Imaging device, control method, program and storage medium

Abstract

To provide a shooting device which allows for acquisition of an image reflecting an appropriate range, without adjusting the camera angle, even when the shooting direction is changed.SOLUTION: A drive recorder 1 includes a front photographing camera 4 for photographing the front scenery of a vehicle, and a control unit 19. The control unit 19 cuts out a partial range of the front image Im photographed by the front photographing camera 4, as a cut-out image Imc. The control unit 19 determines the presence or absence of possibility that the photographing direction of the front photographing camera 4 has changed. When a determination is made that the photographing direction of the front photographing camera 4 has possibly changed, the control unit 19 determines the cut-out position of the cut-out image Imc, so that the position of a characteristic object in the cut-out image Imc, after affirmative determination, substantially matches the position in the cut-out image Imc before the affirmative determination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for cutting out and displaying a forward image captured from a vehicle. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, drive recorders attachable to room mirrors and the like have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a drive recorder that includes a half mirror, a liquid crystal display, and a camera unit for capturing an image of the front of the vehicle, and can be freely attached to a room mirror. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-229049 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, when the angle of the room mirror is changed for reasons such as a change of driver, the capturing direction of the camera also changes. Therefore, when the angle of the room mirror is adjusted, it is also necessary to adjust the angle of the camera.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and a main object of the present invention is to provide an image capturing apparatus capable of acquiring an image showing an appropriate range without adjusting the angle of the camera even when the capturing direction is changed. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] The invention recited in the claims is an image capturing apparatus mounted on a vehicle, image capturing means for capturing an image of the front of the vehicle; image control means for cutting out a partial range of a captured image, which is an image captured by said image capturing means, as a cut-out image; A determination means for determining whether or not the shooting direction of the shooting means can be changed based on information related to the driver's seat of the vehicle, Equipped with, The aforementioned photographic device is built into or mounted on in-vehicle equipment configured to be angle-adjustable for easy viewing by the vehicle driver, and is configured such that the shooting direction of the photographic means changes in accordance with the angle change of the in-vehicle equipment. The image control means, when the determination means determines that there is a possibility of change, adjusts the image cropping range after the determination so that the position of the first object in the cropped image before the determination and the position of the first object in the cropped image after the determination substantially coincide. It is characterized by the following. Furthermore, the invention described in the claims is, A camera mounted on a vehicle, A photographic means for photographing the front of the vehicle, Image control means for extracting a portion of the captured image, which is an image captured by the aforementioned shooting means, as a separate image; A determination means for determining whether or not the shooting direction of the shooting means can be changed based on information regarding the operating state of the shooting device, Equipped with, The aforementioned photographic device is built into or mounted on in-vehicle equipment configured to be angle-adjustable for easy viewing by the vehicle driver, and is configured such that the shooting direction of the photographic means changes in accordance with the angle change of the in-vehicle equipment. The determination means determines that there is a possibility of change when it obtains information indicating that the imaging device has gone from an operating state to a non-operating state and then back to an operating state. The image control means is characterized in that, when the determination means determines that there is a possibility of change, it adjusts the image cropping range after the determination so that the position of the first object in the cropped image before the determination and the position of the first object in the cropped image after the determination substantially coincide.

[0007] Furthermore, the invention described in the claims is, It is mounted on the vehicle, A photographic means for photographing the front of the vehicle, which is built into or attached to in-vehicle equipment configured to be angle-adjustable for the driver of the vehicle to ensure easy visibility, and configured to change its shooting direction in accordance with the angle change of the in-vehicle equipment. A control method performed by a photographic device having, Image control step of extracting a portion of the image captured by the aforementioned shooting means as an image, A determination step of determining whether or not the shooting direction of the shooting means can be changed based on information related to the driver's seat of the vehicle, It has, The image control step is characterized in that, when the determination step determines that there is a possibility of change, the image cropping range after the determination is adjusted so that the position of the first object in the cropped image before the determination and the position of the first object in the cropped image after the determination substantially coincide. Furthermore, the invention described in the claims is, It is mounted on the vehicle, A photographic means for photographing the front of the vehicle, which is built into or attached to in-vehicle equipment configured to be angle-adjustable for the driver of the vehicle to ensure easy visibility, and configured to change its shooting direction in accordance with the angle change of the in-vehicle equipment. A control method performed by a photographic device having, Image control step of extracting a portion of the image captured by the aforementioned shooting means as an image, A determination step of determining whether or not the shooting direction of the shooting means can be changed based on information regarding the operating state of the shooting device, It has, The determination step determines that there is a possibility of change when information is obtained indicating that the imaging device has gone from an operating state to a non-operating state and then back to an operating state. The image control step is characterized in that, when the determination step determines that there is a possibility of change, the image cropping range after the determination is adjusted so that the position of the first object in the cropped image before the determination and the position of the first object in the cropped image after the determination substantially coincide.

[0008] Furthermore, the invention described in the claims is, It is mounted on the vehicle, A photographic means for photographing the front of the vehicle, which is built into or attached to in-vehicle equipment configured to be angle-adjustable for the driver of the vehicle to ensure easy visibility, and configured to change its shooting direction in accordance with the angle change of the in-vehicle equipment. A program executed by the computer of a photographic device having, The aforementioned computer, Image control means for extracting a portion of the image captured by the aforementioned shooting means as an image, and The determination means is configured to determine whether or not the shooting direction of the aforementioned shooting means can be changed, based on information related to the driver's seat of the vehicle. When said determination means determines that there is a possibility of said change, said image control means adjusts the image clipping range after the determination such that the position of the first object in the clipped image before the determination substantially matches the position of said first object in the clipped image after the determination. Further, the invention according to the claims is: which is mounted on a vehicle, A photographic means for photographing the front of the vehicle, which is built into or attached to in-vehicle equipment configured to be angle-adjustable for the driver of the vehicle to ensure easy visibility, and configured to change its shooting direction in accordance with the angle change of the in-vehicle equipment. a program executed by a computer of an imaging apparatus having: the computer is caused to function as: image control means for clipping a partial range of an image captured by said imaging means as a clipped image; and determination means for determining whether there is a possibility of a change in the imaging direction of said imaging means based on information related to the operating state of said imaging apparatus, said determination means determines that there is a possibility of said change when information indicating that said imaging apparatus has returned to an operating state from an operating state via a non-operating state is acquired, when said determination means determines that there is a possibility of said change, said image control means adjusts the image clipping range after the determination such that the position of the first object in the clipped image before the determination substantially matches the position of said first object in the clipped image after the determination. It is characterized by the following. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] [Figure 1] It is a front view of a drive recorder. [Figure 2] They are a rear view and a top view of a drive recorder. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram of a drive recorder. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart showing an outline of adjustment processing of a clipping position for a forward image. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart showing a procedure of clipping position adjustment processing. [Figure 6] A specific example of a method for adjusting a clipping position for a forward image is shown. [Figure 7]This flowchart shows the process for adjusting the cropping position of the front image related to the modified image. [Figure 8] A front view of the modified drive recorder is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a photographing device mounted on a vehicle for photographing a forward view comprises: a photographing means for photographing the forward view; an image control means for cropping out a portion of the image captured by the photographing means as a cropped image; and a determination means for determining whether or not there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the photographing means has changed. When the determination means determines that there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the photographing means has changed, the image control means crops out the cropped image after the determination that there is a possibility that the position of an object in the cropped image after the determination that there is a possibility substantially coincides with the position in the cropped image before the determination that there is a possibility.

[0011] The above-described photographic device comprises a photographic means for photographing the scenery in front of the vehicle, an image control means, and a determination means. The image control means extracts a portion of the image captured by the photographic means as a cropped image. The determination means determines whether or not there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the photographic means has changed. When the determination means determines that there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the photographic means has changed, the image control means crops the cropped image after the determination of the possibility of a change in shooting direction has been made so that the position of the object in the cropped image after the determination of the possibility substantially matches the position in the cropped image before the determination of the possibility. In this way, the photographic device can acquire an image with the same display range as before the shooting direction of the photographic means changed, without adjusting the angle of the photographic means. Furthermore, the photographic device can suitably reduce the processing load during normal operation by changing the cropping position only when there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the photographic means has changed.

[0012] In one embodiment of the above-described photographic device, the image control means, when the determination means determines that the shooting direction of the photographic means may have changed and the vehicle is stationary, crops the cropped image after the determination that the possibility of a change has occurred, such that the position of the object in the cropped image after the determination of the possibility of a change has occurred substantially coincides with the position in the cropped image before the determination of the possibility of a change has occurred. In this embodiment, the photographic device can suitably grasp the correspondence between the images of the photographic means before and after the shooting direction of the photographic means has changed and adjust the cropping position.

[0013] In another embodiment of the above-described imaging device, the imaging device determines that the imaging direction of the imaging means may have changed when contact to the imaging device is detected by a contact sensor that detects contact to the imaging device. In this embodiment, the imaging device can suitably determine whether or not the imaging direction of the imaging means may have changed.

[0014] In another embodiment of the above-described imaging device, the imaging device further comprises a switching means for switching the state of the imaging device between an operating state and a non-operating state, and the determination means determines that there is a possibility that the imaging direction of the imaging means has changed when the state of the imaging device is switched back to the operating state via the switching means from an operating state to a non-operating state. In this embodiment as well, the imaging device can suitably determine whether or not there is a possibility that the imaging direction of the imaging means has changed.

[0015] In another embodiment of the above-described photographic device, the photographic device includes a second photographic means for photographing the driver's seat of the vehicle, and the determination means determines, based on the image taken by the second photographic means, that the driver has changed or there is a possibility that the driver has changed, and determines that there is a possibility that the photographic direction of the photographic means has changed. In this embodiment as well, the photographic device can adjust the image cropping position only when there is a possibility that the photographic direction of the photographic means has changed or there is a possibility that it has changed.

[0016] In another embodiment of the above-described imaging device, the determination means includes an acquisition means for acquiring information on whether the driver is seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle or whether a seat belt is fastened, and the determination means determines, based on the information acquired by the acquisition means, that there is a possibility that the driver has changed, and then determines that there is a possibility that the imaging direction of the imaging means has changed. In this embodiment as well, the imaging device can suitably determine whether there is a possibility that the imaging direction of the imaging means has changed.

[0017] In another embodiment of the above-described imaging device, the imaging device is built into or attached to the rearview mirror of the vehicle. In this case, the imaging direction of the imaging means is changed by adjusting the angle of the rearview mirror. Even in this case, the imaging device can adjust the cropping position and acquire an image that captures an appropriate range as a cropped image.

[0018] In another embodiment of the present invention, a control method is performed by a photographic device mounted on a vehicle and having a photographic means for photographing the scenery in front of the vehicle, comprising: an image control step of cutting out a portion of an image captured by the photographic means as a cropped image; and a determination step of determining whether or not there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the photographic means has changed, wherein when the determination step determines that there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the photographic means has changed, the image control step cuts out the cropped image after the determination that there is a possibility that the object in the cropped image after the determination that there is a possibility of change substantially coincides with the position in the cropped image before the determination that there is a possibility. By performing this control method, the photographic device can acquire an image with the same display range as before the shooting direction of the photographic means changed without adjusting the angle of the photographic means. Furthermore, the photographic device can suitably reduce the processing load during normal operation by changing the cropping position only when there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the photographic means has changed.

[0019] In another embodiment of the present invention, a computer electrically connected to a shooting means mounted on a vehicle for capturing the forward scenery is configured to run a program that includes an image control means for extracting a portion of an image captured by the shooting means as a cropped image, and a determination means for determining whether or not there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the shooting means has changed. When the determination means determines that there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the shooting means has changed, the image control means crops the cropped image after the determination that there is a possibility that the object in the cropped image after the determination that there is a possibility of a change substantially matches the position in the cropped image before the determination that there is a possibility. By running this program, the computer can obtain an image with the same display range as before the shooting direction of the shooting means changed, without adjusting the angle of the shooting means. Furthermore, by changing the cropping position only when there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the shooting means has changed, the processing load during normal operation can be suitably reduced. Preferably, the above program is stored in a storage medium. [Examples]

[0020] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereafter, "shooting direction" refers to the direction that is in front of the camera and passes through the center of the camera's field of view (shooting range).

[0021] [Dashcam Configuration] Figures 1 and 2 show the configuration of the drive recorder 1 according to the embodiment. Specifically, Figure 1 shows a front view of the drive recorder 1 when it is mounted on the rearview mirror 12 inside the vehicle (also simply referred to as the "mounted state"). Figure 2(A) shows a rear view of the drive recorder 1 in the mounted state, and Figure 2(B) shows a top view of the drive recorder 1 in the mounted state. Hereafter, the longitudinal direction of the drive recorder 1 will be referred to as the "Y-axis direction", the short direction of the drive recorder 1 as the "X-axis direction", and the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis and X-axis as the "Z-axis direction", with each positive direction defined as shown in the figure.

[0022] The drive recorder 1 is powered by a built-in rechargeable battery and mainly comprises a mirror section 13, a forward-facing camera 4, a display (display means) 10 located on the back of the mirror section 13, and clamping sections 14A to 14D. When the drive recorder 1 is mounted, the clamping sections 14A to 14D clamp onto the rearview mirror 12, thereby fixing it to the rearview mirror 12. When the drive recorder 1 is mounted, the mirror surface of the rearview mirror 12 and the back of the drive recorder 1 overlap. The drive recorder 1 is an example of a "recording device" in the present invention.

[0023] The forward-facing camera 4 is a camera for generating an image of the area in front of the vehicle (also called "forward image Im"), and is positioned on the back of the drive recorder 1 so as not to overlap with the rearview mirror 12 when the drive recorder 1 is installed. The forward-facing camera 4 is a wide-angle camera with a wide field of view in the horizontal direction. The forward-facing camera 4 is also rotatably housed within the casing of the navigation device 1, and the shooting direction can be adjusted based on operation of a remote controller (not shown) or the like. The forward-facing camera 4 is an example of a "shooting means" in the present invention.

[0024] The mirror section 13 is, for example, a half-mirror that transmits some of the incident light and reflects the rest. As a result, when the display 10 on the back is not emitting light, the mirror section 13 functions as a normal mirror that reflects the scenery behind the vehicle, and when the display 10 is emitting light, it transmits the light emitted from the display 10, allowing the driver to see the contents of the display 10.

[0025] Display 10 displays an image extracted from the forward image Im (also called "extracted image Imc"). As will be described later, the extracted image Imc is an image extracted from the forward image Im so that the forward scenery in the direction in front of the vehicle is at the center of the image, and it has fewer pixels vertically and horizontally than the forward image Im. Display 10 also displays the extracted image Imc with images representing text, shapes, etc., to guide the driver (also called "guidance images"). In Figure 1, Display 10 displays a guidance image representing the vehicle speed and a guidance image with a rectangular frame highlighting the illuminated signal lights, superimposed on the extracted image Imc.

[0026] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the drive recorder 1. As shown in Figure 3, the drive recorder 1 comprises a vehicle information acquisition unit 3, a forward-facing camera 4, a contact sensor 5, an acceleration sensor 6, an operation unit 9, a display 10, a RAM 11, a non-volatile memory 15, and a control unit 19.

[0027] The vehicle information acquisition unit 3 communicates with the vehicle's ECU (Electronic Control Unit) via wired or wireless means to acquire information such as the vehicle's speed, seating information regarding whether the driver is seated based on the output from a weight sensor (not shown) installed in the driver's seat, and seating information regarding whether the driver's seat belt is fastened. The vehicle information acquisition unit 3 is an example of an "acquisition means" in the present invention.

[0028] The contact sensor 5 supplies a detection signal to the control unit 19 when it detects contact with the drive recorder 1. The contact sensor 5 may be a touch panel provided on the mirror surface of the rearview mirror 12, or it may be a pressure-sensitive switch provided on the housing of the drive recorder 1, etc., which is touched by the occupant when changing the angle of the rearview mirror 12.

[0029] The control unit 9 is an interface for receiving various operations on the drive recorder 1, and includes, for example, control buttons, a touch panel provided on the mirror unit 13 that overlaps with the rearview mirror 12, a remote controller, and a power switch for switching the drive recorder 1 on and off.

[0030] RAM11 is a memory area that functions as an image buffer or the like for temporarily storing the cropped image Imc extracted from the forward image Im by the control unit 19.

[0031] The non-volatile memory 15 is a storage medium such as an SD card, and in the event of an impact caused by an accident or the like, the control unit 19 writes images stored in the RAM 11 for a predetermined period of time prior to the impact. Furthermore, if the control unit 19 determines that the angle of the rearview mirror 12 may have changed while the vehicle is stopped, the control unit 19 writes the forward-facing image Im, which was generated immediately before the determination and stored in the RAM 11, to the non-volatile memory 15.

[0032] The control unit 19, which is a CPU, generates a cropped image Imc by extracting a portion from the forward image Im, and displays the cropped image Imc on the display 10. The control unit 19 also stores a predetermined amount of cropped image Imc in the RAM 11 by writing the cropped image Imc displayed on the display 10 to the RAM 11. In the initial state, the control unit 19 sets the cropping position within the forward image Im so that the center of the cropped image Imc coincides with the center of the forward image Im. In the initial state, the shooting direction of the forward camera 4 is adjusted based on user operation, etc., so that it faces the front (traveling) direction of the vehicle.

[0033] Furthermore, when the acceleration sensor 6 detects an acceleration (i.e., an impact) exceeding a reference value, the control unit 19 writes a cropped image Imc for a predetermined time (approximately 10 to 100 seconds) stored in the RAM 11 to the non-volatile memory 15. In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit 19 determines whether or not the angle of the rearview mirror 12 may have changed while the vehicle was stopped, based on the output of the contact sensor 5 and the vehicle's driving speed acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 3. If the control unit 19 determines that the angle of the rearview mirror 12 may have changed while the vehicle was stopped, it adjusts the position from which the cropped image Imc is extracted from the forward image Im. The control unit 19 is an example of the "determination means," "image control means," and "computer" that executes the program in this invention.

[0034] [Adjusting the cutting position] Next, we will specifically explain how to adjust the position of the cropped image (Imc).

[0035] (1) Timing of adjustment Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the timing of the process for adjusting the cropping position of the cropped image Imc. In general terms, the control unit 19 adjusts the cropping position of the cropped image Imc when the vehicle is stopped and contact with the drive recorder 1 is detected. The control unit 19 repeatedly executes the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 4.

[0036] First, the control unit 19 determines whether the vehicle equipped with the drive recorder 1 is stationary (step S101). In this case, the control unit 19 determines whether the vehicle is stationary based on the vehicle's driving information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 3. If the vehicle is not stationary (step S101; No), the control unit 19 continues to monitor whether the vehicle will become stationary. When the vehicle is in motion, the forward scenery displayed in the forward image Im changes, making it impossible to properly adjust the cropping position of the cropped image Imc. Therefore, the control unit 19 adjusts the cropping position of the cropped image Imc only when the vehicle is stationary.

[0037] If the control unit 19 determines that the vehicle is stationary (step S101; Yes), it determines whether or not there has been contact with the drive recorder 1 based on the output of the contact sensor 5 (step S102). Based on this, the control unit 19 determines whether or not there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the front camera 4 has changed. If the contact sensor 5 does not detect any contact with the drive recorder 1 (step S102; No), the control unit 19 determines that there is no possibility that the shooting direction of the front camera 4 has changed, and returns to step S101.

[0038] On the other hand, if the control unit 19 determines that there has been contact with the drive recorder 1 based on the output of the contact sensor 5 (step S102; Yes), it determines that the shooting direction of the front camera 4 may have changed. In this case, the control unit 19 stores the cropped image Imc immediately before the contact was detected in the non-volatile memory 15 (step S103). Specifically, the control unit 19 writes the latest image from the cropped images Imc stored in the RAM 11 for a predetermined time period at the time of contact detection to the non-volatile memory 15. Then, the control unit 19 continues to monitor the output of the contact sensor 5 and determines whether or not there has been no contact with the drive recorder 1 (step S104).

[0039] Then, if the control unit 19 determines, based on the output of the contact sensor 5, that contact with the drive recorder 1 has ceased (step S104; Yes), it determines that the angle adjustment of the rearview mirror 12 is complete and the user's hand has been released from the drive recorder 1. In this case, the control unit 19 executes the cropping position adjustment process described later in Figure 5 (step S105). On the other hand, if the contact sensor 5 continues to detect contact with the drive recorder 1 (step S104; No), the control unit 19 continues to monitor the timing at which contact with the drive recorder 1 ceases in step S104.

[0040] (2) Cutting position adjustment process Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for adjusting the cropping position to be performed in step S105 of Figure 4. In general terms, the control unit 19 determines the cropping position of the cropped image Imc based on the positions of feature objects that are commonly seen in the cropped image Imc stored in the non-volatile memory 15 in step S103 of Figure 4 and the forward image Im currently being captured.

[0041] First, the control unit 19 detects features displayed in the cropped image Imc stored in the non-volatile memory 15 in step S103 of Figure 4, based on known image recognition processing (step S201). Here, "features" are landmark objects, such as white lines on a road, signs, traffic signs, buildings, trees, and other geographical features. Preferably, the control unit 19 detects features on the binarized image obtained by binarizing the cropped image Imc. Alternatively, the control unit 19 may store feature information of candidate objects that could become features in advance and detect features by referring to this feature information.

[0042] Next, the control unit 19 detects feature objects from the forward image Im acquired immediately from the forward-shooting camera 4, that is, from the forward image Im generated after contact is no longer detected in step S104 (step S202). In this case, preferably, the control unit 19 performs feature object detection on the binarized image obtained by binarizing the target forward image Im.

[0043] Then, the control unit 19 determines whether or not a feature identical to the feature detected in step S201 (also called a "common feature") was detected in step S202 (step S203). For example, in this case, the control unit 19 calculates feature quantities representing the color information and shape information of each feature detected in steps S201 and S202, and determines whether or not a common feature exists by comparing these feature quantities. In this case, the control unit 19 may score the degree of agreement between the features and consider a set of features with a score of a predetermined value or higher as a common feature.

[0044] Then, if the control unit 19 determines that a common feature exists (step S203; Yes), it changes the cropping position of the cropped image Imc based on the position of the common feature in the cropped image Imc before contact detection (step S204). Specifically, the control unit 19 changes the cropping position so that the position of the common feature in the cropped image Imc before contact detection matches the position of the common feature in the cropped image Imc based on the new cropping position. In this case, the control unit 19 may calculate the amount of movement of the common feature on the forward image Im before and after contact detection, and move the cropping position of the cropped image Imc by that amount of movement.

[0045] On the other hand, if the control unit 19 determines that no common features exist (step S203; No), it terminates the flowchart processing. In other words, in this case, the control unit 19 determines that it cannot determine the correspondence between the extracted image Imc stored in the non-volatile memory 15 and the current forward image Im, and terminates the flowchart processing.

[0046] (3) Specific example Next, a specific example of how to adjust the cropping position of the cropped image Imc based on Figures 4 and 5 will be explained with reference to Figure 6.

[0047] Figure 6(A) shows the cropping positions of the forward image Im and cropped image Imc, which were generated immediately before the angle adjustment of the rearview mirror 12. In the example in Figure 6(A), the shooting direction of the forward-facing camera 4 is directed towards the direction of vehicle travel, and the center of the forward image Im coincides with the center of the cropped image Imc.

[0048] Figure 6(B) shows the forward image Im after the driver adjusts the angle of the rearview mirror 12 while the vehicle is stopped. In the example in Figure 6(B), as the driver changes the angle of the rearview mirror 12, the shooting direction of the forward-facing camera 4 moves to the upper right. In this case, the control unit 19 detects contact with the drive recorder 1 using the contact sensor 5 (see step S102 in Figure 4) and writes the cropped image Imc, which was taken immediately before the angle of the rearview mirror 12 was changed and stored in the RAM 11, to the non-volatile memory 15 (see step S103).

[0049] Figure 6(C) shows the cropping position of the cropped image Imc set in the case of Figure 6(B). When the control unit 19 no longer detects contact with the drive recorder 1 by the contact sensor 5 (see step S104), it reads the cropped image Imc (see Figure 6(A)) written to the non-volatile memory 15. Then, the control unit 19 performs feature detection on both the read cropped image Imc and the forward image Im (see Figure 6(B)) immediately acquired from the forward camera 4 (see steps S201 and S202 in Figure 5). Here, the control unit 19 detects the traffic light as a common feature (see step S203).

[0050] The control unit 19 then recognizes the range in the forward image Im of Figure 6(B) that corresponds to the cropped image Imc of Figure 6(A) based on the position of the traffic light, which is a common feature, and sets that range as the cropping position for the cropped image Imc (see step S204). In this case, the cropped image Imc shown in Figure 6(A) and the cropped image Imc shown in Figure 6(C) have substantially the same display range. As a result, the display range of the cropped image Imc shown in Figure 6(C) is centered on the direction in front of the vehicle, even after changing the angle of the rearview mirror 12. In this way, the control unit 19 can suitably acquire a cropped image Imc that reflects the direction in front of the vehicle.

[0051] As described above, the drive recorder 1 according to this embodiment comprises a forward-facing camera 4 that captures the scenery in front of the vehicle and a control unit 19. The control unit 19 extracts a portion of the forward-facing image Im captured by the forward-facing camera 4 as a cropped image Imc. The control unit 19 determines whether or not there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the forward-facing camera 4 has changed. When the control unit 19 determines that there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the forward-facing camera 4 has changed, it determines the cropping position of the cropped image Imc such that the position of a feature in the cropped image Imc after the determination of the possibility substantially coincides with its position in the cropped image Imc before the determination of the possibility. In this way, the drive recorder 1 can display or store a cropped image Imc that has the same shooting range as before the shooting direction of the forward-facing camera 4 changed, without adjusting the angle of the forward-facing camera 4. Furthermore, by changing the cropping position only when there is a possibility that the shooting direction of the forward-facing camera 4 has changed, the drive recorder 1 can suitably reduce the processing load during normal operation.

[0052] [Differentiation] The following describes suitable modifications of the above-described embodiments. The following modifications may be applied to the above-described embodiments in any combination.

[0053] (Variation 1) The control unit 19 adjusted the cropping position of the cropped image Imc when the contact sensor 5 detected contact with the drive recorder 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this when applicable.

[0054] For example, the control unit 19 may, in addition to determining whether or not to adjust the cropping position based on the output of the contact sensor 5, or alternatively, determine whether or not to adjust the cropping position based on the power status of the drive recorder 1. In this example, the control unit 19 determines that the shooting direction of the front-facing camera 4 may have changed when the power of the drive recorder 1 is turned off (i.e., inactive) and then turned on again (i.e., inactive) while the vehicle is stopped, and adjusts the cropping position of the cropped image Imc. As a result, the control unit 19 can appropriately set the cropping position of the cropped image Imc even if the angle of the rearview mirror 12 is changed while the drive recorder 1 is powered off and cannot detect contact with the drive recorder 1 by the contact sensor 5.

[0055] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure for adjusting the cropping position of the cropped image Imc according to Modification 1. The control unit 19 repeatedly executes the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 7.

[0056] First, the control unit 19 determines whether or not it has received a power-off signal for the drive recorder 1 (step S301). For example, the control unit 19 determines whether or not it has received a power-off signal for the drive recorder 1 by detecting an input to the power switch, which is the operation unit 9. If the control unit 19 has not received a power-off signal for the drive recorder 1 (step S301; No), it continues to execute step S301.

[0057] Then, if the power off of drive recorder 1 is detected (step S301; Yes), the control unit 19 determines whether the vehicle is stationary or not (step S302). If the vehicle is stationary (step S302; Yes), the control unit 19 proceeds to step S303. On the other hand, if the vehicle is not stationary (step S302; No), the control unit 19 determines that the cropping position of the cropped image Imc cannot be adjusted and terminates the flowchart processing.

[0058] Next, if the control unit 19 confirms that the vehicle is stationary, it stores the image Imc extracted just before the drive recorder 1 is powered off in the non-volatile memory 15 (step S303). That is, the control unit 19 writes the latest image Imc stored in the RAM 11 to the non-volatile memory 15. After that, the drive recorder 1 transitions to the powered-off state.

[0059] Next, the control unit 19 determines whether or not it has received a power-on signal for the drive recorder 1 (step S304). If the control unit 19 has received a power-on signal for the drive recorder 1 (step S304; Yes), it determines whether or not the vehicle is stationary (step S305). If the vehicle is stationary (step S305; Yes), the control unit 19 determines the cropping position of the cropped image Imc in the forward image Im based on the cropped image Imc stored in the non-volatile memory 15 immediately before the power was turned off and the forward image Imc currently supplied from the forward-shooting camera 4 (step S306). In this case, the control unit 19 detects common features common to each image, similar to the cropping position adjustment process in Figure 5, and adjusts the cropping position of the cropped image Imc based on the position of the common features within each image. On the other hand, if the control unit 19 determines that the vehicle is not stopped (step S305; No), it terminates the flowchart processing without adjusting the cropping position of the cropped image Imc.

[0060] According to the process shown in Figure 7, even if the angle of the rearview mirror 12 is changed while the drive recorder 1 is powered off and contact with the drive recorder 1 cannot be detected by the contact sensor 5, the cropping position of the cropped image Imc can be appropriately set. In the example shown in Figure 7, the control unit 19 is an example of a "switching means" in the present invention.

[0061] In another example regarding the timing of adjusting the cutting position, the control unit 19 may determine whether or not to adjust the cutting position based on the driver's seating information or seat belt fastening information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 3.

[0062] For example, when using information about the driver's seat, the control unit 19 detects that the driver has left the driver's seat and then sits back in the driver's seat, and determines that the driver may have changed and adjusted the angle of the rearview mirror 12 (i.e., changed the shooting direction of the forward-facing camera 4). In this case, the control unit 19 compares the cropped image Imc immediately before the driver left the driver's seat with the forward-facing image Im when the driver sat back in the driver's seat, and adjusts the cropping position of the cropped image Imc.

[0063] Furthermore, when using seat belt fastening information, the control unit 19 detects that the driver's seat belt has been unfastened and then fastened again, and determines that the driver may have changed and the angle of the rearview mirror 12 may have been adjusted. In this case, the control unit 19 compares the cropped image Imc taken just before the seat belt was unfastened with the forward image Im taken when the seat belt was fastened, and adjusts the cropping position of the cropped image Imc.

[0064] (Modification 2) The forward-facing camera 4 may be a camera with a fixed shooting direction. In this case, for example, the control unit 19 accepts an adjustment of the cropping position of the cropped image Imc based on an operation to the operation unit 9, and adjusts it so that the center of the cropped image Imc coincides with a position in the direction of travel of the vehicle in its initial state. Even in this case, the control unit 19 can suitably and automatically adjust the cropping position of the cropped image Imc if the angle of the rearview mirror 12 is changed from the initial state when the vehicle is stopped.

[0065] (Variation 3) The drive recorder 1 may further include a camera that records the driver's seat, and may determine whether or not adjustment of the cropping position is necessary based on the image captured by the said camera.

[0066] Figure 8 shows a front view of the drive recorder 1A according to this modified example. As shown in Figure 8, the drive recorder 1A is equipped with a rear-facing camera 4R oriented in the positive Z-axis direction opposite to the front-facing camera 4. In this case, the shooting range of the rear-facing camera 4R includes the driver's seat. The rear-facing camera 4R is an example of the "second shooting means" in the present invention.

[0067] In this case, in the first example, the control unit 19 determines whether or not a person is sitting in the driver's seat based on the image captured by the rear-facing camera 4R (also called the "driver's seat camera image"). The control unit 19 then determines that there is a possibility that the driver has changed if the driver's seat camera image transitions from showing a person to not showing a person, and then shows a person again. Therefore, in this case, the control unit 19 compares the cropped image Imc taken just before the person leaves the driver's seat with the front image Im taken after the person sits back in the driver's seat, and adjusts the cropping position of the cropped image Imc.

[0068] In the second example, the control unit 19 may use known image recognition technology to identify the face (physiognomy) of the person sitting in the driver's seat based on the driver's seat camera image, and if it determines that a different person is sitting in the driver's seat than the person who was sitting there previously, it may adjust the cropping position of the cropped image Imc. In this case, the control unit 19 detects the face of the person sitting in the driver's seat based on the driver's seat camera image and identifies the face of the person sitting there by extracting predetermined feature information that indicates the features of the detected face.

[0069] (Modification 4) The drive recorder 1 may acquire information on the on / off status of the vehicle's accessory power supply via the vehicle information acquisition unit 3, and switch on and off in conjunction with the status of the vehicle's accessory power supply.

[0070] In this case, in step S201 of Figure 5, the control unit 19 determines that it has received a power-off signal for the drive recorder 1 when it determines, based on the information acquired from the vehicle information acquisition unit 3, that the vehicle's accessory power has switched from on to off. Similarly, in step S204, the control unit 19 determines that it has received a power-on signal for the drive recorder 1 when it determines, based on the information acquired from the vehicle information acquisition unit 3, that the vehicle's accessory power has switched from off to on. The drive recorder 1 then adjusts the cropping position of the cropped image Imc when the vehicle is stationary.

[0071] (Variation 5) In the above embodiment, the drive recorder 1 is equipped with clamping parts 14A to 14D for holding the drive recorder 1 in place by the genuine rearview mirror 12 attached to the vehicle. Alternatively, the drive recorder 1 may be built into the rearview mirror and replace the genuine rearview mirror attached to the vehicle, without the clamping parts 14A to 14D.

[0072] In another example, the drive recorder 1 may be a navigation device that does not have the function of storing the extracted image Imc at the time of the accident in the non-volatile memory 15. In this case, the navigation device detects lanes, the lighting status of traffic lights, preceding vehicles, etc., by image recognition processing on the extracted image Imc, and displays text images, graphic images, etc., based on the detection results on the extracted image Imc on the display 10, or outputs audio information.

[0073] In yet another example, the drive recorder 1 is not limited to one mounted on or built into the rearview mirror, but may also be applied to a navigation device integrated with a display mounted on the vehicle's dashboard, where the angle of the display can be changed to a position that is easily visible to the occupant. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] 1. Dashcam 3. Vehicle Information Acquisition Unit 4. Front-facing camera 4R Rear-facing camera 5. Contact Sensor 9 Control section 10 displays 11 RAM 12 Rearview mirror 15 Non-volatile memory 19 Control Unit

Claims

1. A camera mounted on a vehicle, A photographic means for photographing the front of the vehicle, Image control means for extracting a portion of the captured image, which is an image captured by the aforementioned shooting means, as a separate image; A determination means for determining whether or not the shooting direction of the shooting means can be changed based on information related to the driver's seat of the vehicle, Equipped with, The aforementioned photographic device is built into or mounted on in-vehicle equipment configured to be angle-adjustable for easy viewing by the vehicle driver, and is configured such that the shooting direction of the photographic means changes in accordance with the angle change of the in-vehicle equipment. The image control means, when the determination means determines that there is a possibility of change, adjusts the image cropping range after the determination so that the position of the first object in the cropped image before the determination and the position of the first object in the cropped image after the determination substantially coincide. A photographic device characterized by the following.

2. The photographing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination means determines that there is a possibility of change when information indicating that the driver has changed is obtained based on an image taken by a second photographing means that photographs the driver's seat of the vehicle.

3. The photographing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination means determines that there is a possibility of change when information is obtained indicating that the driver's seat of the vehicle has changed from an vacant state to a seated state.

4. The photographing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination means determines that there is a possibility of change when information is obtained indicating that the seat belt in the driver's seat of the vehicle has changed from an unfastened state to an fastened state.

5. A camera mounted on a vehicle, A photographic means for photographing the front of the vehicle, Image control means for extracting a portion of the captured image, which is an image captured by the aforementioned shooting means, as a separate image; A determination means for determining whether or not the shooting direction of the shooting means can be changed based on information regarding the operating state of the shooting device, Equipped with, The aforementioned photographic device is built into or mounted on in-vehicle equipment configured to be angle-adjustable for easy viewing by the vehicle driver, and is configured such that the shooting direction of the photographic means changes in accordance with the angle change of the in-vehicle equipment. The determination means determines that there is a possibility of change when it obtains information indicating that the imaging device has gone from an operating state to a non-operating state and then back to an operating state. The image control means is characterized in that, when the determination means determines that there is a possibility of change, it adjusts the image cropping range after the determination so that the position of the first object in the cropped image before the determination and the position of the first object in the cropped image after the determination substantially coincide.

6. The photographing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the in-vehicle equipment is a navigation device integrated with a display installed on the rearview mirror of the vehicle or on the dashboard of the vehicle.

7. A control method performed by a photographing device having a photographing means for photographing the front of a vehicle, which is mounted in a vehicle, is incorporated into or attached to in-vehicle equipment configured to change angle to a direction easily visible to the driver of the vehicle, and is configured so that the shooting direction changes in accordance with the change in angle of the in-vehicle equipment, Image control step of extracting a portion of the image captured by the aforementioned shooting means as an image, A determination step of determining whether or not the shooting direction of the shooting means can be changed based on information related to the driver's seat of the vehicle, It has, The image control step is a control method characterized in that, when the determination step determines that there is a possibility of change, the image cropping range after the determination is adjusted so that the position of the first object in the cropped image before the determination and the position of the first object in the cropped image after the determination substantially coincide.

8. A program executed by a computer of a camera having a camera means for photographing the front of a vehicle, which is mounted in a vehicle, is incorporated into or attached to in-vehicle equipment configured to be angle-adjustable to a direction easily visible to the driver of the vehicle, and is configured such that the shooting direction changes in accordance with the angle change of the in-vehicle equipment, The aforementioned computer, Image control means for extracting a portion of the image captured by the aforementioned shooting means as an image, and The determination means is configured to determine whether or not the shooting direction of the aforementioned shooting means can be changed, based on information related to the driver's seat of the vehicle. The image control means is a program characterized in that, when the determination means determines that there is a possibility of change, it adjusts the image cropping range after the determination so that the position of the first object in the cropped image before the determination and the position of the first object in the cropped image after the determination substantially coincide.

9. A control method performed by a photographing device having a photographing means for photographing the front of a vehicle, which is mounted in a vehicle, is incorporated into or attached to in-vehicle equipment configured to change angle to a direction easily visible to the driver of the vehicle, and is configured so that the shooting direction changes in accordance with the change in angle of the in-vehicle equipment, Image control step of extracting a portion of the image captured by the aforementioned shooting means as an image, A determination step of determining whether or not the shooting direction of the shooting means can be changed based on information regarding the operating state of the shooting device, It has, The determination step determines that there is a possibility of change when information is obtained indicating that the imaging device has gone from an operating state to a non-operating state and then back to an operating state. The image control step is a control method characterized in that, when the determination step determines that there is a possibility of change, the image cropping range after the determination is adjusted so that the position of the first object in the cropped image before the determination and the position of the first object in the cropped image after the determination substantially coincide.

10. A program executed by a computer of a camera having a camera means for photographing the front of a vehicle, which is mounted in a vehicle, is incorporated into or attached to in-vehicle equipment configured to be angle-adjustable to a direction easily visible to the driver of the vehicle, and is configured such that the shooting direction changes in accordance with the angle change of the in-vehicle equipment, The aforementioned computer, Image control means for extracting a portion of the image captured by the aforementioned shooting means as an image, and The determination means is configured to determine whether or not the shooting direction of the shooting means can be changed, based on information regarding the operating state of the shooting device. The determination means determines that there is a possibility of change when it obtains information indicating that the imaging device has gone from an operating state to a non-operating state and then back to an operating state. The image control means is a program characterized in that, when the determination means determines that there is a possibility of change, it adjusts the image cropping range after the determination so that the position of the first object in the cropped image before the determination and the position of the first object in the cropped image after the determination substantially coincide.

11. A storage medium characterized by storing the program described in claim 8 or 10 in a computer-readable manner.

Images