Systems and programs, etc.

Abstract

We provide systems and programs that enable the reduction of the burden of verifying abnormal situations. [Solution] The system includes a control means that records images at a lower frequency than when acceleration above a predetermined level occurs, when other conditions are met in addition to the occurrence of acceleration above a predetermined level, when multiple conditions other than the occurrence of acceleration above a predetermined level are met, or when a single condition different from the occurrence of acceleration above a predetermined level is met. The recorded images are transmitted externally to be used for verifying abnormal situations such as accidents.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to systems, programs, etc.

Background Art

[0002] For example, a system such as a drive recorder that can be mounted on a vehicle or the like enables the provision of information (e.g., video) useful for verifying abnormal situations such as accidents. An example of such a drive recorder is disclosed in Patent Document 1. Such systems are expected to be further developed for more versatile uses, not only for all types of vehicles such as transportation vehicles (e.g., trucks, forklifts, etc.), business vehicles (e.g., taxis, buses, etc.), and general vehicles.

[0003] For example, the drive recorder described in Patent Document 1 includes an imaging unit, a storage unit, and an acceleration sensor. When a sudden brake is applied or a collision or the like occurs in the vehicle and a predetermined acceleration or more is generated, the drive recorder stores, in the storage unit, images taken for a predetermined time before and after the occurrence of the acceleration, triggered by the occurrence of the acceleration. The captured video is utilized by an insurance company or the like to grasp the situation of the accident.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when images are stored in response to the occurrence of acceleration exceeding a predetermined level, as in the drive recorder described in Patent Document 1, images are often stored even when no accident or other abnormal event has actually occurred, which contributes to a large burden on verifying abnormal events (for example, the verification burden on insurance companies). In other words, large accelerations can be generated by sudden braking, sudden acceleration, sudden steering, or bumps in the road, and it was necessary to search for useful images from a large number of images unrelated to abnormal events.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a system and program, etc., that can, for example, reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations.

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the applicant intends to obtain rights through divisional applications, amendments, etc., for configurations that aim to obtain the effects derived from the components of the configuration disclosed in this specification and the drawings, etc. For example, problems that can be described in this specification as "~can be done" or "~is possible" are disclosed here. Each problem is described independently, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to the configurations for solving these problems individually through divisional applications, amendments, etc. Even if a problem is implicitly understood from the description in the specification, the applicant intends to include a part of the configuration described in this specification in the claims through amendment or divisional application. Furthermore, problems that combine these independent problems are also disclosed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) The system, which can be mounted on a vehicle, is characterized by having a control means that has a function to record an image captured in a predetermined recording area when a specific condition is met that can occur at a lower frequency than when an acceleration of a predetermined level or higher occurs.

[0009] According to this, fewer images are recorded compared to when acceleration exceeding a predetermined level occurs, which makes it possible to reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations.

[0010] Furthermore, "when acceleration exceeding a predetermined level occurs" should be defined as, for example, when the acceleration exceeds the range that occurs when a vehicle is running normally. For example, when a vehicle is running normally, the acceleration usually fluctuates within a normal range, although there are some fluctuations. However, when a vehicle hits a bump or brakes suddenly, the acceleration may increase temporarily (for example, for a moment). In such cases, it may be determined that acceleration exceeding a predetermined level has occurred.

[0011] In particular, it is desirable to have a function that records images captured when acceleration above a predetermined level occurs (here referred to as the acceleration event recording function). The "function that records captured images in a predetermined recording area when a specific condition that can occur at a lower frequency than when acceleration above a predetermined level occurs is met" is especially desirable to be a function that records captured images in a predetermined recording area when a specific condition that can occur at a lower frequency than the recording condition "acceleration above a predetermined level" in the acceleration event recording function is met. Furthermore, the "acceleration above a predetermined level" which is the recording condition for the acceleration event recording function is preferably configured to be configurable based on instructions from the user, etc. In particular, in this case, it is especially desirable to have a function that records captured images in a predetermined recording area when a specific condition that can occur at a lower frequency than the default acceleration setting is met. More preferably, it is desirable to have a function that records captured images in a predetermined recording area when a specific condition that can occur at a lower frequency than the largest configurable acceleration is met.

[0012] The "system" may be a system mounted on an object other than a vehicle. Examples of objects other than vehicles include systems mounted on ships or airplanes, but it is preferable to specify that it is a system mounted on a vehicle. Furthermore, the "system" may be a so-called dashcam that records images of moments such as traffic accidents.

[0013] The "image" may be a still image, but it is preferable to use a moving image. The moving image may be, for example, a video with movement obtained by displaying a series of images taken at regular time intervals in quick succession, or it may be a completely continuous video.

[0014] "Acceleration" may be detected, for example, by an acceleration sensor. "When acceleration occurs" may be defined as when the acceleration exceeds a predetermined value. This predetermined value may be settable and may be a positive or negative value. However, it is preferable to set it to the acceleration that occurs when an object such as a vehicle is subjected to an external impact, and it is particularly preferable to set it to the level of acceleration that may occur when an accident occurs, and especially to set it to the level of acceleration that may occur when a vehicle collides with another object.

[0015] The "predetermined recording area" may be, for example, a memory element such as RAM, or a storage medium such as a memory card, but if a recording speed is required, it is preferable to use a memory element such as RAM. Furthermore, these storage areas may be provided within the system or externally, separate from the system.

[0016] Recording to a predetermined recording area may be, for example, continuous recording, which records images continuously, or event recording, which records images at predetermined times before and after a specific condition is met. It is desirable to have a function that performs both continuous recording and event recording, and for example, continuous recording and event recording may be recorded in different recording areas.

[0017] Images recorded in the designated recording area may include, for example, images of traffic accidents such as collisions between vehicles or other objects, collisions between vehicles or other objects and people or animals, collisions between vehicles or other objects and structures, as well as images that may depict abnormal situations such as accidents caused by natural disasters such as meteorite falls, floods, and earthquakes.

[0018] Examples of "specific conditions" include conditions that indicate a high probability of an abnormal situation occurring in an object, such as a vehicle, on which the system is installed, and conditions that indicate a high probability of an abnormal situation occurring in an object other than the vehicle on which the system is installed.

[0019] Examples of "abnormal situations" include traffic accidents involving vehicles and other objects, accidents resulting from natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and meteorite falls. Furthermore, traffic accidents in "abnormal situations" should be defined as collisions between vehicles and other objects, self-inflicted accidents such as vehicles crashing into structures, and accidents resulting in personal injury when vehicles or other objects collide with people.

[0020] (2) In the system described in (1) above, the control means may be configured to record images at a lower frequency than when an image is recorded when an acceleration of a predetermined level or higher occurs due to the fulfillment of a plurality of conditions as the specific conditions.

[0021] In this way, images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when an image is recorded only when an acceleration exceeding a predetermined level occurs due to the fulfillment of multiple conditions, thus more reliably reducing the burden of verifying abnormal situations. Specifically, for example, insurance companies that receive images from the system can reduce the burden of verifying whether or not the images represent an accident or other abnormal situation. Furthermore, even if a condition alone does not necessarily reduce the verification burden of an abnormal situation, when multiple such conditions are met, it may be possible to reduce the verification burden of an abnormal situation compared to when an image is recorded only when acceleration occurs. It is preferable that the timing at which each of the multiple conditions is fulfilled is relatively close (within a predetermined time).

[0022] Examples of "multiple conditions are satisfied" include, for example, in addition to a predetermined or higher acceleration occurring, other conditions are satisfied, or multiple other conditions different from when a predetermined or higher acceleration occurs are satisfied, and so on.

[0023] Each of the individual conditions constituting the multiple conditions is, for example, that a specific acceleration has occurred (for example, the acceleration that occurs when receiving an impact of a specific magnitude has occurred), that a heavy object capable of causing an accident approaches an object such as a vehicle on which the system is mounted, that an abnormal sound (such as a loud collision sound, a human scream, etc.) has occurred, that an object such as a vehicle has stopped for a specific time or more within a specific time after a specific acceleration has occurred, that an object such as a vehicle has decelerated (for example, decelerated to a very low speed) within a specific time after a specific acceleration has occurred, that the state of the user's body has become different from the normal driving state (that the user's heart rate has become a heart rate of a predetermined value or more, that the user's breathing rate has become a breathing rate of a predetermined value or more, that the position of the user's head has deviated from a predetermined area, etc.), that a portion of a predetermined ratio or more of the field of view of the camera of the system is covered by some object during the operation of the system, that communication has been made to an accident support center that provides a service to support response to an accident, that an object such as a specific vehicle (for example, an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance, a police car, etc.) has stopped around the vehicle, that the object such as the vehicle on which the system is mounted is passing through a place where the possibility of an accident is high, that the object such as the vehicle on which the system is mounted is being driven during a time period when the possibility of an accident is high, and so on.

[0024] The user may be, for example, a driver of a vehicle or a person different from the driver, such as a passenger.

[0025] Here, the "approach of a heavy object that can cause an accident to an object such as a vehicle" may be detected, for example, by image processing of an image captured by the imaging device of the system. It can also be detected by various sensors such as a microwave sensor. In particular, as in an around-view image generated based on images from a plurality of cameras or the like, it is advisable to detect that the distance between the vehicle position and a surrounding heavy object has reached a predetermined distance using an image of the vehicle viewed from above. The "approach" in the "approach of a heavy object that can cause an accident to an object such as a vehicle" may particularly be considered as the distance between the vehicle and the heavy object becoming zero. Whether an object is a "heavy object that can cause an accident to an object such as a vehicle" may be determined particularly by whether the height of an object around the vehicle is above a predetermined value or the like. Whether the height of an object around the vehicle is above a predetermined value may be detected based on an image from at least one of a microwave sensor or a camera. Also, the "predetermined" height of an object around the vehicle may particularly be higher than the vehicle height. This is because an object lower than the vehicle height can pass under the vehicle.

[0026] Regarding "an abnormal sound has occurred", for example, it is particularly good to consider that a short and loud sound has occurred.

[0027] "A short and loud sound has occurred" can be detected, for example, by analyzing the sound collected by a microphone mounted on an object such as a vehicle. A loud and short sound may be, for example, exclamatory or screaming voices such as "Wow", "Ah", "Car".

[0028] Also, making one of the conditions the above "the vehicle has stopped within a specific time after a specific acceleration has been detected" or the above "the vehicle has decelerated within a specific time after a specific acceleration has been detected" is effective in reducing the verification load of an abnormal situation. This is based on the fact that immediately after an accident, the vehicle often decelerates and stops for on-site confirmation or negotiation with the party that caused the accident, and it is advisable to detect this.

[0029] "The vehicle has stopped for a specific time or more within a specific time" may be, for example, that the vehicle stops within 3 to 5 minutes from a state with an average speed above a specific value and continues the stopped state for 5 minutes or more.

[0030] "The vehicle slows down within a specific time frame" could mean, for example, the vehicle slowing down to a very slow speed (e.g., 8 km / h or less) within 3 to 5 minutes. Vehicle speed can be calculated, for example, by acquiring a vehicle speed pulse, but it is better to obtain it from GPS.

[0031] Furthermore, including "a heart rate above a predetermined value for the user" and "a respiratory rate above a predetermined value for the user" as conditions is effective in reducing the burden of verifying abnormal situations. This is based on the observation that when an accident occurs, users often become agitated and their heart rate and respiratory rate increase, and detecting this would be beneficial.

[0032] Furthermore, including "the user's head position deviating from a predetermined area" as one of the conditions is effective in reducing the burden of verifying abnormal situations. This is based on the observation that in serious accidents, the entire body is shaken violently by the impact of the accident, or consciousness is lost, causing the head position to shift significantly from that during normal driving, or making it impossible to recognize the head position. Detecting this would be beneficial.

[0033] (3) In the system described in (1) or (2) above, the control means may record images at a lower frequency than when an image is recorded when an acceleration of a predetermined level or higher occurs due to the occurrence of an acceleration of a predetermined level or higher in addition to the other conditions being met, as the specific condition.

[0034] In this way, for example, it becomes possible to reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations while utilizing conventional sensors (accelerometers).

[0035] Other conditions could include, for example, a heavy object that could cause an accident approaching the vehicle equipped with the system, the occurrence of an unusual sound (a loud collision, a person screaming, etc.), the vehicle stopping within a specific time after a specific acceleration occurs, the vehicle decelerating within a specific time after a specific acceleration occurs (e.g., decelerating to a very slow speed), the user's physical condition becoming different from that of normal driving (e.g., the user's heart rate exceeding a predetermined value, the user's head position deviating from a predetermined area), a predetermined percentage or more of the system's camera's field of view being covered by some object (e.g., a deployed airbag, an object inside the vehicle that has moved from its position before the accident due to the impact of the accident, etc.), contact being made with an accident support center that provides services to assist in responding to an accident, a specific vehicle (e.g., an ambulance, police car, or other emergency vehicle) being parked around the vehicle, the vehicle or other object equipped with the system passing through an area where an accident is likely to occur, or the vehicle or other object equipped with the system being driven during a time when an accident is likely to occur.

[0036] (4) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (3) above, the control means may be capable of recording images at a lower frequency than when an acceleration of a predetermined level occurs due to obtaining specific information from the user as a specific condition, and other conditions different from obtaining specific information from the user being met.

[0037] In this way, for example, the burden of verifying abnormal situations can be more reliably reduced by using information obtained from users.

[0038] "Specific information" could refer to, for example, a specific action by the user, or a specific change in the user's body.

[0039] (5) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (4) above, the control means may have a function to prompt the user to perform a specific action, and the control means may have a function to record an image in the predetermined recording area when the specific action is performed, or when other conditions different from the performance of the specific action are met.

[0040] According to this system, for example, a user is prompted to perform a specific action, and when the user performs that action, an image is recorded. Therefore, the recording of unnecessary images is further suppressed, and the burden of verifying abnormal situations can be more reliably reduced.

[0041] Examples of "specific actions" include operating control components that accept user input.

[0042] An example of a "function that prompts a specific action" is to prompt the user to operate an operating component, for example, visually or audibly, when one of the multiple conditions in any one of the systems described in (2) to (4) above is met. Examples of visual prompting functions include illuminating the operating component (for example, by making it flash) or displaying prompts for operation of the operating component on a display device installed in the vehicle (for example, "Please press the operation button," "Do you want to press the operation button?"). Examples of audible prompting functions include prompting operation of the operating component with voice (for example, "Please press the operation button," "Do you want to press the operation button?") via a speaker installed in the vehicle. In this case, it is even better to prompt operation of the operating component with voice such as, for example, "Please press the operation button of color ○ (for example, red, yellow, etc.)" or "Please press the button surrounded by a circle of color ○ (for example, red, yellow, etc.)."

[0043] (6) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (5) above, the control means may have a function to detect a specific change in the user's body, and the control means may have a function to record an image in the predetermined recording area when the specific condition is that a specific change in the user's body is detected, or when another condition different from the detection of a specific change in the user's body is met.

[0044] This approach can, for example, further suppress the recording of unnecessary images and more reliably reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations. It focuses on the fact that when an abnormal situation such as an accident occurs, there is a high probability that specific physical changes will occur in the user, and it would be beneficial to detect these changes.

[0045] (7) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (6) above, the control means may have a communication function that enables communication with user-owned items owned by the user, and the control means may have a function that records an image in a predetermined recording area when the user-owned items communicate with a specific device, or when other conditions different from the user-owned items communicating with the specific device are met.

[0046] In this way, for example, when a user makes a call from a user-owned device (such as a mobile device or smartphone) to a specific device (such as an insurance company's telephone), an image (such as an image of an abnormal situation) can be automatically recorded. Furthermore, the recording of unnecessary images can be further suppressed, and the burden of verifying abnormal situations can be more reliably reduced.

[0047] Examples of "user-owned devices" include smartphones, mobile phones, and tablet devices owned by the user. The system and user-owned devices can communicate with each other by pre-pairing them, for example, using Bluetooth®. It is advisable to register contact numbers for insurance companies, police stations, etc. (phone numbers to contact in case of accidents or other emergencies) on the user-owned devices. The system should continuously record the call history of the user-owned devices.

[0048] (8) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (7) above, the control means may record images at a lower frequency than when an acceleration of a predetermined level occurs due to the fulfillment of a separate condition different from the occurrence of an acceleration of a predetermined level.

[0049] According to this, by recording images when a single condition is met, it is possible to reduce the number of system components while also mitigating the burden of verifying abnormal situations.

[0050] Examples of "single conditions" include the activation of safety devices installed in the vehicle (e.g., airbags, anti-lock braking systems, seat belt pretensioners), the activation of body protection devices installed in the vehicle (e.g., airbags, seat belt pretensioners), changes in the vehicle during a collision (e.g., changes in the vehicle's electrical potential, deformation of the vehicle), specific changes in the user's body (e.g., abnormalities in the user's body, specific changes in the user's posture), and a predetermined sensor attached to the steering wheel becoming detached from the steering wheel. Examples of abnormalities in the user's body include the cessation of heartbeat.

[0051] The status of the airbag can be detected, for example, by monitoring the communication content of the CAN (Controller Area Network) installed in the vehicle. Based on the CAN communication content, it is possible to detect, for example, airbag deployment, rear-end collision, airbag system malfunction, safety, front collision, and side collision. Alternatively, the status of the airbag may be detected by accessing the airbag ECU. Furthermore, the status of the airbag can be detected by monitoring the sound of the airbag's operation (for example, monitoring for loud explosion sounds of 150db to 170db within 100ms), monitoring changes in air pressure associated with airbag deployment, or by using the on-board diagnostics (OBD) installed in the vehicle.

[0052] The above-mentioned "vehicle potential change" focuses on the fact that, for example, a metal vehicle body is always charged because it is placed on top of insulator tires, and the potential of the vehicle body changes when it comes into contact with an obstacle. Detecting this change would be beneficial.

[0053] The above statement, "the user's heart rate became unmeasurable," focuses on the fact that heart rate may become unmeasurable in the event of an accident (such as death), and it would be good to detect this.

[0054] (9) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (8) above, the control means may have a function to record an image in the predetermined recording area when the safety means is activated.

[0055] In this way, for example, the recording of unnecessary images can be further suppressed, and the burden of verifying abnormal situations can be further reduced.

[0056] "Safety measures" may include, for example, safety devices such as airbags, ABS (anti-lock braking system), and seat belt pretensioners, or software that functionally ensures the safety of the vehicle and the person. In particular, it is preferable that the operation of safety measures be performed without attaching any means to detect the operation of the safety measures themselves (for example, the airbags mentioned above). For example, this could be done by connecting to a signal line that outputs a signal indicating the operation of the safety measures, or by recognizing the image captured by an imaging means that captures an image and detecting the operation of the safety measures.

[0057] (10) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (9) above, the control means may have a function to record an image in the predetermined recording area when a means for protecting the user's body is activated.

[0058] This approach, for example, further reduces the recording of unnecessary images and reduces the burden of verifying abnormal situations. It focuses on the fact that when an abnormal situation occurs, protective measures installed on objects such as vehicles are likely to activate, and it would be beneficial to detect this.

[0059] As a means of protecting the body, for example, airbags, seat belt pretensioners, and software that functionally ensures the safety of the vehicle and the body would be appropriate.

[0060] (11) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (10) above, the control means may have a function of recording an image in the predetermined recording area when a change in the potential of the vehicle on which the system is installed occurs.

[0061] This approach can, for example, further reduce the recording of unnecessary images and lessen the burden of verifying abnormal situations. This is because when an abnormal situation occurs, there is a high probability that a change in the potential of the vehicle (e.g., the metal parts of the vehicle body) will occur.

[0062] (12) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (11) above, the control means may have a function to record an image in the predetermined recording area when a specific sound is generated.

[0063] This approach, for example, further reduces the recording of unnecessary images and lessens the burden of verifying abnormal situations, because specific sounds are likely to occur when abnormal situations arise.

[0064] Examples of "specific sounds" include the sound of vehicles colliding, people screaming, emergency vehicle sirens, and sudden braking.

[0065] (13) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (12) above, an operating member that accepts user operation is provided, and the control means has a function that records an image in a predetermined recording area when the user operates the operating member, as a specific condition.

[0066] In this way, for example, the burden of verifying abnormal situations can be further reduced with a relatively simple configuration. This is because the user's intentions are reflected in the image recording triggered by the user's operation of the control components.

[0067] Examples of "operating components" include push buttons, switches, and operating levers.

[0068] (14) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (13) above, an operating member having a specific size is provided as an operating member that can accept operations by a user, and the control means has a function to record an image in the predetermined recording area when the operating member is operated.

[0069] This makes it easier to operate the control components. For example, it becomes easier to operate them even when you are panicking during an emergency.

[0070] The specific size of the "operating component" should, for example, be large enough to be operated accurately when one reaches out quickly.

[0071] (15) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (14) above, an operating member is provided at a specific position as an operating member that can accept operations by a user, and the control means has a function to record an image in the predetermined recording area when the operating member is operated.

[0072] This makes it easier to operate the control components. For example, it becomes easier to operate them even when you are panicking during an emergency.

[0073] The specific position of the "operating component" can be, for example, a position that allows for accurate operation when one reaches out in a sudden movement.

[0074] (16) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (15) above, a single operating member is provided as an operating member that can accept operations by a user, and the control means has a function to record an image in the predetermined recording area when the single operating member is operated.

[0075] This makes it easier to operate the control components. For example, it becomes easy to operate them even when panicked during an emergency. If there are multiple controllable components, the user may be confused about which one to operate in a sudden situation. However, by providing a single control component that the user can operate, they can operate it without hesitation.

[0076] (17) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (16) above, it is preferable to include an operating member that can accept user operations and that can be used by a control means to determine if an operation is incorrect.

[0077] In this way, if an operating component is misoperated, the operation can be canceled, for example. In this case, the control means may automatically cancel the operation if it is determined to be a misoperation, or the control means may ask the user whether it was a misoperation.

[0078] Examples of "operational errors" include incorrect operation and operation due to mischief.

[0079] (18) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (17) above, the control means may have a function to record an image in the predetermined recording area when it receives specific information from an external source as a specific condition.

[0080] According to this, for example, the burden of verifying whether an image recorded in response to specific information received from an external source is an image of an accident or other abnormal situation can be further reduced. In addition, accidents involving other vehicles can be recorded and used to verify those accidents.

[0081] Examples of "specific information" include information about abnormal conditions of other vehicles or objects (e.g., accidents), and information that emergency vehicles such as police cars or ambulances have stopped nearby. Examples of information about abnormal conditions of other vehicles or objects include information such as the location and time of an accident involving another vehicle or object. Information about accidents involving other vehicles or objects is transmitted from an external server (e.g., an insurance company's or police station's server). Furthermore, the fact that emergency vehicles such as police cars or ambulances have stopped nearby can be recognized, for example, by collecting the sound of the siren of a police car or ambulance using a microphone installed on the vehicle or object equipped with this system and analyzing the sound.

[0082] Furthermore, "specific information" could include, for example, inquiry information from an external device (e.g., a server) regarding a vehicle other than the one on which this system is installed. "Inquiry information" could include, for example, accident information (e.g., location information, time information, etc.) regarding the aforementioned other vehicle from an insurance company or police station. In this case, for example, the control means may search for accident footage corresponding to the queried accident information from images already continuously recorded in a predetermined recording area, and record the accident footage found through the search (event recording). It is also possible to transmit the recorded information to an external device.

[0083] (19) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (18) above, it is preferable to provide a transmission means for transmitting the image recorded in the predetermined recording area to an external location.

[0084] This method reduces the hassle of carrying around a memory card, for example, by sending images externally.

[0085] (20) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (19) above, the control means may have a function to rank the images recorded in the predetermined recording area according to the likelihood that they depict an abnormal situation.

[0086] By ranking images based on their likelihood of capturing an anomaly, the recording of unnecessary images can be further reduced, and the burden of verifying anomalies can be significantly lessened.

[0087] For example, if an image ranks higher than a predetermined rank in terms of the likelihood of an abnormal situation being captured, that image may be sent to the insurance company's server or similar. It would be beneficial to record such ranks, which can further reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations, along with the corresponding image, or by embedding them in the corresponding image.

[0088] (21) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (20) above, the control means may have a function to include information about a vehicle that may be experiencing an abnormal situation in an image.

[0089] This method makes it easy to review images of abnormal situations and identify the vehicle in which the abnormal situation occurred.

[0090] Examples of "vehicles that may be experiencing an abnormal situation" include vehicles equipped with this system, and other vehicles that are not equipped with this system.

[0091] Examples of "information about a vehicle that may be experiencing an abnormal situation" include the vehicle license plate number, vehicle registration number, and the name of the vehicle owner.

[0092] Information about vehicles potentially experiencing an abnormal situation should be displayed on an image, such as as a caption.

[0093] (22) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (21) above, the control means may have a function to include probability information in the image that indicates the probability that an abnormal situation is depicted in the image.

[0094] In this way, by referring to probability information indicating the probability that an abnormal situation is captured in the image, it is possible to easily determine whether or not an image contains an abnormal situation, thereby further reducing the burden of verifying abnormal situations.

[0095] "Probability information indicating the likelihood of an abnormal situation being captured on screen" should be displayed on the image, for example, as a caption.

[0096] (23) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (22) above, the control means may have a function to record the image in a still image state.

[0097] This approach further reduces the burden of verifying abnormal situations. For example, while fast-forwarding might still take a considerable amount of time to verify moving images, with still images, it's possible to review multiple still images simultaneously, allowing for more efficient verification.

[0098] (24) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (23) above, the control means may have a function to switch the performance of the system at multiple levels.

[0099] In this way, the system's performance can be switched between, for example, a personal mode with individual performance settings and a business mode with business performance settings. Therefore, the system's performance can be arbitrarily set according to who the system user is. For example, for individual use, the performance could be set to average (medium) performance. For business use, the video quality could be set to high quality, or external image transmission could be performed using LTE (Long Term Evolution) (registered trademark).

[0100] (25) In any one of the systems described in (1) to (24) above, the control means may have a function to set the level according to the industry.

[0101] In this way, for example, if the user is a security company, they can set the video quality to the highest possible setting, or transmit images externally using LTE (Long Term Evolution) (registered trademark).

[0102] (26) The program is characterized by causing the computer to implement one of the system functions described in (1) to (25).

[0103] In this way, the above system can be realized by incorporating a computer containing the program into the system.

[0104] The inventions described in (1) to (26) above can be combined in any way. For example, one may combine all or part of the configuration of the invention described in (1) with at least part of the configuration of at least one of the inventions described in (2) and onward. In particular, it is preferable to combine the invention described in (1) with at least part of the configuration of at least one of the inventions described in (2) and onward. Alternatively, one may extract any configuration from the inventions described in (1) to (26) and combine the extracted configurations. The applicant of this application intends to acquire rights to inventions that include these configurations. Furthermore, even if there is a description such as "in the case of..." or "when...", it is not meant to be a configuration that is limited to that case or time. Configurations that do not fall under these cases or times are also disclosed, and the applicant intends to acquire rights to them. Also, even if there is a sequence of descriptions, it is not limited to that order. Configurations with some parts deleted or the order rearranged are also disclosed, and the applicant intends to acquire rights to them. [Effects of the Invention]

[0105] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a system that makes it possible, for example, to reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations.

[0106] The effects of the present invention are not limited thereto, and the effects produced by the components of the structure disclosed in this specification and the drawings are also disclosed. The present application intends to obtain rights to the components that produce such effects through divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, phrases such as "can do" or "is possible" in this specification are descriptions that clearly indicate the effects produced, and there are components that produce effects even without such descriptions. Furthermore, there are effects that can be grasped by the component even without such descriptions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0107] [Figure 1] (A) is an example of a perspective view of the system from the rear at an angle, and (B) is a diagram showing an example of the system, windshield, dashboard, etc., when installed in a vehicle. [Figure 2] This is an example of a system block diagram. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart illustrating a first embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart illustrating a modified example 1 of the first embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller. [Figure 5] This flowchart illustrates a modified example 2 of the first embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller. [Figure 6] This flowchart illustrates a third modification of the first embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller. [Figure 7] This flowchart illustrates a fourth modification of the first embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller. [Figure 8] This flowchart illustrates a modified example (5) of the first embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating a second embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart illustrating a modified example 1 of the second embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart illustrating a second modification of the second embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart illustrating a third modification of the second embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller. [Figure 13] This is a flowchart illustrating a third embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller. [Figure 14] This flowchart illustrates a modified example of a third embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0108] [System Configuration] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, an example of the system configuration will be described. The "system" may be a system mounted on an object other than a vehicle. Examples of objects other than vehicles include systems mounted on ships or airplanes, but it is particularly preferable to describe a system mounted on a vehicle. Furthermore, the "system" may be a so-called drive recorder that records images of moments such as traffic accidents. The vehicle may be not limited to general vehicles such as transport vehicles (e.g., trucks and forklifts), commercial vehicles (e.g., taxis and buses), and general vehicles, but may be expanded to even more diverse applications. In this embodiment, a drive recorder that can be mounted on a vehicle will be described.

[0109] Figure 1A is an example of a perspective view of the system (dashcam) from a diagonal rearward angle. As shown in Figure 1A, an SD card slot 114 is provided on one side of the housing of the system 100. A display 113 and several operating elements (in the example shown in Figure 1A, several operating buttons 112, 115) are provided on the back of the housing. A joint rail 111 is provided on the top surface of the housing. Although not shown in Figure 1A, a camera lens, which is the imaging means, is provided on the front of the housing. A DC jack is provided on the side not shown in Figure 1A, and a speaker and HD output terminal are provided on the bottom.

[0110] The camera (imaging means), including the lens, captures images of, for example, the area in front of the vehicle. The DC jack is a jack for connecting to a DC power source via a power cable. The SD card slot 114 is a slot for inserting an SD card. The speaker outputs sound such as voice. The HD output terminal is a terminal for connecting to other information devices via a cable. The joint rail 111 is for attaching joint members for mounting the system 100 on a vehicle. The display 113 displays various images. The operation buttons 112 and 115 are for the user to input various commands to the system 100 by operating them.

[0111] In this specification, the term "user" may refer to, for example, the driver of a vehicle equipped with the system, or to a person other than the driver, such as a passenger.

[0112] Figure 1B shows an example of the system 100, windshield 122, dashboard 126, etc., installed in a vehicle. In the example shown in Figure 1A, the system 100 is located on the upper part of the vehicle's windshield 122, near the center in the left-right direction, adjacent to the rearview mirror 121 on the passenger side. The system 100 is attached and fixed to the windshield 122 by mounting materials such as double-sided tape. The DC jack of the system 100 is connected to the cigarette lighter socket 123 via a power cable 120. When the accessory power of the vehicle is turned ON, power is supplied to the system 100 from, for example, the cigarette lighter socket 123. Therefore, when the engine of the vehicle is turned OFF, no power is supplied to the system 100 from the cigarette lighter socket 123.

[0113] As shown in Figure 1A, some components of the system 100 may be located in positions different from the windshield 122, depending on the intended use of each component. In the example shown in Figure 1A, for example, an operating button 124, which is one of the operating components, is located on the dashboard 126.

[0114] Figure 2 is an example of a block diagram of system 100. System 100 includes a controller 130 (an example of a control means), a camera 141 (an example of an imaging device), a database 145, a GPS receiver 140, an SD card reader 142 (an example of a recording means), an acceleration sensor 144, various sensors 150 of a different type from the acceleration sensor 144, a speaker 146, a display 113, operation buttons 112, 115, 124 (see Figure 1B), and a communication circuit 149. The SD card reader 142 has read and write functions and should strictly be called an "SD card reader / writer," but in this specification it is simply referred to as an "SD card reader."

[0115] The speaker 146 and the display 113 function as notification means to inform the user of various information. The speaker 146 outputs alarms and various information by sound based on the control of the controller 130. The display 113 outputs various information by displaying images based on the control of the controller 130. The operation buttons 112, 115, and 124 function as input means for the user to give various commands to the system 100 (more specifically, the controller 130).

[0116] Camera 141 functions as an imaging device that captures video within its field of view. The video captured by camera 141 is taken into the controller 130 as image data. Camera 141 is capable of capturing at least the area in front of the vehicle. Camera 141 is preferably a 360° camera capable of capturing 360° in all directions, and may be either a spherical camera or a hemispherical camera. A 360° camera can capture images in all directions around the vehicle, as well as the interior of the vehicle. There may be one camera 141 or two or more cameras. In addition to capturing the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, it is desirable that camera 141 be able to capture images of the users (driver, passengers) inside the vehicle.

[0117] The database 145 is stored, for example, in non-volatile memory (e.g., EEPROM) externally attached to the controller 130. The database 145 includes, for example, map data.

[0118] The GPS receiver 140 detects the vehicle's current location based on instructions from the controller 130. The location information includes the time, vehicle speed, longitude, latitude, altitude, etc., determined based on signals from GPS satellites. The controller 130 processes the recording of the history of this location information.

[0119] The SD card reader 142 functions as a media holder for holding the SD card 143. The SD card 143 functions as a removable storage medium. The user can insert the SD card 143 into the SD card reader 142 through the SD card slot 114 (see Figure 1A). Based on control from the controller 130, the SD card reader 142 reads data from the SD card 143 held in the SD card reader 142, or stores data on the SD card 143.

[0120] The acceleration sensor 144 is a three-axis type sensor that detects acceleration and tilt in each of the three axes (x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis). The values ​​measured by the acceleration sensor 144 are continuously input to the controller 130. The controller 130 acquires the three-axis acceleration information, for example, every 10ms.

[0121] The controller 130 includes a well-known CPU 131, memory such as ROM 132 and RAM 133, a timer 134, and other peripheral circuits. Various programs are stored in the ROM 132 of the controller 130. The controller 130 realizes various functions by executing these programs. These programs include an operating system (OS), GPS information processing programs, video processing programs (for example, flowcharts shown in Figures 3 to 14), and communication processing programs.

[0122] The controller 130 can save GPS information received by the GPS receiver 140 to the SD card 143 held in the SD card reader 142 by executing a GPS information processing program. The controller 130 can record images captured by the camera 141 in a predetermined recording area of ​​the SD card 143 in association with the time by executing an image processing program. The controller 130 has the function of accessing the SD card 143 held in the SD card reader 142 and functions as a control means that has the function of recording images captured by the camera 141 to the SD card 143 held in the SD card reader 142.

[0123] The display 113 functions as a notification means to inform the user of the role of the SD card 143 that the controller 130 accesses.

[0124] The communication circuit 149 functions as a means of communication for wireless communication with external devices, such as servers (e.g., servers of insurance companies), personal computers, smartphones, tablet terminals, etc. The controller 130 has the function of transmitting image data, such as video, to external devices via the communication circuit 149 by executing a communication processing program. The communication circuit 149 may be a communication circuit that conforms to standards such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other short-range wireless communication standards, or mobile communication system standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) (both registered trademarks) or 4G. Short-range wireless communication standards can be applied, for example, to communication between a work vehicle (forklift, etc.) operating within a premises and an external device. Mobile communication system standards can be applied, for example, to communication between a vehicle moving over a wider area and an external device.

[0125] The controller 130 executes the above-described video processing program by recording images to the SD card 143 held in the SD card reader 142 based on the image data input from the camera 141. More specifically, the SD card 143 is divided into at least two recording areas (a first recording area and a second recording area). The first recording area contains compressed image data that is continuously recorded as long as power is supplied from the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "continuously recorded image data"). The second recording area contains image data that is recorded when certain conditions are met while power is supplied from the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "event-recorded image data"). As will be explained in more detail later, the controller 130 executes the process of recording continuously recorded image data (continuous recording process described later) and the process of recording event-recorded image data (event-recording process described later) as multitasking.

[0126] As mentioned above, when the accessory power supply of the vehicle or other equipment (hereinafter referred to as "external power supply") is turned ON, the system 100 does not receive power from, for example, the cigarette lighter socket 123. Therefore, it is preferable for the system 100 to be an anti-theft system equipped with a built-in battery that charges when the external power supply is ON and supplies power only to the controller 130 and the acceleration sensor 144 when the external power supply is OFF. In this case, when the controller 130 detects a strong impact using the acceleration sensor 144 in the theft recording mode, it supplies power from the built-in battery to other components other than the controller 130 and the acceleration sensor 144 (for example, the camera 141, SD card reader 142, display 113, etc.), and performs the process of taking images for a time necessary to capture theft or other fraudulent activity, such as about 1 minute, and recording this image data. Then, when the external power supply is turned ON, the anti-theft mode is terminated and the process shown in Figures 3 to 14 described later is performed.

[0127] For example, the images in continuously recorded image data and event recorded image data may be a series of still images or moving images. In the case of still images, it is possible to check multiple still images simultaneously, making the checking process more efficient. Moving images may be, for example, motion footage obtained by displaying a series of images taken at regular time intervals in quick succession, or they may be a completely continuous video.

[0128] Furthermore, it is advisable to include vehicle data (e.g., vehicle registration number, chassis number, owner's name, etc.) with still and moving images. Also, it is preferable to have a single operation button 124, and to avoid providing any other buttons. By providing a single operation button 124 that the user can operate, they can operate the operation button 124 without hesitation in emergencies such as traffic accidents.

[0129] Next, the control processing of the controller 130 provided in the system will be described. The control processing performed by this controller 130 will be described separately for the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment. Note that the system configuration shown in Figures 1 and 2 is common to the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment, so only the control processing performed by the controller 130 will be described below.

[0130] The first embodiment is an example in which event recording processing, which records event recording image data when there is a possibility that an abnormal situation such as an accident has occurred in the vehicle (the vehicle on which the system is installed), is performed when multiple conditions are met. This is an example in which the frequency of event recording processing may be lower compared to when event recording processing is performed when a single condition, such as the occurrence of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value, is met.

[0131] In this specification (including not only the first embodiment but also the second and third embodiments described later), "occurrence of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value" refers to a situation where, for example, the acceleration exceeds the range of acceleration that occurs when a vehicle is running normally. For example, the acceleration of a vehicle running normally usually fluctuates within a normal range, although there are some fluctuations. However, for example, when a vehicle goes over a bump or during sudden braking, the acceleration may temporarily (for example, for a moment) increase. In such cases, it may be determined that acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred.

[0132] The second embodiment is an example in which event recording processing, which records event recording image data when there is a possibility that an abnormal situation such as an accident has occurred in the vehicle (the vehicle on which the system is installed), is performed when a single condition other than the occurrence of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value is met. This is an example in which the frequency of event recording processing may be lower compared to when event recording processing is performed when a single condition such as the occurrence of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value is met.

[0133] The third embodiment is an example of an event recording process that records event recording image data when an abnormal situation such as an accident may have occurred in another vehicle (a vehicle other than the one on which the system is installed).

[0134] [First Embodiment] First, with reference to Figure 3, a first embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 will be described. Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 of the system 100.

[0135] The controller 130 determines whether the external power supply is ON or OFF (step S101), and if the external power supply is ON (YES in step S101), it performs the processing in steps S103 to S109. Although not shown in Figure 3, when power is supplied to the system 100 and the external power supply is ON, the controller 130 performs continuous recording processing, which continuously records the image data input from the camera 141 (continuously recorded image data) to the first recording area of ​​the SD card 143. This continuous recording processing continues as long as power is supplied to the system 100, and is performed in parallel with processing such as steps S103 to S109.

[0136] In step S101, when power is supplied to the system 100 and the external power supply is turned ON (if YES), the controller 130 determines whether or not an acceleration of a predetermined value or higher has occurred in the vehicle based on the value detected by the acceleration sensor 144 (step S103).

[0137] Specifically, the controller 130 monitors whether the user has performed a specific action (step S107) after an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred (YES in step S103) and until a predetermined time has elapsed (step S105). Monitoring whether the user has performed a specific action can be, for example, monitoring whether the user has operated the operation button 124. If the user is made aware that the system records image data when the operation button 124 is operated, the reliability of the event occurring when the user operates the operation button 124 will be increased.

[0138] If the controller 130 determines that the user has performed a specific action, such as operating the operation button 124, within a predetermined time after an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs (YES in step S105) (YES in step S107), it performs an event recording process (step S109). This event recording process involves, for example, reading the continuously recorded image data recorded in the first recording area of ​​the SD card 143, extracting image data for a predetermined time before and after the time when it was determined that an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurred (for example, 20 seconds before and after), and recording it as event recording image data in the second recording area of ​​the SD card 143. In this case, the predetermined time determined in step S105 (monitoring time to determine whether or not the user has operated the operation button 124) should be set to a length that allows sufficient time for the user to operate the operation button 124, such as within 20 minutes after detecting that an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred. This is because, when an abnormal situation such as an accident occurs, the user is likely to be agitated and may not realize they are operating the operation button 124 unless they are mentally calm.

[0139] Furthermore, if the controller 130 does not generate acceleration exceeding a predetermined value (NO in step S103), it returns to step S101. Also, even if acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs, if the controller 130 does not detect that the user has performed a specific action and a predetermined time has elapsed since the generation of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value (NO in step S105), it returns to step S101.

[0140] In this way, by fulfilling multiple conditions such as detecting the occurrence of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value and detecting that the user has performed a specific action, images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded only when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs, thus more reliably reducing the verification burden of abnormal situations. Specifically, for example, insurance companies that receive images from the system can reduce the verification burden of whether or not the images represent an abnormal situation such as an accident. Furthermore, since the timing at which each of the multiple conditions is fulfilled is relatively close (within the predetermined time explained in step S105 above), a high degree of correlation between the multiple conditions is ensured. Therefore, it becomes possible to more reliably reduce the verification burden of abnormal situations.

[0141] Furthermore, if the process in step S107 is, for example, a process to detect when a user has operated the operation button 124, it is preferable that the system be provided with a function to prompt the user to operate the operation button 124. For example, when the occurrence of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value is detected, it is preferable to output an audio announcement such as "Press the operation button in case of emergency" from the speaker, display a message to that effect on the display device, light up or flash the operation button 24, or do a combination of these. It is also preferable that the operation button 24 is provided in the system in a conspicuous manner. For example, it is preferable to place the operation button 24 on the dashboard or in a position that is easily visible to people sitting in the driver's seat or passenger seat. It is also preferable that the operation button 24 be a conspicuous color (for example, red, yellow, blue, etc.). Furthermore, it is preferable that the operation button 24 be large enough to be conspicuous (like an emergency button, for example, about the size of the back of a hand). In addition, if there are many operation buttons, the user may be confused about which operation button to operate, so it is preferable that only one operation button 24 is provided.

[0142] Furthermore, the operation button 24 should have a function that, when operated not only when an abnormal situation such as an accident occurs in the vehicle itself or another vehicle, but also when a physical problem occurs in the driver or passengers, or when any abnormal situation such as a fire, flood, or meteorite fall occurs, the system communicates with a specific external organization (for example, a police station, fire station, Japan Automobile Federation, insurance company, accident support center, etc.) or a specific external vehicle (for example, an ambulance or patrol car, etc.), and this communication notifies the other party of the occurrence of the abnormal situation.

[0143] Furthermore, the process in step S107 is not limited to detecting that the user has operated the operation button 124. For example, it may also be a process to detect that the user has communicated with a specific external organization (for example, a police station, fire station, Japan Automobile Federation, insurance company, accident support center, etc.) from a specific device owned by the user (for example, a smartphone or tablet). In this case, the predetermined time determined in step S105 (the monitoring time for whether or not the user has communicated with a specific external organization from a specific device owned by the user) should be set to allow a certain amount of time before the user operates the operation button 124, for example, within 60 minutes after detecting that an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred. This is because, considering that when an abnormal situation such as an accident occurs, the user may negotiate with the other party involved in the accident, it is thought that they may communicate with a specific external organization after the negotiations with the other party have been settled.

[0144] Furthermore, the system may prompt the user to communicate with the aforementioned specific organizations, or to confirm with the user whether or not to communicate with such organizations. For example, the system may use an interactive UI (user interface) to confirm with the user whether or not to communicate with an accident support center that provides services to assist in responding to an accident.

[0145] Specifically, for example, after acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs (YES in step S103) and before a predetermined time has elapsed (step S105), the system may ask the user aloud, such as, "Do you want to notify the accident support center?" In this case, the system should recognize the user's response, such as "yes" or "no," via voice, and if the response is "yes," the system should contact the accident support center. When making this contact, as a precaution, the system should record the voice conversation with the user and send the recording as a voice message to the accident support center along with making the above contact.

[0146] Furthermore, for example, after acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs (YES in step S103) and before a predetermined time has elapsed (step S105), the system may prompt the user with a voice message such as, "Do you want to notify the accident support center? If so, please press the notification button on the device." In this case, the system should be configured to contact the accident support center only after the user has pressed the notification button.

[0147] It would be beneficial to include a function to adjust the system's audio volume via an interactive UI, as well as a function to turn the audio on and off. By providing these functions, it is possible to suppress the playback of audio or reduce the audio volume each time an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs (YES in step S103).

[0148] If the process in step S107 is to detect when a specific device owned by the user (e.g., a smartphone or tablet) has communicated with a specific external organization (e.g., a police station, fire station, Japan Automobile Federation, insurance company, etc.), it is advisable to register the telephone number of the specific organization in the system. Furthermore, it is advisable to ensure that the system and the specific device owned by the user are in a state where they can communicate with each other by pre-pairing them, for example, using Bluetooth®. It is also advisable to record the history of communication between the specific device owned by the user and the specific external organization (e.g., date and time, and the content of the conversation). Additionally, it is advisable to continuously read the call history of the specific device owned by the user and perform event recording processing (step S109) for the most recent acceleration event (YES in step S103) at the time of contact with the specific organization (insurance company, etc.).

[0149] [Effects of the first embodiment, etc.] According to the first embodiment, by fulfilling multiple conditions (detection of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value and detection of a specific user action), images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded only when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs. Therefore, by providing the image data recorded on the SD card 143 in the event recording process (step S109) to a specific external organization (e.g., police station, fire station, Japan Automobile Federation, insurance company, etc.), it becomes possible to more reliably reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations.

[0150] [Modifications 1 to 5 of the first embodiment] Next, with reference to Figures 4 to 8, Modifications 1 to 5 of the first embodiment will be described. The difference between Modifications 1 to 5 of the first embodiment and the first embodiment lies in some of the processing performed by the controller 130 of the system 100 shown in Figure 3.

[0151] [Modification 1 of the first embodiment] First, with reference to Figure 4, a modification 1 of the first embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a modification 1 of the first embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 of the system 100.

[0152] In Modification 1 of the First Embodiment, instead of or in addition to the judgment in S107 in the First Embodiment (determining whether the user performed a specific action), it is determined whether specific information was detected from the user within a predetermined time after acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurred (YES in step S115) (step S117). That is, if multiple conditions are met, such as acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurring (YES in step S113) and specific information being detected from the user within a predetermined time after acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurred (YES in step S115) (YES in step S117), event recording processing is performed (step S119). Note that the other processes, steps S111, S113, and S119, are the same as the processes in steps S101, S103, and S109 in the First Embodiment, respectively.

[0153] Specifically, the controller 130 monitors whether it has detected specific information from the user (step S117) until a predetermined time has elapsed (step S115) after an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred (YES in step S113). The monitoring of whether specific information from the user has been detected could, for example, be monitoring whether the user has made a loud noise (for example, a noise above a predetermined decibel value). This is based on the fact that when an abnormal condition such as an accident occurs, there is a high probability that the user will make a loud noise. When the decibel value exceeds a range that is unlikely to be detected under normal circumstances (for example, when a decibel value of twice or more of the maximum decibel value that may be detected under normal circumstances is detected), it is determined that the user has made a loud noise. In this case, the predetermined time determined in step S115 (monitoring time for whether the user has made a loud noise) should be a relatively short time, for example, within 3 seconds after detecting that an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred. This is because it is thought that when an abnormal condition such as an accident occurs, the user will make a loud noise within a relatively short time.

[0154] If the controller 130 determines, within a predetermined time after an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs (YES in step S115), that the user has made a loud noise as specific information from the user (YES in step S117), it performs event recording processing (step S119).

[0155] Furthermore, if the controller 130 does not generate acceleration exceeding a predetermined value (NO in step S113), it returns to step S111. Also, even if acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs, if the controller 130 does not detect any specific information from the user and a predetermined time has elapsed since the generation of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value (NO in step S115), it returns to step S111.

[0156] In this way, by fulfilling multiple conditions such as detecting acceleration exceeding a predetermined value and detecting specific information from the user, images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded only when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs, thus more reliably reducing the verification burden of abnormal situations. Specifically, for example, insurance companies that receive images from the system can reduce the verification burden of whether or not the images depict an accident or other abnormal situation. Furthermore, since the timing at which each of the multiple conditions is fulfilled is relatively close (within the predetermined time explained in step S115 above), a high degree of correlation between the multiple conditions is ensured. Therefore, it becomes possible to more reliably reduce the verification burden of abnormal situations.

[0157] Furthermore, the process in step S117 is not limited to monitoring whether the user has made a loud noise (for example, a noise above a predetermined decibel value), but may also involve monitoring whether a change has occurred in the user's body. Monitoring whether a change has occurred in the user's body may involve installing a sensor capable of measuring the user's blood flow on, for example, the steering wheel of the vehicle on which the system is installed, to detect the user's heart rate, and determining that a change has occurred in the user's body when the detected heart rate is outside a predetermined range (for example, a heart rate of 100 or more, or unmeasurable), which exceeds the range of heart rate that is normally detected. In this case, it is preferable to detect the user's heart rate from normal times and set, for example, the range of heart rate that is normally detected based on this detection result. Furthermore, the system may be equipped with a camera that captures images of the interior of a vehicle, for example, and may detect when the user's physical condition, as captured by this camera, is different from that during normal driving (for example, when the user's head position deviates from a predetermined area for a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes or more, which is the time it is expected that the user's head position will return to the predetermined area if no abnormality occurs)). In this case, the predetermined time determined in step S115 (monitoring time to see if a change has occurred in the user's body) should be the time from when it is detected that an acceleration of a predetermined value or higher has occurred until, for example, the power is turned off (until it is determined to be NO in step S111). This is because even if there is no effect on the body immediately after an abnormal event such as an accident, the effects may appear after a certain amount of time has passed.

[0158] Furthermore, if the controller 130 is configured to monitor whether any changes have occurred in the user's body from the time it detects an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value until, for example, the power is turned off, and if it is configured to automatically transmit any abnormalities in the user's body to an external organization (such as an insurance company's server or a police station), it may be possible to prevent accidents, which would be even better.

[0159] [Effects of Modified Example 1 of the First Embodiment] According to Modification 1 of the First Embodiment, by fulfilling several conditions (detection of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value and detection of acquisition of specific information from the user), images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded only when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs. Therefore, by providing the image data recorded on the SD card 143 in the event recording process (step S119) to specific external organizations (e.g., police stations, fire departments, the Japan Automobile Federation, insurance companies, etc.), it becomes possible to more reliably reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations.

[0160] [Modification 2 of the first embodiment] Next, with reference to Figure 5, a second modification of the first embodiment will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a second modification of the first embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 of the system 100.

[0161] In the modified version 2 of the first embodiment, instead of or in addition to the judgment in S107 in the first embodiment (determining whether the user performed a specific action), it is determined whether specific information was detected from outside the vehicle within a predetermined time after acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurred (YES in step S125) (step S127). That is, if multiple conditions are met, such as acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurring (YES in step S123) and specific information being detected from outside the vehicle within a predetermined time after acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurred, event recording processing is performed (step S129). Note that the other processes, steps S121, S123, and S129, are the same as the processes in steps S101, S103, and S109 in the first embodiment, respectively.

[0162] Specifically, after acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs (YES in step S123), the controller 130 monitors whether it has detected a specific sound (for example, the sound of a siren from a specific vehicle (e.g., an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance or police car), a loud voice of a passerby, or the sound of a vehicle collision) as specific information from outside the vehicle until a predetermined time has elapsed (steps S125, S127). If it determines that a specific sound has been detected within a predetermined time after acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs (YES in step S125) (YES in step S127), it performs event recording processing (step S129). In this case, the predetermined time determined in step S125 (monitoring time for whether a specific sound has been detected) should be a time that takes into account the time from when an abnormal condition such as an accident occurs until the specific vehicle arrives, for example, within 40 minutes after detecting that acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred, if the specific sound is, for example, the sound of a siren from a specific vehicle. Furthermore, if a specific sound is, for example, a loud voice from a passerby or the sound of a vehicle collision, the detection time should be relatively short, such as within 3 seconds, after detecting that an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred.

[0163] Furthermore, if the controller 130 does not generate an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value (NO in step S123), it returns to step S121. Also, even if an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value is generated, if the controller 130 does not detect a specific sound within a predetermined time thereafter (NO in step S127), it returns to step S121.

[0164] In this way, by fulfilling multiple conditions, such as detecting acceleration above a predetermined value and detecting a specific sound, such as the siren of an emergency vehicle, images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded only when acceleration above a predetermined value occurs. This makes it possible to more reliably reduce the verification burden of abnormal situations. Specifically, for example, it can reduce the verification burden for insurance companies, etc., that receive images from the system to determine whether or not the images represent an accident or other abnormal situation. Furthermore, since the timing at which each of the multiple conditions is fulfilled is relatively close (within the predetermined time explained in step S125 above), a high degree of correlation between the multiple conditions is ensured. Therefore, it becomes possible to more reliably reduce the verification burden of abnormal situations.

[0165] Furthermore, the processing in step S127 is not limited to monitoring whether a specific sound has been detected as specific information from outside the vehicle; for example, it may also monitor whether an obstacle is approaching the vehicle. The obstacle approaching the vehicle should not be something like a balloon, but rather something that could cause an accident or other abnormal situation, such as a heavy object (person, vehicle, etc.). Whether or not it is a heavy object can be determined by image processing of an image captured by the imaging device of system 100 (e.g., camera 141, etc.). In this case, the predetermined time determined in step S125 (monitoring time for whether or not an obstacle is approaching the vehicle) should be a relatively short time, such as within 3 seconds after detecting that an acceleration of a predetermined value or higher has occurred.

[0166] [Effects of Modification 2 of the First Embodiment] According to Modification 2 of the First Embodiment, by fulfilling multiple conditions (detection of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value and detection of specific information from outside the vehicle), images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded only when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs. Therefore, by providing the image data recorded on the SD card 143 in the event recording process (step S129) to specific external organizations (e.g., police stations, fire departments, the Japan Automobile Federation, insurance companies, etc.), it becomes possible to more reliably reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations.

[0167] [Modification 3 of the first embodiment] Next, with reference to Figure 6, a third modification of the first embodiment will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a third modification of the first embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 of the system 100.

[0168] In Modification 3 of the First Embodiment, instead of or in addition to the judgment in S107 in the First Embodiment (determining whether the user performed a specific action), it is determined whether a change in the vehicle was detected within a predetermined time after acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurred (YES in step S135) (step S137). That is, if multiple conditions are met, such as acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurring (YES in step S133) and a change in the vehicle being detected within a predetermined time after acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurred (YES in step S135) (YES in step S137), an event recording process is performed (step S139). The other processes, steps S131, S133, and S139, are the same as the processes in steps S101, S103, and S109 in the First Embodiment, respectively.

[0169] Specifically, the controller 130 monitors whether or not it has detected a change in the vehicle (step S137) until a predetermined time has elapsed (step S135) after an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred (YES in step S133). The monitoring of whether or not a change in the vehicle has been detected may be, for example, monitoring whether or not a change in the vehicle's electrical potential has been detected. This is based on the observation that when an abnormal situation occurs, such as when a vehicle on which the system is installed comes into contact with another object, there is a high probability that the electrical potential of the vehicle has changed due to contact with the other object. In this case, the predetermined time determined in step S135 (the monitoring time for whether or not a change in the vehicle has been detected) may be a relatively short time, such as within 1 second after detecting that an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred. This is because it is thought that the electrical potential of the vehicle changes immediately when it comes into contact with another object.

[0170] If the controller 130 determines that it has detected a change in the vehicle, such as a change in the vehicle's electrical potential, within a predetermined time after an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred (YES in step S135) (YES in step S137), it performs event recording processing (step S139).

[0171] Furthermore, if no acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs (NO in step S133), the controller 130 returns to step S131. Also, even if acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs, if the controller 130 does not detect any change in the vehicle and a predetermined time has elapsed since the occurrence of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value (NO in step S135), it returns to step S131.

[0172] In this way, by fulfilling multiple conditions such as the detection of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value and the detection of changes in the vehicle, images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded only when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs, thus more reliably reducing the verification burden of abnormal situations. Specifically, for example, insurance companies that receive images from the system can reduce the verification burden of whether or not the images represent an abnormal situation such as an accident. Furthermore, since the timing at which each of the multiple conditions is fulfilled is relatively close (within the predetermined time explained in step S135 above), a high degree of correlation between the multiple conditions is ensured. Therefore, it becomes possible to more reliably reduce the verification burden of abnormal situations.

[0173] The process in step S137 is not limited to monitoring whether or not a change in the vehicle has been detected; for example, it may also monitor whether or not a vehicle safety device has been activated. Examples of vehicle safety devices include airbag systems, anti-lock braking systems, and seat belt pretensioners. In this case, the predetermined time determined in step S135 (monitoring time for whether or not a change in the vehicle has been detected) should be a relatively short time, such as within 3 seconds after detecting that an acceleration of a predetermined value or higher has occurred.

[0174] Furthermore, the process in step S137 may be modified to monitor, for example, whether the vehicle's speed has fallen from a predetermined average speed (e.g., 40 km / h or higher) to a predetermined speed (e.g., 8 km / h) or lower (change in moving speed). Alternatively, the process in step S137 may be modified to monitor, for example, whether the vehicle has transitioned from a state where its speed is above a specific average speed to a stopped state, and whether the stopped state has continued for a predetermined time or longer (e.g., 5 minutes or more). This is in consideration of the high probability that the user will stop the vehicle when an abnormal situation such as an accident occurs. In this case, the predetermined time determined in step S135 (monitoring time for whether the vehicle's speed has fallen below the predetermined speed or to zero) should be, for example, within 10 minutes, more preferably within 3 to 5 minutes, after detecting that an acceleration of a predetermined value or higher has occurred. Changes in moving speed may be monitored based on, for example, information obtained from GPS, information obtained from a vehicle speed sensor, brake detection results, etc. Furthermore, regarding monitoring whether the speed has fallen below the predetermined speed, considering that users are likely to stop the vehicle in the event of an accident or other abnormal situation, it is preferable to monitor whether the driving speed has reached zero. However, taking into account the error of the speed sensor, it is preferable to monitor whether the speed has fallen below the predetermined speed (for example, 8 km / h).

[0175] Alternatively, the process in step S137 may be modified to monitor whether the vehicle transitions from a state where its speed is above a certain average speed to a stopped state, and whether the stopped state continues for a predetermined time or longer (for example, 3 to 5 minutes or more). If it is 3 to 5 minutes or longer, the possibility of waiting at a traffic light can be ruled out.

[0176] [Effects of Modification 3 of the First Embodiment] According to Modification 3 of the First Embodiment, by fulfilling multiple conditions (detection of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value and detection of changes in the vehicle), images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded only when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs. Therefore, by providing the image data recorded on the SD card 143 in the event recording process (step S139) to a specific external organization (e.g., police station, fire station, Japan Automobile Federation, insurance company, etc.), it becomes possible to more reliably reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations.

[0177] [Modification 4 of the first embodiment] Next, with reference to Figure 7, a fourth modification of the first embodiment will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a fourth modification of the first embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 of the system 100.

[0178] In Modification 4 of the First Embodiment, instead of or in addition to the judgment in S107 in the First Embodiment (determining whether the user performed a specific action), it is determined whether specific driving information was detected from the vehicle within a predetermined time after acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurred (YES in step S145) (step S147). That is, if multiple conditions are met, such as acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurring (YES in step S143) and specific driving information being detected from the vehicle within a predetermined time after acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurred (YES in step S145) (YES in step S147), event recording processing is performed (step S149). Note that the other processes, steps S141, S143, and S149, are the same as the processes in steps S101, S103, and S109 in the First Embodiment, respectively.

[0179] Specifically, the controller 130 monitors whether it has detected specific driving information from the vehicle after an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs (YES in step S143) and until a predetermined time has elapsed (step S145) (step S147). Monitoring whether it has detected specific driving information from the vehicle may, for example, be monitoring whether it has been detected that the vehicle is traveling in an accident-prone area. The controller 130 can detect whether the vehicle is traveling in an accident-prone area from the vehicle's driving area, which can be obtained, for example, by the GPS receiver 140. Information on accident-prone areas may, for example, be stored in the system in advance, or the controller 130 may obtain it from an external source (for example, a server of an external organization such as an insurance company or police station).

[0180] Furthermore, the predetermined time determined in step S145 (for example, the monitoring time to determine whether or not specific driving information from the vehicle has been detected) should be, for example, within 10 seconds after detecting that acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred, which is roughly the amount of time required to detect the driving area of ​​a vehicle, etc., which can be acquired by the GPS receiver 140.

[0181] In the above, after acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs (YES in step S143), the system monitors whether specific driving information from the vehicle has been detected until a predetermined time has elapsed (step S145) (step S147). Alternatively, the system may continuously monitor whether acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred while specific driving information from the vehicle is being detected.

[0182] When the controller 130 satisfies both conditions—that acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred (YES in step S143) and that specific driving information has been detected from the vehicle (YES in step S147)—it performs event recording processing (step S149).

[0183] Furthermore, if the controller 130 does not detect acceleration exceeding a predetermined value (NO in step S143), it returns to step S141. Also, if the controller 130 does not detect specific driving information from the vehicle even if acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs, or if it detects specific driving information from the vehicle but does not detect acceleration exceeding a predetermined value, it returns to step S141.

[0184] In this way, by fulfilling multiple conditions such as the detection of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value and the detection that the vehicle is traveling in an accident-prone area, images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded only when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs, thus more reliably reducing the verification burden of abnormal situations. Specifically, for example, insurance companies that receive images from the system can reduce the verification burden of whether or not the images represent an accident or other abnormal situation. Furthermore, since the timing at which each of the multiple conditions is fulfilled is relatively close (within the predetermined time explained in step S145 above), a high degree of correlation between the multiple conditions is ensured. Therefore, it becomes possible to more reliably reduce the verification burden of abnormal situations.

[0185] Furthermore, the process in step S147 is not limited to monitoring whether the vehicle is traveling in an accident-prone area; for example, it may also monitor whether the vehicle is traveling during an accident-prone time period (e.g., between 4 PM and 6 PM).

[0186] [Effects of Modification 4 of the First Embodiment] According to Modification 4 of the First Embodiment, by fulfilling multiple conditions (detection of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value and detection of vehicle driving information), images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded only when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs. Therefore, by providing the image data recorded on the SD card 143 in the event recording process (step S149) to a specific external organization (for example, a police station, fire station, Japan Automobile Federation, insurance company, etc.), it becomes possible to more reliably reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations.

[0187] [Modification 5 of the first embodiment] Next, with reference to Figure 8, a fifth modification of the first embodiment will be described. Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a fifth modification of the first embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 of the system 100.

[0188] Modification 5 of the first embodiment uses the fulfillment of multiple conditions other than the condition of detecting the occurrence of acceleration above a predetermined value as conditions for performing event recording processing. In other words, even if the fulfillment of a single condition alone is not sufficient to reduce the frequency of event recording processing compared to the conventional method where event recording processing is performed when acceleration above a predetermined value occurs, this modification focuses on the fact that by making the fulfillment of multiple conditions a condition for event recording processing, it becomes possible to reduce the frequency of event recording processing compared to the conventional method. Note that the processing in steps S151 and S159 is the same as the processing in steps S101 and S109 in the first embodiment, respectively.

[0189] For example, after the power is turned on (YES in step S151), the controller 130 determines, as the first condition, whether or not the user has performed a specific action (step S153). After determining that the user has performed a specific action (YES in step S153), it monitors for a predetermined time until the second condition is met, i.e., whether or not specific information has been detected from the user (step S157). If both conditions, the first condition that the user has performed a specific action and the second condition that specific information has been detected from the user, are met within the predetermined time (YES in step S153, YES in step S155, and YES in step S157), it performs event recording processing (step S159).

[0190] The order in which the determination of whether or not the user performed a specific action (step S153) and the determination of whether or not specific information was detected from the user (step S157) is made is not limited to the order described above. For example, after determining that specific information has been detected from the user, the system may monitor whether or not specific information has been detected from the user until a predetermined time has elapsed (YES in step S155).

[0191] Furthermore, if the controller 130 fails to satisfy both conditions—that the user performed a specific action and that specific information was detected from the user—within a predetermined time (NO in step 153, NO in step S155), it returns to step S151. Also, if either of the conditions—that the user performed a specific action or that specific information was detected from the user—is met, and a predetermined time has not elapsed since that condition was met (NO in step S155), it returns to step S153.

[0192] The predetermined time determined in step S155 (the monitoring time to determine whether the second condition is met) varies depending on the second condition. For example, if the second condition is the detection of the user operating the operation button 124, it is advisable to set the time to allow sufficient time for the user to operate the operation button 124, such as within 20 minutes after the first condition is met. If the second condition is the detection of the user's heart rate being outside a predetermined range (e.g., heart rate of 100 or more, or unmeasurable), it is advisable to set the time to account for the possibility of the user's physical condition being affected, such as the time from when the first condition is met until the external power is turned off. If the second condition is the detection of a specific sound (e.g., the sound of a siren from a specific vehicle (e.g., an ambulance or police car), a loud voice from a passerby, the sound of a vehicle collision, etc.), it is advisable to set the time to account for the time from when an abnormal condition such as an accident occurs until the specific vehicle arrives, such as within 40 minutes after the first condition is met. Furthermore, if the second condition is, for example, the detection of a change in the vehicle's potential, then it is appropriate to set the time to a relatively short period, such as within 1 second after the first condition is met, since the potential of the vehicle is expected to change immediately upon contact with another object. Also, if the second condition is, for example, the detection that the vehicle is traveling in an accident-prone area, then it is appropriate to set the time to a period of, for example, within 10 seconds after the first condition is met, which is roughly the amount of time required to detect the vehicle's travel area, which can be acquired by, for example, the GPS receiver 140. Thus, the predetermined time determined in step S155 (monitoring time to determine whether the second condition is met) should be set to a time during which the second condition is likely to be met.

[0193] In this way, by fulfilling multiple conditions such as detecting that a user has performed a specific action and detecting that specific information has been obtained from the user, images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when an image is recorded only when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs, thus more reliably reducing the burden of verifying abnormal situations. Specifically, for example, insurance companies that receive images from the system can reduce the burden of verifying whether or not the images represent an abnormal situation such as an accident. Furthermore, since the timing at which each of the multiple conditions is fulfilled is relatively close (within a predetermined time that differs depending on the second condition), a high degree of correlation between the multiple conditions is ensured. Therefore, it becomes possible to more reliably reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations.

[0194] Furthermore, the combination of processing performed in step S153 and processing performed in step S157 is not limited to the combination of detecting that a user has performed a specific action and detecting specific information from the user. For example, variations of the above combinations include: detecting that a user has performed a specific action and detecting specific information from outside the vehicle; detecting that a user has performed a specific action and detecting a change in the vehicle; detecting that a user has performed a specific action and detecting specific information from outside the vehicle; detecting that specific information has been obtained from the user and detecting specific information from outside the vehicle; detecting specific information from the user and detecting a change in the vehicle; detecting specific information from the user and detecting specific information from outside the vehicle; detecting specific information from outside the vehicle and detecting a change in the vehicle; detecting specific information from outside the vehicle and detecting specific information from outside the vehicle; and detecting a change in the vehicle and detecting specific information from outside the vehicle.

[0195] Furthermore, in Modification 5 of this first embodiment, the fulfillment of multiple conditions other than the condition of detecting the occurrence of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value is used as a condition for event recording processing, but the multiple conditions are not limited to the fulfillment of two conditions. For example, even if three or more conditions are met, such as detection of a user performing a specific action, detection of specific information from the user, and detection of specific information from outside the vehicle, images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs, thus making it possible to more reliably reduce the verification burden of abnormal situations. The combination of these three or more conditions can be any combination of three or more conditions from among the multiple conditions mentioned above, such as detection of a user performing a specific action, detection of specific information from the user, detection of specific information from outside the vehicle, detection of changes in the vehicle, and detection of specific information from outside the vehicle.

[0196] [Effects of Modification 5 of the First Embodiment] According to Modification 5 of the First Embodiment, by fulfilling multiple conditions other than the condition of detecting the occurrence of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value, images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded only when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs. Therefore, by providing the image data recorded on the SD card 143 in the event recording process (step S159) to a specific external organization (e.g., police station, fire station, Japan Automobile Federation, insurance company, etc.), it becomes possible to more reliably reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations. In particular, even if the fulfillment of a single condition alone is not sufficient to reduce the frequency of event recording compared to the conventional method where event recording is performed only when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs, by making the fulfillment of multiple conditions a condition for event recording, it becomes possible to reduce the frequency of event recording compared to the conventional method. However, this does not preclude making a condition that, when fulfilled alone, reduces the frequency of event recording compared to the conventional method one of the above multiple conditions.

[0197] [Effects of the First Embodiment and Modifications 1-5 of the First Embodiment] According to the first embodiment and variations 1 to 5 of the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the frequency of event recording processing compared to the conventional method, in which event recording processing is performed when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs. Furthermore, if one of the multiple conditions is the occurrence of acceleration exceeding a predetermined value, conventionally used acceleration sensors can be reused, and the frequency of event recording processing to record event recording image data can be reduced at low cost.

[0198] Furthermore, in the event recording process (steps S109, S119, S129, S139, S149, S159) of the first embodiment and variations 1 to 5 of the first embodiment, the image data recorded on the SD card 143 may be sent to a specific external organization (for example, a police station, fire station, Japan Automobile Federation, insurance company, etc.) by mail or other means. However, if the controller 130 is configured to transmit the image data recorded in the above event recording process to the specific external organization, it becomes possible to provide the image data in a timely manner without causing any inconvenience.

[0199] If the controller 130 is configured to transmit recorded image data from the event recording process to a specific external organization, the system may confirm with the user whether or not to proceed with the transmission. For example, the system may use an interactive UI to confirm with the user via voice, such as "Do you want to send the recorded images?". The system may recognize the user's response, such as "yes" or "no," via voice, and if the user responds with "yes," the system may send the images to the insurance company, police station, etc.

[0200] Furthermore, if the controller 130 is configured to transmit the image data recorded during event recording to a specific external organization, it is advisable to prompt the user to perform the transmission operation. For example, the system could prompt the user to perform the transmission operation via an interactive UI, using voice prompts such as, "If you have a drive recorder with a data transmission function installed, please press the operation button to send the images." When the user presses the transmission button, the system should send the images to the insurance company, police station, etc.

[0201] Furthermore, if the controller 130 is configured to transmit the image data recorded during event recording to a specific external organization, it is preferable to set the sensitivity (predetermined value) of the acceleration sensor 144 applied when recording an event to a different value from the sensitivity (predetermined value) of the acceleration sensor 144 applied when transmitting the recorded image to a specific external organization. Specifically, for example, it is preferable to set the sensitivity (predetermined value) applied when transmitting an image higher than the sensitivity (predetermined value) of the acceleration sensor 144 applied when recording an event. Moreover, it is preferable to set the sensitivity (predetermined value) applied when transmitting an image to, for example, about 1.5G, more preferably, for example, 3.0G or higher (acceleration corresponding to a clear accident), and the sensitivity (predetermined value) of the acceleration sensor 144 applied when recording an event to, for example, about 1G. By making such settings, it becomes possible to reduce the frequency at which images are transmitted compared to the frequency at which images are recorded as events, thereby more reliably reducing the verification burden on insurance companies and the like when dealing with abnormal situations.

[0202] The event recording processes (steps S109, S119, S129, S139, S149, and S159) of the first embodiment and modified examples 1 to 5 of the first embodiment are, for example, processes that read continuously recorded image data recorded in the first recording area of ​​the SD card 143, extract image data for a predetermined time (for example, 20 seconds before and after) before and after the time of the first event occurrence (steps S103, S113, S123, S133, S143, and S153), and record them as event recording image data in the second recording area of ​​the SD card 143.

[0203] Furthermore, in the event recording process (steps S109, S119, S129, S139, S149, S159) of the first embodiment and modified examples 1 to 5 of the first embodiment, the image data is recorded to the SD card 143, but this is not limited to this. It may also be recorded to the system's RAM 133, or to both the SD card 143 and the system's RAM 133. Moreover, it may be recorded to a recording area outside the system.

[0204] Furthermore, when recording image data in the event recording process (steps S109, S119, S129, S139, S149, and S159) of the first embodiment and modified examples 1 to 5 of the first embodiment, it is preferable to rank the likelihood that the data to be recorded contains abnormal events.

[0205] Furthermore, in the first embodiment and variations 1 to 5 of the first embodiment, the system may be equipped with a function that allows the system's performance to be switched between a personal mode, which allows for performance settings for individual users, and a business mode, which allows for performance settings for business users. This allows the system's performance to be arbitrarily set according to the system user. For example, when set to personal mode, the video quality may be set to average (medium) quality, and images may be transmitted to external sources using a normal line, while when set to business mode, the video quality may be set to high quality, and images may be transmitted to external sources using a high-speed line such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) (registered trademark).

[0206] Furthermore, in the first embodiment and variations 1 to 5 of the first embodiment, the system should be equipped with a function to include probability information indicating the probability that an abnormal situation is captured in the image. This "probability information indicating the probability that an abnormal situation is captured" can be included in the image, for example, as a caption. Additionally, when the vehicle is stopped and it is detected that the user has not moved for a predetermined time after an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value has occurred, an event should be recorded, and the recorded image should be automatically transmitted externally. Furthermore, after the conditions for event recording processing are met, the continuously recorded image should be sent externally (for example, to a server of a police station or insurance company) as an image of the situation after the accident (the attitude of the user and the other party, the situation of the police, etc.).

[0207] [Second Example] Next, with reference to Figure 9, a second embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 will be described. Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the second embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 of the system 100.

[0208] The controller 130 determines whether the external power supply is ON or OFF (step S201), and if the external power supply is ON (YES in step S201), it performs the processing in steps S203 to S205. Although not shown in Figure 9, when power is supplied to the system 100 and the external power supply is ON, the controller 130 performs continuous recording processing, which continuously records the image data input from the camera 141 (continuously recorded image data) to the first recording area of ​​the SD card 143. This continuous recording processing continues as long as power is supplied to the system 100, and is therefore performed in parallel with processing such as steps S203 to S205, which will be described later.

[0209] In step S201, when power is supplied to the system 100 and the external power supply is turned ON (if YES), the controller 130 determines whether or not the user has performed a specific action (step S203).

[0210] Specifically, the controller 130 constantly monitors whether or not the operation of the operation button 24 (see Figure 1) has been detected as a specific action by the user, as long as the power is ON. When the controller 130 determines that the operation button 24 has been operated (YES in step S203), it performs event recording processing (step S205). This is based on the understanding that if the user is aware that they should operate the operation button 24 when an abnormal situation such as an accident occurs, then if the operation button 24 is operated of their own volition, there is a high probability that an abnormal situation has occurred.

[0211] In this way, by reliably fulfilling a single condition, such as detecting the operation of the control button 24, images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when an image is recorded only when an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs. This makes it possible to more reliably reduce the verification burden of abnormal situations. Specifically, for example, insurance companies that receive images from the system can reduce the verification burden of whether or not the image is of an accident or other abnormal situation. Furthermore, by recording images triggered by the fulfillment of a single condition, it is possible to reduce the verification burden of abnormal situations while, for example, keeping the number of system components down.

[0212] Furthermore, it would be beneficial to include a function in the system that prompts the user to operate the control button 24 in the event of an accident or other abnormal situation.

[0213] Furthermore, given that accidental operation of the operation button 24 may occur, it would be beneficial to allow the user to cancel the operation of the operation button 24. If the user cancels after operating the operation button 24, event recording processing may be avoided, or the recorded image data may be deleted after event recording processing has been performed.

[0214] Furthermore, it would be beneficial to include a function in the system to detect incorrect operation of the operation button 24. For example, considering that users are likely to repeatedly press the operation button 24 when an abnormal situation occurs, it would be beneficial to determine whether an operation is incorrect based on whether the operation button 24 is pressed more than a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time (for example, more than 3 times within 5 seconds). In this case, for example, if the operation button 24 is pressed more than a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time, the system should recognize that operation as correct, and if it is not pressed more than a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time, the system should recognize that it is an incorrect operation. Additionally, it would be beneficial to have the system play an announcement such as "If an abnormal situation such as an accident has occurred, please press the operation button again" when the operation button 24 is operated once. In this case, if the user operates the operation button 24 again within a predetermined time (for example, within 10 seconds), the system should recognize the previous operation as correct, and if the user does not operate the operation button 24 within a predetermined time, the system should recognize the previous operation as an incorrect operation.

[0215] Furthermore, the process in step S203, which determines whether a specific action has been performed by the user, is not limited to determining whether an operation of the operation button 24 (see Figure 1) has been detected. For example, it may also be a process to detect whether communication has been made from a specific device owned by the user (e.g., a smartphone or tablet) to a specific external organization (e.g., a police station, fire station, Japan Automobile Federation, insurance company, etc.). It is advisable to register the telephone number of the specific organization in the system. It is also advisable to record the history of communication made from a specific device owned by the user to a specific external organization (e.g., the date and time, and the content of the conversation).

[0216] [Effects of the second embodiment, etc.] According to the second embodiment, by recording images triggered by the fulfillment of a single condition, such as a specific action by the user, it becomes possible to reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations while, for example, keeping the number of system components down.

[0217] [Modifications 1 to 3 of the second embodiment] Next, with reference to Figures 10 to 12, Modifications 1 to 3 of the second embodiment will be described. The difference between Modifications 1 to 3 of the second embodiment and the second embodiment lies in some of the processes performed by the controller of the system shown in Figure 9.

[0218] [Modification 1 of the second embodiment] First, with reference to Figure 10, a modification 1 of the second embodiment will be described. Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating a modification 1 of the second embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 of the system 100.

[0219] In Modification 1 of the Second Embodiment, instead of the determination in S203 in the Second Embodiment (determining whether or not the user performed a specific action), it is determined whether or not specific information from the user has been detected (step S213). If the condition that specific information from the user has been detected is met, event recording processing is performed (step S215). The other processes, steps S211 and S215, are the same as the processes in steps S201 and S205 in the Second Embodiment, respectively.

[0220] Specifically, after the power is turned ON (YES in step S211), the controller 130 constantly monitors for specific information from the user, such as whether or not a change exceeding a predetermined value has occurred in the user's body, as long as the power is ON (step S213). If it determines that a change exceeding a predetermined value has occurred in the user's body (YES in step S213), it performs event recording processing (step S215).

[0221] Monitoring whether a change exceeding a predetermined value has occurred in the user's body may involve, for example, installing a sensor capable of measuring the user's blood flow on the steering wheel of the vehicle on which the system is installed to detect the user's heart rate, and then detecting when the detected heart rate falls outside a predetermined range (for example, a heart rate of 100 or more, or being unmeasurable). Alternatively, the system may involve installing a camera that images the interior of the vehicle on which the system is installed, and detecting when the state of the user's body as captured by the camera has become different from that during normal driving (for example, when the position of the user's head deviates from a predetermined area for a predetermined period of time or longer).

[0222] [Effects of Modification 1 of the Second Embodiment] According to Modification 1 of the Second Embodiment, by fulfilling a single, highly reliable condition such as detecting specific information from the user, images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded only when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs, thus more reliably reducing the verification burden of abnormal situations. Specifically, for example, insurance companies that receive images from the system can reduce the verification burden of whether or not the images represent an abnormal situation such as an accident. Furthermore, by recording images triggered by the fulfillment of a single condition, it is possible to reduce the verification burden of abnormal situations while, for example, keeping the number of system components down. Moreover, by making the detection of specific information from the user, such as the user's heart rate, a condition for event recording processing, it becomes possible to reliably record images even when the user is unconscious.

[0223] [Modification 2 of the second embodiment] Next, with reference to Figure 11, a second modification of the second embodiment will be described. Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating a second modification of the second embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 of the system 100.

[0224] In the second modified example of the second embodiment, instead of the determination in S203 in the second embodiment (determining whether the user performed a specific action), it is determined whether or not information from outside the vehicle has been detected (step S223). If the condition that information from outside the vehicle has been detected is met, event recording processing is performed (step S225). The other processes, steps S221 and S225, are the same as the processes in steps S201 and S205 in the second embodiment, respectively.

[0225] Specifically, after the power is turned ON (YES in step S221), the controller 130 constantly monitors for information from outside the vehicle, such as whether or not an obstacle is approaching the vehicle, as long as the power is ON (step S223). If it determines that the distance to the approaching obstacle has become zero (i.e., a collision has occurred) (YES in step S223), it performs event recording processing (step S225).

[0226] Monitoring whether an obstacle is approaching the vehicle can be done, for example, by installing a distance measuring sensor on the vehicle and using the sensor to determine whether an object is approaching. Alternatively, for example, a camera that takes images of the area around the vehicle can be mounted on the vehicle, and the images captured by the camera can be analyzed. However, it is even better to determine whether the obstacle approaching the vehicle is a heavy object, rather than something like a balloon. Whether or not it is a heavy object can be detected by processing the image captured by the imaging device of system 100 (e.g., camera 141). Alternatively, a configuration can be used to detect when the distance between the vehicle's position and surrounding heavy objects reaches a predetermined distance, using an image of the vehicle viewed from above, such as an around-view image generated from images from multiple cameras. Whether or not it is a "heavy object that could cause an accident to an object such as a vehicle" can be determined by also considering whether the height of the objects around the vehicle is above a predetermined level. Whether or not the height of the objects around the vehicle is above a predetermined level can be detected based on the image from at least one of the microwave sensor or camera. Furthermore, the "specified" height of objects around the vehicle should ideally be higher than the vehicle's height, because objects lower than the vehicle can pass underneath it.

[0227] [Effects of Modification 2 of the Second Embodiment] According to Modification 2 of the Second Embodiment, images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded only when acceleration above a predetermined value occurs, because a single, highly reliable condition such as the detection of information from outside the vehicle is met. This makes it possible to more reliably reduce the verification burden of abnormal situations. Specifically, for example, insurance companies that receive images from the system can reduce the verification burden of whether or not the images represent an abnormal situation such as an accident. Furthermore, by recording images triggered by the meeting of a single condition, it is possible to reduce the verification burden of abnormal situations while, for example, keeping the number of system components down.

[0228] [Modification 3 of the second embodiment] Next, with reference to Figure 12, a third modification of the second embodiment will be described. Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating a third modification of the second embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 of the system 100.

[0229] In the third modified example of the second embodiment, instead of the determination in S203 in the second embodiment (determining whether or not the user performed a specific action), it is determined whether or not a change in the vehicle has been detected (step S233). If the condition that a change in the vehicle has been detected is met, event recording processing is performed (step S235). The other processes, steps S231 and S235, are the same as the processes in steps S201 and S205 in the second embodiment, respectively.

[0230] Specifically, after the power is turned ON (YES in step S231), the controller 130 constantly monitors whether the potential of the vehicle (e.g., the vehicle body) has changed by more than a predetermined value as a change in the vehicle (step S233), and if it determines that the potential of the vehicle has changed by more than a predetermined value (YES in step S233), it performs event recording processing (step S235).

[0231] To monitor whether the vehicle's potential has changed, one can, for example, connect a voltmeter to the vehicle body (e.g., the hood or bumper) and measure the potential of the vehicle body.

[0232] In this way, images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when images are recorded only when acceleration above a predetermined value occurs, because a single, highly reliable condition such as a change in the vehicle's electrical potential is met. This makes it possible to more reliably reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations. Specifically, for example, insurance companies that receive images from the system can reduce the burden of verifying whether or not the images represent an accident or other abnormal situation. Furthermore, by recording images triggered by the fulfillment of a single condition, it is possible to reduce the verification burden of abnormal situations while, for example, keeping the number of system components down.

[0233] Furthermore, the process in step S233 is not limited to detecting whether the vehicle's potential has changed by more than a predetermined value, but may also be, for example, a measure to detect deformation of the vehicle. Alternatively, a predetermined sensor may be attached to the steering wheel, and the process may detect if the sensor has detached (fallen off) from the steering wheel. In addition, the process may be a process to detect whether a vehicle safety device has been activated. Examples of vehicle safety devices include airbags, anti-lock braking systems, and seat belt pretensioners. The process may also be a process to detect if, while the system is operating, more than a predetermined percentage of the field of view of the system's camera (a camera that images the interior of the vehicle) is covered by some object (for example, a deployed airbag, an object inside the vehicle that has moved from its position before the accident due to the impact of the accident, etc.). In this process, if the field of view is suddenly covered with white, there is a high possibility that the camera's field of view is covered by a deployed airbag, so it may be possible to determine whether the field of view has suddenly been covered with white.

[0234] The status of the airbag can be detected, for example, by monitoring the communication content of the CAN (Controller Area Network) installed in the vehicle. Based on the CAN communication content, it is possible to detect, for example, airbag deployment, rear-end collision, airbag system malfunction, safety, front collision, and side collision. Alternatively, the status of the airbag may be detected by accessing the airbag ECU. Furthermore, the status of the airbag can be detected by monitoring the sound of the airbag's operation (for example, monitoring for loud explosion sounds of 150db to 170db within 100ms), monitoring changes in air pressure associated with airbag deployment, or by using the on-board diagnostics (OBD) installed in the vehicle.

[0235] [Effects of Modified Example 3 of the Second Embodiment] According to Modification 3 of the Second Embodiment, by recording images when a change in the vehicle is detected, it becomes possible to reduce the number of system components while also reducing the burden of verifying abnormal situations.

[0236] [Effects of the second embodiment and variations 1-3 of the second embodiment] According to the second embodiment and variations 1 to 3 of the second embodiment, it is possible to reduce the frequency of event recording processing compared to the conventional method, in which event recording processing is performed when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs.

[0237] Furthermore, in the event recording process (steps S205, S215, S225, and S235) of the second embodiment and modified versions 1 to 3 of the second embodiment, the image data recorded on the SD card 143 may be sent to a specific external organization (for example, a police station, fire station, Japan Automobile Federation, insurance company, etc.) by mail or other means. However, if the controller 130 is configured to transmit the image data recorded in the above event recording process to the specific external organization, it becomes possible to provide the image data in a timely manner without causing any inconvenience.

[0238] In addition, the event recording processes (steps S205, S215, S225, and S235) of the second embodiment and the modified versions 1 to 3 of the second embodiment are, for example, processes that read continuously recorded image data recorded in the first recording area of ​​the SD card 143, extract image data for a predetermined time before and after the event occurrence (steps S203, S213, S223, and S233) (for example, 20 seconds before and after), and record them as event recording image data in the second recording area of ​​the SD card 143.

[0239] Furthermore, in the event recording process (steps S205, S215, S225, and S235) of the second embodiment and modified examples 1 to 3 of the second embodiment, the image data is recorded to the SD card 143, but this is not limited to this. It may also be recorded to the system's RAM 133, or to both the SD card 143 and the system's RAM 133. Moreover, it may be recorded to a recording area outside the system.

[0240] Furthermore, when recording image data in the event recording process (steps S205, S215, S225, and S235) of the second embodiment and modified examples 1 to 3 of the second embodiment, it is preferable to rank the likelihood that the data to be recorded contains abnormal events.

[0241] Furthermore, in the second embodiment and variations 1 to 3 of the second embodiment, the system may be equipped with a function that allows the system's performance to be switched between a personal mode, which allows for performance settings for individual users, and a business mode, which allows for performance settings for business users. This allows the system's performance to be arbitrarily set according to the system user. For example, when set to personal mode, the video quality may be set to average (medium) quality, and images may be transmitted to external sources using a normal line, while when set to business mode, the video quality may be set to high quality, and images may be transmitted to external sources using a high-speed line such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) (registered trademark).

[0242] [Third embodiment] Next, with reference to Figure 13, a third embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 will be described. Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating a third embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 of the system 100. In the third embodiment, when the possibility of an accident involving another vehicle is detected, data is provided to an external source (for example, a server of a specific organization such as an insurance company or police station).

[0243] The controller 130 determines whether the external power supply is ON or OFF (step S301), and if the external power supply is ON (YES in step S301), it performs the processes in steps S303 to S307. Although not shown in Figure 14, when power is supplied to the system 100 and the external power supply is ON, the controller 130 performs continuous recording processing, which continuously records the image data input from the camera 141 (continuously recorded image data) to the first recording area of ​​the SD card 143. This continuous recording processing continues as long as power is supplied to the system 100, and is therefore performed in parallel with processes such as steps S303 to S307, which will be described later.

[0244] In step S301, when power is supplied to the system 100 and the external power supply is turned ON (if YES), the controller 130 determines whether or not it has detected the possibility of an accident occurring in another vehicle (step S303).

[0245] Specifically, after the power is turned ON (YES in step S301), the controller 130 constantly monitors whether the operation button 24 (see Figure 1) has been operated, for example, as long as the power is ON (step S303), in order to determine whether or not it has detected the possibility of an accident involving another vehicle. If it determines that the operation button 24 has been operated (YES in step S303), it performs event recording processing (step S305). This is based on the understanding that if a user recognizes that they should operate the operation button 24 when they see an abnormal situation such as an accident occurring in another vehicle, then if the operation button 24 is operated of their own volition, there is a high probability that an abnormal situation has occurred in the other vehicle.

[0246] After performing event recording processing (step S305), the controller 130 then transmits the information (images, etc.) recorded in step S305 to a predetermined external server (step S307). Examples of predetermined servers include insurance company servers and police station servers.

[0247] Furthermore, the process in step S303 is not limited to detecting whether or not the operation button 24 has been operated. For example, it may also be a process to detect whether communication has been made from a specific device owned by the user (e.g., a smartphone or tablet) to a specific external organization (e.g., a police station, fire station, Japan Automobile Federation, insurance company, etc.). In this case, it is advisable to register the telephone number of the specific organization in the system. It is also advisable to record the history of communication made from a specific device owned by the user to a specific external organization (e.g., the date and time, and the content of the conversation).

[0248] Furthermore, the process in step S303 may be a process to detect whether or not a specific sound (for example, a loud sound above a predetermined value, or the sound of a car collision) has been detected. In addition, when the vehicle is traveling in an accident-prone area or during an accident-prone time, it may be set to continuously record as an event record.

[0249] Furthermore, in the event recording process performed in step S305, it is advisable to label the image with information such as the date, time, and location of the image capture. This type of labeling makes it easier to search for images.

[0250] [Effects of the third embodiment, etc.] According to the third embodiment, when the system detects the possibility of an accident or other abnormal situation occurring in another vehicle, it provides data to an external source (for example, a server of a specific organization such as an insurance company or police station), thereby contributing to the verification of the accident (abnormal situation) of the other vehicle externally and reducing the burden of verifying abnormal situations. Furthermore, as the number of vehicles equipped with the system according to the third embodiment increases, there will be more effective data to contribute to the verification of accidents involving other vehicles, further improving the accuracy of the verification of accidents involving other vehicles.

[0251] Furthermore, in the event recording process (step S305) of the third embodiment, image data is recorded to the SD card 143, but it is not limited to this; it may also be recorded to the system's RAM 133, or to both the SD card 143 and the system's RAM 133. Moreover, it may be recorded to a recording area outside the system (for example, at a specific external institution).

[0252] In the third embodiment, the event recording process (step S305) is, for example, a process that reads continuously recorded image data recorded in the first recording area of ​​the SD card 143, extracts image data for a predetermined time before and after the event occurrence (step S303) (for example, 20 seconds before and after), and records it as event recording image data in the second recording area of ​​the SD card 143.

[0253] Furthermore, in the event recording process (step S305) of the third embodiment, when recording image data, it is preferable to rank the likelihood that the data to be recorded contains abnormal events.

[0254] [Modified example of the third embodiment] Next, with reference to Figure 14, a modified example of the third embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 will be described. Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating a modified example of the third embodiment of the control processing performed by the controller 130 of the system 100. In this modified example of the third embodiment, when a request for data specifying, for example, a date and time and location is received from a server of a specific external organization (for example, a police station, fire station, insurance company, etc.), the corresponding data is sent to the aforementioned external organization.

[0255] Specifically, the controller 130 determines whether the external power supply is ON or OFF (step S311), and if the external power supply is ON (YES in step S311), it performs the processing in steps S313 to S317. Although not shown in Figure 14, when power is supplied to the system 100, the controller 130 performs continuous recording processing, which continuously records the image data input from the camera 141 (continuously recorded image data) to the first recording area of ​​the SD card 143. This continuous recording processing continues as long as power is supplied to the system 100, and is therefore performed in parallel with processing such as steps S313 to S317 described later. It is also advisable for the controller 130 to label and record the date, time, and location of the image during the continuous recording processing. Such labeling makes it easier to search for images.

[0256] In step S311, when power is supplied to the system 100 and the external power supply is turned ON (if YES), the controller 130 determines whether or not an inquiry has been received from a server of a specific external organization (e.g., a police station, fire station, insurance company, etc.) (step S313).

[0257] When the controller 130 determines that an inquiry has been made from, for example, a server of a specific external organization (e.g., a police station, fire station, insurance company, etc.) (YES in step S313), it determines whether the relevant data is recorded in the first recording area of ​​the SD card 143 (step S315). For example, if the inquiry in step S313 is a request for data specifying a date and time and location, the controller 130 searches whether labeled data corresponding to the specified date and time and location is recorded in the first recording area of ​​the SD card 143. "Corresponding to the specified date and time and location" means that the date and time and location match the specified date and location, but the time may differ by, for example, 4 to 5 minutes in driving time, and the location may differ by, for example, 1 to 2 km. If the data corresponding to the inquiry from, for example, a server of a specific external organization (e.g., a police station, fire station, insurance company, etc.) is recorded in the first recording area of ​​the SD card 143 (YES in step S315), the controller 130 extracts the relevant data and sends it to the server of the inquiry source (e.g., a police station, fire station, insurance company, etc.). If the data corresponding to the inquiry is not recorded in the first recording area of ​​the SD card 143, the above inquiry may be ignored, or information indicating that the relevant data is not recorded may be sent to the inquiry source.

[0258] Furthermore, the controller 130 may, in addition to or instead of recording the date, time, and location information of the image, label the image with information such as the distinctive shape or color of other vehicles during continuous recording processing. Increasing the amount of information labeled on the image makes image retrieval easier. Information such as the distinctive shape or color of other vehicles can be obtained by analyzing the image captured by the camera 141.

[0259] [Effects of the modified example of the third embodiment] According to a modification of the third embodiment, images of other vehicles that may have experienced an accident or other abnormal situation can be read and transmitted to a specific external organization, which can be used to verify accidents involving other vehicles. Since images can be recorded at a lower frequency than when an acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs, provided that the conditions for high reliability are met, it becomes possible to more reliably reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations.

[0260] [Effects of the third embodiment and the modified version of the third embodiment, etc.] According to the third embodiment and its modified form, when it detects the possibility of an abnormal situation such as an accident occurring in another vehicle, it is possible to provide or transmit data to an external source (for example, a server of a specific organization such as an insurance company or police station), thereby contributing to the verification of accidents (abnormal situations) involving other vehicles externally and reducing the burden of verifying abnormal situations. In particular, compared to the conventional method, where event recording processing is performed when acceleration exceeding a predetermined value occurs in the vehicle equipped with the system, and abnormal situations are verified using images recorded by event recording processing without images being provided by other companies, it is possible to reduce the burden of verifying abnormal situations. Furthermore, as the number of vehicles equipped with the system according to the third embodiment or its modified form increases, there will be more effective data that can contribute to the verification of accidents involving other vehicles, further improving the accuracy of the verification of accidents involving other vehicles.

[0261] Furthermore, in the third embodiment and its modified form, the system may have a function that allows switching between a personal mode, which allows for personal performance settings, and a business mode, which allows for business performance settings. This allows the system's performance to be arbitrarily set according to the system user. For example, when set to personal mode, the video quality may be set to average (medium) quality, and images may be transmitted externally using a normal line, while when set to business mode, the video quality may be set to high quality, and images may be transmitted externally using a high-speed line such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) (registered trademark).

[0262] [Other examples] In addition to the event recording described in at least one of each embodiment, it is preferable to have a function (referred to here as the acceleration event recording function) that records images captured when an acceleration above a predetermined level occurs, similar to the conventional method. The "function that records an image captured in a predetermined recording area when a specific condition that can occur at a lower frequency than when an acceleration above a predetermined level occurs" is particularly preferable to be a function that records an image captured in a predetermined recording area when a specific condition that can occur at a lower frequency than the recording condition "acceleration above a predetermined level" in this acceleration event recording function occurs. Furthermore, the "acceleration above a predetermined level" which is the recording condition for the acceleration event recording function is preferably configured to be configurable based on instructions from the user, etc. In particular, in this case, it is especially preferable to have a function that records an image captured in a predetermined recording area when a specific condition that can occur at a lower frequency than the default acceleration setting occurs. More preferably, it is preferable to have a function that records an image captured in a predetermined recording area when a specific condition that can occur at a lower frequency than the largest configurable acceleration occurs occurs.

[0263] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and modifications are illustrative examples, and it goes without saying that partial substitution or combination of the configurations shown in each embodiment and modification is possible. In addition, the components described in each embodiment and modification can be combined arbitrarily. For example, the controller 130 may execute one of the processes from the first embodiment and modifications 1 to 5 of the first embodiment in parallel (e.g., using multitasking) with one of the processes from the second embodiment and modifications 1 to 3 of the second embodiment. For example, the controller 130 may execute event recording processing when multiple conditions are met (Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) and event recording processing when a single condition is met (Figures 9, 10, 11, 12) using multitasking. In this case, when multiple conditions are met, the event recording process (steps S109, S119, S129, S139, S149, S159) and when a single condition is met, it is advisable to record information such as the location and time of the accident by labeling it with image data.

[0264] Furthermore, it is advisable to record the type of event in association with the image data. The type of event should be information that identifies the content of the conditional step for performing the event recording processing step (step Sxx9 (xx is the number indicated in each figure, and so on)) in each figure. For example, it could be information that identifies the conditions for step Sxx3 in each figure, and steps Sxx5 and Sxx7 in Figures 3 to 8 (e.g., the name of the condition). For example, in Figure 3, it is advisable to record information that identifies the conditions for steps S103, S105, and S107, which are the conditional steps for performing step S109 of the event recording processing. For example, the type could be recorded in association with the image data, such as "acceleration above a predetermined value", "within a predetermined time", and "detection that the user performed a specific action". The same should be done for the flows in the other figures.

[0265] Furthermore, when multiple conditions are met, for example, even if the frequency of event recording processing cannot be reduced compared to the conventional method where event recording processing is performed when acceleration above a predetermined value occurs when only one condition is met, it is preferable that the conditions for event recording processing are met such that the frequency of event recording processing can be reduced compared to the conventional method by making the fulfillment of multiple conditions a condition for event recording processing. Also, when the above-mentioned single condition is met, for example, it is a single condition different from the occurrence of acceleration above a predetermined value, and it is preferable that the conditions are met such that the frequency of event recording processing can be reduced compared to the conventional method where event recording processing is performed when acceleration above a predetermined value occurs. Similarly, the controller 130 may perform the processing of the first embodiment and any of the modifications 1 to 5 of the first embodiment in a multitasking manner, and the processing of the third embodiment or a modification of the third embodiment. To elaborate on this, the controller 130 may perform event recording processing when multiple conditions are met (steps S109, S119, S129, S139, S149, S159) and processing to send information to an external server when there is a possibility that an abnormal situation such as an accident has occurred in another vehicle (a vehicle other than the one on which the system is installed) (steps S307, S317) in a multitasking manner. In this case, in the event recording processing when multiple conditions are met (steps S109, S119, S129, S139, S149, S159), information such as the location and time of the accident should be recorded by labeling it to image data, and in the processing to send information to an external server (steps S307, S317), information such as the location and time of the accident should be transmitted by labeling it to image data.Furthermore, similarly, the process of the second embodiment and any of the modifications 1 to 3 of the second embodiment may be performed in a multitasking manner with the process of the third embodiment or a modification of the third embodiment, or the process of the first embodiment and any of the modifications 1 to 5 of the first embodiment may be performed in a multitasking manner with the process of the second embodiment and any of the modifications 1 to 3 of the second embodiment and the process of the third embodiment or a modification of the third embodiment.

[0266] Furthermore, the inventions and their components described in the means for solving the problem may be further applied to combinations of the components of each embodiment and each modification. Similar effects due to similar configurations in multiple embodiments and multiple modifications will not be mentioned sequentially for each embodiment and modification. Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes, improvements, combinations, etc., are possible. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0267] 100 Dashcams 124 Operation Buttons 130 Controllers 141 Camera 142 SD card reader 143 SD cards 144 Accelerometer 149 Communication Circuit

Claims

1. The system includes a control means that, when certain conditions are met, records the captured image in a predetermined recording area. The aforementioned specific conditions include, in addition to the occurrence of acceleration exceeding a predetermined level, the fact that a predetermined percentage or more of the camera's field of view is covered by an object. A dashcam characterized by the following features.

2. The aforementioned camera is a 360° camera that captures images of the interior of the vehicle. The drive recorder according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned object is a deployed airbag, or an object inside the vehicle that has moved from its pre-accident position due to the impact of the accident. A drive recorder according to feature 1 or 2.

4. The control means determines whether or not the field of view has been suddenly covered in white. A drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The control means detects the state of the airbag by monitoring the communication content of the CAN installed in the vehicle. A drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The control means detects the state of the airbag by accessing the airbag ECU. A drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The control means detects the state of the airbag by monitoring the sound of the airbag's operation, monitoring the change in air pressure associated with the airbag's operation, or by using an on-board diagnostic (OBD) installed in the vehicle. A drive recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A program characterized by causing a computer to implement the functions of the drive recorder described in claim 1.

Images