Vehicle recording control device and recording control method

Abstract

To properly record events such as an accident resulting from inattentive driving of a driver of a vehicle, including the cause.SOLUTION: A control device 100 includes a video data acquisition unit 120, a direction detection unit 131 that determines whether or not to satisfy a first condition that a driver faces in a direction other than a travel direction of a vehicle, an event detection unit 132, and a recording control unit 133 that, when an event is detected, stores first video data at least including an event detection time point, as event recording data. In a case where the first condition is satisfied, processing a), processing b), or processing a) and b) is performed: a) the recording control unit 133 gives an event recording start flag to the first video data, and when the event is detected while the first condition is being satisfied, stores the first video data at least including the event detection time point from the event recording start flag, as the event recording data, and b) the event detection unit 132 detects the event by reducing a threshold value of acceleration for detecting the event.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Accidents such as a vehicle rear-ending a vehicle ahead are often caused by the driver looking away. A driver's looking away can also be influenced by the actions of passengers. Furthermore, when a vehicle rear-ends a vehicle ahead due to looking away, or when a rear-end collision is avoided by sudden braking, it often occurs when the vehicle is traveling at low speed with a small distance between the vehicles. In such a state, the acceleration applied to the vehicle may be small, and the event may not be detected. A system has been disclosed that records the situation around the vehicle as an outside-vehicle image when the passenger's facial direction matches (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-096632 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Even if this technology is applied to a drive recorder, for example, it is difficult to accurately determine the causal relationship between an accident and an incident in which the facial direction of a vehicle occupant matches, which may make it difficult to clarify the cause of the accident.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to appropriately record events such as accidents caused by a driver of a vehicle looking away, including their causes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the vehicle record control device according to the present invention includes a video data acquisition unit that acquires first video data captured by a first image capture unit that captures the surroundings of the vehicle and second video data captured by a second image capture unit that captures the interior of the vehicle, an orientation detection unit that detects the direction of the face or line of sight of the driver of the vehicle from the second video data and determines whether or not a first condition is met that the driver is facing in a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle, an event detection unit that detects an event based on acceleration applied to the vehicle, and a recording control unit that, when an event is detected, stores first video data including at least the event detection time point as event record data, and performs processing a), b), or a) and b) when the orientation detection unit determines that the first condition is met. a) The recording control unit assigns an event record start flag to the first video data, and when an event is detected while the first condition is satisfied, stores the first video data including at least the event detection time point from the event record start flag as event record data, and b) The event detection unit detects the event by lowering an acceleration threshold for detecting the event.

[0007] The recording control method according to the present invention includes a video data acquisition step of acquiring first video data captured by a first image capture unit that captures the surroundings of a vehicle and second video data captured by a second image capture unit that captures the interior of the vehicle, a direction detection step of detecting a face or line of sight of a driver of the vehicle from the second video data and judging whether a first condition is met that the driver is facing in a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle, an event detection step of detecting an event based on acceleration applied to the vehicle, and a recording control step of storing, as event recording data, first video data including at least the time point of the event detection if an event is detected, and is executed by a vehicle recording control device that performs processing a), b), or a) and b) if it is judged in the direction detection step that the first condition is met. a) In the recording control step, an event recording start flag is added to the first video data, and if an event is detected while the first condition is met, the first video data including at least the time point of the event detection from the event recording start flag is stored as event recording data, and b) In the event detection step, an event is detected by lowering an acceleration threshold for detecting the event. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately record events such as accidents caused by a driver of a vehicle not looking at the road, including their causes. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle-mounted recording device having a control device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow in the control device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in the control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in the control device according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] 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.

[0011] [First embodiment] (Vehicle Recording Device) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle recording device 10 having a vehicle recording control device (hereinafter referred to as a "control device") 100 according to a first embodiment. The vehicle recording device 10 is a so-called drive recorder that records events that occur in a vehicle. The vehicle recording device 10 records an event when an event is detected while the driver and passengers are facing in the same direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle.

[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 previously installed in the vehicle, a navigation device, etc. The vehicular recording device 10 has a first camera (first image capture unit) 200, a second camera (second image capture unit) 210, a recording unit 220, an operation unit 230, an acceleration sensor 240, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiving unit 250, a display unit 260, and a control device 100.

[0013] The first camera 200 has a camera that captures the surroundings of the vehicle. As an example, the first camera 200 is a camera specific to the vehicle recording device 10, or a camera for capturing an overhead image that captures the surroundings of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the first camera 200 is disposed facing the front of the vehicle and captures the surroundings centered on the front of the vehicle. The first camera 200 captures images all the time from when the engine starts to when it stops, that is, while the vehicle is operating. The first camera 200 outputs the captured first image data to the image data acquisition unit 120 of the control device 100. The first image data is, for example, a moving image composed of images of 30 frames per second.

[0014] The second camera 210 is a camera that captures the interior of the vehicle. The second camera 210 is disposed in a position where it can capture at least the face of the driver of the vehicle. Alternatively, the second camera 210 is disposed in a position where it can capture at least the face of passengers including the driver who are seated in all the seats of the vehicle. The second camera 210 is disposed, for example, on the instrument panel of the vehicle, or inside or around the rearview mirror of the vehicle. The second camera 210 has a fixed or almost fixed shooting range and shooting direction. The second camera 210 is configured, for example, as a visible light camera or a near-infrared camera. The second camera 210 may be configured, for example, as a combination of a visible light camera and a near-infrared camera. The second camera 210 constantly captures video from when the engine starts to when it stops, that is, while the vehicle is operating. The second camera 210 outputs the captured second video data to the video data acquisition unit 120 of the control device 100. The second video data is, for example, a moving image composed of images of 30 frames per second. In addition, when there is no need to distinguish between the first video data and the second video data, they will be referred to as video data.

[0015] The first camera 200 and the second camera 210 may be a single camera capable of capturing, for example, a full sky or a half sky. In this case, in the video data capturing the full sky or the half sky, the entire video data or the range capturing the periphery of the vehicle, or the range capturing the front of the vehicle, etc., is regarded as the first video data. In the video data capturing the full sky or the half sky, the range capable of capturing the face of a passenger seated in a seat of the vehicle is regarded as the second video data. Furthermore, the entire video data capturing the full sky or the half sky may be treated as the first video data and the second video data.

[0016] 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 control unit 133 of the control device 100.

[0017] 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 control device 100.

[0018] The acceleration sensor 240 is a sensor that detects acceleration occurring with respect to the vehicle. The acceleration sensor 240 outputs a detection result to the event detection unit 132 of the control device 100. The acceleration sensor 240 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.

[0019] The GNSS receiving unit 250 is configured with a GNSS receiver that receives GNSS signals from GNSS satellites, etc. The GNSS receiving unit 250 outputs the received GNSS signals to the position information acquisition unit 126 of the control device 100.

[0020] The display unit 260 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 260 may be formed integrally with the first camera 200. The display unit 260 is, for example, a display including a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electro-luminescence (EL) display. In this embodiment, the display unit 260 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 260 displays an image based on a video signal output from the display control unit 127 of the control device 100. The display unit 260 displays an image captured by the first camera 200 or an image recorded in the recording unit 220.

[0021] (Vehicle Recording Control Device) The control device 100 is an arithmetic processing device (control device) configured with, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like. The control device 100 loads a stored program into a memory and executes instructions included in the program. The control device 100 includes an internal memory (not shown), which is used for temporary storage of data in the control device 100, and the like. The control device 100 has, as its configuration and functions realized by the program, a video data acquisition unit 120, a buffer memory 121, a video data processing unit 122, a playback control unit 124, an operation control unit 125, a position information acquisition unit 126, a display control unit 127, an orientation detection unit 131, an event detection unit 132, and a recording control unit 133, which are connected to a bus 100X.

[0022] The video data acquisition unit 120 acquires first video data of the surroundings of the vehicle and second video data of the interior of the vehicle. More specifically, the video data acquisition unit 120 acquires the first video data captured by the first camera 200 and the second video data captured by the second camera 210. The video data acquisition unit 120 acquires the first video data and the second video data output by the first camera 200 and the second camera 210, and outputs them to the buffer memory 121. The first video data and the second video data acquired by the video data acquisition unit 120 are not limited to data of only video, and may be shooting data including video and audio. Furthermore, the video data acquisition unit 120 may acquire video data of a full sky or a half sky as the first video data and the second video data.

[0023] The buffer memory 121 is an internal memory included in the 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.

[0024] 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 control unit 133. The video data processing unit 122 also outputs the generated video data to the display control unit 127. 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 first camera 200.

[0025] 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 control signal for the playback operation output from the operation control unit 125 .

[0026] 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.

[0027] The position information acquisition unit 126 acquires position information indicating the current position of the vehicle. The position information acquisition unit 126 calculates the position information of the current position of the vehicle based on the GNSS signal received by the GNSS receiving unit 250 by a known method.

[0028] Display control unit 127 controls the display of video data on display unit 260. Display control unit 127 outputs a video signal that causes the video data to be output to display unit 260. More specifically, display control unit 127 outputs a video signal that displays the video captured by first camera 200, or the loop recorded video data or event recorded data recorded in recording unit 220 by playing back the video.

[0029] The orientation detection unit 131 detects the face or gaze direction of the vehicle driver and passengers other than the driver from the second video data, and determines whether or not the first condition that the driver and passengers are facing the same direction other than the vehicle's travel direction is met.

[0030] More specifically, the orientation detection unit 131 recognizes a person from the second image data. A method for recognizing a person from the second image data can be a known method and is not limited to this method. The detected person is the driver of the vehicle and passengers other than the driver.

[0031] The detection of the face or gaze direction by the direction detection unit 131 will be described. The direction detection unit 131 detects the face or gaze direction of the driver and passengers other than the driver of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the direction detection unit 131 performs image processing on the second video data to recognize the face of the driver and passengers other than the driver and detects the face or gaze direction. More specifically, the direction detection unit 131 recognizes, for example, the eyes of the driver and passengers other than the driver from the second video data and acquires information indicating the face or gaze direction. The gaze detection based on the image of the driver and passengers other than the driver's eyes can be performed by any method, such as gaze detection based on the positional relationship between the inner corner of the eye and the iris detected from the image of the eyes, or gaze detection based on the positional relationship between the corneal reflex and the pupil.

[0032] A method for detecting the driver and passengers other than the driver from the second image data will be described. The face of the person sitting in each seat is captured within a range defined by the coordinates of the second image data. As a result, the person or face recognized from the range defined by the coordinates of the second image data corresponding to each seat is the passenger of that seat. In this way, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of a passenger in each seat, and the direction of the passenger's face and eyes.

[0033] When the face or gaze direction of the driver and passengers other than the driver is outside a predetermined angle range from the forward direction of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling straight, the direction detection unit 131 determines that the driver and passengers other than the driver are facing away from the vehicle, in other words, that the driver is looking aside. The predetermined angle range is the range that a normal driver faces or gazes when the vehicle is traveling straight, that is, when the vehicle is not turning right or left or reversing.

[0034] The orientation detection unit 131 may detect the face or gaze direction of the vehicle driver and multiple passengers other than the driver from the second video data, and determine whether or not a first condition is satisfied in which the driver and a predetermined percentage or more of the multiple passengers are facing the same direction other than the direction of vehicle travel.

[0035] The predetermined ratio is, for example, 50%. In other words, if there are two passengers other than the driver, it can be determined that the predetermined ratio is exceeded when one passenger faces the same direction as the driver. Similarly, if there are three passengers other than the driver, it can be determined that the predetermined ratio is exceeded when two passengers face the same direction as the driver. Looking away by a predetermined ratio or more of passengers out of multiple passengers is likely to affect the driver. For this reason, if the driver and a predetermined ratio or more of passengers face or gaze in the same direction, the driver is more likely to be careless in checking the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0036] The orientation detection unit 131 may detect the face or gaze direction of the driver of the vehicle and any passenger other than the driver who is sitting in the front seat of the vehicle from the second video data, and determine whether or not a first condition is met that the driver and the passenger are facing the same direction other than the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0037] The passengers in the front seats have the same field of vision as the driver, and can see the same objects as the driver. In addition, the passengers in the front seats can easily communicate with the driver, so the driver's inattentive behavior is likely to affect the driver. For this reason, if the driver and the passengers in the front seats are facing the same direction in terms of their faces or gazes, the driver is more likely to neglect to check the direction in which the vehicle is moving.

[0038] The event detection unit 132 detects an event based on the acceleration applied to the vehicle. More specifically, the event detection unit 132 detects an event based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 240. The event detection unit 132 detects that an event has occurred when the acceleration information is equal to or greater than a set threshold value that corresponds to a vehicle collision.

[0039] The recording control unit 133 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 is ON, the recording control unit 133 records the video data filed by the video data processing unit 122 as overwritable video data in the recording unit 220. More specifically, during a period in which the loop recording process is being performed, the recording control unit 133 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.

[0040] When the event detection unit 132 detects the occurrence of an event, the recording control unit 133 stores video data corresponding to the detection of the event. The video data corresponding to the detection of the event is video data for a predetermined period in the video data generated by the video data processing unit 122. The recording control unit 133 stores the video data corresponding to the detection of the event in the recording unit 220 as event recording data that is prohibited from being overwritten. In this case, the event recording data stored in the recording unit 220 by the recording control unit 133 is, for example, video data for a predetermined period of about 10 seconds before and after the time point when the event is detected, copied from the buffer memory 121 and stored as the event recording data. When the event is detected, the recording control unit 133 stores at least the first video data including the time point when the event is detected as the event recording data.

[0041] Furthermore, when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the recording control unit 133 assigns an event recording start flag to the first video data, and when an event is detected while the first condition is satisfied, the recording control unit 133 stores the first video data including at least the event detection time point from the event recording start flag as event recording data. In this case, the event recording data stored in the recording unit 220 by the recording control unit 133 is, for example, the video data including at least the event detection time point from the event recording start flag copied from the buffer memory 121 and stored as the event recording data.

[0042] The recording control unit 133 may store the first video data and the second video data from the event recording start flag to at least the event detection time point as event recording data.

[0043] (Processing in a vehicle recording control device) Next, a process flow in the control device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in the control device 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0044] The control device 100 starts normal recording and occupant monitoring (step S101). More specifically, the control device 100 transmits the video data captured by the first camera 200 and the second camera 210 to the buffer memory 121 by the recording control unit 133, generates a video file for each video of a predetermined period, for example, every 60 seconds, and records the video file in the recording unit 220. The control device 100 proceeds to step S102.

[0045] The control device 100 determines whether or not the first condition is satisfied (step S102). More specifically, the control device 100 detects the face or gaze direction of the driver of the vehicle and passengers other than the driver from the second video data using the orientation detection unit 131, and determines whether or not the first condition is satisfied, that the driver and passengers are facing the same direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle. If the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied (Yes in step S102), the control device 100 proceeds to step S103. If the orientation detection unit 131 does not determine that the first condition is satisfied (No in step S102), the control device 100 proceeds to step S107.

[0046] When it is determined that the first condition is satisfied (Yes in step S102), the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to assign an event recording start flag to the normally recorded video data for the period during which the first condition is satisfied, in other words, the period during which the driver and passengers other than the driver are looking aside, and stores the flag (step S103). More specifically, the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to assign an event recording start flag to the first video data for the period during which the first condition is satisfied. The control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to store the first video data assigned with the event recording start flag in the recording unit 220 as normally recorded video data. The control device 100 proceeds to step S104.

[0047] The control device 100 judges whether the state satisfying the first condition continues (step S104). More specifically, the control device 100 judges whether the state satisfying the first condition continues to be detected by the orientation detection unit 131. When the orientation detection unit 131 judges that the state satisfying the first condition continues (Yes in step S104), the control device 100 proceeds to step S105. When the orientation detection unit 131 does not judge that the state satisfying the first condition continues (No in step S104), the control device 100 proceeds to step S107. For example, when the orientation detection unit 131 detects that the driver or passenger faces the traveling direction of the vehicle or changes the viewing direction, the state satisfying the first condition no longer continues (No in step S104), and the control device 100 proceeds to step S107.

[0048] When it is determined that the state satisfying the first condition continues (Yes in step S104), the control device 100 determines whether or not an event has been detected based on the detection result by the event detection unit 132 (step S105). When the acceleration detected by the event detection unit 132 is equal to or greater than a threshold, it determines that an event has been detected (Yes in step S105), and proceeds to step S106. Alternatively, when the acceleration detected by the event detection unit 132 is not equal to or greater than the threshold, it determines that an event has not been detected (No in step S105), and executes the process of step S104 again.

[0049] When it is determined that an event has been detected (Yes in step S105), the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to store the video data from the event recording start flag to a predetermined period after the event detection (step S106). More specifically, the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to store the first video data to which the event recording start flag has been added as event recording data in the recording unit 220 while prohibiting overwriting. At this time, in addition to the first video data, the second video data may also be stored as event recording data. For example, the second video data including at least the event detection time from the event start flag is stored as event recording data together with the first video data. The event recording data is the first video data including the predetermined period from the event recording start flag to the event detection time. The control device 100 proceeds to step S109.

[0050] If it is not determined that the first condition is satisfied (No in step S102), or if it is not determined that the state in which the first condition is satisfied continues (No in step S104), the control device 100 determines whether or not an event has been detected based on the detection result by the event detection unit 132 (step S107). If the acceleration detected by the event detection unit 132 is equal to or greater than a threshold, it is determined that an event has been detected (Yes in step S107), and the process proceeds to step S108. Alternatively, if the event detection unit 132 determines that the acceleration detected is not equal to or greater than the threshold, it is determined that an event has not been detected (No in step S107), and the process proceeds to step S109.

[0051] When it is determined that an event has been detected (Yes in step S107), the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to store video data including a predetermined period before and after the event detection time point (step S108). More specifically, the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to store the first video data as event recording data in the recording unit 220 while prohibiting overwriting. The event recording data is the first video data including a predetermined period before and after the event detection time point. The control device 100 proceeds to step S109.

[0052] The control device 100 determines whether or not to end the loop recording and event detection (step S109). For example, the control device 100 determines to end the loop recording and event detection when the vehicle power or motive power is turned off or the operation unit 230 is operated. If the control device 100 determines to end the loop recording and event detection (Yes in step S109), it ends this process. If the control device 100 does not determine to end the loop recording and event detection (No in step S109), it executes the process of step S102 again.

[0053] (effect) As described above, in this embodiment, when an event is detected while the driver and passengers other than the driver are facing the same direction other than the traveling direction, the first video data including at least the event detection time point from the event recording start flag is stored as event recording data. This embodiment can store event recording data including a period before the event detection time point. In this way, according to this embodiment, events such as accidents caused by the driver of the vehicle looking away can be appropriately recorded, including the cause.

[0054] In this embodiment, it can be determined that the first condition is met when the number of passengers facing the same direction as the driver is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio. As described above, when the number of passengers facing the same direction as the driver is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio, the driver is likely to be affected. According to this embodiment, it can be determined that the first condition is met when the driver and a predetermined ratio or more of passengers are facing the same direction and there is a high possibility that attention to the traveling direction will be neglected.

[0055] In this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether the first condition is met based on the face or line of sight of the driver and a passenger other than the driver who is seated in the front seat of the vehicle. As described above, passengers in the front seats are likely to influence the driver. Therefore, when the face or line of sight of the driver and the passenger in the front seat are in the same direction, the driver is more likely to be careless in checking the traveling direction of the vehicle. According to this embodiment, it is possible to determine that the first condition is met when there is a high possibility that attention to the traveling direction will be careless.

[0056] In this embodiment, the first video data and the second video data including at least the event detection time from the event recording start flag can be stored as event recording data. According to this embodiment, the situation around the vehicle and the inside of the vehicle can be stored as event recording data. According to this embodiment, events such as accidents caused by the driver's inattentiveness can be appropriately recorded, including the causes.

[0057] [Second embodiment] The vehicle recording device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in the 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 according to the first embodiment. In the following description, components similar to those of the vehicle recording device 10 are given the same or corresponding reference symbols, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. When an event is detected while the driver and passengers are facing in the same direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle, the vehicle recording device 10 changes the threshold value for detecting the event.

[0058] The event detection unit 132 detects an event based on the acceleration applied to the vehicle, and when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the event detection unit 132 detects the event by lowering the acceleration threshold for detecting the event. As a specific example, the normal threshold, i.e., the threshold that is not changed to a lower value, is set to 1.5 G, and when the threshold is changed to a lower value, it is set to 0.6 G. This makes it easier to detect an event when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied.

[0059] When the event detection unit 132 detects an event, the recording control unit 133 stores the first video data including at least the time point at which the event was detected as event recording data.

[0060] Next, the flow of processing in the control device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Steps S111, S112, S114, S115, and S118 to S120 perform the same processing as steps S101, S102, S104, S105, and S107 to S109 in the flowchart shown in Fig. 2.

[0061] When it is determined that the first condition is satisfied (Yes in step S112), the control device 100 lowers the acceleration threshold value at which the event detection unit 132 detects an event (step S113). The control device 100 proceeds to step S114.

[0062] When it is determined that an event has been detected (Yes in step S115), the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to store video data including a predetermined period before and after the event detection time point (step S116). More specifically, the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to store the first video data as event recording data in the recording unit 220 while prohibiting overwriting. The event recording data is the first video data including a predetermined period before and after the event detection time point. The control device 100 proceeds to step S120.

[0063] When it is not determined that the state satisfying the first condition continues (No in step S114), the control device 100 changes the acceleration threshold value at which the event detection unit 132 detects an event to a normal value (step S117). The control device 100 proceeds to step S118.

[0064] As described above, in this embodiment, when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the acceleration threshold for detecting an event is lowered to detect the event. In this embodiment, the acceleration threshold for detecting an event can be set in a situation where the driver and passengers other than the driver are looking away and minor collisions and contacts are likely to occur that are not detected as collisions. In this way, according to this embodiment, events such as accidents caused by the driver of the vehicle looking away can be appropriately recorded, including the causes.

[0065] [Third embodiment] The vehicle recording device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in the control device 100 according to the third embodiment. The basic configuration of the vehicle recording device 10 is similar to that of the vehicle recording device 10 according to the first and second embodiments. When an event is detected in a state where the driver and passengers are facing the same direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle, the vehicle recording device 10 changes the threshold value for detecting the event. When an event is detected in a state where a first condition is satisfied, the vehicle recording device 10 stores the first video data including at least the event detection time point from the event recording start flag as event recording data.

[0066] The event detection unit 132 has the same function as in the second embodiment. More specifically, the event detection unit 132 detects an event based on the acceleration applied to the vehicle, and when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the event detection unit 132 detects the event by lowering the acceleration threshold value for detecting the event.

[0067] The recording control unit 133 has the same function as in the first embodiment. More specifically, when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the recording control unit 133 assigns an event recording start flag to the first video data, and when an event is detected in a state in which the first condition is satisfied, the recording control unit 133 stores the first video data including at least the event detection time point from the event recording start flag as event recording data.

[0068] Next, the flow of processing in the control device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Steps S131 to S133, steps S135 to S137, and steps S139 to S141 perform the same processing as steps S101 to S103, steps S104 to S106, and steps S107 to S109 in the flowchart shown in Fig. 2. Steps S134 and S138 perform the same processing as steps S113 and S117 in the flowchart shown in Fig. 3.

[0069] As described above, in this embodiment, when it is determined that the first condition is satisfied, the acceleration threshold for detecting the event is lowered to detect the event. In this embodiment, when an event is detected in a state where the first condition is satisfied, the first video data including at least the event detection time point from the event recording start flag is stored as event recording data. In this embodiment, it is possible to set an acceleration threshold for detecting an event in a situation where the driver and passengers other than the driver are looking away and minor collisions and contact are likely to occur. In this embodiment, it is possible to store event recording data including a period prior to the event detection time point. In this way, according to this embodiment, events such as accidents caused by the driver of the vehicle looking away can be appropriately recorded, including their causes.

[0070] [Fourth embodiment] The basic configuration of the vehicular recording device 10 is similar to that of the vehicular recording device 10 of the first and second embodiments. This embodiment differs from the first to third embodiments in that the first condition is that the driver faces a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle for a predetermined period of time or more.

[0071] When an event is detected while the driver is facing a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle, the vehicular recording device 10 records the event.

[0072] When the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the vehicle recording device 10 performs a process that combines the second embodiment and the third embodiment. More specifically, when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the vehicle recording device 10 performs the processes a), b), or a) and b). a) The recording control unit 133 assigns an event recording start flag to the first video data, and when an event is detected in a state where a first condition is satisfied, stores the first video data including at least the event detection point from the event recording start flag as event recording data. a) corresponds to the processing of the third embodiment. b) The event detection unit 132 detects an event by lowering the acceleration threshold for detecting the event. b) corresponds to the processing in the second embodiment.

[0073] The direction detection unit 131 detects the direction of the face or gaze of the driver of the vehicle from the second video data, and determines whether or not the first condition that the driver faces the same direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle is satisfied. More specifically, the direction detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is that the driver faces a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle for a predetermined period of time or more.

[0074] In this embodiment, the control device 100 performs processing according to the flowcharts shown in Figures 2 to 4. In step S101 in Figure 2, the control device 100 starts normal recording and driver monitoring. Then, in step S102, the control device 100 detects the face or line of sight direction of the driver of the vehicle from the second video data using the direction detection unit 131, and determines whether or not a first condition is satisfied that the driver is facing in a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0075] As described above, in this embodiment, when an event is detected while the driver is facing a direction other than the direction of travel, the first video data including at least the time point of event detection from the event recording start flag can be saved as event recording data.

[0076] In this embodiment, when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the acceleration threshold for detecting an event is lowered to detect the event. In this embodiment, the acceleration threshold for detecting an event can be set in advance in a situation where the driver is looking away and minor collisions and contacts are likely to occur that are not detected as collisions.

[0077] When only the driver is facing away from the direction of travel, there is a risk that the driver may not be able to visually check the direction of travel even when checking the surroundings in addition to looking elsewhere. According to this embodiment, it is possible to check the behavior of the driver when an event such as a rear-end collision occurs in a state where only the driver is facing away from the direction of travel.

[0078] The vehicle-mounted recording device 10 according to the present invention may be embodied in various different forms other than the above-described embodiment.

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 10 Vehicle Recording Device 100 Control device (vehicle recording control device) 100X Bus 120 Video data acquisition unit 121 Buffer Memory 122 Video data processing section 124 Playback control section 125 Operation control section 126 Location information acquisition unit 127 Display control section 131 Orientation detection unit 132 Event detection unit 133 Recording control section 200 First Camera (First Filming Section) 210 Second Camera (Second Filming Unit) 220 Recording Department 230 Operation section 240 Acceleration Sensor 250 GNSS receiver 260 Display

Claims

1. a video data acquisition unit that acquires first video data captured by a first image capturing unit that captures an image of the periphery of a vehicle and second video data captured by a second image capturing unit that captures an image of an interior of the vehicle; a direction detection unit that detects a face or line of sight direction of a driver of the vehicle from the second image data and determines whether a first condition is satisfied that the driver is facing a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle; an event detection unit that detects an event based on an acceleration applied to the vehicle; a recording control unit configured to, when an event is detected, store first video data including at least a time point when the event is detected as event recording data; Equipped with A recording control device for a vehicle that performs processing a), b), or a) and b) when the orientation detection unit determines that the first condition is satisfied. a) the recording control unit assigns an event recording start flag to the first video data, and when an event is detected in a state where the first condition is satisfied, stores the first video data including at least the event detection point from the event recording start flag as event recording data; b) The event detection unit detects an event by lowering an acceleration threshold for detecting the event.

2. The orientation detection unit determines that a first condition is that the driver is facing a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle for a predetermined period of time or more. The recording control device for a vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The orientation detection unit detects the face or gaze direction of the driver of the vehicle as well as the passenger other than the driver from the second video data, and determines that the driver and the passenger are facing the same direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle as a first condition. The recording control device for a vehicle according to claim 1.

4. the orientation detection unit detects, from the second video image data, the orientation of faces or gazes of a driver of the vehicle and a plurality of passengers other than the driver, and determines whether a first condition is satisfied in which the driver and a predetermined ratio or more of the plurality of passengers are facing the same direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle. The recording control device for a vehicle according to claim 3.

5. the orientation detection unit detects, from the second video data, the orientation of a face or a line of sight of a driver of the vehicle and a passenger other than the driver who is seated in a front seat of the vehicle, and determines whether or not a first condition is satisfied that the driver and the passenger are facing the same direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle. The recording control device for a vehicle according to claim 3.

6. a video data acquisition step of acquiring first video data captured by a first image capturing unit that captures an image of the periphery of a vehicle and second video data captured by a second image capturing unit that captures an image of an interior of the vehicle; a direction detection step of detecting a face or line of sight direction of the driver of the vehicle from the second image data and determining whether or not a first condition is satisfied that the driver is facing a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle; an event detection step of detecting an event based on an acceleration applied to the vehicle; a recording control step of storing, when an event is detected, first video data including at least a time point when the event is detected as event recording data; is executed, A recording control method executed by a vehicle recording control device that performs processing a), b), or a) and b) when it is determined in the orientation detection step that the first condition is satisfied. a) in the recording control step, an event recording start flag is added to the first video data, and when an event is detected in a state where the first condition is satisfied, the first video data including at least a point in time when the event was detected from the event recording start flag is stored as event recording data; b) In the event detection step, an event is detected by lowering an acceleration threshold for detecting the event.

Images