Driver Recorder and Method for Setting Up the Driver Recorder

• US 20100250060A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasa, Takashi, Maeda, Munenori, Yago, Mariko, Tonokawa, Fujio, Uetani, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,396,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• 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

An object of the invention is to provide a drive recorder that can detect acceleration so that the acceleration exerted on a vehicle traveling around a curve will not be erroneously detected as excessive acceleration, as long as the steering wheel is operated in a usual manner. More particularly, the invention provides a drive recorder that includes an acceleration sensor for detecting a first acceleration along a traveling direction of a vehicle and a second acceleration along a transverse direction of the vehicle, and a control unit which obtains a combined acceleration based on the first acceleration and on a value obtained by subtracting a correction value from the absolute value of the second acceleration, and when the combined acceleration exceeds a threshold value, records video information received from an image capturing unit onto a recording device.

Claims

1. A drive recorder comprising:

an acceleration sensor for detecting a first acceleration along a traveling direction of a vehicle and a second acceleration along a transverse direction of said vehicle; and

a control unit which obtains a combined acceleration based on said first acceleration and on a value obtained by subtracting a correction value from the absolute value of said second acceleration, and when said combined acceleration exceeds a threshold value, records video information received from an image capturing unit onto a recording device.

2. The drive recorder according to claim 1, wherein said control unit obtains said combined acceleration based on the value obtained by subtracting said correction value from the absolute value of said second acceleration, only when said vehicle is traveling around a curve.

3. The drive recorder according to claim 2, further comprising determining means for determining whether said vehicle is traveling around a curve or not.

4. The drive recorder according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle speed sensor for detecting vehicle speed, and wherein

said control unit changes said correction value in accordance with the vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor.

5. A method for setting up a driver recorder having an acceleration sensor for detecting a first acceleration along a first direction of a vehicle and a second acceleration along a second direction of said vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

determining that said vehicle has stopped;

detecting said first acceleration and said second acceleration when said vehicle has begun to move after stopping; and

identifying the acceleration acting in a transverse direction of said vehicle and the acceleration acting in a longitudinal direction of said vehicle on the basis of said first acceleration and said second acceleration.

6. The method for setting up the drive recorder according to claim 5, wherein when said first acceleration and said second acceleration have remained at or below a first threshold value, it is determined that said vehicle has stopped.

7. The method for setting up the drive recorder according to claim 6, wherein between said first acceleration and said second acceleration, the acceleration that has produced a larger detection value that is equal to or larger than a second threshold value, said second threshold value being larger than said first threshold value, is identified as the acceleration acting in the longitudinal direction of said vehicle.

8. The method for setting up the drive recorder according to claim 5, wherein each time it is determined that said vehicle has stopped, the acceleration acting in the transverse direction of said vehicle and the acceleration acting in the longitudinal direction of said vehicle when said vehicle has thereafter begun to move are identified and results thereof are recorded, and

based on said recorded identification results, the acceleration acting in the transverse direction of said vehicle and the acceleration acting in the longitudinal direction of said vehicle are identified once again.

9. The method for setting up the drive recorder according to claim 8, wherein said recorded identification results are cleared when power is turned on to said drive recorder.

10. The method for setting up the drive recorder according to claim 5, wherein said drive recorder obtains a combined acceleration based on said acceleration identified as acting in the longitudinal direction of said vehicle and on a value obtained by subtracting a correction value from the absolute value of said acceleration identified as acting in the transverse direction of said vehicle.