JP7664148B2 - Recording device, recording method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a recording device, a recording method, and a program.

There is a recording device called a drive recorder that can record video of the direction of travel and other information while the vehicle is traveling. By installing this recording device in the vehicle that the driver is driving, the driver can use it to explain the situation in the event of an accident and to estimate the cause of the accident. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses such a recording device that prevents video from being recorded at times unrelated to the accident and detects with high accuracy whether or not an impact has occurred that warrants video recording.

Patent No. 6647650

The video recorded by the recording device is analyzed at the general center. Depending on the accident situation, the operator at the general center contacts a road service provider or an emergency service (fire department or private emergency service provider), and the accident is handled. The video recorded by the recording device is also analyzed by the insurance company, and the fault ratio, etc. are calculated depending on the accident situation. For this reason, the recording device described in Patent Document 1 records video with a high resolution that allows the fault ratio, etc. to be calculated. However, in the case of a major accident or other emergency, the video analyzed at the general center does not need to have a high resolution; it is sufficient to be able to determine the need for an accident response, such as whether or not an emergency service needs to be arranged. For this reason, the processing load of high-resolution video is large, and there is room for improvement in terms of ensuring rapid accident response.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems described above, and aims to provide a recording device, recording method, and program that can ensure a rapid response to accidents.

In order to achieve the above object, a recording apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises:
A recording device for recording video,
an extraction unit that extracts, when an accident occurs, from a video being recorded, video of a predetermined period before and after the accident as an accident video;
A transmission unit that transmits the accident video extracted by the extraction unit to a cloud storage server accessible by an organization that analyzes the accident via a network,
The extraction unit is capable of extracting the accident video in a first image quality and a second image quality higher than the first image quality,
The transmission unit is capable of transmitting the accident video of the first image quality prior to the accident video of the second image quality.
It is characterized by:

A determination unit is further provided for determining whether or not the impact is an accident impact indicating an impact corresponding to an accident,
The transmission unit is capable of transmitting the accident video of the first image quality when the determination unit determines that the accident is an accident impact.
This may be done.

The extraction unit is capable of extracting the accident video in the second image quality after the accident video in the first image quality is transmitted by the transmission unit.
This may be done.

The extraction unit may omit extraction of the accident video of the first image quality.
This may be done.

the extraction unit extracts an image of an interior of a vehicle as the image of the first image quality, and extracts an image of the interior of the vehicle and an image of the exterior of the vehicle as the image of the second image quality;
This may be done.

In order to achieve the above object, a recording method according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises:
A recording method for a recording device to record video, comprising the steps of:
an extraction step of extracting, when an accident occurs, images of a predetermined period before and after the accident from the images being recorded as accident images;
A transmission step of transmitting the accident video extracted in the extraction step to a cloud storage server accessible by an organization that analyzes the accident via a network,
In the extracting step, the accident image can be extracted in a first image quality and a second image quality higher than the first image quality,
In the transmitting step, the accident video of the first image quality can be transmitted before the accident video of the second image quality.
It is characterized by:

In order to achieve the above object, a program according to a third aspect of the present invention comprises:
The computer that records the video
an extraction unit that extracts, when an accident occurs, from a video being recorded, video of a predetermined period before and after the accident as an accident video;
a transmission unit that transmits the accident video extracted by the extraction unit to a cloud storage server accessible by an organization that analyzes the accident via a network;
The extraction unit is capable of extracting the accident video in a first image quality and a second image quality higher than the first image quality,
The transmission unit is capable of transmitting the accident video of the first image quality prior to the accident video of the second image quality.
It is characterized by:

The present invention provides a recording device, a recording method, and a program that can ensure rapid response to accidents.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a recording system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the state facing forward from inside the vehicle in this embodiment. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a drive recorder according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a drive recorder according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a functional block diagram of a general center server according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow according to the present embodiment. 1A is a diagram showing an example of acceleration in the forward/backward direction detected by the acceleration measuring unit, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of acceleration in the left/right direction detected by the acceleration measuring unit. FIG. 1A is a diagram showing an example of acceleration detected by the acceleration measuring unit when a driver who senses an accident suddenly brakes to stop the vehicle, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of acceleration detected by the acceleration measuring unit when the vehicle goes over a step. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a transmission process according to the present embodiment. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a screen displayed on a terminal device of a general center in the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an analysis process according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an analysis process according to the present embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process performed when a callback instruction button is clicked. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process performed when a callback instruction button is clicked.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are given the same reference numerals.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a recording system according to this embodiment. In the recording system 1 according to this embodiment, a drive recorder 10 (see Figures 2 and 3) is installed in the policyholder's car 1000, and the drive recorder 10 connects to a cloud storage server (not shown) and a general center server 30 via a network (including a public line network, etc.) by wireless communication. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the drive recorder 10 connects to a cloud storage server (not shown) and a general center server 30 via a network (including a public line network, etc.) by wireless communication. However, for example, a mirror-type dedicated terminal device having similar functions may be prepared and installed instead of the mirror 1300 (see Figure 2). The drive recorder 10 records an image based on an impact and transmits the recorded image together with necessary information to a cloud storage server. The drive recorder 10 corresponds to a recording device.

A data storage area for this customer service is secured in the cloud storage server. More specifically, a data storage area that can be accessed by the general center server 30 or the like is secured for each drive recorder 10 installed in the vehicle 1000.

The general center server 30 is composed of one or more computers, and is connected to a terminal device (not shown) that is installed in the general center and operated by each operator of the general center. The operator of the general center can also communicate with the drive recorder 10 installed in the vehicle 1000, road service providers, emergency services (fire departments and private emergency service providers), etc., using, for example, a headset connected to the terminal device. The general center provides accident response services according to the circumstances of the accident.

Although not shown in the figure, a road service provider system and an emergency service system are also connected to the network, and these systems also acquire data from a specified data storage area in the cloud storage server in response to a request from the general center server 30. Also, although not shown in the figure, an accident analysis device and a terminal of an insurance company are connected to the network. The accident analysis device has a function of acquiring vehicle data measured by a sensor equipped in the vehicle 1000 (which may be referred to as the "own vehicle" in the following description for convenience) that is the accident vehicle, and video data captured by a camera equipped in the drive recorder 10 of the vehicle 1000 from the cloud storage server via the network, and analyzing the circumstances of the accident caused by the vehicle 1000 based on the acquired vehicle data and video data.

The terminal is, for example, a terminal operated by an insurance company operator, and displays the accident situation analyzed by the accident analysis device, accident cases corresponding to the accident state, and images generated by the accident analysis device. The terminal can be any information processing device with a display, such as a PC, notebook PC, tablet terminal, or smartphone.

Figure 2 shows the state of the vehicle 1000 from inside the vehicle 1000 looking forward. The drive recorder 10 includes a camera, which is attached to the front part or windshield of the vehicle 1000 as shown in the figure so as to be able to capture images at least in the direction in which the vehicle 1000 is traveling. The camera may be capable of capturing images of the side and rear of the vehicle 1000. As shown in Figure 2, a well-known automatic diagnostic system 1400 (e.g., an OBD (On-Board Diagnostic system-II)) is installed inside the vehicle 1000, and the automatic diagnostic system 1400 is connected to the drive recorder 10.

Figure 3 shows an example of a drive recorder 10. A lens of the imaging device 15 (camera) is provided on the front of the drive recorder 10. The fixing unit 20 is a base for fixing the drive recorder 10 to the windshield of the vehicle 1000. The acceleration in the forward/backward direction measured by the acceleration sensor (acceleration measurement unit 1160 shown in Figure 4) corresponds to the acceleration in the X-axis direction. Similarly, the acceleration in the left/right direction corresponds to the acceleration in the Y-axis direction, and the acceleration in the up/down direction corresponds to the acceleration in the Z-axis direction.

Figure 4 shows a functional block diagram of the drive recorder 10 according to this embodiment. The drive recorder 10 mounted on the vehicle 1000 has a first communication unit 1110, a second communication unit 1120, a positioning unit 1130, a video recording unit 1140, a sound recording unit 1150, an acceleration measurement unit 1160, an automatic diagnosis data acquisition unit 1170, a control unit 1180, and a memory unit 1200.

The drive recorder 10 (recording device) according to this embodiment acquires the acceleration and vehicle speed of the vehicle 1000 to which the drive recorder 10 is attached, and determines whether or not an impact requiring video recording has occurred based on the acquired acceleration and vehicle speed. If an impact requiring video recording has occurred, the drive recorder 10 (recording device) records video data before and after the timing at which it is determined that the impact occurred. If an impact classified as a major accident, which has a high probability of requiring a rapid accident response, occurs, the drive recorder 10 (recording device) according to this embodiment records video data at low resolution before and after the timing at which it is determined that the impact occurred, and transmits the data to a cloud storage server.

The control unit 1180 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphical processing unit), and executes processing related to this customer service for each component according to a program (not shown) stored in the storage unit 1200. The control unit 1180 also has a determination unit 1180A. The determination unit 1180A has a function of determining that an impact for which video should be recorded has occurred when the acceleration and vehicle speed measured by the acceleration measurement unit 1160 meet at least one of the determination criteria corresponding to each of the multiple accident types (minor accident, medium accident, major accident) included in the determination criteria data stored in the storage unit 1200. More specifically, the determination unit 1180A determines that an impact for which video should be recorded has occurred when the acceleration and vehicle speed meet at least one of the determination conditions corresponding to a minor accident (first accident type), a determination condition corresponding to a medium accident (second accident type), and a determination condition corresponding to a major accident (third accident type). In addition, the determination unit 1180A has the function of making various determinations, such as determining the vehicle and the conditions of the supplementary rules.

A minor accident is an accident in which the impact on the vehicle 1000 is small, for example, a collision accident at an extremely low speed of approximately 10 km or less, or a situation in which the driver suddenly brakes the vehicle to a halt even though the collision does not actually occur. A medium accident is an accident in which the impact on the vehicle 1000 is medium, for example, an accident in which the speed at the time of collision is approximately 10 km to 20 km. A major accident is an accident in which the airbag is deployed, for example, an accident in which the speed at the time of collision is 20 km or more.

The definitions of minor, medium, and major accidents are merely examples, and the present embodiment is not limited to these. Furthermore, the speed at the time of collision used in explaining the definitions of minor, medium, and major accidents is merely used for the convenience of explanation to make it easier to visualize the magnitude of the impact, and is not limited to these. This embodiment is not limited to the three-stage classification of minor, medium, and major accidents. Accidents may be classified into many more types depending on the magnitude of the impact applied to the vehicle 1000.

The first communication unit 1110 is a communication unit for communicating with a general center, for example, by VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). However, it may also be a calling function of a general mobile phone. The second communication unit 1120 has a function for transmitting data to a cloud storage server, for example, in packets.

Furthermore, when instructed by the control unit 1180, the positioning unit 1130 acquires the absolute position (e.g., latitude and longitude) of the vehicle 1000, for example, using a Global Positioning System (GPS), and stores the position in the memory unit 1200.

The recording unit 1140 stores, for example, video data (image data) captured by the imaging device 15 (camera) mounted on the drive recorder 10 in the storage unit 1200. The sound recording unit 1150 stores sound data input from a microphone in the storage unit 1200. The sound recording unit 1150 may be integrated with the recording unit 1140. In addition, the recording unit 1140 records continuously when instructed to operate by the control unit 1180, for example, and stores the data in the storage unit 1200. The control unit 1180 can extract both video data for a certain period of time before a specific time and video data for a certain period of time after the specific time. The same applies to the sound recording unit 1150. The recording unit 1140 can capture video images outside the vehicle 1000 and video images inside the vehicle 1000.

The acceleration measurement unit 1160 measures the acceleration value using, for example, an acceleration sensor, and outputs the value to the control unit 1180. When instructed by the control unit 1180, the automatic diagnosis data acquisition unit 1170 acquires automatic diagnosis data from the automatic diagnosis system 1400 installed inside the vehicle 1000. Note that the automatic diagnosis data may include vehicle speed data indicating the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1000.

The storage unit 1200 is composed of storage devices such as memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and/or SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores in advance device data such as company name, organization name, vehicle registration number, driver identifier (ID), and telephone number, and also stores data acquired by each component in response to instructions from the control unit 1180. The storage unit 1200 stores various determination criteria data used by the determination unit 1180A when determining whether or not an accident has occurred, and video data which is video captured by the imaging device 15 (camera).

In addition, although not shown in the figure, the drive recorder 10 has an input section that accepts information input, such as an operation button or a touch panel (the input device may include a recording section 1150), and an output section that has the function of outputting information, such as a display or speaker.

Figure 5 shows a functional block diagram of the general center server 30. The general center server 30 has, as functional units, a receiving unit 311, a vehicle extraction unit 312, a policyholder database (DB) 313, a data acquisition unit 314, a data storage unit 315, a data output processing unit 316, an input processing unit 317, an analysis processing unit 318, an external notification processing unit 319, a response data storage unit 320, a call processing unit 321, and an insurance company notification unit 322. The general center server 30 has a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphical processing unit), a memory, a storage device such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and/or an SSD (Solid State Drive), a communication IF (Interface) for wired or wireless communication, an input device for accepting input operations, and an output device for outputting information, which work together to realize these functional units. In addition, the functions of the general center server 30 may be realized in cooperation with a terminal device, so there may be functions provided on the terminal device side.

The receiving unit 311 accepts an incoming call from the drive recorder 10 addressed to a specific telephone number, identifies the telephone number of the drive recorder 10 by calling number notification, and outputs the telephone number to the vehicle extraction unit 312. The receiving unit 311 transfers the incoming call from the drive recorder 10 to the terminal device of an available operator based on predetermined rules.

The subscriber DB 313 stores, in association with each other, for example, telephone numbers, contract data, and access information (e.g., URI (Uniform Resource Identifier)) for identifying a data storage area in a cloud storage server. At least a portion of the access information may be identified by some kind of function from telephone numbers, vehicle registration numbers, etc.

The vehicle extraction unit 312 reads the contract data and access information stored in the subscriber DB 313 from the telephone number of the drive recorder 10, outputs the contract data and access information to the data output processing unit 316, and outputs the access information to the data acquisition unit 314.

The data acquisition unit 314 acquires data from a data storage area in the cloud storage server based on the access information and stores the data in the data storage unit 315. The data output processing unit 316 executes processing to output the contract data and data stored in the data storage unit 315 to the terminal device to which the incoming call is to be forwarded, as determined by the receiving unit 311.

The analysis processing unit 318 performs a predetermined analysis process on the video data stored in the data storage unit 315, and outputs the analysis results to the terminal device via the data output processing unit 316. The external notification processing unit 319 transmits data including access information and information for contacting the vehicle 1000 (such as the telephone number of the drive recorder 10) to a road service provider system or an emergency organization system. The call processing unit 321 executes processing for making a call to the drive recorder 10 in the vehicle 1000.

The input processing unit 317 causes the data output processing unit 316, analysis processing unit 318, external notification processing unit 319, call processing unit 321, etc. to perform processing in response to instructions or input from the terminal device. The input processing unit 317 also stores data on the actions taken in response to incoming calls from the drive recorder 10 in the action data storage unit 320. The data stored in the action data storage unit 320 includes access information and contract data, and may also include text data entered on the terminal device.

The insurance company notification unit 322 performs processing such as sending an email to the insurance company (agency) that sold the automobile insurance related to the vehicle 1000 in which the accident occurred, based on the data stored in the response data storage unit 320. This allows information to be shared with the insurance company.

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow when the drive recorder 10 determines whether or not an impact has occurred. The determination unit 1180A determines whether or not an impact has occurred by repeatedly performing the processes from step S51 to step S61 shown in Figure 6 while the drive recorder 10 is powered on.

The control unit 1180 acquires acceleration data and vehicle speed data (step S51). Specifically, in step S51, the control unit 1180 acquires acceleration data in the forward/backward, left/right, and up/down directions measured by the acceleration measurement unit 1160. The control unit 1180 also acquires the moving speed of the vehicle 1000 as vehicle speed data, which is calculated based on the time change in the absolute position of the vehicle 1000 measured by the positioning unit 1130. Note that if vehicle speed data is included in the automatic diagnosis data acquired from the automatic diagnosis system 1400 installed inside the vehicle 1000, the vehicle speed data is acquired from the automatic diagnosis data. Note that the control unit 1180 that executes the process of step S51 corresponds to the acquisition unit, and the process of step S51 corresponds to the acquisition step.

The output value from the acceleration measurement unit 1160 is an acceleration in the opposite direction to the acceleration actually applied to the drive recorder 10. For example, assume that the driver applies the brakes suddenly, causing a deceleration of 0.6 G to be applied to the drive recorder 10. In this case, the acceleration measurement unit 1160 outputs data indicating that an acceleration of 0.6 G has occurred in the forward direction (X direction shown in FIG. 3). In the following explanation, except for the explanation of the specific examples shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 11, acceleration and deceleration refer to the acceleration and deceleration occurring in the drive recorder 10, rather than the output value from the acceleration measurement unit 1160. Also, deceleration refers to negative acceleration.

After executing the process of step S51, the control unit 1180 judges whether the acceleration data and the vehicle speed data acquired in step S51 meet the judgment criteria corresponding to a major accident based on the judgment criteria data stored in the storage unit 1200 (step S52). Specifically, in the process of step S52, the judgment unit 1180A of the control unit 1180 judges that the judgment condition corresponding to a major accident is met if the sum of the maximum value of the magnitude of the acceleration in the forward/backward direction and the maximum value of the acceleration in the up/down direction is greater than a predetermined threshold (first threshold) and the time when the maximum value of the magnitude of the acceleration in the forward/backward direction is measured and the time when the maximum value of the magnitude of the acceleration in the up/down direction is measured are within a predetermined period (first period). The judgment unit 1180A that executes the process of step S52 corresponds to a judgment unit that judges which of the multiple accident types the impact corresponds to, and step S52 corresponds to a judgment step that judges which of the multiple accident types the impact corresponds to.

7(A) and (B) show an example of acceleration detected by the acceleration measurement unit 1160 when a major accident occurs. The vertical axis in FIG. 7(A) indicates acceleration in the forward/backward direction, and the horizontal axis indicates time. The vertical axis in FIG. 7(B) indicates acceleration in the left/right direction, and the horizontal axis indicates time. Graph AC3 is acceleration in the forward/backward direction, and graph AC4 is acceleration in the left/right direction. In the processing of step S52 shown in FIG. 6, the judgment unit 1180A judges that the judgment condition corresponding to a major accident is satisfied when the sum of the maximum value g1 of the forward/backward acceleration shown in FIG. 7(A) and the maximum value g2 of the left/right acceleration shown in FIG. 7(B) is greater than a predetermined threshold value (first threshold value), and the time t3 at which the maximum value g1 of the forward/backward acceleration was measured and the time t4 at which the maximum value g2 of the left/right acceleration was measured are within a predetermined period (first period). The predetermined period (first period) may be set in advance, for example, 0.05 to 0.1 seconds, and may be changeable by the administrator. The predetermined threshold (first threshold) may be, for example, about 6 to 8 G, but is not limited to this, and may be set in advance. The predetermined threshold (first threshold) may also be changeable by the administrator.

The criteria for determining major accidents do not just sum up acceleration values at the same time, as in the criteria for determining medium accidents (more on this later), but also allow for the summing of acceleration values at different times. This is because the more serious the accident, the shorter the time it takes for the impact to occur and the more likely it is that there will be subtle discrepancies in the timing of the impact in the forward/backward and left/right directions, making it difficult to accurately determine whether it is a major accident by simply summing up acceleration values at the same time. When subtle discrepancies occur, the method of combining instantaneous values, as in the case of medium accidents, cannot be used to properly determine the accident, but this problem is solved by allowing the summing of the maximum values of acceleration in the forward/backward and left/right directions, i.e., the acceleration values at different times.

If it is determined in step S52 shown in FIG. 6 that the conditions for a major accident are met (step S52; Yes), the control unit 1180 extracts low-resolution video data as extracted data (step S53). Specifically, in the process of step S53, the control unit 1180 extracts video data with a resolution that allows an operator at the general center to determine whether or not a rescue request is required, that is, video data with a resolution that allows the degree of injury to be determined. The video data includes video data captured by the recording unit 1140 and audio data recorded by the audio recording unit 1150, and the video data extracted in step S53 is internal video data. In addition, in step S53, other data such as the date and time acquired from the clock, the position data acquired by the positioning unit 1130, the detected acceleration, and the automatic diagnosis data acquired by the automatic diagnosis data acquisition unit 1170 may be extracted. In addition, in step S53, device data such as the vehicle registration number and telephone number are extracted in accordance with the video data. Since the data extracted in step S53 is stored in the storage unit 1200, the control unit 1180 that executes the process of step S53 corresponds to the recording unit, and the process of step S53 corresponds to the recording step. The low-resolution video data corresponds to the first image quality video.

After executing the process of step S53, the control unit 1180 performs a transmission process (step S54). This allows the data extracted in step S53 to be quickly transmitted to the cloud storage server. The accident situation is then analyzed at the general center, and an accident response such as dispatching an ambulance is performed as necessary. The transmission process is also performed in step S60, which will be described later. Since the cloud storage server is an area where various institutions, such as the general center that analyzes the accident and insurance companies, can obtain the accident video, the control unit 1180 that executes the process of step S54 and the process of step S60, which will be described later, corresponds to the transmission unit, and the process of step S54 and the process of step S60, which will be described later, correspond to the transmission step.

6, if it is determined in step S52 that the acceleration data and vehicle speed data acquired in step S51 do not meet the criteria for a major accident (step S52; No), the determination unit 1180A determines whether the acceleration data and vehicle speed data acquired in step S51 meet the criteria for a minor or medium accident based on the criteria data stored in the storage unit 1200 (step S55). Specifically, in the process of step S55, the determination unit 1180A calculates a moving average value for the magnitude of acceleration in the forward/rearward direction for a predetermined period (second period), and if it detects that the calculated moving average value is greater than a predetermined threshold value (second threshold value) and that the deceleration of the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined deceleration (first deceleration), it determines that the criteria for a minor accident are met.

8A shows an example of acceleration detected by the acceleration measuring unit 1160 when a driver who senses an accident suddenly brakes to stop the vehicle. FIG. 8B shows an example of acceleration detected by the acceleration measuring unit 1160 when the vehicle goes over a step. The vertical axis shows acceleration in the forward/rearward direction, and the horizontal axis shows time. Period P1 shows a predetermined period (second period) for calculating a moving average value. Threshold P2 shows a predetermined threshold (second threshold). Graphs AC1 and AC2 show forward/rearward acceleration, and graphs MA1 and MA2 show a moving average value of the forward/rearward acceleration. The predetermined period (second period) may be, for example, 0.5 seconds, but is not limited to this. The predetermined threshold (second threshold) may be, for example, about 0.5 to 0.7 G, but is not limited to this. The second period and the second threshold may be predetermined in the same way as the first period and the first threshold, and may be changeable by the administrator.

In the example of FIG. 8(A), the moving average value MA1 of the acceleration in the forward/reverse direction exceeds the threshold value P2 at time t1. Therefore, the judgment unit 1180A judges that the criterion for a minor accident is met for acceleration at time t1. On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 8(B), the moving average value MA2 of the acceleration in the forward/reverse direction does not exceed the threshold value P2. Therefore, the judgment unit 1180A judges that the criterion for a minor accident is not met.

The determination unit 1180A may determine whether the deceleration of the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined deceleration (first deceleration) during a predetermined time (third period) before and after the time t1 at which the moving average value becomes greater than the predetermined threshold value (second threshold value). The predetermined time (third period) may be, for example, 2 seconds or 3 seconds, but is not limited to this. The determination unit 1180A may record video data before and after the time t1, regarding the time as the time when an impact occurred that should be recorded.

As mentioned above, a minor accident is assumed to be a collision at an extremely low speed or a situation where the driver suddenly brakes to a stop, even if it does not result in an accident. By detecting a minor accident when the moving average value of the acceleration magnitude is a predetermined threshold value (second threshold value) and the deceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined deceleration, it is possible to prevent erroneous determination that an accident is a minor accident due to minute vibrations on the road.

In addition, by using the deceleration rather than the magnitude of acceleration in the forward/reverse direction to determine when a driver has applied the brakes suddenly, it becomes possible to more accurately determine the deceleration.

In addition, in step S55 of FIG. 6, the determination unit 1180A sums up the magnitude of the left-right acceleration and the magnitude of the forward-backward acceleration at the same time, and if the sum is greater than a predetermined threshold (third threshold), determines that the determination condition corresponding to a medium accident is met. The predetermined threshold (third threshold) may be, for example, about 2 to 4 G, but is not limited to this. Note that the third threshold may also be predetermined like the first threshold, and may be configurable by the administrator.

The determination unit 1180A may determine that the time t2 (not shown) when the total value becomes greater than a predetermined threshold value (third threshold value) is the time when an impact occurred for which video should be recorded, and record the video data before and after that time.

The criteria for determining whether a medium-sized accident corresponds to a combination of acceleration in the left-right and front-back directions, and whether the combination exceeds a certain value is detected. This is because, unlike minor accidents, a medium-sized accident causes an instantaneous increase in acceleration when two vehicles come into contact with each other, and then an immediate decrease in acceleration. The determination unit 1180A that executes the process of step S55 corresponds to a determination unit that determines which of the multiple accident types the impact corresponds to, and step S55 corresponds to a determination step that determines which of the multiple accident types the impact corresponds to.

If it is determined in step S55 that the condition of a minor or medium accident is met (step S55; Yes), the determination unit 1180A obtains information indicating whether the type of the vehicle 1000 in which the drive recorder 10 is installed is a large vehicle, and determines whether the vehicle 1000 is a large vehicle (step S56). The type of the vehicle in which the drive recorder 10 is installed may be a type that is preset by the user via a user interface or the like provided in the drive recorder 10 when the drive recorder 10 is installed in the vehicle. Note that a large vehicle means, for example, a vehicle such as a truck, a bus, or a trailer.

When it is determined in step S56 that the vehicle 1000 is a large vehicle (step S56; Yes), the determination unit 1180A further determines whether the vehicle speed deceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined deceleration (second deceleration) to determine whether the vehicle speed is suddenly decreased (step S57). The predetermined deceleration (second deceleration) may be the same as the predetermined deceleration (first deceleration) described in the determination criteria corresponding to minor accidents, or may be a different value. The first deceleration and the second deceleration may be predetermined like the first threshold value, and may be changeable by the administrator. In step S57, it is determined that the vehicle speed is suddenly decreased if the vehicle speed deceleration is equal to or greater than the predetermined deceleration (second deceleration).

Large vehicles can experience large shocks to the vehicle body due to vibrations caused by loading and unloading luggage or carrying heavy objects such as vehicles while driving. By providing the processing of step S56, the possibility of erroneous judgments occurring in such cases can be reduced.

If it is determined in step S56 that the vehicle 1000 is not a large vehicle (step S56; No), or if it is determined in step S57 that the speed is suddenly decreasing (step S57; Yes), the determination unit 1180A further determines whether or not at least one of the additional conditions described below is met (step S58). Note that in step S58, if it is determined that at least one additional condition is met, the process proceeds to step S59, and if it is determined that none of the additional conditions are met, the process proceeds to step S61. However, alternatively, the process may proceed to step S59 only if it is determined that all of the additional conditions are met, and proceed to step S61 in all other cases.

(Additional Condition 1)
When the determination unit 1180A detects that the vehicle speed has become zero, it determines that an impact that requires video recording has occurred. The timing for determining whether the vehicle speed is zero or not may be, for example, a predetermined time after the timing at which it is determined that an impact that requires video recording has occurred (for example, 10 seconds or 15 seconds). This is because a vehicle usually stops when an accident occurs. Also, if the vehicle speed is not zero at that timing, that is, if the vehicle is moving, it is considered that no accident or the like has occurred, and therefore it may be determined that the impact is not one that requires video recording. That is, supplementary condition 1 is that the vehicle speed is zero.

(Additional Condition 2)
The determination unit 1180A determines that an impact for which a video should be recorded has occurred when the magnitude of the acceleration in the vertical direction exceeds a predetermined threshold (fifth threshold) and the magnitude of the acceleration in the vertical direction is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio of the sum of the magnitude of the acceleration in the vertical direction and the magnitude of the acceleration in the horizontal direction. That is, the supplementary condition 2 is that the magnitude of the acceleration in the vertical direction exceeds a predetermined threshold (fifth threshold) and the magnitude of the acceleration in the vertical direction is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio of the sum of the magnitude of the acceleration in the vertical direction and the magnitude of the acceleration in the horizontal direction. The predetermined threshold (fifth threshold) may be, for example, 0.1 G, but is not limited thereto. The predetermined ratio may be, for example, 2%, but is not limited thereto. The predetermined threshold (fifth threshold) and the predetermined ratio may be predetermined and may be changeable by the administrator.

Basically, the greater the acceleration, the more likely it is that an accident has occurred. However, when there is strong acceleration in the vertical direction compared to the acceleration in the horizontal direction, it is possible that the vehicle has simply bounced up and down over a bump or similar. By setting Supplementary Condition 2, it is possible to reduce the possibility of a false positive in such a case.

(Additional Condition 3)
The determination unit 1180A may further not determine that an impact requiring video recording has occurred when the magnitude of the acceleration in the left-right direction, the magnitude of the acceleration in the front-rear direction, and the total value of the acceleration in the up-down direction during a predetermined determination period are within a predetermined range. The predetermined determination period may be, for example, from two minutes ago to the current time, but is not limited thereto. In addition, it is desirable that the predetermined range is set to a range from the acceleration normally measured when the drive recorder 10 is correctly attached to the acceleration measured when the drive recorder 10 is peeling off from the windshield. In other words, the supplementary condition 3 is that the sum of the magnitude of the acceleration in the left-right direction, the magnitude of the acceleration in the front-rear direction, and the acceleration in the up-down direction during a predetermined determination period exceeds a predetermined range.

In cases where the drive recorder 10 falls off the windshield and falls unrelated to an accident, the adhesive is often already peeling off before the fall and the drive recorder 10 is unstable for a long time. Therefore, applying Supplementary Condition 3 can suppress false detections due to improper installation of the drive recorder 10.

In step S58, if it is determined that at least one supplementary condition is met (step S58; Yes), the control unit 1180 extracts high-resolution video data as extracted data (step S59). Specifically, in the process of step S59, the control unit 1180 extracts video data with a resolution sufficient for an insurance company operator to calculate the fault ratio of the accident, etc. The video data includes video data captured by the recording unit 1140 and audio data recorded by the audio recording unit 1150, and the video data extracted in step S59 is internal video data and external video data. In addition, in step S59, for example, the date and time acquired from the clock, the position data acquired by the positioning unit 1130, the detected acceleration, the automatic diagnosis data acquired by the automatic diagnosis data acquisition unit 1170, etc. may be extracted. In addition, in step S59, device data such as the vehicle registration number and the telephone number are extracted in accordance with the video data. Since the data extracted in step S59 is stored in the storage unit 1200, the control unit 1180 that executes the process of step S59 corresponds to the recording unit, and the process of step S59 corresponds to the recording step. The high-resolution video data corresponds to the video of the second image quality.

After executing the process of step S59, the control unit 1180 performs a transmission process (step S60) and ends the process. As a result, the extracted data extracted in step S59 is transmitted to a cloud storage server. The accident situation is then analyzed at the general center, and accident responses are implemented, such as dispatching road service or an ambulance, as necessary. The extracted data transmitted to the cloud storage server is also used by the insurance company. The insurance company calculates the percentage of fault for the accident, etc., based on the extracted data.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S55 that the criteria for a minor or medium accident are not met (step S55; No), if it is determined in step S57 that there is no sudden decrease in speed (step S57; No), or if it is determined in step S58 that all of the supplementary conditions are not met (step S58; No), the determination unit 1180A determines that there is no impact that requires action (step S61) and ends the process without extracting the extracted data.

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the transmission process executed in steps S54 and S60 of Figure 6.

When the transmission process is started, the control unit 1180 transmits the extracted data extracted in step S53 in the transmission process in step S54, and transmits the extracted data extracted in step S59 in the transmission process in step S60 to the cloud storage server (step S102).

When the cloud storage server receives the extracted data from the drive recorder 10, it stores the received extracted data in a data storage area identified, for example, from the vehicle registration number or telephone number included in the device data (step S103). In the transmission process in step S54, the process of step S103 is executed, so that in the event of a major accident, low-resolution video data that can reduce the processing burden is quickly stored in the cloud storage server. In addition, in the transmission process in step S60, the process of step S103 is executed, so that high-resolution video data is stored in the cloud storage server regardless of the scale of the accident.

The control unit 1180 causes the positioning unit 1130 to acquire position data, for example, at regular intervals, and each time determines whether the vehicle 1000 is moving. If the vehicle 1000 moves a specified distance (e.g., 200 m) or more, the control unit 1180 determines that there is no accident and stops automatic calls to the general center.

That is, the control unit 1180 determines at any time whether the call stop condition is satisfied (step S104), and when the call stop condition is satisfied (step S104; Yes), stops the processing (step S105). Note that if the call stop condition is satisfied before the extracted data is transmitted to the cloud storage server, the transmission of the extracted data may also be stopped.

On the other hand, if the call stop condition is not satisfied (step S104; No), the control unit 1180 causes the first communication unit 1110 to automatically call the general center (step S106). Note that if an accident occurs, the driver may be injured or too upset to speak, so even if an operator at the general center receives the call, a mechanical voice is played. Note that the operator at the general center recognizes from the mechanical voice that an operation related to this embodiment is required.

In addition, if the operator at the general center deems it necessary, a callback will be made, at which point the driver and the operator will have a conversation.

The automatic call to the general center and the transmission of the extracted data to the cloud storage server may be performed in parallel, or may be performed in the reverse order to that shown in FIG. 9.

The receiving unit 311 of the general center server 30 receives the call from the vehicle 1000 (step S107) and outputs the telephone number obtained by the caller ID notification to the vehicle extraction unit 312. The vehicle extraction unit 312 reads the contract data and access information by searching the subscriber DB 313 with the telephone number, outputs the access information to the data acquisition unit 314, and outputs the contract data and access information to the data output processing unit 316.

The data acquisition unit 314 uses the access information identified based on the phone number to request the stored extracted data from the cloud storage server (step S108).

When the cloud storage server receives a request for extracted data from the general center server 30, it reads the extracted data from the data storage area specified by the access information and transmits it to the general center server 30 (step S109).

When the data acquisition unit 314 receives the extracted data from the cloud storage server, it stores the data in the data storage unit 315 (step S110). The data output processing unit 316 then displays the extracted data and the contract data on the terminal device determined by the receiving unit 311 (step S111).

An example of the display screen configuration of a terminal device is shown in FIG. 10. In the example of FIG. 10, it includes a contract data display field 3101, a video display field 3102, an analysis instruction button 3103, a fear level setting value display field 3104, a fear level setting value up button 3105, a fear level setting value down button 3106, a fear level setting button 3107, an analysis result display field 3108, a vehicle data (equipment data and impact event data) display field 3109, a callback instruction button 3110, a road service request button 3111, a rescue request button 3112, a response data input field 3113, an end button 3114, a registration button 3115, etc.

The contract data display field 3101 displays at least a portion of the data extracted from the contractor DB 313. The video display field 3102 displays the video data received from the vehicle 1000. The vehicle data (equipment data and impact event data) display field 3109 displays at least a portion of the equipment data and impact event data. After listening to the mechanical voice sent from the drive recorder 10, the operator of the terminal device checks the information displayed on such a display screen and determines the need for a callback or the need for accident response, such as contacting an emergency service.

The operator of the terminal device visually checks the video data displayed in the video display field 3102 and judges whether it is a shocking video such as a fatal accident, i.e., whether it is a scary video. For example, the operator of the terminal device judges whether it is a scary video according to a predetermined manual, and if it is judged to be a scary video, sets the fear level setting information indicating that it is a scary video. Specifically, the operator of the terminal device clicks the fear level setting value up button 3105 or the fear level setting value down button 3106 according to the fear level, such as a fear level of "3" for a video of a fatal accident, a fear level of "2" for a video with heavy bleeding, and a fear level of "1" for a video of only a fracture, to display a fear level setting value according to the fear level in the fear level setting value display field 3104, and clicks the fear level setting button 3107 to set the fear level setting information for the fear level setting value. Note that the fear level setting value is initially set to "0". In this embodiment, when the fear level setting value is set to "1" or more, the fear level setting information indicates that the video is a scary video, and when the fear level setting value is set to "0", the fear level setting information indicates that the video is not a scary video. As will be described in detail later, the fear level setting information is associated with the video data, as well as information such as identification information for identifying the accident and the date and time of the accident, and is registered in a cloud storage server. The fear level setting values of "0" to "3" correspond to multiple levels of setting values according to the fear level of the scary video. By setting the fear level setting value in this way, the mental burden on the operator caused by viewing shocking video when analyzing the accident situation at the insurance company can be reduced.

In addition, the response data input field 3113 may be configured so that predetermined items (e.g., no accident/accident occurred, etc.) can be entered using check boxes.

In addition, in this embodiment, for example, when the operator clicks the analysis instruction button 3103, as shown in FIG. 9, the input processing unit 317 causes the analysis processing unit 318 to perform analysis processing (step S112). The analysis processing may be performed automatically without an instruction from the operator.

An example of the analysis process will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the analysis process when the transmission process is performed via step S54. Also, Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the analysis process when the transmission process is performed via step S60. The transmission process is performed via step S54 when there is a high urgency in responding to an accident, such as saving lives in a major accident, and so in the analysis process when the transmission process is performed via step S54, only the items necessary for saving lives are analyzed, reducing the processing burden and enabling early response to the accident.

In the analysis process shown in FIG. 11, the analysis processing unit 318 searches for a specific collision sound, for example, from the sound data, and determines whether or not an accident has occurred (more specifically, the probability of an accident, for example, the level of possibility of an accident) depending on the presence or absence of the specific collision sound, and outputs the determination result to the data output processing unit 316 as the analysis result (step S31).

After executing the process of step S31, the analysis processing unit 318 extracts passenger information from the internal video data (video data of the inside of the vehicle 1000 captured by the recording unit 1140) and outputs the analysis result to the data output processing unit 316 (step S34). For example, face recognition technology is used to extract the number of passengers, the age range of the passengers, the passengers' riding positions, etc. This information is used by the operator to determine whether or not to request rescue.

On the other hand, in the analysis process shown in FIG. 12, similar to the analysis process shown in FIG. 11, the analysis processing unit 318 searches for a specific collision sound, for example, from sound data, and determines whether or not an accident has occurred (more specifically, the probability of an accident, for example, the level of possibility of an accident) depending on the presence or absence of the specific collision sound, and outputs the determination result to the data output processing unit 316 as the analysis result (step S31).

Then, the analysis processing unit 318 determines the distance to an external object (an object other than the vehicle 1000) from the external video data (video data outside the vehicle 1000 captured by the recording unit 1140), determines whether or not an accident has occurred (more specifically, the probability of an accident) based on the distance to the external object (e.g., the shortest distance), and outputs the determination result to the data output processing unit 316 as the analysis result (step S32).

Furthermore, the analysis processing unit 318 determines whether the vehicle can move on its own, whether repairs are necessary, etc., from the automatic diagnosis data, and outputs the determination result to the data output processing unit 316 as the analysis result (step S33). For example, based on the presence or absence of damage to the engine, the battery, and the fuel system, it determines whether a tow truck is necessary (the vehicle can move on its own), whether repairs are necessary even if the vehicle can move on its own, etc.

Furthermore, the analysis processing unit 318 extracts passenger information from the internal video data (video data of the inside of the vehicle 1000 captured by the recording unit 1140) and outputs the analysis results to the data output processing unit 316 (step S34). For example, facial recognition technology is used to extract the number of passengers, the age range of the passengers, and their riding positions. This information is used by the operator to determine whether or not to request rescue.

These are just examples of analytical processing, and other types of processing may be added. For example, in the case of acceleration data, values for each axis are obtained in the case of a three-axis sensor, and based on these, the collision direction, the collision location on the vehicle, and other information may be extracted. Furthermore, rather than performing analytical processing for each type of data, the data may be combined to determine the probability of an accident, etc. Furthermore, some, but not all, of these may be performed.

Returning to FIG. 9, when such an analysis process is performed, the data output processing unit 316 displays the analysis results in the analysis result display field 3108 shown in FIG. 10 (step S113).

Based on the displayed contents, the operator judges whether a response, including a callback, is necessary. If it is judged that a response, including a callback, is not necessary, the operator clicks the end button 3114. The input processing unit 317 judges that a response is not necessary in response to the instruction to end (step S114: No route) and ends the subsequent processing. Note that in this embodiment, when a response, including a callback, is not necessary, the processing of step S209 (see FIG. 13) described later is not executed, and the fear level setting value is not set (i.e., the initial value is "0" and the fear level setting information means that the image is not a scary image). However, for example, even when a response, including a callback, is not necessary (step S114: No route), the processing of step S209 may be executed and then the processing may end.

On the other hand, if the operator determines that a response, including a callback, is necessary, he/she clicks, for example, the callback instruction button 3110. Then, the input processing unit 317 determines that a response is necessary (step S114: Yes route), and the process moves to the process in FIG. 13 or FIG. 14 via terminal A. Note that if the transmission process is performed via step S54, the process moves to the process shown in FIG. 13, and if the transmission process is performed via step S60, the process moves to the process shown in FIG. 14.

Figure 13 is a flowchart showing an example of processing when the callback instruction button 3110 is clicked when the transmission processing is performed via step S54, and Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of processing when the callback instruction button 3110 is clicked when the transmission processing is performed via step S60.

As described above, the transmission process is performed via step S54 when there is a high urgency in responding to an accident, such as saving lives in a major accident. Therefore, when the transmission process is performed via step S54, only the items necessary for saving lives, i.e., items related to dispatching an ambulance, are processed, reducing the processing burden and enabling early response to an accident.

In the process of FIG. 13, the input processing unit 317 outputs the telephone number of the drive recorder 10 to the call processing unit 321 and makes a call to that telephone number (step S200).

The operator and the driver or passenger of the vehicle 1000 confirm the situation through a telephone call. Specifically, they confirm whether an accident has occurred, whether there are any injuries, etc., and if they determine from the telephone call that rescue is necessary, they click the rescue request button 3112 shown in Figure 10.

When the rescue request button 3112 is clicked, the input processing unit 317 determines that rescue is to be requested, as shown in FIG. 13 (step S205: Yes route), and causes the external notification processing unit 319 to notify the emergency service system of the access information for the extracted data, personal contact data, etc. (step S206). The notification may also include passenger information (analysis results or confirmation results by phone call (extent of injury, etc.)). Additionally, a phone call may be made to an emergency service. If rescue is not to be requested (step S205: No route), the process ends.

The emergency service system receives the access information for the extracted data, the personal contact data, etc. from the general center server 30, and stores them in the data storage unit (step S207). The rescue service dispatches an ambulance based on the data stored in the cloud storage server (step S208).

After taking such measures, the operator of the terminal device inputs the response data, such as whether or not to request rescue, into the response data input field 3113 in FIG. 10, for example, and clicks, for example, the registration button 3115. Then, the response data input from the terminal device is output to the input processing unit 317 of the general center server 30.

In the event of a major accident, a transmission process is performed via step S54, and low-resolution video data is quickly sent to the cloud storage server as extracted data. Then, accident response related to saving lives can be carried out quickly based on the extracted data. This reduces the processing burden and ensures a rapid response to accidents.

Now moving on to the explanation of the processing in FIG. 14, in response to clicking the callback instruction button 3110, the input processing unit 317 outputs the telephone number of the drive recorder 10 to the call processing unit 321, as in the processing in FIG. 13, and makes a call to that telephone number (step S200).

The operator and the driver or passenger of the vehicle 1000 confirm the situation through a telephone call. Specifically, the operator confirms whether an accident has occurred, whether there are any injuries, and whether road service is necessary (need for a tow truck, need for repairs, etc.). At this point, various kinds of advice may be given to the driver or passenger.

If it is confirmed that there is no accident, the process ends by entering "no accident" in the response data input field 3113 shown in FIG. 10, for example.

If it is confirmed that an accident has occurred, the accident occurrence is entered, for example, in the response data input field 3113. If the details of the accident are heard, the details may be entered in the response data input field 3113. On the other hand, if the operator determines from the call that road service is necessary, he or she clicks the road service request button 3111.

Returning to FIG. 8, when the road service request button 3111 is clicked, the input processing unit 317 determines that road service is being requested (step S201: Yes route) and causes the external notification processing unit 319 to notify the road service provider system of the access information for the extracted data, personal contact data (such as the phone number of the drive recorder 10), etc. (step S202). The notification may also include data on the possibility of self-driving and repair (such as the analysis results or confirmation results by phone call). Additionally, a phone call may be made to the road service provider.

The road service provider system receives the access information and contact personal data of the extracted data from the general center server 30, and stores them in the data storage unit (step S203). The road service provider provides road service based on the data stored in the cloud storage server (step S204). For example, it calls the drive recorder 10 and dispatches a tow truck or other vehicle to the location included in the equipment data.

Regardless of whether road service is not requested (step S201: No route) or requested (step S201: Yes route), if the operator determines from the call that rescue is necessary, he or she clicks the rescue request button 3112 shown in FIG. 10.

When the rescue request button 3112 is clicked, the input processing unit 317 determines that rescue is to be requested, as shown in FIG. 14 (step S205: Yes route), and causes the external notification processing unit 319 to notify the emergency service system of the access information for the extracted data, personal contact data, etc. (step S206). The notification may include passenger information (analysis results or confirmation results by phone call (extent of injury, etc.)). Additionally, a phone call may be made to an emergency service. If rescue is not to be requested (step S205: No route), the process proceeds to step S209.

The emergency service system receives the access information for the extracted data, the personal contact data, etc. from the general center server 30, and stores them in the data storage unit (step S207). The rescue service dispatches an ambulance based on the data stored in the cloud storage server (step S208).

After taking such measures, the operator of the terminal device inputs the response data, such as whether or not to request road service or rescue, into the response data input field 3113 in FIG. 10, and clicks, for example, the registration button 3115. Then, the response data input from the terminal device is output to the input processing unit 317 of the general center server 30.

Whether or not rescue is requested (step S205: No route), the operator determines whether the video data displayed in the video display field 3102 shown in FIG. 10 is a scary video, and clicks the fear level setting value up button 3105 or the fear level setting value down button 3106, etc. to set the fear level setting value (step S209). Note that the video data for which the fear level setting value is set in step S209 is the high-resolution video data extracted in step S59 of FIG. 6.

Specifically, in step SNS209, when the fear level setting value up button 3105 or the fear level setting value down button 3106 is clicked, the fear level value (fear level setting value) displayed in the fear level setting value display field 3104 changes. Then, when the operator clicks the fear level setting button 3107, the fear level setting value is set. In this embodiment, when the fear level setting button 3107 is clicked, the fear level setting information of the displayed fear level setting value is output to the input processing unit 317 of the general center server 30, and the fear level setting information is associated with the target extraction data (more specifically, the target video data) stored in the data storage area of the cloud storage server. Note that in step S209, the general center server 30 may associate the fear level setting information with the video data received from the cloud storage server, and store the video data and the fear level setting information in the data storage area of the cloud storage server.

The input processing unit 317 acquires, for example, access information, contract data, etc. from the data output processing unit 316, and stores them in the response data storage unit 4020 together with the fear level setting information and response data associated with the video data (step S210).

If the response data includes data indicating that an accident has occurred, the insurance company notification unit 322 identifies an email address, for example, from the insurance company code (agency code) included in the contract data, and sends a notification to the insurance company (agency) that the initial response to the accident has been completed (step S211). This notification may include, for example, access information, allowing the insurance company (agency) to check the data stored in the data storage area of the cloud storage server.

In this way, information can be shared, allowing the insurance company (agency) to act quickly. A similar notification may also be sent to the safe driving manager of the company to which the driver of vehicle 1000 belongs, or to other relevant parties. By carrying out the above-mentioned processing, various customer services can be provided quickly and appropriately in the event of an accident.

In particular, by storing data on a cloud storage server, data can be shared not only with call centers but also with road service, emergency services, insurance companies (agents), etc., enabling necessary services to be provided appropriately.

In addition, while the service is initiated by an operator at the general center, the analysis processing unit 318 appropriately assists in the operator's judgment, which not only eliminates unnecessary callbacks but also makes it possible to avoid placing an excessive burden on the driver or passengers of the vehicle 1000 in the event of an accident. In other words, conversations that focus on the key points can be held.

The recording unit 1150 continues recording even after the data is sent by the control unit 1180 to the cloud storage server, records the interactions with the parties involved in the accident and the police and fire department after the accident occurs, and stores the recorded data separately in the cloud storage server. This may be used to give advice on insurance coverage to the driver, etc. In addition, after the conversation with the driver, etc. is finished upon a callback from the call center, the line may be left connected so that the operator can check the surrounding sounds in real time and give advice to the driver, etc.

The data stored in the cloud storage server (extracted data including high-resolution video data, with a fear level setting set) is later downloaded to an accident analysis device 10 installed in the insurance company's accident response department and used to analyze the accident situation for insurance payment responses such as fault ratio negotiations. Acceleration data and the like contained in the video data and vehicle data stored in the cloud storage server may be used to classify accident types and predict accident causes and damage amounts.

According to the embodiment described above, when a major accident occurs, the drive recorder 10 executes the process of step S54 shown in FIG. 6 to quickly transmit low-resolution video data as extracted data to the cloud storage server. Then, based on the extracted data, accident response related to saving lives is quickly carried out. In addition, in the case of a medium or minor accident, or a major accident, after executing the process of step S54, the drive recorder 10 executes the process of step S60 to transmit high-resolution video data to the cloud storage server. This allows the necessity of road service and the insurance company to analyze the accident situation. Therefore, for parts where it is highly necessary to ensure rapid accident response, low-resolution video data is transmitted to ensure rapidity, while for parts where the accuracy of the accident analysis is required, high-resolution video data is transmitted to achieve high-precision accident analysis.

In addition, in the event of a major accident, video data from inside the vehicle is transmitted at a low resolution from the perspective of rescuing the driver and passengers, whereas in the event of a medium or minor accident, or after the processing of step S54 has been executed in the event of a major accident, video data from inside the vehicle and video data from outside the vehicle are transmitted at a high resolution. This makes it possible to ensure rapid response to accidents where it is highly necessary.

(Modification)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible. For example, the vehicle 1000, the drive recorder 10, the cloud storage server, the general center server 30, the accident analysis device, and the terminal do not have to have all of the technical features described in the above-described embodiment, and may have some of the configurations described in the above-described embodiment so as to solve at least one problem in the conventional technology. In addition, at least a part of each of the following modifications may be combined.

In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the drive recorder 10 was installed in the policyholder's car 1000, but this is just one example. Instead of the drive recorder 10, a smartphone owned by the driver may also be used. External video data and internal video data can be captured using cameras installed on the back and front of the smartphone.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the analysis processing unit 318 is provided in the general center server 30, but for example, at least some of the functions of the analysis processing unit 318 may be provided in the drive recorder 10. For example, the analysis processing unit 318 may be provided in the drive recorder 10 so that an automatic call is made only when it is determined that the level indicating the probability of an accident is equal to or higher than a predetermined level. Also, passenger information may be extracted in advance, and such information may also be sent to the cloud storage server. Similarly, information indicating the need for repairs may be extracted in advance, and such information may also be sent to the cloud storage server.

The drive recorder 10 or the general center server 30 may determine whether or not the service can be provided, including whether or not the contract period is valid.

In the above embodiment, when it is determined in the process of step S52 shown in FIG. 6 that the conditions for a major accident are met (step S52; Yes), the process of step S53 is executed as is, but this is just one example. Before executing the process of step S53, for example, all or some of the processes of steps S56 to S58 may be executed. This reduces the possibility of a misjudgment of a major accident, and allows for a rapid response to the accident. In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which low-resolution video data is extracted as extracted data in the process of step S53, but, for example, in step S53, low-resolution video data and high-resolution video data extracted in step S59 may also be extracted. In the process of step S54, the low-resolution video data may be transmitted without transmitting the high-resolution video data. In this case, the high-resolution video data may be transmitted in the process of step S60 without re-extracting the high-resolution video data in step S59.

In the above embodiment, when the process of FIG. 13 is executed by the transmission process of step S54 of FIG. 6, only matters necessary for saving lives, i.e. matters related to dispatching an ambulance, are performed, but this is just one example. In addition to saving lives, for example, the possibility of secondary damage such as the possibility of fire or road collapse for the vehicle 1000 or the other party in the accident may be determined, and matters related to dispatching a fire engine or the like may also be performed. In this case, for example, in the analysis process shown in FIG. 11, the possibility of secondary damage occurring may be determined from the external video data and vehicle data. In addition, in the process of step S53, not only the internal video data but also the external video data may be extracted, and the automatic diagnosis data required to determine the possibility of secondary damage may also be extracted and transmitted in the process of step S54. This can speed up the response to prevent secondary damage.

In the above embodiment, when it is determined in the process of step S52 shown in FIG. 6 that the conditions for a major accident are met (step S52; Yes), the process of step S53 is executed to extract low-resolution video data, but this is just one example. The process of step S53 may be executed not only when the conditions for a major accident are met, but also when the conditions for a medium accident are met. Furthermore, when the conditions for a medium accident are met, unlike when the conditions for a major accident are met, the process of step S53 may be executed after all or part of the processes of steps S56 to S58 are executed. This makes it possible to quickly respond to a medium accident while reducing the possibility of an erroneous determination of a medium accident.

Furthermore, passenger-related information such as the driver's age, the presence or absence of a chronic illness, whether the passengers include infants, etc. may be stored in a predetermined area in the storage unit 1200, and the processing of steps S53 and S54 may be performed according to a combination of the passenger-related information and the accident type. Specifically, when the passenger-related information indicates that an infant is on board, the processing of steps S53 and S54 may be performed regardless of whether the accident type is a minor accident, a medium accident, or a major accident. In addition, when the driver is an elderly person or a driver who has just obtained a license, the processing of steps S53 and S54 may be performed when the accident type is a medium accident or a major accident. Note that whether or not to perform the processing of steps S53 and S54 may be set in advance for each combination of passenger-related information and accident type, and the control unit 1180 may determine whether or not to perform the processing of steps S53 and S54 according to the setting. In this way, by performing processing according to the information of the passengers including the driver and the accident type, it is possible to respond according to the magnitude of the accident and the passengers. Note that the passenger-related information corresponds to the passenger information. Furthermore, the memory unit 1200 that stores passenger-related information corresponds to the memory unit. Furthermore, the control unit 1180 that determines whether or not to execute the processes of steps S53 and S54 according to the settings corresponds to the determination unit.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the first quality image is low-resolution image data and the second quality image is high-resolution image data, i.e., the difference between the first quality image and the second quality image is the difference in resolution, but the difference between the first quality image and the second quality image may be the difference in the amount of information contained in the images. For example, the second quality image may contain various information such as automatic diagnosis data in addition to device data and impact event data, while the first quality image may contain only a portion of this information.

The recording system 1 can be realized using a normal computer, not a dedicated device. For example, the accident analysis system 1 that executes the above-mentioned processes can be configured by installing a program for executing any of the above-mentioned processes on a computer from a recording medium that stores the program on the computer. Also, a single accident analysis system 1 can be configured by multiple computers operating in cooperation with each other.

The method for supplying the program to the computer is arbitrary. For example, the program may be supplied via a communication line, a communication network, a communication system, etc.

In addition, if some of the above functions are provided by an OS (Operating System), the functions other than those provided by the OS can be provided by a program.

The above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The flow charts, sequences, elements of the embodiments, and their arrangements, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, etc. described in the embodiments are not limited to those exemplified, and may be modified as appropriate. In addition, configurations shown in different embodiments may be partially substituted or combined.

1...recording system, 10...drive recorder, 15...photographing device, 20...fixed unit, 30...general center server, 311...receiving unit, 312...vehicle extraction unit, 313...contractor database (DB), 314...data acquisition unit, 315...data storage unit, 316...data output processing unit, 317...input processing unit, 318...analysis processing unit, 319...external notification processing unit, 320...response data storage unit, 321...call processing unit, 322...insurance company notification unit, 1000...vehicle, 1110...first communication unit, 1120...second communication unit, 1130...positioning unit, 1140...recording unit, 1150...sound recording unit, 1160...acceleration measurement unit, 1170...automatic diagnosis data acquisition unit, 1180... Control unit, 1180A...judgment unit, 1200...storage unit, 1300...mirror, 1400...automatic diagnosis system, 3101...contract data display field, 3102...image display field, 3103...analysis instruction button, 3104...fear level setting value display field, 3105...fear level setting value up button, 3106...fear level setting value down button, 3107...fear level setting button, 3108...analysis result display field, 3109...vehicle data (equipment data and impact event data) display field, 3110...callback instruction button, 3111...road service request button, 3112...rescue request button, 3113...response data input field, 3114...end button, 3115...registration button

Claims (7)

A recording device for recording video,
an extraction unit that extracts, when an accident occurs, from a video being recorded, video of a predetermined period before and after the accident as an accident video;
A transmission unit that transmits the accident video extracted by the extraction unit to a cloud storage server accessible by an organization that analyzes the accident via a network,
The extraction unit is capable of extracting the accident video in a first image quality and a second image quality higher than the first image quality,
The transmission unit is capable of transmitting the accident video of the first image quality prior to the accident video of the second image quality.
A recording device comprising: A determination unit is further provided for determining whether or not the impact is an accident impact indicating an impact corresponding to an accident,
The transmission unit is capable of transmitting the accident video of the first image quality when the determination unit determines that the accident is an accident impact.
2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, The extraction unit is capable of extracting the accident video in the second image quality after the accident video in the first image quality is transmitted by the transmission unit.
3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a recording medium. The extraction unit may omit extraction of the accident video of the first image quality.
4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium. the extraction unit extracts an image of an interior of a vehicle as the image of the first image quality, and extracts an image of the interior of the vehicle and an image of the exterior of the vehicle as the image of the second image quality;
5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium. A recording method for a recording device to record video, comprising the steps of:
an extraction step of extracting, when an accident occurs, images of a predetermined period before and after the accident from the images being recorded as accident images;
A transmission step of transmitting the accident video extracted in the extraction step to a cloud storage server accessible by an organization that analyzes the accident via a network,
In the extracting step, the accident image can be extracted in a first image quality and a second image quality higher than the first image quality,
In the transmitting step, the accident video of the first image quality can be transmitted before the accident video of the second image quality.
A recording method comprising: The computer that records the video
an extraction unit that extracts, when an accident occurs, from a video being recorded, video of a predetermined period before and after the accident as an accident video;
a transmission unit that transmits the accident video extracted by the extraction unit to a cloud storage server accessible by an organization that analyzes the accident via a network;
The extraction unit is capable of extracting the accident video in a first image quality and a second image quality higher than the first image quality,
The transmission unit is capable of transmitting the accident video of the first image quality prior to the accident video of the second image quality.
A program characterized by:

Images