JP5681535B2 - Method and apparatus for setting recording image quality of drive recorder - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for setting the image quality of an image to be recorded in a memory of a drive recorder mounted on a vehicle.

  Conventionally, when an impact is applied to a vehicle, a drive recorder has been proposed and put into practical use in order to record various information related to vehicle travel such as video, sound, and travel speed around the vehicle. Yes. By using the drive recorder, for example, when the vehicle has a collision accident, information before and after the collision is recorded and saved, which can be used for analysis of the cause of the accident.

  As a conventional drive recorder, for example, one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-165805 (Patent Document 1) is known. In Patent Document 1, an image of the driving situation of a vehicle is stored in a memory, and when acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor exceeds a predetermined value, images before and after this time are also stored in the memory.

JP 2005-165805 A

  Images taken by the drive recorder and stored in the memory are reproduced by using an analysis program installed in a personal computer or the like when necessary, for example, after the operation of the vehicle is completed. For this reason, a portable recording medium such as a Compact Flash (registered trademark) card is used for the memory of the drive recorder.

  A portable recording medium has a slower access speed than a built-in memory, and has a limit in data writing speed (data transfer rate). Therefore, in order to store the image information in operation without leaking in the portable storage medium so as not to exceed the upper limit of the data transfer rate, it is very important to set the image quality to be recorded. .

  The image quality setting of the image to be recorded by the drive recorder can be performed on the drive recorder side, or can be performed by writing the setting contents on a portable storage medium on the personal computer or the like side where the analysis program is installed. In either case, in order to set an appropriate image quality, it is necessary to consider the bit rate corresponding to the still image quality (image size such as VGA, HVGA, QVGA) and the frame rate of the moving image. is there.

  However, the drive recorder user does not always have sufficient knowledge of the bit rate and frame rate, and the image quality setting menu that assumes such knowledge is convenient for the user. It's hard to say.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to record an image captured by a drive recorder in a memory even for a user who does not have detailed knowledge about the data amount according to the image quality. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording image quality setting method capable of easily setting an image quality suitable for this, and a recording image quality setting apparatus suitable for use in carrying out this method.

In order to achieve the above object, a recording image quality setting method for a drive recorder according to the present invention described in claim 1 comprises:
A method for setting the quality of an image to be recorded in a memory of a drive recorder mounted on a vehicle,
The amount of data per unit time for each image quality of the image is converted into a relative value with respect to the reference value when converted to a reference value according to the data transfer rate to the memory,
The image quality is set so that the relative value is within the reference value.
It is characterized by that.

In order to achieve the above object, a recording image quality setting device for a drive recorder according to claim 2 of the present invention provides:
An apparatus for setting the image quality of an image to be recorded in a memory of a drive recorder mounted on a vehicle,
A conversion table storage means for converting the data amount per unit time for each image quality of the image into a relative value with respect to the reference value when converted into a reference value according to a data transfer rate to the memory;
Image quality designating means for designating the image quality of the image;
Detection means for detecting the relative value stored in the conversion table storage means corresponding to the image quality designated by the image quality designation means;
Message generating means for generating a guidance message having contents according to the magnitude relationship between the detected value of the detecting means and the reference value;
Display means for displaying the guidance message generated by the message generating means on a display;
It is characterized by providing.

  According to the recording image quality setting method of the drive recorder of the present invention described in claim 1 and the recording image quality setting device of the drive recorder of the present invention described in claim 2, the data amount per unit time for each image quality of the image Is expressed as a relative value with respect to a reference value converted from a data transfer rate to the memory.

  Here, if the reference value is set to a simple value such as 10 or 100, when an image of a predetermined time is recorded in the memory with the set image quality, an appropriate value is determined depending on whether or not the relative value is equal to or less than the reference value. It is possible to easily check whether the image quality is set.

  For this reason, even a user who does not have detailed knowledge about the data amount according to the image quality of the image can easily set an image quality appropriate for recording the image captured by the drive recorder in the memory.

  A recording image quality setting device for a drive recorder according to a third aspect of the present invention is the recording image quality setting device for a drive recorder according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the image quality designation means includes a plurality of the recording properties of the drive recorder. The image generation unit is configured to individually specify the image quality of each image corresponding to each of the cameras, and the message generation unit includes the total value of the detection values of the detection unit for each image corresponding to each camera and the The guidance message having a content corresponding to a magnitude relationship with a reference value is generated.

  According to the recording image quality setting device for a drive recorder of the present invention described in claim 3, in the recording image quality setting device for a drive recorder of the present invention described in claim 2, the image quality of images by a plurality of cameras is individually set. However, the total amount of data corresponding to the image quality of each camera image can be grasped from the total value based on the relative value with respect to the reference value. For this reason, it is possible to easily check whether the image quality of the image by each camera is appropriately set by the guidance message indicating the magnitude relationship between the total value and the reference value, and to easily set the appropriate image quality respectively. .

  Furthermore, the recording image quality setting device for a drive recorder of the present invention described in claim 4 is the recording image quality setting device for a drive recorder of the present invention described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the image quality designation means is the drive recorder. It is configured to individually specify the image quality of each image to be recorded in a plurality of modes, and the message generation means includes a total value of detection values of the detection means for each image corresponding to each mode, and The guidance message having content corresponding to the magnitude relationship with the reference value is generated.

  According to the recording image quality setting device for a drive recorder of the present invention described in claim 4, in the recording image quality setting device for a drive recorder of the present invention described in claim 2 or 3, the image quality of an image recorded in a memory in each mode Even if each is set individually, the total amount of data corresponding to the image quality of the image recorded in each mode can be grasped by the total value based on the relative value with respect to the reference value. For this reason, it is possible to easily check whether or not the image quality of the image to be recorded in each mode is set appropriately by the guidance message indicating the magnitude relationship between the total and the reference value, and to easily set the appropriate image quality respectively. it can.

  According to the recording image quality setting method and apparatus for a drive recorder of the present invention, even a user who does not have detailed knowledge about the amount of data corresponding to the image quality of an image records an image captured by the drive recorder in a memory. Therefore, it is possible to easily set an appropriate image quality.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a drive recorder system according to an embodiment of the present invention including a recording image quality setting apparatus to which a recording image quality setting method of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the drive recorder shown in FIG. 1. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the image quality setting screen displayed on the display of the drive recorder analysis unit shown in FIG. 1 shows the image quality of a recorded image of a drive recorder that can be set in the drive recorder analysis unit shown in FIG. 1, (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the image quality that can be set in the constant recording mode, and (b) is the trigger image recording mode. It is explanatory drawing which shows the image quality which can be set. The relationship between the image quality of the recorded image of the drive recorder and the data transfer rate (bit rate) that can be set in the drive recorder analysis unit shown in FIG. 1 is shown by actual values for each image quality. FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram showing the case of the trigger image recording mode for each screen size (screen resolution). The relationship between the image quality of the recorded image of the drive recorder and the data transfer rate (bit rate) that can be set in the drive recorder analysis unit shown in FIG. 1 is shown as a converted value based on the memory capacity for each image quality. Is an explanatory view showing the case of the constant recording mode, and (b) is an explanatory view showing the case of the trigger image recording mode for each screen size (screen resolution). (A), (b) is explanatory drawing which expands and shows the guidance message part of the image quality setting screen shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the image quality setting process which CPU of the personal computer of the drive recorder analysis unit shown in FIG. 1 performs according to the program stored in ROM.

  Embodiments of a recording image quality setting apparatus to which a recording image quality setting method according to the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a drive recorder system according to an embodiment of the present invention including a recording image quality setting apparatus to which a recording image quality setting method of the present invention is applied. The drive recorder system shown in FIG. 1 has a drive recorder analysis unit 1 and a drive recorder 3.

  The drive recorder analysis unit 1 is installed in a sales office or the like that manages a vehicle (not shown) on which the drive recorder 3 is mounted. The drive recorder analysis unit 1 includes a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as “personal computer”) 10 having a keyboard 11 and a display 13, a printer 15 connected to the personal computer 10, and a reader / writer 17.

  The personal computer 10 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, a hard disk and the like (all not shown), and an image reproduction analysis program is installed in the hard disk.

  This image reproduction analysis program is taken by cameras 35a to 35n (to be described later) of the drive recorder 3 and is a portable memory card (hereinafter abbreviated as “card”) C such as an SD memory card or a compact flash (registered trademark) card. This is software for playing back and analyzing the recorded video on the personal computer 10.

  The image reproduction analysis program includes a program for formatting the card C (corresponding to the memory in the claims), and the card C by setting the image quality when the drive recorder 3 records an image using the cameras 35a to 35n. A program that writes to the dedicated area is included.

  The printer 15 is used when printing out the settings made by the personal computer 10 and the contents of analysis. The reader / writer 17 writes and reads data to and from the card C inserted from the card slot 17a under the control of the CPU of the personal computer 10.

  The drive recorder 3 is attached to a windshield of a vehicle (not shown), for example. The main body of the drive recorder 3 incorporates a camera 35a and has external cameras 35b to 35n.

  As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 2, the drive recorder 3 has a CPU 31, ROM 32, RAM 33, memory 34, an interface (I / F) 35 i of cameras 35 a to 35 n, and data writing and reading to the card C. Reader / writer 38 and an interface unit 39 for external connection. The interface unit 39 is connected with a vehicle speed sensor 41 and the like of the vehicle.

  The drive recorder 3 has acceleration sensors 37a to 37n corresponding to the cameras 35a to 35n, respectively. The acceleration sensor 37a corresponding to the camera 35a is built in the main body, and the other acceleration sensors 37b to 37n are respectively disposed at the installation locations of the corresponding external cameras 35b to 35n.

  The CPU 31 of the drive recorder 3 once records an image taken by the cameras 35a to 35n using a memory 34 composed of SRAM or the like according to a program stored in the ROM 32. Then, the data is downloaded and written from the card slot 38a (see FIG. 1) of the main body to the card C inserted into the reader / writer 38.

  There are two modes for recording images on the card C. One is a continuous recording mode, and instructions for starting and ending the operation of the vehicle are input to the CPU 31 from an external device (not shown) through the interface unit 39 while the card C is loaded in the reader / writer 38. In this mode, the image is recorded for a long time with a relatively low image quality.

  The other is a trigger recording mode, in which an acceleration sensor 37a to 37n detects an acceleration exceeding a certain value, a change in the vehicle speed input from the vehicle speed sensor 41 exceeding a certain speed, an unillustrated connected to the interface unit 39. In this mode, when an instruction to open / close the loading platform door or start work is input from an external device, a short-time image is recorded with a relatively high image quality for a certain time before and after the trigger time.

  Based on the image quality setting information read by the reader / writer 38 from the dedicated area of the card C, the CPU 31 of the drive recorder 3 sets the images taken by the cameras 35a to 35n in the constant recording mode and the trigger recording mode with the set image quality. Record in C.

  Next, the setting of the image quality setting information written in the dedicated area of the card C loaded in the reader / writer 17 by the personal computer 10 of the drive recorder analysis unit 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the explanatory diagram of FIG.

  The image quality setting screen shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the display 13 when the personal computer 10 starts a program related to image quality setting. In this image quality setting screen, for the cameras 35a to 35n of the drive recorder 3 (in FIG. 3, the case of five cameras 35a to 35e is shown), the image quality of each camera 35a to 35e in the constant recording mode and the trigger recording mode is This can be set using the keyboard 11 or a mouse (not shown).

  In the middle of the image quality setting screen, an image quality setting menu for the constant recording mode is displayed. Specifically, for each of the five cameras 35a to 35e, the seven-stage still image image quality (standard, standard +, high image quality, high image quality +, ultra high image quality, ultra high image quality +, Ultra-high image quality) and six stages of moving picture frame rates (1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 30 fps) can be set as image quality using a pull-down menu.

  In the lower part of the image quality setting screen, an image quality setting menu for the trigger recording mode is displayed. Specifically, the three-step still image quality (standard, high-quality, and super-high-quality) shown in FIG. 4B and the six-step video frame rate (1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 30 fps) Can be set as image quality using a pull-down menu. Furthermore, for the trigger recording mode, the image size (screen resolution) can be set in three stages (VGA, HVGA, QVGA) as part of the image quality by using the image size selection box at the top of the image quality setting screen. .

  In the image quality setting menu in the trigger recording mode, the “pre-trigger recording time setting” and “triggering time” indicate how long a video is recorded on the card C before and after the occurrence of the trigger event. It can be set using each pull-down menu of “post-recording time setting”.

  In the constant recording mode, the data transfer rate (bit rate) of a moving image at each frame rate is a numerical value shown in FIG. 5A per unit time (in this case, 1 second) for each of seven stages of still image quality. . On the other hand, in the trigger recording mode, for each image size, the video data transfer rate (bit rate) of each frame rate is as shown in FIG. 5 per unit time (in this case, 1 second) for each of the three stages of still image quality. It becomes the numerical value shown in b).

  Therefore, when setting the image quality of each mode (still image image quality, frame rate, image size) for each camera 35a to 35e, compared with the storage capacity of the card C, the required recording time (especially the constant recording mode). It is necessary to set the image quality appropriately so that images corresponding to (recording time) can be recorded on the card C. However, even if the storage capacity of the card C (or the effective storage capacity that can be used for recording) is known in advance, the data transfer rate (bit rate) of the moving image as shown in FIGS. It is difficult to recognize with this numerical value.

  Accordingly, when an arbitrary image quality is selected, whether the image quality is appropriate setting contents based on the storage capacity of the card C, and what kind of image quality is selected when it is inappropriate? It is difficult to judge.

  Therefore, in the drive recorder analysis unit 1 of this embodiment, the conversion tables shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B are stored in a hard disk (not shown) of the personal computer 10 for each of the constant recording mode and the trigger recording mode. ing. This conversion table converts the data transfer rate (bit rate) to the card C by the reader / writer 38 of the drive recorder 3 into a reference value (100 in this embodiment), and the data transfer rate (bits) per unit time of each image quality. The rate is converted into a relative value with respect to the reference value (100).

  Therefore, in the drive recorder analysis unit 1 of the present embodiment, when setting the image quality in the constant recording mode or the trigger recording mode, the image quality (still image quality, frame rate, image size) is displayed in each menu of the image quality setting screen shown in FIG. ) Is set using the pull-down menu, a relative value corresponding to the set data transfer rate (bit rate) of the image quality is displayed as “image quality index in each menu portion.

  Then, the total value of the relative values corresponding to the set image quality of each of the cameras 35a to 35e (the total value of the constant recording mode and the trigger recording mode) and the reference value converted from the data transfer rate to the card C (= 100) Is displayed as a guidance message M at the bottom of the image quality setting screen.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the total value is less than or equal to the reference value, the “slot 1 image quality index margin” value in the guidance message M is a positive value, and the total value is the reference value ( = 100) or less is displayed together.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the total value exceeds the reference value, the “slot 1 image quality index margin” value in the guidance message M is a negative value, and the total value is the reference value (= 100) The message “Over” and the message “Review the settings of image quality and frame rate so that the total image quality index does not become negative (still image).” Are displayed together.

  For this reason, the user can easily recognize whether or not the current image quality setting is appropriate by looking at the content of the guidance message M, and also when the content of the image quality setting is changed when it is not appropriate, It is possible to easily recognize whether the change contents are appropriate.

  Next, the procedure of image quality setting processing executed by the CPU of the personal computer 10 that enables the image quality setting as described above according to the ROM program will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, the CPU of the personal computer 10 receives the settings of the image quality (still image quality, frame rate, image size) of each camera 35a to 35e in the constant recording mode and the trigger recording mode in each menu of the image quality setting screen of FIG. It is confirmed whether or not (step S1). When the setting is input (YES in step S1), the relative value corresponding to the set image quality of each camera 35a to 35e in each input mode is obtained from the conversion tables of FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b). Each is detected (step S3).

  Next, the CPU of the personal computer 10 checks whether or not the total value of the relative values detected in step S3 is equal to or less than a reference value (= 100) converted from the data transfer rate to the card C (step S5). . When it is below the reference value (YES in step S5), the CPU of the personal computer 10 generates a guidance message M shown in FIG. 7A (step S7).

  On the other hand, when the total value of the relative values detected in step S3 is not less than or equal to the reference value (NO in step S5), the CPU of the personal computer 10 generates a guidance message M shown in FIG. 7B (step S9). .

  Then, the CPU of the personal computer 10 displays the guidance message M generated in step S7 or step S9 on the display 13 (step S11), ends the series of processes, and performs the processes from step S1 again in the next cycle. .

  As is clear from the above description, in the present embodiment, step S1 in the flowchart of FIG. 8 is processing corresponding to the image quality designation means in the claims. Moreover, in this embodiment, step S3 in FIG. 8 is a process corresponding to the detection means in the claims.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, step S7 and step S9 in FIG. 8 are processing corresponding to the message generation means in the claims. Further, in the present embodiment, step S11 in FIG. 8 is processing corresponding to the display means in the claims.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the personal computer 10 having a hard disk (not shown) that stores the conversion table corresponds to the conversion table storage means in the claims. In the present embodiment, the display 13 of the drive recorder analysis unit 1 corresponds to the display in the claims.

  As described above, according to the drive recorder system of the present embodiment, the data transfer rate to the card C by the reader / writer 38 of the cameras 35a to 35n of the drive recorder 3 and the data transfer rate corresponding to the set image quality. Even without knowledge about actual numerical values, the drive recorder analysis unit 1 can set the image quality when recording on the card C with the drive recorder 3 to an appropriate content.

  In the present embodiment, the image quality of the captured images of the cameras 35a to 35n can be set for each of the continuous recording mode and the trigger recording mode having different image quality setting ranges, but the configuration for that is omitted. Also good. In the present embodiment, the image quality of the captured image can be set for each of the plurality of cameras 35a to 35n. However, the configuration for that may be omitted.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the image quality setting is performed in the drive recorder analysis unit 1 has been described. However, if the display capable of confirming the image quality setting content can be provided in the drive recorder 3, the image quality setting is performed in the drive recorder 3. The present invention can also be applied to cases.

  The present invention is suitable for use when setting the quality of an image to be recorded in a memory of a drive recorder mounted on a vehicle.

1 drive recorder analysis unit 3 drive recorder 10 personal computer (conversion table storage means, image quality designation means, detection means, message generation means, display means)
11 Keyboard 13 Display 15 Printer 17 Reader / Writer 17a Card Slot 31 CPU
32 ROM
33 RAM
34 Memory 35a to 35n Camera 37a to 37n Acceleration sensor 38 Reader / writer 38a Card slot 39 Interface unit 41 Vehicle speed sensor C Portable memory card (memory)
M guidance message

Claims (4)

A method for setting the quality of an image to be recorded in a memory of a drive recorder mounted on a vehicle,
The amount of data per unit time for each image quality of the image is converted into a relative value with respect to the reference value when converted to a reference value according to the data transfer rate to the memory,
The image quality is set so that the relative value is within the reference value.
A recording image quality setting method for a drive recorder. An apparatus for setting the image quality of an image to be recorded in a memory of a drive recorder mounted on a vehicle,
A conversion table storage means for converting the data amount per unit time for each image quality of the image into a relative value with respect to the reference value when converted into a reference value according to a data transfer rate to the memory;
Image quality designating means for designating the image quality of the image;
Detection means for detecting the relative value stored in the conversion table storage means corresponding to the image quality designated by the image quality designation means;
Message generating means for generating a guidance message having contents according to the magnitude relationship between the detected value of the detecting means and the reference value;
Display means for displaying the guidance message generated by the message generating means on a display;
A recording image quality setting device for a drive recorder, comprising:   The image quality designating unit is configured to individually designate the image quality of each image corresponding to each of the plurality of cameras included in the drive recorder, and the message generating unit is configured to process each image corresponding to each camera. 3. The recording image quality setting device for a drive recorder according to claim 2, wherein the guidance message is generated in accordance with a magnitude relationship between a total value of the detection values of the detection means and the reference value.   The image quality designation means is configured to individually designate the image quality of each image recorded by the drive recorder in a plurality of modes, and the message generation means is configured to specify the image for each image corresponding to each mode. 4. The recording image quality setting device for a drive recorder according to claim 2, wherein the guidance message is generated according to a magnitude relationship between a total value of each detection value of the detection means and the reference value.

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