JP7647475B2 - Vehicle recording control device and recording control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a recording control device for a vehicle and a recording control method.

Accidents such as a vehicle rear-ending a vehicle ahead are often caused by the driver looking away. A driver's looking away can also be influenced by the actions of the passenger. Furthermore, when a driver rear-ends a vehicle ahead due to looking away, or when a rear-end collision is avoided by sudden braking, it often occurs when the vehicle is traveling at low speeds with a small distance between the vehicles. In such a situation, the acceleration applied to the vehicle may be small, and it may not be detected as an event. A system has been disclosed that records the situation around the vehicle as an outside-vehicle image when the passenger's facial direction matches (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2014-096632 A

Even if this technology is applied to a drive recorder, for example, it is difficult to accurately determine the causal relationship between an accident and an incident in which the facial direction of a vehicle occupant matches. This may make it difficult to clearly determine the cause of the accident.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to properly record events such as accidents that occur when a vehicle driver is not looking at the road, including their causes.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the vehicle recording control device according to the present invention includes a video data acquisition unit that acquires first video data captured by a first image capture unit that captures the surroundings of the vehicle and second video data captured by a second image capture unit that captures the interior of the vehicle, an orientation detection unit that detects the direction of the face or line of sight of the driver of the vehicle from the second video data and determines whether or not a first condition is met that the driver is facing in a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle, an event detection unit that detects an event based on acceleration applied to the vehicle, and a recording control unit that, when an event is detected, stores the first video data including at least the time point of the event detection as event recording data, and when the orientation detection unit determines that the first condition is met, performs the processes a), b), or a) and b). a) The recording control unit assigns an event recording start flag to the first video data, and when an event is detected in a state where the first condition is met, stores the first video data including at least the time point of the event detection as event recording data from the event recording start flag, and b) the event detection unit detects the event by lowering the acceleration threshold for detecting the event.

The recording control method according to the present invention includes a video data acquisition step of acquiring first video data captured by a first image capture unit that captures the periphery of the vehicle and second video data captured by a second image capture unit that captures the interior of the vehicle, a direction detection step of detecting the direction of the face or line of sight of the driver of the vehicle from the second video data and judging whether the first condition that the driver is facing in a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle is met, an event detection step of detecting an event based on acceleration applied to the vehicle, and a recording control step of storing, as event recording data, the first video data including at least the time point of the event detection if an event is detected, and is executed by a vehicle recording control device that performs processing a), b), or a) and b) if it is determined in the direction detection step that the first condition is met. a) In the recording control step, an event recording start flag is added to the first video data, and if an event is detected in a state where the first condition is met, the first video data including at least the time point of the event detection is stored as event recording data from the event recording start flag, and b) In the event detection step, the event is detected by lowering the acceleration threshold for detecting the event.

The present invention has the effect of being able to properly record events such as accidents that occur when a vehicle driver is not looking at the road, including their causes.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle-mounted recording device having a control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow in the control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in the control device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in the control device according to the third embodiment.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of a vehicle recording control device according to the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[First embodiment]
(Recording device for vehicle)
1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle recording device 10 having a vehicle recording control device (hereinafter referred to as a "control device") 100 according to a first embodiment. The vehicle recording device 10 is a so-called drive recorder that records events that occur in a vehicle. The vehicle recording device 10 records an event when an event is detected while the driver and passengers are facing in the same direction other than the direction of travel of the vehicle.

The vehicle recording device 10 may be a device that is installed in the vehicle, or may be a portable device that can be used in the vehicle. The vehicle recording device 10 may also be realized by including the functions or configurations of a device that is pre-installed in the vehicle or a navigation device. The vehicle recording device 10 has a first camera (first image capture unit) 200, a second camera (second image capture unit) 210, a recording unit 220, an operation unit 230, an acceleration sensor 240, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiving unit 250, a display unit 260, and a control device 100.

The first camera 200 has a camera that captures the surroundings of the vehicle. As an example, the first camera 200 is a camera specific to the vehicle recording device 10, or a camera for capturing bird's-eye images of the surroundings of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the first camera 200 is positioned facing the front of the vehicle and captures the surroundings centered on the front of the vehicle. The first camera 200 constantly captures images from when the engine starts until it is stopped, that is, while the vehicle is operating. The first camera 200 outputs the captured first image data to the image data acquisition unit 120 of the control device 100. The first image data is, for example, a moving image composed of images at 30 frames per second.

The second camera 210 is a camera that captures the interior of the vehicle. The second camera 210 is arranged in a position where it can capture at least the face of the driver of the vehicle. Alternatively, the second camera 210 is arranged in a position where it can capture at least the face of all passengers, including the driver, who are seated in all seats of the vehicle. The second camera 210 is arranged, for example, on the instrument panel of the vehicle, or inside or around the rearview mirror of the vehicle. The second camera 210 has a fixed or almost fixed shooting range and shooting direction. The second camera 210 is composed of, for example, a visible light camera or a near-infrared camera. The second camera 210 may be composed of, for example, a combination of a visible light camera and a near-infrared camera. The second camera 210 constantly captures images from when the engine starts to when it stops, that is, while the vehicle is operating. The second camera 210 outputs the captured second image data to the image data acquisition unit 120 of the control device 100. The second image data is, for example, a moving image composed of images of 30 frames per second. In addition, when there is no need to distinguish between the first video data and the second video data, it will be referred to as video data.

The first camera 200 and the second camera 210 may be a single camera capable of capturing, for example, a full sky or half sky. In this case, in the video data capturing a full sky or half sky, the entire video data or the range capturing the periphery of the vehicle, or the range capturing the front of the vehicle, etc., is regarded as the first video data. In addition, in the video data capturing a full sky or half sky, the range in which the face of a passenger seated in a seat of the vehicle can be captured is regarded as the second video data. Furthermore, the entire video data capturing a full sky or half sky may be treated as the first video data and the second video data.

The recording unit 220 is used for temporary storage of data in the vehicle recording device 10. The recording unit 220 is, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory, or a recording unit such as a memory card. Alternatively, the recording unit 220 may be an external recording unit that is wirelessly connected via a communication device (not shown). The recording unit 220 records the loop recording video data or the event recording data based on a control signal output from the recording control unit 133 of the control device 100.

The operation unit 230 can accept various operations on the vehicle recording device 10. For example, the operation unit 230 can accept an operation to manually save the captured video data in the recording unit 220 as event recording data. For example, the operation unit 230 can accept an operation to play back the loop recording video data or event recording data recorded in the recording unit 220. For example, the operation unit 230 can accept an operation to erase the event recording data recorded in the recording unit 220. For example, the operation unit 230 can accept an operation to end the loop recording. The operation unit 230 outputs operation information to the operation control unit 125 of the control device 100.

The acceleration sensor 240 is a sensor that detects acceleration occurring to the vehicle. The acceleration sensor 240 outputs the detection result to the event detection unit 132 of the control device 100. The acceleration sensor 240 is a sensor that detects acceleration in, for example, three axial directions. The three axial directions are the forward/rearward direction, the left/right direction, and the up/down direction of the vehicle.

The GNSS receiving unit 250 is composed of a GNSS receiver that receives GNSS signals from GNSS satellites. The GNSS receiving unit 250 outputs the received GNSS signals to the position information acquisition unit 126 of the control device 100.

The display unit 260 is, for example, a display device specific to the vehicle recording device 10, or a display device shared with other systems including a navigation system. The display unit 260 may be formed integrally with the first camera 200. The display unit 260 is, for example, a display including a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electroluminescence (EL) display. In this embodiment, the display unit 260 is disposed in front of the driver of the vehicle on a dashboard, an instrument panel, a center console, or the like. The display unit 260 displays an image based on a video signal output from the display control unit 127 of the control device 100. The display unit 260 displays an image captured by the first camera 200 or an image recorded in the recording unit 220.

(Recording control device for vehicle)
The control device 100 is an arithmetic processing device (control device) configured with, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like. The control device 100 loads a stored program into a memory and executes instructions included in the program. The control device 100 includes an internal memory (not shown), which is used for temporary storage of data in the control device 100, and the like. The control device 100 has, as functions realized by its configuration and programs, a video data acquisition unit 120, a buffer memory 121, a video data processing unit 122, a playback control unit 124, an operation control unit 125, a position information acquisition unit 126, a display control unit 127, an orientation detection unit 131, an event detection unit 132, and a recording control unit 133, all of which are connected to a bus 100X.

The video data acquisition unit 120 acquires first video data of the surroundings of the vehicle and second video data of the interior of the vehicle. More specifically, the video data acquisition unit 120 acquires the first video data captured by the first camera 200 and the second video data captured by the second camera 210. The video data acquisition unit 120 acquires the first video data and the second video data output by the first camera 200 and the second camera 210, and outputs them to the buffer memory 121. The first video data and the second video data acquired by the video data acquisition unit 120 are not limited to data of only video, but may be shooting data including video and audio. Furthermore, the video data acquisition unit 120 may acquire video data of a full sky or a half sky as the first video data and the second video data.

The buffer memory 121 is an internal memory provided in the control device 100, and is a memory that temporarily records a certain amount of video data acquired by the video data acquisition unit 120 while updating it.

The video data processing unit 122 converts the video data temporarily stored in the buffer memory 121 into an arbitrary file format, such as MP4 format, encoded with an arbitrary codec, such as H.264 or MPEG-4 (Moving Picture Experts Group). The video data processing unit 122 generates video data as a file for a certain period of time from the video data temporarily stored in the buffer memory 121. As a specific example, the video data processing unit 122 generates 60 seconds of video data as a file in the order of recording from the video data temporarily stored in the buffer memory 121. The video data processing unit 122 outputs the generated video data to the recording control unit 133. The video data processing unit 122 also outputs the generated video data to the display control unit 127. The period of the video data generated as a file is 60 seconds as an example, but is not limited to this. The video data referred to here may be data including audio in addition to the video captured by the first camera 200.

The playback control unit 124 controls the playback of the loop recording video data or event recording data recorded in the recording unit 220 based on the playback operation control signal output from the operation control unit 125.

The operation control unit 125 acquires operation information of the operation accepted by the operation unit 230. For example, the operation control unit 125 acquires save operation information indicating a manual save operation of video data, play operation information indicating a play operation, or delete operation information indicating a delete operation of video data, and outputs a control signal. For example, the operation control unit 125 acquires end operation information indicating an operation to end loop recording, and outputs a control signal.

The position information acquisition unit 126 acquires position information indicating the current position of the vehicle. The position information acquisition unit 126 calculates the position information of the current position of the vehicle using a known method based on the GNSS signal received by the GNSS receiving unit 250.

The display control unit 127 controls the display of video data on the display unit 260. The display control unit 127 outputs a video signal that causes the video data to be output to the display unit 260. More specifically, the display control unit 127 outputs a video signal that displays the video captured by the first camera 200, or the loop recorded video data or event recorded data recorded in the recording unit 220 by playing back the video.

The orientation detection unit 131 detects the face or gaze direction of the driver of the vehicle and passengers other than the driver from the second video data, and determines whether the first condition is met that the driver and passengers are facing the same direction other than the direction of travel of the vehicle.

More specifically, the orientation detection unit 131 recognizes people from the second video data. The method for recognizing people from the second video data can be any known method and is not limited to this method. The people to be detected are the driver of the vehicle and passengers other than the driver.

The detection of the face or gaze direction by the direction detection unit 131 will be described. The direction detection unit 131 detects the face or gaze direction of the driver and passengers other than the driver of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the direction detection unit 131 performs image processing on the second video data to recognize the faces of the driver and passengers other than the driver and detects the face or gaze direction. More specifically, the direction detection unit 131 recognizes, for example, the eyes of the driver and passengers other than the driver from the second video data and obtains information indicating the face or gaze direction. Gaze detection based on the image of the eyes of the driver and passengers other than the driver can be performed by any method, such as gaze detection based on the positional relationship between the inner corner of the eye and the iris detected from the image of the eyes, or gaze detection based on the positional relationship between the corneal reflex and the pupil.

A method for detecting the driver and passengers other than the driver from the second image data is described below. The face of the person sitting in each seat is captured within the range defined by the coordinates of the second image data. As a result, the person or face recognized from the range defined by the coordinates of the second image data corresponding to each seat is the passenger in that seat. In this way, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of a passenger in each seat, and the direction of the passenger's face and eyes.

When the direction of the face or gaze of the driver and passengers other than the driver is outside a specified angle range from the forward direction of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling straight, the direction detection unit 131 determines that the driver is facing away from the vehicle, in other words, that the driver is looking aside. The specified angle range is the range that a normal driver would turn their face or gaze when the vehicle is traveling straight, that is, when the vehicle is not turning right or left or reversing.

The orientation detection unit 131 may detect the face or gaze direction of the driver of the vehicle and multiple passengers other than the driver from the second video data, and determine whether or not a first condition is satisfied in which the driver and a predetermined percentage or more of the multiple passengers are facing the same direction other than the vehicle's traveling direction.

The specified percentage is, for example, 50%. In other words, if there are two passengers other than the driver, it can be determined that the specified percentage is exceeded if one passenger is facing the same direction as the driver. Similarly, if there are three passengers other than the driver, it can be determined that the specified percentage is exceeded if two passengers are facing the same direction as the driver. Looking away by more than a specified percentage of multiple passengers is likely to have an impact on the driver. For this reason, if the driver and more than a specified percentage of passengers are facing the same face or line of sight, there is a high possibility that the driver will become even less vigilant in checking the direction the vehicle is traveling.

The orientation detection unit 131 may detect the face or gaze direction of the driver of the vehicle and a passenger other than the driver who is seated in the front seat of the vehicle from the second video data, and determine whether or not the first condition is met that the driver and passenger are facing the same direction other than the direction of travel of the vehicle.

Front seat passengers have the same field of vision as the driver, and can therefore see the same objects as the driver. In addition, front seat passengers can easily communicate with the driver, so their looking away can easily affect the driver. For this reason, if the driver and front seat passengers are facing the same direction in terms of their faces or gaze, there is an increased possibility that the driver will become even less vigilant in checking the direction in which the vehicle is traveling.

The event detection unit 132 detects an event based on the acceleration applied to the vehicle. More specifically, the event detection unit 132 detects an event based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 240. The event detection unit 132 detects that an event has occurred when the acceleration information is equal to or greater than a set threshold that corresponds to a vehicle collision.

The recording control unit 133 controls the recording unit 220 to record the video data filed by the video data processing unit 122. During the period when loop recording processing is being performed, such as when the vehicle's accessory power is ON, the recording control unit 133 records the video data filed by the video data processing unit 122 in the recording unit 220 as overwritable video data. More specifically, during the period when loop recording processing is being performed, the recording control unit 133 continues to record the video data generated by the video data processing unit 122 in the recording unit 220, and when the capacity of the recording unit 220 becomes full, it overwrites the oldest video data with new video data and records it.

When the event detection unit 132 detects the occurrence of an event, the recording control unit 133 saves video data corresponding to the detection of the event. The video data corresponding to the detection of the event is video data for a predetermined period in the video data generated by the video data processing unit 122. The recording control unit 133 saves the video data corresponding to the detection of the event in the recording unit 220 as event recording data that is prohibited from being overwritten. In this case, the event recording data that the recording control unit 133 saves in the recording unit 220 is, for example, video data for a predetermined period of about 10 seconds before and after the time when the event was detected, copied from the buffer memory 121 and saved as the event recording data. When an event is detected, the recording control unit 133 saves at least the first video data including the time when the event was detected as the event recording data.

Furthermore, when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the recording control unit 133 assigns an event recording start flag to the first video data, and when an event is detected while the first condition is satisfied, the recording control unit 133 saves the first video data including at least the event detection time point from the event recording start flag as event recording data. In this case, the event recording data saved in the recording unit 220 by the recording control unit 133 is, for example, video data including at least the event detection time point from the event recording start flag copied from the buffer memory 121 and saved as the event recording data.

The recording control unit 133 may store the first video data and the second video data, including at least the time point of the event detection from the event recording start flag, as event recording data.

(Processing in a Vehicle Recording Control Device)
Next, a process flow in the control device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in the control device 100 according to the first embodiment.

The control device 100 starts normal recording and occupant monitoring (step S101). More specifically, the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to transmit the video data captured by the first camera 200 and the second camera 210 to the buffer memory 121, generates a video file for each video of a predetermined period, for example, every 60 seconds, and records it in the recording unit 220. The control device 100 proceeds to step S102.

The control device 100 determines whether or not the first condition is met (step S102). More specifically, the control device 100 detects the face or gaze direction of the driver of the vehicle and passengers other than the driver from the second video data using the orientation detection unit 131, and determines whether or not the first condition is met, that is, the driver and passengers are facing the same direction other than the vehicle's traveling direction. If the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is met (Yes in step S102), the control device 100 proceeds to step S103. If the orientation detection unit 131 does not determine that the first condition is met (No in step S102), the control device 100 proceeds to step S107.

When it is determined that the first condition is met (Yes in step S102), the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to assign an event recording start flag to the normally recorded video data for the period when the first condition is met, in other words, the period when the driver and passengers other than the driver are looking away, and stores the data (step S103). More specifically, the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to assign an event recording start flag to the first video data for the period when the first condition is met. The control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to store the first video data to which the event recording start flag has been assigned in the recording unit 220 as normally recorded video data. The control device 100 proceeds to step S104.

The control device 100 determines whether the state satisfying the first condition continues (step S104). More specifically, the control device 100 determines whether the state satisfying the first condition continues to be detected by the orientation detection unit 131. When the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the state satisfying the first condition continues (Yes in step S104), the control device 100 proceeds to step S105. When the orientation detection unit 131 does not determine that the state satisfying the first condition continues (No in step S104), the control device 100 proceeds to step S107. For example, when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the driver or passenger faces the direction of travel of the vehicle or changes the viewing direction, the state satisfying the first condition no longer continues (No in step S104), and the control device 100 proceeds to step S107.

When it is determined that the state satisfying the first condition continues (Yes in step S104), the control device 100 determines whether or not an event has been detected based on the detection result by the event detection unit 132 (step S105). When the acceleration detected by the event detection unit 132 is equal to or greater than the threshold, it determines that an event has been detected (Yes in step S105) and proceeds to step S106. Alternatively, when the event detection unit 132 determines that the acceleration detected is not equal to or greater than the threshold, it determines that an event has not been detected (No in step S105) and executes the process of step S104 again.

When it is determined that an event has been detected (Yes in step S105), the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to store the video data from the event recording start flag to a predetermined period after the event detection (step S106). More specifically, the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to store the first video data to which the event recording start flag has been assigned as event recording data in the recording unit 220 while prohibiting overwriting. At this time, in addition to the first video data, the second video data may also be stored as event recording data. For example, the second video data including at least the time point of the event detection from the event start flag is stored as event recording data together with the first video data. The event recording data is the first video data including the time point of the event detection from the event recording start flag. The control device 100 proceeds to step S109.

If it is not determined that the first condition is satisfied (No in step S102), or if it is not determined that the state in which the first condition is satisfied continues (No in step S104), the control device 100 determines whether or not an event has been detected based on the detection result by the event detection unit 132 (step S107). If the acceleration detected by the event detection unit 132 is equal to or greater than a threshold, it determines that an event has been detected (Yes in step S107) and proceeds to step S108. Alternatively, if the event detection unit 132 determines that the acceleration detected is not equal to or greater than the threshold, it determines that an event has not been detected (No in step S107) and proceeds to step S109.

When it is determined that an event has been detected (Yes in step S107), the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to store video data including a predetermined period before and after the event detection time (step S108). More specifically, the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to store the first video data as event recording data in the recording unit 220 while prohibiting overwriting. The event recording data is the first video data including a predetermined period before and after the event detection time. The control device 100 proceeds to step S109.

The control device 100 determines whether or not to end the loop recording and event detection (step S109). For example, the control device 100 determines to end the loop recording and event detection when the vehicle's power or motive power is turned off or the operation unit 230 is operated. If the control device 100 determines to end the loop recording and event detection (Yes in step S109), it ends this process. If the control device 100 does not determine to end the loop recording and event detection (No in step S109), it executes the process of step S102 again.

(effect)
As described above, in this embodiment, when an event is detected while the driver and passengers other than the driver are facing the same direction other than the traveling direction, the first video data including at least the event detection time point from the event recording start flag is stored as event recording data. This embodiment can store event recording data including a period before the event detection time point. In this way, according to this embodiment, events such as accidents caused by the driver of the vehicle looking away can be appropriately recorded, including the cause.

In this embodiment, it can be determined that the first condition is met when the number of passengers facing the same direction as the driver is equal to or greater than a predetermined percentage. As described above, when the number of passengers facing the same direction as the driver is equal to or greater than a predetermined percentage, it is likely to affect the driver. According to this embodiment, it can be determined that the first condition is met when the driver and a predetermined percentage or more of passengers are facing the same direction, making it highly likely that they will pay less attention to the direction of travel.

In this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether the first condition is met based on the face or gaze direction of the driver and a passenger other than the driver who is seated in the front seat of the vehicle. As described above, passengers in the front seats are likely to influence the driver. For this reason, if the face or gaze direction of the driver and a passenger in the front seat are the same, there is a high possibility that the driver will become even less vigilant in checking the direction in which the vehicle is traveling. According to this embodiment, it is possible to determine that the first condition is met when there is a high possibility that attention will become even less vigilant in the direction of travel.

In this embodiment, the first video data and the second video data including at least the event detection time from the event recording start flag can be saved as event recording data. According to this embodiment, the situation around the vehicle and inside the vehicle's cabin can be saved as event recording data. According to this embodiment, events such as accidents caused by the driver of the vehicle looking away can be properly recorded, including the cause.

[Second embodiment]
The vehicle recording device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in the control device 100 according to the second embodiment. The basic configuration of the vehicle recording device 10 is similar to that of the vehicle recording device 10 according to the first embodiment. In the following description, components similar to those of the vehicle recording device 10 are given the same or corresponding reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. When an event is detected while the driver and passengers are facing in the same direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle, the vehicle recording device 10 changes the threshold value for detecting the event.

The event detection unit 132 detects an event based on the acceleration applied to the vehicle, and when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the event detection unit 132 lowers the acceleration threshold for detecting the event and detects the event. As a specific example, the normal threshold, i.e., the threshold at which the threshold is not lowered, is set to 1.5 G, and when the threshold is lowered, it is set to 0.6 G. This makes it easier to detect an event when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied.

When the event detection unit 132 detects an event, the recording control unit 133 stores the first video data including at least the time point at which the event was detected as event recording data.

Next, the flow of processing in the control device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. Steps S111, S112, S114, S115, and S118 to S120 perform the same processing as steps S101, S102, S104, S105, and S107 to S109 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 2.

If it is determined that the first condition is satisfied (Yes in step S112), the control device 100 lowers the acceleration threshold at which the event detection unit 132 detects an event (step S113). The control device 100 proceeds to step S114.

When it is determined that an event has been detected (Yes in step S115), the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to store video data including a predetermined period before and after the event detection time (step S116). More specifically, the control device 100 causes the recording control unit 133 to store the first video data as event recording data in the recording unit 220 while prohibiting overwriting. The event recording data is the first video data including a predetermined period before and after the event detection time. The control device 100 proceeds to step S120.

If it is not determined that the state satisfying the first condition continues (No in step S114), the control device 100 changes the acceleration threshold value at which the event detection unit 132 detects an event to a normal value (step S117). The control device 100 proceeds to step S118.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is met, the acceleration threshold for detecting an event is lowered to detect the event. This embodiment can set an acceleration threshold for detecting an event in a situation where the driver and passengers other than the driver are looking away and minor collisions and contact are likely to occur that are not detected as collisions. In this way, this embodiment can appropriately record events such as accidents caused by the driver of the vehicle looking away, including their causes.

[Third embodiment]
The vehicle recording device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in the control device 100 according to the third embodiment. The vehicle recording device 10 has a basic configuration similar to that of the vehicle recording device 10 according to the first and second embodiments. When an event is detected in a state where the driver and passengers are facing the same direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle, the vehicle recording device 10 changes the threshold value for detecting the event. When an event is detected in a state where a first condition is satisfied, the vehicle recording device 10 stores the first video data including at least the event detection time point from the event recording start flag as event recording data.

The event detection unit 132 has the same function as in the second embodiment. More specifically, the event detection unit 132 detects an event based on the acceleration applied to the vehicle, and when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the event detection unit 132 lowers the acceleration threshold for detecting the event and detects the event.

The recording control unit 133 has the same functions as in the first embodiment. More specifically, when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the recording control unit 133 assigns an event recording start flag to the first video data, and when an event is detected while the first condition is satisfied, the recording control unit 133 saves the first video data including at least the time point of the event detection from the event recording start flag as event recording data.

Next, the flow of processing in the control device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. Steps S131 to S133, steps S135 to S137, and steps S139 to S141 perform the same processing as steps S101 to S103, steps S104 to S106, and steps S107 to S109 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 2. Steps S134 and S138 perform the same processing as steps S113 and S117 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3.

As described above, in this embodiment, when it is determined that the first condition is met, the acceleration threshold for detecting the event is lowered to detect the event. In this embodiment, when an event is detected in a state in which the first condition is met, the first video data including at least the event detection time point from the event recording start flag is saved as event recording data. This embodiment can set an acceleration threshold for detecting an event in a situation in which the driver and passengers other than the driver are looking away and minor collisions and contact are likely to occur. This embodiment can save event recording data including a period prior to the event detection time point. In this way, according to this embodiment, events such as accidents caused by the driver of the vehicle looking away can be appropriately recorded, including their causes.

[Fourth embodiment]
The basic configuration of the vehicle recording device 10 is similar to that of the vehicle recording device 10 of the first and second embodiments. This embodiment differs from the first to third embodiments in that the first condition is that the driver faces a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle for a predetermined period of time or more.

The vehicle recording device 10 records an event if an event is detected while the driver is facing a direction other than the vehicle's travel direction.

When the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the vehicle recording device 10 performs a process that combines the second embodiment and the third embodiment. More specifically, when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the vehicle recording device 10 performs the processes a), b), or a) and b).
a) The recording control unit 133 assigns an event recording start flag to the first video data, and when an event is detected in a state where a first condition is satisfied, stores the first video data including at least the event detection time point from the event recording start flag as event recording data. a) corresponds to the processing of the third embodiment.
b) The event detection unit 132 detects an event by lowering the acceleration threshold for detecting the event. b) corresponds to the processing of the second embodiment.

The orientation detection unit 131 detects the face or gaze direction of the vehicle driver from the second video data, and determines whether the first condition is met, that is, the driver faces the same direction other than the vehicle's traveling direction. More specifically, the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is met when the driver faces a direction other than the vehicle's traveling direction for a predetermined period of time or more.

In this embodiment, the control device 100 performs processing according to the flowcharts shown in Figures 2 to 4. In step S101 in Figure 2, the control device 100 starts normal recording and driver monitoring. Then, in step S102, the control device 100 detects the face or line of sight direction of the driver of the vehicle from the second video data using the orientation detection unit 131, and determines whether the first condition that the driver is facing in a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle is met.

As described above, in this embodiment, if an event is detected while the driver is facing a direction other than the direction of travel, the first video data including at least the time point at which the event was detected based on the event recording start flag can be saved as event recording data.

In this embodiment, when the orientation detection unit 131 determines that the first condition is satisfied, the acceleration threshold for detecting an event is lowered to detect the event. In this embodiment, the acceleration threshold for detecting an event can be set in a situation where the driver is looking away and minor collisions and contacts are likely to occur that are not detected as collisions.

When only the driver is facing away from the direction of travel, there is a risk that the driver may not be able to visually check the direction of travel, even when checking the surroundings in addition to looking elsewhere. According to this embodiment, it is possible to check the driver's behavior when an event such as a rear-end collision occurs while only the driver is facing away from the direction of travel.

The vehicle recording device 10 according to the present invention may be implemented in various different forms other than the above-described embodiment.

Each of the components of the illustrated vehicle recording device 10 is a functional concept, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as illustrated. In other words, the specific form of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of each device may be functionally or physically distributed or integrated in any unit depending on the processing load and usage status of each device.

The configuration of the vehicle recording device 10 is realized, for example, as software, by a program loaded into memory. In the above embodiment, these functional blocks are described as being realized by the cooperation of these hardware and software. In other words, these functional blocks can be realized in various forms, by hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both.

The above-mentioned components include those that a person skilled in the art would easily imagine and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the above-mentioned configurations can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configurations are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

10 Vehicle recording device 100 Control device (vehicle recording control device)
100X bus 120 video data acquisition unit 121 buffer memory 122 video data processing unit 124 playback control unit 125 operation control unit 126 position information acquisition unit 127 display control unit 131 orientation detection unit 132 event detection unit 133 recording control unit 200 first camera (first imaging unit)
210 Second camera (second photography unit)
220 Recording unit 230 Operation unit 240 Acceleration sensor 250 GNSS receiving unit 260 Display unit

Claims (6)

a video data acquisition unit that acquires first video data captured by a first image capturing unit that captures an image of the periphery of a vehicle and second video data captured by a second image capturing unit that captures an image of an interior of the vehicle;
a direction detection unit that detects a face or line of sight direction of the driver of the vehicle from the second image data and determines whether or not a first condition is satisfied that the driver is facing a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle;
an event detection unit that detects an event based on an acceleration applied to the vehicle;
a recording control unit configured to, when an event is detected, store first video data including at least a time point when the event is detected as event recording data;
Equipped with
A recording control device for a vehicle that performs processing a), b), or a) and b) when the orientation detection unit determines that the first condition is satisfied.
a) the recording control unit assigns an event recording start flag to the first video data, and when an event is detected in a state where the first condition is satisfied, stores the first video data including at least the event detection point from the event recording start flag as event recording data;
b) The event detection unit detects an event by lowering an acceleration threshold for detecting the event. The orientation detection unit determines that a first condition is that the driver is facing a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle for a predetermined period of time or more.
The recording control device for a vehicle according to claim 1. The orientation detection unit detects, from the second video data, the orientation of a face or a line of sight of a driver of the vehicle as well as a passenger other than the driver, and determines, as a first condition, that the driver and the passenger are facing the same direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle.
The recording control device for a vehicle according to claim 1. the orientation detection unit detects, from the second video image data, the orientation of faces or gazes of a driver of the vehicle and a plurality of passengers other than the driver, and determines whether a first condition is satisfied in which the driver and a predetermined ratio or more of the plurality of passengers are facing the same direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle.
The recording control device for a vehicle according to claim 3. the orientation detection unit detects, from the second video data, the orientation of a face or a line of sight of a driver of the vehicle and a passenger other than the driver who is seated in a front seat of the vehicle, and determines whether or not a first condition is satisfied that the driver and the passenger are facing the same direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle.
The recording control device for a vehicle according to claim 3. a video data acquisition step of acquiring first video data captured by a first image capturing unit that captures an image of the periphery of a vehicle and second video data captured by a second image capturing unit that captures an image of an interior of the vehicle;
a direction detection step of detecting a face or line of sight direction of the driver of the vehicle from the second image data and determining whether or not a first condition is satisfied that the driver is facing a direction other than the traveling direction of the vehicle;
an event detection step of detecting an event based on an acceleration applied to the vehicle;
a recording control step of storing, when an event is detected, first video data including at least a time point when the event is detected as event recording data;
is executed,
A recording control method executed by a vehicle recording control device, which performs processing a), b), or a) and b) when it is determined in the orientation detection step that the first condition is satisfied.
a) in the recording control step, an event recording start flag is added to the first video data, and when an event is detected in a state where the first condition is satisfied, the first video data including at least a point in time when the event was detected from the event recording start flag is stored as event recording data;
b) In the event detection step, an event is detected by lowering an acceleration threshold for detecting the event.

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