DRIVE RECORDER, DRIVE RECORDER SYSTEM, METHOD OF CONTROLLING DRIVE RECORDER, AND PROGRAM

• US 20100201819A1
• Filed: 07/04/2008
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Minowa, Masahiro
• Application Number:
  US12/671,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201819A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

A drive recorder is provided that can reduce a risk of losing evidence data in the event of occurrence of an accident. The drive recorder includes an image capture unit that captures a front view of a vehicle in a traveling state, a movie image data generation unit that generates movie image data from a captured video signal, a storage section that stores movie image data, a recording unit that records movie image data into the storage section, an event occurrence detection unit that detects the occurrence of an accident, a still image data generation unit that generates still image data including a plurality of still images at predetermined intervals from the video signal, a first transmission unit that transmits still image data to an external device via a wireless network when the event occurrence detection unit detects the occurrence of an accident, and a second transmission unit that transmits the movie image data after the completion of the transmission by the first transmission unit.

Claims

1. A drive recorder, comprising:

an image capture unit that captures an image of at least a front view of a vehicle in a traveling state;

a movie image data generation unit that generates movie image data from a video signal captured by the image capture unit;

a storage section that stores at least the movie image data;

a record unit that records at least the movie image data into the storage section;

an event occurrence detection unit that detects an occurrence of a predetermined event;

a still image data generation unit that generates still image data including a plurality of still images at predetermined intervals from the video signal or the movie image data;

a first transmission unit that transmits the still image data generated by the still image data generation unit to an external device via a wireless network when the event occurrence detection unit detects the occurrence of a predetermined event; and

a second transmission unit that transmits the movie image data stored in the storage section after completion of the transmission by the first transmission unit.

2. The drive recorder according to claim 1, further comprising:

a save unit that saves at least the still image data generated by the still image data generation unit into a detachable memory device when the event occurrence detection unit detects the occurrence of a predetermined event.

3. The drive recorder according to claim 2, wherein

the save unit saves the movie image data stored in the storage section into the memory device after saving the still image data.

4. The drive recorder according to claim 1, wherein

the record unit converts the video signals divided for each predetermined time period into two or more movie image data files and records the movie image data files into the storage section.

5. The drive recorder according to claim 4, wherein

the second transmission unit transmits the plurality of movie image data files to the external device in an order tracing back from occurrence of a predetermined event.

6. The drive recorder according to claim 5, wherein

the second transmission unit transmits the movie image data file obtained after the occurrence of a predetermined event, after completion of the transmission of the movie image data file obtained before occurrence of a predetermined event.

7. The drive recorder according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the first transmission unit and the second transmission unit transmits vehicle information including at least one of information about a clock time when capturing an image by the image capture unit, information about a position of the vehicle by using a GPS device, information about a speed, information about an on/off state of a direction indicator, information about a brake pressure, and information about a rudder angle of a steering wheel, to the external device.

8. The drive recorder according to claim 1, wherein

the movie image data includes audio data.

9. A drive recorder system, comprising:

the drive recorder according to claim 1; and

a network device that functions as the external device.

10. A method of controlling a drive recorder to be used by being installed in a vehicle including steps executed by the drive recorder, the method comprising:

capturing an image of at least a front view of the vehicle in a traveling state;

generating movie image data from a captured video signal and recording the movie image data to a storage section;

detecting an occurrence of a predetermined event;

generating still image data including a plurality of still images at predetermined intervals from the video signal or the movie image data; and

transmitting the movie image data and the still image data to an external device via a wireless network when an event occurrence detection unit detects the occurrence of a predetermined event, wherein

the movie image data is transmitted after completion of the transmission of the still image data.

11. A program that causes a computer to execute the control method of controlling a drive recorder according to claim 10.