JP6603944B2 - Light irradiation system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a light irradiation system used to illuminate an object.

  As a device to which a light irradiation system used to illuminate an object is applied, for example, a drive recorder can be cited. There are some types of drive recorders that are installed in the vehicle and mainly record the images inside the vehicle. For example, this can record the situation inside the vehicle when a traffic accident occurs, It is intended to be used to monitor the behavior of people, for example the behavior of taxi passengers and drivers. Patent document 1 is shown as an example of such a drive recorder. In the drive recorder of Patent Document 1, an in-vehicle photographing unit 10 is attached in the vicinity of a rearview mirror in a vehicle, and a wide area from a front seat to a rear seat can be photographed and recorded. In an electronic camera such as that used in Patent Document 1, the sensitivity of a light receiving element (CCD element or CMOS element) is limited. Therefore, in a dark place such as at night, the amount of light is insufficient and a clear image cannot always be obtained. Therefore, a plurality of infrared LEDs 17 are arranged in a position adjacent to the infrared camera 15 in the in-vehicle shooting unit 10 so that a clear image can be taken.

JP 2010-253987 A

However, as exemplified in Patent Document 1, the conventional technique simply irradiates an object to be photographed with infrared rays in order to compensate for the insufficient light quantity necessary for photographing. For example, if a large number of infrared light emitting elements are provided, or if the infrared light emitting element is radiated to increase the radiation intensity and irradiated with infrared rays, the object to be photographed will surely become brighter, so a clear image can be obtained. Providing an unlimited amount of light and increasing the power consumption increases the power consumption, leading to higher costs. In addition, the life of a light emitting element such as an infrared LED tends to be shortened by using it at a high load. Furthermore, there is a case where it is used in an environment where power can not be consumed unlimitedly because power supply is limited. On the other hand, not all objects to be photographed must be illuminated with infrared rays having the same brightness. For example, a near object should be easy to obtain a clear image even if the intensity is small compared with a distant object even if the intensity is small even if the radiation intensity is not relatively large. For this reason, there has been a demand for a technique for efficiently illuminating a range necessary for illuminating an object to be photographed from a distance to a distance with an appropriate amount of light. In the above description, the drive recorder that irradiates infrared rays is taken as an example, but the same problem arises when the object is illuminated using visible light or ultraviolet rays as well as infrared rays that cannot be recognized by human eyes. In addition, if it is illumination with visible light, a photographing means such as a camera is not necessarily an essential requirement.
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a light irradiation system that can efficiently illuminate from a distance to a distance.

In order to achieve the above object, as the first means, a first light irradiation means and a second light irradiation means are provided, and the first light irradiation means is more than the second light irradiation means. It is preferable that light having a high radiant intensity can be irradiated in a narrow range, and the second light irradiating unit can irradiate light having a radiant intensity smaller than that of the first light irradiating unit in a wide range.
With such a configuration, it is possible to illuminate a distant area with a light having a high radiant intensity so that a necessary area in the distant area can be seen more clearly, and at the same time, a wide area in the vicinity is a light having a relatively low radiant intensity. Can be used to illuminate at a wide angle and see the nearer more clearly, and the user can recognize the necessary range from far to near at the same time with appropriate brightness. In particular, the irradiation intensity and irradiation area of the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means may be appropriately set according to the visual recognition target and the relationship thereof, and according to such a configuration, power consumption can be efficiently and efficiently eliminated. It becomes possible to make a necessary range visible while suppressing.
The light irradiation system may be configured by combining a plurality of light irradiation means that each increase the radiation intensity in order and can irradiate a narrower range. For example, n light irradiating means are provided, the light irradiating means A illuminates the light with the smallest radiant intensity in the widest range, and the light irradiating means B narrows the light with the larger radiant intensity than the light irradiating means A. The light irradiating means C illuminates light having a higher radiation intensity than the light irradiating means B in a narrower range, and the light irradiating means n has a radiant intensity higher than that of the light irradiating means n-1. It would be better to illuminate a large area of light with a narrower range.
The number of light irradiation means with different radiation intensity and irradiation range provided in the light irradiation system may be the number of regions that need to be visually recognized. The area that needs to be viewed may be a position where the distance from the reference position varies stepwise. For example, the position that is different in stages may be a position having a difference of a predetermined value or more. In particular, the light irradiation means may be provided in association with a plurality of different irradiation target regions having a difference of a predetermined distance or more from the reference position. The reference position may be, for example, one of the light irradiation means. For example, in a vehicle, when the rear position is illuminated with the reference position in the vicinity of a room mirror, if the vehicle is a vehicle with two rows of front and rear seats, the light illuminating means A that illuminates the driver seat and the passenger seat and the light that illuminates the rear seat Two light irradiation means with the irradiation means B may be provided. Further, for example, if the vehicle has two rows of front and rear seats and a total of three seats, the light irradiation means A for illuminating the driver seat and the passenger seat and the light irradiation means B for illuminating the first rear seat behind Furthermore, it is good to provide three light irradiation means of the light irradiation means C which illuminate the 2nd rear seat behind it. There is a difference of more than a predetermined value in the distance from the reference position between the front and rear seats. In such a case, the present light irradiation system more reliably illuminates the people in each row of seats than before. be able to. In particular, the irradiation ranges of the first light irradiation means to the nth light irradiation means may be set so that the irradiation ranges are substantially the same in each row. In this way, each row can be illuminated with the same width in the vehicle. However, when all the light irradiation means are installed before the driver's seat, the width of the irradiation range irradiated by the first light irradiation means is the width of the second and subsequent light irradiation means as the width of the irradiation range in each row. It is better to set the width wider than the width of irradiation. In particular, the driving situation of the driver may be illuminated widely, for example, to the driver's steering wheel operation or to the vicinity of the feet, etc., while the person in the rear seat may illuminate his face.

Here, the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means may be singular or plural. If the number is not limited, it is easy to consider a design that achieves optimum power efficiency, and it becomes easy to deal with optical devices of various specifications. Further, the number of the first light irradiation means and the number of the second light irradiation means may be the same or different, but the arrangement balance is improved particularly when the numbers are the same.
Further, as specific light irradiation means, for example, an LED (light emitting diode) or an incandescent lamp is used. For example, the power consumption of the LED is the same as that of an incandescent lamp which is not an LED with the same light amount, and electricity is not wasted in power supply from a battery power source such as a vehicle. In addition, it contributes to downsizing, which is advantageous for the user when equipment is installed in a narrow vehicle, for example. In addition, since the power consumption is low, the power supply unit is difficult to generate heat, and particularly when power is supplied by branching from the power supply unit on the other electronic device side, the power consumption increases. It is good to use.

As a second means, the light emitted by the first light irradiation means has a half-value angle of ± 10 to 30 degrees, and the light emitted by the second light irradiation means has a half-value angle of ± 45 to 60 degrees. Is good.
The half-value angle is an angle at which the light emission intensity at the optical axis position is halved, and is a measure of the directivity of light. The half-value angle is shown as an angle in the left-right (that is, ± direction) direction with respect to the optical axis. Since the light has such an angle, it is possible for the user to recognize a wide range from far to near with appropriate brightness at the same time. In particular, when irradiating light from the light irradiation means provided near the windshield inside the vehicle, this configuration can illuminate a wide range of people on the driver's / passenger side and brighten the people on the backseat. Can illuminate.

As a third means, the light emitted by the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means includes an infrared region, detects the infrared light, and outputs the detected contents in a state that can be recognized by a person. It is preferable to provide output means.
In this way, it becomes possible for a person to recognize a necessary area both near and far away at night. The detection may be performed using, for example, a sensor or the like, and in particular, a sensor arranged in a matrix may be used. For example, an infrared camera may be used. For example, the output may be configured to determine whether or not the detected intensity is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, but may be output after being converted into visible light, for example. The output may be performed by voice or the like, but may be performed by light.
The output may be performed in real time, but it is particularly preferable to record it and read the recorded content later. For example, the detection may be performed by an infrared camera, the output may be recorded as a camera video, and the recorded video may be reproduced and output on a monitor such as a personal computer.

As a fourth means, the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means are disposed in the vicinity of each other, and the irradiation directions by the first and second light irradiation means are substantially the same direction. Is good.
If it does in this way, the 2nd irradiation field by the 2nd light irradiation means will be formed in the approximate center part of the 1st irradiation field by the 1st light irradiation means. Therefore, the center part can be visually recognized farther in the entire irradiation region, and the peripheral part can be widely visually recognized in the vicinity.

As a fifth means, the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means can be installed so as to irradiate the vehicle interior from a front position of the vehicle, and the first light irradiating means is operated in the vehicle. The irradiation range and the irradiation intensity that illuminate the rear seat that is far from the seat in a spot manner, and the second light irradiation means that the illumination area and the irradiation intensity that illuminates the vicinity including the driver's seat and the passenger seat at a wide angle are set. Good.
In this way, a user (for example, a taxi driver or a taxi company) can firmly check the area around the face of the person seated in the rear seat, and at the same time a person seated in the front seat (driver) And the person who sits in the passenger seat).

As a sixth means, the front surface of the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means is allowed to transmit infrared rays irradiated from the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means. In addition, it is preferable to arrange a cover body that absorbs or reflects visible light so that the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means are not visually recognized by the naked eye.
As a result, the user can directly visually check the first and second light irradiating means, and the user is less conscious of the presence of the first and second light irradiating means at that position. Also, since the third party is not aware of it, it is possible to avoid the annoyance of the user receiving an indication of the existence from the third party. In particular, a cover body that can transmit infrared rays and blocks visible light may be used.

As a seventh means, there is provided a photographing means capable of photographing at least a part of an area including the area irradiated by the first light irradiation means and the area irradiated by the second light irradiation means. It is good to be.
As a result, the user can confirm the area illuminated by the light at a position different from the position where the object is irradiated, or can confirm later by recording the photographed result. The captured video may be displayed in real time, for example, but it is particularly preferable to record and record the recorded video later for display.

As an eighth means, the photographing direction of the photographing means is preferably the irradiation direction of the light emitted by the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means.
As a result, the shooting direction is opposite to the object illuminated by the light irradiated by the first and second light irradiation means, and the object illuminated by the reflection of light can be imaged most efficiently. , The user can see the shooting video in good condition.
As a ninth means, the first and second light irradiation means are in the vicinity of the photographing means, and the light irradiation direction by the first and second light irradiation means and the photographing direction by the photographing means are substantially the same direction. It is good that it is.

As a tenth means, the light emitted by the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means is infrared, and together with the photographing means, the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means. Is preferably arranged in the vehicle.
Since the light emitted by the first and second light irradiating means is infrared, the user or a third party does not know that the light is being radiated. Even recorded images can be recorded. For example, the interior of the vehicle may be used as the room. This is because the interior of the vehicle is within a specified range.

As an eleventh means, the first light irradiating means and the second light irradiating means may be mounted on a casing in which the photographing means is mounted.
Since it can be moved and installed in units of cases, the work efficiency at the time of user installation is improved.
As a twelfth means, the housing may be supported by a support member, and the support member may be connected to the housing at a position inside the lateral width of the housing.
As a result, the amount of protrusion of the support member to the outside is reduced, and compactness is achieved. As a result, even when the user is installed in a small vehicle, for example, there is a margin in the installation location, making it difficult to feel in the way. In addition, since the position is located on the inner side of the lateral width of the support member, interference with the support member occurs when the case is swung when the case or the case side member is wide and projecting outward. Since it becomes difficult and the amount of rocking increases, when the user is installed in a certain place, there is a tolerance in the range in which the housing can be displaced, and light can be irradiated in various directions.
As a thirteenth means, the casing is preferably supported by a support member, and the support member is preferably connected to a position protruding to the rear side of the casing.
Since the irradiation positions of the first and second light irradiation means are arranged more forward, the light can easily reach far. Further, since the position of the support member is arranged behind the case, the support member is used to swing the case when the case or the member on the case side is wide and protrudes outward. Interference is less likely to occur, and the amount of rocking increases, so that when the user is installed in a certain location, there is a tolerance in the range in which the housing can be displaced, and light can be emitted in various directions. .

As a fourteenth means, the first or second light irradiating means may not be arranged within the angle of view of the photographing means.
As a result, the user can see only the image in which only the object to be seen is shown, without seeing the captured image in which the unnecessary first or second light irradiation means is reflected.
As a fifteenth means, the first or second light irradiating means may not be arranged in front of the lens surface of the photographing means.
As a result, the user can see only the image in which only the object to be seen is shown, without seeing the captured image in which the unnecessary first or second light irradiation means is reflected.
As a sixteenth means, the angle of view of the photographing means of the photographing means is preferably larger than the half-value angle of light emitted by the second light irradiating means.
As a result, the user can always see the range irradiated by the light irradiation means, and there is no problem that the illuminated object is not an image.

As a seventeenth means, the photographing means may be covered with the cover body together with the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means.
As a result, the user does not directly look at the photographing means together with the first and second light irradiating means, and the user is less conscious that the photographing means and the first and second light irradiating means are at that position. Also, since the third party is not aware of it, it is possible to avoid the annoyance of the user receiving an indication of the existence from the third party. In particular, it is not necessarily understood favorably by a third party that the image is being captured by the image capturing means. Therefore, it is preferable that the lens or the like is not directly visible because it is covered with the cover body.

As an eighteenth means, the light irradiating means includes: a light irradiating means Y that makes visible light easier to see than the light irradiating means X; In the case where Y is composed of a plurality of light sources, it is preferable that the lens of the photographing means is not sandwiched between the light sources.
In this way, it is possible to make it difficult to recognize the presence of the photographing means.
As a nineteenth means, the light irradiating means includes a light irradiating means Y that makes visible light more visible than the light irradiating means X, and a light irradiating means X that makes visible light less visible than the light irradiating means Y. In the case where Y is composed of a plurality of light sources, the light sources may be arranged substantially horizontally.
In this way, it is possible to solve the problem that something shining at an oblique position can be seen and there is a sense of incongruity. In particular, the light sources are preferably arranged at a position that is substantially horizontal and does not sandwich the lens. In particular, the first light irradiation means may be the light irradiation means Y, and the second light irradiation means may be the light irradiation means X.

As a twentieth means, when the number of the first light irradiating means is plural, it is preferable that the first light irradiating means is not disposed at a position where the lens of the photographing means is sandwiched obliquely.
Even if the infrared rays from the first light irradiation means have higher radiation intensity than the infrared rays from the second light irradiation means, and the infrared rays contain near infrared rays, they are covered with a cover body. May be recognized by the eyes of the other person, the presence of the first light irradiation means may be known. In that case, if a plurality of (for example, two) first light irradiation means are arranged at an oblique position, an unstable impression may be given, and there may be an impression that something is between them. . In particular, the fact that the image is taken by the image taking means is not necessarily favorably understood by a third party, so it is good for the user not to have such an impression. For this reason, when a plurality of first light irradiation means are arranged, the lens of the photographing means is not arranged at a position where the lens is sandwiched obliquely, thereby making it difficult for a third party to be suspected.

As a twenty-first means, it is preferable to provide means for hiding a portion where the photographing means can visually recognize the existence of the photographing means from a subject to be photographed.
This makes it difficult to see the photographing means, making it difficult to understand that the photographing is being performed. As a part where the existence of the photographing means can be visually confirmed, it is particularly preferable to use a lens of the photographing means. As a target person to visually recognize, it is particularly preferable to be a passenger.
As 22nd means, it is good to provide the site | part which mimics the thing which exists in a vehicle in at least one part of the said concealing means.
In this way, since the hidden unnaturalness is reduced, the photographing means becomes more difficult to understand from the subject. As a mimicry mode of the part to be mimicked, for example, a vehicle speaker, an air conditioner outlet, a mirror, or the like may be used. In particular, an object existing in the vicinity of the mounting position of the photographing unit may be mimicked. For example, when an imaging means is attached in the vicinity of a room mirror, the part to be mimicked may mimic the mirror.

As a twenty-third means, the mimicking part may be a part for human viewing.
In this way, the line of sight can be collected and the subject's face can be easily photographed by the photographing means. For example, it may be a room mirror or a makeup mirror.
As a twenty-fourth means, it is preferable that an object present in the vehicle has a variable direction, and the mimicking part has a variable direction.
If comprised in this way, the site | part mimicking in a vehicle can be set to the position suitable for use of the person who displaces in various directions and gets on.
As a twenty-fifth means, the side of the concealing means is preferably detachable from the side of the photographing means.
In this case, it is possible to dispose the concealing means when the installation place is small or when it is not necessary to use it. Further, the member on the side of the concealing means can be sold as an optional part, for example, so that only a necessary person can purchase and attach it, and a person who does not need to purchase does not need to purchase.
As a twenty-sixth means, the fixing force of the means for changing the photographing direction of the photographing means may be made stronger than the fixing force of the means for changing the direction of the concealing means.
As a result, it is difficult to cause a problem that the photographing direction of the photographing means that has been fixed once moves carelessly by operating the concealing means. In particular, the direction of the concealing means is a fixing force that can be changed by hand, and the means for changing the photographing direction is preferably a mechanical fixing force such as a screw or a clamp that is difficult to move even if moved by hand.

As a twenty-seventh means, at least the lens front surface of the photographing means is detachably disposed with a second cover body that hardly obstructs the photographing function of the photographing means and prevents the photographing means from being visually recognized. It is good to do.
Thus, even if the second cover body is arranged on the front surface of the photographing means, photographing is possible, and at least the lens of the photographing means is not visually recognized, so that it is difficult to understand that the photographing is being performed. Moreover, since it is detachable, the second cover body can be removed when the interior of the vehicle is small or when it is not necessary to use it. “It is difficult to disturb the photographing function” means that, for example, the second cover body absorbs or reflects visible light so that the photographing means cannot be visually recognized by the naked eye. It is preferable to transmit visible light to such an extent. For example, a configuration that “does not hinder the photographing function” is most desirable as “hard to disturb the photographing function”.
As a twenty-eighth means, the second cover body is disposed in front of the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means, and from the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means. It is preferable to transmit infrared rays to be irradiated.
As a result, the first light irradiation means and the second light irradiation means are not visually recognized, and it is difficult to understand that the light irradiation means for photographing inside the vehicle is not found and the result is taken as a result. In addition, when the first light irradiating unit and the second light irradiating unit are arranged in the vicinity of the photographing unit, the second light can be hidden together with the photographing unit by one second cover body. To contribute.

As a twenty-ninth means, the second cover body may be supported with respect to a casing on which the photographing means is mounted.
This eliminates the need for a member separate from the housing for supporting the second cover body, and allows the mounting work to be performed simultaneously with the mounting of the housing, thereby saving the labor of mounting.
As a thirtieth means, the second cover body is held so as to be relatively displaceable with respect to the housing, and if a predetermined external force or more is not applied, the holding state at a specific position is maintained without being displaced. It is better.
That is, the position of the second cover body can be changed, for example, by swinging or rotating with respect to the housing, but it must be able to stop at a set position at the same time. Therefore, if the holding state is maintained without being displaced unless an external force of a predetermined level or more is applied in this way, a means such as a screw for fixing at that position is not required separately. The screw can be placed at the optimum position freely and easily without loosening or tightening screws.
In addition, this holding force is a holding force that does not shift the stop position once set by a slight shaking or its own weight, and a holding force that can be displaced by operating with a predetermined force or more. Is good. For example, it is preferable that the position can be changed by simply operating with one hand with a holding force that does not shift the position due to vibration of the vehicle when it is arranged in the vehicle. For example, the holding force may be expressed by a frictional force.

As a thirty-first means, a universal joint mechanism is formed between the casing side and the second cover body side, and the second cover body is displaced relative to the casing by the universal joint mechanism. It should be possible.
By providing such a mechanism, the second cover body can be directed in any direction with respect to the housing, and only the second cover body can be attached to the rear mirror, The orientation can be changed for use in a cosmetic mirror.
For example, the universal joint mechanism may be configured to surround the sphere with an enclosure having the same curve as the sphere. The spherical body and the surrounding body may be on either the housing side or the second cover body side. The enclosure is preferably divided and configured as a divided body so as to surround the sphere, and in that case, it is constituted by a member divided into three or more parts, whether it is divided into two parts at the front and rear, or two parts on the left and right. You may do it. Further, the sphere may be composed of only a part of the sphere, not a complete sphere.

As a thirty-second means, the universal joint mechanism preferably has holding means for holding the second cover body at a predetermined holding position with respect to the housing by friction.
With such a configuration, there is no need for a means such as a screw to hold it in a certain position, and the operation can be easily performed because it can be freely oriented without loosening the screw or the like. In addition, the holding position once determined by slight shaking or its own weight does not go out of order. This holding force should be a holding force that does not shift the stop position once set by a slight shaking or its own weight, and a holding force that can be displaced by operating with a predetermined force or more. . For example, it is preferable that the position can be changed by simply operating with one hand with a holding force that does not shift the position due to vibration of the vehicle when it is arranged in the vehicle.
The holding means for applying friction may be a protruding member that abuts the surface of the sphere with pressure. The material of the enclosure itself is difficult to slip, for example, a material such as elastic rubber is used to generate friction on the contact surface. It may be anything.
The holding means for applying friction is preferably formed inside the enclosure surrounding the sphere. This is because the sphere is surrounded by the surrounding body, and at the same time, friction can be given to the universal joint mechanism.
The enclosure is configured as a divided body, and when the holding means is provided inside the divided body, when assembling the divided body and surrounding the sphere, the divided body is assembled with the assembly of the divided body. It is preferable that the holding means is deformed and pressed against the sphere with a pressing force generated along with the deformation. Thus, friction can be applied between the second cover body and the housing as the divided bodies are assembled to construct the universal joint mechanism.
The enclosure should have flexibility and moderate elasticity. This is because, in particular, when the holding means is provided inside the enclosure, it can be deformed and biased to give a frictional force. In order to give flexibility and moderate elasticity to a hard material, it is preferable to deform the shape so that it can be bent easily. For example, it is good to form a slit partially. Also, it is preferable to use a material having flexibility as a material, for example, a material such as nylon or elastic rubber.

As a thirty-third means, the casing is structured to be supported by a support member, and the universal joint mechanism is preferably arranged in front of the support member.
Accordingly, the second cover body can be arranged so as to protrude further forward, and can be separated from the mounting surface of the housing, so that it is difficult to interfere with the surroundings especially when the housing is operated largely.
In addition, as another technical idea that can be grasped from the thirtieth to thirty-third means, the casing is the first device, the second cover body is the second device, and the device other than the drive recorder and the light irradiation system. It is possible to apply.

As a thirty-fourth means, the electronic device may be connected to another electronic device and controlled by the control device on the other electronic device side.
Thereby, an original control means is not required, and the object can be illuminated by control from another electronic device. In addition, when a photographing unit is provided, photographing can be executed under the control of another electronic device, and the photographed image can be recorded. As a result, it can be controlled together with other electronic devices using only a single control means, which contributes to cost reduction. In addition, since the user can perform the setting simultaneously with the setting on the other electronic device side without performing a setting operation separately, it is easy to use because the setting operation is simplified.
As a thirty-fifth means, power may be branched from the power supply unit on the other electronic device side.
This eliminates the need for a separate power supply and reduces the user's troublesome installation. In addition, for example, in a vehicle, a cigarette lighter is often used to supply power to an electronic device. However, if there are a plurality of power supply units, it is necessary to prepare a separate cigar socket or a bifurcated special cigar socket. There is no such trouble.

  According to the inventions of the above claims, it is possible to provide a light irradiation system capable of efficiently illuminating from a distance to a distance.

The disassembled perspective view which removes and shows the bracket for attachment of the camera for vehicle interior imaging | photography of the drive recorder of embodiment concerning this invention. The side view of the camera for vehicle interior imaging | photography of the drive recorder of the same embodiment. The disassembled perspective view of the camera for vehicle interior photography of the drive recorder of the same embodiment. The perspective view from the back surface side of a cover panel. The perspective view from the back surface side of the 1st case piece. The rear view of the camera for vehicle interior imaging | photography of the drive recorder of the same embodiment. Sectional drawing in the AA position of FIG. Sectional drawing in the BB position of FIG. The schematic diagram explaining the connection relation of the camera for vehicle interior photography of the drive recorder of embodiment, and a drive recorder. The block diagram explaining the electrical structure regarding the camera for vehicle interior imaging | photography and drive recorder of the live recorder of embodiment. The picked-up image of Example 1 image | photographed using the drive recorder of embodiment. The picked-up image of Example 2 image | photographed using the drive recorder of embodiment. The picked-up image of Example 3 image | photographed using the drive recorder of embodiment. The picked-up image of the comparative example 1 which image | photographed by changing infrared LED of the drive recorder of embodiment. The picked-up image of the comparative example 2 image | photographed by changing infrared LED of the drive recorder of embodiment. The perspective view of the state which mounted | wore the vehicle interior camera of the drive recorder of the same embodiment with the mirror apparatus. The disassembled perspective view of the main body of a mirror apparatus. The perspective view of the ring for fixation of a mirror apparatus. (A) is a side view explaining the mounting method (or removing method) of the mirror device to the vehicle interior camera, and (b) is a side view of the same state. The fracture | rupture side view of the main body and fixing ring which comprise a mirror apparatus. Explanatory drawing explaining the concept of a ring for fixation.

Hereinafter, a drive recorder for photographing the inside of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, a schematic configuration of a camera for photographing a vehicle interior of a drive recorder will be described with reference to FIGS. The camera 1 (hereinafter referred to as the camera 1) for vehicle interior photography of the drive recorder of the present embodiment has an external appearance composed of a main body case 2 and a hanging bracket 3 as a support member attached to the outer periphery of the main body case 2. Yes. In the following description, the left side in FIG. 2 is assumed to be the front side, and the upper side in FIG. 6 is assumed to be the upper side.
The main body case 2 is configured by combining a pair of front and rear first and second case pieces 2A, 2B. First, the configuration on the first case piece 2A side will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5, FIG. 7, etc., the first case piece 2A made of super heat-resistant ABS resin has a bowl-shaped outer shape and is curved and extended so as to protrude outward. A basic skeleton is formed by a first saddle member 4 having a circular outer periphery and a front plate 5 made of a disk-shaped body formed at a position slightly retracted from the front end of the first saddle member 4. Yes. In the center of the front plate 5, a circular lens through hole 5a is formed. A circle having a smaller diameter than the lens through-hole 5a at a position around the lens through-hole 5a and displaced by 90 degrees from the edge of the through-hole 5a by an equal distance (a square corner position surrounding the through-hole 5a). The four small through holes 5b are formed.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, a very shallow recess 6 is formed on the front surface of the front plate 5. A small protruding piece 7 is formed as a positioning member at the lower central position in the recess 6. As shown in FIG. 5, three cylindrical shapes serving as screw receivers on the back surface of the front plate 5 that is the inside of the first case piece 2 </ b> A and adjacent to the inner wall surface of the first saddle-shaped portion 4. The stud 8 is formed. A screw hole is formed at the tip of each stud 8. Two studs 8 are horizontally arranged near the upper small through hole 5b, and one is placed at the lower center position at 120 degrees equally. A stud 9 is formed as a positioning member on the inner side of the first case piece 2 </ b> A and in the upper central position adjacent to the inner wall surface of the first saddle member 4. A small hole is formed at the tip of the stud 9. Substrate mounting screw holes 10 are formed on both sides of the lens through-hole 5a.

Next, the configuration on the second case piece 2B side will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 6, FIG. 7, etc., the second case piece 2B made of super heat-resistant ABS resin is curved so as to protrude outward and has a circular outer periphery with a circular cross section. A basic skeleton is formed by the mold part 11, the protruding wall part 12 extending in a substantially cylindrical shape from the rear of the second saddle part 11, and the rear plate 13 having a substantially circular outer shape that covers the rear of the protruding wall part 12. Has been. The rear plate 13 is formed with a pair of left and right bracket bearings 14 protruding rearward. A cable through hole 16 is formed at a position slightly shifted downward from the rear plate 13. The upper region of the cable through-hole 16 on the back surface of the rear plate 13 is a rounded rectangular label attaching surface 13a formed in a slightly concave shape, and a label on which information such as the model number of the camera 1 is entered (see FIG. (Not shown) is attached.
Three guide grooves 15 that are recessed in a semicircular cross section are formed on the outer periphery from the protruding wall portion 12 to the rear plate 13 at positions that are equally displaced by 120 degrees in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 7, each guide groove 15 communicates with the internal space of the stud 18 protruding forward from the back surface of the second saddle member 11, and a small through hole 19 is formed at the front end of each stud 18. ing. These studs 18 on the second case piece 2B side have a corresponding relationship with the studs 8 on the first case piece 2A side. A small protrusion 20 is formed as a positioning member inside the second case piece 2B and at an upper central position adjacent to the inner wall surface of the second saddle member 11. The small protrusion 20 has a corresponding relationship with the stud 9 on the first case piece 2A side.

  The pair of bracket bearings 14 are hollow protrusions, and the outer peripheral shape of the cross section is formed in an arch shape. The outer surface 14 a formed on the plane of the bracket bearing 14 is designed to be integrated with the protruding wall portion 12. A knob shaft hole 17 communicating with the internal space is opened on the outer side surface 14a. As shown in FIG. 6, the bracket bearings 14 are arranged at both ends at the center position in the vertical direction of the second case piece 2B, and the axial direction connecting the left and right knob shaft holes 17 is the diameter direction of the rear plate 13. They are arranged to match. As shown in FIGS. 3, 7, and 8, the internal space of the bracket bearing 14 is divided into a nut housing portion 23 and a relief portion 24 separated by a partition wall 22. The nut housing part 23 and the escape part 24 are opened toward the front of the second case piece 2B. The partition wall 22 is formed with a circular through hole 22 a whose center coincides with the knob shaft hole 17. At the bottom position (rear position) of the nut housing portion 23, an engagement surface 23a corresponding to a hexagonal shape of a nut 61 (described later) chamfered at an angle of 120 degrees is formed. Studs 25 having screw holes for attaching the cable holder are formed on both sides of the rear plate 13 and sandwiching the cable through holes 16.

In the first case piece 2A and the second case piece 2B configured as described above, the ends of the first hook part 4 and the second hook part 11 are connected to each other, and the first case piece 2A and the second case piece 2B are connected to each other. The body case 2 is configured by being fastened by a screw 30 in a state where the stud 8 on the piece 2A side and the stud 18 on the second case piece 2B side are collated. At the time of fastening, the screw 30 advances while being guided by the guide groove 15 on the second case piece 2B side, and is screwed into the screw hole on the stud 8 side through the small through hole 19 of the stud 18. .
Moreover, since the edge part of the 1st hook part 4 and the 2nd hook part 11 is a perfect circle shape, the correct relative connection position in the circumferential direction of the 1st case piece 2A and the 2nd case piece 2B Is difficult to understand. Therefore, by engaging the small protrusion 20 on the second case piece 2B side with the stud 9 on the first case piece 2A side during connection, the first hook part 4 and the second hook part 11 are engaged. The relative positioning in the circumferential direction is performed. In the state where the small protrusion 20 is engaged with the stud 9, the stud 8 on the first case piece 2A side and the stud 18 on the second case piece 2B side which are in a corresponding relationship are collated. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 and the like, in the state where the main body case 2 is configured by combining the first and second case pieces 2A and 2B as described above, the first saddle-shaped portion 4 and the second saddle portion 4 are formed. The connecting surfaces of the mold parts 6 are smoothly connected so that a part of a spherical surface (spherical band shape) having a predetermined curvature is formed on the outer periphery of the main body case 2. This spherical band shape is a curved surface that becomes the largest diameter at the connecting position of the first saddle-shaped portion 4 and the second saddle-shaped portion 6 and narrows in the front-rear direction.

Next, constituent members of the camera 1 disposed inside and outside the main body case 2 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the optical characteristic of transmitting infrared light without transmitting (that is, absorbing) light in the visible light region into the recess 6 formed in the front plate 5 of the first case piece 2A. A black cover panel 33 is disposed. The cover panel 33 is a ring-shaped plate having a circular lens through hole 33a having the same diameter as the lens through hole 5a at the center. A small notch 34 is formed as a positioning member at a lower position of the cover panel 33. As shown in FIG. 4, a sticking surface 35 made of double-sided tape is formed on the back surface of the cover panel 33. The cover panel 33 is attached to the front surface of the front plate 5 by the attachment surface 35. On the sticking surface 35, four hollow portions 35a are formed. The hollow portion 35a is a portion where no tape is disposed, and is a portion that maintains the light transmission characteristics of the cover panel 33. When the cover panel 33 is disposed in the recess 6, the cover panel 33 is disposed in the recess 6 so that the small protrusion 7 formed on the recess 6 side is engaged with the small notch 34. With such a positional relationship, the hollow portion 35 a is arranged at a position facing the four small through holes 5 b of the front plate 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, a first substrate 37 is disposed in the main body case 2 at the back surface position of the first case piece 2 </ b> A. The first substrate 37 is attached by screws 38 through the board mounting screw holes 10.
The first substrate 37 has a substantially octagonal plate-like body shape, and a total of three locations, two on the upper left and right sides and one at the lower center position, are formed in a notch shape to form a three-point support portion 37a. Yes. When the screw 38 is fastened to the screw hole 10, the first substrate 37 comes into contact with the outer periphery of the stud 8 on the first case piece 2A side corresponding to the three three-point support portions 37a. At the center of the first substrate 37, a lens through hole 37a having a slightly larger diameter than the lens through hole 5a of the first case piece 2A is formed. Four infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are disposed around the lens through-hole 37a.
The infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are arranged at positions corresponding to the four small through holes 5b, and are similarly displaced around the lens through hole 37a and at an equal distance from the edge of the through hole 37a by 90 degrees. Placed in position. That is, the four infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are arranged such that two infrared LEDs 39A are arranged in the horizontal direction above, and two infrared LEDs 39B are arranged directly below the LED 39A in the horizontal direction, that is, the arrangement of the elements of the matrix of 2 rows and 2 columns. It is arranged so that it becomes a position.
The infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are arranged facing the four small through holes 5b formed in the first case piece 2A and close to each other within the range not exceeding the front surface of the front plate 5 (in this embodiment, the front surface is the front surface). From the rear surface of the plate 5 to the rear 0.4 mm). The two infrared LEDs 39A (first LEDs) arranged on the upper side are light sources that play a role in illuminating a narrow range with a large radiation intensity, and in this embodiment, those having a half-value angle of ± 10 degrees are used. The two infrared LEDs 39B (second LEDs) arranged on the lower side are light sources that illuminate a relatively wide range with a relatively small radiation intensity with respect to the infrared LED 39A. In this embodiment, the half-value angle ± The one with 60 degrees was used. The infrared LEDs 39A and 39B play a role of auxiliary illumination in shooting in a dim room or at night.

As shown in FIG. 3, a second substrate 40 is disposed behind the first substrate 37. The second substrate 40 is sandwiched between the stud 8 of the first case piece 2A and the stud 18 of the second case piece 2B. That is, as the first case piece 2 </ b> A and the second case piece 2 </ b> B are fastened by the screw 30, the studs 8 and 18 are relatively close to each other and the second substrate 40 is fixed.
The second substrate 40 has a substantially octagonal plate shape, and is connected to the first substrate 37 by a connector. ing. A pair of left and right through holes 41 allowing passage of the screws 30 is formed above the first substrate 37 of the second substrate 40 (only the front side is shown in FIG. 3). The formation position of the through hole 41 is a position corresponding to the two three-point support portions 37a located above the first substrate 37 side. A camera unit 42 is disposed on the front surface of the second substrate 40. The camera unit 42 is an electronic camera using, for example, a CCD element or a CMOS element as a light receiving element, and has a sensitivity in the visible light to infrared region. The camera unit 42 includes a camera base 42A provided with a control circuit and the like and a lens unit 42B. The lens unit 42B is a wide-angle lens that includes a lens group and has an angle of view of 180 degrees.
In the state where it is arranged in the main body case 2, the lens portion 42 </ b> B has a lens through hole 37 a of the first substrate 37, a lens through hole 5 a of the first case piece 2 </ b> A, and a lens through hole 33 a of the cover panel 33. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the like, the tip protrudes slightly forward from the cover panel 33 (in this embodiment, 6 mm from the front surface of the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B, and 4.7 mm from the front surface of the cover panel 33). The optical axis of the lens in the lens portion 42B is arranged in parallel with the front direction of the irradiated infrared rays. At such an advanced position, the wide-angle lens of the lens unit 42B actually generates large aberrations, but can photograph an object up to about 210 degrees. However, the advancing position is limited such that the main body case 2 (first case piece 2A) is not photographed in the video.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a cable holder 45 is disposed behind the second substrate 40. The cable holder 45 has a horizontally long baseball home base appearance and is made of a synthetic rubber material. At the center of the cable holder 45, an engaging protrusion 47 bulging in a hemispherical shape toward the rear is formed. A cable through hole 48 is formed at a position where the engagement protrusion 47 is formed. A slit 49 is formed downward from the through hole 48, and a screw hole 50 is formed at the left and right positions of the through hole 48. The cable holder 45 is fixed by the screw 51 with the screw hole 50 collated against the stud 25 on the second case piece 2B side in a state in which the engaging protrusion 47 is fitted into the cable through hole 16 from the inside. Yes. In the state where the cable holder 45 is fixed, the nut housing portion 23 formed at the rearmost portion on the second case piece 2B side and the escape portion 24 are disposed at the open front position. The nut 61 that is stored is prevented from falling off. A cable 53 is inserted into the through hole 48 of the cable holder 45 and connected to the first and second substrates 37 and 40 on the tip side (only a part of the cable 53 is shown in FIG. 3). The cable 53 can be disposed at the position of the through hole 48 while expanding the slit 49.

Next, components relating to the attachment of the hanging bracket 3 attached to the main body case 2 to the main body case 2 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, a hanging bracket 3 is attached to a bracket bearing 14 formed on the second case piece 2 </ b> B side of the main body case 2. The hanging bracket 3 made of an alloy includes a top plate portion 55 to which a double-sided tape as a fixing member is attached, and a bottom plate portion 56 that hangs down from both ends of the top plate portion 55. The hanging plate portion 56 is formed in a substantially right triangle shape. An attachment hole 57 is formed near the tip of the drooping plate portion 56. Since the drooping plate portion 56 is tapered so that the meat on the rear side is cut away, the attachment hole 57 is formed at a position offset forward with respect to the top plate portion 55.

Such a hanging bracket 3 is attached to the main body case 2 as follows.
The left and right hanging plate portions 56 of the hanging bracket 3 can be rotated relative to the second case piece 2B with an arbitrary degree of tightening by a fixing knob 60 via a toothed washer 58 and a flat washer 59. To be attached. The fixing knob 60 as the connecting means is composed of a knob portion 60a and a screw portion 60b. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the toothed washer 58 and the flat washer 59 are arranged on the outer surface of the hanging plate part 56 so as to be matched with the mounting hole 57 (the flat washer 59 is on the outer side), and the screw of the fixing knob 60 The portion 60b is inserted through these three members (the hanging plate portion 56, the toothed washer 58, and the flat washer 59), and the tip is inserted into the knob shaft hole 17 formed in the outer surface 14a of the bracket bearing 14. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the nut 61 is accommodated in the nut accommodating portion 23 in the bracket bearing 14 in a state of being engaged with the engaging surface 23 a. The nut 61 is sandwiched between the outer wall of the bracket bearing 14 and the partition wall 22. Therefore, the nut 61 does not move (displace) even when a load is applied in either the thrust direction or the radial direction. In this state, the knob portion 60a is operated to advance while screwing the screw portion 60b into the nut 61, whereby the drooping plate portion 56 is firmly fixed between the knob portion 60a and the outer surface 14a by the cooperative action with the nut 61. Will be pinched. A straight line connecting the axial centers of the right and left fixing knobs 60 (that is, the rotation axis of the hanging bracket 3) is orthogonal to the optical axis of the lens in the lens portion 42B.
As shown by the phantom line in FIG. 2, the hanging bracket 3 is in a state where the top plate portion 55 is disposed above (the position of the phantom line in FIG. 2), and the top plate portion 55 is the position of the bracket bearing 14. Therefore, the top plate 55 does not get in the way when the body case 2 is swung upward (in the direction of arrow S in FIG. 2). Further, in this state, when the top plate portion 55 is not advanced to the front side of the knob portion 60a and the top plate portion 55 is in a horizontal state, even if the hanging bracket 3 falls backward from the state. The suspension bracket 3 is always arranged at the rear position of the main body case 2 (even if it swings in the direction of the solid line from the virtual line state), and the mirror device 75 interferes even when the mirror device 75 described later is mounted. It is possible to ensure a sufficient swinging area that does not occur.

As shown in FIG. 9, the camera 1 is connected to an integrated drive recorder 65 serving as a parent device of the camera 1 as another electronic device by a cable 53. The drive recorder 65 is attached to the windshield and photographs the front outside direction of the vehicle. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration relating to the camera 1 and the drive recorder 65. In addition, illustration is abbreviate | omitted about the structure which is not directly related to this Embodiment.
On the drive recorder 65 side, a controller MC as control means and a regulator R that steps down the 12V power supply voltage supplied from a power source (in this case using a cigarette lighter) to a predetermined constant voltage and supplies it to the load side (that is, an external device). Is housed in the housing 66. The controller MC is connected with an outer monitoring camera unit 67, an A / D converter 68, a G sensor 69, an SD card reader / writer 70, and the like. Further, the camera unit 42 of the camera 1 on the slave unit side, the A / D converter 71, the infrared LEDs 39A, 39B, and the like are connected to each other. In addition, power is supplied from the regulator R to external devices accommodated in all of the controller MC, the drive recorder 65, and the camera 1.
The controller MC is composed of a known CPU, a memory such as a ROM and a RAM, a microcomputer having a timer and the like. The images of both the external monitoring camera unit 67 and the camera unit 42 are digitally converted by the A / D converters 68 and 71 according to an instruction from the controller MC, and predetermined image processing is executed based on a program in the ROM. The controller MC sequentially stores the acquired image data in the RAM during normal operation. When the predetermined storage area is full in the RAM, the controller MC returns to the head of the storage area and overwrites the image data anew. Go. When the G sensor 69 detects a predetermined acceleration value (that is, when it is determined that some accident event has occurred), the image data at the timing before and after the event is transferred to the SD memory card by the SD card reader / writer 70. Let me record.

The camera 1 configured as described above is mounted together with the drive recorder 65, for example, inside the windshield of the vehicle. Specifically, the top plate portion 55 of the hanging bracket 3 is attached to the inside of the windshield with a double-sided tape, and the main body case 2 is hung so that the optical axis of the lens portion 42 faces the inside of the vehicle. The body case 2 is swung around the knob 60 position as a rotation center to determine the photographing direction.
An example of the most preferable position as the camera 1 mounting position is the windshield upper position in front of the passenger seat. However, it is possible to set the windshield upper position at another position such as an intermediate position between the driver seat and the passenger seat, or conversely, the windshield lower position.
When setting the shooting direction, it is preferable to target the position irradiated with the upper infrared LED 39A having strong directivity (that is, bright only in a narrow range). The user targets the rear seat where the upper infrared LED 39A is viewed between the driver seat and the passenger seat near the height of the headrest of the front seat, with the passenger seated in the rear seat. This is an operation for setting so that the upper body of the passenger in the rear seat, especially the periphery of the face can be seen well. Since the optical axis of the lens in the lens part 42B is originally arranged in the vicinity of the infrared LED 39A, the optical axis of the lens is naturally in the direction of the upper body of the passenger in the rear seat.

Next, the mirror device 75 as an auxiliary tool that can be attached to and detached from the camera 1 configured as described above will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 16 to 21, the mirror device 75 includes two members, a main body 76 and a fixing ring 77. The main body 76 is an integrally molded product made of super heat-resistant ABS resin, and has a mirror attachment portion 78 and a ring portion 79 protruding from the mirror attachment portion 78. As shown in FIG. 17, the mirror mounting portion 78 has a rounded rectangular shape as a front shape, and a mirror mounting sticking surface 78a is formed on the entire periphery slightly retreated from the front surface. Has been. Inside the mirror mounting portion 78, a shallow dish-shaped narrow space is formed by a side wall 78b having a small depth (narrow) and a back wall 78c. An opening front end 79a of the ring portion 79 is exposed at the center position of the back wall 78c. The mirror part 80 is stuck on the sticking surface 78a. The mirror part 80 has a similar outer shape slightly smaller than the outer periphery of the mirror attachment part 78, and has a predetermined reflection and transmission characteristic for visible light to infrared light by performing vapor deposition on the back surface of the transparent glass substrate. A coating layer is formed (Transmission-reflection characteristics of coating layer: incident angle: 25 °, incident polarization: N polarization, average reflectance of visible light 38 ± 3%, average transmittance of visible light 24%, infrared ray Average transmittance of 93% or more). That is, the mirror unit 80 is a magic mirror (so-called half mirror), which basically reflects visible light and functions as a mirror and can transmit visible light. In addition, since infrared rays from the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B can also be transmitted, it is possible to take a picture with the lens portion 42B of the surrounding scenery reflecting external light and infrared rays from the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B through the mirror portion 80. The entire mirror mounting portion 78 is configured to be larger than the main body case 2 disposed on the rear side (front side of the vehicle).

  As shown in FIG. 18, the ring portion 79 projects rearward of the mirror mounting portion 78 so that the opening front end 79 a opens at the center position of the rear wall 78 c of the mirror mounting portion 78. The front end 79 of the opening is substantially flush with the inner surface of the back wall 78c. The inner diameter of the opening front end 79 exactly matches the outer diameter of the front surface of the first case piece 2A. The inner peripheral surface 76 a of the ring portion 79 has a curved surface shape corresponding to the outer peripheral curved surface shape of the first saddle-shaped portion 4 of the first case piece 2 </ b> A of the main body case 2. In other words, the inner peripheral surface 76a is formed of a curved surface that is concave inward, opposite to the same curvature as that of the outer peripheral shape, so that the inner peripheral surface 76a can be in close contact with the outer peripheral shape of the ball band of the first saddle-shaped portion 4. The inner peripheral surface 76a is configured so as to be widest on the rear side, and has a narrowed shape that becomes narrower on the front side. The curve shape is indicated by a curve that is a quadratic curve as shown in the broken view of FIG. On the outer periphery of the ring portion 79, a plurality of (four places) studs 81 with female screws for screws are formed.

The fixing ring 77 is an integrally molded product made of nylon, and is an endless belt-like annular body formed in the circumferential direction with the same width. A plurality of (four) studs 84 for screw holes are formed at the edge position on the outer peripheral front end side of the fixing ring 77. The reason why the material different from that of the main body 76 is used is that the flexibility of nylon is high.
The inner peripheral surface 77a of the fixing ring 77 has a curved surface shape corresponding to the outer peripheral curved surface shape of the second saddle member 11 of the second case piece 2B. That is, the inner peripheral surface 77a is formed of a curved surface that is concave inwardly opposite to the outer peripheral shape so that the inner peripheral surface 77a can be in close contact with the outer peripheral shape of the ball band of the second saddle member 11 in an uneven relationship. The inner peripheral surface 77a has a constricted shape such that the front side is the widest and the rear side is narrower. The curve shape is indicated by a curve that is a quadratic curve as shown in the broken view of FIG. A flange-like protrusion 83 that slightly protrudes inward is formed at a position near the rear edge of the inner peripheral surface 77 a of the fixing ring 77.
A plurality of slits 85 (here, six at 60 ° intervals on each edge side) are formed in the fixing ring 77 at predetermined equal intervals along the circumferential direction. Each slit 85 extends as a notch region from the edge position to a position slightly advanced in the width direction from half of the entire width. The phases of the slit 85 group formed at the front edge position and the slit 85 group formed at the rear edge position are shifted by 30 °. That is, the slits 85 are arranged so as to be alternately front and back at equal intervals in the width direction of the fixing ring 77. Since the slit 85 is thus configured, the fixing ring 77 does not have a linearly continuous region in the circumferential direction. In other words, as shown by the arrow in FIG. In such a configuration, for example, the fixing ring 77 exhibits ease of bending in a narrower region between the front slits 85 P and the rear slits 85 Q. In addition to the ease of bending in the circumferential direction between the adjacent slits 85, the ease of bending in the direction between the various slits 85 can be achieved by making many slits deeply cut in the width direction. Since it will be expressed, the flexibility with respect to the external force as a whole can be improved. In addition, since the slits 85 are uniformly disposed as a whole, uniform flexibility can be provided in the entire region.

The mirror device 75 having such a configuration can be attached to the main body case 2 of the camera 1 as follows. In addition, it is necessary to remove the hung bracket 3 that gets in the way, or to mount the mirror device 75 before mounting the hanging bracket 3 during the mounting operation. The same applies when removing the mirror device 75 from the main body case 2.
As shown in FIG. 19A, the main body 76 is guided from the front side of the first case piece 2A of the main body case 2 to the rear side of the main body case 2, and the fixing ring 77 is connected to the main body from the rear side of the second case piece 2B. The two are brought close to each other so as to be guided to the front of the case 2, and are fixed by screws 87 through the studs 81 and 84.
As the screw 87 is tightened, the main body 76 and the fixing ring 77 approach each other, and the spherical portions of the first and second saddle-shaped portions 4 and 11 on the main body case 2 side (hereinafter referred to as spherical surfaces on the main body case 2 side). ) At this time, the inner peripheral surface 76a of the ring portion 79 on the main body 76 side can finally come into close contact with the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side, but a protrusion 83 is formed on the inner peripheral surface 77a on the fixing ring 77 side. Therefore, this does not interfere and the entire inner peripheral surface 77a does not adhere to the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side. The fixing ring 77 is slightly deformed as the screw 87 is tightened, and is connected to the main body 76 in a state where the protrusion 83 is pressed against the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side and is given a biasing force by the deformation. It becomes. In the state where the tightening of the screw 87 is completed and the main body 76 and the fixing ring 77 are completely connected, the entire area of the inner peripheral surface 76a of the main body 76 and the inner peripheral surface 77a on the fixing ring 77 side are many regions. The protrusion 83 comes into close contact with the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side, and comes into contact with the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side with an appropriate frictional force. In this state, a universal joint mechanism is established between the main body case 2 and the mirror device 75. Since the connecting fixing ring 77 and the ring portion 79 are narrowed in the front-rear direction, the main body case 2 does not fall off. Accordingly, it is possible to freely change the direction of the mirror device 75 around the main body case 2 within a predetermined rotation range while having an appropriate position holding force.

As shown in FIG. 19 (b), in the state where the tightening of the screw 87 is completed, the fixing ring 77 does not surround the entire outer peripheral spherical surface of the second saddle member 11, but the rear protruding wall portion. A region that does not surround the region 12 is formed (S portion in FIG. 19B). This unenclosed area is an advance area of the mirror device 75 when the mirror device 75 is freely rotated with respect to the main body case 2. When the mirror device 75 is rotated more than a predetermined amount, the mirror device 75 interferes with the protruding wall portion 12 and is prevented from further rotation. That is, the protruding wall portion 12 serves as a restricting means that restricts unnecessary rotation of the mirror device 75.
Further, in the state where the tightening of the screw 87 is completed, the lens portion 42B disposed at the front surface position on the main body case 2 side is slightly distant from the rear surface of the mirror portion 80 in the space formed inside the mirror mounting portion 78. The mirror device 75 is disposed at a distance so as not to contact the mirror unit 80 within the rotation range of the mirror device 75. Further, in the main body case 2, the front surface of the first case piece 2 </ b> A is substantially flush with the opening front end 79 in a state where the optical axis of the lens in the lens portion 42 </ b> B coincides with the central axis of the fixing ring 77 (or the ring portion 79). It arrange | positions so that it may become.
Further, since the suspension bracket 3 is directly attached to the main body case 2, even if the mirror device 75 is rotated, the orthogonal relationship between the rotation axis of the suspension bracket 3 and the optical axis of the lens is maintained. Since the main body case 2 is disposed so as to be hidden behind the mirror mounting portion 78 in the rotatable range from the direction facing the mirror mounting portion 78 (the position facing the mirror portion 80), the main body case 2 is hidden. Case 2 (camera 1) is not visually observed.
Further, since the mirror device 75 is not an essential component in the camera 1, the function as the camera 1 can be fully exhibited even if it is not used.

<About Examples>
In the configuration as described above, the result of photographing the inside of the vehicle using the camera 1 of the above-described embodiment (implemented in a state where the mirror device 75 is not attached) will be described below as a working example in comparison with a comparative example. explain. In the comparative example, only the LED was taken while changing the conditions. It should be noted that when shooting is performed at night and there is no infrared auxiliary light, it is difficult to discriminate what is captured because the video data is too dark even if other conditions are the same.
(Example 1)
An element (OPTSSUPPLY model number SFH4641) having a half-value angle of ± 10 degrees and a radiation intensity of 55 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 70 mA) is used as the upper two infrared LEDs 39A, and a half-value angle of ± 60 is used as the lower two infrared LEDs 39B. An element (model number OSI5LAS1C1A manufactured by OPTSSUPPLY) having a radiation intensity of 20 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 100 mA) was used. The actual current value was 50 mA per piece, which was lower than the rating. The angle of view of the lens is 180 degrees as described above, and the camera 1 is installed in front of the passenger seat at the upper position inside the windshield, and between the driver seat and the passenger seat near the height of the headrest as described above. The goal was to be slightly closer to the driver's seat in the rear seat that was visible. In shooting, we examined the appearance of three patterns that changed the boarding position of people. The result is shown in FIG.
In FIG. 11, the front passenger seat is just in front of and close to the installed camera 1, so the whole image is clearly captured. Since the driver's seat side is deviated from the front, it is taken at a position close to the camera 1 but not as much as the passenger seat, so the person (driver) 's feet are clearly photographed. Also, because the angle of view is large, the door on the driver's seat side is visible, but the door is also clearly photographed. The rear seat is photographed so sharply that the face of a person (passenger) can be sufficiently identified.

(Example 2)
Similarly to the first embodiment, the upper two infrared LEDs 39A are elements having a half-value angle of ± 10 degrees and a radiation intensity of 55 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 70 mA) (model number SFH4641 manufactured by OPTSSUPPLY). As the LED 39B, an element (model number OSI5LAS1C1A manufactured by OPTSSUPPLY) having a half-value angle of ± 60 degrees and a radiation intensity of 20 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 100 mA) was used. However, the current value was 30 mA per piece. Since the brightness of the infrared LED is proportional to the magnitude of the current, the overall illumination is darker than in the first embodiment, but the power consumption is less than that in the first embodiment. The installation conditions of the camera 1 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The result is shown in FIG.
In FIG. 12, the front seat is not inferior to the first embodiment. Further, since the rear seat is also photographed so sharply that the face of a person (passenger) can be sufficiently discriminated, it is practically possible to reduce the current value to this extent without any problem.

(Example 3)
As in Examples 1 and 2, the upper two infrared LEDs 39A are elements having a half-value angle of ± 10 degrees and a radiation intensity of 55 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 70 mA) (OPTSSUPPLY, model number SFH4641). As an infrared LED 39B, an element (model number OSI5LAS1C1A manufactured by OPTSSUPPLY) having a half-value angle of ± 60 degrees and a radiation intensity of 20 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 100 mA) was used. However, the current value was 20 mA per piece. The installation conditions of the camera 1 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The result is shown in FIG.
In FIG. 13, the overall impression is dark, and the front seat is sufficiently usable as an image although it is considerably darker than in the first and second embodiments. On the other hand, the backseat is also slightly difficult to distinguish the face of a person (passenger). However, since the irradiation direction is slightly downward, it is considered that the discrimination is sufficiently possible if it is displaced slightly upward. For Example 3, the current value applied to one or both of the upper infrared LEDs 39A is increased to about 25 to 30 mA, and the current value is slightly increased for the slightly dark front seat (for example, the lower infrared LED 39B). It is considered that the current value of one or both of them can be made more compatible with the practical area.

(Comparative Example 1)
All of the four infrared LEDs used an element (model number OSI5LAS1C1A manufactured by OPTSSUPPLY) having a half-value angle of ± 60 degrees and a radiation intensity of 20 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 100 mA). The actual current value was 50 mA per piece. The installation conditions of the camera 1 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The result is shown in FIG.
In FIG. 14, the front seat side is clearly photographed as a whole as in the first and second embodiments. However, the rear seats appear darker than in Example 3, and the face of the person (passenger) cannot be clearly identified.
(Comparative Example 2)
All of the four infrared LEDs used an element (model number SFH4641 manufactured by OPTSSUPPLY) having a half-value angle of ± 10 degrees and a radiation intensity of 55 mW / sr (IF (forward current) = 70 mA). The actual current value was 50 mA per piece. The installation conditions of the camera 1 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The result is shown in FIG.
Compared to Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example 1 above, the front seat side was dark overall, and for example, it was difficult to discriminate the legs of people in the driver's seat. On the other hand, the rear seat was discriminable because the face of a person (passenger) was sufficiently bright although the irradiation direction was slightly downward.

With the configuration described above, the camera 1 according to the present embodiment has the following effects.
(1) The upper infrared LED 39A illuminates a narrow range of the rear seat with a large radiant intensity, and the lower infrared LED 39B illuminates a relatively wide area in the entire vehicle with a relatively small radiant intensity. The rear seat can spot the passengers sitting on the rear seat, which is the object to be illuminated in particular, while the front seat side is close to the camera unit 42 even if it illuminates a wide area with a small radiation intensity Therefore, it is possible to illuminate sufficiently and the inside of the vehicle can be efficiently photographed and recorded. If the same infrared LED as the infrared LED 39A is used as in the comparative example 1, only a certain spot-like object can be clearly recorded, but this is not preferable for discriminating the entire interior of the vehicle. In addition, the use of the same infrared LED as the infrared LED 39B as in Comparative Example 2 is not preferable because it is insufficient for discriminating the passenger sitting on the rear seat, which is an object particularly discriminated in the vehicle. None of the embodiments has such a situation, and it becomes a very excellent information source when a user such as a driver or a manager analyzes a video later.
(2) Although the same amount of current is flowing as compared with Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the front seat side of Example 1 is clearer and the rear seat is desired to be illuminated as described above. It can be seen that the object is also clear. That is, the camera 1 of the present embodiment can obtain a better video even if the power consumption is the same, and the user can use it to perform more accurate video analysis.
(3) The camera 1 according to the present embodiment is connected to the drive recorder 65 and is branched from the regulator R in the housing 66 of the drive recorder 65 and is supplied with power. Therefore, the regulator R cannot supply unlimited power to the load side in consideration of the load resistance. Therefore, by using the two types of infrared LEDs 39A and 39B in this manner, a necessary image can be obtained without consuming much power. In addition, since the camera 1 is controlled by the controller MC of the drive recorder 65, the load on the controller MC becomes larger than when the processing amount is only one camera. As a result, the temperature in the housing 66 inevitably increases. Therefore, it is preferable to use two types of infrared LEDs 39A and 39B from the viewpoint of suppressing the power consumption of the regulator R and suppressing the heat derived from the regulator R.
(4) The front end of the camera unit 42B protrudes from the front surface of the cover panel 33, has a field angle of 180 degrees (actually, it can be seen to a slightly wider area than 180 degrees), and the half-value angle of the lower infrared LED 39A that illuminates a wide area. Therefore, the range covered by infrared rays can be reliably captured as an image, and there is no problem of missing a record of an important peripheral area that can be distinguished.
On the other hand, since the front end of the camera part 42B protrudes from the front surface of the cover panel 33, the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are arranged outside the angle of view, although the angle of view is very large. Therefore, the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are not captured in the video.
(5) In the camera 1, the lens part 42B and the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B are mounted in the same main body case 2 and face the same direction, so that it is not necessary to adjust the camera 1 separately when the camera 1 is arranged. Installation work is simplified.
(6) When connecting (assembling) the main body case 2, the first case piece 2 </ b> A and the second case piece 2 </ b> B can be connected at a correct position by engaging the stud 9 with the small protrusion 20. Similarly, when the cover panel 33 is mounted on the front surface of the first case piece 2A, the small protrusion 7 in the recess 6 is engaged with the small notch 34 on the cover panel 33 side. The cover panel 33 can be mounted at the correct position. In addition, since the positioning mechanism for assembling the circular member having no directivity is provided, the work is simplified when assembling at the manufacturer or when assembling the camera 1 once disassembled by the user.
(7) Since the second substrate 40 is supported at three points by the studs 8 and 18, even if there is a slight inclination during mounting, the second substrate 40 is less likely to rattle than the four-point support. The first substrate 37 is fixed to the substrate mounting screw hole 10 by screws 38 at two points. However, since the first substrate 37 is supported by the stud 8 as a support portion from the periphery, it is difficult to rattle.
(8) Since the suspension bracket 3 is attached to a pair of bracket bearings 14 projecting further rearward from the body case 2, the movable range (swing range) of the body case 2 with respect to the suspension bracket 3 is wide. It has become. Further, since the top plate portion 55 extends rearward from the position of the bracket bearing 14, the movable range (swing range) of the main body case 2 is also widened. Therefore, the user can freely arrange the main body case 2 at an arbitrary swinging position.
(9) The hanging bracket 3 is disposed at a position sandwiching a pair of bracket bearings 14 located on the inner side of the maximum width of the main body case 2 (the position where the first case piece 2A and the second case piece 2B are just connected). Therefore, it does not protrude beyond the width of the main body case 2 itself. Therefore, it contributes to downsizing of the entire camera 1 and is advantageous when the user installs the camera 1 in a particularly narrow vehicle.
(10) In the nut housing portion 23 for fixing the fixing knob 60 disposed in the racket bearing 14, the nut 61 does not have a drop-off preventing means, and the cable holder 45 is a member for another use. At the same time, it is designed to prevent falling out. Therefore, the number of parts is reduced, the assembly process is reduced, and the cost is reduced as a result. The prevention of the nut 61 from falling off by the cable holder 45 can be realized because the position where the cable 53 enters the main body case 2 is lowered. By placing the cable 53 downward, it is possible to afford to provide the racket bearing 14 and the nut accommodation portion 23 at the center position, and the nut accommodation portion is similarly provided by the cable holder 45 disposed downward as the cable 53 moves downward. This is because 23 can be closed.
(11) Since the upper infrared LED 39 </ b> A has particularly high radiation intensity, there is a possibility that the near-infrared region may be viewed from the front surface of the cover panel 33. If the camera 1 is installed in a taxi, there is a possibility that passengers in the irradiation direction may notice this. If the infrared LED 39A is not arranged horizontally as described above and is arranged obliquely across the camera unit 42B, it can be seen as unnatural and the passenger may suspect the presence of the camera. is there. Since the camera 1 has two infrared LEDs 39A arranged in a horizontal direction that looks very natural, such a possibility is extremely reduced. Further, since the infrared LEDs 39A are arranged on the upper and lower sides, it is difficult for the driver to see and it is difficult to feel bothersome.

(12) Since the camera 1 is completely hidden when viewed from the direction facing the mirror unit 80 by the mirror device 75, it is difficult for the passengers of the vehicle to understand the presence of the camera 1, and it is noticed that the camera 1 is shooting. It is difficult to receive an indication from a passenger who does not want to take a picture with the camera 1. Especially when seated on the rear seat, the distance from the mirror section 80 and the camera 1 cannot be seen from the mirror section 80, so that the camera 1 is generally directly opposite. A mirror device 75 may be attached to the.
(13) The universal joint mechanism is connected between the mirror device 75 and the camera 1 (more specifically, the inner peripheral surface 76a of the ring portion 79 on the mirror device 75 side and the inner peripheral surface 77a on the fixing ring 77 side and the camera 1). Since the mirror unit 80 can be freely rotated, the camera 1 is hidden, and at the same time, it is actually used as an in-vehicle rearview mirror or cosmetic mirror. It can be used practically.
(14) In the universal joint mechanism, the protrusion 83 comes into contact with the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side with an appropriate frictional force, and the frictional force is easily moved by the power of a human hand when the mirror device 75 is rotated. The holding force is not so large as possible, while it is not a weak holding force that easily changes its position due to the vibration of the vehicle. Therefore, the mirror device 75 can be rotated without requiring any operation to release any holding state, and can be held at any rotation position without a separate fixing means.
(15) Since the main body case 2 side is greatly reflected in the captured image of the lens when the mirror device 75 rotates largely, it is better not to rotate too much. Further, if the amount of rotation of the mirror device 75 is large, there is a possibility that the main body case 2 behind the mirror mounting portion 78 appears from an angle, so it is better not to rotate too much. Therefore, in the above description, the mirror device 75 is prevented from rotating by restricting the amount of rotation. Since the fixing ring 77 is assembled separately from the main body 76, it can be attached to the main body case 2 by a simple assembling operation.
(16) By simply connecting the fixing ring 77 to the main body 76 on the side of the mirror device 75, the fixing ring 77 is appropriately bent by the action of nylon, which is a highly flexible material, and the slit 85, so that the protrusion 83 is formed. Since it is possible to press against the spherical surface on the main body case 2 side with an appropriate frictional force, an operation at the time of assembly for applying such a frictional force is reduced.
(17) The suspension bracket 3 is attached to a pair of bracket bearings 14 projecting further rearwardly from the main body case 2, and is prevented from advancing to the main body case 2 side. Therefore, even when the main body case 2 is largely swung, the mirror mounting portion 78 is less likely to interfere with the hanging bracket 3.

The present invention may be embodied in the following manner.
・ The number of infrared LEDs 39A and 39B was two in total, four each, but this number and type are only examples, and for example, a third LED with different radiation intensity and half-value angle may be provided. The number of the same LEDs may be one or three or more instead of two. Further, the radiation intensity of the same infrared LED may be changed by changing the current value.
In the above description, the infrared LED is mounted on the first substrate 37 as an LED chip. However, a normal bullet-type LED may be used instead of the chip.
In the above description, the infrared LEDs are arranged in the same type and horizontally. However, the infrared LEDs may be arranged obliquely or randomly other than horizontally. Any of them may be present in the vicinity of the lens portion 42B.
In the above embodiment, the optical axis of the lens and the front direction in which the infrared LEDs 39A and 39B direct the infrared rays are arranged in parallel, but they need not be parallel. Each infrared LED may face a different direction.
The cable 53 may be a USB cable. In this case, since the camera can be easily detached, for example, the camera 1 can be detached from the main drive recorder 65 and only the main drive recorder 65 can be used.
The camera 1 may have an independent control unit (controller) and a power supply unit (regulator) In the above, there was no independent on / off switch for starting and stopping the operation of the camera 1, but this is provided. You may do it. It may be provided in the camera 1 or in the main drive recorder 65.
The wide-angle lens of the lens unit 42B is 180 degrees, but another angle of view may be used.
The shape of the main body case 2 and the hanging bracket 3 may be other than the above. You may change the support position to the case 2 of the bracket 3 for suspension.
In the above embodiment, infrared light is used as auxiliary light. However, a light irradiation system using light other than infrared light, such as visible light or ultraviolet light, may be used depending on the situation.
-The material may be realized by a material other than the above. In this case, it is preferable to use a particularly flexible material for the member that is particularly deformed, such as nylon of the fixing ring 77 described above.
Although the cover panel 33 is black in the above, the color is not particularly limited. You may make it comprise a cloudy color. Further, the cover panel 33 may not only absorb visible light but also reflect it.

-You may apply to other electronic devices.
In the above description, as an example, the above-described universal joint mechanism is applied to the mirror device 75 that freely rotates between the main body case 2 of the camera 1, but other than the camera 1 and the mirror device 75, You may make it use when rotating freely between 1 apparatus and 2nd apparatus.
In the mirror device 75 of the above-described embodiment, the main body 76 and the fixing ring 77 are divided into two parts in the front and rear, but may be divided into two parts on the right and left, or may be composed of three or more members.
-The slit 85 formed in the said fixing ring 77 is an example, Comprising: A shape and number can be changed suitably. In short, it is sufficient if the member can be bent by providing the planned flexibility by forming the slit 85.
In order to give flexibility, it is possible to change the material other than the shape technique of the slit 85. For example, the fixing ring 77 can be formed of a more flexible elastic rubber body.
In order to make it difficult to turn due to friction, the fixing ring 77 is bent at the same time as the fixing work so as to press the projection 83 against the sphere side of the universal joint. A configuration in which the protrusion 83 is pressed against the sphere side of the universal joint by operation is also possible. In short, it is only necessary to provide some friction means for braking the rotation in the universal joint mechanism.
In the above description, the protruding wall 12 serves as the rotation restricting means of the mirror device 75. However, a restricting means may be provided separately.
In addition, the present invention can be freely implemented in a modified form without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Camera for vehicle interior photography of drive recorder as irradiation system, 39A, 39B2 ... Infrared LED.

Claims (2)

Imaging means;
A light irradiating means for irradiating infrared rays in the imaging direction of the imaging means provided around the imaging means,
A first cover body that allows transmission of infrared rays emitted from the light irradiation means and absorbs or reflects visible light so that the light irradiation means is not visible to the naked eye on the front surface of the light irradiation means. And the first cover body is not arranged on the front surface of the imaging means,
The light irradiating means extends over an area in the imaging direction of the imaging means in which the first cover body is not disposed and a region on the front side of the light irradiating means in which the first cover body is disposed. to allow transmission of infrared rays emitted from, and the visible light from outside of the device to hard to visually recognize with the naked eye the light irradiation unit causes anti Isa, difficult to inhibit the picture-taking function of the imaging means, And the apparatus which has arrange | positioned the 2nd cover body which has a planar half mirror for preventing the said imaging | photography means from being visually recognized with the naked eye so that attachment or detachment is possible.   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second cover body is supported with respect to a casing on which the photographing unit is mounted.