JP7853159B2 - Vehicle image recording system - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an image recording system for vehicles.

There are in-vehicle devices, such as dashcams, that are mounted on the vehicle and use cameras attached to the windshield, dashboard, etc., to record the conditions outside or inside the vehicle onto a recording medium. Conventional in-vehicle devices often use SD cards as one example of a recording medium.

For example, Patent Documents 1 to 4 describe a system and in-vehicle electronic device for storing video footage captured by one camera on at least two recording media. Furthermore, Patent Document 5 describes an in-vehicle electronic device that detects the occurrence of an event based on determination conditions for determining that an event has occurred in a vehicle, and transmits transmission data, including vehicle information and video data, to a server on a network via wireless communication.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-170340 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-24729 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-41259 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-220803 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-176090

By the way, while mounting multiple cameras on a vehicle allows for the capture of various subjects, there is room for improvement in the cumbersome process of setting the recording destinations for the multiple video images captured and recorded onto different recording media.

The present invention aims to provide a vehicle image recording system capable of appropriately recording multiple motion image data obtained from multiple cameras onto multiple recording media.

To achieve the above objective, the vehicle image recording system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of cameras mounted on a vehicle that capture moving images and acquire moving image data, and a main unit that detachably holds a plurality of recording media. The main unit has a control unit that records the plurality of moving image data acquired by the plurality of cameras onto the plurality of recording media. Each camera has setting values related to the moving images according to its installation location in the vehicle, and the control unit determines the recording destination for each of the moving image data from the plurality of recording media based on weighting according to the installation location of each camera.

The vehicle image recording system according to the present invention has the effect of appropriately recording multiple motion image data obtained from multiple cameras onto multiple recording media.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle image recording system according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a basic flowchart showing an example of the recording process of a vehicle image recording system according to the embodiment. Figure 3 is a subflowchart showing an example of the recording process of the vehicle image recording system according to the embodiment. Figure 4 is a table showing the relationship between camera placement and weighting. Figure 5 is a table showing an example of settings related to the camera's video output.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. That is, the components in the embodiments described below include those that are easily conceivable to those skilled in the art, or that are substantially the same, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[Embodiment]
The vehicle image recording system 1 according to this embodiment, shown in Figure 1, is mounted on a vehicle V such as an automobile, and uses multiple cameras to capture images of the exterior and interior of the vehicle V and record dynamic image data related to the vehicle's condition.

Here, the vehicle V to which the vehicle image recording system 1 is applied is a moving object traveling on a road surface, etc. For example, a truck transporting goods. In the following explanation, vehicle V will be described as a transport truck.

As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle image recording system 1 comprises a first camera 2A, a second camera 2B, a third camera 2C, a fourth camera 2D, a fifth camera 2E, a sixth camera 2F, a seventh camera 2G, and an eighth camera 2H, a main unit 3, and a first recording medium 4A and a second recording medium 4B.

Cameras 1A through 8H each capture moving images and acquire moving image data. Specifically, cameras 1A through 8H are installed at predetermined locations on vehicle V and capture images of both the exterior and interior of vehicle V.

The first camera 2A is installed, for example, in front of vehicle V and captures the scenery in front of the vehicle. This includes vehicles ahead of vehicle V, oncoming vehicles and vehicles crossing the road, pedestrians and people crossing the road, signs and markings, etc. The second camera 2B is installed, for example, on the right side of vehicle V and captures the scenery to the right of the vehicle. This includes other vehicles traveling alongside vehicle V, other vehicles traveling in the opposite lane, pedestrians, etc. The third camera 2C is installed, for example, on the left side of vehicle V and captures the scenery to the left of the vehicle. This includes bicycles and motorcycles traveling to the left of vehicle V, pedestrians, etc. The fourth camera 2D is installed, for example, inside the vehicle V and captures luggage and other items placed inside the vehicle. The fifth camera 2E is installed, for example, at the front of the interior of vehicle V and captures the conditions at the front of the interior of the vehicle. Camera 6, 2F, is installed, for example, at the rear of the vehicle V to photograph the rear interior. Camera 7, 2G, is installed, for example, inside the meter unit in front of the driver's seat of vehicle V, or on top of the steering column cover, to photograph the driver's condition. Camera 8, 2H, is installed, for example, directly in front of the rear of vehicle V to photograph the scenery behind the vehicle. This includes following vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc.

In this embodiment, the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H have the same structure and function. Each of the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H is electrically connected to the main unit 3 by wiring materials such as wires and cables routed to the vehicle V, and outputs the moving images captured by each camera as moving image data to the main unit 3. The moving images captured by the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H may be monochrome or color.

Cameras 1A to 8H are configured with settings related to video recording according to their installation location and target in vehicle V. As shown in the setting value table 21 in Figure 5, the settings for each camera include, for example, the frame rate, compression rate, and resolution related to video recording. The frame rate, compression rate, and resolution are set according to the installation location of each camera. The settings for each camera are, for example, set by the control unit 10 (described later) in response to operations by the vehicle V, the system administrator, the driver, etc., but are not limited to this. For example, the settings for each camera may be configured by a server located outside vehicle V and configured to communicate with the main unit 3, or by a PC (Personal Computer) capable of communicating with the server. In this case, the PC may, for example, be capable of recording and storing operation record data recorded by the main unit 3 via a recording medium such as an SD card, or it may be capable of analyzing operation record data by communicating with the server. The setting values set for each camera are stored in a predetermined storage area in the non-volatile memory of the main unit 3, but are not limited to this. For example, the settings configured for each camera may be stored in non-volatile memory (e.g., an HDD (Hard Disk Drive)) within the server.

The main unit 3 receives motion image data from each of the first cameras 2A to 8th cameras 2H and records multiple motion image data onto the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B. The main unit 3 comprises the first recording medium 4A, the second recording medium 4B, and the control unit 10. The main unit 3 detachably holds the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B.

The first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B are each so-called memory cards, and are composed of, for example, SD cards that can be attached to and removed from the main unit 3. The first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B each have the same amount of data written per unit time and storage capacity as an SD card. That is, based on the amount of data written per unit time, the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B can continuously record multiple video data up to their respective storage capacities. In this embodiment, the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B have the same specifications regarding the amount of data written per unit time and storage capacity.

The control unit 10 performs the process of recording eight video data images acquired by the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H onto the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B. This process is, for example, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The control unit 10 is composed of, for example, a central processing unit such as a CPU or MPU, and electronic circuits including interfaces for sending and receiving various information with each component. In addition to controlling the recording of multiple video data images to the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B, the control unit 10 also controls the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H and each component of the main unit 3.

The control unit 10 determines the recording destination for each video data image from either the first recording medium 4A or the second recording medium 4B, based on weighting according to the installation locations of the first cameras 2A to the eighth cameras 2H. In this embodiment, as shown in the weighting table 20 of Figure 4, weighting is applied according to the installation locations of the first cameras 2A to the eighth cameras 2H. For each of the eight installation locations, a weighting value of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 is assigned.

The weighting values are assigned to each installation location from 5 to 1 in descending order of size. In this embodiment, as shown in the weighting table 20 in Figure 4, the installation locations in front of the vehicle and in front of the vehicle are assigned the highest weighting value of 5. The installation locations assigned the highest weighting values are where the first camera 2A and the eighth camera 2H are installed. The settings for the video images of these first camera 2A and the eighth camera 2H are set higher than the standard. Specifically, the settings for the video images of the first camera 2A and the eighth camera 2H are set higher than the standard for, for example, frame rate, compression rate, and resolution. Therefore, the video image data acquired by the first camera 2A and the eighth camera 2H is relatively larger in data size than the video image data acquired by the other cameras among the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H, excluding the first camera 2A and the eighth camera 2H.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in the weighting table 20, the installation location: inside the vehicle garage is assigned the smallest weight value: 1. The fourth camera 2D is installed in the installation location assigned the smallest weight value. The settings for the video image of this fourth camera 2D are set lower than the standard. Specifically, the settings for the video image of the fourth camera 2D are set lower than the standard for, for example, frame rate, compression rate, and resolution. Therefore, the video image data acquired by the fourth camera 2D has a relatively smaller data size than the video image data acquired by the other cameras among the first cameras 2A to the eighth cameras 2H, excluding the fourth camera 2D.

The control unit 10 repeatedly executes the second process according to the number of recording media for the remaining weights, after excluding the weight values already combined by the first and second processes described later, to allocate the recording destination for each video data file.

The first process involves selecting a combination of the maximum and minimum weight values from among multiple weights corresponding to the installation locations of multiple cameras, and then assigning the recording destination of the two video data images acquired by the two cameras corresponding to this combination to one of the multiple recording media. Specifically, the control unit 10 refers to the weighting table 20 shown in Figure 4, selects a combination of the maximum weight value (5) and the minimum weight value (1), and assigns the recording destination of the two video data images acquired by the two cameras corresponding to this combination (for example, the first camera 2A and the fourth camera 2D) to the first recording media 4A, which is one of the first recording media 4A and the second recording media 4B.

The second process involves selecting the maximum and minimum weight values from among the multiple weights (excluding the already combined weight values) to form a new combination, and then assigning the recording destination of the two video data images acquired by the two cameras corresponding to this new combination to one of the multiple recording media. Specifically, the control unit 10 refers to the weight table 20 shown in Figure 4, and from the six weights (3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 5) (excluding the already combined weight values (5, 1)), it selects the maximum weight value: 5 and the minimum weight value: 1 to form a new combination, and assigns the recording destination of the two video data images acquired by the two cameras (seventh camera 2G, eighth camera 2H) corresponding to this new combination to the second recording media 4B, which is the other of the first recording media 4A and the second recording media 4B.

In the weighting table 20 of this embodiment, there are two entries each for the maximum weighting value of 5 and the minimum weighting value of 1. In this case, it is necessary to select one value in the first and second processes described above. For example, the control unit 10 selects one of two installation locations (e.g., the front of the vehicle and the rear of the vehicle) that have the maximum weighting value of 5, based on a predetermined rule. This rule, for example, selects the camera with the smaller number assigned to the camera corresponding to the installation location. In other words, the control unit 10 selects the first camera 2A from the first camera 2A and the eighth camera 2H corresponding to the two installation locations with the maximum weighting value of 5. Note that this rule is not limited to the above.

In this embodiment, the control unit 10 repeatedly executes the second process for the remaining weights (after excluding the weights already combined by the first and second processes) according to the number of recording media (2), thereby assigning recording destinations for each video data file. In this way, the control unit 10 assigns recording destinations for all eight video data files acquired by the eight first cameras 2A to the eighth camera 2H.

Furthermore, the control unit 10 simultaneously records multiple video data files onto the recording medium determined as the recording destination for the video data. Specifically, the control unit 10 simultaneously records eight video data files onto the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B, which were determined as the recording destinations for the video data.

Furthermore, when the control unit 10 records multiple video data files onto a recording medium, if the recording capacity of the recording medium is exceeded, it overwrites the oldest video data files recorded on the recording medium chronologically. Specifically, when the control unit 10 records eight video data files onto the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B, if the recording capacity of the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B is exceeded, it overwrites the oldest video data files recorded on the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B, respectively.

The control unit 10 is comprised of a first determination unit 11 and a second determination unit 12. The first determination unit 11 and the second determination unit 12 are, for example, part of the functions in a program executed by the control unit 10. The first determination unit 11 and the second determination unit 12 perform the following control in the processes shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The first determination unit 11 determines whether the total amount of video data acquired per unit time from the eight first cameras 2A to the eighth camera 2H exceeds the amount of single data that can be written per unit time to one of the first recording media 4A (or the second recording media 4B). Here, the total amount of video data acquired per unit time from the eight first cameras 2A to the eighth camera 2H is the sum of the video data acquired per unit time from the eight cameras. Also, the amount of single data written per unit time is the amount of data written per unit time to one recording media. In this embodiment, the first recording media 4A and the second recording media 4B are assumed to have the same amount of data written per unit time and storage capacity.

The second determination unit 12, if the first determination unit 11 determines that the total amount of motion image data exceeds the amount of data written to a single recording medium, determines whether the total amount of motion image data exceeds the sum of the total amount of data that can be written per unit time to both the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B. Here, the total amount of data that can be written per unit time to both the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B is the sum of the amount of data that can be written per unit time to both recording media.

If the control unit 10 determines that the total amount of video data does not exceed the sum of the total amount of data written, it determines the recording destination for each video data from the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B based on the weighting. On the other hand, if the control unit 10 determines that the total amount of video data exceeds the sum of the total amount of data written, it changes the setting values set for the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H so that the amount of video data decreases. In this case, the control unit 10 refers to, for example, the weighting table 20 shown in Figure 4 and the setting value table 21 shown in Figure 5, and lowers the setting value of the camera corresponding to the installation location with the maximum weighting value relatively from the current setting value. If the setting values include frame rate, compression rate, and resolution for video, the control unit 10 changes the frame rate setting value from "high" to "standard". Alternatively, the control unit 10 may change the compression rate setting value from "high" to "standard" or change the resolution setting value from "high" to "standard". In other words, when there are multiple settings related to the moving image, the control unit 10 modifies at least one of the settings to a relatively lower value, thereby reducing the total amount of data written.

The control unit 10 determines, based on the video data acquired by each camera, whether the multiple cameras mounted on the vehicle V are installed in pre-determined locations. For example, the control unit 10 uses known image recognition technology to perform image recognition processing on the video data acquired by each camera and estimates the installation location of each camera. Then, based on the estimation results, the control unit 10 determines whether each camera is installed in the location specified in the weighting table 20. If the control unit 10 determines that there are cameras among the multiple cameras that are not installed in the locations specified in the weighting table 20, it notifies the vehicle V and the system administrator in a predetermined manner.

Next, the process of recording eight video data points on the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B in the vehicle image recording system 1 will be explained with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figures 2 and 3. The vehicle image recording system 1 starts, for example, when the ACC power supply of the vehicle V is turned ON, and repeats the process described below until the power supply is turned OFF.

In step S1 of Figure 2, the control unit 10 determines the installation locations of the multiple cameras. Specifically, based on each of the eight video data points acquired by the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H, the control unit 10 determines whether the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H are installed according to the installation locations set in the weighting table 20.

Next, in step S2, the control unit 10, using the first determination unit 11, determines whether the total amount of video data acquired per unit time from the eight first cameras 2A to the eighth camera 2H exceeds the amount of individual data that can be written per unit time to the first recording medium 4A (or the second recording medium 4B). If the result of this determination is that the total amount of video data exceeds the amount of individual data that can be written, the process proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if the total amount of video data does not exceed the amount of individual data that can be written, the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S3, the control unit 10 sequentially records all video data from the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H onto the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B, and then terminates this process. In this case, the control unit 10 records all video data from the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H onto the first recording medium 4A. As soon as the remaining recording capacity of the first recording medium 4A is depleted, it switches from the first recording medium 4A to the second recording medium 4B and records all video data from the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H onto the second recording medium 4B. In this case, as soon as the remaining storage capacity of the second recording medium 4B is depleted, it switches from the second recording medium 4B to the first recording medium 4A and overwrites all video data from the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H onto the first recording medium 4A.

In step S4, the control unit 10, using the second determination unit 12, determines whether the total amount of motion image data exceeds the sum of the total amount of data that can be written per unit time for both the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B. If the result of this determination is that the total amount of motion image data exceeds the sum of the total amount of data that can be written, the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if the total amount of motion image data does not exceed the sum of the total amount of data that can be written, the process proceeds to step S10 in Figure 3.

In step S5, the control unit 10 changes the camera settings and returns to step S2. Specifically, as described above, the control unit 10 changes the settings set for the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H so that the amount of data in the video image data decreases.

In step S10 of Figure 3, the control unit 10 assigns 1 to the variable N (N: a positive integer from 1 to N) and proceeds to step S11.

In step S11, the control unit 10 assigns the cameras corresponding to the Nth weight from the top and the Nth weight from the bottom to the first recording medium 4A. That is, the control unit 10 takes the eight weights corresponding to the installation locations of the eight cameras, and combines the maximum weight value and the minimum weight value into one set for the first recording medium 4A, and assigns the recording destination of the two video data acquired by the two cameras corresponding to this combination to the first recording medium 4A of the two recording media 4B (first process). Here, the control unit 10 determines whether N > 2, and if N > 2, it takes the maximum weight value and the minimum weight value from the multiple weights excluding the weights that have already been combined into one set, and assigns the recording destination of the two video data acquired by the two cameras corresponding to this other set to the first recording medium 4A. In this case, for example, the control unit 10 selects the maximum weight value (3) and the minimum weight value (2) from among the multiple weights (2nd camera: 3, 3rd camera: 3, 5th camera: 2, 6th camera: 2), excluding the already combined weight values (5, 1, 5, 1), and assigns the recording destination of the two video data images acquired by the 2nd camera 2B and 5th camera 2E corresponding to this single combination to the 1st recording medium 4A.

In step S12, the control unit 10 substitutes N+1 for variable N and proceeds to step S13.

In step S13, the control unit 10 assigns the cameras corresponding to the Nth weight from the top and the Nth weight from the bottom to the second recording medium 4B. That is, the control unit 10 selects the maximum and minimum weight values from among the multiple weights (excluding already combined weight values) to form a new combination, and assigns the recording destination for the two video data images acquired by the two cameras corresponding to this new combination to the second recording medium 4B of the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B (second process). In the weighting table 20 of this embodiment, there are two maximum weight values of 5 and two minimum weight values of 1. Therefore, in step S13, if N = 1 + 1 = 2, the control unit 10 selects the cameras corresponding to the second weight from the top and the second weight from the bottom, and selects the maximum weight value of 5 and the minimum weight value of 1 from among the multiple weights (3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 5) (excluding already combined weight values) to form a new combination.

In step S14, the control unit 10 substitutes N+1 for variable N and proceeds to step S15.

In step S15, the control unit 10 determines whether either the first recording medium 4A or the second recording medium 4B is assigned to all eight first cameras 2A to eighth cameras 2H. That is, the control unit 10 determines whether there are any cameras that are not assigned to either the first recording medium 4A or the second recording medium 4B as recording destinations for video data. If, as a result of this determination, either the first recording medium 4A or the second recording medium 4B is assigned to all eight first cameras 2A to eighth cameras 2H, the process proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, if neither the first recording medium 4A nor the second recording medium 4B is assigned to all eight first cameras 2A to eighth cameras 2H, the process returns to step S11. In this way, the processing from steps S11 to S14 is repeated, and the second process is repeatedly executed according to the number of recording media (2) for the remaining weights after excluding the weights already combined by the first and second processes, thereby assigning recording destinations for each video data.

In step S16, the control unit 10 determines whether the total amount of video data acquired by the four cameras assigned to the first recording medium 4A in step S11 exceeds the amount of data written to the first recording medium 4A, and whether the total amount of video data acquired by the four cameras assigned to the second recording medium 4B in step S13 exceeds the amount of data written to the second recording medium 4B. If this determination determines that the total amount of video data exceeds the amount of data written to either the first recording medium 4A or the second recording medium 4B, the process proceeds to step S5 in Figure 2. On the other hand, if it determines that the total amount of video data does not exceed the amount of data written to either the first recording medium 4A or the second recording medium 4B, the process proceeds to step S17.

In step S17, the control unit 10 records the video data of the four cameras assigned to the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B, respectively, and then terminates the process. In this case, the control unit 10 records the video data of four of the first cameras 2A to eighth cameras 2H onto the first recording medium 4A, and records the video data of the other four cameras onto the second recording medium 4B. The control unit 10 records the video data of four of the first cameras 2A to eighth cameras 2H onto the first recording medium 4A, and as soon as the remaining recording capacity of the first recording medium 4A is exhausted, it overwrites the chronologically older video data recorded on the first recording medium 4A with new video data without switching from the first recording medium 4A to the second recording medium 4B. Similarly, the control unit 10 records the video data from the other four cameras among the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H onto the second recording medium 4B. Once the recording capacity of the second recording medium 4B is exhausted, it overwrites the older video data recorded on the second recording medium 4B with new video data without switching from the second recording medium 4B to the first recording medium 4A.

The vehicle image recording system 1 according to this embodiment, as described above, is mounted on a vehicle V and comprises a first camera 2A to an eighth camera 2H that captures moving images and acquires moving image data, and a main unit 3 that detachably holds a first recording medium 4A and a second recording medium 4B. The main unit 3 has a control unit 10 that records the eight moving image data acquired by the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H onto the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B. The control unit 10 refers to the weighting table 20 shown in Figure 4 and determines the recording destination for each moving image data from the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B based on weighting according to the installation locations of the first camera 2A to the eighth camera 2H.

With the above configuration, the vehicle image recording system 1 eliminates the need for setting recording destinations, which is necessary for appropriately recording multiple captured video data onto multiple recording media. Furthermore, with the above configuration, the vehicle image recording system 1 can appropriately record multiple video data obtained from multiple cameras onto multiple recording media.

Furthermore, the vehicle image recording system 1 includes a control unit 10 comprising a first determination unit 11 and a second determination unit 12. If the second determination unit 12 determines that the total amount of motion image data does not exceed the total sum of the total amount of data written, it refers to the weighting table 20 shown in Figure 4 and determines the recording destination for each motion image data from the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B based on the weighting set according to the installation location. This allows the vehicle image recording system 1 to easily determine the recording destination for multiple motion image data files.

Furthermore, the vehicle image recording system 1's control unit 10 repeatedly executes the second process according to the number of first recording media 4A and second recording media 4B for the remaining weights after excluding the weight values already combined by the first and second processes described above, thereby allocating recording destinations for each video data file. This allows the vehicle image recording system 1 to easily determine the recording destinations for multiple video data files.

In the above embodiment, the vehicle image recording system 1 is equipped with eight first cameras 2A to eighth cameras 2H, but it is not limited to this number; it may be seven or fewer, or nine or more. Furthermore, the vehicle image recording system 1 is equipped with two first recording media 4A and two second recording media 4B, but it is not limited to this number; it may be equipped with three or more recording media.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control unit 10 determines the recording destination for each video data image from the first recording medium 4A and the second recording medium 4B based on the weights set corresponding to the installation location, as shown in Figure 3, but it is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 10 may be configured to determine a combination of multiple weight values so as to approximate the average value obtained by dividing the sum of the weight values set for each of the multiple installation locations by the number of multiple recording media, and then allocate the recording destination for each video data image based on the determined combination. Specifically, the control unit 10 may be configured to determine a combination of eight weight values so as to approximate the average value obtained by dividing the sum of the weight values set for each of the eight installation locations (22) by the number of first recording media 4A and second recording media 4B (2) (11), and then allocate the recording destination for each video data image based on the determined combination.

For example, as described above, the control unit 10 combines the maximum weighting value of 5 and the minimum weighting value of 1 into one combination, and assigns the recording destination of the two video data acquired by the first camera 2A and the fourth camera 2D corresponding to this combination to the first recording medium 4A. On the other hand, as described above, the control unit 10, excluding the already combined weighting values (5, 1), combines the maximum weighting value of 5 and the minimum weighting value of 1 from among the multiple weights (second camera: 3, third camera: 3, fifth camera: 2, sixth camera: 2, seventh camera: 1, eighth camera: 5) into another combination, and assigns the recording destination of the two video data acquired by the eighth camera 2H and the seventh camera 2G corresponding to this other combination to the second recording medium 4B.

Furthermore, the control unit 10 selects the maximum weight value: 3 and the minimum weight value: 2 from among the multiple weights (second camera: 3, third camera: 3, fifth camera: 2, sixth camera: 2), excluding the already combined weight values (5, 1, 5, 1), and assigns the recording destination of the two video data acquired by the second camera 2B and fifth camera 2E corresponding to this combination to the first recording medium 4A. On the other hand, the control unit 10 selects the maximum weight value: 3 and the minimum weight value: 2 from among the multiple weights (third camera: 3, sixth camera: 2), excluding the already combined weight values (5, 1, 5, 1, 3, 2), and assigns the recording destination of the two video data acquired by the third camera 2C and sixth camera 2F corresponding to this combination to the second recording medium 4B. As a result, the control unit 10 records four video data points acquired by the first camera 2A and the fourth camera 2D corresponding to the weighting value combination of 5 and 1, and the second camera 2B and the fifth camera 2E corresponding to the weighting value combination of 3 and 2, onto the first recording medium 4A. The control unit 10 also records four video data points acquired by the eighth camera 2H and the seventh camera 2G corresponding to the weighting value combination of 5 and 1, and the third camera 2C and the sixth camera 2F corresponding to the weighting value combination of 3 and 2, onto the second recording medium 4B. In this way, the vehicle image recording system 1 can evenly record multiple video data points obtained from multiple cameras onto multiple recording media.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control unit 10 repeatedly executes the second process according to the number of recording media to allocate recording destinations for each video data, for the remaining weights after excluding the weight values that have already been combined by the first and second processes described later, but it is not limited to this. For example, if the number of weights corresponding to the installation locations of the multiple cameras is an even number Na (Na: 1 to Na) and the number of recording media is 2, the control unit 10 may determine a combination of the nth weight value from the top (n: 1 to Na/2) and the nth weight value from the bottom among the weights assigned in order of magnitude from Na to 1, and then alternately allocate the recording destinations of the two video data acquired by the two cameras corresponding to the determined combination to the two recording media. Furthermore, the control unit 10 may be configured such that, when the number of weights assigned according to the installation locations of the multiple cameras is an odd number Nb (Nb: 1 to Nb), and the number of recording media is 2, it determines a combination of the nth weight from the top (n: 1 to (Nb+1)/2) and the nth weight from the bottom among the weights assigned in order of magnitude from Nb to 1, and then alternately allocates the recording destinations of the two video image data acquired by the two cameras corresponding to the determined combination to the two recording media.

1. Vehicle image recording system 2A: First camera 2B, Second camera 2C, Third camera 2D, Fourth camera 2E, Fifth camera 2F, Sixth camera 2G, Seventh camera 2H, Eighth camera 4A, First recording medium 4B, Second recording medium 3, Main unit 10, Control unit 11, First determination unit 12, Second determination unit V, Vehicle

Claims (6)

Multiple cameras mounted on the vehicle capture moving images and acquire moving image data,
It comprises a main unit that detachably holds multiple recording media,
The main unit device is
The control unit records the multiple motion image data acquired by the multiple cameras onto the multiple recording media.
Each of the aforementioned cameras
The settings for the video are determined according to the installation location in the vehicle.
The control unit,
The recording destination for each video data is determined from a plurality of recording media based on weighting according to the installation location of each camera.
A vehicle image recording system characterized by the following features. The control unit,
A first determination unit determines whether the total amount of motion image data acquired per unit time from multiple cameras exceeds the amount of single data that can be written per unit time to one of the multiple recording media,
If the first determination unit determines that the total amount of motion image data exceeds the amount of data written to a single recording medium, the system includes a second determination unit that determines whether the total amount of motion image data exceeds the sum of the total amount of data that can be written per unit time to all of the multiple recording media,
If the second determination unit determines that the total amount of motion image data does not exceed the sum of the total amount of data to be written, the recording destination for each motion image data is determined from the plurality of recording media based on the weighting.
The vehicle image recording system according to claim 1. The control unit,
If the second determination unit determines that the total amount of video data exceeds the total amount of data to be written, the setting value set for each camera is changed so that the amount of video data decreases.
The vehicle image recording system according to claim 2. The control unit,
The combination of multiple weight values is determined so as to approximate the average value obtained by dividing the sum of the weight values set for each of the multiple installation locations by the number of the multiple recording media, and the recording destination for each of the video data is allocated based on the determined combination.
The vehicle image recording system according to claim 1. The control unit,
A first process involves combining the maximum weight value and the minimum weight value from among the multiple weights corresponding to the installation locations of the multiple cameras, assigning the recording destination of the two video data images acquired by the two cameras corresponding to that combination to one of the multiple recording media,
The second process involves taking the maximum weight value and the minimum weight value from among the multiple weights, excluding the weight values that have already been combined, to form another combination, and assigning the recording destination of the two video data images acquired by the two cameras corresponding to that other combination to another of the multiple recording media,
Of the multiple weights, the second process is repeatedly executed for the remaining weights, excluding the weights already combined by the first and second processes, in accordance with the number of multiple recording media, to allocate the recording destination for each of the video data.
The vehicle image recording system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The control unit,
Multiple video data files are recorded simultaneously on the recording medium determined to be the recording destination for the aforementioned video data files.
When recording multiple video data images onto the recording medium, if the recording capacity of the recording medium is exceeded, the video data images recorded on the recording medium will be overwritten with the oldest video data images recorded in chronological order.
The vehicle image recording system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.