Systems etc.

Abstract

To provide a system different from conventional ones, which provides information that helps a user to drive in a preferable manner in response to reception of an electromagnetic wave emitted from a speed measurement device, for example.SOLUTION: An electronic device 10 is provided, comprising a reception unit configured to receive an electromagnetic wave for speed measurement emitted from a speed measurement device 30 for measuring speed of a vehicle 40, and a control unit configured to provide control to notify a user in response to the electromagnetic wave received by the reception unit, where the control unit makes a first notification for urging deceleration of the vehicle as a notification to the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to, for example, a system and the like.

Background Art

[0002] There are various types of systems for measuring the speed of vehicles traveling on roads. Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic device that receives microwaves emitted from a vehicle speed measuring device and outputs an alarm when it detects the presence of the vehicle speed measuring device. Patent Document 2 discloses an electronic device that receives and notifies a user of laser light from a speed measuring device.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] One object of the present invention is to provide a system or the like that is different from conventional systems, for example, to provide information that contributes to the user's preferred driving in response to reception of electromagnetic waves emitted from a speed measuring device.

[0005] The object of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the applicant intends to obtain rights through divisional applications, amendments, etc., for configurations that aim to obtain the effects derived from the components of the configuration disclosed in this specification and the drawings, etc. For example, problems that can be described in this specification as "~is possible" or "~is feasible" are disclosed in this specification. Each problem is described independently, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to each configuration for solving each problem independently through divisional applications, amendments, etc. Even if a problem is implicitly understood from the description in the specification, the applicant intends to include a part of the configuration described in this specification in the claims through amendment or divisional application. Furthermore, configurations that solve problems by combining these independent problems are also disclosed, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A system is provided which includes a receiving unit that receives electromagnetic waves for measuring the speed of a vehicle emitted from a speed measuring device, and a control unit that performs control to notify the user in accordance with the electromagnetic waves received by the receiving unit, wherein the control unit provides a first notification to the user to encourage the vehicle to decelerate.

[0007] In this way, the user can recognize a notification prompting the vehicle to decelerate as a notification received by the receiving unit in response to electromagnetic waves emitted from the speed measuring device. The user can use this notification as motivation to drive the vehicle in a way that slows it down.

[0008] A speed measuring device captures an image of a vehicle with a camera when the measured speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed, for example, when the speed exceeds the speed limit. Some speed measuring devices have a predetermined range of distance from the main unit as the area for measuring the vehicle's speed (also called the measurement area or tracking area). In such a speed measuring device, if the speed difference between a first point (a first distance from the main unit) and a second point (a second distance) exceeds a predetermined speed difference, the vehicle will not be imaged, but if the speed difference is less than or equal to the predetermined speed difference, the vehicle will be imaged. In other words, within the predetermined range, if the acceleration between the first and second points exceeds a predetermined value, the vehicle will not be imaged, but if the acceleration is less than or equal to the predetermined value, the vehicle will be imaged. The predetermined range of distance can be, for example, 20m to 70m from the speed measuring device. The first distance can be, for example, 25m. The second distance can be, for example, 30m. The predetermined speed difference may be, for example, 1.5%, and the acceleration exceeding the predetermined value may be, for example, an acceleration exceeding 1.5%. The predetermined speed difference may refer to, for example, the absolute value of the speed difference. The acceleration exceeding the predetermined value may refer to, for example, the absolute value of the acceleration exceeding the predetermined value, meaning that there is acceleration or deceleration (i.e., acceleration or deceleration) exceeding the predetermined value. The reason for providing a notification to encourage vehicle deceleration as the first notification is based on the inventor's knowledge that speed measuring devices of this nature exist. Furthermore, by enabling users to drive in a way that slows down the vehicle after recognizing the notification to encourage vehicle deceleration, it can also contribute to the user's safe driving. The electromagnetic waves emitted by the speed measuring device may be, for example, laser light, but radar waves may also be used.

[0009] The first notification should preferably be a special notification different from conventional ones. This special notification is one of the notifications given when a vehicle is in a predetermined proximity to a speed measuring device, but it should be a special notification different from notifications given in other cases. As a notification to encourage the vehicle to decelerate, for example, a message such as "Please continue to decelerate" should be displayed, audibly output, or a combination thereof. The notification is not limited to displays and audibly; other human-perceptible methods such as illumination may also be used.

[0010] (2) The control unit may make the first notification when the intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the receiving unit has increased.

[0011] In this way, the user can recognize a notification prompting the vehicle to decelerate when the vehicle approaches the speed measuring device and the electromagnetic wave intensity increases. For example, the user can contribute to safe driving while reducing the possibility of the vehicle being imaged by the speed measuring device. The control unit may, for example, determine the electromagnetic wave intensity based on the signal output by the light receiving unit (also called the received signal). The control unit may, for example, acquire signals from the light receiving unit at predetermined time intervals and sequentially determine the electromagnetic wave intensity. An increase in electromagnetic wave intensity may refer to, for example, a change from receiving electromagnetic waves at a first intensity to receiving electromagnetic waves at a second intensity higher than the first intensity. Alternatively or in addition to the above, an increase in electromagnetic wave intensity may also refer to a change from not receiving electromagnetic waves to receiving electromagnetic waves. The control unit may, for example, issue the first notification during part or all of the period during which the intensity of the identified laser light is increasing.

[0012] (3) The control unit may issue the first notification when the acceleration of the vehicle is below a predetermined value when the electromagnetic wave is being received.

[0013] In this way, the user can recognize a notification prompting the vehicle to decelerate when the vehicle's acceleration is below a predetermined value while electromagnetic waves are being received. For example, if the user receives this notification, they can recognize that continuing to drive in the same manner is likely to result in being imaged by a speed measuring device, thus motivating them to drive with greater consideration for the vehicle's speed. The predetermined value can be determined based on the conditions related to the acceleration imaged by the speed measuring device, for example, an acceleration of 1.5% is a good choice.

[0014] (4) The control unit may issue the first notification when the speed difference of the vehicle when the electromagnetic wave is being received is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0015] In this way, users can recognize a notification prompting them to decelerate their vehicle when the speed difference of the vehicle is below a predetermined value while electromagnetic waves are being received. For example, if a user receives this notification, they can recognize that continuing to drive at the same speed is likely to result in being imaged by a speed measuring device, thus motivating them to drive with greater consideration for the vehicle's speed. The predetermined value can be determined based on the conditions related to the speed difference that the speed measuring device images, for example, a speed difference of 1.5% is a good choice.

[0016] (5) The control unit may perform control to display an accelerometer showing the acceleration of the vehicle when the first notification is made.

[0017] In this way, when a notification prompting deceleration is received, the user can see the vehicle's acceleration displayed on the accelerometer and drive the vehicle to slow down. For example, the user can use the accelerometer as a reference to drive the vehicle at a reduced speed so that it is less likely to be captured by the speed measuring device.

[0018] The accelerometer may be one that displays the vehicle's current acceleration. Alternatively, it may be one that displays the vehicle's past acceleration, such as its acceleration history. The accelerometer may be one that changes the slope of the displayed line according to the magnitude of the vehicle's acceleration. Furthermore, as a notification, it may be one that outputs a sound with a pitch corresponding to the slope of the line corresponding to the magnitude of the acceleration. Furthermore, if the magnitude of the acceleration corresponds to a sudden acceleration or deceleration, it may be one that provides a predetermined voice notification. Such a line showing the magnitude of acceleration may be displayed, for example, overlaid on a graph where the horizontal axis is the time axis and the vertical axis is the vehicle's speed.

[0019] (6) The control unit shall, if the acceleration of the vehicle has not changed, provide a second notification to prompt a change in the acceleration of the vehicle. The system according to claim 5.

[0020] In this way, if the vehicle's acceleration is not changing, the second notification can be used to motivate the driver to drive in a way that causes a change in the vehicle's acceleration. The second notification may be a notification that encourages deceleration, similar to the first notification, but it is also preferable to have a different notification that encourages a change in acceleration. Such a notification could be, for example, a more advanced notification. It is particularly good to include cases where the vehicle's acceleration is not changing, such as when the vehicle's acceleration is close to zero, in addition to cases where the vehicle's acceleration is zero.

[0021] (7) The control unit may issue the second notification if the vehicle's speed exceeds or is likely to exceed the speed limit, and the vehicle's acceleration has not changed.

[0022] With this arrangement, when the vehicle speed exceeds or is likely to exceed the speed limit and the acceleration of the vehicle has not changed, the user can be motivated to perform driving that causes a change in the vehicle's acceleration through the second notification. The second notification may be a notification prompting deceleration in the same manner as the first notification, but it is preferably a different notification, for example, a notification of a higher level. For example, since the vehicle speed exceeds or is likely to exceed the speed limit, the notification may be of a higher level than (6). Regarding the case where the acceleration of the vehicle has not changed, it is particularly preferable to include not only the case where the acceleration of the vehicle is zero, but also the case where the acceleration of the vehicle can be regarded as substantially unchanged, such as when the acceleration is a value close to zero.

[0023] (8) When the control unit determines that the vehicle has passed the position of the speed measuring device, it is preferable that the control unit issues a notification indicating that there is a possibility of speeding, and also issues a third notification for notifying information of whether or not the vehicle passed during deceleration.

[0024] With this arrangement, when the user passes the position of the speed measuring device, the user can grasp the possibility that the vehicle was speeding and information on whether or not the vehicle passed during deceleration. For example, after passing the position of the speed measuring device, the user can grasp the possibility that the vehicle is imaged by the speed measuring device.

[0025] (9) The control unit preferably performs a fourth notification that notifies information on the traveling speed at the point where the speed of the vehicle is measured by the speed measuring device, based on a time point when the reception unit stops receiving the electromagnetic wave and a history of the speed of the vehicle when the electromagnetic wave was being received.

[0026] With this arrangement, the user can grasp information on the traveling speed at the point where the speed of the vehicle is measured by the speed measuring device. For example, after passing the position of the speed measuring device, the user can grasp the possibility that the vehicle is imaged by the speed measuring device.

[0027] (10) The control unit may make a fifth notification, based on the time when the receiving unit stopped receiving the electromagnetic waves and the history of the vehicle's speed when the electromagnetic waves were being received, to notify information about the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle within the area where the vehicle's speed is measured by the speed measuring device.

[0028] In this way, users can understand information about the acceleration and deceleration of their vehicle within the area where the vehicle's speed is measured by the speed measuring device. For example, a user can understand the possibility that their vehicle will be imaged by the speed measuring device after passing its location.

[0029] (11) The speed measuring device may emit laser light as the electromagnetic wave, and the receiving unit may have a light receiving unit that receives the laser light.

[0030] In this way, the user can recognize a notification prompting them to slow down the vehicle as a signal received when the laser light emitted from the speed measuring device is received by the light receiving unit. The user can use this notification as motivation to drive the vehicle in a way that slows it down.

[0031] (12) The control unit may perform processing according to the condition of the parallel vehicle at a position prior to the speed measuring device.

[0032] In this way, processing can be performed at a position before the speed measuring device, depending on the status of the vehicle traveling alongside. For example, some speed measuring devices do not take images when a vehicle traveling alongside is within a predetermined distance of the vehicle. In such cases, processing can be performed depending on the possibility that the vehicle will be measured by the speed measuring device. For example, if the position before the speed measuring device is defined as the position where the receiving unit receives electromagnetic waves from the speed measuring device, then processing can be performed depending on the status of the vehicle traveling alongside when there is a predetermined proximity relationship with the speed measuring device.

[0033] (13) The processing according to the status of the parallel vehicle may include processing to notify the user.

[0034] In this way, the user can recognize notifications that correspond to the status of vehicles traveling alongside their own vehicle. The user can then drive accordingly based on these notifications. The notifications should inform the user of the possibility that the vehicle may be measured by a speed measuring device.

[0035] (14) The process of notifying the user may include a process of notifying the user to drive alongside other vehicles.

[0036] In this way, the user can recognize the notification encouraging them to drive alongside other vehicles. This can motivate the user to drive alongside other vehicles. For example, if there is a speed measuring device that does not take an image when a vehicle is approaching within a predetermined distance of the vehicle, it can be made less likely for the vehicle to be imaged by that speed measuring device.

[0037] (15) The processing according to the status of the parallel vehicle may include the process of acquiring images captured by a camera placed on the vehicle and recording the acquired images.

[0038] In this way, the user can later review images captured by cameras mounted on the vehicle, which are recorded according to the situation of vehicles running alongside their own vehicle. For example, if the receiving unit is positioned before the speed measuring device and is receiving electromagnetic waves from the speed measuring device, the user can use images captured by the camera to check the situation of vehicles running alongside the speed measuring device when they are in a predetermined proximity relationship with it.

[0039] (16) The speed measuring device emits laser light as the electromagnetic wave, the receiving unit has a light receiving unit that receives the laser light, and the control unit records the direction of travel of the vehicle when notification is given in response to the reception of the laser light.

[0040] In this configuration, the signal output from the light-receiving unit (also called the received signal) may become saturated when the sun is low in the sky. However, the user can later check the vehicle's direction of travel, which is useful for understanding the effects of the sun.

[0041] (17) The control unit may record the image captured by the camera and the direction of travel in a data format that can be played back by software having a function to play back the image captured by the camera.

[0042] In this way, the user can view the image captured by the camera and the vehicle's direction of travel, which is useful for understanding the effect of the sun at the time the image was taken, on software that has a function to play back the image captured by the camera. A dashcam is particularly suitable as the camera. A viewer for dashcams is also suitable as the software. The image captured by the camera and the recorded direction of travel should be in a data format that allows playback of the image and the vehicle's direction of travel at the same time.

[0043] (18) The speed measuring device emits laser light as the electromagnetic wave, the receiving unit has a light receiving unit that receives the laser light, and the control unit may record the state of visible light reception by the light receiving unit when notification is given in response to the reception of the laser light.

[0044] In this configuration, the signal output from the light-receiving unit (also called the received signal) may become saturated when the sun is low in the sky. However, the user can later check the visible light reception status of the light-receiving unit, which can be used as a reference to understand the effects of the sun. The reception status should indicate the state of light reception, for example, the received light intensity, the amount of light received, the energy distribution, and the quality of the reception.

[0045] (19) When notification is being given in response to the reception of the laser light, it is preferable to record the reception state of the laser light along with the reception state of the visible light by the light receiving unit.

[0046] In this way, users can check the state of laser light reception at the same time as the state of visible light reception by the light-receiving unit, which is useful for understanding the effects of the sun.

[0047] (20) The control unit may record the image captured by the camera and the visible light reception state in a data format that can be reproduced by software that has a function to reproduce the image captured by the camera.

[0048] In this way, the user can view the image captured by the camera and the visible light reception conditions, which are useful for understanding the influence of sunlight at the time the image was taken, on software that has the function of playing back the image captured by the camera. A dashcam is particularly suitable as the camera. A viewer for dashcams is also suitable as the software. The recording of the image captured by the camera and the visible light reception conditions should be in a data format that allows playback of the image and visible light reception conditions at the same time.

[0049] (21) It would be preferable for the computer to be provided with a program to perform the functions of any of the above systems.

[0050] In this way, the user can recognize a notification prompting the vehicle to decelerate as a notification received when electromagnetic waves emitted from the speed measuring device are received by the receiver. The user can use this notification as motivation to drive the vehicle in a way that slows it down.

[0051] The inventions described in (1) to (21) above can be combined in any way. For example, one may combine all or part of the configuration of the invention described in (1) with at least part of the configuration of at least one of the inventions described in (2) and onward. In particular, it is preferable to combine the invention described in (1) with at least part of the configuration of at least one of the inventions described in (2) and onward. Alternatively, one may extract any configuration from the inventions described in (1) to (21) and combine the extracted configurations. The applicant of this application intends to obtain rights to inventions that include these configurations. Furthermore, even if there are descriptions such as "in the case of..." or "when...", these are not meant to be descriptions that limit the configuration to that case or time. These are merely examples of better configurations, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to configurations that do not fall under these cases or times. Also, even if there is a sequence of descriptions, it is not limited to that order. Configurations with some parts deleted or the order rearranged are also disclosed, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to them as well. [Effects of the Invention]

[0052] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a system different from conventional systems, for example, to provide information that contributes to the user's preferred driving style in response to the reception of electromagnetic waves emitted from a speed measuring device.

[0053] The effects of the present invention are not limited thereto, and the effects produced by the components of the structure disclosed in this specification and drawings are also disclosed. The applicant intends to obtain rights to the components that produce such effects through divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, the phrases "can do..." in this specification are descriptions that clearly indicate the effects produced, and there are components that produce effects even without such descriptions. Furthermore, there are effects that can be grasped by the component even without such descriptions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0054] [Figure 1] This figure shows the overall configuration of a system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]This diagram shows the external configuration of the main body of this embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the electrical configuration of the light-receiving section of this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the electronic device of this embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a circuit diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the light-receiving section of this embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows another example of the external configuration of the electronic device according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a notification screen when the first notification of this embodiment is given. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of an accelerometer according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows another example of the accelerometer of this embodiment. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of the notification screen of this embodiment. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of the notification screen of this embodiment. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of a method for recording the vehicle's direction of travel using the data recording function of this embodiment. [Figure 13] This figure shows an example of a method for recording the visible light reception state of the data recording function of this embodiment. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of a method for recording the visible light reception state and the laser light reception state of the data recording function of this embodiment. [Figure 15] This figure shows an example of a method for recording camera images and the vehicle's direction of travel using the data recording function of this embodiment. [Figure 16] This figure shows an example of a method for recording the camera image and visible light reception status of the data recording function of this embodiment. [Figure 17] This figure shows an example of a method for recording the camera image, visible light reception status, and laser light reception status of the data recording function of this embodiment. [Figure 18] This figure shows an example of the electrical configuration of the light-receiving section of one modified example of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0055] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. These drawings are used to illustrate the technical features that the present invention may adopt. The configuration and shape of the described apparatus are merely illustrative examples, and the present invention is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes, modifications, and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, as long as they do not depart from the scope of the present invention. In the following description, the labeling using numbers such as 1st, 2nd, ... is for the purpose of identifying each element and does not define the number of elements. In addition, in the figures referenced in the following description, the scale may differ from that of the actual figures in order to make each component, each area, etc., recognizable.

[0056] Furthermore, regarding the terminology used in the following explanation, for example, "horizontal direction" does not need to be strictly horizontal; it is sufficient if it is substantially horizontal. The same applies to "vertical direction," "perpendicular," "parallel," "normal," etc. Also, in the following explanation, if physical quantities such as dimensions and wavelengths are described using specific numerical values, those values ​​do not need to be strictly accurate. These directions and numerical values ​​may be changed, for example, within a range that produces similar effects. In addition, each device and component may be modified, such as by increasing or decreasing its size.

[0057] [1. Configuration of Electronic Device 10] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the outline of an electronic device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 10 is an electronic device installed in a vehicle 40 and provides various information to the user. The user may be the driver or the passenger, but in this embodiment, the driver is mainly assumed. The electronic device 10 has the function of a radar / laser detector and provides information that contributes to the driver's safe driving. The electronic device 10 may be an aftermarket product (also called an aftermarket item) that is retrofitted to the vehicle 40, for example, by being purchased separately by the user. The vehicle 40 may be, for example, an internal combustion engine vehicle with an engine as the drive source, a hybrid vehicle with an engine and a drive motor as the drive sources, or an electric vehicle with a drive motor as the drive source. The vehicle 40 may be a four-wheeled automobile, but is not limited to four-wheeled automobiles; for example, it may be a two-wheeled vehicle such as a motorcycle or a large transport vehicle with four or more wheels. Figure 1 also shows a camera 70 installed in the vehicle 40. The camera 70 is used when the electronic device 10 and the camera 70, which will be described later, work together to realize a predetermined function. If this linkage function cannot be realized, the camera 70 may not be placed on the vehicle 40.

[0058] The electronic device 10 has a notification function that notifies the user when the vehicle 40 is in a predetermined proximity relationship with a predetermined target object. The predetermined proximity relationship refers to a relationship in which the vehicle 40 is approaching the target object to a predetermined distance or less, and may further refer to a relationship in which the target object exists in the direction of travel or on the path of the vehicle 40 and the vehicle is approaching that target object to a predetermined distance or less. The target object is a speed enforcement point, which is a location where vehicle speed enforcement is carried out. Speed ​​measuring devices may be installed at speed enforcement points. The electronic device 10 receives enforcement waves emitted from the speed measuring device. Enforcement waves are electromagnetic waves used to measure the speed of a vehicle and may also be called measuring waves, speed measuring signals, etc. Speed ​​enforcement points are determined by taking into consideration the driving conditions of the vehicle (for example, places where vehicles are likely to speed) and the occurrence of traffic accidents (for example, places where there are many accidents). An example of a speed enforcement point is that it may be located on a route (road) in which a vehicle travels, such as on a public road, a straight road, a curve, or a point around a curve. There are many types of speed measuring devices, including fixed and mobile types. Mobile devices include, for example, portable and vehicle-mounted types.

[0059] The electronic device 10 receives laser light as a speed enforcement signal emitted from the speed measuring device 30. In the example shown in Figure 1, the speed measuring device 30 is installed on a sidewalk adjacent to the roadway and measures the speed of vehicles traveling on this roadway.

[0060] The laser light emitted by the speed measuring device 30 is pulsed light having a predetermined pulse width, and is also called a pulsed laser. The laser light emitted by the speed measuring device 30 has energy concentrated at a specific wavelength. The specific wavelength is the wavelength at which the energy of the light emitted by the speed measuring device 30 peaks. It is desirable that the laser light has energy at a specific wavelength outside the visible light region, for example. The specific wavelength is often a wavelength that is not perceptible to humans, for example, it is good to have energy at a specific wavelength outside the visible light region. The specific wavelength is, for example, 905 nm, which belongs to the infrared light region. However, the specific wavelength is not limited to this, and may be 850 nm, 950 nm, 1900 nm, or other wavelengths.

[0061] The speed measuring device 30 comprises a speed measuring unit 31, an imaging unit 32, and a strobe 33. The speed measuring unit 31 measures the vehicle speed using a laser scanning method. The speed measuring unit 31 emits laser light while changing direction within a sector-shaped measurement area with a central angle θ (for example, measurement area T in Figure 1). θ is, for example, 110 degrees. The measurement area includes a wider area upstream of the vehicle 40 in the direction of travel than the position where the speed measuring unit 31 is installed, compared to the area downstream. The speed measuring unit 31 changes the direction of laser light emission in a counterclockwise direction.

[0062] The speed measuring unit 31 receives the reflected light when the emitted laser beam reaches the vehicle 40 and is reflected. The speed measuring unit 31 measures the distance to the vehicle 40 based on the time taken from the emission of the laser beam to the reception of the reflected light. The speed measuring unit 31 repeatedly measures the distance to the vehicle 40 and measures the speed of the vehicle 40 based on the distance traveled by the vehicle 40 in a unit of time. For example, the speed measuring unit 31 measures the distance to a vehicle within a measurement area and further measures the speed of the vehicle at a predetermined distance point closer to itself.

[0063] The imaging unit 32 images the target vehicle when predetermined imaging conditions are met. The target vehicle for imaging may be, for example, a vehicle whose speed, as measured by the speed measuring unit 31, exceeds the speed limit (i.e., a violating vehicle). Other imaging conditions exist, but will be described later. The strobe 33 emits light when the imaging unit 32 takes an image. The imaging unit 32 may take an image based on light in the infrared region so that it can take an image even at night. In this case, the strobe 33 may emit light with energy in the infrared region. The speed measuring device 30 transmits data that should be recorded for speed enforcement, such as the measured speed and the captured image, to an external computer.

[0064] The electronic device 10 also has the function of receiving other enforcement signals. The electronic device 10 receives radio waves emitted from a speed measuring device that emits a predetermined radio wave as an enforcement signal. This radio wave will be referred to as a "radar wave" below, and is, for example, a microwave. The electronic device 10 may also have the function of receiving radio signals of a predetermined frequency that may propagate around speed enforcement points as enforcement signals. In the following explanation, "speed measuring device" may be read as "speed camera" or the like as appropriate.

[0065] The electronic device 10 is broadly divided into a main body 101 and a fixing part 102. The main body 101 is fixed to a predetermined installation position using the fixing part 102. In this embodiment, the installation position is the upper surface of the dashboard 41 of the vehicle 40. The fixing part 102 is provided below the main body 101 and is a fixing member for fixing the main body 101 to the predetermined installation position. The fixing part 102 is also called a bracket.

[0066] Figure 2 shows the external configuration of the main body 101. Figure 2(A) is a view of the main body 101 from the upper right of the front side. Figure 2(B) is a view of the main body 101 from the upper left of the rear side.

[0067] The main body 101 has a housing 1011. The housing 1011 is a rectangular parallelepiped that is longer horizontally than vertically and has a relatively small thickness. The housing 1011 is made of, for example, resin or other material. A rectangular opening is provided on the front side of the housing 1011, which is longer horizontally than vertically. The main body 101 has a display unit 13 for displaying an image at the position of this opening, and a touch sensor 191 superimposed on the display area of ​​the display unit 13. The main body 101 has an illuminance sensor window 201 and a light-emitting unit 24 located to the left of the display unit 13 on its front side. The light-emitting unit 24 has a light-emitting area with the vertical direction as its longitudinal direction. A mounting unit 21 is provided on the right side of the housing 1011 as a medium-holding unit. A storage medium 50 is mounted on the mounting unit 21 via a recording medium insertion slot. The storage medium 50 is, for example, an SD card. The SD card includes any of the following shapes, for example, an SD memory card, a miniSD card, and a microSD card.

[0068] A lens holder 1012 is provided on the rear side of the housing 1011. The lens holder 1012 holds the lens 121 through a through hole that penetrates the inside and outside of the housing 1011. The lens 121 is a light-gathering lens. In this embodiment, the lens 121 is an aspheric lens, which is elliptical in shape and longer horizontally than vertically, with an aspherical surface for the incidence of light; however, other light-gathering lenses may be used. A mounting portion 1013 is provided near the lower end of the rear side of the housing 1011, near the center in the left-right direction of the housing 1011. The mounting portion 1013 is the part to which the fixing portion 102 is attached. The mounting portion 1013 has a pair of grooves, each extending vertically. Further on the rear side of the housing 1011, a power switch 221 for switching the power of the electronic device 10 on and off, and a terminal portion 23 for connecting external devices are provided.

[0069] Figure 3 shows the external configuration of the fixing part 102. Figure 3(A) is a view of the fixing part 102 from the upper right side of the front. Figure 3(B) is a view of the fixing part 102 from the upper left side of the front.

[0070] The fixed part 102 is fixed to the installation position using a fixing member 1021 and is a component having a base part 1022, a socket part 1023, a ball stud 1024, and a mounting member 1025. The base part 1022 is the part that is fixed to the installation position (also called the installation surface). The bottom surface of the base part 1022 is attached to the installation position using a fixing member 1021 such as an adhesive sheet or double-sided tape. The base part 1022 has a socket part 1023 that has an open space on the front side. The ball part of the ball stud 1024 is attached to the socket part 1023. The socket part 1023 and the ball stud 1024 attached to the socket part 1023 constitute a ball joint mechanism. The ball stud 1024 changes its orientation up and down and left and right when subjected to external force while attached to the socket part 1023. A mounting member 1025 is provided on the front portion of the ball stud 1024. The mounting member 1025 is attached to the mounting portion 1013 of the main body 101. The mounting member 1025 has a pair of protrusions on both the left and right sides when viewed from the front, which protrude forward. When these pair of protrusions are inserted into a pair of grooves in the mounting portion 1013 of the main body 101, the attachment of the main body 101 to the fixing portion 102 is completed. The main body 101 can change its orientation up, down, left, and right when subjected to external force while attached to the fixing portion 102. This allows the user to use the electronic device 10 with the main body 101 fixed in the desired orientation.

[0071] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the electronic device 10. The control unit 11 controls each part of the electronic device 10. The control unit 11 is, for example, a computer including a processor 111 and a memory 112. The processor 111 has at least one of the following: CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The memory 112 is a main memory having, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The processor 111 temporarily stores the program read from the ROM of the memory 112 or from the storage unit 25 in the RAM. The RAM of the memory 112 also provides a workspace for the processor 111. The processor 111 performs various controls by performing arithmetic processing while temporarily storing data generated during program execution in the RAM. The control unit 11 further includes a timekeeping unit 113 for measuring time. The timing unit 113 is, for example, a real-time clock. The timing unit 113 may be mounted on the motherboard of the processor 111, or it may be externally connected to the processor 111.

[0072] The light-receiving unit 12 is a light-receiving unit for receiving laser light as a speed enforcement wave from a speed measuring device compatible with the laser system. The light-receiving unit 12 receives light incident through the lens 121 and outputs a signal corresponding to the received light to the control unit 11. The light-receiving unit 12 may further have optical elements such as a filter that cuts out visible light from the laser light. The signal output by the light-receiving unit 12 changes, for example, according to the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 12. The light-receiving unit 12 is equipped with a photodiode as a light-receiving element, but it may also be a phototransistor or other light-receiving element. The light-receiving unit 12 may be equipped with two or more light-receiving elements. The light-receiving unit 12 is preferably sensitive in the infrared light region. The light-receiving unit 12 may further have an A / D conversion circuit or the like that converts the analog signal from the light-receiving element into a digital signal.

[0073] The display unit 13 displays an image. The display unit 13 is, for example, a 3.2-inch color TFT liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display is, for example, an IPS (In-Plane Switching) type. The display unit 13 may also be an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display or another type of display device.

[0074] The audio output unit 14 outputs sound. The audio output unit 14 includes, for example, an audio processing circuit and a speaker.

[0075] The radar receiver 15 receives radar waves as enforcement waves from a speed measuring device compatible with the radar system. The radar waves include, for example, predetermined microwaves, stealth waves that emit radio waves only at the moment a predetermined stealth enforcement device measures, normal radar waves, new radar waves corresponding to the K-band and X-band, and cancellation notifications. The radar receiver 15 includes, for example, an antenna and a receiving circuit.

[0076] The radio receiver 16 receives radio signals of a predetermined frequency. These radio signals of a predetermined frequency may propagate around speed enforcement points and are an example of enforcement signals indicating the presence of speed enforcement points. These predetermined frequency radio signals include, for example, radio signals belonging to frequencies such as enforcement radio, car location radio, digital radio, low-power radio, local police radio, police telephone, police activity radio, tow truck radio, helicopter telemetry radio, fire department helicopter telemetry radio, fire department radio, ambulance radio, highway radio, and police radio. The radio receiver 16 includes, for example, an antenna and a receiving circuit.

[0077] The location information acquisition unit 17 acquires location information indicating the location of the electronic device 10 (more specifically, its current location). The location of the electronic device 10 can be considered equivalent to the location of the vehicle 40 in which the electronic device 10 is located, and the locations of the driver and other people (occupants) in the vehicle 40. The location information acquisition unit 17 acquires location information (latitude information and longitude information) of the electronic device 10 based on signals from GPS (Global Positioning System), which is one of the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems). The location information acquisition unit 17 may also use Michibiki as a QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System). The location information acquisition unit 17 may also acquire location information based on signals from 4G, 5G communication or other base station equipment.

[0078] The communication unit 18 communicates with an external device. The communication unit 18 communicates with the external device wirelessly, for example, by Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication or short-range wireless communication. The external device is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet computer, or other communication terminal inside the vehicle 40. The communication unit 18 may have a communication circuit for performing communication compliant with standards for mobile communication systems such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G, 5G, etc.

[0079] The input unit 19 receives information input from the user. The input unit 19 includes a touch sensor 191 and a microphone 192. The touch sensor 191 receives user operation input. The touch sensor 191 detects the position touched by the user. The touch sensor 191 is, for example, a capacitive type. The microphone 192 converts incident sound into an electrical signal. The microphone 192 is, for example, a condenser microphone. In addition to these, the input unit 19 may also include physical buttons such as volume control buttons and operation buttons.

[0080] The sensor unit 20 has various sensors. The sensor unit 20 has, for example, at least one of a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and an illuminance sensor. The geomagnetic sensor is an example of a compass sensor that detects direction. Since the electronic device 10 is mounted on the vehicle 40 so that the display unit 13 faces inwards, the direction of travel of the vehicle 40 can also be determined based on the direction detected by the geomagnetic sensor. The acceleration sensor is, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor that detects acceleration in the forward / backward, left / right, and up / down directions of the vehicle. The gyroscope sensor is a sensor that detects the tilt of the electronic device 10. The acceleration sensor and gyroscope sensor may be used, for example, to estimate the position of the vehicle 40 by autonomous navigation when signals from GNSS satellites cannot be received. The barometric pressure sensor measures atmospheric pressure. The barometric pressure sensor is used, for example, to detect differences in elevation and determine whether it is a highway or a regular road. The temperature sensor detects temperature. The humidity sensor detects humidity. The illuminance sensor is a sensor that detects the illuminance, which indicates the brightness inside the vehicle interior surrounding the electronic device 10, based on the light incident through the illuminance sensor window 201. The illuminance sensor is used, for example, to adjust the brightness of the display on the display unit 13.

[0081] The mounting unit 21 functions as a media holder that holds the storage medium 50 inserted through the recording medium insertion slot. The mounting unit 21 writes data to the storage medium 50 and reads data from the storage medium 50. The mounting unit 21 may hold only one storage medium 50, but it may also be configured to hold two or more storage mediums 50 simultaneously.

[0082] The power control unit 22 controls the supply of power to each part of the electronic device 10. The power control unit 22 includes, for example, a power switch 221 and a power control circuit. The power control unit 22 supplies power supplied from the vehicle 40 side via the terminal section 23 to each part of the electronic device 10. The power control unit 22 may also include a secondary battery, a button battery, or an electric double-layer capacitor (also called a supercapacitor) as a means of power storage.

[0083] Terminal section 23 is a terminal for electrically connecting to an external device. Terminal section 23 is a terminal for receiving power from an external device. Terminal section 23 has a terminal that conforms to the miniUSB standard, for example. One end of a power cord (e.g., a cigarette lighter plug cord) is connected to terminal section 23. The other end of the power cord is connected to a power supply terminal (e.g., a cigarette lighter socket) provided on the vehicle 400 side, for example.

[0084] Terminal 23 may be connected to an OBDII adapter that can be connected to the OBDII connector (where "II" is the Roman numeral for "2") of the vehicle 40. The OBDII connector is also called a fault diagnosis connector and is connected to the vehicle's ECU (Engine Control Unit), and is a terminal that outputs various vehicle information at predetermined intervals (for example, every 0.5 seconds). By connecting terminal 23 to the OBDII connector using an OBDII adapter, the electronic device 10 can receive power for operation and acquire vehicle information.

[0085] Vehicle information refers to information about the state of vehicle 40. Vehicle information may include at least one of the following: vehicle speed, engine speed, engine load percentage, throttle position, ignition timing, percentage of remaining fuel, intake manifold pressure, intake air volume (MAF), injection opening time, engine coolant temperature, temperature of air drawn into the engine, ambient temperature, amount of remaining fuel in the fuel tank, fuel flow rate, instantaneous fuel consumption, accelerator pedal position, turn signal information (operation of left and right turn signals (ON / OFF)), brake position, steering wheel rotation angle, gear position, and door open / closed status.

[0086] A camera 70 is one of the devices connected to the terminal section 23. An external battery may be used as a device connected to the terminal section 23 so that the electronic equipment 10 can operate even without power supply from the vehicle 40. The device connected to the terminal section 23 may be, for example, a device that has a function to support the user's safe driving. Such devices include, for example, a device that has a function to capture an image of the driver (e.g., face) and detect and notify the driver's state, such as distracted driving and drowsy driving, or a device that has a function to detect and notify obstacles around the vehicle 400 (for example, a device used for vehicle detection for a Forward Vehicle Collision Warning System (FCWS)). Other devices connected to the terminal section 23 may be in-vehicle devices such as an imaging device, such as a drive recorder, a car navigation device, or a display device.

[0087] The light-emitting unit 24 emits light in a predetermined color. The light-emitting unit 24 includes, for example, a light-emitting diode.

[0088] The memory unit 25 stores data. For example, the memory unit 25 stores programs for the control unit 11 to perform various controls. The control unit 11 reads and executes programs from the memory unit 25. The memory unit 25 also stores map data showing maps, information on the types and locations of targets, data for notifying the presence of targets (for example, sound data such as sound effects, background music, and voice messages, image data such as photographs and schematic diagrams, etc.), data for realizing route guidance functions if the electronic device 10 has a navigation function, data for displaying a standby screen, etc. Targets include, for example, speed enforcement points (including publicly available enforcement information), speed measuring devices (laser type, radar type, loop coil type, H system, LH system, photoelectric type, mobile type, etc.), as well as locations of drowsy driving accidents, speed limit change points, enforcement areas, checkpoint areas, parking violation monitoring areas, N systems, traffic monitoring systems, intersection monitoring points, red light violation prevention systems, police stations, accident-prone areas, car break-in-prone areas, sharp / consecutive curves (expressways), junction / merging points (expressways), ETC lane advance notices (expressways), service areas (expressways), parking areas (expressways), highway oases (expressways), smart interchanges (expressways), gas stations within PA / SA (expressways), tunnels (expressways), highway radio reception areas (expressways), prefectural border notices, roadside stations, viewpoint parking areas, etc.

[0089] The memory unit 25 stores information about targets (for example, location information including longitude and latitude, target type information, etc.) when the electronic device 10 is shipped. The control unit 11 may acquire information about newly added targets from the installed storage medium 50 or by communication using the communication unit 18, and store the acquired information in the memory unit 25. In this way, it is even better if the control unit 11 has a function to store update information about new targets, etc., in the memory unit 25.

[0090] The storage unit 25 may be an auxiliary storage device implemented using various storage media, such as flash memory (e.g., eMMC, SSD). The storage unit 25 may also be implemented using various storage media, such as optical storage media, magnetic storage media, and semiconductor storage media.

[0091] Figure 5 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the light-receiving unit 12. Figure 5(A) is a diagram mainly illustrating the optical system of the light-receiving unit 12. Figure 5(B) is a diagram mainly illustrating the circuit system of the light-receiving unit 12.

[0092] As shown in Figure 5(A), the light-receiving unit 12 has an optical system comprising a lens 121, a filter 122, and a light-receiving element 123. The lens 121 is a focusing lens that concentrates incident light. The filter 122 is an optical filter that performs filtering to transmit laser light from the incident light. The filter 122 may be, for example, a band-pass filter that has a passband at a specific wavelength λ0 used for laser light and has a predetermined bandwidth. The filter 122 may also function as a visible light cut filter that cuts out visible light from the incident light, but such a visible light cut filter may be provided separately from the filter 122. For example, the lens 121 may function as a visible light cut filter.

[0093] The light-receiving element 123 receives light and outputs a signal corresponding to the received light. The light-receiving element 123 should output a signal corresponding to the amount of light incident on it. The light-receiving element 123 is positioned where light that has passed through the lens 121 and the filter 122 enters (i.e., on the optical path). In this embodiment, the light-receiving element 123 is a photodiode that outputs a current corresponding to the incident light as a signal (first signal). The light-receiving element 123 may be, for example, a phototransistor or the like. In this embodiment, the light-receiving element 123 is a lensless light-receiving element.

[0094] Next, the circuit system of the light-receiving unit 12 will be described with reference to Figure 5(B). In Figure 5(B), the lens 121 and filter 122 are not shown. The cathode of the light-receiving element 123 is connected to the high-potential power line, and the anode of the light-receiving element 123 is connected to one end of resistor R1. The other end of resistor R1 is grounded. The light-receiving element 123 outputs a current as a first signal corresponding to the amount of incident light. The output of the light-receiving element 123 should be made to increase in proportion to the amount of incident light.

[0095] An integrated circuit (IC) 125 is placed after the photodetector 123. The input terminal of the integrated circuit 125 is connected in common to the anode of the photodetector 123 and one end of the resistor R1 via a capacitor C1.

[0096] The integrated circuit 125 converts the first signal, which is the output of the light receiving unit 12, into a voltage signal and amplifies it to output a second signal. The integrated circuit 125 may be an IC called a high-gain amplifier IC, etc. The integrated circuit 125 may be an integrated circuit used for a specific application other than laser detection, for example, for optical distance measurement. By using such an integrated circuit 125 for a specific application other than laser detection in the laser detection application of the electronic device 100, the light receiving sensitivity of the laser light can be improved.

[0097] The integrated circuit 125 should preferably be an integrated circuit with a transimpedance amplifier (also called a transimpedance amplifier IC). The integrated circuit 125 linearly amplifies the first signal, which is the output of the photodetector 123. For example, even if the pulse width of the laser light emitted by the speed measuring device is as narrow as 20 ns and the laser pulse is in the high-frequency range, the integrated circuit 125 processes each of the very narrow pulse widths as a single pulse. Furthermore, a sufficiently large gain can be obtained with the integrated circuit 125 having a transimpedance amplifier.

[0098] In the integrated circuit 125 with the above configuration, the input side has the photodetector 123 positioned on the high-potential side. Therefore, when laser light for speed measurement is incident on the photodetector 123 and a first signal is input to the input terminal, the integrated circuit 125 outputs a negative pulse from its output terminal.

[0099] The output terminal of the integrated circuit 125 is connected to an emitter-grounded amplifier circuit 126 using a transistor 1261. The amplifier circuit 126 inverts and further amplifies the output signal of the integrated circuit 125. As a result, a positive pulse is output from the amplifier circuit 126. It is desirable that the amplifier circuit 126 be designed to have a high amplification factor for signals in the specific wavelength range to which the laser light emitted by the speed measuring device belongs. The transistor 1261 can be configured using, for example, an NPN type, and an appropriate type can be used depending on the input signal, etc.

[0100] The output terminal of the amplifier circuit 126 is connected to the emitter follower circuit 127 via capacitor C3. The output terminal of the emitter follower circuit 127 is connected to the input terminal of the differential amplifier 124, which functions as a comparator.

[0101] A thermistor 129 is provided on the base side of the emitter follower circuit 127 as a temperature compensation circuit. The signal from the input side of the emitter follower circuit 127 has its DC component cut by capacitor C3, and only the AC component is input, so the voltage is determined by the voltage divider of resistors R4, R5, etc. surrounding the base side of transistor 1271. A thermistor 129 is placed between capacitor C3, which is connected to the output terminal of the amplifier circuit 126, and the base of transistor 1271, which is the input terminal of the emitter follower circuit 127, and is grounded via resistor R3. One end of thermistor 129 is connected to the input terminal of the emitter follower circuit 127, and the other end is grounded.

[0102] The differential amplifier 124 outputs a high-level signal when the received signal level exceeds a threshold, and a low-level signal when it is below the threshold. The pulse width of the laser light used for speed measurement emitted by the speed measuring device, which is received by the photodetector 123, is short, for example, 20 ns. Therefore, when the laser light is received, the differential amplifier 124 outputs a pulse with a narrow pulse width corresponding to that pulse width.

[0103] The output terminal of the differential amplifier 124 is connected to the waveform shaping circuit 128. The waveform shaping circuit 128 generates and outputs pulses of a predetermined width that can be processed by the control unit 11 from the narrow pulse width input to its input terminal in response to the reception of laser light for speed measurement. As described above, the pulse width of the pulse output from the differential amplifier 124 in response to the reception of laser light for speed measurement is, for example, a very narrow pulse width of 20 ns, and if it is input directly to the microcontroller or the like that which constitutes the control unit 11, it may be difficult for the control unit 11 to process it. Therefore, it is preferable for the waveform shaping circuit 128 to generate and output pulses that are widened to, for example, about 50 μs. The waveform shaping circuit 128 may be composed of, for example, an AND gate and a monostable multivibrator, and configured to output pulsed light of a predetermined width defined by the time constant of the monostable multivibrator.

[0104] The output terminal of the waveform shaping circuit 128 is connected to the control unit 11. Based on the output from the waveform shaping circuit 128 (in other words, the output from the light receiving unit 12), the control unit 11 determines whether or not it has received laser light for speed measurement emitted by the speed measuring device. The control unit 11 determines that it has received laser light if it determines that it has received light with a specific wavelength λ0 of 905 nm, a pulse width of approximately 20 ns or approximately 15 ns, and a pulse interval of approximately 80 ms. The "approximately" should be within a predetermined range that can be considered to be the same as or substantially the same as the reference value. The control unit 11's determination that it has received laser light may be interpreted as the control unit 11 determining that the speed measuring device 30 exists. For example, the control unit 11 may determine that it has received laser light if it determines that at least one pulse satisfying the above conditions has been received, but it may also determine that it has received laser light if it determines that this pulse has been received multiple times.

[0105] [2. Notification Functions of Electronic Devices 10 - Part 1] The notification function of the electronic device 10 is a function that notifies the user of information using a light receiving unit 12, a radar receiving unit 15, a wireless receiving unit 16, and a location information acquisition unit 17, etc. The notification function is a function that notifies information about a target object called a POI (Point of Interest). The notification function has, for example, the functions described below. Notification by the notification function may be performed by displaying on the display unit 13, outputting sound from the sound output unit 14, emitting a predetermined light from the light emitting unit 24, and other methods that can be perceived by humans.

[0106] <2-1. Laser Alarm Function> The control unit 11 has a laser alarm function. Specifically, the control unit 11 uses the light receiving unit 12 to determine that it has received laser light for speed measurement from a speed measuring device corresponding to the laser system, and then issues an alarm. The laser light corresponding to the laser system is a pulsed laser with a specific wavelength and a predetermined pulse width. The specific wavelength is, for example, in the infrared light region, and its wavelength is, for example, 850 nm, 905 nm, 950 nm, or 1900 nm. The pulse width is, for example, approximately 20 ns or approximately 15 ns. The pulse interval is, for example, approximately 80 ms. The "approximately" part should be within a predetermined range that can be considered to be the same as or substantially the same as a reference value. For example, when the control unit 11 determines that laser light corresponding to the laser system has been received, it may display a schematic diagram or photograph of the speed measuring device corresponding to the laser system, stored in the memory unit 25, and the message "Approaching a speed enforcement point." on the display unit 13. Alternatively, or in addition to this display, the control unit 11 may read the audio data stored in the memory unit 25 and output the audio message "Laser light received. Speed ​​caution" from the audio output unit 14.

[0107] <2-2. Radar Warning Function> The control unit 11 has a radar warning function. Specifically, the control unit 11 performs warning control to issue a warning when it determines that it has received radar waves from a speed measuring device via the radar receiving unit 15. For example, if the control unit 11 determines that radar waves for speed measurement have been received, it may display on the display unit 13 a schematic diagram or photograph of a speed measuring device corresponding to the radar system stored in the memory unit 25, along with the message "Approaching a speed enforcement point." Alternatively, or in addition to this display, the control unit 11 may read audio data stored in the memory unit 25 and output the voice message "Radar. Be careful of speed" from the voice output unit 14.

[0108] <2-3. Wireless alarm function> The control unit 11 has a wireless alarm function. Specifically, the control unit 11 performs alarm control to issue an alarm when it determines that it has received a wireless signal of a predetermined frequency by the wireless receiver 16. The control unit 11 scans the frequencies corresponding to the various wireless signals described above. When the control unit 11 determines that it has received a wireless signal at a scanned frequency, it may display on the display unit 13 a schematic diagram or photograph of the reception of a wireless signal corresponding to that frequency, stored in the memory unit 25 for each type of wireless signal, and a message such as "You are approaching a speed enforcement station." Alternatively, or in addition to this display, the control unit 11 may read audio data stored in the memory unit 25 for each type of wireless signal and output an audio message indicating the type of wireless signal from the audio output unit 14. For example, when the control unit 11 receives a speed enforcement radio signal, it outputs an audio message such as "Speed ​​enforcement radio signal. Be careful of speeding."

[0109] The control unit 11 has a location warning function (generally called a GPS warning). Specifically, the control unit 11 performs warning control by issuing a warning based on the location information of the target object stored in the memory unit 25 and the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 17. For example, the control unit 11 calculates the distance between the location information of the target object and the location information of the electronic device 10, and performs warning control when the calculated distance reaches a predetermined approach distance. For example, when driving on a highway, the control unit 11 performs warning control when approaching a target object within 2 km, and also performs warning control when it determines that the target object is 1 km away, 500 m away, immediately before, or passed. For example, regarding speed enforcement points inside tunnels, the control unit 11 performs warning control when approaching a target object within 2 km while driving on a highway, and also performs warning control when it determines that the target object is 1 km away or 500 m away. The control unit 11 displays a warning screen on the display unit 13 and outputs sound effects, background music, voice messages, etc. from the voice output unit 14.

[0110] Targets that can be controlled by the location warning function include not only speed enforcement points, but also, for example, speed trap areas, mobile speed camera areas, pursuit-type enforcement areas, stop sign enforcement areas, intersection enforcement areas, other enforcement areas, seat belt checkpoints, drunk driving checkpoints, cell phone checkpoints, other checkpoint areas, intersection monitoring points, traffic signal violation prevention systems, highway traffic police units, N-systems, traffic monitoring systems, police stations, accident-prone areas, service areas, parking areas, highway oases, highway tunnels / continuous tunnels, highway radio reception areas, roadside stations, viewpoint parking, parking lots, public toilets, etc.

[0111] Furthermore, the control unit 11 may operate only the notification functions set by the user from among the multiple notification functions described above. In addition, a priority may be set for each of the multiple notification functions or for each of the target objects that are the targets of notification, either during the design stage of the electronic device 10 or by user settings. In this case, the control unit 11 may prioritize issuing notifications with higher priority, for example, by making notifications with higher priority more prominent than notifications with lower priority, or by issuing only the notification with higher priority if there is a conflict between notifications with lower priority and notifications with higher priority.

[0112] The electronic device 10 is an electronic device having a function to receive speed enforcement signals and a notification function to notify in response to the reception of speed enforcement signals, but these functions may be mounted on separate electronic devices. In the configuration shown in Figure 6(A), which is an example of this embodiment, the first electronic device 103 has a function to receive speed enforcement signals and a function to output a signal to the outside according to the reception result. The first electronic device 103 is also called the antenna unit. The second electronic device 101A acquires the signal output from the first electronic device 103 and has a notification function to notify in response to the reception of speed enforcement signals by the first electronic device 103 based on this signal. The first electronic device 103 and the second electronic device 101A are connected, for example, by a wired communication path (for example, the cable 104 shown in Figure 6(A)), but they may also be connected by a wireless communication path. The notification does not have to include notification by, for example, display, sound, and light. In the configuration shown in Figure 6(B), which is an example of this embodiment, the electronic device 101B does not have a display unit. The electronic device 101B provides notification by outputting sound from a sound emission hole 105 provided on the front side or by illuminating a light-emitting unit 106. The electronic device may also be installed in a location other than the dashboard, for example, on the vehicle's windshield (for example, near the upper edge of the windshield), or on the vehicle's rearview mirror or the ceiling inside the passenger compartment. In the configuration shown in Figure 6(C), which is an example of this embodiment, the electronic device 101B is fixed to the windshield using a mounting member 107 instead of a fixing part 102. The mounting member 107 is formed, for example, from a metal plate-shaped member. The electronic device may also be configured to be fixed to any of the installation locations selected by the user from among a plurality of candidate installation locations.

[0113] As can be seen from the above explanation, the light receiving unit 12 and the radar receiving unit 15 are examples of receiving units that receive electromagnetic waves from a speed measuring device. The control unit 11 performs control such as notification (e.g., alarm) in response to reception by such receiving units.

[0114] [3. Notification Functions of Electronic Devices - Part 2] In this embodiment, the electronic device 10 may have at least one of the following notification functions in place of or in addition to the notification function described above. Note that the notification by [3. Notification Function of Electronic Device 10 - Part 2] will be described below as being performed by display on the display unit 13, outputting sound from the sound output unit 14, or a combination thereof, but other methods may also be used. For example, it may be performed by a predetermined light emission from the light-emitting unit 24, or by any other method that is perceptible to humans. The display content and sound content are examples only.

[0115] <3-1. First notification function of the laser alarm function> The control unit 11 may issue a first notification to the user, prompting them to decelerate the vehicle 40. In this way, the user can recognize the notification prompting the vehicle 40 to decelerate as a notification issued when the laser light emitted from the speed measuring device 30 is received by the light receiving unit 12. The user can use this notification as motivation to drive the vehicle 40 in a way that slows it down.

[0116] Some speed measuring devices define a measurement area (or measurement zone) for measuring vehicle speed as a range within a predetermined distance from the main unit (in other words, the speed measuring device itself). Within this measurement area, the speed measuring device will not image the vehicle if the speed difference between a first point (at a first distance from the main unit) and a second point (at a second distance) exceeds a predetermined speed difference, but will image the vehicle if the speed difference is below the predetermined speed difference. In other words, within the measurement area, the speed measuring device will not image the vehicle if the acceleration between the first and second points exceeds a predetermined value, but will image the vehicle if the acceleration is below the predetermined value. Acceleration exceeding a predetermined value means that there is acceleration or deceleration (i.e., acceleration or deceleration) that exceeds a predetermined value, meaning that the absolute value of the acceleration exceeds a predetermined value. However, it may also refer to the case where only one of the two, particularly deceleration (i.e., negative acceleration) exceeds a predetermined value. The predetermined distance range for specifying the measurement area may be, for example, 20m to 70m from the speed measuring device. The first distance may be, for example, 25m. The second distance should be set to 30m. The predetermined velocity difference should be, for example, 1.5%, and the acceleration exceeding the predetermined value should be, for example, an acceleration exceeding 1.5%.

[0117] The reason for providing a first notification prompting vehicle 40 to decelerate is based on the inventor's knowledge that such a speed measuring device exists. Furthermore, by enabling users to recognize the notification prompting vehicle deceleration and to drive in a way that slows down the vehicle, it can contribute to safer driving by the user.

[0118] It is particularly good to use a special notification that is different from conventional ones as the first notification to encourage deceleration. A special notification is one of the notifications given when a vehicle is in a predetermined proximity relationship with a speed measuring device, but it is good to use a special notification that is different from notifications that may be given in other cases. In this embodiment, it is good to use a special notification that has different content from the notification described in section <2-1. Laser warning function> of [2. Notification function of electronic device 10 - Part 1].

[0119] Figure 7 shows an example of a notification screen when the first notification is issued. The notification screen shown in Figure 7 is a screen in which window W1 is overlaid on map M. Map M is displayed based on map data stored in storage unit 25 and location information acquired by location information acquisition unit 17. An icon I indicating the location of vehicle 40 (own vehicle position) is placed on map M. The own vehicle position is determined based on location information acquired by location information acquisition unit 17. Note that the icon in this embodiment may be replaced with characters, symbols, figures, or other objects.

[0120] Window W1 displays a message that says, "Continue to slow down," informing the user to slow down the vehicle 40. The control unit 11 may output the voice message "Continue to slow down" from the voice output unit 14 instead of, or in addition to, this display. In this way, the user can recognize the possibility that the vehicle 40 may be imaged as it approaches the speed measuring device 30. The notification can motivate the user to drive the vehicle at a reduced speed. By driving at a reduced speed in accordance with the notification, the user can make it less likely for the vehicle 40 to be imaged by the speed measuring device 30. For example, the user should drive the vehicle 40 in such a way that there is a speed difference or acceleration between the first point and the second point that does not meet the imaging conditions.

[0121] <3-2. Execution Conditions 1 for the First Notification of the Laser Alarm Function> The control unit 11 may be configured to issue a first notification prompting the user to decelerate when the intensity of the laser light received by the light receiving unit 12 increases. In this way, the user can recognize the notification prompting the vehicle 40 to decelerate when the vehicle 40 approaches the speed measuring device 30 and the intensity of the laser light increases. For example, this can contribute to the user's safe driving while reducing the possibility of the vehicle 40 being imaged by the speed measuring device 30.

[0122] The control unit 11 may, for example, determine the intensity of the laser light based on the signal output by the light receiving unit 12 (also called the received signal). The control unit 11 may, for example, acquire signals from the light receiving unit 12 at predetermined time intervals and sequentially determine the intensity of the laser light. An example of a case where the intensity of the laser light is improving is when the state changes from receiving the laser light at a first intensity to receiving the laser light at a second intensity that is higher than the first intensity. Alternatively or in addition to the above, an example of a case where the intensity of the laser light is improving is when the state changes from not receiving the laser light to receiving the laser light. The control unit 11 may, for example, provide a first notification during part or all of the period during which the determined intensity of the laser light is improving.

[0123] When the intensity of the laser light received by the light receiving unit 12 is increasing, it is particularly important to refer to the case where the vehicle 40 is in a predetermined proximity relationship with the speed measuring device 30, and in particular, when the vehicle 40 approaches the speed measuring device 30 and the intensity of the laser light increases. Typically, when the vehicle 40 is traveling ahead of the speed measuring device 30, the intensity of the laser light received by the light receiving unit 12 increases as the vehicle 40 approaches the speed measuring device 30 and the distance between the vehicle 40 and the speed measuring device 30 decreases. Conversely, when the vehicle 40 passes the position of the speed measuring device 30, the intensity of the laser light decreases as the vehicle 40 moves away from the speed measuring device 30, or when the vehicle leaves the measurement area of ​​the speed measuring device 30, it stops receiving laser light from the speed measuring device 30. The control unit 11 may, for example, give a first notification during the period when the intensity of the specified laser light is increasing, and stop the first notification after that period has passed.

[0124] <3-3. Execution Conditions for the First Notification of the Laser Alarm Function (2)> The control unit 11 may provide a first notification to the user prompting them to decelerate when the acceleration of the vehicle 40 is below a predetermined value while the laser light intensity is increasing. In this way, the user can recognize the notification prompting the vehicle 40 to decelerate when the acceleration of the vehicle 40 is below a predetermined value while the laser light is being received. For example, if the user receives this notification, they can recognize that there is a high possibility that they will be imaged by the speed measuring device 30 if they continue driving in the same manner, and this can motivate them to drive with more consideration for the speed of the vehicle 40. The predetermined value may be determined based on the conditions related to the acceleration imaged by the speed measuring device 30, for example, an acceleration of 1.5%. Alternatively, this predetermined value may be an acceleration smaller than this speed difference.

[0125] The control unit 11 may determine the acceleration of the vehicle 40 based on the GNSS sensor of the position information acquisition unit 17 or the acceleration sensor of the sensor unit 20. The control unit 11 may also determine the acceleration of the vehicle 40 based on the vehicle information acquired from the terminal unit 23.

[0126] <3-4. Execution Conditions for the First Notification of the Laser Alarm Function 3> The control unit 11 may issue a first notification to the user urging them to decelerate when the speed difference of the vehicle 40 is below a predetermined value while the laser light intensity is increasing. In this way, the user can recognize the notification urging the vehicle 40 to decelerate when the speed difference of the vehicle 40 is below a predetermined value while the laser light is being received. For example, if the user receives this notification, they can recognize that there is a high possibility that they will be imaged by the speed measuring device 30 if they continue driving in the same way, and this can motivate them to drive with more consideration for the speed of the vehicle 40. The predetermined value may be determined based on the conditions related to the speed difference that the speed measuring device 30 images, for example, a speed difference of 1.5%. Alternatively, this predetermined value may be an acceleration smaller than this speed difference. The control unit 11 may calculate the speed difference by determining the speed at a certain point and the speed at a point that has traveled a predetermined distance or time from that point.

[0127] The control unit 11 may determine the acceleration of the vehicle 40 based on the GNSS sensor of the position information acquisition unit 17 and the speed sensor of the sensor unit 20. The control unit 11 may also determine the speed of the vehicle 40 based on the vehicle information acquired from the terminal unit 23.

[0128] <3-5. Accelerometer display function> The control unit 11 may perform control to display the accelerometer showing the acceleration of the vehicle 40 when it gives the first notification to the user to decelerate. In this way, when the user receives a notification to decelerate, they can look at the vehicle's acceleration displayed on the accelerometer and drive the vehicle to decelerate. For example, the user can use the accelerometer as a reference to drive the vehicle at a reduced speed so that the vehicle 40 is less likely to be imaged by the speed measuring device 30.

[0129] The accelerometer may be one that displays the current acceleration of the vehicle 40. Alternatively, the accelerometer may display the vehicle's past acceleration, for example, its acceleration history. The accelerometer may, for example, display the acceleration by changing the slope of the line it shows depending on the magnitude of the vehicle 40's acceleration.

[0130] Figure 8 shows an example of such an accelerometer. As shown in Figure 8, the control unit 11 displays a graph with the horizontal axis as the time axis and the vertical axis as velocity, and overlays this graph with the display of the accelerometer 60 showing the current acceleration of the vehicle 40. In the accelerometer 60, the velocity graph 61 showing the speed of the vehicle 40 is displayed using a bar graph. The velocity graph 61 is a graph that shows the history of velocity from the present time to a predetermined period in the past. The control unit 11 overlays the acceleration graph 62 showing the acceleration of the vehicle 40 onto the velocity graph 61. The acceleration graph 62 is a graph that displays the positive / negative and magnitude (absolute value) of acceleration by the slope of a straight line. For example, the control unit 11 displays a straight line graph with a slope corresponding to the latest calculated acceleration as the acceleration graph 62. It is preferable that the acceleration graph 62 touches the right end of the velocity graph 61 (i.e., the latest velocity). In this way, the user can understand, for example, that if the acceleration graph 62 is horizontal, the current acceleration is zero; if it is sloping upwards to the right, the system is currently accelerating; and if it is sloping downwards to the right, the system is currently decelerating. Furthermore, the user can visually understand that the steeper the angle of the acceleration graph 62, the greater the acceleration. The control unit 11 may display the measured acceleration value on the accelerometer 60. For example, the control unit 11 may display the acceleration value in relation to the acceleration graph 62, for example, by displaying it at the rightmost tip of the acceleration graph 62.

[0131] The control unit 11 may further change the display mode of the acceleration graph 62 depending on whether it is accelerating or decelerating, or whether it is within a predetermined acceleration range. The display mode of the acceleration graph 62 may be, for example, at least one of the following: the color, thickness, or type of the line. In particular, the control unit 11 may change the display mode of the acceleration graph 62 depending on whether the acceleration of the vehicle 40 exceeds a predetermined value. This makes it easier for the user to visually recognize the likelihood of being captured by the speed measuring device 30.

[0132] Figure 9 shows another example of an accelerometer. The accelerometer 65 is represented by an analog needle-type accelerometer. The accelerometer 65 is a round meter, and within the circular area, an acceleration needle 66 indicating the current acceleration is displayed. When the acceleration is zero, the acceleration needle 66 points vertically, more specifically to the 12 o'clock position. During acceleration, the acceleration needle 66 swings clockwise (to the right), and the larger the swing, the greater the positive acceleration, i.e., the rapid acceleration. Conversely, during deceleration, the acceleration needle 66 swings counterclockwise (to the left), and the larger the swing, the greater the negative acceleration, i.e., the rapid deceleration.

[0133] The circular area of ​​the accelerometer 65 is divided into a first area 67A, a second area 67B, and a third area 67C. The first area 67A is the area where the negative acceleration is at a predetermined value, that is, a rapid deceleration. In this embodiment, the first area 67A is the area where the rapid deceleration causes the vehicle to deviate from the imaging conditions of the speed measuring device 30. The second area 67B is the area where the acceleration is within a predetermined range on both the positive and negative sides centered on zero, that is, the area where there is neither rapid deceleration nor rapid acceleration. In this embodiment, the second area 67B is the area where the vehicle is within the imaging conditions of the speed measuring device 30. The third area 67C is the area where the positive acceleration is at a predetermined value, that is, a rapid acceleration. In this embodiment, the third area 67C is the area where the rapid acceleration causes the vehicle to deviate from the imaging conditions of the speed measuring device 30.

[0134] If the display patterns of the first region 67A and the second region 67B, and the second region 67B and the third region 67C are different from each other, it becomes easier for the user to recognize whether the current acceleration of the vehicle 40 is likely to be captured by the speed measuring device 30. The display patterns may include, for example, at least one of the colors or patterns of each region (background). Alternatively, or in addition to this, the control unit 11 may change the display pattern of the acceleration needle 66 depending on whether the acceleration exceeds a predetermined value, that is, whether the acceleration needle 66 is in either the first region 67A or the third region 67C, or in the second region 67B. In this way, it becomes easier for the user to visually recognize the likelihood of being captured by the speed measuring device 30.

[0135] The control unit 11 may overlay the accelerometer 60 on the notification screen described in Figure 7, as shown in Figure 10(A). Alternatively, the control unit 11 may overlay the accelerometer 65 on the notification screen described in Figure 7, as shown in Figure 10(B). If the control unit 11 always displays the accelerometers 60 and 65 overlaid on the map M, and displays window W1 only when a notification is given, the user can drive while always paying attention to acceleration. The control unit 11 may start displaying window W1 and the accelerometers 60 and 65 when the first notification is started. In this way, it is easier to attract the user's attention to acceleration when a notification is given, and it is expected that the user will drive with more consideration for acceleration.

[0136] Furthermore, when the control unit 11 displays the accelerometers 60 and 65, it is preferable to control the output of a sound with a pitch corresponding to the magnitude of the acceleration. The type of sound is not particularly limited, but for example, it could be a melody, an alarm sound, etc. When the control unit 11 displays the accelerometer 60, it is preferable to output a sound with a pitch corresponding to the magnitude of the slope of the line of acceleration based on the acceleration state from the zero position. Alternatively, when the control unit 11 displays the accelerometer 65, it is preferable to output a sound with a pitch corresponding to the position pointed to by the acceleration needle 66. In this way, the user can more easily intuitively recognize the current acceleration from the pitch of the sound. In this case, the control unit 11 may, for example, output a sound with a higher pitch the greater the acceleration in the positive direction, and output a sound with a lower pitch the greater the acceleration in the negative direction. This is because it is easier for the user to recall the acceleration from the pitch of the sound. Furthermore, the control unit 11 may provide notification when the magnitude of the acceleration corresponds to a rapid acceleration or rapid deceleration.

[0137] <3-6. Second notification function of the laser alarm function> (3-6-1) Example of operation 1 The control unit 11 may issue a second notification to encourage a change in the acceleration of the vehicle 40 if the acceleration of the vehicle 40 has not changed. In this way, the user can use the second notification as motivation to drive in a way that causes a change in the acceleration of the vehicle 40, even if the acceleration of the vehicle 40 has not changed. The second notification may be a notification that encourages deceleration, similar to the first notification, but it may also be a different notification that encourages a change in acceleration. Such a notification may be, for example, a notification of a higher level.

[0138] (3-6-2) Example of operation 2 The control unit 11 may also provide a second notification prompting a change in the acceleration of the vehicle 40 if the vehicle 40's speed exceeds (i.e., is over) the speed limit and there is a possibility that it is exceeding it, and the acceleration of the vehicle 40 has not changed. In this way, the user can use the second notification as motivation to drive in a way that causes a change in the acceleration of the vehicle 40 when the vehicle 40's speed exceeds or there is a possibility that it is exceeding the speed limit and there is no change in the acceleration of the vehicle 40. The second notification may be a notification prompting deceleration, similar to the first notification, but it may also be a different notification prompting a change in acceleration. This notification may be a higher-level warning, given that the vehicle 40's speed exceeds or there is a possibility that it is exceeding the speed limit.

[0139] When the control unit 11 determines whether the speed of the vehicle 40 exceeds the speed limit, it may, for example, obtain information on the speed limit of the route being traveled from the storage unit 25 and compare it with the current speed to make the determination. When the control unit 11 determines whether the speed of the vehicle 40 may exceed the speed limit, it may, for example, determine that there is a possibility if the speed of the vehicle 40 is above a predetermined speed. For example, when the vehicle is traveling on a public road, the control unit 11 may determine that there is a possibility of exceeding the speed limit if the speed exceeds the general speed limit of the public road.

[0140] Furthermore, the second notification may be made by displaying a screen with the same layout as the notification screen described in Figure 7, for example, by having a message in window W1 that corresponds to the second notification. It is particularly good to include cases where the acceleration of vehicle 40 has not changed, such as when the acceleration of vehicle 40 is close to zero, in addition to cases where the acceleration of vehicle 40 is zero.

[0141] <3-7. Third notification function of the laser alarm function> The control unit 11 should, upon determining that the vehicle has passed the location of the speed measuring device 30, provide a notification indicating the possibility of exceeding the speed limit, and also provide a third notification indicating whether or not the vehicle 40 passed the location while decelerating. In this way, the user can understand the possibility of exceeding the speed limit and whether or not the vehicle passed the location while decelerating when it passes the location of the speed measuring device 30. For example, after passing the location of the speed measuring device 30, the user can understand the possibility that the vehicle may be imaged by the speed measuring device 30. The third notification may be provided by displaying a screen with the same layout as the notification screen described in Figure 7, for example, by having a message in window W1 that corresponds to the third notification.

[0142] As a third type of notification, a notification indicating the possibility of speeding may be displayed, voiced, or a combination thereof, such as "You were speeding," "There is a possibility that you were speeding," or "You passed without speeding." Information regarding whether or not the vehicle passed while decelerating may be displayed, voiced, or a combination thereof, such as "You passed while decelerating," "You passed without sufficient deceleration," or "You passed while accelerating." In this way, when a user determines that they have passed the location of the speed measuring device 30, they can understand the possibility of speeding and whether or not the vehicle passed while decelerating, and thus understand the possibility that the vehicle was imaged by the speed measuring device 30.

[0143] As the vehicle 40 moves away from the speed measuring device 30, the intensity of the laser light decreases, or when the vehicle leaves the measurement area of ​​the speed measuring device 30, it stops receiving the laser light from the speed measuring device 30. The control unit 11 may determine whether it has determined that the vehicle has passed the location of the speed measuring device 30 based on the laser light reception status. Alternatively, if the control unit 11 has location information of the speed measuring device stored in the memory unit 25, it may make the determination based on that location information. The possibility of speeding should be determined using the method described in "(3-6-2) Operation Example 2" of <3-6. Second Notification Function of Laser Warning Function>. The control unit 11 may determine whether the vehicle was decelerating based on whether the acceleration of the vehicle 40 was a negative acceleration greater than a predetermined value.

[0144] <3-8. Fourth notification function of the laser alarm function> The control unit 11 may perform a fourth notification, based on the time when the light receiving unit 12 stopped receiving laser light and the history of the vehicle 40's speed when it was receiving laser light, to notify the user of the driving speed at the point where the speed measuring device 30 measures the speed of the vehicle 400 (which may also be called the "measurement area"). In this way, the user can understand the driving speed information at the point where the speed measuring device 30 measures the speed of the vehicle 40. For example, the user can understand the possibility that the vehicle 40 was imaged by the speed measuring device 30 after passing its location. The fourth notification may be performed, for example, by displaying a screen with the same layout as the notification screen described in Figure 7, and for example, the message in window W1 may correspond to the fourth notification.

[0145] The point at which the light receiving unit 12 stops receiving the laser light can be defined as the point at which the light receiving unit 12 stops receiving the laser light, or it can be rephrased as the point at which the vehicle 40 passes through the measurement area of ​​the speed measuring device 30. The control unit 11 may display the history of the vehicle 40's speed when it was receiving the laser light in a manner similar to the speed graph described in Figure 8, or it may display it in another manner. For notification of the speed history, a representative speed of the vehicle 40's speed when it was receiving the laser light may be notified, for example, the maximum speed may be notified. Notification may be by display, sound, or a combination thereof.

[0146] <3-9. Fifth notification function of the laser alarm function> The control unit 11 may perform a fifth notification, based on the time when the light receiving unit 12 stopped receiving laser light and the history of the vehicle 40's speed when it was receiving laser light, to notify the user of information about the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle 40 within the area where the speed measuring device 30 measures the vehicle 40's speed. In this way, the user can understand the information about the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle 40 within the area where the speed measuring device 30 measures the vehicle's speed, and can understand the possibility that the vehicle will be imaged by the speed measuring device 30. The control unit 11 may calculate the acceleration based on the temporal change in speed and notify the user of information about the acceleration and deceleration within the measurement area. Regarding the acceleration and deceleration information, the control unit 11 may notify the temporal change in acceleration and deceleration, or it may notify whether there was acceleration or deceleration that satisfied the imaging conditions. The fifth notification may be performed, for example, by displaying a screen with the same layout as the notification screen described in Figure 7, for example, the message in window W1 may be a message corresponding to the fifth notification.

[0147] [4. Processing function that adapts to the status of vehicles running alongside] The control unit 11 may perform processing according to the status of the vehicle traveling alongside at a position before the speed measuring device 30. In this way, processing according to the status of the vehicle traveling alongside at a position before the speed measuring device 30 can be performed. For example, some speed measuring devices do not take images when a vehicle traveling alongside is approaching within a predetermined distance of the vehicle (for example, when the vehicle traveling alongside is within 1 meter of the offending vehicle). In such cases, processing can be performed according to the possibility that the vehicle will be measured by the speed measuring device. If the position before the speed measuring device 30 is defined as the position where the light receiving unit 12 receives laser light from the speed measuring device 30, then processing according to the status of the vehicle traveling alongside can be performed when there is a predetermined proximity relationship with the speed measuring device 30.

[0148] In this embodiment, a camera 70 (see Figure 1) is positioned on the vehicle 40. The camera 70 may be, for example, a drive recorder, but it may also be another camera positioned and positioned in a direction that allows it to capture images of vehicles traveling alongside the vehicle 40. The position that allows it to capture images of vehicles traveling alongside the vehicle 40 may be in front of the vehicle 40, but it may also be positioned to the left or right, or both. The imaging direction of the camera 70 may be a forward range including diagonally forward, or it may be a range that captures images to the left or right, or both sides. Furthermore, the control unit 11 may detect the presence of a vehicle traveling alongside by image recognition that recognizes the images captured by the camera 70. The method of image recognition is not particularly limited, but for example, a method using a trained model generated by deep learning technology may be used. As a trained model, for example, there is a deep neural network (hereinafter referred to as DNN (Deep Neural Network)), but it may also be a CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) or other trained model. Furthermore, methods for detecting vehicles traveling alongside may include the use of sensors that utilize infrared laser light or other types of sensors and devices.

[0149] <4-1. Notification processing according to the status of vehicles running alongside> Processing in response to the status of a vehicle traveling alongside should be done by notifying the user. In this way, the user can recognize the notification in response to the status of the vehicle traveling alongside the vehicle 40 and drive accordingly. The notification should inform the user of the possibility that the vehicle 40 will be measured by the speed measuring device 30. The control unit 11 should detect the presence of a vehicle traveling alongside, in other words, the degree of overlap between the vehicle 40 and the vehicle traveling alongside, at a position before the speed measuring device 30 using image recognition by the camera 70, and notify the user of the status of the vehicle traveling alongside. For example, the control unit 11 should display a notification screen as shown in Figure 11(A), and display the message "There was a vehicle traveling alongside at the speed camera measurement point" in window W2 which is overlaid on the map M. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may output by voice or a combination of display and voice.

[0150] The control unit 11 may detect the presence of a vehicle traveling alongside the vehicle at a position before the speed measuring device 30, in other words, the degree of overlap between vehicle 40 and the vehicle traveling alongside, using image recognition by the camera 70, and provide a notification encouraging the driver to travel alongside other vehicles. In this way, the user can recognize the notification encouraging the driver to travel alongside other vehicles and be motivated to drive in a manner that allows them to travel alongside other vehicles. The degree of overlap is an indicator that shows how much of vehicle 40 and the vehicle traveling alongside overlap in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the vehicle. For example, it may indicate what percentage of the vehicle's length in the longitudinal direction overlaps. As described above, if there is a speed measuring device that does not take an image when a vehicle traveling alongside approaches within a predetermined distance of vehicle 40, it is possible to make it more difficult for the vehicle to be imaged by that speed measuring device. Therefore, the control unit 11 may, for example, display the notification screen shown in Figure 11(B) and display the message "Please position yourself so that you overlap with a vehicle in the adjacent lane" in window W3 which is overlaid on the map M. The control unit 11 may output by voice or a combination of display and voice. The user should recognize this message and drive in a manner that keeps pace with other vehicles.

[0151] <4-2. Recording processing according to the status of the vehicle running alongside> The processing in response to the status of the parallel vehicle may involve the control unit 11 acquiring images captured by the camera 70 and recording the acquired images on the storage medium 50. In this way, the user can later check the images captured by the camera 70 that were recorded according to the status of the parallel vehicle relative to the vehicle 40. For example, if the position is set to be before the speed measuring device 30, and the light receiving unit 12 is receiving laser light from the speed measuring device 30, the user can check the status of the parallel vehicle when it is in a predetermined proximity relationship with the speed measuring device 30 using the images captured by the camera 70. The control unit 11 may, for example, record images from the time it detects overlap with the parallel vehicle until a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined time may be set in advance, or it may be until the time the vehicle passes through the measurement area. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may store the images from the camera 70 in RAM and record images that include a predetermined time period before the time it detects overlap with the parallel vehicle.

[0152] [5. Data Recording Function] The control unit 11 may have a data recording function that records data in the storage medium 50 when notification is being made in response to the reception of laser light. In particular, in this embodiment, the processing described below is performed to take into consideration the effect of sunlight on the light receiving unit 12. More specifically, in consideration of the problem that the light received signal of the light receiving unit 12 becomes saturated when the sun is low in the sky, the following processing is performed.

[0153] <5-1. Record of the direction of travel of vehicle 40> The control unit 11 may record the direction of travel of the vehicle 40 in the storage medium 50 when notification is being made in response to the reception of laser light by the light receiving unit 12. The control unit 11 may record the direction of travel of the vehicle 40 in association with the time, for example, as shown in Figure 12. In this embodiment, the time is absolute time (24-hour notation), but it may also be relative time from the start of recording. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 records the direction of travel of the vehicle 40 every second, but it may also be recorded at time intervals. The direction of travel of the vehicle 40 may be recorded in four directions, for example, east, west, north, and south, but it is even better to record it in more detailed directions such as northeast, southeast, and north-northeast. The control unit 11 may determine the direction of travel using, for example, the geomagnetic sensor of the sensor unit 20, or it may be determined based on vehicle information.

[0154] In this configuration, the received light signal may become saturated when the sun is low in the sky, but the user can later refer to the vehicle's direction of travel information, which can help understand the effect. It is especially good to record the direction of travel along with the time. The sun is generally located in the east in the morning, in the south around noon, and in the west in the afternoon. Also, the direction in which the light receiving unit 12 can receive light generally coincides with the direction of travel of the vehicle 40. Therefore, recording the direction of travel of the vehicle 40 is essentially the same as recording the direction in which the light receiving unit 12 can receive light. By referring to the time when the direction of travel of the vehicle 40 was recorded, it is possible to understand to what extent the light receiving unit 12 was affected by the sun. The control unit 11 should also record information to understand the current location, weather, and other influences in order to understand the actual effect of the sun.

[0155] <5-2. Recording of the visible light reception state of the light receiving unit 12> The control unit 11 may record the visible light reception state of the light receiving unit 12 in the storage medium 50 when notification is being made in response to the reception of laser light by the light receiving unit 12. In this way, although the received signal may saturate when the sun is low in the sky, the user can later check the visible light reception state, which can be used as a reference to understand the effect. The visible light reception state may indicate the state of visible light reception, for example, the received light intensity, received light amount, energy distribution, and the quality of reception. This is because the amount of visible light received increases when affected by sunlight. By referring to the time when the visible light reception state was recorded, it is possible to understand to what extent the light receiving unit 12 was affected by the sun. The wavelength range of the visible light may be, for example, 400 to 700 nm, but is not limited to this. The control unit 11 may record the visible light reception state in association with the time, for example, as shown in Figure 13. In this embodiment, the time is absolute time (24-hour notation), but it may also be relative time from the start of recording. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 records the visible light reception state every second, but it may also record at time intervals. The visible light reception state may be recorded in two types, for example, strong and weak, or it may be recorded using multiple levels, such as levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

[0156] The control unit 11 may record the visible light reception state of the light receiving unit 12 when notification is being given in response to the reception of laser light by the light receiving unit 12, and may also record the laser light reception state. The laser light reception state may indicate the state of laser light reception, for example, the reception intensity, the amount of light received, the energy distribution, and the quality of reception. By referring to the reception status of visible light and laser light, it is possible to determine how much visible light, including sunlight, the light receiving unit 12 received when the laser light was received. The wavelength of the laser light may be, for example, 905 nm as described above. The control unit 11 may record the reception status of visible light and the reception status of laser light in association with time, for example, as shown in Figure 14. In this embodiment, the time is absolute time (24-hour notation), but it may also be relative time from the start of recording. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 records the reception status of visible light and the reception status of laser light every second, but it may also be recorded at time intervals. The reception status of laser light may be recorded in two types, for example, strong and weak, but it may also be recorded using levels divided into multiple stages, for example, levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Alternatively, the reception status of visible light may be recorded using levels divided into multiple stages, for example, levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the reception status of laser light may be recorded in two types, strong and weak, and the number of stages for each may be different. The light-receiving unit 12 may be configured to receive both visible light and laser light, but a light-receiving unit for receiving visible light and a light-receiving unit for receiving laser light may also be provided separately.

[0157] <5-3. Recording images with the camera> The control unit 11 may record the direction of travel of the vehicle 40 as described in <5-1. Recording the direction of travel of the vehicle 40>, and also record the image (image data) captured by the camera 70 on the storage medium 50. The control unit 11 may record the time and the direction of travel of the vehicle 40 in association with the image captured by the camera 70, for example, as shown in Figure 15(A). Alternatively, the control unit 11 may record the light reception state as described in <5-2. Recording the visible light reception state of the light receiving unit 12>, and also record the image (image data) captured by the camera 70. The control unit 11 may record the time and the visible light reception state in association with the image captured by the camera 70, for example, as shown in Figure 16(A). The control unit 11 may also record the time, the visible light reception state, and the laser light reception state in association with the image captured by the camera 70, for example, as shown in Figure 17(A). In this way, the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 40 can be understood from the image captured by the camera 70, and the effects of sunlight on the light-receiving unit 12 can be understood in more detail.

[0158] In particular, the control unit 11 should record the image captured by the camera 70, as well as the direction of travel of the vehicle 40, the visible light reception state, and the laser light reception state, in a data format that can be played back by a viewer for the camera 70. In this way, data can be recorded in a data format that allows the user to check the image captured by the camera 70 and reference information on how much the light reception state of the light receiving unit 12 was affected by the sun when the image was captured. The viewer for the camera 70 should be a viewer for a drive recorder. The viewer is software that has the function of playing back images from the camera 70, and may be, for example, a viewer for playing back video on the camera 70, or a viewer for playing back on a personal computer. The viewer described above is an example of a program for a computer to implement the functions described later. The viewer may be stored, for example, on the storage medium 50, on the storage medium used by the camera 70 to record data, or provided via a network by a server or other device.

[0159] The control unit 11 should preferably record the image captured by the camera 70 and the vehicle 40's direction of travel or visible light reception status in a data format that allows for the simultaneous playback of the image and the visible light reception status at the same time. Furthermore, the viewer should preferably have a function to play back (display) the direction of travel or the light reception status in synchronization with the image; in other words, it should preferably have a function to play back the image, direction of travel, or light reception status recorded by the camera 70 at the same time.

[0160] Figure 15(B) shows an example of a viewer screen that has the function of playing back the image captured by camera 70 and the direction of travel of vehicle 40. The viewer screen shown in Figure 15(B) shows the state when the image at the time "12:05:00" when the recording shown in Figure 15(A) was made is displayed. The viewer screen shown in Figure 15(B) displays the image IMG1 captured by camera 70, along with a display area DT labeled "South," which indicates the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0161] Figure 16(B) shows an example of a viewer screen that has the function of reproducing the image captured by camera 70 and the visible light reception state. The viewer screen shown in Figure 16(B) shows the state when the image at the time "12:05:00" when the recording shown in Figure 16(A) was performed is displayed. The viewer screen shown in Figure 16(B) displays the image IMG2 captured by camera 70, along with a display area LT1 that says "Level: Strong" for the visible light reception state.

[0162] Figure 17(B) shows an example of a viewer screen that has the function of reproducing the image captured by camera 70, the visible light reception status, and the laser light reception status. The viewer screen shown in Figure 17(B) shows the state when the image at the time "12:05:00" when the recording shown in Figure 17(A) was performed is displayed. The viewer screen shown in Figure 17(B) displays the image IMG3 captured by camera 70, along with a display area LT1 that says "Level: Strong" for the visible light reception status, and a display area LT2 that says "Level: Strong" for the laser light reception status.

[0163] [6. Others] Sections [3. Notification Function of Electronic Device 10 - Part 2] to [5. Data Recording Function] describe the case where the electromagnetic wave is laser light. Sections [3. Notification Function of Electronic Device 10 - Part 2] and [4. Processing Function According to the Status of a Vehicle Running Alongside] can also be implemented with a configuration where the electromagnetic wave is radar wave. In this case, the configuration and operation can be explained by substituting "light receiving unit 12" and "laser light" with "radar receiving unit 15" and "radar wave". Furthermore, the electromagnetic wave can be implemented as a wireless signal as appropriate. In this case, the configuration and operation may be substituting "light receiving unit 12" and "laser light" with "wireless receiving unit 16" and "wireless signal". Section [5. Data Recording Function] takes into account the influence of sunlight on the reception state, but this does not prevent similar processing from being performed when the electromagnetic wave is radar wave or wireless signal.

[0164] [7. Variant] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0165] Figure 18 shows another example of the electrical configuration of the light-receiving unit 12. The light-receiving unit 12 includes a lens 121, a filter 122, a photodetector 123, amplifiers AMP1 to AMPN (where N is a natural number), and a differential amplifier 124. The configurations of the lens 121, filter 122, and photodetector 123 are as described above. The cathode of the photodetector 123 is connected to the high-potential power line, and the anode of the photodetector 123 is connected to one end of resistor R. The other end of resistor R is grounded. The input terminal of amplifier AMP1 is commonly connected to the anode of the photodetector 123 and one end of resistor R. Multiple amplifiers AMP2, ... AMPN are connected in series after amplifier AMP1. The value of N is arbitrary. However, it is desirable that amplifiers AMP1 to AMPN are designed to amplify signals in the wavelength region including a specific wavelength λ0. The output terminal of the AMPN is connected to one input terminal of the differential amplifier 124 (in this case, the positive input terminal), and the signal SIGN is input to this input terminal. The threshold level Thn is input to the other input terminal of the differential amplifier 124 (in this case, the negative input terminal). The differential amplifier 124 functions as a comparator that outputs a signal corresponding to the difference between the signal SIGN and the threshold level Thn. The differential amplifier 124 outputs a positive potential signal if the signal SIGN is above the threshold level Thn, and a negative potential signal if the signal SIGN is below the threshold level Thn. The control unit 11 determines whether or not it has received the laser light for speed measurement based on the output from the differential amplifier 124, in other words, the difference between the signal SIGN and the threshold level Thn. The method for this determination can be as already described.

[0166] Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. While the configurations for which patent protection is sought are specified in the appended claims, we intend to include configurations disclosed herein that are not currently specified in the claims in the future.

[0167] The present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the embodiments above. The components of each embodiment and modification described above can be arbitrarily selected and combined. Furthermore, any component of each embodiment and modification can be arbitrarily combined with any component described in the means for solving the invention, or any component that embodies any component described in the means for solving the invention. The present application intends to obtain rights to these as well through amendments or divisional applications. Even if there is a description such as "in the case of..." or "when...", it is not meant to be a configuration that is limited to that case or time. Configurations that do not fall under these cases or times are also disclosed, and the present application intends to obtain rights to them. Also, even if there is a sequence of descriptions, it is not limited to that order. Configurations with some parts deleted or the order rearranged are also disclosed, and the present application intends to obtain rights to them.

[0168] Furthermore, by converting to a design registration application, we intend to acquire rights to the overall design or a partial design. The drawing depicts the entire device with solid lines, but it is a drawing that includes not only the overall design but also partial designs claimed for parts of the device. For example, it is a drawing that includes not only a partial design for a part of the device's components, but also a partial design for a part of the device regardless of its components. A part of the device may be a component of the device, or a part of that component. We intend to acquire rights to the overall design, as well as to any part of the drawing that is represented by dashed lines within the solid lines. In addition, all modules, components, parts, images, etc. inside the device's casing that are shown in the drawing are also subject to independent trade, and we intend to acquire rights to them by converting to a design registration application. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0169] 10:Electronic equipment 11: Control Unit 12: Light receiving part 13: Display section 14: Audio output section 15: Radar receiver 16: Wireless receiver 17: Location information acquisition section 18: Communications Department 19: Input section 20: Sensor unit 21: Mounting part 22: Power supply control unit 23:Terminal section 24: Light-emitting part 25: Storage section 30: Speed ​​measuring device 31: Speed ​​measurement section 32: Imaging Unit 33: Strobe 40: Vehicles 41: Dashboard 50:Storage medium 60: Accelerometer 61: Speed ​​graph 62: Acceleration graph 65: Accelerometer 66: Acceleration needle 67A: 1st area 67B:Second area 67C: Third area 70: Camera 100:Electronic equipment 101: Main body 101A: Second electronic device 101B:Electronic equipment 102:Fixed part 103: First electronic device 104: Cable 105: Sound emission hole 106: Light-emitting part 107: Mounting components 111: Processor 112: Memory 113: Timekeeping section 121: Lens 122: Filter 123: Photodetector 124: Differential amplifier 125: Integrated Circuits 126: Amplifier Circuit 127: Emitter Follower Circuit 128: Waveform shaping circuit 129: Thermistor 191: Touch sensor 192: Microphone 201: Illuminance sensor window 221: Power switch 400: Vehicle 1011: Cabinet 1012: Lens holder 1013: Mounting part 1021: Fixing member 1022: Base 1023: Socket part 1024: Ball Stud 1025: Mounting component 1261: Transistor 1271: Transistor

Claims

1. A receiving unit that receives electromagnetic waves for measurement emitted from a speed measuring device that measures the speed of a vehicle, The receiving unit controls the function of notifying the user in response to the electromagnetic waves it receives, It has, The control unit has a function to provide a first notification to the user, which prompts the vehicle to decelerate. The control unit includes a function to provide the first notification when the acceleration of the vehicle is below a predetermined value while the electromagnetic wave is being received. system.

2. The control unit includes a function to provide the first notification when the intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the receiving unit increases. The system according to claim 1.

3. A receiving unit that receives electromagnetic waves for measurement emitted from a speed measuring device that measures the speed of a vehicle, The receiving unit controls the function of notifying the user in response to the electromagnetic waves it receives, It has, The control unit has a function to provide a first notification to the user, which prompts the vehicle to decelerate. The control unit includes a function to perform the first notification when the speed difference of the vehicle when the electromagnetic wave is being received is less than or equal to a predetermined value. system.

4. The control unit includes a function to provide the first notification when the intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the receiving unit increases. The system according to claim 3.

5. A receiving unit that receives electromagnetic waves for measurement emitted from a speed measuring device that measures the speed of a vehicle, The receiving unit controls the function of notifying the user in response to the electromagnetic waves it receives, It has, The control unit has a function to provide a first notification to the user, which prompts the vehicle to decelerate. The control unit includes a function to provide a second notification prompting a change in the vehicle's acceleration when the vehicle's acceleration has not changed. system.

6. The control unit, The second notification is given when the vehicle's speed exceeds or is likely to exceed the speed limit, and the vehicle's acceleration has not changed. The system according to claim 5.

7. The control unit, When it is determined that the vehicle has passed the location of the speed measuring device, a notification is made indicating the possibility of speeding, and a third notification is made indicating whether or not the vehicle passed the location while decelerating. The system according to claim 5.

8. The control unit, Based on the point in time when the receiving unit ceases to receive the electromagnetic waves and the history of the vehicle's speed when the electromagnetic waves were being received, a fourth notification is made to announce the vehicle's speed at the point where the speed measuring device measures the vehicle's speed. The system according to claim 7.

9. The control unit, Based on the point in time when the receiving unit ceases to receive the electromagnetic waves and the history of the vehicle's speed when the electromagnetic waves were being received, a fifth notification is made to provide information about the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle within the area where the vehicle's speed is measured by the speed measuring device. The system according to claim 8.

10. The speed measuring device emits laser light as the electromagnetic wave, The receiving unit has a light-receiving unit that receives the laser light. The system according to claim 9.

11. A receiving unit that receives electromagnetic waves for measurement emitted from a speed measuring device that measures the speed of a vehicle, The receiving unit controls the function of notifying the user in response to the electromagnetic waves it receives, It has, The control unit has a function to provide a first notification to the user, which prompts the vehicle to decelerate. The control unit includes a function to provide a second notification prompting a change in the vehicle's acceleration when the vehicle's speed exceeds or is likely to exceed the speed limit and the vehicle's acceleration has not changed. system.

12. A receiving unit that receives electromagnetic waves for measurement emitted from a speed measuring device that measures the speed of a vehicle, The receiving unit controls the function of notifying the user in response to the electromagnetic waves it receives, It has, The control unit has a function to provide a first notification to the user, which prompts the vehicle to decelerate. The control unit includes a function to provide a second notification to prompt a change in the vehicle's acceleration when the vehicle's acceleration has not changed. When the control unit determines that the vehicle has passed the location of the speed measuring device, it provides a notification indicating the possibility of exceeding the speed limit, and also provides a third notification indicating whether or not the vehicle passed the location while decelerating. system.

13. A receiving unit that receives electromagnetic waves for measurement emitted from a speed measuring device that measures the speed of a vehicle, The receiving unit controls the function of notifying the user in response to the electromagnetic waves it receives, It has, The control unit has a function to provide a first notification to the user, which prompts the vehicle to decelerate. The control unit includes a function to provide a second notification to prompt a change in the vehicle's acceleration when the vehicle's acceleration has not changed. The control unit then performs a fourth notification, based on the time when the receiving unit ceased to receive the electromagnetic waves and the history of the vehicle's speed when the electromagnetic waves were being received, which notifies the vehicle's speed at the point where the speed measuring device measures the vehicle's speed. system.

14. A receiving unit that receives electromagnetic waves for measurement emitted from a speed measuring device that measures the speed of a vehicle, The receiving unit controls the function of notifying the user in response to the electromagnetic waves it receives, It has, The control unit has a function to provide a first notification to the user, which prompts the vehicle to decelerate. The control unit includes a function to provide a second notification to prompt a change in the vehicle's acceleration when the vehicle's acceleration has not changed. The control unit performs a fifth notification, based on the time when the receiving unit ceases to receive the electromagnetic waves and the history of the vehicle's speed when the electromagnetic waves were being received, to notify information about the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle within the area where the vehicle's speed is measured by the speed measuring device. system.

15. A receiving unit that receives electromagnetic waves for measurement emitted from a speed measuring device that measures the speed of a vehicle, The receiving unit controls the function of notifying the user in response to the electromagnetic waves it receives, It has, The control unit has a function to provide a first notification to the user, which prompts the vehicle to decelerate. The control unit includes a function to provide a second notification to prompt a change in the vehicle's acceleration when the vehicle's acceleration has not changed. The speed measuring device emits laser light as the electromagnetic wave, The receiving unit has a light-receiving unit that receives the laser light. system.

16. The control unit has a function to perform the first notification when the intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the receiving unit increases. The control unit includes a function to control the display of an accelerometer showing the vehicle's acceleration when the first notification is made. The system according to any one of claims 5 to 15.

17. The computer has the functions of the control unit of the system according to any one of claims 1 to 15. A program to achieve this.

18. The computer has the functions of the control unit of the system described in any one of claims 1 to 15, The control unit has a function to perform the first notification when the intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the receiving unit increases, The control unit includes a function for controlling the display of an accelerometer showing the acceleration of the vehicle when the first notification is made. A program to achieve this.

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