VEHICLE TRAVELING INFORMATION RECORDING DEVICE

• US 20110112719A1
• Filed: 06/29/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Marumoto, Kyoji, Tanaka, Masahide
• Granted Patent: US 9,804,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; devices, apparatus or methods for life-saving in general A62B; safety devices for propulsion unit control specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles B60K28/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/008 where the other variable is the flight or running time
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/02 wherein the other variable is the speed of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• 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: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

The vehicle traveling information recording device of the present invention comprises a camera unit for acquiring image information relating to outside of a vehicle; a recording unit for recording the image information from the camera unit; an abnormality detection unit for detecting an abnormal vehicle state; an auxiliary data detection unit for acquiring auxiliary data when the abnormality detection unit has detected an abnormality; and a control unit for combining the auxiliary data with the image information in the recording unit when the abnormality detection unit has detected the abnormality, and recording image information after the combination related to abnormality detection.

Claims

1. A vehicle traveling information recording device comprising:

a camera unit for acquiring image information relating to outside of a vehicle;

a recording unit for recording the image information from the camera unit;

an abnormality detection unit for detecting an abnormal vehicle state;

an auxiliary data detection unit for acquiring auxiliary data when the abnormality detection unit has detected an abnormality; and

a control unit for combining the auxiliary data with the image information in the recording unit when the abnormality detection unit has detected the abnormality, and recording the combined image information as image information related to abnormality detection.

2. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit combines the auxiliary data with the image information in the recording unit as a digital watermark.

3. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary data detection unit acquires position data of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary data detection unit has a signal information unit for acquiring signal lamp information in the running direction of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 4, wherein the signal information unit comprises:

a receiving unit for receiving signal lamp information;

a detection unit for detecting running direction information of the vehicle;

a sorting unit for sorting signal lamp information in the traveling direction of the vehicle from the signal lamp information received by the receiver unit on the basis of the running direction information of the vehicle detected by the detection unit; and

a recording unit for recording signal lamp information in the traveling direction of the vehicle sorted by the sorting unit.

6. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 5, comprising a control unit for controlling a headlight on the basis of the signal lamp information in the traveling direction of the vehicle sorted by the sorting section.

7. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 6, comprising a brake operation unit and a time-elapsed detection unit for detecting that a predetermined time has elapsed after the brake operation unit has been operated, wherein the control unit changes the state of the ordinarily illuminated headlights when the time-elapsed detection unit has detected that a predetermined time has elapsed after brakes have been operated, and the signal lamp information in the traveling direction of the vehicle, having been sorted by the sorting unit, is in a vehicle-stop instruction state.

8. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 5, wherein the signal information unit comprises a position information acquisition unit for acquiring position information of a vehicle on a map, and a control unit for incorporating the information of a signal lamp installation position on a map held in the position information acquisition unit into the record of the signal lamp information performed by the recording unit.

9. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 1, comprising:

a switching unit for switching the vehicle between a travel-enabled state and a travel-disabled state,

a checking unit for checking whether the recording of traveling information performed by the recording unit is enabled each time the switching unit sets the vehicle in the travel-enabled state, and

a reporting unit for reporting the checking results of the checking unit.

10. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 1 comprising:

a switching unit for switching the vehicle between a self-powered-travel-enabled state and a self-powered-travel-disabled state, and

a control unit for maintaining functioning of the camera unit and the recording unit even when the switching unit has set the vehicle in a self-powered-travel-disabled state.

11. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary data detection unit acquires operating data of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 11 comprising a fuel economy gauge, and a control unit for analyzing a relationship between the fuel economy information of the fuel economy gauge and the operating data of the vehicle.

13. A vehicle traveling information recording device comprising:

a fuel economy gauge,

a traveling information detection unit, and

a control unit for using the traveling information detection unit to classify the fuel economy information of the fuel economy gauge.

14. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 13, wherein the control unit classifies the fuel economy information of the fuel economy gauge into a flat-ground-constant-speed state and a state other than the flat-ground-constant-speed state.

15. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 14 comprising a vehicle operating data recording unit, wherein the control unit analyzes a relationship between fuel economy information of a state other than the flat-ground-constant-speed state and the vehicle operating data.

16. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 13 comprising:

a notification unit for providing notification on the basis of information of the traveling information detection unit, and

a control unit for controlling timing of notification performed by the notification unit.

17. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 13 comprising:

a transmitting unit for transmitting vehicle information acquired by the fuel economy gauge to the exterior, and

a receiving unit for receiving statistical information of fuel economy information collected from numerous vehicles.

18. A vehicle traveling information recording device comprising:

a vehicle information acquisition unit;

a transmitting unit for transmitting the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit to the exterior;

a receiving unit for receiving statistical information of vehicle information collected from numerous vehicles; and

a controlling unit for comparing the statistical information received by the receiving unit and the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit.

19. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 18, wherein the vehicle information acquisition unit includes a fuel economy gauge, and the statistical information includes information that indicates a state of distribution of the fuel economy information collected from numerous vehicles.

20. The vehicle traveling information recording device according to claim 18, wherein the numerous vehicles are limited to the same vehicle type.