Vehicle drive recorder

• US 7,020,548 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Japan Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Japan Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Saito, Atsushi, Nakamura, Kozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US10/651,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20040138794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/35, 701 45- 47, 340/438, 340/439, 280/735, 180/282
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/04 Testing internal-combustion engines

Abstract

A vehicle drive recorder is provided for recording a signal onto a hard disk, such signal obtained while vehicle is in operation. The recorder inhibits data recording upon receipt of an inhibit signal. Inhibit canceling signal is also available.

Claims

1. A vehicle recorder comprising:

a disk drive configured to record vehicular information;

a recording controller configured to control recording operation of the disk drive; and

an interface controller configured to control data transfer between the recording controller and the disk drive;

wherein the disk drive comprises a processor configured to process data from the recording controller and output the processed data;

a head disk assembly configured to record the processed data; and

a switch configured to provide on/off operation on transfer of the processed data between the processor and the head disk assembly;

wherein the on/off operation of the switch is controlled by a first control signal and a second control signal;

wherein the first control signal is a control signal output from a vehicle disorder signal source of a vehicle for enabling the switch to transfer the processed data, and the second control signal is a control signal output from a recording restart controller of the vehicle for disabling the switch to transfer the processed data.

2. The vehicle recorder according to claim 1, wherein the switch is positioned between the processor and the head disk assembly.

3. The vehicle recorder according to claim 1, further comprising a control signal line connecting the recording controller to the switch.

4. The vehicle recorder according to claim 1, wherein the first control signal is an air bag operation signal output from an airbag controller of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle recorder according to claim 1, wherein the disk drive further comprises a controller configured to output a control signal to the switch for controlling the on/off operation of the switch.

6. The vehicle recorder according to claim 5, further comprising a control signal line connecting the recording controller to the controller.

7. The vehicle recorder according to claim 5, wherein the controller is controlled by the first control signal transmitted over a first control signal line and the second control signal transmitted over a second control signal line.

8. The vehicle recorder according to claim 1, wherein the second control signal is an authorized signal output from the recording restart controller outside the vehicle recorder.

9. The vehicle recorder according to claim 1, wherein the processor performs encoding process, and analog to digital conversion process.

10. The vehicle recorder according to claim 1, wherein the first control signal is output to the switch when the vehicle disorder signal source detects a signal exceeding a predetermined level.

11. The vehicle recorder according to claim 10, wherein the signal exceeding the predetermined level is output from an acceleration sensor.

12. The vehicle recorder according to claim 1, wherein the second control signal is output when the recording restart controller receives an authorized signal.

13. A vehicle recorder comprising:

a processor configured to process input vehicular data and output the processed data;

a head disk assembly configured to record the processed data;

a switch configured to provide on/off operation on transfer of the processed data between the processor and the head disk assembly;

wherein the on/off operation of the switch is controlled by a first control signal received from a first controller and a second control signal received from second controller, wherein the first control signal is a control signal for enabling the switch to transfer the processed data, and wherein to second control signal is a control signal for disabling the switch to transfer the processed data;

wherein the first control signal is a control signal output from a vehicle disorder signal source of a vehicle and the second control signal is a control signal output from a recording restart controller of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle recorder according to claim 13, wherein the switch is positioned between the processor and the head disk assembly.

15. The vehicle recorder according to claim 13, wherein the first controller outputs the first control signal to the switch when the first controller detects a signal exceeding a predetermined level.

16. The vehicle recorder according to claim 15, wherein the signal exceeding the predetermined level is output from an acceleration sensor.

17. The vehicle recorder according to claim 13, wherein the first controller is an airbag controller.

18. The vehicle recorder according to claim 13, wherein the second controller outputs the second control signal when receiving an authorized signal.