JP2018205845A - In-vehicle image recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To record important video with high quality and to enable long-time data recording in a situation where the recordable data capacity is limited. SOLUTION: When operating in a constant recording mode, control is performed so as to improve the quality of recorded video for a certain period of time by detecting a specific event in which a trigger signal does not occur. The length of the fixed time is automatically switched according to the type of detected event. Important images are generated, such as when the vehicle turns left near an intersection, when a person is detected while driving in the back, when a lane deviation warning is issued, when a sudden deceleration, insufficient distance between vehicles, or a sharp turn is detected. When the possibility is high, the image data is recorded with the quality improved for the required time. Improve the quality by changing the frame rate of the recorded image. By optimizing the time zone for improving quality for each event, long-term data recording can be realized and important images can be recorded with high quality. [Selection diagram] Fig. 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle image recording apparatus capable of recording an image taken inside or outside a vehicle on a vehicle.

  For example, a drive recorder or a digital tachograph (operation recorder) is known as an in-vehicle device that captures an image on a vehicle and automatically records the obtained image data. In addition, there are two types of drive recorders: a temporary recording type that records an image only when a specific event such as an impact at the time of a traffic accident is detected, and a continuous recording type that always records regardless of the occurrence of an event. There is.

  Temporary recording type drive recorders automatically record image data with high utility value in the event of a traffic accident or the like, and therefore tend to be installed in various vehicles. For example, in a company that operates business vehicles such as taxis, buses, and trucks, it is necessary to check whether or not the crew is driving safely, and to manage labor for the crew. Therefore, in such a company, a vehicle with a constant recording type drive recorder and a digital tachograph is installed in the vehicle, and various data during the operation of the vehicle is automatically acquired, which is useful for management of safe driving and labor management. ing.

  For example, the drive recorder disclosed in Patent Document 1 shows a technique for achieving both appropriate recording of video information and saving of storage capacity. Specifically, in a drive recorder that records video taken by multiple cameras, select one or multiple cameras based on an external signal such as a left turn signal, and record the video of the selected cameras with high quality To do. In addition, the video of the camera not selected is recorded with low quality.

JP 2012-19450 A

  When recording data such as video taken with an in-vehicle camera, it is necessary to record a large amount of data on a memory card or the like. In an environment where there is a great restriction on the recordable capacity of the medium, it is necessary to fully consider the possibility of long-time recording.

  That is, when giving priority to long-time recording, it is necessary to reduce the data recording capacity per unit time, for example, by lowering the bit rate of image data to be recorded. Therefore, instead of being able to store long-term data on the recording medium, the quality of the recorded data is reduced. Since the quality of the recorded data is low, the amount of information per unit time that can be used when analyzing the video is insufficient, making analysis difficult.

  Further, if the quality of the image data recorded by the drive recorder is increased in order to facilitate analysis of the recorded data, the storage area on the recording medium will be exhausted in a relatively short time. Accordingly, it becomes impossible to continue recording in a short time, or it is necessary to erase the old data in time and secure a recordable area. In any case, data cannot be recorded for a long time.

  Therefore, for example, as in Patent Document 1, it is also necessary to record only the images of some cameras selected from a plurality of cameras with high quality. However, when the technique of Patent Document 1 is adopted, whether or not to record a video with high quality is determined by the level Hi / Lo of the external signal input (see FIG. 3 of Patent Document 1), which is not so important. There is a possibility that even a video that is not high will be recorded with high quality, and it may be impossible to record for a long time. On the other hand, there is a possibility that important video is recorded after the level of external signal input is switched and the recording quality is lowered.

  Moreover, in the operation business of a certain kind of vehicle, there is a fact that there are many inquiries regarding the operation of the vehicle 3 days or 4 days after the vehicle operation. Therefore, it is necessary to leave the image data recorded by the drive recorder at least until about one week after vehicle operation. However, when the amount of image data to be recorded with high quality increases, there is no free space on the recording medium, and it becomes necessary to erase or overwrite the recorded old data. Therefore, unless the recording medium of the drive recorder is replaced periodically, for example, it is difficult to keep the recorded data until one week after the operation work.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to record important video with high quality and record data for a long time in a situation where the recordable data capacity is limited. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle-mounted image recording apparatus.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the in-vehicle image recording apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by the following (1) to (5).
(1) An in-vehicle image recording apparatus that records video data captured by one or more imaging units that capture an inside or outside of a vehicle on a predetermined recording medium at all times or regularly.
An event detector for detecting the occurrence of a predetermined high-priority event in the vehicle;
When the event detection unit detects the event, a recording control unit that increases the quality of data recorded on the recording medium for a certain period of time than normal,
An in-vehicle image recording apparatus comprising:

  According to the in-vehicle image recording apparatus having the configuration (1), it is possible to record video data with higher quality than usual over a certain period of time when the event is detected. As a result, it is possible to prevent recording of a low-importance video with high quality, so that recording for a long time is possible. Further, it is possible to avoid recording a video with high importance at a low quality, and data analysis becomes easy.

(2) The recording control unit automatically selects the length of the predetermined time according to the type of the event detected by the event detection unit.
The in-vehicle image recording apparatus according to (1), characterized in that:

  According to the in-vehicle image recording apparatus having the configuration (2), it is possible to optimize the length of time for recording with high quality for each type of event. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a video with a low importance from being recorded with a high quality, and at the same time, it is possible to avoid a video with a high importance from being recorded with a low quality.

(3) a trigger detection unit that detects occurrence of a predetermined trigger recording event to be recorded in the vehicle in the vehicle;
The recording control unit executes a predetermined trigger recording operation when the trigger detection unit detects the trigger recording event, and the event detection is performed when the trigger detection unit does not detect the trigger recording event. When the unit detects the event, the quality of the data to be recorded on the recording medium is increased from the normal for a certain period of time,
The in-vehicle image recording apparatus according to the above (1) or (2), wherein

  According to the in-vehicle image recording apparatus having the configuration (3), for example, when an event such as a general dangerous driving that does not correspond to a trigger recording event such as when a traffic accident occurs is detected, or a situation in which a danger is easily encountered is detected. Even when it is detected, a high-quality video can be recorded for a certain period of time.

(4) The event detection unit has a function of detecting at least one event in the vicinity of an intersection, back running, lane departure, sudden deceleration, insufficient distance between vehicles, and sudden turning.
The vehicle-mounted image recording apparatus according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein

  According to the in-vehicle image recording apparatus having the configuration (4), a video having high importance is detected by detecting any of the following events: near an intersection, back running, lane departure, sudden deceleration, insufficient distance between vehicles, and sudden turning. It is possible to record with high quality over a certain period of time. In other words, even a video that is not trigger-recorded can be recorded with high quality video that is likely to be useful for analyzing a highly dangerous event.

(5) When the event detection unit detects the event, the recording control unit increases a frame rate of image data to be recorded on the recording medium higher than normal.
The in-vehicle image recording apparatus according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein:

  According to the in-vehicle image recording apparatus having the configuration (5), by increasing the frame rate of the image data to be recorded, it becomes possible to accurately grasp the situation change of the video in a shorter time during the data analysis. Analysis work becomes easy.

  According to the in-vehicle image recording apparatus of the present invention, important video can be recorded with high quality and data can be recorded for a long time in a situation where the recordable data capacity is limited. That is, video data with higher quality than usual can be recorded for a certain period of time when an event is detected. As a result, it is possible to prevent recording of a low-importance video with high quality, so that recording for a long time is possible. Further, it is possible to avoid recording a video with high importance at a low quality, and data analysis becomes easy.

  The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through a mode for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) with reference to the accompanying drawings. .

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a drive recorder in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of characteristic operations of the drive recorder shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a specific operation example-1 of the drive recorder shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a specific operation example-2 of the drive recorder shown in FIG.

  Specific embodiments relating to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration Example of Drive Recorder 10>
A configuration example of the drive recorder 10 in the embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the drive recorder 10 shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to the in-vehicle image recording apparatus of the present invention. It should be noted that another vehicle-mounted device having a video data recording function similar to a drive recorder, such as a digital tachograph (operation recorder), can be configured as the vehicle-mounted image recording device of the present invention.

  The drive recorder 10 shown in FIG. 2 includes a microcomputer 11, an image processing unit 12, a communication module 13, interfaces (I / F) 14, 16, a GPS receiver 15, a clock circuit 17, a signal processing unit 18, and an acceleration sensor 19. A memory (RAM) 21, a card interface 22, a memory card 23, an audio signal processing unit 24, a speaker 25, a microphone 26, a driver 27, a display unit 28, and an operation unit 29. A plurality of in-vehicle cameras 31 and 32 are connected to the input of the image processing unit 12, an antenna 33 is connected to the communication module 13, and an antenna 34 is connected to the GPS receiver 15.

  The microcomputer 11 operates in accordance with a program incorporated in advance and executes processing for realizing various functions required for the drive recorder 10. That is, the operations shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 are realized by the processing of the microcomputer 11.

  The in-vehicle camera 31 is fixed on the vehicle so that, for example, a road surface, a preceding vehicle, an oncoming vehicle, a landscape, etc. reflected in the forward direction of the host vehicle can be photographed as a subject. The in-vehicle camera 32 is fixed in the vehicle interior so as to be able to photograph the state of a crew member driving the vehicle in the vehicle interior, or fixed on the vehicle so as to photograph a landscape behind the host vehicle. . Note that the number of in-vehicle cameras connected to the drive recorder 10 may be one, or may be increased to three or more.

  The image processing unit 12 takes in video signals output from the in-vehicle cameras 31 and 32, converts them into digital signals, and generates image data in units of frames, for example. Image data generated by the image processing unit 12 is input to the microcomputer 11.

  Further, the image processing unit 12 can analyze the content of each image frame and recognize each white line on the road in the image and the position of the host vehicle. Furthermore, it is possible to output an alarm indicating the lane departure of the host vehicle based on the positional relationship between each recognized white line and the host vehicle. Further, the image processing unit 12 can recognize the intersection on the road or the obstacle such as a person existing on the road by analyzing the contents of each image frame.

  The communication module 13 provides a wireless communication function for performing data communication with a server disposed in a data center or the like outside the vehicle via the antenna 33. The communication module 13 is connected to the microcomputer 11 via the interface 14.

  The GPS receiver 15 receives a radio wave from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite via an antenna 34 and performs a predetermined calculation based on times of received signals from a plurality of GPS satellites, thereby obtaining the current vehicle state. Information on the latitude / longitude representing the position can be acquired. The GPS receiver 15 is connected to the microcomputer 11 via the interface 16.

  The clock circuit 17 constantly counts clock pulse signals having a constant period, and can output information on the current date and time as necessary. The timer circuit 17 also has a timer function for counting elapsed time and the like. The microcomputer 11 can acquire information on the current date and time and information on elapsed time and the like by controlling the clock circuit 17.

  The signal processing unit 18 inputs the vehicle speed pulse signal SG1, the brake signal SG2, the winker signal SG3, and the back signal SG4 output from the vehicle side, and converts them into signals suitable for the processing of the microcomputer 11.

  Each pulse appearing in the vehicle speed pulse signal SG1 represents, for example, that the output shaft of the transmission has rotated a predetermined amount. Therefore, the microcomputer 11 can calculate the travel distance and travel speed of the host vehicle based on the number of pulses and the pulse period of the vehicle speed pulse signal SG1.

  The brake signal SG2 is a binary signal indicating on / off of the stop lamp. The winker signal SG3 is a binary signal that represents on / off of the operation of the left and right direction indicators (blinkers). The back signal SG4 is a binary signal indicating whether or not the connection state of the transmission of the host vehicle is in a reverse state.

  The acceleration sensor 19 is used to detect a very large acceleration in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction applied to the host vehicle in an abnormal situation such as a traffic accident.

  The memory (RAM) 21 can freely write and read data by accessing the microcomputer 11. The storage area on the memory 21 is used for temporarily storing various data.

  The memory card 23 incorporates a nonvolatile memory having a relatively large storage capacity. The memory card 23 can be connected to the microcomputer 11 by being mounted in the slot of the card interface 22. The microcomputer 11 can sequentially write and record image data input from the image processing unit 12 and data such as sound input from the audio signal processing unit 24 on the memory card 23.

  In the present embodiment, the frame rate (number of image frames / second) at which the microcomputer 11 writes image data to the memory card 23 can be selected from two or more, depending on the situation. The microcomputer 11 automatically switches the frame rate. Increasing the frame rate enables high-quality image recording, and decreasing the frame rate enables long-time image recording.

  The audio signal processing unit 24 has an audio output function for generating pseudo audio signals representing various messages related to guidance, alarms, and the like, amplifying the signals, and outputting the signals from the speaker 25 as audio. In addition, an audio input function for converting an electrical signal such as audio input from the microphone 26 into a digital signal and outputting the digital signal to the microcomputer 11 is also provided.

  The display unit 28 is configured by a display device such as a liquid crystal and has a function of displaying visible information such as characters and numbers. The microcomputer 11 controls the display unit 28 via the driver 27 and can change the display content of the display unit 28 as necessary.

  The operation unit 29 includes a plurality of switches that are turned on and off according to the operation states of the plurality of buttons that can be operated by the driver. By reading the state of each switch in the operation unit 29, the microcomputer 11 can identify the presence / absence of the button operation and specify the operated button.

<Outline of Characteristic Operation of Drive Recorder 10>
FIG. 2 shows an outline of characteristic operations of the drive recorder 10 shown in FIG. That is, the microcomputer 11 performs the control of FIG.

  The drive recorder 10 can execute both the “always recording mode” and the “trigger recording mode” in parallel. In the “always recording mode”, two types of operations, “standard image quality recording operation” and “image quality improvement recording operation”, can be selectively used as necessary. In addition, the user can determine in advance whether or not to permit the “image quality improvement recording operation” when a predetermined condition is satisfied, by operating a button on the operation unit 29 or the like.

  That is, when the microcomputer 11 always performs image recording in step S11 shown in FIG. 2, the “standard image quality recording operation” can be performed in the “always recording mode”. In the “standard image quality recording operation”, information mainly composed of image data of standard image quality is periodically written and stored in the memory card 23 unconditionally. In this standard image quality, as a typical example, the image data of the in-vehicle cameras 31 and 32 is recorded at a constant frame rate of 5 frames per second (5 [fps]).

  On the other hand, for example, when a traffic accident occurs, the amount of information is insufficient in the recording quality of the image data recorded in the “always recording mode”. Therefore, a “trigger recording mode” is provided to record image data required in such a case.

  In the “trigger recording mode”, for example, a high-quality signal is generated only for several tens of seconds before and after that time by a trigger signal generated inside the microcomputer 11 when the acceleration sensor 19 detects a large acceleration greater than a predetermined value. Image data is continuously recorded on the memory card 23. That is, when the trigger signal is generated, the microcomputer 11 proceeds from step S12 to step S13 in FIG. 2 and executes trigger image recording.

  However, since the trigger signal is not generated in a normal vehicle running state, the “trigger recording mode” is used only in a special case such as when a traffic accident occurs. Further, in the “trigger recording mode”, the amount of data recorded by one trigger signal becomes very large. Therefore, if the “trigger recording mode” is frequently used, the storage area of the memory card 23 is quickly exhausted. It will disappear.

  The drive recorder 10 shown in FIG. 1 can execute the “image quality improving recording operation” in the “always recording mode”. In this “image quality improvement recording operation”, the image of each in-vehicle camera 31 or 32 is higher in quality than the “standard image quality recording operation”, for example, at a constant frame rate (10 [fps]) of 10 frames per second. Data is recorded on the memory card 23.

  That is, when the microcomputer 11 detects a state representing a request for “image quality improvement recording operation”, the microcomputer 11 proceeds from step S14 to S15 in FIG. 2 and executes the “image quality improvement recording operation”. The length of time for executing this “image quality improvement recording operation” is set to a predetermined time. Moreover, this designated time differs for each state type, and an appropriate time is assigned for each type.

Here, as representative examples of the state representing the request for “image quality improvement recording operation”, there are the following (C1) to (C6), for example.
(C1) When the vehicle travels on a road intersection and the vehicle turns left.
(C2) The host vehicle travels in the backward direction and detects the presence of a person in the traveling direction.
(C3) When a warning of departure from the lane of the host vehicle is output.
(C4) When a sudden deceleration of the host vehicle is detected.
(C5) When a shortage of the distance between the vehicles is detected.
(C6) When a sudden turn of the host vehicle is detected.

  Therefore, even if it is not an abnormal situation in which a trigger signal is generated, for example, if the microcomputer 11 executes step S15 when the condition (C1) to (C6) is satisfied, the specified time is reached. The image data is recorded on the memory card 23 with the image quality improved.

  For example, when the current day's operation operation of the host vehicle is completed and the vehicle enters the warehousing state, or when the recording area of the memory card 23 is exhausted, the microcomputer 11 “requests to end recording” in S16. 2 is terminated. Therefore, the regular image recording in step S11 is also terminated.

<Specific operation example-1>
FIG. 3 shows a specific operation example-1 of the drive recorder 10 shown in FIG. That is, FIG. 3 shows a processing procedure when the microcomputer 11 executes the “image quality improvement recording operation” in S15 in accordance with the request corresponding to the condition (C1). The operation of FIG. 3 will be described below.

  The microcomputer 11 normally performs “standard image quality recording operation” in the “always recording mode” by repeatedly executing image recording at step S21 in FIG.

  Further, for example, the microcomputer 11 detects in S22 that the host vehicle is traveling on an intersection on the road by using the result of image recognition performed by the image processing unit 12 based on the video taken by the in-vehicle camera 31 or 32, for example. If so, the microcomputer 11 proceeds from S22 to S23, and refers to the current state of the blinker signal SG3. If the left blinker signal SG3 is on, that is, if the host vehicle is turning left, the microcomputer 11 proceeds from S23 to S24.

  On the other hand, if the “image quality improvement recording operation” is permitted by the user's prior setting, the microcomputer 11 proceeds from S24 to S25. In step S25, the microcomputer 11 executes the continuous image recording operation in a state in which the recording image quality is improved by increasing the frame rate in comparison with the standard image quality continuous image recording operation in step S21.

  The continuous image recording operation in which the image quality is improved in step S25 is continued until the microcomputer 11 detects in step S26 that the specified time T1 has elapsed since the start of the process in step S25. Here, the designated time T1 is a constant assigned in advance to the condition (C1). That is, the expected length of time from when the host vehicle turns to the left at the intersection until the end of the time zone in which an important image is likely to appear is selected by the microcomputer 11 as the designated time T1, Only during the time period, the continuous image recording operation with improved image quality is executed in S25.

<Specific operation example-2>
FIG. 4 shows a specific operation example-2 of the drive recorder 10 shown in FIG. That is, FIG. 4 shows a processing procedure when the microcomputer 11 executes the “image quality improvement recording operation” in S15 in accordance with the request corresponding to the condition (C2). The operation of FIG. 4 will be described below.

  The microcomputer 11 normally performs “standard image quality recording operation” in the “always recording mode” by repeatedly executing image recording at step S31 in FIG.

  If the microcomputer 11 detects in S32 that the host vehicle is traveling in the back direction by referring to the state of the back signal SG4, the microcomputer 11 proceeds to S33. Then, for example, using the result of image recognition by the image processing unit 12 based on the video taken by the in-vehicle camera 32, the microcomputer 11 identifies whether or not a person is present in the traveling direction (backward) of the host vehicle, If the presence of a person is detected, the process proceeds to S34.

  On the other hand, if the “image quality improvement recording operation” is permitted by the user's prior setting, the microcomputer 11 proceeds from S34 to S35. In step S35, the microcomputer 11 always executes the image recording operation in a state where the recording image quality is improved by increasing the frame rate in comparison with the standard image quality continuous image recording operation in S31.

  The continuous image recording operation with improved image quality in step S35 continues until the microcomputer 11 detects that the specified time T2 has elapsed since the start of the process in step S35. Here, the designated time T2 is a constant assigned in advance to the condition (C2). That is, the expected length of time from the time when the vehicle travels in the back direction and the presence of a person in the direction of travel to the end of the time zone in which an important video is likely to appear is The designated time T2 is selected by the computer 11, and the continuous image recording operation in which the image quality is improved in S35 is executed only during this time period.

<Specific operation example-3>
Although not shown, when the microcomputer 11 executes the “image quality improving recording operation” in S15 in accordance with the requirements corresponding to the above conditions (C3) to (C6), the same procedure as in FIGS. The process is executed.

  For example, when the image processing unit 12 outputs a warning of departure from the lane of the host vehicle, the microcomputer 11 regards the request as satisfying the above condition (C3), and performs the “image quality improvement recording operation only for the specified time T3. ”Is executed. It is desirable to assign a relatively short time length for the designated time T3. For example, if the driver changes the lane of the host vehicle without forgetting the direction instruction operation, a lane departure warning is output even though it is not actually “lane departure”. In addition, the time zone in which an important image may appear after the occurrence of “lane departure” is relatively short. Therefore, the designated time T3 is, for example, 15 seconds.

  If the microcomputer 11 detects a request corresponding to the above condition (C4) by monitoring the change in the brake signal SG2 and the vehicle speed, the "image quality improvement recording operation" is executed only for the designated time T4. To do.

  In a situation where the host vehicle suddenly decelerates, it is highly likely that a safety-critical event that the driver feels like “near or hat” has occurred, so the above condition (C4) is met. It is desirable that the specified time T4 of the request to be made is relatively long. Therefore, the designated time T4 is set to 30 seconds, for example.

  When the image processing unit 12 outputs an alarm indicating that the host vehicle is short of the distance between the vehicles, the microcomputer 11 regards the request as satisfying the above condition (C5), and performs “image quality improvement recording” only during the designated time T5. Execute the action. With respect to the designated time T5, there is a possibility that the shortage of the inter-vehicle distance may continue for a certain period of time, so the designated time T3 is set to 30 seconds, for example. The inter-vehicle distance at which an alarm is output is set according to the vehicle speed. Instead of the image processing unit 12, an in-vehicle radar (not shown) for measuring the inter-vehicle distance may output an alarm indicating that the inter-vehicle distance is insufficient.

  When the acceleration sensor 19 outputs a warning of sudden turning of the host vehicle, the microcomputer 11 regards the request as satisfying the above condition (C6), and performs “image quality improvement recording operation” only for the designated time T6. Execute. The acceleration sensor 19 warns when the lateral acceleration applied to the host vehicle exceeds a predetermined value and is smaller than the lateral acceleration (trigger recording mode threshold) detected in an abnormal situation such as a traffic accident. Is output. About this designated time T6, since the time for which a turn continues is generally short, it is desirable to assign a relatively short time length. Therefore, the designated time T6 is, for example, 15 seconds.

  The specified times T1 to T6 are preliminarily incorporated in the program of the microcomputer 11 as constants or registered in advance on a constant table that can be referred to by the microcomputer 11. . Thereby, the microcomputer 11 can select an appropriate designated time for each of the above conditions (C1) to (C6) in step S15 in FIG.

<Advantages of the drive recorder 10>
The drive recorder 10 that performs the operation shown in FIG. 2 can record image data on the memory card 23 in both the “always recording mode” and the “trigger recording mode”. In the “always recording mode”, two types of operations, “standard image quality recording operation” and “image quality improvement recording operation”, can be automatically selected according to the situation according to the event detected by the microcomputer 11. Therefore, even in a general driving situation of a vehicle in which no trigger signal is generated, a highly important video can be recorded on the memory card 23 with improved image quality. Furthermore, since the image data is recorded in a state where the image quality is improved only during an appropriate designated time (T1 to T6) according to the type of the detected event (C1 to C6), that is, the magnitude of the expected importance, Consumption of the recording area on the memory card 23 can be suppressed. Therefore, high-quality image recording that allows easy data analysis and long-time image recording can be realized simultaneously.

<Possibility of deformation other than the above>
Although it is assumed in step S15 in FIG. 2 that the quality of the recording data is improved by changing the frame rate of the image data to be recorded, the quality can be adjusted by other methods. For example, the image quality and the data capacity per unit time can be changed by changing the difference in the number of pixels constituting each image frame, the compression rate when compressing the image data, or the like. In addition, about the number of vehicle-mounted cameras to be used, and the imaging | photography direction of each camera, changing suitably according to a use can be considered.

Here, the features of the above-described in-vehicle image recording apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed in the following [1] to [5], respectively.
[1] On-vehicle that records video data captured by one or more imaging units (on-vehicle cameras 31 and 32) that image inside or outside of the vehicle on a predetermined recording medium (memory card 23) at all times or regularly. An image recording apparatus (drive recorder 10),
An event detector (microcomputer 11, S14) for detecting the occurrence of a predetermined high-priority event in the vehicle;
A recording control unit (microcomputer 11, S15) that increases the quality of data recorded on the recording medium when the event detection unit detects the event;
An in-vehicle image recording apparatus comprising:

[2] The recording control unit automatically selects the length of the predetermined time according to the type of the event detected by the event detection unit.
The in-vehicle image recording apparatus according to [1] above, wherein

[3] A trigger detection unit (microcomputer 11, S12) for detecting occurrence of a predetermined trigger recording event to be recorded in the vehicle in the vehicle,
The recording control unit executes a predetermined trigger recording operation (S13) when the trigger detection unit detects the trigger recording event, and the trigger detection unit does not detect the trigger recording event and When the event detection unit detects the event, the quality of data recorded on the recording medium is increased from normal for a certain time (S15),
The in-vehicle image recording apparatus according to the above [1] or [2], wherein

[4] The event detection unit has a function of detecting at least one event (S22, S23, S32, S33) in the vicinity of an intersection, back travel, lane departure, sudden deceleration, insufficient distance between vehicles, and sudden turn.
The in-vehicle image recording apparatus according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein

[5] The recording control unit increases the frame rate of the image data to be recorded on the recording medium when the event detecting unit detects the event (S25, S35).
The in-vehicle image recording device according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Drive recorder 11 Microcomputer 12 Image processing part 13 Communication module 14,16 Interface 15 GPS receiver 17 Clock circuit 18 Signal processing part 19 Acceleration sensor 21 Memory 22 Card interface 23 Memory card 24 Audio | voice signal processing part 25 Speaker 26 Microphone 27 Driver 28 Display unit 29 Operation unit 31, 32 Car-mounted camera 33, 34 Antenna SG1 Vehicle speed pulse signal SG2 Brake signal SG3 Blinker signal SG4 Back signal

Claims (5)

An in-vehicle image recording apparatus that records video data captured by one or more imaging units that capture an inside or outside of a vehicle on a predetermined recording medium at all times or regularly,
An event detector for detecting the occurrence of a predetermined high-priority event in the vehicle;
When the event detection unit detects the event, a recording control unit that increases the quality of data recorded on the recording medium for a certain period of time than normal,
An in-vehicle image recording apparatus comprising: The recording control unit automatically selects the length of the predetermined time according to the type of the event detected by the event detection unit.
The in-vehicle image recording apparatus according to claim 1. A trigger detection unit that detects occurrence of a predetermined trigger recording event in the vehicle to perform trigger recording;
The recording control unit executes a predetermined trigger recording operation when the trigger detection unit detects the trigger recording event, and the event detection is performed when the trigger detection unit does not detect the trigger recording event. When the unit detects the event, the quality of the data to be recorded on the recording medium is increased from the normal for a certain period of time,
The in-vehicle image recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The event detection unit has a function of detecting at least one event of the vicinity of an intersection, back travel, lane departure, sudden deceleration, insufficient distance between vehicles, and sudden turn,
The in-vehicle image recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The recording control unit raises the frame rate of image data to be recorded on the recording medium higher than normal when the event detection unit detects the event,
The in-vehicle image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the on-vehicle image recording apparatus is provided.

Images