Driving recorder

• US 8,452,502 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Horiba Limited, Japan Automobile Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Horiba Limited, Japan Automobile Research Institute
• Inventors: Katayama, Tsuyoshi, Hashimoto, Akihiro, Kohsaka, Hiroji, Ishikura, Masatomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US11/993,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20100318258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,525 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 701/41, 701/45, 701/65, 701/23, 701/70, 701/78, 701/96, 701/110, 701/117, 340/436, 340/903, 340/467, 340/435, 340/426.32, 342/66, 342/74, 342/82, 342/89, 342/176, 342/202, 342/357.22, 342/357.21, 342/454, 342/455, 342/456, 342/463, 180/207.3, 180/244, 180/325, 180/282, 280/28.11, 280/777, 455/88, 455/73, 455/91, 455 901- 903, 455/132, 455/89, 455/572, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 701/65
• 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 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera

Abstract

This invention intends to provide a vehicle-mounted driving recorder that can facilitate an after-the-fact analysis on not only situation data at a time of an accident but also situation data at a time of a hiyari-hatto and that can contribute accident prevention. The vehicle-mounted driving recorder comprises a data receiving section that receives situation data indicating behavior, a surrounding situation, and an operating situation of a vehicle and a data administration section that classifies the situation data into one of predetermined multiple categories based on contents of the received situation data and stores the classified situation data in a situation data storage section specified in a predetermined area of a memory.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted driving recorder comprising

a housing with a first surface complying in shape with a vehicle windshield and supporting an adhesive member for mounting the housing by the first surface on the vehicle windshield and a second surface having an operator activated input device,

wherein the housing structure contains therein a global position sensor, an accelerator sensor, a camera for recording video images, an auxiliary electric power supply, an operator alert device, a removable record device, and an information processing device connected to the position sensor, acceleration sensor, camera, auxiliary electric power supply and removable recording device and configured to receive, analyze and store signals and provide data to a data receiving section and a data administration section;

the data receiving section receives situation data from the information processing devise indicating behavior, a surrounding situation, and an operating situation of a vehicle; and

the data administration section classifies the situation data into one of predetermined multiple categories based on contents of the received situation data and stores the classified situation data in a situation data storage section specified in a predetermined area of a memory in the removable record device.

2. The vehicle-mounted driving recorder described in claim 1, wherein

the categories are specified in the order of importance of record.

3. The vehicle-mounted driving recorder described in claim 1, and further comprising:

a communication device that radio-transmits the situation data in the situation data storage section to a center computer arranged at a place different from the place where the vehicle locates at a time when the vehicle locates in a specified place where radio-communication to the center computer is capable.

4. The vehicle-mounted driving recorder described in claim 1, wherein

the situation data includes at least acceleration data indicating acceleration applied to the vehicle, position data indicating a position of the vehicle and moving image data indicating an outside picture of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle-mounted driving recorder described in claim 4, wherein

the situation data further includes speed data indicating a speed of the vehicle, brake data indicating whether a brake pedal is applied or not, door open/close data indicating whether a door is open or closed, activating of an emergency brake, and main electric power supply state data indicating whether or not electric power is supplied from an electric power supply at a side of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle-mounted driving recorder of claim 1 wherein the second surface is opposite the first surface and the operator activated input device is an enlarged manual switch, extending substantially across the second surface to provide a relatively large activation surface for a driver.

7. A driving recorder comprising:

a detection device that detects a situation of a vehicle,

a data administration section that determines whether or not there is a selection signal that is generated due to an operation of the vehicle by a driver after an occurrence of an accident, and

a situation data storage section that stores situation data of the vehicle, wherein the situation data storage section is so arranged to select and to store the situation data of the vehicle before and after the selection signal is generated in case that the data administration section determines that the selection signal is generated, and

the section signal is generated by opening or closing a door, or yanking an emergency brake, or turning off an ignition switch.

8. The driving recorder described in claim 7, wherein

the selection signal is generated by opening or closing a door.

9. The driving recorder described in claim 7, wherein

the selection signal is generated by yanking an emergency brake.

10. The driving recorder described in claim 7, wherein

the selection signal is generated by turning off an ignition switch.

11. The driving recorder described in claim 7, and comprising a manual switch that generates a release signal by operating the manual switch in case of canceling to store the situation data of the vehicle in the situation data storage section.

12. The driving recorder described in claim 7, and comprising a manual switch that generates a release signal by operating the manual switch in case of cancelling the storage of the situation data of the vehicle in the situation data. storage section.

13. A driving recorder comprising:

a housing with a first surface complying in shape with a vehicle windshield and supporting an adhesive member for mounting the housing by the first surface on the vehicle windshield and a second surface having an operator activated input device,

wherein the housing structure contains therein a global position sensor, an accelerator sensor, a camera for recording video images, an auxiliary electric power supply, an operator alert device, a removable record device, and an information processing device connected to the position sensor, acceleration sensor, camera, auxiliary electric power supply and removable recording device and configured to receive, analyze and store signals and provide data to a data receiving section and a data administration section;

the data receiving section receives situation data from the information processing devise indicating behavior, a surrounding situation, and an operating situation of a vehicle; and

the data administration section classifies the situation data into one of predetermined multiple categories based on contents of the received situation data and stores the classified situation data in a situation data storage section specified in a predetermined area of a memory in the removable record device;

a detection device that detects a situation of a vehicle, a manual switch that outputs an indication signal to store situation data of the vehicle,

the data administration section that determines whether the manual switch is turned on or turned off, and

the situation data storage section that stores situation data of the vehicle, wherein

the situation data storage section is so arranged to store the situation data of the vehicle before and after the manual switch is turned on in case that the data administration section determines that the manual switch is turned on.

14. The vehicle-mounted driving recorder of claim 13 wherein the second surface is opposite the first surface and the operator activated input device is an enlarged manual switch, extending substantially across the second surface to provide a relatively large activation surface for a driver.