Vehicle recording control device

Abstract

To appropriately monitor parking.SOLUTION: A vehicle recording control device 100 includes: a video data acquisition section 120 for acquiring video data photographed by a camera unit 210 for photographing the periphery of a vehicle; an event detection section 127 for detecting an event with respect to the vehicle; a parking detection section 129 for detecting that the vehicle is in a parking state; a peripheral state detection section 130 for detecting the peripheral state of the vehicle when the vehicle is parking; and a recording function control section 132 for allowing a recording section 220 to perform recording due to the detected event. The peripheral state detection section 130 detects presence / absence of a space through which an object can pass in the periphery of the vehicle when the vehicle is parking. The recording function control section 132 monitors parking by performing photographing by changing a photographing direction of cameras of the camera unit 210 for photographing a direction without having a space when the peripheral state detection section 130 detects a direction without having a space to enable the object to pass, and then preserves the video data photographed by changing the photographing direction as event recording data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording control device for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A so-called drive recorder (vehicle recording device) that captures images in the forward and backward directions of a vehicle is known. A technology is known that stops image capture by an on-board surveillance camera when there is no movable object in a monitoring area, and turns off the power of the on-board surveillance camera that captures images in directions where image capture is not required based on a determination result of an image capture direction determination means, regardless of whether or not there is a movable object around a parked vehicle (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5012527 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In parking monitoring, it is preferable to capture a wide range in order to reliably record what happens to the vehicle. Depending on the surroundings of the vehicle when parking, there are directions in which capturing images is not necessary, as in the technology described in Patent Document 1. Thus, there is room for improvement in order to perform more appropriate parking monitoring.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to perform appropriate parking monitoring. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the vehicle recording control device of the present invention comprises a video data acquisition unit that acquires video data captured by a plurality of imaging units that capture the surroundings of the vehicle, an event detection unit that detects an event for the vehicle, a parking detection unit that detects that the vehicle is in a parked state, a surrounding condition detection unit that detects the surrounding conditions of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked, and a recording function control unit that performs recording in a recording unit due to an event detected by the event detection unit, wherein the surrounding condition detection unit detects the presence or absence of a gap through which an object can pass around the vehicle when the vehicle is parked, and when the surrounding condition detection unit detects a direction in which there is no gap through which an object can pass, the recording function control unit changes the shooting direction of the imaging unit that captures the direction in which there is no gap, captures the video data, and saves the video data captured with the changed shooting direction as event recording data. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, an effect is achieved in that parking monitoring can be performed appropriately. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle-mounted recording device having a vehicle-mounted recording control device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a surrounding situation of a vehicle. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining another example of the surrounding situation of the vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining another example of the surrounding situation of the vehicle. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining another example of the surrounding situation of the vehicle. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining another example of the surrounding situation of the vehicle. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of changing the shooting direction. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining another example of changing the shooting direction. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the vehicle recording control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the vehicle recording control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the vehicle recording control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the vehicle recording control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the vehicle recording control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a first modification of the change in the imaging direction. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a first modification of the change in the imaging direction. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a second modification of the change in the imaging direction. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the modified example 2 of changing the shooting direction, and is a schematic diagram for explaining a camera. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle record control device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0010] [First embodiment] (Vehicle Recording Device) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle recording device 10 having a vehicle record control device 100 according to the first embodiment. The vehicle recording device 10, which is a drive recorder that performs parking monitoring, performs event recording when an acceleration equal to or greater than a threshold value is applied to the vehicle or when a moving object is detected. The vehicle recording device 10 appropriately performs parking monitoring by changing the shooting direction of the camera of the camera unit (multiple shooting units) 210 according to the surrounding conditions around the vehicle. More specifically, when a direction in which there is no gap through which an object can pass (hereinafter referred to as a "direction without a gap") is detected around the vehicle, the vehicle recording device 10 performs parking monitoring by changing the shooting direction of the camera of the camera unit 210 that shoots the direction without a gap.

[0011] The object includes at least one of a person, another vehicle, an animal, a stick held by a person, and a liquid released from a container held by a person.

[0012] The vehicular recording device 10 may be a device installed in the vehicle, or may be a portable device that can be used in the vehicle. The vehicular recording device 10 may be realized by including the functions or configurations of a device that is pre-installed in the vehicle, a navigation device, etc. The vehicular recording device 10 includes a camera unit 210, a recording unit 220, an operation unit 230, a display unit 240, an acceleration sensor 250, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving unit 260, and a vehicular recording control device 100.

[0013] The camera unit 210 has a plurality of cameras that capture the surroundings of the vehicle. The plurality of cameras capture images in different directions relative to the vehicle. In this embodiment, the camera unit 210 has a front camera 211 capable of capturing images in the front and a rear camera 212 capable of capturing images in the rear. The front camera 211 is disposed, for example, at the front of the vehicle interior. The rear camera 212 is disposed, for example, at the rear of the vehicle interior. In the following description, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the plurality of cameras, they are described as the camera unit 210. In this embodiment, when the accessory power supply is OFF, in other words, when the vehicle is parked and an event is detected, the camera unit 210 can store images for a predetermined period of time, for example, about several tens of seconds. The camera unit 210 outputs the captured image data to the image data acquisition unit 120 of the vehicle recording control device 100. The image data is a moving image composed of images of, for example, 30 frames per second. Under the control of the vehicle recording control device 100, the camera unit 210 operates all or a selected part of the multiple cameras equipped in the camera unit 210, and outputs the video data captured by the operating cameras to the video data acquisition unit 120.

[0014] The recording unit 220 is used for temporary storage of data in the vehicle recording device 10. The recording unit 220 is, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory, or a recording unit such as a memory card. Alternatively, the recording unit 220 may be an external recording unit wirelessly connected via a communication device (not shown). The recording unit 220 records the loop recorded video data or the event recorded data based on a control signal output from the recording function control unit 132 of the vehicle recording control device 100.

[0015] The operation unit 230 can accept various operations on the vehicular recording device 10. For example, the operation unit 230 can accept an operation to manually save the captured video data in the recording unit 220 as event recording data. For example, the operation unit 230 can accept an operation to play back the loop recorded video data or event recording data recorded in the recording unit 220. For example, the operation unit 230 can accept an operation to erase the event recording data recorded in the recording unit 220. For example, the operation unit 230 can accept an operation to end the loop recording. The operation unit 230 outputs operation information to the operation control unit 125 of the vehicular recording control device 100.

[0016] The display unit 240 is, for example, a display device specific to the vehicle recording device 10, or a display device shared with other systems including a navigation system. The display unit 240 may be formed integrally with the camera unit 210. The display unit 240 is, for example, a display including a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The display unit 240 is disposed in front of the driver of the vehicle on a dashboard, an instrument panel, a center console, or the like. The display unit 240 displays an image based on a video signal output from the display control unit 126 of the vehicle recording control device 100. The display unit 240 displays an image captured by the camera unit 210 or an image recorded in the recording unit 220.

[0017] The acceleration sensor 250 is a sensor that detects acceleration occurring to the vehicle. The acceleration sensor 250 outputs the detection result to the event detection unit 127 of the vehicle recording control device 100. The acceleration sensor 250 is a sensor that detects acceleration in, for example, three axial directions. The three axial directions are the forward / rearward direction, the left / right direction, and the up / down direction of the vehicle.

[0018] The GPS receiver 260 receives radio waves from GPS satellites (not shown) and outputs the received radio wave signal to the position information acquisition unit 128 of the vehicle recording control device 100.

[0019] (Vehicle Recording Control Device) The vehicle record control device 100 is an arithmetic processing device (control device) configured with, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The vehicle record control device 100 loads a stored program into memory and executes instructions included in the program. The vehicle record control device 100 includes an internal memory (not shown) that is used for temporary storage of data in the vehicle record control device 100. The vehicle record control device 100 includes a video data acquisition unit 120, a buffer memory 121, a video data processing unit 122, a recording function control unit 132, a playback control unit 124, an operation control unit 125, a display control unit 126, an event detection unit 127, a position information acquisition unit 128, a parking detection unit 129, a surrounding situation detection unit 130, and a camera control unit 131, all of which are connected to a bus 110.

[0020] Video data acquisition unit 120 acquires video data captured around the vehicle. More specifically, video data acquisition unit 120 acquires video data output by camera unit 210 and outputs the video data to buffer memory 121. Video data acquisition unit 120 acquires video data captured by all or a part of the selected operating cameras among the multiple cameras provided in camera unit 210.

[0021] The buffer memory 121 is an internal memory provided in the vehicle record control device 100, and is a memory for temporarily recording a certain period of video data acquired by the video data acquisition unit 120 while updating it.

[0022] The video data processing unit 122 converts the video data temporarily stored in the buffer memory 121 into an arbitrary file format, such as MP4 format, encoded with an arbitrary codec, such as H.264 or MPEG-4 (Moving Picture Experts Group). The video data processing unit 122 generates video data as a file for a certain period of time from the video data temporarily stored in the buffer memory 121. As a specific example, the video data processing unit 122 generates 60 seconds of video data as a file in the order of recording from the video data temporarily stored in the buffer memory 121. The video data processing unit 122 outputs the generated video data to the recording function control unit 132. The video data processing unit 122 also outputs the generated video data to the display control unit 126. The period of the video data generated as a file is set to 60 seconds as an example, but is not limited to this. The video data referred to here may be data including audio in addition to the video captured by the camera unit 210.

[0023] The playback control unit 124 performs control so as to play back the loop recorded video data or event recorded data recorded in the recording unit 220 based on a playback operation control signal output from the operation control unit 125 .

[0024] The operation control unit 125 acquires operation information of an operation accepted by the operation unit 230. For example, the operation control unit 125 acquires save operation information indicating a manual save operation of video data, play operation information indicating a play operation, or delete operation information indicating a delete operation of video data, and outputs a control signal. For example, the operation control unit 125 acquires end operation information indicating an operation to end loop recording, and outputs a control signal.

[0025] The display control unit 126 controls the display of video data on the display unit 240. The display control unit 126 outputs a video signal that causes the video data to be output to the display unit 240. More specifically, the display control unit 126 outputs a video signal that displays video captured by the camera unit 210, or loop recorded video data or event recorded data recorded in the recording unit 220 by playing back the video.

[0026] The event detection unit 127 detects an event for the vehicle based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 250. More specifically, when the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 250 is equal to or greater than a threshold, the event detection unit 127 detects it as an event. The threshold for detecting an event during parking recording may be set to a lower threshold than the threshold for detecting an event during driving. For example, if the acceleration threshold for detecting an event during driving is about 1G, the acceleration threshold for detecting an event during parking recording may be set to about 0.3G.

[0027] The position information acquisition unit 128 calculates the current position information of the vehicle based on the radio waves received by the GPS receiving unit 260 using a known method.

[0028] The parking detection unit 129 detects that the vehicle is in a parked state based on information acquired from the vehicle.

[0029] The vehicle is in a parked state when the shift position is in "parking", the handbrake is operated, for example, for a period of 5 seconds or more, the speed is zero, the engine is stopped, etc. Alternatively, the vehicle may be determined to be in a parked state when an arbitrary trigger such as a user operation occurs. The vehicle may be in a parked state after the start of a parking operation, such as when the shift position is in "reverse" during reverse parking or when a parking assistance function is started.

[0030] The surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects the surrounding situation of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked. More specifically, the surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects a situation in which the surroundings of the vehicle satisfy a predetermined condition when the vehicle is parked. The surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects the presence or absence of a gap through which an object can pass around the vehicle when the vehicle is parked, thereby detecting a situation in which the surroundings of the vehicle satisfy a predetermined condition. The surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects a situation in which the surroundings of the vehicle satisfy a predetermined condition when there is no direction in which a gap through which an object can pass around the vehicle around the vehicle when the vehicle is parked. The surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects a situation in which the surroundings of the vehicle do not satisfy a predetermined condition when there is a direction in which a gap through which an object can pass around the vehicle around the vehicle when the vehicle is parked. In other words, the surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects a situation in which the surroundings of the vehicle do not satisfy a predetermined condition when there is at least one direction in which a gap through which an object can pass around the vehicle around the vehicle when the vehicle is parked. Hereinafter, the surrounding situation of the vehicle will be described with reference to FIG. 2 to FIG. 6. Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the surrounding conditions of the vehicle. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining another example of the surrounding conditions of the vehicle. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining another example of the surrounding conditions of the vehicle. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining another example of the surrounding conditions of the vehicle. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining another example of the surrounding conditions of the vehicle.

[0031] The surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects the presence or absence of a gap through which an object can pass based on surrounding terrain information around the vehicle when parking the vehicle, for example. The presence of a gap through which an object can pass includes a situation in which the parking surface, which is the ground surface of the vehicle, is not interrupted and the object can approach the vehicle. The presence of a gap through which an object can pass includes a situation in which the parking surface, which is the ground surface of the vehicle, is not interrupted and the object can approach the vehicle. The presence of a gap through which an object can pass includes a situation in which there is no obstruction around the vehicle and the object can approach the vehicle. The absence of a gap through which an object can pass includes a situation in which the parking surface, which is the ground surface of the vehicle, is not interrupted and the object cannot approach the vehicle. The absence of a gap through which an object can pass includes a situation in which there is no gap through which an object can approach the vehicle and the object cannot approach the vehicle. The absence of a gap through which an object can pass includes a situation in which the periphery of the vehicle is obstructed and the object cannot approach the vehicle.

[0032] In FIG. 2, the parking surface R behind the vehicle V is interrupted. The parking surface R is interrupted at the end of the ground contact surface of the vehicle or at a step. As shown in FIG. 2, the surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects the direction in which the parking surface R around the vehicle V is interrupted at the parking position of the vehicle V as a direction B in which there is no gap through which an object can pass, based on, for example, surrounding topographical information. The direction in which the parking surface R is interrupted is, for example, when there is a river, sea, or lake in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle V. The direction in which the parking surface R is interrupted is, for example, when there is a cliff in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle V. The direction in which the parking surface R is interrupted is, for example, when the vehicle V is located at the edge of a multi-story parking lot. The direction in which the parking surface R is interrupted is a direction in which there is no need to capture images because there is no risk of an object approaching from that direction and colliding with or damaging the vehicle V. The direction in which the parking surface is not interrupted is a direction in which there is a risk of an object approaching from that direction and colliding with or damaging the vehicle V, so it is necessary to capture images.

[0033] The surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects the presence or absence of a gap through which an object can pass, for example, based on the type of obstruction present around the vehicle when the vehicle is parked and the dimensions of the obstruction including the height and width. The type of obstruction is, for example, a tree, a wall, a fence, or the like, which can obstruct the periphery of the vehicle. The surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects, for example, a direction in which trees are present so densely that a person cannot pass through as a direction in which there is no gap. For example, a gap of about several centimeters is a gap that a person cannot pass through. As shown in FIG. 3, the surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects, for example, a direction in which trees T are present so sparsely that a person can pass through as a direction A in which there is a gap. The surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects, for example, a direction in which a wall or fence with a dimension that a person cannot straddle is present as a direction in which there is no gap. For example, a fence or fence with a height of 2 m or more cannot be straddled by a person. The surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects, for example, a direction in which a wall or fence with a dimension that a person can easily straddle is present as a direction in which there is a gap. The surrounding condition detection unit 130 detects, for example, the presence or absence of gaps in a wall or fence. As shown in FIG. 4, for example, when a fence F is in the form of a lattice or mesh into which a rod S or the like can be inserted, the surrounding condition detection unit 130 detects the direction in which the fence F exists as a direction A in which there is a gap. For example, a lattice or mesh of about 5 mm is a gap into which a rod S or the like cannot be inserted. A direction without a gap is a direction in which there is no need to capture an image because there is no risk of an object approaching from that direction and colliding with or damaging the vehicle. A direction with a gap is a direction in which there is a risk of an object approaching from that direction and colliding with or damaging the vehicle, so it is a direction in which there is a need to capture an image.

[0034] The surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects the presence or absence of a gap through which an object can pass, based on the shape of an opening that exists around the vehicle when the vehicle is parked, and the dimensions of the opening, including the height and width of the opening. For example, the surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects a direction in which there is an opening that is too narrow for a person to pass through as a direction in which there is no gap. As shown in Fig. 5, the surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects, for example, a direction in which there is an opening G through which a person can pass through as a direction A in which there is a gap.

[0035] The surrounding condition detection unit 130 detects the presence or absence of a gap through which an object can pass, based on the distance between the vehicle and other vehicles present around the vehicle when the vehicle is parked. For example, the surrounding condition detection unit 130 detects a direction in which the distance between the vehicle and other vehicles is such that a person cannot pass through as a direction in which there is no gap. As shown in Fig. 6, the surrounding condition detection unit 130 detects a direction in which the distance between the vehicle V and other vehicles VA is such that a person can pass through as a direction in which there is a gap. In the example shown in Fig. 6, all directions as viewed from the vehicle V are directions in which there is a gap.

[0036] The surrounding situation detection unit 130 may detect an obstruction and a surrounding terrain, for example, based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 128 and the map information acquired from a navigation system. The surrounding situation detection unit 130 may detect an obstruction and another vehicle, for example, based on a detection result by a sensor that outputs radio waves other than visible light toward the periphery of the vehicle and detects an obstruction by the reflected waves of the radio waves. The surrounding situation detection unit 130 may detect an obstruction and another vehicle, for example, based on a detection result of an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, or the like. The surrounding situation detection unit 130 may detect an obstruction and another vehicle, for example, by performing image processing on the video data captured by the camera unit 210. The surrounding situation detection unit 130 may be any unit as long as it can detect an obstruction and the like.

[0037] The camera control unit 131 controls the shooting direction of the front camera 211 and the rear camera 212 according to the surrounding conditions around the vehicle. For example, the camera control unit 131 may change the shooting direction by physically changing the orientation of the front camera 211 and the rear camera 212, which shoot in a direction without gaps, with respect to the vehicle. The camera control unit 131 may change the shooting direction by rotating the front camera 211 and the rear camera 212 to change the orientation with respect to the vehicle.

[0038] The change of the shooting direction will be described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of the change of the shooting direction. In Fig. 7, the vehicle is parking while moving backward. In the parking space, there are walls K on the left side and rear of the vehicle. In this case, the surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects the left side and rear of the vehicle as directions where there is no gap. The surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects the right side and front of the vehicle as directions where there is a gap. As a result, in Fig. 7, the shooting direction of the rear camera 212 is gradually changed to the right front when the vehicle is parking. The shooting direction of the front camera 211 does not change.

[0039] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining another example of changing the shooting direction. In FIG. 8, the vehicle is parking while moving backward. In the parking space, walls K exist on the right side, left side, and rear of the vehicle. In this case, the surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects the right side, left side, and rear of the vehicle as directions in which there is no gap. The surrounding situation detection unit 130 detects the front of the vehicle as a direction in which there is a gap. As a result, in FIG. 8, the shooting direction of the rear camera 212 is changed to the front when the parking operation of the vehicle is completed. The shooting direction of the front camera 211 does not change.

[0040] The recording function control unit 132 controls the recording unit 220 to record the video data filed by the video data processing unit 122. During a period in which the loop recording process is being performed, such as when the vehicle accessory power source is ON, the recording function control unit 132 records the video data filed by the video data processing unit 122 in the recording unit 220 as overwritable video data. More specifically, during a period in which the loop recording process is being performed, the recording function control unit 132 continues to record the video data generated by the video data processing unit 122 in the recording unit 220, and when the capacity of the recording unit 220 becomes full, it overwrites the oldest video data with new video data and records it.

[0041] Furthermore, when the event detection unit 127 detects an event, the recording function control unit 132 stores the video data for a predetermined period of time in the video data generated by the video data processing unit 122 in the recording unit 220 as event recording data that is prohibited from being overwritten.

[0042] When shooting is started after an event is detected, the event record data stored in the recording unit 220 by the recording function control unit 132 is video data for a predetermined period, for example, 10 seconds or more and 60 seconds or less, from when the event is detected and shooting is started. When loop recording processing is being executed, the event record data stored in the recording unit 220 by the recording function control unit 132 is video data for a predetermined period, for example, 10 seconds or more and 60 seconds or less, before and after the point in time when the event is detected.

[0043] When the accessory power supply of the vehicle is OFF, in other words, while the vehicle is parked, the recording function control unit 132 operates the parking monitoring function to store the video data captured by the camera unit 210. More specifically, the parking monitoring function detects an event and stores the video data using a loop recording process. Alternatively, the parking monitoring function detects an event and then starts the camera unit 210 to store the video data.

[0044] The recording function control unit 132 controls the parking monitoring function according to the surrounding conditions of the vehicle. When the surrounding condition detection unit 130 detects a direction in which there is no gap around the vehicle, the recording function control unit 132 performs recording due to the event detected by the event detection unit 127, using the shooting data captured by changing the shooting direction of the camera of the camera unit 210 that captures the direction in which there is no gap.

[0045] An example of a direction with no gap is when the vehicle is close to a wall so that a person or animal cannot pass through. Since there is no risk of the vehicle being damaged in a direction with no gap, it is preferable not to shoot in the direction where shooting is required, and to shoot in the direction where shooting is required.

[0046] The camera that captures the direction without gaps is a camera included in camera unit 210 and includes in its capture range the direction without gaps. For example, when the direction without gaps is the rear of the vehicle, the capture direction of rear camera 212, which includes the rear in its capture range, is changed to any of the forward, right, and left directions other than the rear.

[0047] More specifically, when recording function control unit 132 detects a direction in which there is no gap around the vehicle, it changes the shooting direction of the camera in camera unit 210 that shoots in the direction in which there is no gap, shoots video, and monitors parking. If there is no gap around the vehicle, there is no risk of an object approaching from that direction and colliding with or damaging the vehicle. Thus, recording function control unit 132 can shoot video by changing the shooting direction of the camera in camera unit 210 that shoots in the direction in which there is no gap. Then, based on the detection of an event by event detection unit 127, recording function control unit 132 saves the video data shot by the camera as event recording data.

[0048] Furthermore, when recording function control unit 132 detects a direction in which there is a gap around the vehicle, it captures video without changing the shooting direction of the camera in camera unit 210 in the direction in which the gap is located. If there is a gap around the vehicle, there is a risk that an object may approach from that direction and collide with or damage the vehicle. For this reason, it is preferable for recording function control unit 132 to capture video without changing the shooting direction of the camera in camera unit 210 in the direction in which the gap is located. Then, based on the detection of an event by event detection unit 127, recording function control unit 132 saves the shooting data captured by the camera as event recording data.

[0049] The vehicular recording device 10 performs continuous recording of video (so-called loop recording) and detects events from when the engine starts to when it stops, that is, while the vehicle is not parked but operating. When the accessory power supply is OFF, in other words, while the vehicle is parked, if power is supplied to the vehicular recording device 10 from the vehicle battery in addition to the accessory power supply, the vehicular recording device 10 performs continuous recording of video (so-called loop recording) and detects events, and when the vehicular recording device 10 operates using a dedicated battery, it does not perform continuous recording (so-called loop recording) but detects events and captures video when an event is detected.

[0050] (Processing in a vehicle recording control device) Next, the flow of processing in the vehicle record control device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing in the vehicle record control device 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0051] The vehicle record control device 100 determines whether the vehicle is parked or not using the parking detection unit 129 (step S11). If the parking detection unit 129 determines that the vehicle is parked (Yes in step S11), the vehicle record control device 100 proceeds to step S12. If the parking detection unit 129 determines that the vehicle is not parked (No in step S11), the vehicle record control device 100 ends this process.

[0052] The vehicle record control device 100 judges whether the surrounding conditions satisfy a predetermined condition (step S12). More specifically, the vehicle record control device 100 detects the presence or absence of a gap through which an object can pass around the vehicle when the vehicle is parked, using the surrounding conditions detection unit 130. When the surrounding conditions detection unit 130 detects that there is no gap through which an object can pass around the vehicle when the vehicle is parked, the vehicle record control device 100 judges that the surrounding conditions satisfy the predetermined condition. When the surrounding conditions detection unit 130 detects that there is a gap through which an object can pass around the vehicle when the vehicle is parked, the vehicle record control device 100 judges that the surrounding conditions do not satisfy the predetermined condition. When the surrounding conditions detection unit 130 detects that the surrounding conditions satisfy the predetermined condition (Yes in step S12), the vehicle record control device 100 proceeds to step S13. When the surrounding conditions detection unit 130 detects that the surrounding conditions satisfy the predetermined condition (No in step S12), the vehicle record control device 100 proceeds to step S14.

[0053] If the surrounding conditions satisfy the predetermined conditions (Yes in step S12), the vehicle record control device 100 changes the shooting direction and starts shooting (step S13). More specifically, the vehicle record control device 100 changes the shooting direction of the camera that shoots in a direction without gaps, using the camera control unit 131. The vehicle record control device 100 proceeds to step S15.

[0054] If the surrounding conditions do not satisfy the predetermined conditions (No in step S12), the vehicle record control device 100 starts recording without changing the recording direction (step S14). More specifically, the vehicle record control device 100 changes the recording direction of the camera that records in a direction without gaps, using the camera control unit 131. The vehicle record control device 100 proceeds to step S15.

[0055] If it is determined that the vehicle is parked (Yes in step S15), the vehicle recording control device 100 activates the parking monitoring function (step S16), and then ends this process.

[0056] Next, as an example of the parking monitoring function, a process flow for detecting an event and storing video data using a loop recording process will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the process flow in the vehicle recording control device 100 according to the first embodiment. The process shown in Fig. 10 stores video data for a predetermined period before and after the event is detected as event detection data in the recording unit 220 from video data that is loop recorded based on event detection.

[0057] The process of FIG. 10 starts when the parking monitoring function is activated in step S15 of the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0058] The vehicle record control device 100 starts continuous recording by the camera unit 210 (step S101). More specifically, the vehicle record control device 100 starts a loop recording process of video data captured by the camera by the recording function control unit 132, starts detecting events based on the output of the acceleration sensor 250, and proceeds to step S102.

[0059] The vehicle record control device 100 determines whether or not acceleration equal to or greater than the threshold has been detected (step S102). More specifically, if the event detection unit 127 detects acceleration equal to or greater than the threshold, the vehicle record control device 100 determines that an event has been detected (Yes in step S102) and proceeds to step S103. If the event detection unit 127 does not detect acceleration equal to or greater than the threshold, the vehicle record control device 100 determines that an event has not been detected (No in step S102) and proceeds to step S104.

[0060] If an acceleration equal to or greater than the threshold is detected (Yes in step S102), the vehicle record control device 100 saves event record data from the video data captured by the camera unit 210 (step S103). More specifically, the vehicle record control device 100 generates event record data from video data acquired from the camera for a predetermined period of time before and after the event detection, using the video data processing unit 122. When it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed, the vehicle record control device 100 causes the recording function control unit 132 to save the event record data generated by the video data processing unit 122 in the recording unit 220, and proceeds to step S104.

[0061] The vehicle recording control device 100 judges whether or not to end the parking monitoring function (step S104). Ending of the parking monitoring function is judged, for example, when the accessory power is turned ON or when the parking monitoring function is stopped by operating the operation unit 230.

[0062] In step S104, if it is determined that the parking monitoring function is to be terminated (Yes in step S104), this process ends. If it is determined that the parking monitoring function is not to be terminated (No in step S104), the process returns to step S102.

[0063] Next, as another example of the parking monitoring function, a process flow for detecting an event, activating the camera, and saving video data will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the process flow in the vehicle recording control device 100 according to the first embodiment. The process shown in Fig. 11 activates the camera unit 210 based on the event detection, and saves video data for a predetermined period after the event detection in the recording unit 220 as event recording data.

[0064] The process in Fig. 11 is started when the parking monitoring function is activated in step S15 of the flowchart shown in Fig. 9. The process in step S111 in Fig. 11 is the same as the process in step S101 in Fig. 3.

[0065] When a direction in which there are no gaps around the vehicle is detected and acceleration equal to or greater than the threshold is detected in step S111 (Yes in step S111), the vehicle recording control device 100 causes the recording function control unit 132 to start capturing images using the camera unit 210 (step S112), and proceeds to step S113.

[0066] The vehicular record control device 100 causes the recording function control unit 132 to store the video data captured by the camera unit 210 in the recording unit 220 as event record data (step S113), and proceeds to step S114. The event record data stored in step S113 is video data for the period from the start of filming in step S112 to the end of filming when it is determined that a predetermined period has passed.

[0067] In this way, when a direction in which there is no gap around the vehicle is detected, the shooting direction of the camera in camera unit 210 that shoots the direction in which there is no gap is changed to shoot an image, and the parking monitoring function is operated. Also, the shooting direction of the camera that shoots the direction in which there is a gap is not changed, and an image is shot, and the parking monitoring function is operated.

[0068] (effect) As described above, in this embodiment, when a direction in which there is no gap around the vehicle is detected, the shooting direction of the camera of camera unit 210 that shoots the direction in which there is no gap is changed to shoot an image, and the parking monitoring function can be operated. Also, in this embodiment, the camera that shoots the direction in which there is a gap can shoot an image without changing the shooting direction, and the parking monitoring function can be operated. According to this embodiment, the shooting direction of the camera of camera unit 210 can be changed according to the situation around the vehicle to appropriately perform parking monitoring.

[0069] In this embodiment, the shooting direction of the camera of camera unit 210 is changed in a direction where there is no gap, in other words, in a direction where there is no risk of an object approaching the vehicle and colliding with or damaging it. Also, in this embodiment, the shooting direction of the camera of camera unit 210 is not changed in a direction where there is a gap, in other words, in a direction where there is a risk of an object approaching the vehicle and colliding with or damaging it. In this way, this embodiment does not shoot in a direction where it is not necessary to shoot, and can appropriately shoot in a direction where shooting is necessary.

[0070] In this embodiment, a direction in which the parking surface around the vehicle at the vehicle's parking position is discontinued is detected as a direction in which there is no gap through which an object can pass. In this embodiment, for example, if there is a river, sea, or lake close to the vehicle, it is detected as a direction in which there is no gap through which an object can pass. In this embodiment, for example, if there is a cliff close to the vehicle, it is detected as a direction in which there is no gap through which an object can pass. In this embodiment, for example, if the vehicle is located at the edge of a multi-story parking lot, it is detected as a direction in which there is no gap through which an object can pass. According to this embodiment, even if no obstruction is detected around the vehicle, it can be detected as a direction in which shooting is not required.

[0071] In this embodiment, for example, a direction in which trees are so densely packed that a person cannot pass through is detected as a direction with no gaps. In this embodiment, for example, a direction in which a wall or fence with dimensions that a person cannot straddle is detected as a direction with no gaps. In this embodiment, for example, if the fence is a lattice or net-like fence into which a rod or the like can be inserted, the direction in which the fence exists is detected as a direction with gaps. According to this embodiment, it is possible to more appropriately detect a direction in which shooting is unnecessary based on the type of obstruction and the dimensions of the obstruction, including its height and width.

[0072] In this embodiment, for example, a direction in which there is an opening that is too narrow for a person to pass through is detected as a direction in which there is no gap. According to this embodiment, it is possible to more appropriately detect a direction in which shooting is not required based on the shape of the opening and the dimensions of the opening, including its height and width.

[0073] In this embodiment, for example, a direction in which the distance between the vehicle and another vehicle is too close for a person to pass is detected as a direction in which there is no gap. According to this embodiment, it is possible to more appropriately detect a direction in which shooting is not required based on the distance between the vehicle and another vehicle.

[0074] [Second embodiment] The vehicle recording device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 12 and 13. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the vehicle recording control device 100 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the vehicle recording control device 100 according to the second embodiment. The basic configuration of the vehicle recording device 10 is similar to that of the vehicle recording device 10 of the first embodiment. In the following description, components similar to those of the vehicle recording device 10 are given the same or corresponding reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The vehicle recording device 10 differs from the first embodiment in the processing in the event detection unit 127.

[0075] The event detection unit 127 detects the detection of a moving object around the vehicle as an event. More specifically, the event detection unit 127 detects a moving object by performing image processing on the video data captured by the camera unit 210. The method of detecting a moving object from the video data may be any known technique and is not limited thereto.

[0076] A moving object is, for example, a moving object such as a vehicle, a person, a falling object, or a flying object.

[0077] Next, as an example of the parking monitoring function, a process flow for detecting an event and storing video data using a loop recording process will be described with reference to Fig. 12. The process shown in Fig. 12 stores video data for a predetermined period before and after the event detection as event detection data in the recording unit 220 from video data that is loop recorded based on the event detection.

[0078] The process of Fig. 12 is started by operating the parking monitoring function in step S15 of the flowchart shown in Fig. 9. The processes of steps S123 and S124 of Fig. 12 are similar to those of steps S103 and S104 of Fig. 10.

[0079] The vehicular recording control device 100 starts moving object detection and continuous recording by the camera unit 210 (step S121). More specifically, the vehicular recording control device 100 starts loop recording processing by the camera unit 210 through the recording function control unit 132, starts event detection based on video data captured by the camera unit 210, and proceeds to step S122.

[0080] The vehicle record control device 100 determines whether or not a moving object has been detected (step S122). More specifically, if the event detection unit 127 detects a moving object around the vehicle, the vehicle record control device 100 determines that an event has been detected (Yes in step S122) and proceeds to step S123. If the event detection unit 127 does not detect a moving object around the vehicle, the vehicle record control device 100 determines that an event has not been detected (No in step S122) and proceeds to step S124.

[0081] Next, as another example of the parking monitoring function, a process flow for activating the camera and saving video data after detecting an event will be described with reference to Fig. 13. The process shown in Fig. 13 activates camera unit 210 based on event detection, and saves video data for a predetermined period after the event detection in recording unit 220 as event recording data.

[0082] The process of Fig. 13 is started by operating the parking monitoring function in step S15 of the flowchart shown in Fig. 9. The processes of steps S133 to S135 in Fig. 13 are similar to the processes of steps S112 to S114 in Fig. 11. The process of step S132 in Fig. 13 is similar to the process of step S122 in Fig. 12.

[0083] The vehicle recording control device 100 causes the recording function control unit 132 to start detecting a moving object using a sensor (not shown) (step S131), and proceeds to step S132. In this case, as described in the first embodiment, the surrounding condition detection unit 130 detects an object based on the detection result of a sensor that outputs radio waves other than visible light toward the periphery of the vehicle and detects the object by the reflected waves of the radio waves. Alternatively, the surrounding condition detection unit 130 detects an object based on the detection result of, for example, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, or the like.

[0084] As described above, in this embodiment, parking monitoring can be appropriately performed even in the case where the detection of a moving object in the vicinity of the vehicle is detected as an event.

[0085] (Variation 1) Modified examples of changing the shooting direction will be described with reference to Fig. 14 and Fig. 15. Fig. 14 is a diagram for explaining modified example 1 of changing the shooting direction. Fig. 15 is a diagram for explaining modified example 1 of changing the shooting direction. In the example shown in Fig. 14 and Fig. 15, one camera 210 capable of shooting the entire sky is placed in the center of the vehicle. The camera control unit 131 may change the shooting direction by, for example, changing the cropping range of the video data shot by the camera 210 that shoots in a direction with no gaps, or by changing the angle of view.

[0086] In FIG. 14, walls K exist in the parking space to the left and rear of vehicle V. In this case, the surrounding condition detection unit 130 detects the left side and rear of vehicle V as directions where there is no gap. The surrounding condition detection unit 130 detects the right side and front of vehicle V as directions where there is a gap. As a result, the camera control unit 131 adjusts the shooting angle of view during parking of vehicle V so that the left side and rear are not captured in the images captured by camera 210.

[0087] In FIG. 15, walls K exist in the parking space on the right side, left side, and rear side of vehicle V. In this case, surrounding condition detection unit 130 detects the right side, left side, and rear side of vehicle V as directions where there is no gap. Surrounding condition detection unit 130 detects the front side of vehicle V as a direction where there is a gap. As a result, camera control unit 131 adjusts the shooting angle of view during parking operation of vehicle V so that the right side, left side, and rear side are not captured in the images captured by camera 210.

[0088] According to this modification, the shooting direction of the camera can be changed by adjusting the shooting angle of view. This modification can be easily implemented because no additional members are required for the camera unit 210.

[0089] (Variation 2) A modified example of changing the shooting direction will be described with reference to Figs. 16 and 17. Fig. 16 is a diagram for explaining modified example 2 of changing the shooting direction. Fig. 17 is a diagram for explaining modified example 2 of changing the shooting direction, and is a schematic diagram for explaining the camera. In Fig. 16, walls K exist on the right side, left side, and rear of the vehicle V in the parking space. A mirror (reflecting portion) 231 is rotatably arranged in the rear camera 212. The mirror 213 is usually positioned above the rear camera 212 so as not to be reflected in the rear camera 212. When changing the shooting direction, the mirror 213 is positioned in front of the rear camera 212 so as to be reflected in the rear camera 212. By positioning the mirror 213 in front of the rear camera 212, the rear camera 212 captures the front of the vehicle V reflected by the mirror 213.

[0090] The camera control unit 131 controls the camera unit 210 to change the shooting direction of the front camera 211 and the rear camera 212 that shoot in a direction without gaps. In this embodiment, the camera control unit 131 changes the shooting direction by placing a mirror 213 that changes the shooting direction of the front camera 211 and the rear camera 212 that shoot in a direction without gaps, in the shooting direction of the camera. The camera control unit 131 controls the rotation of the mirror 213.

[0091] According to this modification, the shooting direction of the camera can be changed using the mirror 213.

[0092] The vehicle-mounted recording device 10 according to the present invention may be embodied in various different forms other than the above-described embodiment.

[0093] Each component of the illustrated vehicular recording device 10 is a functional concept, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as illustrated. In other words, the specific form of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of the devices may be functionally or physically distributed or integrated in any unit depending on the processing load and usage status of each device.

[0094] The configuration of the vehicle recording device 10 is realized, for example, as software by a program loaded into a memory. In the above embodiment, the functional blocks are described as being realized by the cooperation of these hardware and software. In other words, these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by only hardware, only software, or a combination of both.

[0095] The above-mentioned components include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the above-mentioned configurations can be appropriately combined. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configurations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0096] The surrounding situation detection unit 130 may detect the surrounding situation of the vehicle not only when the vehicle is parked, but also while the vehicle is parked. In this case, it is preferable to detect the surrounding situation using only a sensor with low power consumption. This allows appropriate parking monitoring to be performed when the surrounding situation of the vehicle changes while the vehicle is parked. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 10 Vehicle Recording Device 100 Vehicle recording control device 110 Bus 120 Video data acquisition unit 121 Buffer Memory 122 Video data processing section 124 Playback control section 125 Operation control section 126 Display control section 127 Event detection unit 128 Location information acquisition unit 129 Parking detection unit 130 Surrounding situation detection unit 131 Camera control unit 132 Recording function control section 210 Camera unit (multiple camera units) 220 Recording Department 230 Operation section 240 Display section 250 Acceleration Sensor 260 GPS receiver

Claims

1. a video data acquisition unit that acquires video data captured by a plurality of imaging units that capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle; an event detection unit that detects an event for the vehicle; a parking detection unit that detects that the vehicle is in a parked state; A surrounding situation detection unit that detects a surrounding situation of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked; a recording function control unit for causing a recording unit to record an event detected by the event detection unit; Equipped with the surrounding condition detection unit detects the presence or absence of a gap through which an object can pass around the vehicle when the vehicle is parked; When the surrounding situation detection unit detects a direction in which there is no gap through which an object can pass, the recording function control unit changes the shooting direction of the shooting unit that shoots in a direction in which there is no gap, shoots the image, and performs parking monitoring, and stores the image data shot by changing the shooting direction as event recording data. Vehicle recording control device.

2. The surrounding condition detection unit detects a direction in which a parking surface around the vehicle is interrupted when the vehicle is parked as a direction in which there is no gap through which an object can pass. The recording control device for a vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The gap includes a gap in a wall or a fence. The recording control device for a vehicle according to claim 1.

4. a camera control unit that changes a photographing direction by changing a direction of the photographing unit with respect to the vehicle; The recording control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:

5. a camera control unit that changes the photographing direction by disposing a reflecting unit that changes the photographing direction of the photographing unit in the photographing direction of the photographing unit; The recording control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:

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