Imaging device and method for vehicles

• US 20060092278A1
• Filed: 11/02/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ito, Hiroaki, Kondo, Akihiro
• Application Number:
  US11/264,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20060092278A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/152
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera

Abstract

When an approach sensor detects approach of a human body to a vehicle, an imaging device for vehicles brings an imaging system power supply for an image recording camera into ON state. When an intrusion detection sensor detects intrusion of a human body into the vehicle, the imaging device generates an image pickup trigger signal. It thereby switches the image recording camera and an image processing section from a sleep state which is a low-power consumption state, to a wake-up state, which lasts for a first predetermined time. When brought into the wake-up state, the image recording camera picks up an image.

Claims

1. An imaging device mounted in a vehicle, comprising:

an image processing section for processing data of an image picked up by an image recording device including a video camera;

a main control section for performing predetermined processing based on contents of the image data;

a main control system power supply that supplies power to the main control section;

an imaging system power supply that is provided separately from the main control system power supply, and supplies power to the image recording device and the image processing section;

an approach detecting means that detects approach of a human body to the vehicle;

an intrusion detecting means that detects intrusion of the human body into the vehicle; and

a determining means that, when approach of the human body to the vehicle is detected by the approach detecting means, determines that conditions for turning on the imaging system power supply are met,

wherein the main control section performs operations of;

controlling ON/OFF state of the imaging system power supply;

bringing the imaging system power supply into ON state when it is determined by the determining means that the conditions for turning on the imaging system power supply have been met; and

when the imaging system power supply is ON and intrusion of a human body into the vehicle is detected by the intrusion detecting means, generating an image pickup trigger signal, and causing the image recording device and the image processing section to transition from a sleep state which is a low-power consumption state, to a wake-up state, which lasts for a first predetermined time, and

wherein the image recording device, when brought into the wake-up state, picks up an image.

2. The imaging device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the conditions for turning on the imaging system power supply have been met, the main control section switches the state of the imaging system power supply from the OFF state to the ON state, and generates the image pickup trigger signal to bring the image recording device and the image processing section into the wake-up state, which lasts for a second predetermined time.

3. The imaging device for vehicles according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image processing end detecting means that detects that processing by the image processing section has terminated,

wherein, when it is detected that processing by the image processing section has terminated, the main control section brings the image recording device and the image processing section into a sleep state.

4. The imaging device for vehicles according to claim 3, further comprising:

a bus buffer that connects and disconnects signal lines through which the image data is transmitted from the image processing section to the main control section,

wherein, when it is detected by the image processing end detecting means that processing by the image processing section has terminated, the main control section causes the bus buffer to disconnect the signal lines.

5. The imaging device for vehicles according to claim 2, wherein the first predetermined time is shorter than the second predetermined time.

6. An imaging method mounted in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

monitoring presence or absence of a predetermined action prior to intrusion into a vehicle;

bringing a power supply for an imaging system including an image pickup camera into a sleep state which is a low-power consumption state when the predetermined action is detected;

monitoring the presence or absence of intrusion of a human body into the vehicle; and

when the intrusion of the human body is detected in the sleep state, generating an image pickup trigger signal to bring an image pickup camera and an image processing section into a wake-up state, which lasts for a predetermined time, and picking up the image with the image pickup camera.