System and Program

Abstract

To provide a recording control system for controlling recording of behavior information of a vehicle, and a display control system for displaying the recorded behavior information of the vehicle.SOLUTION: A recording control system that performs control for recording behavior information of a vehicle over a predetermined period and specification information for specifying a time point at which a predetermined condition is satisfied in association with each other, the recording control system comprising: In a case where there is an overlapping period between the first period of vehicle behavior information already recorded and the second period of vehicle behavior information to be recorded when a predetermined condition is newly satisfied, the vehicle behavior information over the first period and the vehicle behavior information over the second period are recorded as vehicle behavior information over a series of periods, and identification information for identifying a point in time at which the predetermined condition is newly satisfied is recorded in association with the identification information recorded in association with the first period. Accordingly, it is possible to easily specify the behavior information of the vehicle required by itself from the behavior information of the vehicle over a series of periods.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording control system that performs control to record vehicle behavior information, a display control system that displays recorded vehicle behavior information, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In-vehicle recording devices that record surrounding video, vehicle speed, and the like when an impact is applied to a vehicle due to sudden braking, sudden steering, a collision, or the like, for example, drive recorders (including those referred to as event data recorders) are widely used. By equipping a vehicle with such a drive recorder, it is possible to verify the cause of an accident by analyzing the recorded information when an accident occurs.

[0003] There are also driving support devices that collect driving information such as camera images, vehicle speed, and GPS (Global Positioning System) position information recorded by drive recorders mounted on commercial vehicles such as trucks and taxis, allow operation managers and the like to check the content of the driving information, analyze the driving manner of each crew member, and use the results for driving education for the crew members. Such a driving support device can improve the safe driving awareness of drivers, and can also use the video recording daily driving situations for purposes such as safe driving guidance.

[0004] The drive recorder described in Patent Document 1 is configured not to newly start recording video information when a new recording condition is satisfied within a predetermined period after the recording condition is satisfied. Further, when a new recording condition is satisfied during the recording period of video information that is longer than the predetermined period after the recording condition is satisfied, the recording time of the video information is extended. This prevents the same video information from being redundantly recorded in a recording element with limited capacity when recording conditions are satisfied consecutively within a short period of time.

[0005] The drive recorder described in Patent Document 2 extends the recording time of the video data obtained from the previous recording condition to the end of the recording obtained from the new recording condition, if the start time of recording of video data obtained from the new recording condition is before the end time of recording obtained from the previous recording condition, after a predetermined period has elapsed since the previous recording condition was met. This allows for continuous recording of video data without interruption, even if recording conditions are met consecutively within a certain period of time. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4439549 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2007 / 066613 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] In the drive recorder described in Patent Document 1 above, if new recording conditions are met after the recording period for video information has ended, the new conditions are recorded as a separate data file. Therefore, each time new recording conditions are met, a new data file is created, resulting in an increase in the number of data files. Furthermore, if new recording conditions are met within a predetermined period after the initial conditions have been met, the recording of new video information is not started. This means that the recorded data for that period is missing, and there is a risk of missing important video information.

[0008] Furthermore, in the drive recorder described in Patent Document 2 above, if the video data at the time a new recording condition is met is more desirable than the video data at the time a previous recording condition is met, there is insufficient information to identify the time when the recording condition is met. For example, in the above-mentioned driver assistance device, when a fleet manager or the like searches for the time when a particular recording condition is met among many recording condition meetings, it is difficult to find the time when a new recording condition is met, making it difficult to find the data that is truly desired.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances illustrated above, and aims to provide a recording control system that can easily identify vehicle behavior information that the user needs from among vehicle behavior information over a series of periods, and a display control system that can easily identify vehicle behavior that the user needs from among vehicle behavior within a predetermined period. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a recording control system that performs control to record vehicle behavior information over a predetermined period of time and identification information that makes it possible to identify the time when the predetermined conditions are met, in association with the vehicle behavior information over a first period of time that has already been recorded and the vehicle behavior information over a second period of time that is newly recorded when the predetermined conditions are met, characterized in that, when there is an overlap in the period between the vehicle behavior over the first period of time and the vehicle behavior over the second period of time that is newly recorded when the predetermined conditions are met, the vehicle behavior over the first period and the vehicle behavior over the second period are recorded as a series of vehicle behavior information over a series of periods, and the identification information that makes it possible to identify the time when the predetermined conditions are newly met is recorded in association with the identification information recorded in association with the first period.

[0011] In the recording control system described in the first point above, multiple pieces of identification information are recorded in association with vehicle behavior information over a series of periods. Based on these multiple pieces of identification information, it is possible to easily identify the vehicle behavior information that the user needs from the vehicle behavior information over a series of periods.

[0012] In the recording control system described in the first point above, multiple pieces of identification information are recorded in association with vehicle behavior information over a series of periods. For example, based on the multiple pieces of identification information, it is possible to easily identify and use the vehicle behavior information that one needs from among a large number of "vehicle behavior information over a series of periods."

[0013] Furthermore, it is easy to identify and utilize the vehicle behavior information that one needs by taking into account the relationships between the points in time when multiple predetermined conditions are met over a series of periods. For example, if a sudden steering maneuver is followed by a rear-end collision, and then the vehicle is dragged with acceleration equivalent to that of the sudden steering maneuver, it is easy to identify the vehicle behavior information that one needs from among a large series of vehicle behavior information based on the relationships between the points in time when multiple predetermined conditions are met over a series of periods (e.g., whether they occurred or not).

[0014] Furthermore, it becomes possible to identify the vehicle behavior information one needs based on, for example, the number of times a series of predetermined conditions are met over a given period. For instance, it becomes easy to sequentially extract vehicle behavior information over a series of periods that contain a large amount of identifying information, and then analyze the movement of that vehicle behavior information, the identifying information, and the content of the vehicle behavior information at the time identified by that identifying information.

[0015] The point in time when the predetermined conditions are met may be, for example, the point in time when the value (magnitude) of acceleration (G data) detected by an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle exceeds a predetermined value, the point in time when the value detected inside the vehicle matches a pre-set value, or the point in time when a predetermined switch operation is performed by the user. In addition, the point in time when the predetermined conditions are met may be, for example, the point in time when an event equivalent to an accident occurs. For example, it may be the point in time when a sudden deceleration equivalent to a collision occurs.

[0016] Furthermore, if there is an overlap between the recording period of the series of periods described above and the recording period of vehicle behavior information that is recorded when other predetermined conditions are met, multiple pieces of identifying information may be recorded that allow for the identification of the vehicle behavior information for the series of periods and the other period, as well as the point in time when each predetermined condition is met.

[0017] For example, in a configuration that records identifying information for the first time a predetermined condition is met (without overlap with the previous period) and the second time a predetermined condition is met (with overlap with the previous period), if "vehicle behavior information over the first period already recorded" refers to the vehicle behavior information for the first period (without overlap with the previous period) recorded when the first predetermined condition is met, then "vehicle behavior information over the second period to be recorded when the predetermined condition is newly met" corresponds to the vehicle behavior information for the second period (with overlap with the first period) recorded when the second predetermined condition is met, and "vehicle behavior information over a series of periods" is controlled to be recorded as vehicle behavior information for a series of periods that continue across the first and second periods.

[0018] Furthermore, in an example of a configuration that records specific information for a third time point in addition to the specific information for the first and second time points mentioned above, if the "second period to be recorded when a new predetermined condition is met" is the third period, then the "vehicle behavior information over the first period that has already been recorded" corresponds to the vehicle behavior information over the first and second periods, and the "vehicle behavior information over a series of periods" is controlled to be recorded as vehicle behavior information for a series of periods that continue from the first, second, and third periods.

[0019] Furthermore, in an example configuration where, in addition to the identification information for the 1st to 3rd time points described above, identification information for the 4th time point is recorded, the "vehicle behavior information over the first period already recorded" is designated as the vehicle behavior information over the 1st to 3rd period, and the "second period to be recorded when a predetermined condition is newly met" is designated as the 4th period. By controlling the recording in the same manner as above, the vehicle behavior information for a series of periods continuing from the 1st to 4th period is recorded. The same procedure should then be followed for the 5th time and beyond.

[0020] The "time when the prescribed conditions are met" and the subsequent "time when the prescribed conditions are newly met" may be, for example, two or three or more consecutive time points within a short period of time. Specifically, they may be times when the vehicle is subjected to consecutive impacts, such as a collision immediately after a sudden steering maneuver.

[0021] Identification information is information used to identify the point in time when certain conditions are met, and may include, for example, time information such as the configuration of the 11th perspective.

[0022] Vehicle behavior information can include, for example, acceleration information detected by an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle, vehicle location information detected by a GPS receiver, speed information detected by a speed sensor mounted on the vehicle, and video information captured around the vehicle.

[0023] For example, suppose acceleration information is recorded at 10-millisecond (ms) intervals and position information is recorded at 0.2-second (200 ms) intervals. This vehicle behavior information is recorded as a series of (vehicle behavior information) data (for example, in one file) over a period of 10 seconds before and 5 seconds after the time when a predetermined condition is met. Subsequently, for example, if a predetermined condition is met again 7 seconds after the time when the above predetermined condition was met, the system is processed to record the (vehicle behavior information) data from the end of the previously closed file, for example, as in the configuration of the 9th perspective. Alternatively, for example, as in the configuration of the 10th perspective, the system is processed to identify the position in the previous file 2 seconds before the time when the new predetermined condition was met (i.e., when the previous file was closed) and record the (vehicle behavior information) data from that position onward. Furthermore, if a predetermined condition is met again within 10 seconds after the time when the previous predetermined condition was met (i.e., within the set recording time before the time when the predetermined condition was met), the system is processed to record the (vehicle behavior information) data from the end of the previous file, for example.

[0024] Further, the configuration is preferably such that a plurality of pieces of vehicle behavior information over the series of periods can be recorded. That is, vehicle behavior information over a predetermined period that does not overlap with other periods may be recorded as vehicle behavior information over another predetermined period (for example, another series of vehicle behavior information). In this way, it is possible to easily identify the vehicle behavior information over the series of periods that one needs from among the plurality of pieces of vehicle behavior information over respective series of periods. For example, by focusing on the difference in the length of periods, or focusing on the relevance of a plurality of pieces of identification information included in each piece of vehicle behavior information over the respective series of periods, it is possible to easily find out which piece of vehicle behavior information over a series of periods corresponds to the vehicle behavior information over the series of periods that one needs. It is also possible to compare vehicle behavior information over a series of periods with vehicle behavior information that does not span a series of periods, so as to identify the vehicle behavior information over a predetermined period that one needs. Then, as described above, it is also possible to easily identify the vehicle behavior information that one needs based on the plurality of pieces of identification information, from the vehicle behavior information over the series of periods that one has identified as needed in this manner.

[0025] In a second aspect, the present invention is the recording control system according to the first aspect, characterized in that the series of periods is a continuous series of periods extending from the start point of the first period to the end point of the second period.

[0026] In the recording control system according to the second aspect described above, it is possible to easily identify the vehicle behavior information that one needs from the vehicle behavior information over the continuous series of periods extending from the start point of the first period to the end point of the second period. Further, for example, by providing a configuration that starts playback and display of the vehicle behavior information from the start point of the first period and performs playback and display of the vehicle behavior information up to the end point of the second period, it is possible to analyze the vehicle behavior information over the entire predetermined period when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0027] In a third aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in the recording control system according to the first or second aspect, the predetermined period is different depending on the type of predetermined condition.

[0028] In the recording control system described in the third perspective above, the predetermined period can be set to a different length depending on the type of predetermined condition. For example, the recording period (time) for vehicle behavior information recorded when a predetermined condition is met can be made longer for types that require a long time and shorter for types that only require a short time, thus allowing the length of the recording period (time) for vehicle behavior information to differ depending on the type of predetermined condition.

[0029] Examples of predetermined conditions include: (1) when a predetermined switch operation is performed by the user; (2) when the value (magnitude) of acceleration (G data) detected by a G sensor mounted on the vehicle exceeds a predetermined value due to impact (collision), etc.; (3) when a signal input is received from an external port; and (4) when a command is received via communication (e.g., RS-232C) from an external device such as an AVM-ECU.

[0030] In a fourth aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a recording control system according to any of the first to third aspects, a plurality of specific information within a series of periods is recorded in association with each other, and the plurality of specific information within the series of periods and the plurality of specific information outside the series of periods are recorded in a manner that allows for distinction between them.

[0031] In the recording control system according to the fourth perspective described above, multiple pieces of specific information within a given period and multiple pieces of specific information outside of that period are recorded in a distinguishable manner, so that they can be searched separately or displayed separately on a display device.

[0032] In a fifth aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a recording control system according to any of the first to fourth aspects, each of a plurality of identifying information records vehicle behavior information within the corresponding series of periods in a manner that allows for the identification of the vehicle.

[0033] In the recording control system according to the fifth perspective described above, vehicle behavior information within a series of periods can be identified based on multiple pieces of identifying information, and for example, it is possible to separate and extract the behavior information of each identified vehicle.

[0034] In a sixth aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a recording control system according to any of the first to fifth aspects, the behavior information of the vehicle over the series of periods is recorded in a single data file.

[0035] In the recording control system described in the sixth point above, vehicle behavior information over a series of periods is compiled into a single data file, making data management easier. For example, it becomes easy to move or copy vehicle behavior information over a series of periods to another recording medium or recording device, or to load it into a personal computer (PC). For example, to "record vehicle behavior information over a series of periods," it is advisable to record it in a single data file.

[0036] In a seventh aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a recording control system according to any of the first to fifth aspects, the vehicle behavior information and the identification information are recorded in a single data file.

[0037] In the recording control system described in the seventh point above, vehicle behavior information and identification information are consolidated into a single data file, making data management easier. For example, it becomes easy to move or copy vehicle behavior information over a series of periods to another recording medium or recording device, or to load it into a personal computer (PC). For example, vehicle behavior information may be recorded with additional identifying information. Specifically, vehicle behavior information such as time, position (latitude, longitude), X acceleration (vehicle longitudinal direction), Y acceleration (vehicle lateral direction), Z acceleration (vehicle vertical direction), and vehicle speed may be recorded with behavior type information as identifying information. For example, if the behavior type information is "0", it may indicate "no behavior occurred", if it is "1", it may indicate "X acceleration exceeded (i.e., a predetermined condition was met)", if it is "2", it may indicate "Y acceleration exceeded", and so on.

[0038] In the eighth aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a recording control system according to any of the first to fifth aspects, the identification information is recorded in a separate data file from the data file that records the vehicle behavior information in a manner that allows for the identification of the relationship between the two.

[0039] In the recording control system described in the eighth point above, the data file that records the identification information and the data file that records the vehicle behavior information are separate data files, so the identification information and the vehicle behavior information can be managed separately. For example, it is easy to move or copy only the identification information or only the vehicle behavior information to a different recording medium or recording device, or to load it into a personal computer (PC).

[0040] In the ninth aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a recording control system according to any of the first to eighth aspects, the vehicle behavior information of the second period, which is the portion of the vehicle behavior information that follows the last part of the vehicle behavior information recorded in the first period, is recorded.

[0041] In the recording control system according to the ninth perspective described above, the vehicle behavior information for the second period is recorded immediately after the end of the vehicle behavior information recorded in the first period. Therefore, vehicle behavior information spanning a series of periods can be recorded as vehicle behavior information that is neither missing nor duplicated.

[0042] In a tenth aspect, the present invention provides a recording control system according to any of the first to ninth aspects, wherein a point in the second period that coincides with the end of the first period is identified, and the vehicle behavior information from that point onward is recorded following the vehicle behavior information for the first period.

[0043] In the recording control system according to the tenth perspective described above, the point in the second period that coincides with the end of the first period is identified, and the vehicle behavior information from that point onward is recorded immediately after the vehicle behavior information of the first period. Therefore, the vehicle behavior information over a series of periods can be recorded as vehicle behavior information that is neither missing nor duplicated.

[0044] In the eleventh aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a recording control system according to any of the first to tenth aspects, the identifying information is time information indicating the time when the predetermined conditions are met, and the time of occurrence of the vehicle behavior information is recorded in a way that allows for identification.

[0045] In the recording control system described in the 11th point above, the time of occurrence of vehicle behavior information can be identified based on the time information at the point in time when predetermined conditions are met. For example, it becomes possible to grasp the time of occurrence of individual vehicle behavior information in a series of vehicle behavior information over a period of time.

[0046] In a twelfth aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a recording control system according to any of the first to tenth aspects, the identifying information is time information from the time of a reference point to the time when the predetermined conditions are met, and the time of occurrence of the vehicle behavior information is recorded in a way that allows for identification.

[0047] In the recording control system described in the 12th point above, the time of occurrence of vehicle behavior information can be identified based on time information from a reference point to the time when predetermined conditions are met. For example, it becomes possible to grasp the time of occurrence of individual vehicle behavior information in a series of vehicle behavior information over a period of time as elapsed time from the reference point. The reference point time can be, for example, the start time of a series of periods, and the elapsed time from this start time to the time when the predetermined conditions are met.

[0048] In a thirteenth aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a recording control system according to any of the first to twelfth aspects, the vehicle behavior information is information acquired repeatedly at predetermined time intervals, and the time when the predetermined conditions are met is a time that coincides with any of the predetermined time intervals.

[0049] In the recording control system described in the 13th point above, when vehicle behavior information is repeatedly acquired at predetermined time intervals, the point in time when predetermined conditions are met can be made to coincide with the point in time when the vehicle behavior information was acquired. Therefore, it becomes possible to acquire vehicle behavior information as information for a point in time identified by the identification information (i.e., the point in time when predetermined conditions are met). For example, if the vehicle behavior information is location information calculated by GPS (Global Positioning System) at 1-second intervals, and the time when a predetermined condition is met is 0.6 seconds after the time when the location information from GPS is acquired, then it is appropriate to generate the time information as identifying information, for example, assuming that the predetermined condition was met at the time the location information from GPS was acquired.

[0050] In a fourteenth aspect, the present invention provides a program for a computer to implement the functions of a recording control system according to any of the first to thirteenth aspects.

[0051] In a fifteenth aspect, the present invention provides a display control system that displays information based on multiple vehicle behaviors within a predetermined period for a point in time when a predetermined condition is met, based on vehicle behavior data recorded in association with a plurality of identifying information that allows for the identification of the point in time when the predetermined condition is met, each of which identifies the point in time when the predetermined condition is met.

[0052] In the display control system described in the 15th perspective above, information based on multiple vehicle behaviors within a predetermined period at the point in time when predetermined conditions identified by each of the multiple pieces of identification information are met is displayed. Therefore, based on the information based on multiple vehicle behaviors, it is possible to easily identify the vehicle behavior that the user needs from among the vehicle behaviors within the predetermined period. For example, by analyzing or searching multiple pieces of specific information, it is possible to easily find multiple vehicle behaviors that meet the desired predetermined conditions from among multiple points in time when the predetermined conditions are met.

[0053] In the recording control system described in the 15th perspective above, information based on multiple vehicle behaviors within a predetermined period at a point in time identified by multiple pieces of identifying information is displayed. For example, based on information based on multiple vehicle behaviors within a predetermined period, it is possible to easily identify and use the vehicle behavior that the user needs from among a large number of "vehicle behaviors within a predetermined period".

[0054] Furthermore, it is easy to identify and utilize the vehicle behavior one needs by considering the relationships between the points in time when multiple predetermined conditions are met within a predetermined period. For example, if a sudden steering maneuver is followed by a rear-end collision, and then the vehicle is dragged with acceleration equivalent to that of the sudden steering maneuver, it is easy to identify the vehicle behavior one needs from among a number of predetermined vehicle behaviors based on the relationships between the points in time when multiple predetermined conditions are met within a predetermined period (e.g., whether they occurred).

[0055] Furthermore, it becomes possible to identify the vehicle behavior one needs based on, for example, the number of times a predetermined condition is met within a predetermined period. For example, it becomes easy to sequentially extract vehicle behavior over a predetermined period that has a large amount of identifying information, and then analyze the content of that vehicle behavior, such as the movement of the vehicle, the identifying information, and the vehicle behavior at the time identified by the identifying information.

[0056] By verifying vehicle behavior using this type of display, it becomes easy to analyze and search for information about the vehicle's behavior over time and its content. Furthermore, for example, such a display should be configured to show each item individually, allowing for searches based on each item alone, or by performing logical OR, logical AND, etc., on multiple items. Furthermore, the events that occurred when the recording conditions were met can also be represented in a tabular format, for example, by displaying them in a list or table.

[0057] For example, if vehicle behavior information includes the start time, and the specific information is the elapsed time from the start time of that behavior information, it is better not to display the elapsed time itself, but rather to display the time obtained by adding the elapsed time to the start time.

[0058] In a sixteenth aspect, the present invention provides a display control system according to the fifteenth aspect, comprising a selection display unit that selectably displays one vehicle behavior data including a plurality of specific information from a plurality of vehicle behavior data, and based on the selected vehicle behavior data, displays information based on a plurality of vehicle behaviors within a predetermined period at the point in time when a predetermined condition identified by each of the plurality of specific information is met.

[0059] In the display control system according to the 16th perspective described above, a selection display unit can be used to select one vehicle behavior data from among multiple vehicle behavior data, and information based on multiple vehicle behaviors can be displayed for a point in time identified by multiple identification information based on the selected vehicle behavior data.

[0060] In the seventeenth aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in the display control system according to the sixteenth aspect, the selection display unit displays information at a time point identified by each of the plurality of identifying information included in the vehicle behavior data, for each selectable unit of vehicle behavior data.

[0061] In the display control system according to the 17th perspective described above, the information of the point in time identified by each of the multiple pieces of identification information is displayed in the selection display section for each selectable unit of vehicle behavior data. Therefore, it is easy to find the information of the point in time that satisfies the predetermined conditions required from this identified point in time information.

[0062] In the eighteenth aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a display control system according to any of the fifteenth to seventeenth aspects, the information of the specified time includes type information indicating the type of the predetermined condition at the time specified by each of the plurality of identifying information.

[0063] In the display control system according to the 18th perspective described above, the type of predetermined condition at the time specified by each of the multiple pieces of identification information can be determined based on type information indicating the type of predetermined condition. For example, among the time points identified by each of the multiple pieces of identifying information, (a) the first time point should indicate that the acceleration (G data) value (magnitude) has exceeded a predetermined value due to a collision or other event, and (b) the second time point should indicate that a switch operation has been performed.

[0064] In a 19th aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a display control system according to the 18th aspect, the type information is displayed on the selection display unit in a different display manner for each time point specified by each of the plurality of specific information, based on the type information.

[0065] In the display control system according to the 19th viewpoint described above, the type information of predetermined conditions is displayed in a different display manner at each point in time in the selection display unit. Therefore, based on the type of predetermined condition displayed in the selection display unit, it is possible to easily select one vehicle behavior data from among multiple vehicle behavior data. For example, in the selection display area, the first type of information (text indicating the type, such as collision) could be displayed using a yellow font, fill, or background, while the second type of information (text indicating the type, such as switch) could be displayed using a green font, fill, or background.

[0066] In a 20th aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a display control system according to any of the 15th to 17th aspects, the vehicle behavior data includes time information indicating the time of the point in time identified by each of the plurality of identifying information.

[0067] In the display control system described in the 20th perspective above, the time of the point in time identified by each of the multiple pieces of identifying information can be determined based on the time information.

[0068] In the 21st aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a display control system according to the 20th aspect, the time is displayed on the selection display unit in a different display manner for each point in time specified by each of the plurality of specific information, based on the time information.

[0069] In the display control system according to the 21st viewpoint described above, the time is displayed in a different display manner for each point in time in the selection display unit, so that one vehicle behavior data can be easily selected from among multiple vehicle behavior data based on the time displayed in the selection display unit. For example, in the selection display area, the first time (the numerical value indicating the time) could be displayed using a yellow font, fill, or background, and the second time (the numerical value indicating the time) could be displayed using a green font, fill, or background.

[0070] In the 22nd aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a display control system according to any of the 16th to 21st aspects, when one vehicle behavior data is selected, a series of vehicle behavior information over a predetermined period based on the selected vehicle behavior data is displayed in a state in which the vehicle behavior information corresponding to the time point specified by each of the plurality of identifying information can be identified.

[0071] In the display control system described in the 22nd perspective above, a series of vehicle behavior information based on selected vehicle behavior data can be visually distinguished at a glance, allowing for the identification of vehicle behavior information corresponding to the point in time identified by each of the multiple pieces of identification information. For example, vehicle behavior information corresponding to a specific point in time within a series of vehicle behavior information can be displayed using a yellow line or yellow frame. Furthermore, a series of vehicle behavior information other than the camera images mentioned above, such as acceleration information, vehicle position information, and vehicle speed information, may be displayed as graphs for acceleration and speed data, or as locations on a map. Vehicle behavior information corresponding to a specific point in time should be displayed in the graph or map by drawing lines in a different color from other points in time, or by marking them with dots or other symbols.

[0072] In a 23rd aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a display control system according to the 22nd aspect, vehicle behavior information corresponding to a point in time identified by each of the plurality of identifying pieces of information, and vehicle behavior information that does not correspond to that point in time, are displayed in different display modes.

[0073] In the display control system described in the 23rd point above, vehicle behavior information corresponding to a point in time identified by each of the multiple pieces of identification information, and vehicle behavior information that does not correspond to that point in time, can be easily distinguished and viewed at a glance. For example, vehicle behavior information corresponding to a specific point in time should be displayed with yellow lines, frames, dots, or marks, while vehicle behavior information that does not correspond should either not be displayed at all or should be displayed with green lines, frames, dots, or marks.

[0074] In a 24th aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a display control system according to the 22nd or 23rd aspect, the vehicle behavior information corresponding to a time point identified by each of the plurality of identifying information is displayed in a different display manner for each identified time point.

[0075] In the display control system described in the 24th perspective above, vehicle behavior information corresponding to the point in time identified by each of the multiple pieces of identification information is displayed in a different display manner for each point in time, so that the vehicle behavior information for each point in time can be distinguished and viewed at a glance. For example, vehicle behavior information corresponding to the first point in time can be displayed with yellow lines, frames, dots, or marks, while vehicle behavior information corresponding to the second point in time can be displayed with green lines, frames, dots, or marks.

[0076] In the 25th aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a display control system according to any of the 22nd to 24th aspects, vehicle behavior information corresponding to the time points identified by each of the plurality of identifying information is displayed in order of time points that satisfy predetermined conditions.

[0077] In the display control system described in the 25th perspective above, the vehicle behavior information corresponding to the time point identified by each of the multiple pieces of identification information is displayed in the order in which predetermined conditions are met, making it easy to grasp the order in which the vehicle behavior information occurred at each time point.

[0078] In the 26th aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a display control system according to any of the 22nd to 25th aspects, the series of vehicle behavior information includes image information relating to vehicle behavior.

[0079] In the display control system described in the 26th perspective above, image information related to vehicle behavior can be viewed as a series of vehicle behavior information. The image information could, for example, be camera images taken of the area around the vehicle by a camera installed on the vehicle.

[0080] In the 27th aspect, the present invention relates to a display control system according to any of the 16th to 26th aspects, characterized in that the first information displayed on the selection display unit based on each of the multiple specific information included in the selected vehicle behavior data, and the second information displayed on a display unit other than the selection display unit based on each of the multiple specific information, are displayed in the same display manner, with the first and second information being based on specific information that identifies the same time period among the multiple specific information.

[0081] In the display control system according to the 27th perspective described above, the first and second pieces of information, based on identifying information that identifies the same point in time, are displayed in the same display manner in the selection display unit and the display units other than the selection display unit. Therefore, within the entire display unit, including the selection display unit and the display units other than the selection display unit, the first and second pieces of information for the same point in time can be easily distinguished and viewed at a glance. For example, the first piece of information based on identifying information that identifies the first point in time (e.g., type information indicating the type of a predetermined condition) may be displayed in the selection display area using yellow font, fill, or background, while the second piece of information based on the same identifying information that identifies the first point in time (e.g., vehicle behavior information such as image information) may be displayed in the display area other than the selection display area using yellow lines, frames, dots, or marks. Similarly, the first and second pieces of information based on identifying information that identifies the second point in time may be displayed in green or another color in the selection display area and the display area other than the selection display area, respectively.

[0082] In the 28th aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a display control system according to any of the 15th to 27th aspects, the information at a point in time identified by each of the plurality of identifying information is displayed in a way that allows for the identification of the time series of changes in behavior data included in the vehicle behavior information over a predetermined period.

[0083] In the display control system described in the 28th perspective above, the information at a specified point in time is displayed in a way that allows for the identification of the time series of changes in behavioral data, making it easy to grasp the behavioral data at that point in time. For example, on a time chart that displays changes in behavioral data such as G-force data and vehicle speed data over time, it is helpful to indicate specific points in time using dots (markers) or vertical lines on the time axis (horizontal axis).

[0084] In the 29th aspect, the present invention is characterized in that, in a display control system according to any of the 15th to 28th aspects, the vehicle behavior data includes location information indicating the vehicle's position at a point in time identified by each of the plurality of identifying information, and the system displays the corresponding location on a map based on the location information.

[0085] In the display control system described in the 29th perspective above, the vehicle's position on the map at a specified point in time is displayed based on location information, making it easy to understand the vehicle's position at that point in time.

[0086] In a 30th aspect, the present invention provides a program for a computer to implement the functions of a display control system according to any of the 15th to 29th aspects. [Effects of the Invention]

[0087] According to the recording control system and display control system of the present invention, it is possible to easily identify vehicle behavior information that the user needs from vehicle behavior information over a series of periods, and it is also possible to easily identify vehicle behavior that the user needs from vehicle behavior within a predetermined period. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0088] [Figure 1] This figure shows the schematic configuration of the driver assistance system according to Example 1. [Figure 2]This diagram conceptually illustrates the data structure of the contents recorded on the memory card 25. [Figure 3] This figure illustrates the changes in acceleration and the method for storing images, etc., when the predetermined conditions are met according to Example 1. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the memory processing of the drive recorder according to Example 1. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the thumbnail image creation and display process according to Example 1. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the process for creating and displaying a time chart image according to Example 1. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the process of creating and displaying a map image according to Example 1. [Figure 8] This is a screen display diagram showing an example of how thumbnail images and the like are displayed according to Example 1. [Figure 9] This is a diagram illustrating the method for storing images and the like according to Example 2. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of a display screen for thumbnail images, etc. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0089] Hereinafter, a display control system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not to be construed as being limited thereto, and various changes, modifications, and improvements may be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Examples]

[0090] [Example 1] <Configuration of the driver assistance system> Figure 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a driver assistance system according to Embodiment 1 of the display control system of the present invention.

[0091] As shown in Figure 1, the driver assistance system consists of a drive recorder 10 mounted on the vehicle, a memory card 25 that stores images in the drive recorder 10 when predetermined conditions are met, and a driver assistance device 30 for playing back the images stored in the memory card 25.

[0092] The drive recorder 10 includes a first control unit 11, an acceleration sensor (G sensor) 12, a gyro sensor 13, a barometric pressure sensor 14, a GPS antenna 15, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 16 that determines the GPS position information of the vehicle from the GPS signal received by the GPS antenna 15, a first operation unit 17 which includes switches, buttons, etc., a first memory 18 for primary storage of images, a first IF (interface) 19 which has a slot for inserting a memory card 25 and for writing images to the memory card 25, a CCD camera 20 installed in the vehicle to continuously capture images of the area in front of the vehicle at a predetermined rate, a vehicle signal acquisition unit 21, and a power supply unit 22 for supplying power to each element of the drive recorder 10.

[0093] Furthermore, the drive recorder 10 may be configured to work in conjunction with a navigation device (not shown) to play back images on the navigation device's display. In addition, although not strictly necessary, the GPS receiver 16 may be configured to acquire location information received by an external device, such as an AVM (Automatic Vehicle Monitoring) system or a navigation device.

[0094] The first control unit 11 is composed of a microcontroller including a CPU, ROM, and RAM, and is responsible for controlling the overall operation of the drive recorder 10.

[0095] The G-sensor 12 detects gravitational acceleration (hereinafter simply referred to as acceleration) in two mutually orthogonal axes (X axis and Y axis), and transmits the detected acceleration (also referred to as G data) along with time data to the first control unit 11. The first control unit 11 can acquire the G data (Gx, Gy) output from the G-sensor 12 at intervals of, for example, 10 milliseconds, and determine the value (magnitude) of the acceleration from the G data.

[0096] Note that Gx represents acceleration in the X-axis direction (forward / backward direction of the vehicle), and Gy represents acceleration in the Y-axis direction (left / right direction of the vehicle). In addition, a 3-axis G sensor 12 may be used, which also includes the Z-axis direction (up / down direction of the vehicle), and in the case of a 3-axis sensor, the data for the Z-axis acceleration Gz does not need to be used.

[0097] The gyro sensor 13 detects the angular acceleration (rotation) of the vehicle, primarily detecting changes in the vehicle's direction of travel (i.e., rotation of the yaw (Z-axis), which is the vertical axis), and transmits the detected angular acceleration data along with time data to the first control unit 11. The first control unit 11 can acquire the angular acceleration data output from the gyro sensor 13 at intervals of, for example, 10 milliseconds, and determine the value (magnitude) of the angular acceleration from the angular acceleration data.

[0098] The pressure sensor 14 detects the atmospheric pressure outside the vehicle, calculates the altitude based on the detected pressure value, and transmits the pressure value and altitude value (pressure-altitude data) along with time data to the first control unit 11. The first control unit 11 can acquire the pressure-altitude data output from the pressure sensor 14 at intervals of, for example, 10 milliseconds, and determine the pressure-altitude value (magnitude) from the pressure-altitude data.

[0099] The first control unit 11 controls the CCD camera 20 to capture one image every 100 milliseconds and to sequentially and cyclically store the captured images in the first memory 18 along with time data (primary storage for storage to the memory card 25, which will be described later). For example, the system is configured so that 24 seconds' worth of image data (240 images) captured by the CCD camera 20 is always stored in the first memory 18. Note that the images captured by the CCD camera 20 do not have to be one every 100 milliseconds; for example, one image every 50 milliseconds. The system is also configured to store video footage captured by the CCD camera 20.

[0100] The vehicle signal acquisition unit 21 connects to the vehicle's fault diagnosis connector and acquires various vehicle signals and information (vehicle data) at intervals of, for example, 100 milliseconds, and transmits the acquired vehicle data along with time data to the first control unit 11. Examples of vehicle data include: [1] signals detecting brake operation during vehicle operation, [2] signals detecting turn signal operation, [3] signals detecting accelerator operation, [4] signals detecting steering wheel rotation, [5] signals detecting shift lever position, [6] signals detecting parking brake operation, [7] vehicle fault diagnosis information obtained from the vehicle's on-board diagnostic system (OBD) (vehicle speed, engine speed, coolant temperature, etc.), and [8] various vehicle information obtained via the in-vehicle LAN (CAN) (function control data from the vehicle's ECU (Electronic Control Unit), communication data from external networks or other vehicles, etc.).

[0101] For example, when the vehicle signal acquisition unit 21 acquires a signal indicating that a brake operation has been detected, it transmits brake operation data indicating whether or not the vehicle's brakes have been operated, brake operation start time data indicating the time when the brake operation began, and brake operation end time data indicating the time when the brake operation ended to the first control unit 11. That is, based on the brake operation data, brake operation start time data, and brake operation end time data from the vehicle signal acquisition unit 21, the first control unit 11 can determine whether or not a brake operation was performed, the time when the brake operation began, and the time when the brake operation ended.

[0102] As another example, when the vehicle signal acquisition unit 21 acquires a signal detecting steering wheel rotation, it transmits steering wheel rotation data indicating whether or not the vehicle's steering wheel was rotated, steering wheel rotation start time data indicating the time when the steering wheel rotation began, and steering wheel rotation end time data indicating the time when the steering wheel rotation ended to the first control unit 11. That is, the first control unit 11 can determine whether or not the steering wheel was rotated, the time when the steering wheel rotation began, and the time when the steering wheel rotation ended based on the steering wheel rotation data, steering wheel rotation start time data, and steering wheel rotation end time data from the vehicle signal acquisition unit 21.

[0103] Furthermore, some or all of the GPS antenna 15, GPS receiver 16, first IF 19, CCD camera 20, vehicle signal acquisition unit 21, etc., may be configured separately from the drive recorder 10. For example, if it is linked with an existing navigation device that has GPS functionality, the drive recorder 10 does not need functions such as the GPS receiver 16, and therefore the cost of the drive recorder 10 can be kept lower.

[0104] The driver assistance device 30 includes a second control unit 31, a display unit 32 consisting of a display or the like, an output unit 33 consisting of a printer or the like for printing the display screen onto paper, a second operation unit 34 consisting of input devices such as a keyboard and mouse, a second memory 35 for primary storage of images, a second IF (interface) 36 including a slot for inserting a memory card 25 and for reading images from the memory card 25, and an image processing unit 37 for performing predetermined image processing on the input image.

[0105] The second control unit 31 is a personal computer (PC) that includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and has driver assistance software installed on it. It interprets and executes the programs included in the driver assistance software to operate each component of the driver assistance device 30 and realize the various functions related to the characteristic parts of the present invention.

[0106] The memory card 25 is a rewritable, non-volatile semiconductor memory card with a storage capacity of 2 GB. This memory card 25 is inserted into a slot constituting the first IF 19, and a predetermined image (for example, an image for 10 seconds before the predetermined condition is met and an image for 5 seconds after the predetermined condition is met) that is always cyclically stored in the first memory 18 is stored in the memory card 25 for a predetermined period before and after the predetermined condition is met. After that, the memory card 25 is ejected from the slot constituting the first IF 19 and reinserted into a slot constituting the second IF 36, and the stored image is output to the driver assistance device 30.

[0107] Although a semiconductor memory card was used as the memory card 25, it is not limited to this, and other types of semiconductor memory, portable hard disks (HDs), and other storage media can be used. Furthermore, the storage capacity of the memory card, etc., is arbitrary and can be freely determined according to the application.

[0108] When predetermined conditions are met (i.e., when an event occurs that should be recorded by the drive recorder 10), specifically, (a) when the vehicle is subjected to an impact due to an event (incident) equivalent to the occurrence of an accident, such as sudden braking, sudden steering, collision, or other event (incident), and the value (magnitude) of the G data output from the G sensor 12 installed inside exceeds a predetermined threshold, or (b) when the emergency switch on the first operation unit 17 is pressed, the drive recorder 10 detects that the predetermined conditions have been met and acquires various data for several seconds to more than ten seconds before and after that time (for example, 10 seconds before and 5 seconds after), along with the data of the time the predetermined conditions were met, and records them on the memory card 25 as a single piece of driving information.

[0109] The driving information recorded on the memory card 25 includes G data output from the G sensor 12, angular acceleration data output from the gyro sensor 13, barometric pressure and altitude data output from the barometric pressure sensor 14, GPS position information determined by the GPS receiver 16, camera image data captured by the CCD camera 20, and various vehicle signals and information acquired by the vehicle signal acquisition unit 21 (detection data such as brake operation and steering wheel rotation, vehicle speed data, etc.).

[0110] The drive recorder 10 records various driving data onto the memory card 25, associating each of multiple camera images with several seconds to tens of seconds before and after the event to be recorded occurs and predetermined conditions are met (for example, 10 seconds before and 5 seconds after).

[0111] <Data structure of memory card> Next, with reference to Figure 2, the data structure of the contents recorded on the memory card 25 will be explained. Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the data structure of the contents recorded on the memory card 25.

[0112] As shown in Figure 2, the memory card 25 records the corresponding driving information for each predetermined condition that is met, categorized as Driving Information 1, Driving Information 2, and Driving Information 3. Driving Information 1 consists of 150 camera images 1 to 150, corresponding to 15 seconds before and after the predetermined condition is met (10 seconds before and 5 seconds after), and image-related information including other driving information besides the camera images. The image-related information includes main item data, which includes the G data and time data for when the predetermined condition is met, and related data 1 to 150, which correspond to each of the 150 camera images 1 to 150. The same applies to Driving Information 2 and 3.

[0113] The main data items include G-data, angular acceleration data, barometric pressure / altitude data, and their respective time data. Image-related data includes the date and time the camera image was taken, various vehicle signals and information at the time the camera image was taken (detection data such as brake operation and steering wheel rotation, vehicle speed data, etc.), and the vehicle's GPS location information.

[0114] <Method for storing acceleration changes and images, etc., when predetermined conditions are met> Next, referring to Figures 3 and 4, we will explain how the acceleration (G data) detected by the G sensor 12 (see Figure 1) of the drive recorder 10 changes when predetermined conditions are met, such as when the vehicle is subjected to an impact, and how the drive recorder 10 stores images and other data.

[0115] Figure 3(a) shows the time-series change of G data (composite value of Gx and Gy) output from the G sensor 12, Figures 3(b) and 3(c) show examples of image periods to be stored for each predetermined condition met, Figure 3(d) shows an example of an image period to be stored as a single file on the memory card 25, and Figure 3(e) shows an example of the timing for selecting the image that will be the basis for the created thumbnail image. The creation and display of thumbnail images will be described later. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the recording process of the drive recorder.

[0116] For example, if a driver makes a sudden steering maneuver and is immediately rear-ended, as shown in Figure 3(a), (1) first, the value (magnitude) of the G data output from the G sensor 12 increases sharply from almost zero from the moment the vehicle is impacted by the sudden steering maneuver, and (2) then, the value (magnitude) of the G data increases sharply again as the vehicle is impacted again by the rear-end collision.

[0117] As shown in Figure 3(a), (1) First, at time tp1 when the value (magnitude) of the G data from the G sensor 12 increases sharply, when the value (magnitude) of the G data from the G sensor 12 becomes the threshold acceleration Gs (for example, 0.3G), the first control unit 11 determines (determines) that a predetermined condition has been met (YES in step S11 of Figure 4), and further determines whether a "determined time" described later has elapsed since the previous time when the predetermined condition was met (step S12 of Figure 4). Determining that a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous time when the predetermined condition was met (YSE in step S12), the CCD camera 20 captures an image, which is always cyclically stored in the first memory 18, and stores it in the memory card 25 as new data (a new data file) (step S13 of Figure 4). At the same time, it operates to store the time data (TP1) of time tp1 in the memory card 25 as the time data of the time when the predetermined condition was met.

[0118] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3(b), the system controls the memory card 25 to store the image PA1 from the TA seconds before time tp1, the image PB1 from the TB seconds after time tp1, and the time data (TP1) for time tp1 as a new data file. For example, TA can be 10 seconds and TB can be 5 seconds.

[0119] The TA and TB periods can be freely set. For example, by displaying the set time (in seconds) on the setting screen of the drive recorder 10 (not shown), and operating the time setting button on the first operation unit 17 of the drive recorder 10 to set the time, and then saving the set information, it is possible to set the time to any desired duration.

[0120] (2) Next, at time tp2, which is "7 seconds" after time tp1, the time when the predetermined condition was met last time, when the value (magnitude) of the G data from the G sensor 12 becomes the threshold acceleration Gs (for example, 0.3G), the first control unit 11 determines (determines) that the predetermined condition has been met again (YES in step S11 of Figure 4), and further determines whether a "determined time" has elapsed since the time when the predetermined condition was met last time (step S12 of Figure 4). If it is determined that a predetermined time has not elapsed since the previous fulfillment of the predetermined conditions (NO in step S12), the image captured by the CCD camera 20 and always cyclically stored in the first memory 18 is stored in the memory card 25 as data that continues from the previous vehicle behavior data (one data file that continues from the previous data file) (step S14 in Figure 4), and at the same time, the time data (TP2) at time tp2 is stored in the memory card 25 as the time data at the time the predetermined conditions were fulfilled.

[0121] Specifically, if a "predetermined time" has elapsed since the previous predetermined condition was met at time tp2, the system controls the memory card 25 to store the image PA2 from the TA seconds before time tp2, the image PB2 from the TB seconds after time tp2, and the time data (TP2) for time tp2 as a new data file, as shown in Figure 3(c). However, in this case (i.e., when the predetermined time has not elapsed since the previous predetermined condition was met), as shown in Figure 3(d), the image PA1[a] from the TA seconds before time tp1, the time data TP1[b] for time tp1, and the image PB1[c] from the TB seconds after time tp1 are stored. Furthermore, following the end of image PB1, the partial image PA2a[d] from the end of image PB1 (te1) after the end of image PA2 from the TA seconds before time tp2, excluding the part that overlaps with image PB1, the time data TP2[e] for time tp2, and the image PB2[f] from the TB seconds after time tp2 are stored, and [a] to [f] are stored as a single data file.

[0122] In other words, in this case, this single data file stores images covering a continuous series of periods from the start of the TA seconds before time tp1 (time ts1) to the end of the TB seconds after time tp2 (time te2), as well as the time data TP1 for time tp1 and the time data TP2 for time tp2.

[0123] As described above, for example, if a new predetermined condition is met before a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous predetermined condition was met, such as when (1) the driver makes a sudden steering maneuver and (2) is rear-ended immediately afterward, then the partial image PA2a of the image PA2 from the point in time TA seconds before the point in time tp2 was met, starting from the point in time te1 of the end of image PB1, is stored immediately after the end of image PB1 from the point in time TB seconds after the point in time tp1 of the previous predetermined condition was met.

[0124] Furthermore, the "predetermined time" mentioned above, that is, the time from the time the previous predetermined condition is met [time tp1] to the time the next predetermined condition is met [time tp2], is defined as the sum of the TB seconds after time tp1 (e.g., 5 seconds) and the TA seconds before time tp2 (e.g., 10 seconds) (e.g., 15 seconds), provided that there is an overlap between the TA seconds after time tp1 and the TB seconds before time tp2. In other words, the end of the TB seconds after time tp1 (time te1) is simultaneous with the start of the TA seconds before time tp2 (time ts2), or time te1 is earlier than time ts2.

[0125] Next, the first control unit 11 determines whether or not it has received an termination signal due to the OFF operation of the ACC switch or power switch (not shown) in the first operation unit 17 (step S15 in Figure 4). If it has received an termination signal (YES in step S15 in Figure 4), it performs termination processing (S16) to end the series of processes. If it has not received an termination signal (NO in step S15 in Figure 4), it repeats steps S12 to S14 in Figure 4.

[0126] As described above, when an event occurs such as an impact to the vehicle and the value (magnitude) of the G-sensor 12 detected G-data exceeds a predetermined threshold, for each instance of the predetermined condition being met (event occurrence), the first control unit 11 stores the following data in the memory card 25: (a) image data and (b) time data (TP1, TP2) of the time the predetermined condition was met, along with (c) the G-sensor 12 detected G-data (Gx, Gy) and its time data, (d) the gyro sensor 13 detected angular acceleration data and its time data, (e) the barometric pressure and altitude data from the barometric pressure sensor 14 and its time data, and (f) vehicle data and its time data for the TA seconds before times tp1, tp2 and the TB seconds after times tp1, tp2 acquired by the vehicle signal acquisition unit 21 (for example, brake operation data and its time data, steering wheel rotation data and its time data, vehicle speed data and its time data, etc.). Note that the system may be configured to store only a portion of the above data in the memory card 25.

[0127] The number of events (number of predetermined conditions met) stored in the memory card 25 can be varied according to the storage capacity of the memory card 25, but it is preferable to store data for 500 events or more. Furthermore, except in cases where the predetermined conditions are determined to be met multiple times within a predetermined time, it is preferable for the first control unit 11 to create a data file in the memory card 25 each time the predetermined conditions are met and store image data, time data of the time the predetermined conditions are met (TP1, TP2, ...), G data from the G sensor 12 (Gx, Gy) and its time data, angular acceleration data and its time data, atmospheric pressure / altitude data and its time data, vehicle data and its time data.

[0128] In addition, while the above-mentioned predetermined conditions were defined as exceeding the threshold acceleration Gs when the predetermined conditions are met, it is also possible to determine that the predetermined conditions are met when, for example, the amount of change in acceleration per unit time exceeds a certain value (when the value (magnitude) of the G data changes by 0.1G or more in 0.1 seconds).

[0129] <Thumbnail image creation and display processing> Next, the thumbnail image creation and display processing in the driver assistance device 30 will be explained with reference to Figure 5. In this example, the thumbnail image creation and display processing operations for a series of vehicle behaviors when a predetermined condition is met twice within a predetermined time will be explained.

[0130] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the thumbnail image creation and display process according to Embodiment 1. This thumbnail image creation and display process is realized by the CPU executing a control program loaded from an HDD or the like into the RAM of the second control unit 31 of the driver assistance device 30, and is started based on the operation of starting the driver assistance software on the second operation unit 34. Furthermore, it is assumed that at the time the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 5 is started, the memory card 25 on which images are stored in the drive recorder 10 is inserted into the second IF 36 which constitutes the slot.

[0131] In step S21, the second control unit 31 obtains time data (TP1, TP2) for the time when a predetermined condition is met from the data stored in the memory card 25.

[0132] In the next step S22, the second control unit 31 selects multiple images taken at multiple different timings from the images PA1, PB1, PA2a, and PB2 taken during the period before and after the times tp1 and tp2 shown in Figure 3(d).

[0133] Specifically, this control program selects image P1, taken at time ts1 (for example, 10 seconds before time tp1), as the "first image" from images PA1, PB1, PA2a, and PB2 taken at predetermined intervals after time tp1 and tp2 as shown in Figure 3(d). It then selects images P2 to P7 taken at predetermined intervals after time ts1 as the "second to seventh images," and selects image P8, taken at time tp1, as the "eighth image." Furthermore, it selects images P9 to P11 taken at predetermined intervals after time tp1 as the "ninth to eleventh images," and selects image P12, taken at time tp2, as the "twelfth image." Furthermore, the control program selects images P13 to P15, which are taken at predetermined intervals after time tp2, as "images 13 to 15," and finally selects image P16, which is taken at time te2 TB seconds (for example, 5 seconds) after time te2, as "image 16." The second control unit 31 performs the selection control of images PA1, PB1, PA2a, and PB2 to select images 1 to 16 according to this control program.

[0134] The image intervals for images P2-7, 9-11, and 13-15, which are selected as "images P1, P8, P12, and P15" other than the 1st, 8th, 12th, and 16th images (images P1, P8, P12, P16) taken at times ts1, tp1, tp2, and te2, can be set to approximately 1.25 to 1.75 seconds, for example. However, it is preferable to configure the system to select the optimal value depending on the application. For example, the system can be set to any desired time by displaying the set time (in seconds) on the setting screen (not shown) of the driver assistance device 30, operating the time setting button on the second operation unit 34 of the driver assistance device 30, and saving the set information.

[0135] In the next step, S23, the second control unit 201, in accordance with the control program stored in the ROM within the second control unit 201, instructs the image processing unit 37 to perform image processing to create the first to 16th thumbnail images from the "first to 16th images" (P1 to P16) selected in step S22.

[0136] To create thumbnail images from the selected 1st to 16th images, for example, the original 1st to 16th images can be reduced in size through image processing. In addition to reduction, thumbnail images may also be created by applying other predetermined image processing, such as enlarging the selected 1st to 16th images or cropping a portion of the image. Alternatively, the selected 1st to 16th images may be used as thumbnail images without any image processing.

[0137] In the following step S24, the second control unit 31, in accordance with the control program stored in the ROM within the second control unit 31, instructs the image processing unit 37 to perform image processing to superimpose color lines, characters, marks, etc., onto the 8th and 12th thumbnail images created in step S23 at times tp1 and tp2 (i.e., when the predetermined conditions are met). For example, in the eighth thumbnail image, a yellow horizontal line is superimposed on the lower part of the image, and yellow text is superimposed on the upper right part of the image. Also, in the twelfth thumbnail image, a green horizontal line is superimposed on the lower part of the image, and green text is superimposed on the upper right part of the image. The text to be displayed will be colored text such as "impact" or "switch" to indicate the type of predetermined condition.

[0138] In the following step S25, the second control unit 31, according to the control program stored in the ROM within the second control unit 31, instructs the display processing unit 38 to perform display processing to display the first to 16th thumbnail images created in step S24 on the display unit 32. Specifically, as will be described later, the thumbnail images are arranged in a matrix structure and displayed in a list on the same screen. This completes the process of creating and displaying thumbnail images related to a series of vehicle behaviors when the predetermined conditions are met twice within a predetermined time period.

[0139] <Creation and display processing of time chart images> Next, the creation and display processing of time chart images in the driver assistance device 30 will be explained with reference to Figure 6. In this example, the creation and display processing operations of time chart images relating to a series of vehicle behaviors when a predetermined condition is met twice within a predetermined time will be explained.

[0140] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the creation and display process of a time chart image according to Embodiment 1. This creation and display process of the time chart image is realized by the CPU executing a control program loaded from an HDD or the like into the RAM of the second control unit 31 of the driver assistance device 30, and is started based on the operation of starting the driver assistance software on the second operation unit 34. Furthermore, it is assumed that at the time the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 6 is started, a memory card 25 containing images stored in the drive recorder 10 is inserted into the second IF 36 which constitutes the slot.

[0141] In step S31, the second control unit 31 obtains time data (TP1, TP2) for the time when a predetermined condition is met from the data stored in the memory card 25. In the next step S32, the second control unit 31, according to the control program stored in the ROM within the second control unit 31, instructs the image processing unit 37 to perform image processing that superimposes dots, vertical lines, characters, etc., onto the time axis of the time chart image.

[0142] For example, in a time chart image where the time series change of acceleration values ​​(G data) is graphically displayed using a line graph with time on the horizontal axis and the magnitude of the G data on the vertical axis, the time axis of the time chart image is... Based on the time data (TP1), yellow dots and yellow vertical lines are superimposed at the corresponding positions, and then yellow text is superimposed. Similarly, on the time axis of the time chart image, based on the time data (TP2), green dots and green vertical lines are superimposed, and then green text is superimposed.

[0143] In the following step S33, the second control unit 31, in accordance with the control program stored in the ROM within the second control unit 31, instructs the display processing unit 38 to perform display processing to display the time chart image processed in step S32 on the display unit 32. This completes the creation and display process of a time chart image related to a series of vehicle behaviors when the predetermined conditions are met twice within a predetermined time period.

[0144] <Creation and display processing of map images> Next, the creation and display processing of map images in the driver assistance device 30 will be explained with reference to Figure 7. In this example, the creation and display processing operations of map images related to a series of vehicle behaviors when a predetermined condition is met twice within a predetermined time will be explained.

[0145] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the map image creation and display process according to Embodiment 1. This map image creation and display process is realized by the CPU executing a control program loaded from an HDD or the like into the RAM of the second control unit 31 of the driver assistance device 30, and is started based on the operation of starting the driver assistance software on the second operation unit 34. Furthermore, it is assumed that at the time the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 7 is started, the memory card 25 on which the drive recorder 10 stores images is inserted into the second IF 36 which constitutes the slot.

[0146] In step S41, the second control unit 31 obtains time data (TP1, TP2) for the time when a predetermined condition is met from the data stored in the memory card 25. In the next step S42, the second control unit 31 acquires GPS location information (GPS location data) at the time of the time data (TP1, TP2) acquired in step S41.

[0147] In the following step S43, the second control unit 31, in accordance with the control program stored in the ROM within the second control unit 31, instructs the image processing unit 37 to perform image processing to superimpose arrows, characters, etc., onto the map image. For example, a yellow arrow and yellow text are superimposed on the corresponding location on the road map based on GPS location data at the time of time data (TP1). Similarly, a green arrow and green text are superimposed on the corresponding location on the road map based on GPS location data at the time of time data (TP2).

[0148] In the following step S44, the second control unit 31, in accordance with the control program stored in the ROM within the second control unit 31, instructs the display processing unit 38 to perform display processing to display the map image processed in step S43 on the display unit 32. This completes the creation and display process of map images related to a series of vehicle behaviors when the predetermined conditions are met twice within a predetermined time period.

[0149] <Example of thumbnail image display> Next, one aspect of the display image shown on the display unit 32 of the driver assistance device 30 will be described with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 is a screen display diagram showing an example of a display aspect of a thumbnail image, etc., according to Embodiment 1. The thumbnail image display mode illustrated in Figure 8 shows a state in which the display unit 32 of the driver assistance device 30 displays thumbnail images related to a series of vehicle behaviors when a predetermined condition is met twice within a predetermined time period.

[0150] As shown in Figure 8, the screen 41 displayed on the display unit 32 shows the playlist section 42, the thumbnail image section 43, the time chart section 44, and the map section 45. In addition, the screen 41 also displays acceleration information (G data), speed information (km / h), and location information (latitude, longitude) from when the displayed image was taken.

[0151] The playlist section 42 displays a list of file numbers 46 that distinguish the driving information files recorded each time one or more predetermined conditions are met, along with type characters 47 of the predetermined conditions, such as "impact" or "switch." If a single driving information file contains two or more instances where a predetermined condition is met, the type characters for all of those instances are displayed. From the list of driving information files displayed in the playlist section 42, one driving information file can be selected, and the selected second driving information file is enclosed in a thick border 48 to distinguish it from the other unselected driving information files.

[0152] The second selected driving information file has two instances where the predetermined conditions were met. The type of the first predetermined condition is displayed in yellow text ("Impact 1") (49), and the type of the second predetermined condition is displayed in green text (50). The fifth driving information file has three instances where the predetermined conditions were met, and the types of the first to third predetermined conditions are displayed in different colored text (for example, yellow, green, and blue).

[0153] "Impact 1" indicates that the first predetermined condition is "when the vehicle is subjected to an impact," and "Impact 2" indicates that the second predetermined condition is "when the vehicle is subjected to an impact." If the predetermined condition is "when the emergency switch is pressed," it will be displayed as "Switch," etc.

[0154] In the playlist section 42, a thumbnail image created from the camera images contained in the selected driving information file is displayed in the thumbnail image section 43, which will be described later. When a different driving information file is selected in the playlist section 42, the display switches to show a different thumbnail image created from the camera images contained in the selected driving information file.

[0155] The thumbnail image section 43 displays a thumbnail image created from the camera images contained in the second driving information file selected in the playlist section 42. When another driving information file is selected in the playlist section 42, the display switches to show a different thumbnail image created from the camera images contained in the selected other driving information file.

[0156] The thumbnail image section 43 displays a list of 16 thumbnail images 51 (M1-M16) arranged in a 4x4 matrix structure on the same screen. These 16 thumbnail images 51 (M1-M16) are created from images P1-P16 shown in Figure 3(e), and are displayed in chronological order of capture, from the top left to the bottom right of screen 41 (that is, from left to right within each row, and the thumbnail image on the far right is followed by the thumbnail image on the far left of the row below).

[0157] Of the 16 thumbnail images M1 to M16, thumbnail images M8 and M12 at times tp1 and tp2, when predetermined conditions are met, will have a colored horizontal line and colored text displayed to distinguish them from the other thumbnail images. At time tp1, thumbnail image M8 displays a yellow horizontal line 52 and yellow text 53 indicating the type of predetermined condition, "Impact 1," while thumbnail image M12 displays a green horizontal line 54 and green text 55 indicating the type of predetermined condition, "Impact 2."

[0158] The time chart section 44 displays a time chart, such as a line graph, showing the time-series changes in acceleration values ​​(G data) obtained from image-related information contained in the second driving information file selected in the playlist section 42, with time on the horizontal axis and the magnitude of the G data on the vertical axis. Specifically, on the horizontal axis of the time chart, when the first predetermined condition is met, a yellow dot 56 and a yellow vertical line 57 are displayed, along with yellow text 58 indicating the type of predetermined condition, "Impact 1". Similarly, when the second predetermined condition is met, a green dot 59 and a green vertical line 60 are displayed, along with green text 61 indicating the type of predetermined condition, "Impact 2".

[0159] The map section 45 displays the location at the time a predetermined condition is met on the road map, based on the GPS location information of the vehicle obtained from the image-related information contained in the second driving information file selected in the playlist section 42. Specifically, on the road map, a yellow arrow 62 and yellow text 63 indicating the type of predetermined condition, "Impact 1," are displayed at the corresponding location at the time the first predetermined condition is met. Similarly, a green arrow 64 and green text 65 indicating the type of predetermined condition, "Impact 2," are displayed at the corresponding location at the time the second predetermined condition is met.

[0160] Note that while Figure 8 displays 16 thumbnail images, the number of thumbnail images displayed is not limited to this, and other numbers can be selected. Furthermore, the displayed elements can be any of the following: thumbnail images, G-data time charts, maps, or a combination of other elements (such as vehicle speed time charts).

[0161] As described above, the driver assistance device 30 of this embodiment 1 offers the following advantages. That is, (1) In relation to the vehicle behavior over a series of periods in which the predetermined conditions are met multiple times, time data is recorded for each of the multiple times the predetermined conditions are met. Based on the time data for each of the multiple times the predetermined conditions are met, the vehicle behavior at the time the predetermined conditions were met can be easily identified. For example, by associating vehicle behavior over a series of periods in which a predetermined condition is met twice, such as a sudden steering maneuver followed immediately by a rear-end collision, the vehicle's behavior at each point in time can be easily identified based on the time data of the two predetermined condition occurrences. This allows for easy identification and use of the vehicle behavior information needed from among a large number of "vehicle behaviors over a series of periods."

[0162] (2) As shown in the thumbnail image display example in Figure 8, the playlist section 42 displays a list of the file numbers of the driving information files and the type characters for all the points in time when the predetermined conditions were met. This allows users to easily select one driving information file from among multiple driving information files by checking the number of times and types of predetermined conditions were met in one driving information file. Furthermore, each time a predetermined condition is met, the type of condition is displayed in a different colored text, allowing users to distinguish between different points in time based on the color information. Moreover, by pre-determining the order of colors—for example, the first time being "yellow," the next "green," and the next "blue"—the order in which the predetermined conditions are met can also be determined from the color information.

[0163] (3) As shown in the thumbnail image display configuration illustrated in Figure 8, the thumbnail image section 43 displays a yellow or green horizontal line or a character indicating the type of predetermined condition on thumbnail images M8 and M12 at times tp1 and tp2, when the predetermined conditions are met, out of the 16 thumbnail images M1 to M16. This allows users to easily distinguish between thumbnail images M8 and M12 at times when the predetermined conditions are met and thumbnail images at times other than when the predetermined conditions are met. Furthermore, thumbnail images M8 and M12 at different points in time when certain predetermined conditions are met will display horizontal lines of different colors or text indicating the type of predetermined condition, allowing them to be easily distinguished at a glance.

[0164] Furthermore, the horizontal lines and predetermined condition type text displayed in thumbnail images M8 and M12 are the same colors (yellow and green) as the predetermined condition type text displayed in the playlist section 42. Therefore, the same color display indicates that the same predetermined condition was met at that time, allowing users to easily distinguish between thumbnail images and predetermined condition types displayed in the playlist section 42 at a glance.

[0165] (4) As shown in the thumbnail image and other display configurations illustrated in Figure 8, the time chart section 44 displays yellow or green dots, vertical lines, or characters indicating the type of predetermined condition on the horizontal axis of the time chart when a predetermined condition is met, making it easy to grasp the G data at the point in time when the predetermined condition is met on the horizontal axis of the time chart. Furthermore, on the horizontal axis of the time chart, different colored dots, vertical lines, or characters indicating the type of predetermined condition are displayed at the points in time when different predetermined conditions are met, allowing for easy distinction between the two at a glance.

[0166] Furthermore, the colors (yellow and green) of the dots, vertical lines, and predetermined condition type characters displayed on the horizontal axis of the time chart are the same as the colors (yellow and green) of the predetermined condition type characters displayed in the playlist section 42. Therefore, since the same colored displays represent the same predetermined condition fulfillment point, the dots, vertical lines, and predetermined condition type characters in the time chart section 44 and the predetermined condition type displayed in the playlist section 42 can be easily distinguished and identified at a glance.

[0167] (5) As shown in the thumbnail image and other display configurations illustrated in Figure 8, the map section 45 displays yellow or green arrows or characters indicating the type of predetermined condition on the road map, making it easy to grasp the location on the road map at the time the predetermined condition is met. Furthermore, on the road map, different colored arrows or characters indicating the type of predetermined condition are displayed at the locations where different predetermined conditions are met, allowing for easy distinction between the two at a glance.

[0168] Furthermore, the colors (yellow and green) of the arrows and specified condition type text displayed on the road map are the same as the colors (yellow and green) of the specified condition type text displayed in the playlist section 42. Therefore, since the same colored displays represent the same point in time when the same specified condition is met, the arrows and specified condition type text colors on the map section 45 and the specified condition type displayed in the playlist section 42 can be easily distinguished and identified at a glance.

[0169] [Example 2] This second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, will be explained with reference to Figure 9, in the case where (1) first, an impact is applied to the vehicle due to a sudden steering maneuver, causing a rapid increase in the G-data value (magnitude), (2) then, the vehicle is again subjected to an impact due to a rear-end collision, causing a rapid increase in the G-data value (magnitude), and then (3) the emergency switch on the first operation unit 17 is pressed. Furthermore, (1) First, the vehicle is subjected to an impact due to a sudden steering maneuver, causing a sharp increase in the G-data value (magnitude), and (2) then, the vehicle is subjected to another impact due to a rear-end collision, causing a sharp increase in the G-data value (magnitude), which is the same as in Example 1. In Figure 9, Figures 9(a), 9(b), and 9(c) are the same as Figures 3(b), 3(c), and 3(d), respectively, so the same reference numerals are used and some explanations are omitted.

[0170] (1) First, at time tp1, the first control unit 11 determines that a predetermined condition has been met and stores the image captured by the CCD camera 20 in the memory card 25. At the same time, it operates to store the time data (TP1) for time tp1 in the memory card 25 as the time data for when the predetermined condition was met. Specifically, as shown in Figure 9(a), the image PA1, the image PB1, and the time data (TP1) for time tp1 are stored in the memory card 25 as a new data file.

[0171] (2) Next, at time tp2, which is "7 seconds" after time tp1, the first control unit 11 determines (determines) that the predetermined condition has been met again, and stores the image captured by the CCD camera 20 in the memory card 25 as data that continues from the previous vehicle behavior data, and at the same time, it operates to store the time data (TP2) of time tp2 in the memory card 25 as the time data at the time the predetermined condition was met. Specifically, as shown in Figure 9(c), image PA1, time data TP1, image PB1, partial image PA2a obtained by removing the part of image PA2 that overlaps with image PB1, time data TP2, and image PB2 are stored as one data file.

[0172] (3) Furthermore, at time tp3, which is "11 seconds" after time tp2, when the emergency switch of the first operation unit 17 is pressed, the first control unit 11 determines (determines) that the predetermined condition has been met again (YES in step S11 of Figure 4), and further determines whether a "determined time" has elapsed since the previous time the predetermined condition was met (step S12 of Figure 4). If it determines that the predetermined time has not elapsed since the previous time the predetermined condition was met (NO in step S12), it stores the image captured by the CCD camera 20, which is always cyclically stored in the first memory 18, in the memory card 25 as data that continues from the previous vehicle behavior data (one data file that continues from the previous data file) (step S14 of Figure 4), and at the same time, it operates to store the time data of time tp2 (TP2) in the memory card 25 as the time data of the time the predetermined condition was met.

[0173] Specifically, if a "determined time" has elapsed since the previous predetermined condition was met at time tp3, the system controls the memory card 25 to store the image PA3 from the TA seconds before time tp3, the image PB3 from the TB seconds after time tp3, and the time data (TP3) for time tp3 as a new data file, as shown in Figure 9(d). However, in this case (i.e., if the predetermined time has not elapsed since the previous predetermined condition was met), the system stores the image PA1[a] from the TA seconds before time tp1, the time data TP1[b] for time tp1, and the image PB1[c] from the TB seconds after time tp1, as shown in Figure 9(e). Furthermore, following the end of image PB1, the system stores the continuation of the partial image PA2a[d] from the end of image PB1 (te1) after the end of image PA2 from the TA seconds before time tp2, excluding the portion that overlaps with image PB1. The system stores the time data TP2[e] at time tp2 and the image PB2[f] for TB seconds after time tp2. Furthermore, it stores the portion of image PA3 from the TA seconds before time tp3, excluding the portion that overlaps with image PB2, from the end of image PB2 (te2) onwards, PA3a[g], the time data TP3[h] at time tp3, and the image PB3[i] for TB seconds after time tp3, and stores [a] to [i] as a single data file.

[0174] In other words, in this case, this single data file stores images covering a continuous series of periods from the start of the TA seconds before time tp1 (time ts1) to the end of the TB seconds after time tp3 (time te3), as well as time data TP1 for time tp1, time data TP2 for time tp2, and time data TP3 for time tp3.

[0175] As described above, for example, if (1) a sudden steering maneuver is performed, (2) a rear-end collision occurs immediately afterward, and (3) an emergency switch is pressed thereafter, and a new predetermined condition is met before a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous predetermined condition was met, and furthermore, before a predetermined time has elapsed since this new predetermined condition was met, then the partial image PA2a from the TA seconds before the time when the new predetermined condition was met (tp2), following the end of image PB1 from the TB seconds after the time when the previous predetermined condition was met (tp1), is stored. Similarly, the partial image PA3a from the TA seconds before the time when another new predetermined condition was met (tp3), following the end of image PB2 from the end of image PB2 from the end of image PB2 (te2), is stored.

[0176] As described above, the driver assistance device 30 of this embodiment 2 offers the following advantages. That is, For example, if there are two instances where a predetermined condition is met, such as a sudden steering maneuver followed immediately by a rear-end collision, and then the emergency switch is pressed, resulting in a total of three instances where the predetermined condition is met, the vehicle's behavior at each point in time can be easily identified based on the time data of these three instances. This allows for easy identification and use of the vehicle's behavior information needed from among a large number of "vehicle behaviors over a series of periods."

[0177] <Display example> Figure 10 shows an example of a display screen for thumbnail images, etc. In Figure 10, the same components as in Figure 8 are numbered, and their explanations are omitted. This example of a display screen shows the memory card 25, which is installed inside the drive recorder 10 and contains driving information including camera images and image-related information, being removed and displayed on the display unit 32 of the driver assistance device 30.

[0178] In the example display screen shown in Figure 10, the playlist section 42 displays file numbers 1 through 6, followed by the date and time when the predetermined conditions contained in each driving information file were met (for example, "May 21, 2012, 2:09:16 PM"), and the type of predetermined condition (for example, "impact"). Regarding the time when the specified conditions are met, if each operation information file contains data for multiple times when the specified conditions are met, due to space limitations, only the time of the first time the specified conditions are met is displayed here. However, it is also possible to display the times of all times when the specified conditions are met included in each operation information file. Furthermore, in the playlist section 42 of Figure 10, the second driving information file is selected, and the portion of the selected second driving information file (the horizontal strip display area) is displayed with a different background color than the portions of the unselected driving information files (numbers 1, 3-6) (the horizontal strip display areas).

[0179] In the example display screen shown in Figure 10, the thumbnail image section 43 displays a thumbnail image created from the camera image included in the second driving information file selected in the playlist section 42.

[0180] The thumbnail image section 43 displays 16 thumbnail images arranged in a 4x4 matrix structure, displayed in a list on the same screen. The 16 thumbnail images are arranged in chronological order of when they were taken, from the top left to the bottom right of the display screen. The top left thumbnail image is designated as the first, and the 8th and 12th thumbnail images have colored horizontal lines and colored text to distinguish them from the other thumbnail images. The 8th thumbnail image has a yellow horizontal line below it and yellow text indicating the type of predetermined condition, "Impact 1," displayed in the upper right corner of the thumbnail image. The 12th thumbnail image has a green horizontal line below it and green text indicating the type of predetermined condition, "Impact 2," displayed in the upper right corner of the thumbnail image.

[0181] In the example display screen shown in Figure 10, the time chart section 44 displays a time chart as a line graph, with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing the size of the G data, showing the time-series changes of the G data obtained from the image-related information contained in the second driving information file selected in the playlist section 42. In the time chart section 44, a yellow vertical border is displayed on the horizontal axis of the time chart when the predetermined condition is met for the first time, and similarly, a green vertical border is displayed when the predetermined condition is met for the second time.

[0182] In the example display screen of Figure 10, the map section 45 displays the vehicle's position at the time a predetermined condition is met on a road map, based on GPS position data of the vehicle obtained from image-related information contained in the second driving information file selected in the playlist section 42. The map section 45 displays a yellow arrow 61 at the location where the first predetermined condition is met on the road map, and similarly displays a green arrow at the location where the second predetermined condition is met.

[0183] <Variation> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible. For example, it may be implemented as follows.

[0184] (1) In the embodiment described above, the predetermined condition is determined to be met when the value (magnitude) of the G data output from the G sensor 12 reaches the threshold acceleration Gs (times tp1, tp2). However, the invention is not limited to this, and for example, the predetermined condition may be determined to be met when the value (magnitude) of the angular acceleration data output from the gyro sensor 13 or the atmospheric pressure / altitude data output from the barometric pressure sensor 14 reaches a predetermined value. Alternatively, the predetermined condition may be determined to be met based on the results of analyzing the recorded video. Other events may also be defined as the occurrence of a signal input from an external port, or the reception of a command via communication (e.g., RS-232C) from an external device such as an AVM-ECU (Automatic Vehicle Monitoring - Engine Control Unit).

[0185] (2) In the above embodiment, the fulfillment of a predetermined condition is determined using a composite value of component acceleration (G data) Gx in the X-axis direction (front-to-back direction of the vehicle) and component acceleration (G data) Gy in the Y-axis direction (left-to-right direction of the vehicle) as G data. However, the system is not limited to this, and the fulfillment of a predetermined condition may be determined using each component acceleration (Gx, Gy) individually. For example, the fulfillment of a predetermined condition may be determined when the change pattern of the values ​​(magnitudes) of each component takes a predetermined pattern, such as when Gx exceeds a predetermined threshold and then Gy exceeds a predetermined threshold within a predetermined time. In addition, the fulfillment of a predetermined condition may also be determined by taking into account component acceleration Gz in the Z-axis direction (up-down direction of the vehicle) in addition to Gx and Gy.

[0186] (3) In the above-described embodiment, the TA seconds and TB seconds before and after the times tp1 and tp2 in which the predetermined conditions are determined to be met are different (in the embodiment, 10 seconds before and 5 seconds after). In particular, the TA seconds before times tp1 and tp2 are made longer and the TB seconds after are made shorter. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, for example, the TA seconds before times tp1 and tp2 may be made shorter and the TB seconds after are made longer (for example, 5 seconds before and 15 seconds after), or the TA seconds and TB seconds may be made the same.

[0187] (4) Not limited to the embodiments described above, the TA seconds and TB seconds before and after the times tp1 and tp2 in which the predetermined conditions are determined to be met, or the sum of the TA seconds and TB seconds, may be set to different times depending on the type of predetermined condition. For example, the recording period (time) for the vehicle behavior information recorded when the predetermined condition is met may be set to be longer for types that require a long time, and shorter for types that only require a short time.

[0188] (5) In the above-described embodiment, the time data at the time the predetermined conditions are met is recorded in the same data file as the vehicle behavior data such as image data and G data. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the time data at the time the predetermined conditions are met may be recorded in a separate data file from the data file in which the vehicle behavior data is recorded, in such a way that the relationship between the time data and the vehicle behavior data can be identified.

[0189] (6) In the embodiments described above, time data (TP1, TP2) at the time when a predetermined condition is met (tp1, tp2) is stored as information that can identify that time. However, the system is not limited to this, and may store elapsed time data from the time of a reference point. The time of the reference point may be, for example, the start time of a series of periods (i.e., the start time of the TA seconds before the first time when a predetermined condition is met in the period recorded as a single data file), and the elapsed time from this start time to the time when the predetermined condition is met.

[0190] (7) Not limited to the embodiments described above, when vehicle behavior information such as GPS location data is repeatedly acquired at predetermined time intervals, the time when the predetermined condition is met may be the time that coincides with any of the predetermined time intervals. For example, if GPS location data is acquired at 1-second intervals, and the predetermined condition is met 0.6 seconds after the GPS location data is acquired, then the predetermined condition is assumed to have been met at the time the GPS location data was acquired, and that time is set as the time the predetermined condition was met. In this way, the time the predetermined condition was met can be made to coincide with the time the GPS location data was acquired, and the time data at the time the GPS location data was acquired can be obtained as the time data at the time the predetermined condition was met.

[0191] (8) In the embodiments described above, the playlist section 42 displays the type of predetermined condition in different colored characters each time the predetermined condition is met, but it is not limited to this, and for example, the type characters may be displayed with different colored fills or backgrounds. The same applies to the type characters of the predetermined conditions displayed in the thumbnail image section 43, the time chart section 44, and the map section 45.

[0192] (9) In the embodiments described above, the display control system of the present invention was explained using the example of a driver assistance system (driver assistance device 30), but it can be implemented as a function of various electronic devices. For example, it may be incorporated as a function of a navigation device, a drive recorder, a radar detector, and a car audio system.

[0193] (10) Not limited to the embodiments described above, the control program pre-stored in the ROM of the second control unit 31 of the driving support device 30 may be downloaded to a mobile terminal such as a general-purpose personal computer, mobile phone, smartphone, or portable game console, and the computer installed in the mobile terminal may be made to execute the control processing of the second control unit 31, read images and various data stored in the memory card 25, and display a thumbnail image created from the read images and various data.

[0194] (11) Each function of the above embodiment is realized by writing the function in a computer-readable programming language and having the computer of the second control unit 31 execute the program, but is not limited to this, for example the program may be distributed among multiple computers and processed in a distributed manner. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0195] 10. Dashcam 11 First Control Unit 12. Accelerometer (G-sensor) 13. Gyroscope sensor 14. Barometric pressure sensor 15 GPS antennas 16 GPS receivers 17 1st operation section 18. Memory No. 1 19. First Interface 20 CCD cameras 21 Vehicle signal acquisition unit 22 Power supply section 25 memory cards 30 Driving support systems 31 Second Control Unit 32 Display section 33 Output section 34 2nd operation section 35 Second Memory 36. Second Interface 37 Image Processing Unit 38 Display Processing Unit 41 screens 42 Playlist Section 43 Thumbnail Image Section 44 Time Chart Section 45 Map Section 46 File number 47 Types of Characters 48 Thick-lined frame 49,53,58,63 yellow text 50, 55, 61, 65 (Green text) 51 Thumbnail Images 52 Yellow horizontal line 54 Green horizontal line 56 Yellow dots 57 Yellow vertical lines 59 Green dots 60 Green vertical lines 62 Yellow arrow 64 Green arrow

Claims

1. A device comprising an identification unit that acquires multiple vehicle behavior data and identifies the vehicle behavior information it requires, taking into account the relationships between the points in time when multiple predetermined conditions are met, based on multiple identification information contained in each of the multiple vehicle behavior data that allows for the identification of the point in time when predetermined conditions are met, within a series of periods.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identifying part is identified based on the relationship between a series of predetermined conditions being met during a period, such as a sudden steering maneuver followed by a rear-end collision, and then being dragged with an acceleration equivalent to that of the sudden steering maneuver.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the identification unit analyzes or retrieves a plurality of identification information to find the vehicle behavior at a time when a desired predetermined condition is met, based on the relationships of the times when a plurality of predetermined conditions are met during the series of periods.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the identifying unit identifies vehicle behavior information it requires by sequentially extracting vehicle behavior information over a large number of series of periods based on the number of times in a series of periods when a plurality of predetermined conditions are met.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the identification unit sequentially extracts vehicle behavior information over a series of periods having a large amount of identification information, and analyzes the movement of the vehicle behavior information, the identification information, and the content of the vehicle behavior information at the point in time identified by the identification information.

6. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the identification is performed according to a combination of search conditions by logical OR and logical AND.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the apparatus further comprises a recording control unit, which controls the recording of vehicle behavior information for a series of periods continuing over the first and second periods, in accordance with the overlap of a first period including the time when a predetermined condition is met and a second period including the time when a predetermined condition is newly met, and further controls the recording of vehicle behavior information for a series of periods continuing over the first, second and third periods, in accordance with the occurrence of a third period including the time when a predetermined condition is met for the third time.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the recording control unit records vehicle behavior information for a series of periods continuing from the 1st to the 4th period in response to the occurrence of a fourth period including the time when the predetermined condition is met for the 4th time, and the same applies to the 5th time and beyond.

9. A program for a computer to implement the functions of the apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images