in FIG. 16 , the thickness of camera cover 130B is increased around adjustment hole 132 to prevent fingertip contact with rear camera 21, and a hole 216 for a Torx® wrench is provided on the outer circumferential surface of rear camera 21. For example, by inserting an L-shaped Torx® wrench (not shown) into hole 216 and manipulating the other end appropriately, the shooting direction of rear camera 21 can be adjusted in the same manner as by manipulating adjustment knob 215. This configuration prevents the risk of the shooting direction of rear camera 21 being inadvertently changed, ensuring the acquisition of desired captured images. In particular, when photographing drivers of taxis, trucks, etc. for management purposes, this prevents the driver of the vehicle being photographed from arbitrarily changing the shooting direction. Furthermore, increasing the thickness of the portion surrounding adjustment hole 132 recesses the outer circumferential surface of rear camera 21. This reduces the risk of the shooting direction being inferred from the position of adjustment knob 215, even if adjustment knob 215 is provided on the outer circumferential surface.

[0089] Example 2 This example is based on the rearview mirror 1 of the first embodiment, but the front camera is omitted and the configuration of the adjustment means for adjusting the shooting direction of the rear camera is changed. In the rearview mirror of Example 1, an adjustment knob (reference numeral 215 in FIG. 1), which is an example of a protrusion constituting an operation unit, is provided in a position approximately perpendicular to the shooting direction of the rearview camera. In contrast, in the rearview mirror 1 of FIGS. 17 to 19, an adjustment protrusion 215 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rearview camera 21 on the side opposite the shooting direction, and an adjustment hole 106 is opened on the back side of the housing 10 of the rearview mirror 1 so that the protrusion 215 can be accessed through the adjustment hole 106. The shooting direction of the rearview camera 21 can be adjusted by moving the protrusion 215. In FIGS. 17 and 18, the area that faces the existing mirror when installed in a vehicle is illustrated by a dashed line 810.

[0090] The rearview mirror 1 shown in Fig. 17 has a larger horizontal dimension than the existing mirror and has a portion that does not face the existing mirror. In this rearview mirror 1, a substantially spherical camera 21 is housed in the portion that does not face the existing mirror. A dome shape is formed on the back side of the housing 10 to house the camera 21, and an adjustment hole 106 is provided at the top of the dome to expose a protrusion 215 for adjusting the camera's shooting direction.

[0091] 18 and 19, a groove-like recess 109 is formed in which the housing 10 is thinner than the surrounding area, and a substantially spherical camera 21 is housed inside the recess 109. An adjustment hole 106 is provided on the bottom surface of the recess 109, and a protrusion 215 for adjusting the shooting direction of the camera 21 is exposed therein. When the rearview mirror 1 is attached to an existing mirror, the protrusion 215 faces the existing mirror, and the protrusion 215 can be operated by inserting a fingertip or the like from the outer periphery side using the groove-like recess 109.

[0092] 17 to 19, if protrusion 215 for adjusting the shooting direction of rear camera 21 is provided, whenever it becomes necessary to change the shooting direction, the shooting direction can be easily changed with a fingertip or the like without having to remove it from the existing mirror. Also, if protrusion 215 is provided on the back side of housing 10, it will not be visible to the passengers, so there is almost no risk of it impairing the aesthetic appearance. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0093] The above-described embodiments may be modified and combined. For example, the structure of the first embodiment may be such that the rear camera 21 of the second embodiment is provided at the right end of the rearview mirror 1, so that the two cameras can capture images of the rear and the front. In addition, the components described in each embodiment may be incorporated into other embodiments, or the technical ideas described in the means for solving the problems may be applied.

[0094] Example 3 This example is a modification based on the first or second embodiment. For example, it is preferable to provide a vehicle rearview mirror in which the liquid crystal display 30 that displays image information is provided outside the housing 10 that has the rearview camera 21 built in, thereby suppressing light reflection from the liquid crystal display 30. In particular, in this vehicle rearview mirror, the liquid crystal display 30 is attached to the housing 10 in a foldable structure. With such a vehicle rearview mirror, the image captured by the rearview camera 21 can be viewed on the liquid crystal display 30 only when desired, and the liquid crystal display 30 can be stored in an inconspicuous position at other times. Note that instead of a folding structure, the liquid crystal display 30 can also be attached to the housing 10 in a sliding structure that can be removed when needed.

[0095] The vehicle rearview mirror may also be configured to transmit image information wirelessly between an external image display means, such as an LCD display, that displays image information and the main body side incorporating the rear camera 21. The external image display means may be a smartphone or the like, and the wireless communication may be performed, for example, via Wi-Fi, by transmitting an image captured by the rear imaging means to the smartphone and displaying the received image on the smartphone. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the other embodiments.

[0096] Example 4 This example is a modification based on any one of Examples 1 to 3. For example, a vehicle rearview mirror may be provided with a lighting unit, such as an LED, that illuminates at least a portion of the image capture range of the rearview camera 21, and a light blocking unit that blocks the view of the vehicle occupants to make the lighting unit less noticeable. For example, if a high-sensitivity infrared camera is used as the rearview camera 21, the lighting unit may not be necessary. However, if the configuration includes the lighting unit and the light blocking unit as described above, even if a general camera is used, the area illuminated by the lighting unit can be captured more clearly even in situations where there is insufficient light for the rearview camera 21 to capture an image, such as at night. For example, when capturing an image of the interior of a vehicle using the rearview camera 21, the image capture range may be set so that at least a portion of the occupants inside the vehicle are captured.

[0097] The lighting means may be, for example, a means that emits light that is difficult for people to see so as not to stand out. In particular, the rear camera 21 may be one that has sensitivity characteristics from the visible light region to the infrared region, and the lighting means may be an infrared LED. The illumination shielding means may be a plate-like or lens-like object. In particular, it may be an object that covers the direction of irradiation of the illumination means. If the illumination means emits infrared light, it may be covered with a plate-like or lens-like object that has filter properties that allow infrared light to pass through.

[0098] Furthermore, the illumination shielding means may be a shielding means that makes the rear camera 21 less noticeable. The shielding means and the illumination shielding means may be made of the same material, and in particular, the shielding means and the illumination shielding means may be made of the same material. For example, an infrared LED may be used as the illumination means, and the shielding means and the illumination shielding means may be made of the same material, such that the rear camera 21, which is the rear imaging means, is placed inside a half mirror. In this way, the illumination shielding means is less noticeable from the outside, and it is difficult for the subject of the image capture to recognize that illumination and imaging are being performed.

[0099] It is also advisable to provide an incidence suppression means for suppressing light reflected by the illumination shielding means from entering the image captured by rear camera 21. The inventors have found that if the shielding means and the illumination shielding means are made of the same member, for example a half mirror, the illumination light from the illumination means will be reflected by the half mirror and enter rear camera 21, preventing normal image capture as an image of the image capture range will not be obtained due to the light reflected by the half mirror. This problem occurs particularly noticeably when a configuration is adopted in which the shielding means and the illumination shielding means are made of the same member.

[0100] Therefore, if the above-described incident suppression means is provided, the image within the imaging range of the rear camera 21 can be captured normally by the light reflected by the illumination blocking means. The incidence suppression means may have any configuration as long as it is configured to suppress the incidence of light reflected by the illumination shielding means, but it is particularly preferable to have a structure that optically separates the space between the illumination means and the illumination shielding means and the space between the rear camera 21 and the shielding means. For example, a shielding plate or the like may be provided between the two spaces. It is also preferable to have a structure that separates the two spaces by a distance or more that makes it difficult for light reflected by the illumination shielding means to enter.

[0101] The illumination shielding means may be disposed outside the shielding means, and in particular may be configured as a separate body from the shielding means.

[0102] The illumination shielding means may be at least one of an operating unit provided on the vehicle rearview mirror or a dummy member that looks like an operating unit provided on the vehicle rearview mirror. With this configuration, the presence of the illumination means is less likely to be noticed by the subject of the photograph.

[0103] The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the other embodiments, but a specific example of the configuration described in this example may be as follows. (a) The infrared LED for lighting is placed outside the mirror, and a partition is provided between the mirror and the infrared LED. (b) To camouflage the infrared LED, a plate- or lens-shaped object with filtering properties that allows infrared light to pass through is placed in front of the infrared LED to cover it. (c) A configuration in which a partition is provided between the plate-like or lens-like object and the mirror. (d) An operation button or a dummy operation button is made of a resin or the like that transmits infrared light and is provided on the outside of the mirror, and infrared light is emitted from behind the button.

[0104] Example 5 This example is a modification based on any one of the first to fourth examples. The vehicle rearview mirror of this example is provided with fixing means for fixing the rear camera 21 in place of or in addition to the adjusting means for adjusting the camera's photographing direction. The fixing means may be configured to fix the rear camera 21 to the housing 10, for example, by fixing a board equipped with the camera with screws or the like.

[0105] The configuration having a fixing means for fixing the rear camera 21 instead of an adjustment means is a vehicle rearview mirror provided in the vehicle interior for the driver to check the rear, and is equipped with the rear camera 21 for photographing the rear side and a shielding means for blocking the line of sight from the vehicle occupants to make the rear camera 21 less noticeable.

[0106] For example, instead of using the adjustment means in the configuration of the other embodiments, a configuration may be adopted in which the adjustment means is not provided and the camera is housed in the housing of the vehicle rearview mirror, and the camera is attached at an angle where the shooting direction of the camera (for example, the optical axis of the camera) is shifted from the normal direction of the mirror surface (the direction perpendicular to the mirror surface). The angle of the mirror surface of the vehicle rearview mirror is adjusted so that the driver can check the rear. In this case, if the rearview camera 21 is attached so that the shooting direction is the normal direction of the mirror surface, the rearview camera 21 will not face the rearward front. In this way, this can be corrected to enable the rearward front to be photographed as well. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the other embodiments.

[0107] Example 6 The components in the above-described embodiments may be combined in any desired manner to form a device. For example, the components described as preferred in any of the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined to form a device. In particular, a device including at least one of these components is preferred. More preferably, a device including a combination of these preferred components is preferred. While each component may be configured singly, a device including two or more of the particularly preferred components will exhibit excellent effects.

[0108] For example, the following configuration may be used. A rearview mirror installed inside the vehicle to allow the driver to check behind the vehicle. a first imaging means (for example, a front camera) for capturing an image of the area in front of the vehicle; a second imaging means (e.g., a rear camera) for capturing images of the interior and rear of the vehicle; a recording means for recording images captured by both of the imaging means; At least the second imaging means is disposed inside the housing of the rearview mirror; The shooting angle and the rear window are set to capture both the passengers and the situation outside the vehicle. Set the installation accuracy, a shielding means for blocking the line of sight from the passenger side of the vehicle to make the second imaging means less noticeable; A vehicle rearview mirror equipped with:

[0109] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail as examples, these examples merely disclose examples of the technology encompassed by the claims. Needless to say, the scope of the claims should not be interpreted as being limited by the configurations, numerical values, etc. of the specific examples. The claims encompass technologies that are obtained by variously modifying, changing, or appropriately combining the specific examples using publicly known technology or the knowledge of those skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 1. Vehicle rearview mirror 11 cases 130 Camera holder 131, 135 Storage section 15 Cover 16. Mirror 160 Mirror surface 21 Rear camera 215 Adjustment Knob 25 Front camera 3 Electronic board 30 LCD display

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device including a vehicle mounting portion to be mounted on a vehicle and a multi-camera housing portion that houses a first camera that captures images in a first direction and a second camera that captures images in a second direction, The multiple camera housing section includes: The vehicle mounting portion is supported at a location on the first camera side via a predetermined member, and is not supported at a location on the second camera side. An in-vehicle device characterized by the above.

2. The first camera housed in the multiple camera housing section is configured to photograph the first direction through a first hole provided inside a portion of the first camera side.

2. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1,

3. The first camera is located in the first direction of the first hole and is configured to capture an image of the first direction via a half mirror portion that reflects on the side of the first direction.

3. The in-vehicle device according to claim 2, wherein:

4. The second camera housed in the multiple camera housing section is configured to photograph the second direction through a second hole provided inside the second camera side portion.

4. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein:

5. the first direction is a direction toward an interior of the vehicle; The second direction is the traveling direction of the vehicle.

5. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein:

6. a first adjustment mechanism for adjusting the first direction of the first camera and a second adjustment mechanism for adjusting the second direction of the second camera; The in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

7. an internal space is formed in a portion sandwiched between the first camera and the second camera, The first cable of the first camera and the second cable of the second camera are configured to be located in the internal space.

7. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein:

Images