Power supply, recorder, programs, etc.

Abstract

To provide a convenient power supply device, image recorder, and program etc.SOLUTION: A power supply unit 16 which can be charged from an accessory power supply 110 of a vehicle 100 and can supply power to a drive recorder 1 having an image recording function is connected with the drive recorder 1 via a first cable 50 and a second cable 52 and has a function of transmitting an OFF state of the accessory power supply 110 of the vehicle 100 via the first cable 50 and the second cable 52.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to, for example, a power supply device, a recorder, a program, and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in-vehicle recording devices, so-called drive recorders, which are mounted on vehicles to capture images of the area around the vehicle and record the surrounding images and vehicle speed when the vehicle is subjected to an impact due to an event such as sudden braking, sudden steering, or a collision, have become widely used (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The drive recorder (vehicle recording device) described in Patent Document 1 constantly records video and detects events while the vehicle is not parked and is operating. When the drive recorder is powered from the vehicle's battery while the vehicle is parked, it constantly records video and detects events, and when the drive recorder is operating on a battery dedicated to the drive recorder, it detects events and takes video when an event is detected (see paragraph 0043 of Patent Document 1). The drive recorder determines that the vehicle is parked by detecting that the shift position is in "parking" or the handbrake is operated, for example, for a period of 5 seconds or more, that the speed is zero, that the engine is stopped, or by detecting an arbitrary trigger such as a user operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6696558 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, there is a demand for more convenient drive recorders and other systems. For example, in a system capable of continuing to record images while the vehicle is parked, such as that described in Patent Document 1, there are drive recorders that cannot directly obtain information on the state of the shift position, handbrake, vehicle speed, engine, etc. There is a demand for a system that can determine the state of the vehicle even for drive recorders that cannot directly obtain information from the vehicle.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, one object of the present invention is to provide a highly convenient power supply device, a recorder, a program, and the like.

[0007] The object of the present invention is not limited to this, and the applicant intends to obtain rights for configurations that aim to obtain effects from parts of the configurations disclosed in this specification and drawings, etc., by filing a divisional application, amendment, etc. For example, this specification discloses problems in which the parts described as "can" and "is possible" in this specification are read as "is the problem." The problems are described as being independent, and the applicant intends to obtain rights for the configurations for solving each problem separately by filing a divisional application, amendment, etc. Even if the problems are implicitly understood from the description in the specification, the applicant intends to include part of the configurations described in this specification in the scope of the patent claim by amendment or divisional application. In addition, the applicant has disclosed a configuration that solves a problem that combines these independent problems, and intends to obtain rights for it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the power supply device of the present invention is (1) a power supply device that can be charged from a vehicle accessory power source and can supply power to a recorder having a recording function, which is connected to the recorder via a communication line and has the function of transmitting the OFF state of the vehicle accessory power source via the communication line.

[0009] In this way, by using a communication line that enables information transmission between the recorder and the power supply device connected to the accessory power supply, it is possible to transmit the OFF state of the accessory power supply, so that even a recorder that cannot directly detect a signal indicating the OFF state of the accessory power supply can detect the OFF state of the accessory power supply. For example, even if the parking recording start condition is the OFF state of the accessory power supply, it can be easily handled. In this way, convenience can be improved.

[0010] In addition, in the present invention, (2) a function may be provided for transmitting an OFF state of the accessory power supply based on the state of the communication line when a signal related to the recorder is not transmitted from the recorder to the power supply device via the communication line. In this way, the recorder can identify itself based on the communication state with the recorder as a model that is incapable of communication, i.e., sending and receiving a signal related to the recorder (e.g., recording function), and transmit a signal indicating the OFF state of the accessory power supply.

[0011] In addition, in the present invention, (3) when a predetermined communication signal is transmitted from the recorder to the power supply device via the communication line, a signal indicating that the accessory power supply is OFF may be sent. In this way, the drive recorder can identify itself as a communication-enabled model based on the communication state with the drive recorder, and can transmit a signal indicating that the accessory power supply is OFF using its original communication function.

[0012] In addition, in the present invention, (4) the communication line may be a communication line capable of UART communication. In this way, it is not necessary to add a special communication line, and an existing cable can be used. The communication line capable of UART communication is provided, for example, in a cable having a 10-pin mini USB terminal.

[0013] Also, in the present invention, (5) the communication line has a first signal line used for transmitting a signal from the recorder to the power supply device and a second signal line used for transmitting a signal from the power supply device to the recorder, and has a function of sending a signal indicating the OFF state of the accessory power to the second signal line when the level of the first signal line is in a first state, and switching the level of the second signal line in response to the accessory power being turned OFF when the level of the first signal line is in a second state. In this way, the power supply device can achieve the same effect as (1) above, and the recorder can recognize the state of the accessory power supply regardless of whether the recorder can receive and recognize a signal indicating the OFF state of the accessory power supply.

[0014] Also, (6) when the level of the first signal line is in the first state, it is preferable that the second signal line has a function of transmitting a signal indicating predetermined communication information different from the signal indicating the state of the accessory power supply. In this way, a signal line for making the recorder recognize the state of the accessory power supply and a signal line for transmitting a signal indicating the predetermined communication information can be shared. If a communication line is used to transmit a signal related to the recording function (for example, a signal such as setting information of the recording function) instead of a dedicated communication line for transmitting a signal indicating the state of the accessory power supply, it is possible to suppress the complexity of the wiring structure and also to easily transmit the OFF state of the accessory power supply using a cable of an existing standard.

[0015] (7) A recording device according to the present invention has a recording function and operates by receiving power from any of the power supply devices described above, and is provided with a communication line for connecting to the power supply device, the communication line having a first signal line for transmitting a signal to the power supply device and a second signal line for transmitting a signal from the power supply device, and a connection terminal to which the communication line is connected, the connection terminal having a first terminal electrically connected to the first signal line and a second terminal electrically connected to the second signal line, and is configured so that when the communication line is connected to the connection terminal, the level of the first terminal is in a second state, and has a function of recognizing the OFF state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle in response to switching of the level of the second terminal between the second state and the first state.

[0016] In this way, a signal indicating the OFF state of the vehicle accessory power supply is received via the communication line, and it is possible to recognize the OFF state of the vehicle accessory power supply without recognizing this signal.

[0017] In addition, in the present invention, (8) the function of outputting a signal related to the setting of the recording function via the first terminal may not be provided.

[0018] In this way, even a recorder that does not have a communication function for outputting a signal related to the setting of the recording function to the power supply device can recognize that the accessory power supply of the vehicle is OFF.

[0019] In the present invention, (9) the connection terminal may be a terminal used for UART communication.

[0020] In this way, the connection terminal does not need to be a special terminal, but an existing terminal can be used. For example, the terminal used for UART communication is a 10-pin mini USB terminal.

[0021] Also, in the present invention, (10) the recording function may start recording using power supplied from the power supply device in response to recognition of an OFF state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle in response to switching of the level of the second terminal.

[0022] In this way, a signal indicating that the vehicle accessory power supply is OFF can be received via the communication line, and recording can be started using the recording function in response to the vehicle accessory power supply being OFF, without the need to recognize this signal.

[0023] (11) It is preferable to make a program for causing a computer to realize any one of the functions of the system described above in (1) to (6). In this way, the computer can be made to execute the functions described above in (1) to (6).

[0024] (12) It is preferable to make a program for causing a computer to realize the functions of any one of the systems described above in (7) to (11). In this way, the functions described above in (7) to (11) can be executed by the computer.

[0025] The inventions shown in (1) to (12) above can be arbitrarily combined. For example, at least a part of the configuration of at least one of the inventions after (2) may be added to all or a part of the configuration of the invention shown in (1). In particular, it is preferable to add at least a part of the configuration of at least one of the inventions after (2) to the invention shown in (1). In addition, any configuration may be extracted from the inventions shown in (1) to (12) and the extracted configurations may be combined. The applicant of this application intends to obtain rights to the inventions including these configurations. In addition, even if there is a description such as "in the case of" or "when", it is not intended to describe the configuration as being limited to that case or time. These are examples of better configurations, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to configurations other than these cases or times. In addition, the parts described in order are not limited to this order. Configurations in which some parts have been deleted or the order has been changed are also disclosed, and the applicant intends to obtain rights. Effect of the Invention

[0026] According to the present invention, convenience can be improved.

[0027] The effects of the invention of this application are not limited to this, and effects achieved from the configuration disclosed in the specification and drawings are also disclosed, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to the configuration achieving said effects through divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, in this specification, statements such as "can" and "is possible" are statements that clearly indicate the effects achieved, and there are also parts that show effects even without statements such as "can" and "is possible." Furthermore, there are effects that can be understood from the configuration even without such statements. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a front camera of a drive recorder according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2B is a view showing the front of a vehicle on which the front camera is installed; and FIG. 2C is a view showing the rear of the vehicle on which a rear camera is installed. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic system configuration of an embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a wiring structure of a power supply unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing each line of a power supply unit. [Diagram 5] 4 is a timing chart showing a communication process with a drive recorder executed by a communication control unit. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing a communication process with a drive recorder executed by a communication control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment shown below is one embodiment of the present invention, and the contents of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited based on the following description.

[0030] [System configuration] An example of the system configuration will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The "system" may be a system in which part or all of the system is attached to a moving body. In addition, when part of the "system" is attached to a moving body, it is particularly preferable that an imaging unit such as a camera can be attached to the moving body, and the control unit may be provided in a location away from the moving body to which the imaging unit is attached. In addition, the "system" may have the functions of a drive recorder or other imaging device.

[0031] In addition, the moving body to which the system is partly or entirely attached may be not only a vehicle such as an automobile or an electric vehicle, but may also be a system mounted on an object other than a vehicle. Examples of objects other than vehicles include vehicles in transportation facilities such as trains, linear motor cars, and monorails, and other moving bodies (e.g., vehicles) other than vehicles such as ships and airplanes, but it is particularly preferable to use a system mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle is not limited to a four-wheeled automobile, but may be, for example, a two-wheeled vehicle such as a motorcycle or a large transport vehicle with four or more wheels, and in particular, a four-wheeled automobile capable of observing the outside of the vehicle from inside the vehicle. The vehicle may be, for example, not only a transportation vehicle (e.g., a truck or a forklift), a commercial vehicle (e.g., a taxi or a bus), and a general vehicle, but may also be used for more versatile purposes. In this embodiment, a drive recorder, which is an example of a recorder that can be mounted on a vehicle, will be described.

[0032] Furthermore, when the "imaging unit" is a camera, the cameras may be provided at multiple locations in the vehicle. For example, a camera separate from the camera for the front of the vehicle may be provided for the rear of the vehicle, and other moving objects may be captured by the two cameras, the camera for the front of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the "front camera") and the camera for the rear of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the "rear camera"). The front camera or the rear camera may be a camera capable of capturing images with a 360-degree viewing angle, so that the interior of the vehicle may also be captured.

[0033] The system according to this embodiment has a drive recorder 1 (an example of a recorder) that has a recording function for recording images captured in a vehicle 100.

[0034] The drive recorder 1 has two imaging units, a front camera 10 provided in front of the vehicle and a rear camera 20 provided in the rear of the vehicle. The front camera 10 and the rear camera 20 capture images of multiple color components, for example, red (R), green (G), and blue (B), but the types and number of color components can be modified in various ways.

[0035] FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view showing a front camera 10 of a drive recorder 1. As shown in FIG. 1(a), a memory card insertion slot 11 is provided on one side of the housing of the front camera 10. A display 12 and an operation unit 13 (in the example shown in FIG. 1(a), a plurality of operation buttons 13a to 13d) are provided on the rear surface of the housing. For example, in this embodiment, the operation button 13a is a display button for switching images, the operation button 13b is a mode button for displaying a playback mode, the operation button 13c is a REC / STOP button for starting / stopping recording, the operation button 13d is a menu button for displaying a setting menu, and the operation button 13e is a recording button for manually starting an event recording, which will be described later.

[0036] In addition, a joint rail 14 is provided on the top surface of the housing. Although not shown in Fig. 1(a), a lens of a front camera 10, which is an example of an imaging unit, is provided on the front surface of the housing. A connection terminal 15 is provided on the side opposite to the side of the memory card insertion slot 11, and although not shown in Fig. 1(a), a speaker and an HD output terminal are provided on the bottom surface.

[0037] The front camera 10 having a lens captures, for example, an image in front of the vehicle. The memory card insertion slot 11 is an insertion slot for inserting a memory card. The speaker outputs sound such as voice. The HD output terminal is a terminal for connecting to other information devices via a cable. The joint rail 14 is for attaching a joint member for mounting the front camera 10 on the vehicle. The display 12 displays various images. The operation unit 13 is for inputting various commands to the drive recorder 1 by the user's operation.

[0038] In this embodiment, the user may be, for example, the driver of the vehicle in which the drive recorder 1 is mounted, or may be a person other than the driver, for example, a passenger.

[0039] Fig. 1(b) is a diagram showing the front of the vehicle on which the front camera 10 of this embodiment is installed. In the example shown in Fig. 1(b), the front camera 10 of the drive recorder 1 is disposed on the passenger side adjacent to the room mirror 102 near the center in the left-right direction on the upper part of the windshield 101 of the vehicle 100. The front camera 10 is attached and fixed to the windshield 101 by a mounting member such as double-sided tape. A connection terminal 15 of the front camera 10 is connected to an accessory power supply 110 via a power supply unit 16. The connection terminal 15 and the power supply unit 16 will be described later.

[0040] Fig. 1(c) is a diagram showing the rear of a vehicle on which a rear camera 20 is installed. In the example shown in Fig. 1(c), the rear camera 20 is attached and fixed to the rear glass 104 of the vehicle by a mounting member at an upper part of the rear glass 104 and near the center in the left-right direction. The rear camera 20 shown in Fig. 1(c) also has a display function, but this is not essential. It is preferable to provide a display on the dashboard 105 that displays an image captured by the rear camera 20 so that the image captured by the rear camera 20 can be viewed in front.

[0041] The drive recorder 1 may be configured to capture images using two separate cameras, a front camera 10 and a rear camera 20, with various functions provided only on the front camera 10 side and the rear camera 20 connected to the front camera 10. The drive recorder 1 may also be configured to have a function for performing various settings on the front camera 10 side, with the front camera 10 and the rear camera 20 operating according to the settings performed on the front camera 10 side. However, this is not essential, and systems capable of performing various functions and settings may be mounted on the front and rear of the vehicle, respectively.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 1(a), some components of the drive recorder 1 may be provided at a position other than the windshield 101 depending on the purpose of the components. For example, an operation button 13f, which is one of the operation units 13, may be provided on a dashboard 105 as shown in Fig. 1(b). The controller 30 may transmit video data captured by a camera to the outside, and record the video data externally.

[0043] 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic system configuration of the drive recorder of this embodiment. The drive recorder 1 includes the above-mentioned front camera 10 (an example of an imaging unit) and rear camera 20 (an example of an imaging unit), display 12, operation unit 13 including operation buttons 13a to 13f, connection terminal 15, and power supply unit 16, as well as a controller 30 (an example of a control unit), a speaker 40, a GPS receiver 41, an acceleration sensor 42, a wireless communication circuit 43, and a memory card reader 44. Note that the memory card reader 44 has a read / write function, and strictly speaking should be called a "memory card reader / writer", but in this specification it is simply called a "memory card reader".

[0044] The display 12 and the speaker 40 function as a notification unit for notifying the user of various information. The display 12 outputs various information as image display based on the control of the controller 30. The speaker 40 outputs warnings and various information as sounds based on the control of the controller 30. The operation unit 13 functions as an input means by which the user gives various commands to the drive recorder 1 (more specifically, the controller 30).

[0045] In this embodiment, the front camera 10 has a lens directed forward of the vehicle 100 and functions as an imaging unit that captures an image within a viewing angle (field of view) in front of the vehicle. The image captured by the front camera 10 is input to the controller 30 as image data. The front camera 10 can capture at least an image in front of the vehicle. The front camera 10 may be provided with a camera that captures an image of the front and a camera that captures an image of the interior of the vehicle, and each of them may capture an image. It is more preferable to use a camera with a viewing angle of 360 degrees so that both an image of the front and an image of the interior of the vehicle can be captured.

[0046] In this embodiment, the rear camera 20 has a lens that is directed toward the rear of the vehicle 100, and functions as an imaging unit that captures an image within an angle of view (within a field of view) behind the vehicle. The image captured by the rear camera 20 is input to the controller 30 as image data. The rear camera 20 can capture at least an image behind the vehicle, but it is more preferable if it can capture images of the sides in addition to the rear. In this embodiment, there are two imaging units, the front camera 10 and the rear camera 20, but the number of imaging units may be one or more.

[0047] The GPS receiver 41 detects the position information of the vehicle at the current time based on an instruction from the controller 30. The position information detected includes the time, the vehicle's speed, longitude, latitude, altitude, etc., which are obtained based on signals from GPS satellites. The controller 30 performs a process of recording the history of this position information.

[0048] A three-axis type sensor that detects acceleration and tilt in each of three axes (x-axis, y-axis, z-axis) is used as the acceleration sensor 42. Measurement values ​​by the acceleration sensor 42 are constantly input to the controller 30. The controller 30 acquires three-axis acceleration information, for example, every 10 ms.

[0049] The wireless communication circuit 43 functions as a communication unit for wireless communication with an external device, for example, a server (for example, a server of a public institution such as the police, a server of a company that operates a site on the Internet that anyone can access, etc.), a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc. The controller 30 has a function of transmitting video data to an external device via the wireless communication circuit 43 by executing a wireless communication processing program. As the wireless communication circuit 43, a communication circuit that complies with a short-range wireless communication standard such as the WiFi standard, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or a mobile communication system standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G, 5G, etc. may be used. The mobile communication system standard can be applied to communication between a vehicle moving within a wider area and an external device, for example.

[0050] The memory card reader 44 functions as a medium storage unit that holds the memory card 45. The memory card 45 is specifically an SD card, a miniSD card, a microSD card, or the like, and functions as a removable recording medium. A user can insert a memory card into the memory card reader 44 through the memory card insertion port 11. The memory card reader 44 reads data from the memory card 45 held in the memory card reader 44 or records data in the memory card 45 based on the control from the controller 30. The memory card reader 44 may have separate areas for recording data captured by the front camera 10 and data captured by the rear camera 20, and may have separate recording areas in one memory card. However, it is preferable that two or more memory cards can be inserted, and data captured by the front camera 10 is recorded in a first memory card, and data captured by the rear camera 20 is recorded in a second memory card.

[0051] The controller 30 has a known arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU 31, memories such as a ROM 32 and a RAM 33, a timer 34, other peripheral circuits, etc. Various programs are recorded in the ROM 32 of the controller 30. The controller 30 executes these programs to realize various functions. The various programs include an operating system (OS), a GPS information processing program, a wireless communication processing program, a recording processing program, etc. The GPS information processing program, the wireless communication processing program, and the recording processing program do not need to be independent programs, and a program combining a plurality of these functions may be used.

[0052] The controller 30 executes a GPS information processing program, thereby enabling the GPS information received by the GPS receiver 41 to be recorded on a memory card 45 held in a memory card reader 44 .

[0053] By executing the recording processing program, the controller 30 can record the images captured by the front camera 10 and the rear camera 20 in a recording area of ​​the memory card 45 in association with the time. The controller 30 has a function of accessing the memory card 45 held in the memory card reader 44, and functions as a control unit having a recording function of recording the images captured by the front camera 10 and the rear camera 20 on the memory card held in the memory card reader 44. Specifically, the recording function of the controller 30 temporarily writes the image data captured by the front camera 10 and the rear camera 20 into the RAM 33, and then writes the data from the RAM 33 into the memory card 45 via the memory card reader 44, thereby recording the data.

[0054] The recording function of the controller 30 allows various settings, and the settings of the recording function will be described in detail below.

[0055] The controller 30 of this embodiment has the following recording modes: an event recording mode, a continuous recording mode, and a parking recording mode. The parking recording mode is a mode associated with a parking recording function for recording while the vehicle 100 is parked. The parking recording function is a function related to recording while the vehicle 100 is parked. The parking recording function is also called a parking monitoring function, since it monitors the inside or surroundings of the vehicle 100 while parked. Specifically, the parking recording function is executed by selecting at least one of the recording modes of the time lapse mode and the motion detection mode. The event recording mode can be executed as a multitask process in parallel even when the continuous recording mode or the parking recording mode is selected.

[0056] The event recording mode is a recording mode in which video data captured by the front camera 10 and the rear camera 20 is recorded in response to the occurrence of a specific event (for example, an event). A specific event is, for example, an event when the user performs an operation such as sudden steering or sudden braking while the vehicle is traveling, or when the vehicle collides with another object. The controller 30 determines such a specific event from, for example, a measurement value by the acceleration sensor 42. Specifically, the controller 30 determines that a specific event has occurred when a measurement value by the acceleration sensor 42 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value or shows a predetermined change over time. The determination condition for a specific event is not limited to this, and may include, for example, a vehicle state such as a vehicle speed or a steering state. The controller 30 also determines that a specific event has occurred when a specific operation button (for example, the operation button 13e in FIG. 1(a)) of the operation unit 13 is pressed. Note that, hereinafter, imaging and recording in the event recording mode by pressing the operation button 13e is also referred to as one-touch recording. Note that the operation that triggers the start of recording does not necessarily have to be a one-touch operation, and may be a predetermined operation. The recording in this case is called manual recording, and can be substituted for one-touch recording.

[0057] In the event recording mode, when a specific event occurs, the controller 30 records video data captured at a certain time before and after the event. For example, the controller 30 records video data for a total of 40 seconds, consisting of 20 seconds before and 20 seconds after the event, as one recording file on the memory card 45.

[0058] The continuous recording mode is a recording mode in which video data is continuously captured and recorded by the front camera 10 and the rear camera 20. Specifically, in the continuous recording mode, the controller 30 records video data captured at least from the start to the stop of the engine of the vehicle 100. Starting the engine corresponds to, for example, turning on the accessory power supply of the vehicle 100, and stopping the engine corresponds to turning off the accessory power supply. The determination of whether the accessory power supply is on or off will be described later.

[0059] The time lapse mode, which is one of the parking recording modes, is a recording mode in which intermittent imaging is performed and recorded by the front camera 10 and the rear camera 20. In this embodiment, intermittent imaging is imaging at a frame rate that is thinner than the reference frame rate. In this embodiment, when the time lapse mode is selected, the controller 30 sets the frame rate of imaging by the front camera 10 and the rear camera 20 to a frame rate that is lower than the reference frame rate, and performs imaging and recording. The reference frame rate may be, for example, a frame rate adopted in at least one of the continuous recording mode, the event recording mode, the one-touch recording mode, and the motion detection mode. For example, the frame rate of the other recording modes is, for example, 20 to 30 frames / second (hereinafter, may be referred to as "frames / second"), while the frame rate of the time lapse mode is, for example, 1 frame / second.

[0060] The controller 30 of this embodiment records the video captured in the time lapse mode as a time-compressed moving image. For example, the video data captured at 1 frame / second is compressed to 30 frames / second, which is the same as the frame rate of the other recording modes, and recorded as video data. Note that the video data captured in the time lapse mode may be recorded as a moving image at 1 frame per second.

[0061] Moreover, the moving object detection mode, which is one of the parking recording modes, is a recording mode in which an image is captured and recorded in response to the detection of a moving object. Specifically, when the moving object detection mode is selected, the controller 30 detects a moving object from a change in the image captured by the front camera 10 and the rear camera 20, and records the image data when there is a movement (i.e., when a moving object is detected). The frame rate in the moving object detection mode is higher than the frame rate in the time lapse mode, and is, for example, 20 to 30 frames per second. The controller 30 detects a moving object based on the image data temporarily written in the RAM 33, and when a moving object is detected, records the image by writing the image data to the memory card 45 based on the image data on the RAM 33.

[0062] The recording function of the controller 30 creates a new file and records each time a video is recorded for a predetermined period of time, for example, one minute in continuous recording mode, 30 minutes in time lapse mode, and 40 seconds or 30 seconds in event recording mode and one-touch recording mode.

[0063] For example, the controller 30 automatically starts recording (capturing and recording) for parking in a parking recording mode (specifically, a time lapse mode or a moving object detection mode) in response to detecting an OFF state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the OFF state of the accessory power supply is detected by using a communication line between the drive recorder 1 and the power supply unit 16, which will be described later. Note that the controller 30 may start the parking recording mode when a parking recording start condition is met, such as when the engine is OFF or when the user has performed a switching operation to the parking recording mode on the operation unit 13, in addition to detecting the OFF state of the accessory power supply.

[0064] At least two recording areas, a first recording area and a second recording area, are formed in the memory card 45, which is the recording destination of the video data in the drive recorder 1. The recording function realized by the recording processing program executed by the controller 30 records the video data captured in the event recording mode, i.e., in response to the occurrence of a specific event, in the first recording area (the event recording folder in this embodiment). Also, the video data captured in the continuous recording mode, the time lapse mode, and the motion detection mode is recorded in the second recording area (the normal recording folder in this embodiment).

[0065] The controller 30 has a playback function for playing back video data recorded by the recording function. The playback function has a function for selectively playing back video data captured by the front camera 10 and video data captured by the rear camera 20. The user can switch which video to play back by operating a predetermined operation button on the operation unit 13, for example.

[0066] The display 12 also functions as a notification unit that informs the user of the role of the memory card 45 accessed by the controller 30 .

[0067] Also, a viewer program having a function of simultaneously playing back the video data captured by the front camera 10 and the video data captured by the rear camera 20 may be provided.

[0068] Moreover, the display 12 may be provided on the dashboard 105 of the vehicle 100 as described above, or only a display capable of playing only the image captured by the rear camera 20 out of the images captured by the front camera 10 and the rear camera 20 may be provided on the dashboard 105. Furthermore, the playback function may be performed not only on the display 12 of the drive recorder 1 but also on a display of another information terminal such as a PC, a smartphone, a mobile phone, or a tablet terminal. For example, a viewer program having the playback function can be installed in another information terminal to realize the playback function on a display of the information terminal. The viewer program may be provided from the drive recorder 1 to the information terminal via the wireless communication circuit 43, or may be provided by recording it on the memory card 45, or may be provided via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0069] The drive recorder 1 configured as above is connected to an accessory power supply 110 of the vehicle 100 from the connection terminal 15 via a power supply unit 16 .

[0070] The connection terminal 15 of the drive recorder 1 is, for example, a 10-pin mini USB terminal (female terminal) and has a wiring structure having at least a power line, a ground (GND) line, and a UART communication line. The UART communication line is a communication line that performs asynchronous serial communication using two signal lines, UART_TX for data transmission and UART_RX for data reception. The drive recorder 1 is connected to an accessory power supply 110 of the vehicle 100 from the connection terminal 15 via a power supply unit 16.

[0071] Here, Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the connection configuration of the power supply unit, and Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing each line of the power supply unit 16. Below, the connection relationship between the drive recorder 1 and the accessory power supply 110 of the vehicle 100 will be explained based on these figures.

[0072] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the power supply unit 16 has a first cable 50 (an example of a communication line), a converter 51, a second cable 52 (an example of a communication line), a battery unit 53 (an example of a power supply device), and a third cable 54.

[0073] The first cable 50 is a cable that connects the connection terminal 15 and the converter 51, and is provided at the tip on the connection terminal 15 side with a 10-pin mini USB terminal (male terminal) that can be inserted into the connection terminal 15.

[0074] Converter 51 is connected to first cable 50 and second cable 52 so as to be integral with each other. Converter 51 is a DC / DC converter that converts DC (direct current) 12V power input from second cable 52 to DC 5V and outputs it to first cable 50.

[0075] The second cable 52 is a cable that connects the converter 51 and the battery unit 53, and is provided with a 10-pin connector (male terminal) at the tip on the battery unit 53 side.

[0076] The battery unit 53 has an output terminal 53a connected to the second cable 52, a connection terminal 53b connected to the third cable 54, a communication control unit 53c that controls communication with the drive recorder 1, and an off timer setting unit 53d, and is equipped with a battery pack for storing electricity.

[0077] The third cable 54 is a cable that connects the battery unit 53 and the accessory power supply 110, and is provided at its end on the battery unit 53 side with a connector 54a that can be inserted into the battery unit 53. As shown in Fig. 3, the third cable 54 has a GND cord 54b that is connected to a metal part of the vehicle 100 from the connector 54a, and a power cord 54c that is connected to the accessory power supply 110, each extending as separate wiring. A fuse holder 54d having a fuse mounted therein is provided midway on the power cord 54c.

[0078] In the power supply unit 16 thus configured, as shown in Fig. 4, the first cable 50 and the second cable 52 have power lines (an example of a power supply line) 50a, 52a, GND lines 50b, 52b, first UART lines 50c, 52c (an example of a first signal line), and second UART lines 50d, 52d (an example of a second signal line). On the other hand, the connection terminal 15 does not have a terminal that receives only an input of a signal indicating the on / off state of the accessory power supply. The first cable 50, the second cable 52, and the third cable 54 connected to the connection terminal 15 also do not have a signal line dedicated to transmitting a signal indicating the on / off state of the accessory power supply.

[0079] The first UART lines 50c and 52c connect the UART_TX of the connection terminal 15 of the drive recorder 1 and the UART_RX of the output terminal 53a of the battery unit 53. The second UART lines 50d and 52d connect the UART_TX of the output terminal 53a of the battery unit 53 and the UART_RX of the connection terminal 15 of the drive recorder 1. The connection terminal 15 has a power supply terminal that is a terminal electrically connected to the power supply line 50a, a GND terminal that is a terminal electrically connected to the GND line 50b, a first terminal that is electrically connected to the first UART line 50c, and a second terminal that is electrically connected to the second UART line 50d. The connection terminal 15 is a terminal used for UART communication.

[0080] The power supply unit 16 thus configured can charge the battery unit 53 when the accessory power supply 110 is in an ON state (activated state), and can supply the power of the accessory power supply 110 to the drive recorder 1 by converting the voltage via the converter 51. When the accessory power supply 110 is in an OFF state (non-activated state) due to the engine stop of the vehicle 100 or the like, the battery unit 53 can supply power to the drive recorder 1 for a predetermined timer time set by the off timer setting unit 53d. The off timer setting unit 53d is configured by, for example, a dip switch, and can set the off timer time to not used (0 hours), 0.5 hours, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours, or 12 hours.

[0081] Furthermore, the communication control unit 53c of the battery unit 53 can determine whether the connected drive recorder 1 is a communication-enabled model or a non-communication-enabled model by using the signal lines of the first UART lines 50c, 52c and the second UART lines 50d, 52d through a communication processing program. A communication-enabled model drive recorder is a drive recorder that has a function of communicating (i.e., transmitting and receiving signals) with the battery unit 53, and is a model that can directly exchange, for example, setting information of the drive recorder and signals indicating the ON / OFF state of the accessory power supply. A non-communication model drive recorder is a model that does not have a function of such communication, and is, for example, a model that cannot directly exchange various signals.

[0082] 5 shows a timing chart illustrating a communication process with the drive recorder 1 executed by the communication control unit 53c. The communication control unit 53c of the battery unit 53 determines whether the model is a communication model or a non-communication model based on whether a signal is transmitted from the drive recorder 1.

[0083] More specifically, the communication control unit 53c utilizes the fact that the communication control unit 53c is connected to the drive recorder 1 in a high impedance manner. That is, as shown in Fig. 5, when the state (more specifically, the level) of the first UART lines 50d, 52d, i.e., the state of UART_RX (UART_TX of the connection terminal 15 of the drive recorder 1) of the output terminal 53a of the battery unit 53 is on the Hi side (high level, an example of the first state) from the cold start (time t1) of the accessory power supply 110, the communication control unit 53c determines the communication-enabled model (upper part of Fig. 5) since the drive recorder 1 is in a state in which it can transmit (communicate) a signal related to the drive recorder 1 (for example, a signal indicating information related to the drive recorder 1).

[0084] On the other hand, if the signals on the first UART lines 50d, 52d are on the Lo side (low level, an example of the second state) despite the high impedance connection from the cold start (time t1) of the accessory power supply 110, the drive recorder 1 is in a state where it cannot transmit a signal (for example, a signal indicating information about the drive recorder 1), and therefore it is determined to be a no-communication model (lower part of Figure 5).

[0085] Alternatively, the drive recorder 1 of the communication-enabled model is set to start communicating a signal related to the setting of the drive recorder 1 (in other words, a signal such as setting information) with the battery unit 53 within a predetermined time (e.g., about 10 seconds) from a cold start. The communication control unit 53c may determine that the drive recorder 1 is a communication-enabled model when detecting switching between the Hi state and the Lo state on the first UART lines 50c, 52c within this predetermined time, or detecting that a signal from the drive recorder 1 (a signal indicating communication information, which is information related to communication) has been received.

[0086] When the communication control unit 53c determines that the model is a communication-enabled model, it transmits information relating to the ON / OFF state of the accessory power supply 110 (i.e., the ON / OFF state) to the drive recorder 1 by transmitting a signal corresponding to the ON / OFF state of the accessory power supply 110 (hereinafter referred to as the "ON signal" and the "OFF signal", respectively; see FIG. 5) via the second UART lines 50d and 52d. The ON signal and OFF signal relating to the ON / OFF state of the accessory power supply are transmitted when the accessory power supply 110 is switched ON or OFF. After transmitting the ON signal or OFF signal, the second UART lines 50d and 52d return to their original state (Hi state).

[0087] On the other hand, when the communication control unit 53c determines that the model is a non-communication model, it switches the state (level) of the second UART lines 50d, 52d between the ON state and the OFF state of the accessory power supply. The drive recorder 1 recognizes the ON / OFF state of the accessory power supply according to this switching. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the accessory power supply 110 is ON, the communication control unit 53c sets the second UART lines 50d, 52d to Hi state, and when the accessory power supply is OFF, the second UART lines 50d, 52d to Lo state. The drive recorder 1 can determine the ON / OFF state of the accessory power supply from the state of the second UART lines 50d, 52d. Note that the communication control unit 53c fixes the second UART lines 50d, 52d to Lo state while the accessory power supply 110 is OFF. In this way, the communication control unit 53c transmits the state of the accessory power supply 110 to the drive recorder 1 of the communication model by transmitting an ON signal or an OFF signal through communication from the UART_TX of the output terminal 53a, and to the drive recorder 1 of the non-communication model by changing the level of the UART_TX of the output terminal 53a. When the drive recorder 1 is a non-communication model drive recorder, the controller 30 may start recording in the parking recording mode using the power supplied from the battery unit 53 in response to recognizing the OFF state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle by switching the level input to the second terminal of the connection terminal 15. The function of the drive recorder 1 of the non-communication model starting recording in the parking recording mode in response to recognizing the OFF state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle is realized by the recording processing program.

[0088] In addition, in order to prevent chattering, the switching of the ON signal and OFF signal in response to the ON / OFF state of the accessory power supply 110 and the switching and transmission of the state of the UART_TX of the output terminal 53a may be performed with a predetermined determination period set after the accessory power supply 110 is switched ON / OFF (for example, at time t2 in Figure 5).

[0089] [Effect] Next, an example of the operation of the switching process to the parking recording mode executed by the controller 30 of the drive recorder 1 and the communication process with the drive recorder 1 executed by the communication control section 53c of the battery unit 53 will be described.

[0090] 6 is a flowchart showing a communication process with the drive recorder 1 executed by the communication control unit 53c of the battery unit 53, and the communication process with the drive recorder 1 executed by the communication control unit 53c of the battery unit 53 will be described below with reference to the flowchart. Note that the flowchart in the figure starts initially when the accessory power supply 110 is cold started, and at least the second UART lines 50d, 52d start from the Hi state (first state).

[0091] First, in step S20, the communication control unit 53c judges whether or not the signal of the first UART lines 50c, 52c, i.e., the signal to the UART_RX of the output terminal 53a of the battery unit 53 (the signal from the UART_TX of the connection terminal 15 of the drive recorder 1) is on the Hi side (first state). If the judgment result is true (Yes), i.e., if the first UART lines 50c, 52c are on the Hi side from the cold start, the process proceeds to step S21.

[0092] In step S21, the communication control unit 53c determines that the drive recorder connected to the battery unit 53 is a communication-enabled model that can directly exchange drive recorder setting information and information indicating the ON / OFF state of the accessory power supply, and proceeds to the next step S22.

[0093] In step S22, the communication control unit 53c determines whether the accessory power supply 110 has been turned off. This is determined, for example, based on whether the power supply from the accessory power supply 110 to the battery unit 53 has been stopped. If the determination result is false (No), the process of step S22 is repeated until the accessory power supply 110 is turned off. Then, if the determination result is true (Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S23.

[0094] In step S23, the communication control unit 53c transmits an OFF signal of the accessory power supply 110 to the drive recorder 1 via the second UART lines 50d and 52d from UART_TX, and ends the routine. In this way, the drive recorder, which is a communication-enabled model, can recognize that the accessory power supply has been turned off.

[0095] On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S20 is false (No), that is, if the signals on the first UART lines 50c, 52c have been on the Lo side since the cold start, the process proceeds to step S24.

[0096] In step S24, the communication control unit 53c determines that the drive recorder connected to the battery unit 53 is a non-communication model that cannot directly exchange drive recorder setting information or signals indicating the ON / OFF state of the accessory power supply, and proceeds to the next step S25.

[0097] In step S25, the communication control unit 53c determines whether the accessory power supply 110 is turned off, similarly to step S22. If the determination result is false (No), the process of step S25 is repeated until the accessory power supply 110 is turned off, and if the determination result is true (Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S26.

[0098] In step S26, the communication control unit 53c switches the output terminal 53a from the Hi state to the Lo state and ends the routine. In this way, the drive recorder that is a communication-free model can recognize that the accessory power supply is OFF while the second UART lines 50d, 52d are in the Lo state. When the drive recorder 1 is a communication-free model drive recorder, the controller 30 of the drive recorder 1 may start recording in the parking recording mode using the power supplied from the battery unit 53 in response to recognizing the OFF state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle by switching the level input to the second terminal of the connection terminal 15.

[0099] [effect] When the power supply from the accessory power supply 110 of the vehicle is cut off, the battery unit 53 switches the power supply source to an internal battery pack and supplies power to the drive recorder 1. Because power continues to be supplied to the drive recorder 1 before and after the switch, the drive recorder 1 cannot determine whether the power supply source is the accessory power supply 110 of the vehicle or the battery pack. Furthermore, even if the drive recorder 1 does not have a function to receive and recognize a signal indicating that the accessory power supply 110 has been turned off from the battery unit 53, the inventors thought that user convenience would be improved if the drive recorder 1 could recognize that the accessory power supply 110 has been turned off, determine that the parking record start condition has been established, and automatically start recording in the parking record mode.

[0100] Therefore, in the system of this embodiment, the drive recorder 1 is connected to the battery unit 53 by a first cable and a second cable including the signal lines (specifically, UART communication lines) of the first UART lines 50c, 52c and the second UART lines 50d, 52d. When the accessory power supply 110 of the vehicle 100 is in an OFF state, the communication control unit 53c of the battery unit 53 sends a signal indicating the OFF state of the accessory power supply 110 via the second UART lines 50d, 52d. In this way, by using the battery unit 53 connected to the drive recorder 1 and the accessory power supply 110, it is possible to send a signal indicating the OFF state of the accessory power supply 110 to the drive recorder 1. Therefore, even if the drive recorder 1 cannot directly detect the OFF state of the accessory power supply 110, it can easily respond to a case where it is necessary to detect the OFF state of the accessory power supply 110, such as when the above-mentioned parking record start condition is the OFF state of the accessory power supply 110.

[0101] In particular, when a signal (signal indicating setting information, etc.) related to the drive recorder 1 is not transmitted to the battery unit 53 via the UART communication line (specifically, the first UART line 50c, 52c), the drive recorder 1 is determined to be a no-communication model, and a signal indicating the OFF state of the accessory power supply 110 is sent to the UART communication line (specifically, the second UART line 50d, 52d). In this way, the drive recorder 1 can identify itself as a no-communication model from the communication state with the drive recorder 1, and transmit a signal indicating the OFF state of the accessory power supply. For example, it is possible to suppress sending unnecessary signals to a drive recorder 1 of a communicable model.

[0102] Furthermore, when a signal indicating predetermined communication information such as information (setting information, etc.) related to the drive recorder 1 is transmitted to the battery unit 53 via the UART communication line (specifically, the first UART line 50c, 52c), the drive recorder 1 is determined to be a communication-enabled model, and the signal indicating the predetermined communication information includes information indicating the OFF state of the accessory power supply 110. In this way, the drive recorder 1 can identify itself as a communication-enabled model from the communication state with the drive recorder 1, and can transmit a signal indicating the OFF state of the accessory power supply using the original communication function. For example, it is possible to suppress sending unnecessary signals to a drive recorder 1 of a communication-enabled model.

[0103] In particular, by using the first and second cables capable of UART communication as the communication lines, it is possible to use existing cables without the need to add a new special communication line.

[0104] Further, the communication processing program of the battery unit 53 of this embodiment is a program for causing a computer to realize the above-mentioned communication functions and the like, and can achieve the above-mentioned effects.

[0105] Furthermore, when the drive recorder 1 of this embodiment is a non-communication model, it can recognize the OFF state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle without directly recognizing the signal related to the accessory power supply by receiving a level indicating the OFF state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle via the first and second cables 50 and 52. Then, in response to recognizing the OFF state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle, the drive recorder 1 may start recording in the parking recording mode using the power supplied from the battery unit 53.

[0106] Also, if the connection terminal 15 of the drive recorder 1 is a terminal used for UART communication, such as a 10-pin miniUSB terminal, the connection terminal 15 does not need to be a terminal of a special standard, but can use a terminal of an existing standard. In other words, the hardware of the drive recorder 1 can be changed simply by connecting the UART_RX line (second terminal) of the connection terminal 15 to accessory power detection and the UART_TX line (first terminal) to GND. Also, the software of the drive recorder 1 can be changed simply by changing the part that switched to parking recording mode using a touch panel or the like to start parking recording mode when the accessory power is turned off, and to normal mode when the accessory power is turned on.

[0107] Although the description of the embodiment of the present invention is finished above, the configurations of the above-described embodiments may be appropriately combined, and the aspects of the present invention are not limited to these embodiments.

[0108] In the above-described embodiment, the parking recording modes include two recording modes for parking, namely, the time lapse mode and the motion detection mode, but it is also possible to use only one of them, or to add another recording mode for parking.

[0109] In the above embodiment, the vehicle 100 is provided with two imaging units, the front camera 10 and the rear camera 20, but the number and installation locations of the imaging units are not limited to this. For example, an imaging unit that is oriented toward the side of the vehicle or an imaging unit that captures images of the interior of the vehicle may be installed.

[0110] In the above embodiment, the memory card 45 is described as a recording medium such as an SD card, a miniSD card, or a microSD card, but it may be another recording medium such as a USB memory, an SSD, a small hard disk, etc. Also, the memory card reader 44 can be changed to a writing / reading device according to the recording medium.

[0111] In addition, the connection terminal 15 of the drive recorder 1 in the above embodiment is a 10-pin mini USB, and thus there is an advantage in that the above embodiment can be realized without requiring new parts, etc., simply by changing the connection terminal with the power supply unit in the drive recorder to a standard terminal such as a 10-pin mini USB; however, the connection terminal of the drive recorder is not limited to a 10-pin mini USB.

[0112] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations explicitly described in the specification, but includes combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed in this specification. The configurations of the present invention that are to be patented are specified in the attached claims, but it is our intention to include configurations disclosed in this specification in the claims in the future, even if they are not currently specified in the claims.

[0113] The present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the above-mentioned embodiment. The components of each of the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Any components of each of the embodiments and modifications may be arbitrarily combined with any components described in the means for solving the invention or any components that embody any components described in the means for solving the invention. We intend to acquire rights to these as well through amendments to this application or divisional applications. Even if there is a description such as "in the case of" or "when", this is not intended to describe a configuration that is limited to that case or time. We also disclose configurations that are not in these cases or times, and we intend to acquire rights. Furthermore, the parts described in order are not limited to this order. We also disclose configurations in which some parts are deleted or the order is changed, and we intend to acquire rights.

[0114] In addition, we intend to obtain rights to the overall design or partial design by converting to a design registration application. The drawings depict the entire device in solid lines, but they include not only the overall design but also partial designs claimed for a part of the device. For example, some parts of the device may be partial designs, and the drawings include some parts of the device as partial designs regardless of the parts. A part of the device may be a part of the device, or a part of that part. We intend to obtain rights to the overall design, as well as partial designs in which any part of the solid line part of the drawing is shown as a broken line part. In addition, the modules, parts, and components inside the device's casing, all of which are shown in the drawings, are subject to trade independently, and we intend to obtain rights to them by converting to a design registration application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 1 Drive recorder (system) 10. Front Camera 13 Control section 13a~13f Operation buttons 15 Connection terminal 16 Power supply unit 50 First Cable (Communication Line) 50c, 52c 1st UART line (signal line) 50d, 52d 2nd UART line (signal line) 51 Converter 52 Second Cable (Communication Line) 53 Battery unit 53a Output terminal 53c Communication control section 54 3rd Cable 100 vehicles 110 Accessory Power 110

Claims

1. A power supply device that can be charged from an accessory power supply of a vehicle and can supply power to a recorder having a recording function, a communication line connected to the recorder, the communication line including a first signal line used for transmitting a signal from the recorder to the power supply device and a second signal line used for transmitting a signal from the power supply device to the recorder; When the level of the first signal line is in a first state, a signal indicating an OFF state or an ON state of the accessory power supply is sent to the second signal line; and when the level of the first signal line is in a second state, in response to the accessory power being turned off, switching the level of the second signal line to a level indicating the accessory power being turned off. power supply.

2. The communication line is a UART communication line.

2. The power supply device of claim 1.

3. a function of transmitting a signal indicating predetermined communication information different from a signal indicating a state of the accessory power source to the second signal line when the level of the first signal line is in the first state; 2. The power supply device of claim 1, comprising:

4. A recorder having a recording function and operating by receiving power from the power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A connection terminal to which the communication line is connected Equipped with The connection terminal is a first terminal electrically connected to the first signal line; a second terminal electrically connected to the second signal line; having When the communication line is connected to the connection terminal, the level of the first terminal is in a second state, The power supply circuit has a function of recognizing an OFF state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle by switching a level of the second terminal to a level indicating the accessory power supply OFF state in response to the accessory power supply being turned OFF. Recording device.

5. The device does not have a function of outputting a signal related to the setting of the recording function via the first terminal.

5. The recording device according to claim 4.

6. The connection terminal is a terminal used for UART communication.

6. A recording device according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The recording function starts recording using power supplied from the power supply device in response to recognition of an OFF state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle in response to switching of the level of the second terminal.

7. A recorder according to claim 4.

8. A program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. A program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the recorder according to any one of claims 4 to 7.

Images