On-vehicle video playback system and car navigation device

• US 20040225425A1
• Filed: 05/03/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Akihiro, Wakayama, Yorihiko, Kindo, Tsuyoshi, Nagawa, Tomoyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,171,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

An on-vehicle device 11, 21, 31, which is connected to an external image taking device 211 via the Internet so as to allow communication therebetween, includes a communication section 12, 112, a reception notification section 413, 115, 315, a display section 115, 315, a vehicle'"'"'s stopped state detection section 116, 117, 118, and a display control section 111. When the communication section receives an emergency (or call) detection notification from the image taking device, the display control section checks the vehicle'"'"'s stopped state detection section to determine whether or not a vehicle is stopped. If the vehicle is stopped, the display control section receives video data from the image taking device via the communication section for causing the display section to display a video image of the video data. Otherwise, the display control section notifies a user of an emergency (or call) detection notification via the reception notification section.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle device which is placed in a vehicle and connected to an external image taking device via the Internet such that the on-vehicle device is able to communicate with the image taking device via the Internet, the external image taking device having a function of detecting an emergency at least within an area in which an image is captured and a call, and a function of transmitting an emergency detection notification or a call detection notification to a previously designated destination when an emergency or a call is detected, the on-vehicle device comprising:

communication means for communicating with the image taking device via the Internet;

reception notification means for notifying a user that the communication means receives an emergency detection notification or a call detection notification from the image taking device;

display means for displaying a video image of video data received by the communication means from the image taking device;

vehicle'"'"'s stopped state detection means for detecting whether or not the vehicle is stopped; and

control means for checking the vehicle'"'"'s stopped state detection means to determine whether or not the vehicle is stopped when the communication means receives an emergency detection notification or a call detection notification from the image taking device, receiving video data from the image taking device via the communication means and causing the display means to display a video image of the video data if the vehicle is stopped, and notifying the user of an emergency detection notification or a call detection notification by the reception notification means if the vehicle is not stopped.

2. The on-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the reception notification means performs reception notification by blinking of a button, a sound, vibration, displaying a character or a symbol on a display panel, or an arbitrary combination thereof .

3. The on-vehicle device according to claim 1, further comprising a video image playback instruction input means for accepting an input of a video image playback instruction from the user, wherein

if the vehicle is not stopped, the control means receives video data from the image taking device via the communication means at least when a video image playback instruction is input from the video image playback instruction input means, and causes the display means to display a video image of the video data.

4. The on-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein

when an emergency or a call is detected, the image taking device transmits a video image playback request signal as the emergency detection notification or the call detection notification, and

the control means performs a display control operation when the communication means receives the video image playback request signal transmitted from the image taking device.

5. The on-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein

when an emergency or a call is detected, the image taking device transmits an emergency detection signal or a call detection signal as the emergency detection notification or the call detection notification, and

the control means performs a display control operation when the communication means receives the emergency detection signal or the call detection signal from the image taking device.

6. The on-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein if the vehicle is not stopped and a video image playback instruction is input from the video image playback instruction input means within a predetermined time period after the reception notification means notifies the user of reception notification, the control means receives video data from the image taking device via the communication means, and causes the display means to display a video image of the video data.

7. The on-vehicle device according to claim 6, further comprising video data storing means for storing video data received by the communication means from the image taking device, wherein

if the vehicle is not stopped and a video image playback instruction is not input from the video image playback instruction input means within a predetermined time period after the reception notification means notifies the user of reception notification, the control means receives video data from the image taking device via the communication means, and causes the video data storing means to store the received video data.

8. The on-vehicle device according to claim 7, wherein, when the vehicle is stopped, the control means is able to read the video data stored in the video data storing means, and display the read data on the display means.

9. The on-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein the video image playback instruction input means is composed of a button, a key, a touch panel, a speech recognition device, a remote control device, or an arbitrary combination thereof.

10. The on-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein

the reception notification means performs reception notification by the blinking of a button, and

the video image playback instruction input means inputs a video image playback instruction when the blinking button is depressed.

11. The on-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein

the communication means includes a mobile phone terminal and a wireless LAN transmitting/receiving section, and

the communication means uses the mobile phone terminal for receiving an emergency detection notification or a call detection notification from the image taking device, and uses the wireless LAN transmitting/receiving section for receiving video data from the image taking device.

13. The on-vehicle device according to claim 2, further comprising a video image playback instruction input means for accepting an input of a video image playback instruction from the user, wherein

if the vehicle is not stopped, the control means receives video data from the image taking device via the communication means at least when a video image playback instruction is input from the video image playback instruction input means, and causes the display means to display a video image of the video data.

12. A remote monitoring system, in which an on-vehicle device placed in a vehicle and an external image taking device are connected via the Internet so as to allow communication therebetween, the system is capable of displaying an image captured by the image taking device by the on-vehicle device, wherein

the image taking device includes:

an emergency or call detecting sensor for detecting an emergency at least within an area in which an image is captured or a call; and

transmitting means for transmitting an emergency detection notification or a call detection notification to a previously designated destination via the Internet when the emergency or call detecting sensor detects an emergency or a call, and

the on-vehicle device includes;

communication means for performing communication with the image taking device via the Internet;

reception notification means for notifying a user that the communication means receives an emergency detection notification or a call detection notification from the image taking device;

display means for displaying video image data received by the communication means from the image taking device;

vehicle'"'"'s stopped state detection means for detecting whether or not the vehicle is stopped;

video image playback instruction input means for accepting an input of a video image playback instruction from the user; and

display control means for checking the vehicle'"'"'s stopped state detection means to determine whether or not the vehicle is stopped when the communication means receives an emergency detection notification or a call detection notification from the image taking device, receiving video data from the image taking device via the communication means and causing the display means to display a video image of the video data if the vehicle is stopped, and receiving video data from the image taking device via the communication means at least when a video image playback instruction is input from the video image playback instruction input means and causing the display means to display a video image of the video data if the vehicle is not stopped.