JP2003116029A - Imaging device and image recorder using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact and small-sized imaging device which can simultaneously confirm an image in which the content of an automobile accident can be confirmed, and an image in which the peripheral state at the time of the accident can be confirmed in order to record the image for cause investigating of the accident. SOLUTION: The imaging device comprises a first optical system 21 for focusing a wide angle subject optical image on the one region A of the photographing image 3a of a CCD area sensor 3, and a second optical system 22 for focusing a telescopic subject optical image on the other region B of the photographing surface 3a. The second optical system 22 has an optical axis L2b of an article side deviated to the optical axis L2a of the image surface side. The optical system is formed compactly in small sizes as compared with the case that the optical axis L2 of the second optical system 22 is not deviated by deviating the optical axis L2 of the second optical system 22.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus capable of recording the situation of an accident and its surroundings so that the situation of the accident can be properly confirmed in, for example, an automobile accident, and more specifically, Wide image (wide-angle image) and tele image (telephoto image) 1 for the same subject
The present invention relates to an imaging device capable of capturing a single image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a safe driving support system has been proposed for the purpose of driver's driving support aiming at realizing a safe, comfortable and efficient next-generation road traffic system.

For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-128031, a spherical mirror is installed vertically downward on a top plate in an automobile room, and a camera is installed vertically downward facing the spherical mirror in the lower part of the automobile room. A recording device is described in which front, rear, left and right landscapes of a vehicle body reflected and projected on a camera by a spherical mirror are video-recorded by the camera and recorded.

In this recording device, a video image taken by a camera is displayed on a monitor, and a driver can prevent an accident or the like by monitoring the image on the monitor. It has become.

[0005]

By the way, when a car accident occurs, an image (telescopic image) that clearly shows the contents of the accident as a photographed image of the accident occurrence (telephoto image) and the surrounding situation at the time of the accident occurrence become clear. Image that can be confirmed (wide-angle image)
If and are recorded, it is extremely effective in investigating the cause of the accident. For example, in the case of a rear-end collision, the image of the rear-end collision such as the license plate, vehicle type, rear-end collision area, vehicle damage status, etc., and the location of the rear-end collision (intersection, curve, lane) Etc.), images that allow clear confirmation of surrounding conditions such as weather conditions, road surface conditions, traffic volume, etc. are recorded, and the advantage of being able to objectively and scientifically analyze a rear-end collision from these images. is there.

The above-mentioned conventional safe driving support system has a structure in which a range (all directions) that the driver cannot directly see while driving is video-recorded by the spherical mirror and the camera and displayed on the monitor. , It is difficult to take high resolution images. That is, since the camera shoots a subject on the curved surface of the spherical mirror, it is impossible to focus on the entire subject, and the resolution is lowered in the out-of-focus portion. Also, since the image being monitored is a curved subject image, the image looks unnatural with respect to the image in which the driver directly looks at the subject, and an image of the surrounding situation during driving (wide-angle image) is obtained. However, a telephoto image in a specific direction (for example, front or rear) cannot be obtained.

Therefore, it is not appropriate to apply the image pickup device of the conventional safe driving support system to a use requiring two kinds of images (a wide-angle image and a telephoto image of the same subject) for investigating the cause of an automobile accident. .

On the other hand, a first image pickup device having a wide-angle optical system and a second image pickup device having a telephoto optical system are prepared, and the same subject (for example, a driver for investigating the cause of a car accident is a driver) for both image pickup devices. If you capture and record the field of view (in front of), you can obtain two types of images, but this method requires two or two imaging devices, which causes the problem of increasing the size of the device. is there. Especially when it is used as a recording device for investigating the cause of a car accident, since the mounting position of the car is limited, it is not appropriate to use two image pickup devices or two image pickup devices. Compactness and miniaturization are required.

A method is also conceivable in which a wide-angle image and a telephoto image of the same subject are photographed and recorded by an image pickup apparatus having a zoom optical system, but this method simultaneously obtains a wide-angle image and a telephoto image. It is not suitable for a device that records a photo of a car accident that occurs instantly. In addition, since the imaging device is installed in a vehicle for this application,
There is a risk that the drive mechanism of the zoom optical system will break down due to vibration during traveling, and the reliability of the image pickup device will also deteriorate.

The present invention has been made in view of the above background and problems, and is small and compact with an optical system capable of picking up a wide-angle image and a telephoto image of the same subject with a single image pickup device. The present invention provides a simple imaging device.

[0011]

The invention according to claim 1 is
An image pickup means for photoelectrically converting a light image into an electric image; a first optical system which divides an image pickup surface of the image pickup means into two and forms a light image of a subject in one area; and the first optical system. A second optical system having an optical characteristic different from that of the system, and imaging at least a part of a subject imaged on the image pickup surface of the image pickup unit by the first optical system to the other region of the image pickup unit. It is equipped with and.

According to the above arrangement, the optical image of the subject (hereinafter,
This light image is called the first light image. ) Is imaged, and a light image having a narrower angle than the first light image of the same subject (hereinafter, this light image is referred to as a second light image) is formed in the other area by the second optical system, Both light images are picked up by the image pickup means. That is, an image of a subject (wide-angle image) is captured in one region of the captured image, and an image (telephoto image) in which the image capturing center of the subject is enlarged is captured in the other region.

Two different optical characteristics for the same subject
Since two kinds of optical images (for example, a wide-angle image and a telephoto image) are formed on the imaging surface of one imaging means and both images are captured by the imaging means, two types of optical images having different optical characteristics with respect to the same subject. It is possible to make the optical system compact and small as compared with the configuration in which each image is formed on each of the two image pickup devices and both images are captured by each image pickup device. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a compact and small-sized image pickup apparatus capable of simultaneously shooting two types of images having different optical characteristics with respect to the same subject.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image pickup means for photoelectrically converting a light image into an electric image, and an image pickup surface of the image pickup means is divided into two, and an optical image of a subject is formed in one area. 1
And an optical system for forming an optical image of the subject on the other area of the image pickup surface of the image pickup means, the second optical system having optical characteristics different from those of the first optical system. In addition, the first and second optical systems are configured so that at least a part of the subject imaged on the imaging surface by the first optical system is imaged on the imaging surface by the second optical system. The optical axis on the object side of at least one of the optical systems is decentered with respect to the optical axis on the image plane side.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image pickup apparatus according to the second aspect, one of the first and second optical systems has a reflection member inside, and The optical axis on the object side of the optical system is configured to be decentered from the optical axis on the image plane side by reflecting the light flux from the subject to the image pickup surface side of the image pickup means. The reflecting member may be a reflecting plate having a free curved surface (claim 4).

According to the above arrangement, the optical axis on the object side of at least one of the first and second optical systems is decentered with respect to the optical axis on the image plane side. An optical system capable of forming a wide-angle optical image and a telephoto optical image of the same subject on the same image pickup surface of the same image pickup device by dividing the regions into two images, respectively, as compared with the case of using an optical system which is not centered. It can be made compact and small. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a compact and small-sized image pickup apparatus capable of simultaneously taking a wide-angle image and a telephoto image of the same subject.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, an image pickup means for photoelectrically converting a light image into an electric image and an image pickup surface of the image pickup means are divided into two, and an optical image of a subject is formed in one area. And a second optical system having an optical characteristic different from that of the first optical system for forming an optical image of the subject on the other area of the image pickup surface of the image pickup means. In the imaging device, at least one of the first and second optical systems has a reflecting member, and at least a part of the subject imaged on the imaging surface by the first optical system. Is reflected by the reflecting member to the image pickup surface side of the image pickup means so that an image is formed on the image pickup surface by the second optical system.

According to the above construction, at least one of the first and second optical systems has a reflecting member, and the reflecting member reflects the light flux from the subject toward the image pickup surface of the image pickup means. Since the optical image of the subject is formed on the other area of the imaging surface, the wide-angle optical image and the telescopic optical image of the same object are divided into areas on the imaging surface of the same imaging means. The optical system capable of forming an image can be made compact and small. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a compact and small-sized image pickup apparatus capable of simultaneously taking a wide-angle image and a telephoto image of the same subject.

Further, the invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to claim 1
5. The image pickup apparatus according to any one of 5 to 5, a control unit that controls a shooting operation of the image pickup apparatus, a recording unit that records an image picked up by the image pickup apparatus, an acceleration sensor, and an output of the acceleration sensor. An image recording apparatus comprising: a determination unit that determines a collision by means of one of the two images captured by the imaging device when no collision is detected by the determination unit. When an image of a subject captured in the area is recorded in the recording means and the collision is detected by the determination means, the image is captured in the other area of the imaging surface of the two images captured by the imaging device. The image of the subject is recorded in the recording means for a predetermined time set in advance.

According to the above construction, of the two images (wide-angle image and telephoto image) picked up by the image pickup device, the image (wide-angle image) picked up in one region of the image pickup surface is recorded in the recording means. If a collision is determined based on the output of the acceleration sensor in the state where the image is recorded, the recording in the recording unit is switched to the image (telephoto image) captured in the other area of the imaging surface, and the image is displayed for a predetermined time. Will be recorded.

If this image recording device is installed in an automobile,
When a collision accident occurs, an image (wide-angle image) of the surrounding environment of the vehicle before the collision accident is recorded and an image (telephoto image) of the collision situation immediately after the collision are recorded. The cause can be easily investigated.

[0022]

1 is a block diagram of an image recording apparatus having an image pickup apparatus according to the present invention.

The image recording apparatus 1 includes an optical system 2, an image pickup element 3, an image processing section 4, a first image memory 5, a control section 6, and a second.
An image memory 7, acceleration sensors 8 and 9, and an operation unit 10 are provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the image recording apparatus 1 is mounted on the ceiling portion of the front and rear of the vehicle C,
It is used as a device for recording the situation of the front and the rear of the automobile C during traveling.

The optical system 2 forms an optical image of a subject on the image pickup device 3. The optical system 2 includes a first optical system 21 and a second optical system 22 having different optical characteristics.
In the present embodiment, the case where the focal lengths differ as the optical characteristics will be described as an example. The first optical system 21 has a short focal point (for example, 35 mm), and the second optical system 22 has a long focal point (for example, 70 to 80 mm). First optical system 21
3, the optical axis L1a on the object side and the optical axis L1b on the image plane side are coaxial with each other, and the image pickup surface 3 of the image pickup element 3 is
A wide-angle subject light image is formed in one area A obtained by dividing a into two. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the second optical system 22 is configured such that the object-side optical axis L2b is decentered with respect to the image-plane-side optical axis L2a, and the imaging surface 3 of the image sensor 3 is formed.
A telephoto subject optical image for the same subject is formed in the other region B obtained by dividing a into two. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, a wide-angle optical image P1 centered on the subject O is formed on one area A of the imaging surface 3a for the subject O, and the wide-angle optical image P1 is formed. The telephoto optical image P2 obtained by zooming in on the object O is the imaging surface 3
An image is formed in the other area B of a.

A light shielding plate 23 for separating the optical path of the first optical system 21 and the optical path of the second optical system 22 is provided on the boundary line dividing the imaging surface 3a of the imaging device 3. The light shielding plate 23 prevents the light flux passing through the first optical system 21 and the light flux passing through the second optical system 22 from interfering with each other.

The optical axis L2b on the object side of the second optical system 22 is decentered from the optical axis L2a on the image plane side because the optical axis is not decentered and the short focus optical system and the long focus are provided. When using an optical system, as shown in FIG. 5, if it is attempted to arrange the optical systems so that they do not interfere with each other, the same subject will be imaged on the same imaging surface 3.
Since it is not possible to form an image on a, it is unavoidable to provide an image sensor for each, and as a result, two image sensors, an image sensor having a short focus optical system and an image sensor having a long focus optical system, are arranged. This is because the size of the image pickup device is increased.

By decentering the optical axis L2b on the object side of the second optical system 22 with respect to the optical axis L2a on the image plane side, an image pickup device 3 on which a wide-angle optical image P1 of the same object O is formed. The same object O is arranged on the image pickup surface 3a of
The telephoto image P2 can be formed, which enables downsizing and compacting of the imaging optical system.

In the second optical system 21, the optical axis L1a on the object side is changed to the optical axis L on the image plane side by combining a plurality of lenses.
Although it may be eccentric with respect to 1b, as shown in FIG. 6, a reflection optical element 24 (a reflection mirror having a free reflection surface in FIG. 6) is provided in the optical system, and the reflection optical element 24 is provided.
The optical axis L1 may be eccentric by the reflection of the light flux by. In the case of a refractive lens, the reflective optical element 24
A refracting lens may be used as, but in this case,
Since a large number of lenses are required to improve the chromatic aberration characteristics of the lenses and the size of the optical system becomes large, it is preferable to use a reflecting mirror or the like. The reflecting surface of the reflecting mirror may be a simple spherical reflecting surface, but in consideration of aberration correction, a free-curved reflecting surface is preferable.

In the second optical system 22, the optical axis L2a on the object side
Is eccentric with respect to the optical axis L2b on the image plane side, image distortion occurs in the optical image formed on the image pickup surface 3a. However, the purpose of photography is to investigate the cause of the accident and so on. It does not require a high degree of realism, and its distortion can be corrected by image processing to such a degree that it does not pose a problem in practical use.

In this embodiment, the optical axis of the second optical system 22 is decentered, but the second optical system 2 is not.
The optical axis may be decentered by one, or both optical systems 21 and 22 may be decentered to form a wide-angle optical image of the same subject and a telescopic optical image on the image pickup surface 3a of the CCD3. You may make it image.

The image pickup device 3 is composed of a CCD color area sensor, and the optical image of the subject formed by the optical system 2 is read by the R sensor.
An image signal of each color component of (red), G (green), and B (blue) (a signal consisting of a signal sequence of pixel signals received by each pixel) is photoelectrically converted and output. Since the diaphragm of the image sensor 3 (hereinafter referred to as the CCD 3) is fixed, a recording image (still image) is captured by controlling the exposure time (charge accumulation time). During the operation of the image recording apparatus 1, the CCD 3 is exposed for a predetermined exposure time every 1/30 seconds to capture a frame image, and the frame image is subjected to a predetermined process by the image processing unit 4, The control unit 6 calculates the exposure time for exposure control based on the density of the frame image. Then, a still image for recording is photographed by the CCD 3 at a preset predetermined period (for example, 0.5 s), and the wide-angle image or the telephoto image of the photographed image is the second image according to the image recording mode. It is recorded in the memory 7. The image recording mode will be described later.

The image processing section 4 performs signal processing of the image signal output from the CCD 3. Image processing unit 4
Includes an analog signal processing unit, an A / D conversion unit that converts an analog signal into a digital signal, and a digital signal processing unit.

The analog signal processing unit mainly has a CDS (correlated double sampling) circuit and an AGC (auto gain control) circuit, the noise of the image signal is reduced by the CDS circuit, and the level of the image signal is adjusted by the AGC circuit. I do. The A / D conversion unit converts each pixel signal of the image signal output from the analog signal processing unit into, for example, a 10-bit digital signal. The digital signal processing unit includes a black level correction circuit, a white balance (WB) circuit, a gamma correction circuit, and the like, and sets the black level of the A / D-converted pixel signal (hereinafter referred to as pixel data) to a reference black level. In addition to the correction, the level of the pixel data of each of the R, G, and B color components is converted to adjust the white balance, and the γ correction is performed using a predetermined γ table. The image data output from the digital signal processing unit is temporarily stored in the first image memory 5.

The control unit 6 controls the image pickup operation of the CCD 3 and the image processing operation of the image processing unit 4 to execute an image pickup process, and records the image picked up by the CCD 3 in the second image memory 7. And an image recording control function for controlling the. The optical system 2, the image processing unit 4, the first image memory 5, and the imaging control function of the control unit 6 constitute an imaging device according to the present invention. The imaging control function of the control unit 6 is basically the same as the known video shooting process or still image shooting function as described above, and the method of recording the shot still image in the second image memory 7 is different. The image recording control function of the control unit 6 includes a collision recording mode and a front photographing mode, and the contents of these modes will be described later.

The second image memory 7 is for storing the data of the image for recording photographed by the CCD 3, as shown in FIG.
As shown in (4), it has a capacity capable of recording n still images. The recording operation to the second image memory 7 is No. Still images are recorded in order from the recording area of No. 1 and No. When the still image is recorded up to the recording area of No. n, No. Returning to No. 1, and after the next still image, No. It is recorded in order from 1. That is, the still image is No. 1-No. It is recorded so as to circulate through n storage areas.

Thus, the storage capacity of the second image memory 7 is limited because the image recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is limited.
Is mounted on a car and, for example, photographs the front or rear of the driver, records the situation at the time of a collision accident, or photographs the front of the driver (that is, the driver's field of view) and travels. This is because the intended use is to detect an object that serves as a sign or a marker inside and notify the driver of it, so that the time required for a recorded image is about several minutes to ten and several minutes. Therefore, the CCD 3 continuously performs the photographing operation, but the image recording may be performed by updating the photographed images from several seconds to several tens of seconds before to the present, and therefore the storage capacity of the second image memory 7 is not that much. The capacity is set to be necessary and sufficient to satisfy the above condition, and the capacity is unnecessarily increased to prevent disadvantages such as cost increase.

The acceleration sensors 8 and 9 are for detecting shocks caused by collisions of automobiles. The acceleration sensor 8 is
For example, it detects impact in the front-back direction of a car,
The acceleration sensor 9 detects a lateral impact of the vehicle. The detection signals from the acceleration sensors 8 and 9 are sent to the control unit 6
The control unit 6 determines from these detection signals whether or not an accident has occurred in the mounted vehicle. This determination is made based on whether or not the detection signal level exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and the direction of the collision is determined based on the ratio of the outputs of the acceleration sensors 8 and 9. The output of the acceleration sensor 8 is G
8 and the output of the acceleration sensor 9 is G9, G8 ≧ 3 ×
In the case of G9, it is determined that the accident is the front-back direction of the vehicle (for example, head-on collision), and in the case of G9 ≧ 3 × G8,
It is determined to be a left-right direction (for example, a rear-end collision accident from the side), and in other cases, it is determined to be an accident in which the front-back direction accident and the left-right direction accident are combined or an oblique-direction rear-end collision accident.

The operation unit 10 is for inputting operation information of operation members (eg, switches and buttons) for inputting image recording conditions and the like to the control unit 6. The above-described collision recording mode and front photographing mode are set by the operation unit 10. The forward shooting mode is for shooting a video of the front of a driver of an automobile, detecting a preset object (for example, a sign or a signboard) from the shot image, and utilizing it as navigation information for the driver. In the collision record mode, when a car has a collision accident or the like, the surrounding situation immediately before the accident occurrence and the accident situation immediately after the accident occurrence are recorded and can be used for investigating the cause of the accident.

Next, the recording process in the collision recording mode will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In the collision recording mode, first, the wide mode for recording the wide-angle image among the still images taken by the CCD 3 in the second image memory 7 is set (# 1), and the CCD is set.
The photographing operation of 3 is started. The wide-angle image of the first still image captured by the CCD 3 is No. 2 in the second image memory 7.
It is recorded in the area No. 1 (# 3, see FIG. 7), and the memory address of the second image memory 7 is No. When 0.5 s has elapsed (YES in # 7) after the area was updated to the area of # 2 (# 5), the wide-angle image of the next still image is No. 2 in the second image memory 7. Two
Is recorded in the area (# 7 to # 5 loop). Hereinafter, similarly, the wide-angle image of the still image captured every 0.5 s is recorded in the second memory 7 while updating the memory address of the second image memory 7 (loop of # 3 to # 9, FIG. reference).

During this recording process, if a collision of an automobile is detected from the detection signals of the acceleration sensors 8 and 9 (YE in # 9)
S), it is determined whether or not the collision is a head-on collision (front-back collision) (# 11), and if it is a head-on collision (YES in # 11), the wide mode is set to the still image captured by the CCD 3. Among them, the tele mode for recording the telephoto image in the second image memory 7 is changed (# 13), and among the first still images taken by the CCD 3 after the collision, the telephoto image is No. 2 in the second image memory 7. It is recorded in the area of r (# 15, FIG.
), The memory address of the second image memory 7 is No.
1.0 s after updating to the area of (r + 1) (# 17)
Is passed (YES in # 7), the telescopic image of the next still image is No. 2 in the second image memory 7. It is recorded in the area of (r + 1) (loop of # 15 to # 21). Thereafter, while updating the memory address of the second image memory 7 in the same manner, 1.0 s
The telescopic image of the still image captured every time is the second memory 7
(# 13 to # 21 loop, see FIG. 7), and 3.0 s after the start of recording after the collision (# 21),
The recording process ends.

On the other hand, if the collision is not a head-on collision (# 11
No) in the wide mode, the wide-angle image among the first still images captured by the CCD 3 after the collision is not changed to the tele mode, and the wide-angle image is No. 2 in the second image memory 7. It is recorded in the area of r (# 15, see FIG. 7), and in the same manner, the second
A wide-angle image of a still image captured every 1.0 s while updating the memory address of the image memory 7 is recorded in the second memory 7 (loop of # 13 to # 21, see FIG. 7), and recording after collision. When 3.0 s has elapsed from the start (# 21), the recording process ends.

When the collision is not a head-on collision, the reason why the wide mode is not changed to the tele mode is that the wide-angle image and the telephoto image are the same subject in the front-back direction, and the telephoto image has a narrower field of view than the wide-angle image. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the collision situation is not photographed, and it is considered that the value of recording in the second image memory 7 is low.

In the above embodiment, 0.5 before collision.
A wide-angle image (image of the surrounding situation of the accident) is recorded every s, and a wide-angle image or a telephoto image (image of the accident situation) of the still image is recorded every 1.0s after the collision. However, these recording periods are not limited to 0.5 seconds and 1.0 seconds, and an appropriate value can be set. Also, in the present embodiment, the recording time after the collision is set to be usable for investigating the cause if there is a record of at least 3.0 seconds as the record of the accident situation. An appropriate value can be set.

Next, the processing in the front photographing mode will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In the front photographing mode, the photographed image is not recorded in the second image memory 7, a specific object such as a sign, a signboard, or a car is detected from the photographed image, and predetermined information (for example, predetermined information about the object) is set. In the case of a sign or a signboard, the character information written on the sign or the signboard, and in the case of a car, the distance between the car and the own vehicle) is taken out and notified to the driver.

In the front photographing mode, first, the exposure of the wide-angle image is controlled to capture the still image of the scenery in front of the automobile (# 31). Then, the image processing for object detection is performed on the wide-angle image of the still image (# 35, # 37). This image processing is performed by the control unit 6. For object detection, for example, an image of a specific object such as a sign, a signboard, or a car is registered in advance, and the wide-angle image includes the image of the specific object by performing pattern matching between the image of the specific object and the wide-angle image. It is carried out by determining whether or not it is present.

If the image of the specific object is not detected (# 3
(NO in 9), the process proceeds to step # 53, and after 0.5 s, the still image is captured again by the CCD 3 and the image detection process of the specific object similar to the above is performed (# 33 to # 3).
7, # 53 loop). Then, the still image is captured every 0.5 s, the detection process of the image of the specific object in the wide-angle image of the still image is repeated, and when the specific object is detected (YES in # 37), the image of the specific object is wide-angled. It is determined whether or not the image is located at the center of the image (that is, whether or not the image of the specific object is captured in the telephoto image) (# 39). This determination is to determine whether or not the image of the specific object can be detected even in the telephoto image.When the image of the specific object can be detected in the telephoto image as well, the detection of the information of the specific object in the telephoto image is more accurate. To do so. Alternatively, the driver may be visually assisted by photographing a sign or the like as a specific object at a telephoto position and enlarging the image on a display monitor.

If the image of the specific object is not located in the center of the wide-angle image (NO in # 39), the process proceeds to step # 47, and predetermined information is detected for the image of the specific object detected in the wide-angle image. Processing is performed (# 47). This information detection is, for example, if the specific object is a sign or a signboard, it detects the characters displayed on the sign or the signboard, and if the specific object is a car, the distance between the vehicle and the car. The distance is calculated. The character detection is performed by extracting the character portion in the image and determining the character of the extracted image by a known pattern recognition technique. The inter-vehicle distance is calculated by specifying the position of the image of the specific object in the wide-angle image and performing a predetermined calculation from the position information and information such as the image magnification of the first optical system 21.
Then, the detected information is notified to the driver by voice, for example, or is displayed on the LCD display section when the display section such as LCD is provided (# 49). Alternatively, when the image recording device 1 can be systematized with the car navigation device, the information detected by the image recording device 1 is transferred to the car navigation device and used as search information in the car navigation device. Used.

Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the information detection processing has been completed for all detected objects (# 51). If not completed (NO in # 51), the process returns to step # 47.
Predetermined information detection processing is performed on the remaining detected images (# 47, # 49). When the information detection process is completed for all detected objects (NO in # 51), 0.5s
After the lapse of time (YES in # 53), the process returns to step # 31, and the still image is captured again by the CCD 3 in order to perform the predetermined information detection processing of the specific object on the next captured image.

On the other hand, in step # 39, if the image of the specific object is located at the center of the wide-angle image (YE in # 39).
S), the exposure of the telephoto image is controlled, and the still image of the scenery in front of the vehicle is captured again (# 41). The photographing operation of the CCD 3 is performed again so that the exposure of the telephoto image is appropriate and the image detection of the specific object in the telephoto image can be suitably performed. Also, since the captured image changes as the automobile travels, it is preferable to perform the information detection processing regarding the specific object using the latest captured image as much as possible.

When a still image is captured by the CCD 3,
Image processing of object detection is performed on the telephoto image of the still image (# 43, # 45), and the predetermined information detection processing described above is performed on the image of the specific object detected by this image processing. (# 47). Then, the detected information is notified to the driver by voice, for example, or the LCD
In the case of having a display unit such as, etc., it is displayed on the LCD display unit (# 49).

Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the information detection processing has been completed for all detected objects (# 51). If not completed (NO in # 51), the process returns to step # 47.
Predetermined information detection processing is performed on the remaining detected images (# 47, # 49). When the information detection process is completed for all detected objects (NO in # 51), 0.5s
After the lapse of time (YES in # 53), the process returns to step # 31, and the still image is captured again by the CCD 3 in order to perform the predetermined information detection processing of the specific object on the next captured image.

In the above embodiment, the photographing operation is repeated every 0.5 seconds to detect the image of the specific object and the predetermined information about the specific object in each captured image. It is not limited to this period, and an appropriate value can be arbitrarily set. The shooting operation may be continuously repeated without providing a predetermined shooting interval to detect the image of the specific object and the predetermined information regarding the specific object for each captured image.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, only when the image of the specific object is included in the central portion of the wide-angle image, the image is taken again to detect the predetermined information about the specific object in the telephoto image. However, the recording image device 1 is provided with a drive function capable of changing the line-of-sight direction, and even if the image of the specific object is not included in the center of the wide-angle image, the telescopic image of the specific object is captured, and the specific image is identified by the telescopic image. You may make it detect predetermined information regarding an object. That is,
The recording image device 1 from the position of the image of the specific object in the wide-angle image
The amount of change in the line-of-sight direction is calculated and recorded based on the amount of change in the line-of-sight so that the second optical system 22 forms an optical image of the specific object on the area B of the image pickup surface 3a of the CCD 3. After the image device 1 is driven, it is preferable that the photographing is performed again to capture the telescopic image of the specific object, and the predetermined information regarding the specific object is detected in the telescopic image.

In the above embodiment, the case where the focal lengths are different has been described by taking the case where the optical characteristics of the first and second optical systems 21 and 22 are different as an example. good. For example, the first optical system may transmit the visible region, and the second optical system may be provided with an optical filter in the optical path to transmit only the infrared region. This allows the second optical system to record, for example, the temperature of the road surface,
In case of ignition, the history of the temperature change can be recorded.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the collision recording mode and the front photographing mode are configured to be switched by one device, but they may be respectively configured as different devices.

[0059]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the invention, in the image pickup apparatus capable of simultaneously picking up the wide-angle image and the telephoto image of the same subject, two image pickup surfaces of the image pickup means are provided. And a first optical system which forms an optical image of a subject in one area and has optical characteristics different from those of the first optical system. Since the second optical system for forming at least a part of the imaged subject on the other region of the image pickup means is provided, two types of optical images of the same subject (for example, a wide-angle optical image and a telephoto optical image). It is possible to configure an optical system that is compact and small in size and can form an image by dividing an area on the image pickup surface of the same image pickup unit. As a result, it is possible to realize a compact and small-sized imaging device capable of simultaneously capturing two types of images of the same subject (for example, a wide-angle image and a telephoto image).

According to the second aspect of the invention, at least a part of the subject imaged on the image pickup surface by the first optical system is imaged on the image pickup surface by the second optical system. , The optical axis on the object side of at least one of the first and second optical systems is decentered with respect to the optical axis on the image plane side.
The optical system can be made more compact and smaller than that using an optical system in which the optical axis is not decentered.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the light flux from the subject is reflected by the reflecting member toward the image pickup surface side of the image pickup means, so that one of the optical systems of the first and second optical systems is located on the object side. Since the optical axis is decentered with respect to the optical axis on the image plane side, the optical axis of the optical system can be decentered with a simple configuration.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the reflecting member is constituted by the reflecting plate having the free curved surface, it is possible to reduce chromatic aberration caused by decentering the optical axis of the optical system. As a result, the chromatic aberration correction optical system can be simplified, and the optical system can be prevented from increasing in size.

According to the invention of claim 5, the first and second
At least one of the optical system of has a reflecting member,
Since the light flux from the subject is reflected by the reflecting member toward the image pickup surface of the image pickup means to form an optical image of the subject on the other area of the image pickup surface, the same image of the subject can be obtained.
An optical system capable of forming different types of light images (for example, a wide-angle light image and a telephoto light image) on the image pickup surfaces of the same image pickup device by dividing the respective regions can be formed compact and small. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a compact and small-sized image pickup apparatus capable of simultaneously shooting two types of images (a wide-angle image and a telephoto image) of the same subject.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, if the image recording device is installed in a vehicle, when a collision accident occurs, an image (wide-angle image) of the surrounding conditions of the vehicle before the collision accident and a collision immediately after the collision occur. Since the image of the situation (telephoto image) can be recorded, the cause of the collision accident can be easily investigated using this recorded image.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of an image recording device including an imaging device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an application example of an image recording apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a first optical system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a subject light image formed on an image pickup surface of an image pickup element by first and second optical systems.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a problem when the optical axes of the first and second optical systems are not decentered.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration in which a reflective optical element in a second optical system is provided to decenter the optical axis.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a second image memory and a recording method of image data.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a recording process in a collision recording mode.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a recording process in a front photographing mode.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Image recording device 2 Optical system 21 First optical system 22 Second optical system 23 Light shield 24 Reflective optical element (reflection member) 3 Image sensor (imaging means) 4 Image processing section 5 First image memory 6 Control unit (control means, determination means) 7 Second image memory (recording means) 8,9 Accelerometer 10 Operation part

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification Code FI Theme Coat (Reference) G03B 15/00 G03B 15/00 R 5C054 U 17/17 17/17 17/38 17/38 B 19/07 19/07 H04N 7/18 H04N 7/18 JF Term (Reference) 2H020 FB00 2H054 AA01 BB00 BB02 BB05 BB11 2H087 KA03 LA01 NA11 NA18 RA44 TA01 TA03 TA06 2H101 FF00 5C022 AA04 AC42 AC54 AC69 5C054 A02 CHA04 A02

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup device for photoelectrically converting an optical image into an electric image; a first optical system for dividing an image pickup surface of the image pickup device into two parts and forming an optical image of a subject in one region; First above
Second optical system having an optical characteristic different from that of the second optical system, wherein at least a part of the subject imaged on the image pickup surface of the image pickup means by the first optical system is imaged on the other area of the image pickup means. An imaging device comprising an optical system. 2. An image pickup means for photoelectrically converting a light image into an electric image; a first optical system for dividing an image pickup surface of the image pickup means into two and forming a light image of a subject in one area; An image pickup apparatus comprising: a second optical system having an optical characteristic different from that of the first optical system for forming an optical image of the subject on the other area of the image pickup surface of the image pickup means, At least one of the first and second optical systems so that at least a part of the subject imaged on the imaging surface by the first optical system is imaged on the imaging surface by the second optical system. The optical system on the object side of the optical system is decentered with respect to the optical axis on the image plane side. 3. The image pickup device according to claim 2, wherein one of the first and second optical systems has a reflection member inside, and the reflection member allows the light flux from the subject to be picked up by the image pickup means. The imaging device is configured such that the optical axis on the object side of the optical system is decentered from the optical axis on the image surface side by reflecting the optical axis on the imaging surface side. 4. The image pickup device according to claim 3, wherein the reflecting member is a reflecting plate having a free curved surface. 5. An image pickup means for photoelectrically converting a light image into an electric image, and a first optical system for dividing an image pickup surface of the image pickup means into two and forming a light image of a subject in one area. An image pickup apparatus comprising: a second optical system having an optical characteristic different from that of the first optical system for forming an optical image of the subject on the other area of the image pickup surface of the image pickup means, At least one of the first and second optical systems has a reflecting member, and at least a part of the subject imaged on the imaging surface by the first optical system is provided by the second optical system. An image pickup apparatus characterized in that a light flux from the subject is reflected by the reflecting member toward the image pickup surface side of the image pickup means so that an image is formed on the image pickup surface. 6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, and a control unit which controls a shooting operation of the image pickup apparatus.
Recording means for recording an image taken by the imaging device,
An image recording apparatus comprising: an acceleration sensor; and a determination means for determining a collision based on the output of the acceleration sensor, wherein the control means captures an image with the imaging device when a collision is not detected by the determination means. Of the two images
When the image of the subject imaged in one area of the imaging surface is recorded in the recording unit and the collision is detected by the determination unit, the other image of the imaging surface of the two images captured by the imaging device is detected. An image recording apparatus, wherein an image of a subject captured in an area is recorded in a recording unit for a predetermined time set in advance.