JP6518907B2 - Vehicle equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an on-vehicle apparatus having a camera.

  Recently, vehicles equipped with on-vehicle devices (for example, drive recorders) capable of recording images and the like before and after the occurrence of a car accident are increasing. Such an on-vehicle device generally includes a camera having a moving image shooting function (some of which has a continuous shooting function for still images), and the vehicle can be used to shoot in front of a traveling vehicle. In many cases, it is attached to the inside of the windshield of (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Here, when the vehicle-mounted device is attached to the inside of the windshield of the vehicle, the mounting position of the vehicle-mounted device on the windshield is restricted by the safety standard of the road transportation vehicle or the like. For example, the on-vehicle device must be mounted within 20% in the vertical direction from the upper end of the windshield of the vehicle.

JP, 2010-105530, A

  On the other hand, when the vehicle-mounted device is mounted in the above-mentioned range, it is preferable that the location not disturb the driver's view as much as possible. A preferred location for such attachment is, for example, the space between the rear of the rearview mirror and the windshield. However, depending on the type of vehicle, opaque black shella coat is applied to the rear side of the room mirror at the center in the horizontal direction of the front glass like the rear side of the room mirror and in the vertical direction There is. Therefore, when the conventional drive recorder is attached to the black ceramic coating portion, the camera faces the black ceramic coating portion side, so the situation in front of the vehicle, which is the direction originally to be photographed, is blocked by the black ceramic coating portion. There is a problem that you can not do it.

  In addition, when the on-vehicle equipment is shifted and attached to either of the two sides of the black ceramic part to avoid the black ceramic part, the sun visor is positioned when using the sun visor at the both sides of the black ceramic part. Because of the sun visor area, when using the sun visor, in-vehicle devices may interfere with the sun visor and it may not be possible to use the sun visor well. Furthermore, if the on-vehicle equipment is shifted and attached so as to avoid the sun visor area, it may be out of the wiping area of the wiper, and the outside of the car may not be photographed well on a rainy day.

  As described above, in an on-vehicle apparatus equipped with a camera such as a conventional drive recorder, an obstacle such as an accessory may exist in a desired photographing direction when mounting at a place suitable for mounting in a vehicle, In some cases, shooting conditions may deteriorate. Therefore, shooting may be difficult, or a desired image may not be obtained from the camera. On the other hand, there has been a problem that the installation place where the desired image can be obtained well is a place where the installation is prohibited, or a place where there is a possibility that it will interfere with the use of equipment etc. .

  Therefore, the present invention provides an on-vehicle apparatus capable of photographing with a camera suitably even when mounted in an inappropriate area which is an area suitable for mounting but not suitable for photographing in a car-mounted apparatus having a camera. To aim.

  (1) An on-vehicle apparatus including an imaging unit and an attachment unit attachable to a vehicle, including an incident unit that causes light to be incident on the imaging unit, and suitable for attachment but suitable for imaging an object to be imaged And a variable arm capable of changing the position and orientation of the incident portion so that the incident position of the incident portion can avoid the inappropriate region after the attachment portion is attached to the improper region. Do.

  According to this, even when the attachment portion is attached to the inappropriate area, the variable arm is deformed to change the position and the direction of the incident portion, thereby positioning the incident portion at a place avoiding the inappropriate area and photographing by the imaging unit It can be performed. In particular, the mounting portion may be attached to the windshield. In this way, even if the attachment to the windshield fails, it is not necessary to attach the attachment part again by adjusting the position and direction of the incident part with the variable arm.

  The incident part is a part for entering light toward the imaging part such as an imaging device, and may be disposed in front of the imaging part in the incident direction of light, and more preferably disposed at the tip of the variable arm. Further, an optical member such as a lens for forming an image of light may be disposed in the incident portion. The imaging unit may be provided on the proximal end side of the variable arm, but is preferably provided on the distal end side.

  As the incident position of the incident portion, when the incident portion is directed in the imaging direction in which the desired imaging target can be imaged (when the incident position is to be set), there is no obstacle reflected in the imaging portion in the imaging direction For example, it is preferable to set an area (hereinafter, referred to as an “appropriate area”) in which the factor that inhibits the imaging of the imaging target is smaller than the inappropriate area. For example, when photographing the front of the vehicle from the inside of the vehicle, it is preferable to set a place around the black ceramic coating portion of the windshield, a place adjacent to the A pillar portion in the wiper wiping region of the windshield.

  An inappropriate area is a place that meets the security standards of the road transport vehicle, etc., and does not disturb the driver's view or in-vehicle devices. It is preferable to set an area in which there is an element that inhibits imaging of the imaging target, such as an obstacle that appears in the imaging unit in the imaging direction. As an element to inhibit the shooting of the object to be photographed, it does not always exist, such as a place that can not be photographed outside the vehicle on a rainy day outside the wiping area of the wiper, and appears under specific conditions. In particular, it should be expressed on a rainy day. As a non-suitable area, for example, when photographing the front of the vehicle from inside the car, from the black sera painted area of the windshield always present, the A pillar part, the ceiling part, the sun visor area and the wiper wiping area developed on the day of rain It is good to be away from the place.

  As described above, although the unsuitable area is suitable for attachment, when directly attached, since there is an opaque object etc. in the imaging direction of the imaging part, imaging of the imaging part is performed unless the opaque object is avoided. It should be a place where you can not do it. As evasion, in particular, it is preferable to be able to reduce factors that inhibit the imaging of the imaging target. In addition, it is preferable that the appropriate area is an area in which the area outside the vehicle can be seen through through from the inside of the vehicle, and it is likely to be an inappropriate area due to changes in the environment where the vehicle is placed. The area should be avoided.

  In addition, it is good to set it as the sun visor area | region at the time of raising the both sides of a room mirror and a sun visor, for example as a place unsuitable for attachment. Attaching to both sides of the rearview mirror may interfere with the driver's view, and attaching to the sun visor area may interfere with use of the sun visor. Although these are suitable for imaging | photography of an imaging part, it is good to set it as the place which is not suitable for attachment.

  The attachment portion may be configured to be attachable to an inappropriate area. In this way, the mounting portion is attached to the unsuitable area suitable for mounting, and the variable arm is deformed to change the position and orientation of the incident part, thereby positioning the incident part in a place avoiding the inappropriate area unsuitable for imaging. be able to. The attachment means for attaching the attachment portion to the inappropriate area includes a suction member, an adhesive member such as a double-sided tape, a holding member such as a clip, and an engagement member such as a hook.

  Further, the attachment portion may be configured to be attachable to the inappropriate area and to be attachable to an appropriate area. In this way, when the mounting portion is attached to the inappropriate area, the incident part can be positioned at a place avoiding the inappropriate area, and when attached to the appropriate area, the position of the incident part with the variable arm And the orientation can be easily adjusted.

  Furthermore, the mounting portion may be configured to be difficult to remove once mounted. In such a configuration, it is difficult to remove when mounting fails (e.g., when the mounting position or the direction is shifted, etc.), so it is difficult to readjust the position or the direction of the incident part. However, in this case, even if mounting of the mounting portion fails, the position and orientation of the incident portion can be adjusted by the variable arm, so readjustment of the position and orientation of the incident portion is easy without removing the mounting portion. Become. As such a configuration, it is preferable to use a material that makes it difficult to reattach the attachment portion (for example, reattachment), and for example, it is preferable to attach using a double-sided tape or the like.

  The variable arm includes, for example, a flexible arm that can be freely bent in any direction, a movable portion that can change the direction of the incident portion, and a moving portion that can move the position of the incident portion. It is good to be a joint arm etc. comprised from a member. The movable portion of the joint arm may be, for example, a ball joint or a pivot shaft. In particular, by using the ball joint, it is possible to freely change the rotation direction of the incident part, and to perform fine position adjustment. Further, as the moving part, in particular, it is preferable to use an elastic member.

  The variable arm may be directly attachable to the vehicle with the proximal end as an attachment. In this case, the proximal end of the variable arm may be attachable to the inappropriate area. Further, an intermediate member such as a housing may be interposed between the mounting portion and the variable arm. The intermediate member may be integral with or separate from the mounting portion. In this case as well, the attachment portion may be attached to the inappropriate area.

  (2) The variable arm is characterized by having a length capable of avoiding the incident position of the incident part from the inappropriate area when the mounting part is attached to the inappropriate area.

  In this way, when the mounting portion is mounted in the inappropriate area, the position and orientation of the incident portion can be reliably positioned in the appropriate area.

  Note that the length that can be avoided may be a length that allows the incident portion to avoid an obstacle or the like and allows light to be incident. For example, using a variable arm longer than the longitudinal length of the obstacle that constitutes an inappropriate area, such as a black ceramic coating or a rearview mirror, there is a possibility that the incident part can be avoided from the incorrect area Because it is high.

  However, in this case, the length of the variable arm may be increased, and the variable arm may interfere with vehicle accessories. Therefore, when the mounting portion is mounted to the portion of the unsuitable area where the mounting portion can be mounted most reliably to the vehicle, it is preferable to set the length to be capable of avoiding the inappropriate area where the mounting portion is mounted. For example, in the case where the variable arm mounts the attachment member at the center of the inappropriate area, the incident part is light beyond the outer periphery farthest from the center (for example, the outer periphery farthest from the mounting position) Should be long enough to be incident. In addition, the variable arm may have such a length that light can be incident beyond the outer periphery of the inappropriate area in the direction in which the variable arm extends when the attachment portion is attached.

  (3) The variable arm may be bent to adjust the position and the orientation of the incident portion.

  In this way, it is possible to easily adjust the position and orientation of the incident part. In particular, when the variable arm extends along the inappropriate area or extends from the inappropriate area toward the appropriate area, the amount of bending of the variable arm in the extending direction can be made within ± 90 degrees. . For example, when photographing the front of the vehicle, it is bent within 90 degrees forward with respect to the extending direction, and when photographing the inside of the vehicle, it is photographed if bent backward within 90 degrees with respect to the extending direction be able to. Therefore, the load acting on the bent portion of the variable arm can be reduced. For example, the variable arm may be configured to be bent to adjust the position and orientation of the incident portion, but in particular, it may be configured to be bent anywhere as in a flexible arm.

  (4) An intermediate member is provided between the mounting portion and the variable arm, and the variable arm extends from the intermediate member along the inappropriate area to which the mounting portion is attached. It features.

  In this way, the variable arm can be prevented from becoming unnecessarily long. For example, when the variable arm extends in the normal direction of the mounting portion, if the mounting portion is mounted in an inappropriate area, it is necessary to fold the variable arm to adjust the position of the incident portion. There is no need to fold back the variable arm, and it is possible to prevent the length of the variable arm from becoming unnecessarily long.

  The intermediate member may be configured so as not to protrude from the inappropriate area when the mounting portion is mounted to the inappropriate area. In particular, the size should be such that it does not protrude from the inappropriate area. Also, the intermediate member may be composed of a plurality of members. In particular, it is preferable to use one or two members. In this way, it is possible to reduce the possibility of coming out of the inappropriate area. Also, the intermediate member may be separate from the member having the attachment portion, but is particularly preferably integrated with the member having the attachment portion. This can make it even less noticeable.

  (5) The variable arm is characterized in that it extends from the intermediate member toward the appropriate area which is the area other than the inappropriate area from the inappropriate area where the mounting portion is attached.

  In this way, the route from the unsuitable area to the appropriate area can be shortened, and the variable arm can be prevented from being unnecessarily long.

  (6) The variable arm is attached to the intermediate member such that the variable arm extends in a direction intersecting the normal direction of the attachment portion.

  In this way, the variable arm can be extended substantially parallel to the mounting surface, and the length of the variable arm can be shortened. In order to attach the variable arm in this manner, the intermediate member may be box-shaped, or the intermediate member may be a member having an attachment wall which is erected in the normal direction of the attachment portion.

  (7) The variable arm is mounted at a position offset in a direction away from the mounting portion relative to the central portion of the intermediate member in the normal direction of the mounting portion.

  In this way, the front area for bending the variable arm can be enlarged. Therefore, the variable arm can be easily bent forward. This makes it possible to position the incident portion in an appropriate area more easily. Further, when the variable arm is bent, the incident portion can be positioned more forward than the connection position, so that it is not necessary to temporarily bend the variable arm backward and then bend it forward. As a result, the load acting on the variable arm can be reduced. The distance to be offset may be positioned as backward as possible (in a direction away from the mounting portion), and it is better if the incident portion can be positioned in an appropriate area without bending the variable arm back once. .

  (8) The variable arm is characterized in that it is configured to be removable from the intermediate member.

  In this way, maintenance such as replacement of the variable arm is facilitated. Also, variable arms of different lengths can be easily replaced, and variable arms of a suitable length corresponding to the movement position can be connected.

  (9) At least a part of the intermediate member is formed in a box shape.

  This makes it easy to hold the intermediate member. Therefore, the handling at the time of attaching an attachment part becomes easy. In addition, when the mounting portion and the intermediate member are integrated, the mounting surface can be enlarged, and the mounting performance can be improved. Further, the intermediate member includes a mounting plate having a mounting portion, a main body mounting arm extended from the mounting plate, and a box-shaped member positioned on the other end side of the main body mounting arm The variable arm may be extended. In addition, it is particularly preferable that the mounting portion be provided on one surface side of the box-shaped member itself, and the variable arm be extended from the other surface side of the box-shaped member.

  (10) At least a part of the intermediate member is formed so as to be able to accommodate an electronic component.

  According to this configuration, the variable arm and the imaging unit can be reduced in weight by accommodating in the intermediate member a part of the electronic component and the electronic component that is originally mounted on the imaging unit and the like. . In particular, as the electronic component stored in the intermediate member, an electronic component used for an imaging unit, wireless communication and the like, a recording medium for recording an image, and the like may be used. Further, the intermediate member includes a mounting plate having a mounting portion, a main body mounting arm extended from the mounting plate, and a box-shaped member positioned on the other end side of the main body mounting arm, The electronic component may be accommodated, and the variable arm may be extended from the box-shaped member. Further, it is particularly preferable that the mounting portion is provided on one surface side of the box-shaped member itself, the electronic component is accommodated in the box-shaped member, and the variable arm is extended from the other surface side of the box-shaped member.

  (11) The intermediate member is characterized in that it has a connected portion to which a variable arm can be connected on a surface intersecting with the mounting portion.

  In this way, the variable arm can be attached to the surface intersecting the attachment part of the intermediate member. Therefore, the variable arm can be easily extended along the inappropriate area. This makes it possible to prevent the length of the variable arm from becoming unnecessarily long.

  (12) The intermediate member is characterized by having a plurality of connected parts to which the variable arm can be connected.

  In this way, it is possible to connect a plurality of variable arms. In addition, the connection position of the variable arm can be easily changed, and a suitable connection position of the variable arm can be selected according to the mounting position of the mounting portion. Therefore, by selecting the necessary connection position, it is possible to prevent the variable arm from becoming unnecessarily long.

  (13) The intermediate member includes a monitor capable of displaying an image captured by the imaging unit.

  In this way, it is possible to adjust the position and the orientation of the incident part while looking at the image displayed on the monitor of the intermediate member. Therefore, adjustment of the position and orientation of the incident part by the variable arm is facilitated. In addition, it is possible to confirm on the spot images and the like before and after the accident occurrence, and to improve convenience and playability of the in-vehicle device.

  (14) A monitor display direction setting unit capable of setting the vertical direction of the image displayed on the monitor is provided.

  In this way, when a monitor is provided on the intermediate member, the vertical direction of the image displayed on the monitor viewed from the driver may be changed depending on the orientation of the intermediate member or the imaging unit. By setting the vertical direction of the video in the setting unit, it is possible to prevent the vertical direction of the video displayed on the monitor from being changed.

  (15) A monitor display direction fixing unit is provided which fixes the vertical direction of the image set by the monitor display direction setting unit as the vertical direction of the imaging unit after the attachment unit is attached.

  In this way, it is possible to capture an image according to the behavior of the vehicle. For example, if an accident or the like occurs after setting the vertical direction of the image by the monitor display direction setting unit, the image can be recorded as if the image is rotated if the imaging is rotated by the rollover of the vehicle.

  (16) The variable arm is characterized in that a cable can be inserted therethrough.

  In this way, it is possible to eliminate the exposure of a cable such as an electric wire or an optical fiber that connects the imaging unit and the electronic component or the like. Therefore, it can prevent that a cable etc. obstructs a driver's view. As a result, safety can be improved, and visual effects such as improved appearance can be improved.

  (17) The variable arm is characterized in that it is configured to be bendable so that the distal end portion can be moved in any direction around the proximal end portion.

  In this way, the degree of freedom of the movable direction in the movable area of the variable arm can be increased. Therefore, for example, when the incident part is attached to the distal end and the proximal end is connected to the mounting part, the variable arm can be freely bent in any direction, so the position and orientation of the incident part can be finely adjusted. become. Thereby, within the reach of the variable arm, the incident part can be moved to a desired position of the driver, and for example, it is possible to finely adjust the layout of the incident part according to the driver's preference. Further, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the shooting range in the shooting direction in which the desired shooting target exists is obstructed by an obstacle or the like and the shooting target can not be shot.

  As a variable arm having such a configuration, for example, a flexible arm configured to rotatably connect a plurality of parts and configured to be freely bent in any direction, and a bellows configured to be freely extended and contracted and bent. It may be a bellows arm of a shape or the like.

  (18) The variable arm is configured to change the shape according to the applied force when a force larger than a predetermined force acts, and to maintain the shape when a force smaller than a predetermined force acts. It is characterized by being.

  In this way, while the position and the direction of the incident part are maintained in a situation where only a force less than the predetermined force acts, the position and the orientation of the incident part can be obtained if a force larger than the predetermined force is applied. Can be changed. In particular, a force less than a predetermined force may be a force generated by vibration of a vehicle or the like.

  For example, when a force equal to or less than the force generated by the vibration of the vehicle acts on the variable arm, the shape (for example, posture) is maintained, but a force larger than the force generated by the vibration of the vehicle by the driver's hand or the like. If に is applied to the variable arm, a predetermined force may be set such that the variable arm folds in the direction of the applied force. In this way, the driver can change the shape of the variable arm by hand to adjust the position of the incident part only when it is necessary to adjust the position of the incident part, and the incident part changes its shape during traveling. It is possible to take pictures of driving conditions etc. In addition, since the shape of the variable arm does not change even if a force generated by vibration of the vehicle acts after adjusting the position of the incident part, it is not necessary to separately provide a member for fixing the incident part after position adjustment. Furthermore, once adjustment is performed, it is not necessary to adjust the incident position every time. The variable arm may be configured to be deformed by applying a force equal to or greater than a predetermined force from the inside of the hollow variable arm, in addition to the force applied from the outside by the driver's hand.

  (19) The variable arm is characterized by having irradiation means capable of irradiating the front of the incident portion.

  In this way, when the light quantity is insufficient when the interior of the vehicle is photographed by the imaging unit, the light quantity can be added by irradiating the subject. Also, by deforming the variable arm, it can be used as a spotlight when looking at or looking for something in the car.

  For example, the configurations of (1) to (19) described above may be configured alone or in any combination. In addition, the components described in each of the items (1) to (19) may be combined arbitrarily to configure the device.

  According to the present invention, in the on-vehicle apparatus having the imaging unit, the variable arm is deformed to adjust the position and the orientation of the incident unit, thereby attaching the sensor to an inappropriate area which is suitable for mounting but not suitable for photographing. It is possible to preferably take a picture of a subject.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a drive recorder according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure showing typically the drive recorder concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the drive recorder concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state which attached the drive recorder to the black ceramic coating part of the windshield of a vehicle. It is a perspective view which shows typically the drive recorder which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically the drive recorder which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the drive recorder concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows typically the drive recorder which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically the drive recorder which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state which attached the drive recorder which concerns on 3rd Embodiment to the back surface of a room mirror. It is six views showing an example of the appearance of the integrated device concerning a 4th embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state which pulled out the flexible arm from the integrated device which concerns on 4th Embodiment.

  An on-vehicle apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The on-vehicle apparatus according to the present embodiment is provided with a variable arm for making it possible to take an image of an object to be photographed even when the vehicle is attached to an inappropriate area that is not suitable for photographing the object to be photographed. In the following embodiments, a drive recorder (first to third embodiments) including a flexible camera unit having a CCD camera attached at its tip as an example of such an on-vehicle device, and in the first to third embodiments. It demonstrates using the integrated device (4th Embodiment) which has a drive recorder function and a navigation function to be described.

First Embodiment
A drive recorder 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the black ceramic coated portion of the front glass 101 of the front of the vehicle interior of the vehicle 100 is taken as an example of an inappropriate area when capturing the front of the vehicle 100 from the vehicle interior. The case where the drive recorder 1 is attached to 102 will be described. First, the schematic configuration of the drive recorder 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a drive recorder 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig.2 (a) is a front view which shows the drive recorder 1 typically, (b) is a right view, (c) is a top view. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the drive recorder 1 according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the drive recorder 1 captures a video and records the captured video (hereinafter referred to as a “drive recorder body”) 2, and the drive recorder 2 is a windshield of the vehicle 100. And a bracket 3 for attachment to the black ceramic painted portion 102 (see FIG. 4).

  The drive recorder main body 2 includes a housing 20 capable of housing electronic components such as various sensors therein, a flexible camera unit (hereinafter simply referred to as a “camera unit”) 4 capable of photographing an object to be photographed, and a control unit (see FIG. 3). And 5).

  The housing 20 is flat and substantially rectangular (about 100 mm (longitudinal direction) × about 80 mm (short side direction) × about 20 mm) so as not to protrude from the black ceramic coated portion 102 when attached to the black ceramic coated portion 102 (In the depth direction)). In addition, the housing 20 is connected to a rectangular display panel 21 capable of displaying an image captured by the camera unit 4, an SD slot 22 capable of inserting an SD card 200, and a plurality of camera connections capable of connecting the camera unit 4. Terminals 23a to 23d, a first connection terminal 24 to which a cigar plug cord can be connected to receive power supply from the vehicle 100, and a second connection terminal 25 to which a personal computer or the like can be connected are provided.

  The display panel 21 is provided on the front surface of the housing 20, and is configured of a liquid crystal panel (about 3 inches). The SD slot 22 is located on one side W1 in the longitudinal direction W of the housing 20 (the direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the display panel 21), and is provided on a first side surface substantially orthogonal to the front surface. By inserting the SD card 200 into the SD slot 22 and recording the captured video on the inserted SD card 200, the drive recorder main body 2 can easily carry out the captured video. The camera connection terminals 23a to 23d are located on the first side surface of the housing 20 and the other side W2 in the longitudinal direction W of the housing 20, and the second side surface substantially orthogonal to the front surface, the width direction of the housing 20 (display Provided on one side H1 of the panel 21 in a direction substantially parallel to the short side direction of the panel 21 and on the third side and the other side H2 substantially orthogonal to the front side and on a fourth side substantially orthogonal to the front side It is formed at a position offset to the near side (front side) D1 with respect to the center in the depth direction D (the direction substantially parallel to the thickness direction of the display panel) D of the housing 20.

  The first connection terminal 24 is provided on the second side surface of the housing 20. By connecting the cigar plug cord to the first connection terminal 24, the power supply of the drive recorder main body 2 is turned on / off in conjunction with the key operation of the vehicle 100. The second connection terminal 25 is provided on the second side surface of the housing 20. When the drive recorder main body 2 is connected to a personal computer or the like through the second connection terminal 25, the software version can be upgraded.

  The camera unit 4 includes a flexible arm 40 which can be freely bent and deformed anywhere in any direction, and a CCD camera 41 capable of photographing an object to be photographed. The flexible arm 40 has a CCD camera 41 attached to a tip end 40 a, and a base end 40 b is formed so as to be connectable to a plurality of camera connection terminals 23 a to 23 d of the housing 20. The flexible arm 40 connects the proximal end 40b to any of the plurality of camera connection terminals 23a to 23d, and then bends and deforms anywhere to free the CCD camera 41 attached to the tip with respect to the housing 20. It is possible to move relative to. The flexible arm 40 according to the present embodiment is configured by connecting a plurality of members so as to be relatively angularly deformable, and the bending angle of the whole is made larger as the number of members relatively being angularly deformed in the same direction is increased. It can be done. That is, the amount of bending deformation can be increased.

  In addition, the flexible arm 40 deforms in response to the applied force when a force larger than a predetermined force acts, and has rigidity to maintain its shape when a force less than the predetermined force acts. For example, although the flexible arm 40 is deformed when the driver tries to bend it by hand, the shape is maintained even if a force due to the vibration of the vehicle 100 or the like is applied. That is, the flexible arm 40 deforms when an artificial force acts, and maintains the shape when a force based on the normal driving of the vehicle 100 acts. Therefore, when the driver deforms the flexible arm 40, the shape is maintained until the driver deforms the flexible arm 40 next time.

  Furthermore, when the drive recorder 1 is attached to the black ceramic coating portion 102, the flexible arm 40 has such a length that the CCD camera 41 can take a posture to be able to photograph the outside of the vehicle while avoiding the black ceramic coating portion 102. ing. For example, the flexible arm 40 may be longer than the maximum length of the black ceramic coating portion 102. In this way, regardless of where the drive recorder 1 is attached to the black ceramic coating portion 102, the flexible arm 40 takes a posture that allows the CCD camera 41 to capture the outside of the vehicle while avoiding the black ceramic coating portion 102. There is a high possibility of doing. Further, it is preferable that the flexible arm 40 has such a length as to allow the CCD camera 41 to take an image outside the vehicle by exceeding the outer peripheral portion of the black ceramic coating portion 102 farthest from the mounting position where the drive recorder 1 can be securely mounted. . In this way, it is possible to prevent the flexible arm 40 from becoming unnecessarily long.

  In the present embodiment, when the drive recorder 1 is attached to the substantially central portion of the black ceramic coating portion 102, the flexible arm 40 exceeds the outer peripheral portion of the black ceramic coated portion 102 farthest from the substantially central portion. It is long enough to take an attitude that enables shooting outside the car. This can further prevent the flexible arm 40 from becoming unnecessarily long.

  Specifically, in the case where the above-mentioned case 20 is attached to the substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the black ceramic coated portion 102 having a length in the longitudinal direction of 200 mm and a length in the lateral direction of 150 mm, In order to be able to photograph the exterior of the vehicle from the interior of the vehicle beyond the outer periphery of one side in the longitudinal direction of the black ceramic coating portion 102 by the CCD camera 41 attached to the tip of the flexible arm 40 connected to the camera connection terminal 23a on one side. Since the distance from the end of the one side W1 in the longitudinal direction W of the housing 20 to the end of the one side in the longitudinal direction of the black ceramic coated portion 102 is 50 mm, the flexible arm 40 of 80 mm is By using the above, it is possible to take a posture in which the outside of the vehicle can be photographed well. If a plurality of flexible arms having different lengths are selected and connected, it is possible to prevent the flexible arms from becoming unnecessarily long.

  The structure of the flexible arm 40 is not particularly limited as long as it is a flexible arm that can be bent and deformed anywhere. Moreover, since a general CCD camera can be used also for the CCD camera 41, a specific description is omitted here. In addition, photographing data photographed by the CCD camera 41 is transmitted to a memory (see FIG. 3) 53 or the like disposed inside the housing 20 via a cable (not shown) inserted through the inside of the flexible arm 40. It has become so.

  The control unit 5 is configured by a microcomputer having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and controls the entire operation of the drive recorder 1. For example, the control unit 5 causes the memory 53 to primarily store the video (including images taken continuously) captured by the camera unit 4 cyclically in the memory 53 together with time data, or from a detection sensor such as a G sensor 50 described later. Based on the detection signal, the photographed video (including the continuously photographed image) is stored in the SD card 200 or the like. About control (operation of drive recorder 1) of drive recorder 1 by control part 5 at the time of storing an image (including a continuously photographed image) photographed based on a detection signal from a detection sensor such as G sensor 50 , Will be described in detail later.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 5 includes the camera unit 4, the display panel 21, the SD slot 22, the first connection terminal 24, the second connection terminal 25, the G sensor 50, and the gyro sensor 51. The GPS receiver 52, the memory 53, the vehicle signal acquisition unit 54, the display direction setting button 55, and the display direction fixing button 56 are connected.

  The G sensor 50 detects gravitational acceleration (G data) in two axial directions (X axis and Y axis) orthogonal to each other. The control unit 5 inputs G data (Gx, Gy) detected by the G sensor 50, and calculates an acceleration value (magnitude) from the input G data. Gx indicates G data in the X-axis direction (front-rear direction of the vehicle 100) and Gy indicates Y-axis direction (the left-right direction of the vehicle 100). Alternatively, the G sensor 50 may use a three-axis sensor that detects acceleration in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction of the vehicle 100), or may use G sensor that detects acceleration in the three-axis direction. The configuration may not use data (Gz).

  The gyro sensor 51 detects a change in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 (angular acceleration data). The control unit 5 receives the angular acceleration data detected by the gyro sensor 51, and calculates the value (magnitude) of the angular acceleration from the input angular acceleration data.

  The GPS receiver 52 receives the GPS signal by the GPS antenna 52a, obtains the current position from the received GPS signal, and transmits the obtained position information (history, latitude) of the current position to the control unit 5. Further, the GPS signal includes date and time data, and the GPS receiver 52 transmits the date and time data included in the received GPS signal to the control unit 5.

  The vehicle signal acquisition unit 54 is connected to a failure diagnosis connector or the like of the vehicle 100, acquires various signals and information (vehicle data) of the vehicle 100, and wirelessly transmits the acquired vehicle data. The wireless signal from the adapter is received, the vehicle information is extracted, and the extracted vehicle information can be acquired from the control unit 5. As the vehicle data, for example, a signal detecting a brake operation at the time of driving a vehicle, a signal detecting a turn signal operation, a signal detecting an accelerator operation, a signal detecting a steering wheel rotation, a signal detecting a shift lever position, a side brake operation Signal detected vehicle failure diagnosis information (vehicle speed, engine rotation speed, coolant temperature etc) and various vehicle information (each function control data from ECU, communication data from network outside car and other vehicles etc) etc. . The control unit 5 obtains these and determines the state of the vehicle 100.

  The display direction setting button 55 has the vertical direction of the image displayed on the display panel 21 regardless of the direction of the housing 20 (the direction in which the longitudinal direction W is the vertical direction or the direction in which the short direction H is the vertical direction). It is for rotating the image so as to be constant. For example, when the housing 20 is attached in the direction shown in FIG. 1 (one side H1 in the short side direction H is upward), pressing the display direction setting button 55 causes the image captured by the CCD camera 41 to be captured. The image is rotated so as to be one side H1 in the short side direction H. In addition, for example, when the casing 20 is attached with the other side W2 in the longitudinal direction W up, pressing the display direction setting button 55 causes the other side of the image captured by the CCD camera 41 in the longitudinal direction W to be The image is rotated to be the side W2. Note that control to rotate the image displayed on the display panel 21 is performed by the control unit 5, and the control unit 5 controls the upper and lower sides of the housing 20 based on the direction of gravitational acceleration appearing on the Z axis acquired from the G sensor 50. The direction is detected, and the image is rotated based on the detected vertical direction of the housing 20.

  The display direction fixing button 56 is for fixing the display direction of the image set by the display direction setting button 55. For example, when the vehicle 100 turns over, if the vertical direction is set based on the direction of gravitational acceleration, the image turning over can not be taken, but the vertical direction of the image displayed on the display panel 21 with the display direction fixing button 56 By fixing regardless of the direction of the gravitational acceleration, it is possible to capture an image according to the behavior of the vehicle 100. Control for fixing the direction of the image is performed by the control unit 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 (b) and 2 (c), the bracket 3 has a first attachment portion 30 to which a double-sided tape for attachment to the back surface of the casing 20 of the drive recorder main body 2 is attached. A second attaching portion 31 to which a double-sided tape for attaching to the portion 102 is attached, and a connecting portion 32 connecting the first attaching portion 30 and the second attaching portion 30 are provided. The connecting portion 32 and the first mounting portion 30 have an angle such that the display panel 21 of the housing 20 faces the driver when the bracket 3 to which the housing 20 is attached is attached to the black ceramic coating portion 102. The second attachment portion 31 is connected. In the present embodiment, the mounting surface of the first mounting portion 30 to the housing 20 is formed to be about 30 degrees with respect to the mounting surface of the second mounting portion 31 to the black ceramic coating portion 102. .

  As in the present embodiment, by adjusting the position of the CCD camera 41 using the flexible arm 40, an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the direction of the housing 20 by the bracket 3 after being attached to the black ceramic coating portion 102 is unnecessary. become. Therefore, after attaching the housing | casing 20 to the black ceramic coating part 102 through the bracket 3, it can prevent that the housing | casing 20 moves unnecessary by the adjustment mechanism of a bracket. Thereby, the attachment state of the housing | casing 20 is stabilized.

  Next, a method of using the drive recorder 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a view showing the drive recorder 1 attached to the black ceramic coating portion 102 of the windshield 101 of the vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. First, a method of attaching the drive recorder 1 to the black ceramic coating portion 102 will be described.

  The drive recorder 1 according to the present embodiment is attached to the black ceramic coating portion 102 which is suitable for attachment but not suitable for photographing an object to be photographed. That is, the drive recorder 1 is attached to the inappropriate area. Here, the inappropriate area is a place that meets the security standards of the road transportation vehicle, etc. and is a place that does not interfere with the driver's view or the on-vehicle equipment, but directs the camera in the shooting direction that can shoot the desired shooting target. In such a case, there is an element such as an obstacle to be captured by the camera in the shooting direction, and an element that inhibits shooting of the shooting target. As factors that inhibit the imaging of the imaging target, in addition to those that are always present, there are elements that are expressed under specific conditions. Specifically, as the unsuitable area, as shown in FIG. 4, the black ceramic coating part 102, the A pillar part 105, the ceiling part 106 and the area 104 out of the wiper wiping area 103 etc. is there.

  Note that when the sun visor 107 is lowered, both sides of the sun visor area 107a and the rearview mirror 108 where the sun visor 107 is located are suitable for shooting but not suitable for mounting. If mounted on both sides of the rearview mirror, the driver's view may be obstructed, and if mounted on the sun visor area 107a, the sun visor 107 may be obstructed when the sun visor 107 is used.

  If a general drive recorder is directly attached to the unsuitable area, the camera can not be photographed unless the opaque obstacle is avoided, since there is an opaque obstacle in the shooting direction of the camera. Therefore, as described above, the drive recorder 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with the flexible arm 40 to which the CCD camera 41 is attached at the tip, and the flexible arm 40 is deformed to prevent the CCD camera 41 from impervious obstacles. By avoiding and positioning in an appropriate area, it is possible to shoot a shooting target.

  Here, the appropriate area is an area in which there is no element that interferes with the imaging of the object to be imaged, such as the absence of an obstacle that appears in the imaging direction in the CCD camera 41. Specifically, as an appropriate area, as shown in FIG. 4, a place adjacent to the A-pillar portion 105 in the wiping area 103 of the windshield, around the black ceramic coated portion 102 of the windshield 101, etc. is there. Hereinafter, the case where the drive recorder 1 is attached to the black ceramic coating portion 102 and the CCD camera 41 is positioned beyond the outer circumference of the black ceramic coating portion 102 to photograph the front of the vehicle 100 will be described.

  First, the driver attaches the first attachment portion 30 of the bracket 3 to the rear surface of the housing 20 with double-sided tape, and then exposes the double-sided tape attached to the second attachment portion 31 of the bracket 3. Then, the driver holds the housing 20 so that the one side H1 in the short side direction H of the housing 20 is up, and the second attachment portion 31 of the bracket 3 is approximately at the center of the black ceramic coating portion 102 in the width direction. Paste to the department. At this time, since the case 20 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, the driver can easily hold the case 20, and the second attachment portion 31 can be easily attached to the black ceramic coating portion 102.

  Next, the driver attaches the camera unit 4 to the housing 20. In the present embodiment, the base end of the camera unit 4 is inserted into and attached to the camera connection terminal 23a. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, the camera unit 4 extends toward the outer periphery of the black ceramic coated portion 102 substantially parallel to the black ceramic coated portion 102 and substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing 20. Become. The attachment of the proximal end of the camera unit 4 to the camera connection terminal 23a is not limited to insertion, and may be screwed.

  The driver then connects the cigar plug cord to the first connection terminal 24. By connecting the cigar plug cord to the first connection terminal 24, the power of the drive recorder 1 is turned on in conjunction with the key operation of the vehicle 100 to start driving. When the power is turned on, the control unit 5 causes the display panel 21 to display an image captured by the CCD camera 41. An image is taken at any time at a rate of 30 frames per second and displayed on the display panel 21 in real time. Therefore, the driver positions the CCD camera 41 so that the front of the vehicle 100 can be photographed while viewing the image displayed on the display panel 21. Specifically, the driver bends and deforms the flexible arm 40 by hand so that the CCD camera 41 faces the front of the vehicle 100 at a position beyond the outer periphery of the black ceramic coating portion 102. At this time, since the camera unit 4 extends along the black ceramic coating portion 102 toward the outer periphery of the black ceramic coating portion 102, it is possible to reduce the amount of bending deformation when positioning the CCD camera 41.

  After adjusting the position and orientation of the CCD camera 41, when the driver presses the display direction setting button 55, the control unit causes the image captured by the CCD camera 41 to be on the one side H1 in the short direction H. 5 rotates the image. The control unit 5 detects the vertical direction of the housing 20 based on the direction of gravitational acceleration, and rotates the image based on the detected vertical direction of the housing 20. Note that this may be automatically performed without pressing the display direction setting button 55. After setting the orientation of the image, the driver then presses the display orientation fixing button 56 to fix the orientation of the set image. As a result, it is possible to capture an image linked to the behavior of the vehicle 100.

  Next, an operation of the drive recorder 1 will be described when it is assumed that an event is generated after the drive recorder 1 is attached to the vehicle 100 and an impact having a possibility of an impact at the time of an accident is applied to the vehicle 100.

  When an impact is applied to the vehicle 100, the value (magnitude) of the G data output from the G sensor 50 rapidly increases. Then, when the value (size) of the G data of the G sensor 50 reaches the threshold acceleration Gs (for example, 0.3 G), the control unit 5 determines that an event has occurred, and the CCD camera 41 captures an image. An image temporarily stored in a circular form at 53 is stored in the SD card 200 together with event occurrence time data. For example, an image of T seconds from Ta seconds before the event occurrence time to Tb seconds after the event occurrence time is stored in the SD card 200. The time T seconds stored when an event occurs can be set in advance by the driver.

  In addition, when an event occurs, the control unit 5 detects G data detected by the G sensor 50, detected angular acceleration data of the gyro sensor 51, and vehicle data acquired by the vehicle signal acquisition unit 54 (for example, brake operation Data, steering wheel operation data, vehicle speed data, etc.) and time data, which is data of time when data were acquired from these sensors, are stored in the SD card 200.

  Although the number of events stored in the SD card 200 can be changed according to the storage capacity of the SD card 200, it is preferable to be able to store 500 or more events. In addition, the control unit 5 may create a folder for each event in the SD card 200 and store data. In addition, a memory such as a non-volatile memory may be separately provided, and the video of the event may be recorded in the non-volatile memory. Also, at the same time as the video, these data are temporarily stored in the memory 53 in a circular fashion, and these data for T seconds from Ta seconds before the event occurrence time to Tb seconds after the event occurrence time are stored in the SD card 200 You may make it

  According to the drive recorder 1 having the above configuration, the following effects can be obtained. The drive recorder 1 includes a flexible arm 40 capable of freely changing the relative position of the CCD camera 41 to the housing 20. Therefore, even when the drive recorder 1 is attached to the black ceramic coating portion 102, the CCD camera 41 can be avoided from the black ceramic coating portion 102 so as to enable photographing. Thus, even when the drive recorder 1 is attached to the black ceramic coating portion 102 suitable for mounting but not suitable for shooting, the outside of the vehicle can be shot with the CCD camera 41.

  Further, even if the drive recorder 1 fails to attach the drive recorder 1 to the windshield 101, the drive arm 1 adjusts the position and the direction of the CCD camera 41 with the flexible arm 40 to cover the attachment failure. Can.

  Furthermore, the flexible arm 40 has such a length that the CCD camera 41 can take a posture that allows the CCD camera 41 to photograph the outside of the vehicle beyond the black ceramic coating portion 102 when the drive recorder 1 is attached to the black ceramic coating portion 102. There is. Therefore, the drive recorder 1 can reliably position the CCD camera 41 in an appropriate area without unnecessarily lengthening the flexible arm.

  In addition, the flexible arm is configured to be bendable and deformable everywhere so that the CCD camera 41 at the tip end portion 40a can be moved in any direction. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the position of the CCD camera 41 in the movable area of the flexible arm 40 is high, and the position and the orientation of the CCD camera 41 can be finely adjusted.

  The flexible arm 40 is deformed when bent by the driver's hand, and is not deformed when a force acting on the vibration or the like of the vehicle 100 acts. Therefore, only when the position and the orientation of the CCD camera 41 need to be adjusted, the driver can change the shape of the flexible arm 40 by hand to adjust the position of the CCD camera 41, etc., and the flexible arm 40 has a shape during traveling. It is possible to photograph the running condition etc. without changing the. In addition, the shape of the flexible arm does not change even if the force generated by the vibration of the vehicle 100 acts after adjusting the position etc. of the CCD camera 41. Therefore, a member for fixing the CCD camera 41 after position adjustment is separately provided. There is no need for it. Furthermore, once adjustment is performed, it is not necessary to adjust the incident position every time. The flexible arm 40 may be configured to be deformed by applying a force from the inside of the flexible arm 40, in addition to the force applied from the outside by the hand of the driver.

  Further, the drive recorder 1 is easy to hold the housing 20 because the housing 20 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Therefore, for example, the attachment when attaching the drive recorder 1 is facilitated. In addition, by housing electronic components such as various sensors in the housing 20, the flexible arm 40 can be reduced in weight and size.

  Further, in the drive recorder 1, the flexible arm 40 is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the housing 20, so maintenance of the flexible arm 40 is facilitated. Also, it can be easily replaced with a flexible arm of an appropriate length according to the mounting location.

  In addition, the drive recorder 1 can extend the flexible arm 40 in a direction intersecting the normal direction of the black ceramic coating portion 102 of the housing 20 so that the flexible arm 40 can be extended along the black ceramic coating portion 102. A plurality of camera connection terminals 23a to 23d which can be connected are provided. Therefore, changing the connection position of the flexible arm 40 can suppress the flexible arm 40 from being unnecessarily long.

  Further, in the drive recorder 1, since the plurality of camera connection terminals 23 a to 23 d are provided offset to the front side of the housing 20, the area on the rear side of the housing 20 can be enlarged. That is, the area on the side of bending can be enlarged when photographing outside the vehicle. As a result, bending of the flexible arm 40 is facilitated, and adjustment of the position and orientation of the CCD camera 41 is facilitated. It is preferable that the offset distance be positioned on the front side as much as possible. For example, it is preferable to secure a region where the flexible arm 40 may not be bent to the front side once.

  In addition, since the drive recorder 1 is provided with a display panel capable of displaying an image captured by the CCD camera 41, the driver adjusts the position and orientation of the CCD camera 41 while viewing the image displayed on the display panel 21. can do. In addition, it is possible to check on the spot the scenery before and after the event occurrence and the driving situation. That is, convenience and playability can be improved.

  Further, since the drive recorder 1 has a cable for transmitting image data captured by a CCD camera inserted through the flexible arm 40, it is possible to prevent unnecessary exposure of the cable etc. It can prevent obstructing a view. As a result, safety can be improved, and visual effects such as improved appearance can also be improved.

Second Embodiment
Next, a drive recorder 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5 to FIG. The drive recorder 1A according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a member having a second attachment portion is integrated with a housing without having a display panel. Therefore, in the second embodiment, points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same configuration as the first embodiment is denoted with the same reference numeral, and the description thereof will be omitted.

  First, a schematic configuration of the drive recorder 1A will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing a drive recorder 1A according to the second embodiment. 6 (a) is a front view schematically showing the drive recorder 1A, (b) is a right side view, and (c) is a top view. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of a drive recorder 1A according to the second embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the drive recorder 1A includes a drive recorder main body 2A. The drive recorder main body 2A includes a flat rectangular parallelepiped housing 20A, a camera unit 4, and a control unit (see FIG. 7) 5A.

  The housing 20A is formed in a flat, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape so as not to protrude from the black ceramic coating portion 102 when attached to the black ceramic coating portion 102. In addition, the housing 20A is attached to be attached to the SD slot 22, a plurality of camera connection terminals 23a to 23e, the first connection terminal 24, the second connection terminal 25, and the black ceramic coating portion 102 of the windshield 101. And a unit 35. The camera connection terminal 23e is provided on the front surface of the near side D1 in the depth direction D of the housing 20A. The mounting portion 35 is provided integrally with the housing 20A on the back of the back side D2 in the depth direction D of the housing 20A. The mounting portion 35 can be made inconspicuous by integrating the mounting portion 35 with the housing 20A. On the mounting portion 35, a double-sided tape for sticking to the black ceramic coating portion 102 is stuck.

  The control unit 5A includes a camera unit 4, an SD slot 22, a first connection terminal 24, a second connection terminal 25, a G sensor 50, a gyro sensor 51, a GPS receiver 52, a memory 53, and a vehicle. A signal acquisition unit 54, a display direction fixing button 56, and a wireless communication unit 57 are connected. The wireless communication unit 57 is provided to transmit the image captured by the control unit 5A to the smartphone or navigation device in order to display the image captured by the camera unit 4 on the liquid crystal screen of the smartphone or navigation device. There is.

  Next, a method of using the drive recorder 1A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The operation of the drive recorder 1A after the occurrence of an event is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted. Further, in the present embodiment, a case where the control unit 5A transmits the image captured by the CCD camera 41 to the smart phone via the wireless communication unit 57 will be described.

  First, the driver exposes the double-sided tape attached to the attachment portion 35 on the back surface of the housing 20A. Then, with the housing 20A, the attachment portion 35 to which the double-sided tape is exposed is attached to a substantially central portion in the width direction of the black ceramic coating portion 102. At this time, since the case 20A is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, the driver can easily hold the case 20A, and attachment to the black ceramic coating portion 102 is easy.

  Next, the driver attaches the camera unit 4 to the housing 20A. In the present embodiment, the base end of the camera unit 4 is attached to the camera unit 4 by inserting the base end into the camera connection terminal 23 a. By attaching the base end of the camera unit 4 to the camera connection terminal 23a, as shown in FIG. 4, the camera unit 4 extends toward the outer periphery of the black ceramic portion 102 substantially in parallel with the black ceramic portion 102. It will be in a state of

  The driver then connects the cigar plug cord to the first connection terminal 24. When the drive recorder 1 is powered on in conjunction with a key operation to start driving the vehicle 100, the control unit 5A transmits the image taken by the CCD camera 41 to the smartphone via the wireless communication unit 57. , Display on the LCD screen of the smartphone. Therefore, the driver positions the CCD camera 41 so that the front of the vehicle 100 can be photographed while viewing the image displayed on the liquid crystal screen of the smart phone. Specifically, the driver manually bends the flexible arm 40 by hand so that the CCD camera 41 at the tip of the flexible arm 40 faces the front of the vehicle 100 at a position beyond the outer periphery of the black ceramic coating portion 102. Transform it.

  As described above, in the drive recorder 1A according to the second embodiment, the control unit 5A transmits the image captured by the CCD camera 41 via the wireless communication unit 57 to the smart phone, which eliminates the need for display on the front panel, The housing 20A can be miniaturized.

  Further, in the drive recorder 1A, since the mounting portion 35 is integrated with the housing 20A, the mounting surface of the mounting portion 35 can be enlarged, and the mountability of the housing 20A can be improved.

Third Embodiment
Next, a drive recorder 1B according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 8 to FIG. The drive recorder 1B according to the third embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that the drive recorder 1B is configured to be attachable to the rearview mirror 108 of the vehicle 100. Therefore, in the third embodiment, points different from the second embodiment will be mainly described, and the same configuration as the second embodiment is denoted by the same reference numeral, and the description thereof will be omitted.

  First, the schematic configuration of the drive recorder 1B will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically showing the drive recorder 1B according to the third embodiment. 9 (a) is a front view schematically showing the drive recorder 1B, (b) is a right side view, and (c) is a top view.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the drive recorder 1B includes a drive recorder main body 2B. The drive recorder main body 2B includes a flat rectangular parallelepiped casing 20B, a camera unit 4, and a control unit (see FIG. 7) 5A.

  The housing 20B is formed such that the length in the longitudinal direction W is shorter than the length in the width direction of the rearview mirror 108, and the length in the transverse direction H is substantially the same as the length in the vertical direction of the rearview mirror It is formed as. In addition, the housing 20A includes an SD slot 22, a plurality of camera connection terminals 23a to 23c, a first connection terminal 24, a second connection terminal 25, and an attachment portion 3B for attaching to the rearview mirror 108. ing.

  The mounting portion 3B is provided with a pair of holding portions 36, 37 for holding the rearview mirror 108. The pair of holding portions 36, 37 includes first locking claws 36a, 37a and second locking claws 36b, 37b, and the first locking claws 36a, 37a serve as outer edges of the upper side of the rearview mirror 108. By locking the second locking claws 36 b and 37 b to the lower outer edge of the rearview mirror 108, the housing 20 B is fixed to the rearview mirror 108.

  Next, a method of using the drive recorder 1B according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The operation of the drive recorder 1B after the occurrence of an event is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted. Further, in the present embodiment, a case where the control unit 5A transmits the image captured by the CCD camera 41 to the smart phone via the wireless communication unit 57 will be described. FIG. 10 is a view showing a state in which the drive recorder 1B according to the third embodiment is attached to the back surface of the rearview mirror 108. As shown in FIG.

  First, the driver locks the first locking claws 36a and 37a to the upper edge of the rearview mirror 108, and holds the second locking claws 36b and 37b to the lower edge of the rearview mirror 108 while maintaining this state. Let Thus, the drive recorder 1B is fixed to the rearview mirror 108.

  Next, the driver attaches the camera unit 4 to the housing 20B. In the present embodiment, the camera unit 4 is attached to the housing 20B by inserting the base end of the camera unit 4 into the camera connection terminal 23a. By inserting the base end portion of the camera unit 4 into the camera connection terminal 23a, as shown in FIG. 10, the camera unit 4 is extended substantially parallel to the width direction of the rearview mirror 108.

  The driver then connects the cigar plug cord to the first connection terminal 24. When the drive recorder 1 is powered on in conjunction with a key operation for starting the operation of the vehicle 100, the control unit 5A transmits the image captured by the CCD camera 41 to the smartphone via the wireless communication unit 57, Display on smart phone LCD screen. Therefore, the driver positions the CCD camera 41 so that the front of the vehicle 100 can be photographed while looking at the image displayed on the liquid crystal display unit of the smartphone. Specifically, the driver bends and deforms the flexible arm 40 by hand, and the CCD camera 41 avoids obstacles such as the support portion of the rearview mirror 108 so that the front of the vehicle 100 can be photographed. The arm 40 is bent and adjusted.

  As described above, since the drive recorder 1B according to the third embodiment is formed attachable to the back surface of the rearview mirror 108, the drive recorder 1B is attached to the vehicle 100 without being disturbed by the driver's view or vehicle equipment. be able to.

Fourth Embodiment
Next, an on-vehicle apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. The on-vehicle apparatus according to the fourth embodiment is an integrated apparatus 1000 having a general navigation function in addition to the drive recorder function having the camera unit 4 described in the first to third embodiments. The above description is used for the drive recorder function of the all-in-one device 1000, and the description of the specific function is omitted for the navigation function, since the function of the conventional navigation device is used.

  FIG. 11 is a six-sided view showing an example of the appearance of the integrated device 1000. In FIG. 11, a front view is shown in the second row of the center row. Here, in FIG. 11, when the integrated device 1000 is installed, the surface facing the touch panel 110 is a front view. A touch panel 110 is disposed on the front of the integrated device 1000. Further, the button 140 or the like is not disposed on the bezel surrounding the touch panel 110, so that the visual observation of the touch panel 110 is not hindered.

  A left side view is shown on the left of the front view. As shown in the left side view, an SD slot 180, a notification LED 130b, and a USB terminal 320 are disposed on the left side surface of the integrated device 1000. An SD card is inserted into the SD slot 180. The notification LED 130 b is an LED that indicates whether or not the integrated device 1000 is supplied with power, and lights up, for example, in green during power supply. Connected to the USB terminal 320 is a cigar plug cord 504 for connection to a cigar socket capable of supplying power to the integrated device 1000. In addition, in order to clarify the shape of the integrated device 1000, illustration is abbreviate | omitted regarding the code | cord part extended from the socket of a cigar plug cord in FIG.

  The right side view is shown on the right of the front view. As shown in the right side view, an SD slot 230 is disposed on the right side of the integrated device 1000, and an SD card is inserted into the SD slot 230.

  A top view is shown above the front view. As shown in the top view, the notification LED 130a, the button 140a, the button 140b, and the button 140c are disposed on the top surface of the integrated device 1000. The notification LED 130 a is used for indicating whether or not continuous recording is being performed by the drive recorder function of the integrated device 1000, and for example, lights up in red when continuous recording is not performed. The button 140a is a button 140 for starting manual recording using the drive recorder function, and recording is started when the button 140a is pressed. The button 140 b is a button 140 for stopping or resuming video recording at all times, and whenever the pressing is received, video recording is always stopped or resumed. The button 140c is a button 140 for turning on or off the integrated device 1000. When the power is on, the integrated device 1000 is turned off when it receives a press, and when the power is turned off, it is one if it is pressed. The figure device 1000 is turned on.

  A rear view is shown in the third row of the middle row. As shown in the rear view, the CCD camera 41 and the joint portion 502 are disposed on the back of the integrated device 1000. Further, an edge 501 a, an edge 501 b, an edge 501 c and an edge 501 d are formed on the back surface of the integrated device 1000. The CCD camera 41 is incorporated into the integrated device 1000 by means of a flexible arm 40 housed retractably housed inside the integrated device 1000, and as shown in FIG. By pulling it out, it can be moved to any position.

  The flexible arm 40 is formed so as to be freely bendable and deformable in any direction. By bending and deforming everywhere, the CCD camera 41 attached to the tip is freely relative to the integrated device 1000. It can be moved. The flexible arm 40 according to the present embodiment is configured by connecting a plurality of members so as to be relatively angularly deformable, and the bending angle may be increased as the number of members relatively being angularly deformed in the same direction is increased. It is possible to That is, the amount of bending deformation can be increased.

  In addition, although the flexible arm 40 is deformed when the driver tries to bend it by hand, the shape is maintained even if a force due to the vibration of the vehicle 100 or the like is applied. That is, the flexible arm 40 deforms when an artificial force acts, and maintains the shape when a force based on the normal driving of the vehicle 100 acts. Therefore, when the driver deforms the flexible arm 40, the shape is maintained until the driver deforms the flexible arm 40 next time.

  The flexible arm 40 is accommodated along the back side of the edge 501b inside the integrated device 1000, and the proximal end does not come off the integrated device 1000 when the flexible arm 40 is pulled out. , An engaging portion (not shown) engaged with the integrated device 1000. In this way, the flexible arm can be pulled out by the driver when necessary, and can be accommodated inside the integrated device 1000 when not required.

  The joint portion 502 is mounted with a cradle 2000 and a pedestal portion 3000 for fixing the integrated device 1000 to a dashboard or a center console of the vehicle 100. The integrated device 1000 can be installed and used on the dashboard of the vehicle 100 via the cradle 2000 by making the joint portion 502 detachable from the cradle 2000, or removed from the cradle 2000 and used as a portable navigation It can be done.

  The cradle 2000 is connected to the pedestal 3000. The pedestal 3000 supports the cradle 2000 in an arbitrary posture. The pedestal portion 3000 is fixed by suction on a dashboard, a center console, or the like with a suction cup, a suction sheet, or the like provided on the bottom surface. The pedestal portion 3000 and the cradle 2000 are rotatably coupled within a predetermined angular range via a coupling mechanism such as a ball joint. Since it is a ball joint, the pedestal portion 3000 and the cradle 2000 relatively rotate within an arbitrary angular range in the three-dimensional direction, and retain their positions at arbitrary angular positions by frictional resistance at the joint portion. Therefore, the integrated device 1000 attached to the cradle 2000 can also be arranged in any posture on the dashboard or the center console.

  As described above, in the integrated device 1000 according to the fourth embodiment, the CCD camera 41 is incorporated into the integrated device 1000 by the flexible arm 40 accommodated on the back side so as to be freely drawn out from the inside of the integrated device 1000. It is done. Therefore, for example, when the integrated device 1000 is mounted on a dashboard in a vehicle cabin, the position of the CCD camera 41 is wiper when mounted on the right end or the left end in the width direction of the dashboard so as not to obstruct the driver's view as much as possible. It is located in the unsuitable area which is the area | region 104 which deviated from the wiping area | region 103, and the imaging | photography of the vehicle outside of a vehicle may become difficult on a rainy day. Also in this case, for example, by pulling out the flexible arm 40 having a length of about 100 mm, it is possible to easily photograph the outside of the vehicle even on a rainy day. Also, in this case, the movement of the CCD camera 41 can be easily performed even after the integrated device 1000 is attached to the dashboard by simply pulling out the flexible arm 40. Become. For example, even if it is noticed that it is located in the unsuitable area only on a rainy day, it is not necessary to reattach the pedestal 3000.

  In addition, for example, when the step portion which is about 120 mm lower on the driver side is provided on the dashboard, if the integrated device 1000 is attached to the step portion so as not to obstruct the view of the driver as much as possible, The back side dashboard may make it difficult to shoot outside the car. Also in this case, by pulling out the flexible arm 40 having a length of about 100 mm, it is possible to easily photograph the outside of the vehicle with the CCD camera 41.

  Also, for example, in the case where an integrated device is attached instead of an audio or genuine navigation device or the like to an attachment portion formed so as to be attachable to an audio of a center console or a genuine navigation device, the CCD camera 41 They may face each other, making it difficult to shoot outside the car. Also in this case, by pulling out the flexible arm having a length of about 200 mm, it is possible to easily photograph the outside of the vehicle with the CCD camera 41.

  The integrated device 1000 may be a portable navigation device with a drive recorder function. As the drive recorder function, those used in the first to third embodiments described above may be used.

<Modifications>
As mentioned above, although each embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to each embodiment mentioned above. Further, the effects described in the embodiments of the present invention only list the most preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention.

  For example, in each embodiment, although explained using a drive recorder as an example of in-vehicle apparatus, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the in-vehicle device may be a portable navigation device. By using the portable navigation device, for example, the portable navigation device can have the function of a drive recorder.

  Moreover, in each embodiment, although demonstrated using the structure which fixes the position of the CCD camera 41 by the rigidity of the flexible arm 40, this invention is not limited to this. For example, a lock mechanism or the like may be provided to reliably fix the flexible arm 40 at an arbitrary position.

  Moreover, in each embodiment, although the drive rack main body 2 was demonstrated using the bracket 3 which can be attached to the black ceramic coating part 102, this invention is not limited to this. For example, by using a bracket that can be attached to the A pillar portion 105, the sun visor 107, the ceiling portion 106 and the like of the vehicle 100, the drive recorder main body 2 can be attached to an inappropriate area other than the black ceramic coating portion 102. Also in this case, by moving the position of the CCD camera 41 to an appropriate area by the flexible arm 40, even when the drive recorder main body 2 is attached to the inappropriate area, the CCD camera 41 can capture an image.

  Moreover, in each embodiment, although demonstrated using a flexible arm as a variable arm, this invention is not limited to this. The variable arm may be a joint arm or the like configured of a plurality of members having different functions, including a movable portion capable of changing the direction of the tip and a moving portion capable of moving the position of the tip. As the movable portion of the joint arm, for example, a ball joint or a pivot shaft is preferable. In particular, by using the ball joint, it is possible to freely change the rotation direction of the incident part, and to perform fine position adjustment. Moreover, as a moving part, an expansion-contraction member is preferable.

  Alternatively, the proximal end portion 40b of the flexible arm 40 may be directly attached to the black ceramic coating portion 102 as the attachment portion. In this case, the base end portion 40 b of the flexible arm 40 may be attached to the black ceramic coating portion 102. In addition, the housing 20 may be configured of a plurality of members. In particular, it is preferable to use one or two members. In this way, it is possible to reduce the possibility of coming out of the inappropriate area. In addition, the housing includes a mounting plate having a mounting portion, a main body mounting arm extended from the mounting plate, and a box-shaped member positioned on the other end side of the main body mounting arm, from the box-shaped member The flexible arm may be extended. In addition, it is particularly preferable that the mounting portion be provided on one surface side of the box-shaped member itself, and the flexible arm be extended from the other surface side of the box-shaped member. In addition, it is good to accommodate an electronic component etc. in this box-shaped member.

  In addition, it is preferable to provide an irradiation unit such as an LED lamp capable of irradiating the front on the tip of the flexible arm 40. In this way, the flexible arm 40 can be used as a spotlight when searching for a thing in a car or the like. In addition, it can be used in place of the flash when there is not enough light when shooting the inside of a car.

  In the fourth embodiment, the flexible arm is accommodated along the back side of the edge 501b in the integrated device 1000. For example, a reel is provided in the integrated device and wound on the reel. It may be configured as follows. By being configured to be able to wind the reel and stop the rotation of the reel, for example, the flexible arm 40 can be pulled out by a necessary length.

  The example described in the mode for carrying out the invention is an example, and the configuration and the technical concept described in the means for solving the problem may be applied to appropriately embody the embodiment.

  In the first embodiment, the drive recorder 1 in which the direction of the housing 20 is fixed by the bracket 3 has been described, but the housing 20 may have a variable direction. For example, a ball joint is provided between the bracket 3 and the housing 20, and the posture of the housing 20 with respect to the bracket 3 is maintained when the driver does not apply force to the housing 20 by hand. When the force is applied by hand, the orientation of the housing 20 relative to the bracket 3 may be changed so that the direction of the housing 20 can be changed in the direction in which the driver can easily view the display panel 21. Further, it is preferable that the connection portion 32 of the bracket 3 be a ball joint, and that the direction of the housing 20 be changeable in the direction in which the driver can easily view the display panel 21 by the same configuration. Further, it is preferable that the relative angle of the display panel 21 with respect to the housing 20 be changeable. For example, between the outer edge of the display panel 21 and the housing 20, there is provided a hinge which is normally fixed but can be moved by applying a force by hand or a connection mechanism capable of changing the angle, or the display panel 21 and the housing 20. It is preferable that the relative angle of the display panel 21 with respect to the housing 20 can be adjusted by connecting them with a ball joint. By making only the display panel 21 variable, it is possible to stabilize the attachment state of the housing 20 to the vehicle.

  Further, in the first embodiment, although the description has been made using the configuration in which the bracket 3 is attached to the housing 20, a structure in which the bracket 3 is fitted in or inserted into the housing 20 is provided. Should be integrated. In particular, means for holding the state in a fitted or inserted state may be provided, for example, in a groove provided in either one of the housing 20 and the bracket 3, either the housing 20 or the bracket 3 may be provided. It is preferable that the claws provided on the housing be fitted to maintain the fixed state of the housing 20 and the bracket 3.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the camera unit 4 is attached to the housing 20 by inserting the base end of the camera unit 4 into the camera connection terminal 23 a, but when attaching the camera unit 4 to the housing 20, the camera It is preferable to have a configuration for restricting the insertion direction of the proximal end of the camera unit 4 with respect to the connection terminal 23a. The insertion direction of the base end of the camera unit 4 is such that when the camera unit 4 is attached to the housing 20 in that direction, the horizontal direction of the image captured by the camera unit 4 matches the horizontal direction of the landscape outside the vehicle It is good to do. In this way, for example, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the camera unit 4 extending from the side surface of the housing 20 is simply bent forward 90 degrees only by attaching the housing 20 in the vertical direction. It is possible to shoot an image in which the landscape outside the car and the horizontal direction match. For example, a male connector is provided at the base end of the camera unit 4 and a female connector is provided on the side of the housing 20, and by the fitting of this connector, transmission of signals between the two is performed, and It should be configured to be uniquely fixed to

  In the first embodiment, the CCD camera 41 fixed to the tip of the flexible arm 40 is described. However, when the CCD camera 41 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the flexible arm 40 with the photographing direction as the rotation axis. Good. For example, a guide rail is provided in the circumferential direction on one member of a portion in contact with the outer peripheral portion of the distal end portion of the flexible arm 40 and the inner peripheral portion of the mounting portion of the CCD camera 41 attached to the outer peripheral portion. The other member may be engaged and guided in the rail. In this way, the horizontal direction of the image captured by the camera unit 4 can be easily adjusted to coincide with the horizontal direction of the landscape outside the vehicle. Therefore, for example, when the recorded video is reproduced, it is possible to prevent the video from being inclined and the user from feeling uncomfortable.

  Moreover, in each embodiment, although the flexible arm was bending-deformed by hand and it demonstrated using the structure which can be fixed in the state which bent-deformed, for example, it can fix in the twisted state by twisting by hand in the circumferential direction The horizontal and vertical directions of the photographed image with respect to the landscape outside the vehicle may be adjusted by twisting the flexible arm using a flexible arm. In particular, the flexible arm may be composed of a flexible tube. The flexible tube may be configured by combining a lower winding stainless steel wire and an upper winding aluminum wire. In particular, it is more preferable to perform plating, painting, and heat shrinkable tube coating on each metal wire.

  Also, the flexible arm may be configured in an articulated structure, for example, it may be configured by combining a number of ball joints, and through holes such that signal lines connected to the CCD camera 41 pass through the inside of the ball joints It is better to For example, it is preferable to provide a through hole so that the signal line connected to the CCD camera 41 can pass inside a plurality of ball joint members connected in series used in the leg of the tripod described in US Pat. No. 8740160. .

  Moreover, in each embodiment, although the site | part which stored the CCD camera 41 was cylindrical shape, it is good to provide a horizontal line of a camera, and a plane parallel to a perpendicular line, respectively. In particular, a square shape is preferable. In addition, a line indicating the horizontal direction of the camera or a line indicating the vertical direction may be provided on the outer periphery of the casing of the CCD camera 41. For example, the horizontal direction of the camera may be a point by marking a point at the point where the extension of the vertical center line of the imaging device of the camera intersects the outer periphery or printing a line orthogonal to the outer peripheral direction including this point. You should be able to see from the outside.

  Moreover, in each embodiment, although it demonstrated using the camera unit 4 which attached the CCD camera 41 toward the axial direction of the flexible arm 40 at the front-end | tip of the flexible arm 40, the CCD camera 41 is a front end of the flexible arm 40. In the above, it is preferable that the flexible arm 40 be provided on the side surface (peripheral surface) orthogonal to the axial direction. By attaching the CCD camera 41 to the side surface, even when the flexible arm 40 extends from the housing 20 in the direction orthogonal to the imaging direction, imaging of the front outside the vehicle can be performed without bending the flexible arm 40. Further, the configuration may be provided only on the side surface, or a plurality of cameras may be provided so as to capture both the side surface and the surface shown and described in FIG.

  Further, in the third embodiment, the housing 20B is attached to the rearview mirror 108 so that the housing 20B is hidden behind the rearview mirror 108, but the housing 20B protrudes from the rearview mirror 108 to the driver side 20B may be attached to the rearview mirror 108, and an operation unit such as an operation button may be disposed on the front surface of the protruding portion. In this case, the flexible arm 40 may be attached at a position away from the operation button. For example, the flexible arm 40 may be attached to a surface different from the surface on the side of the protrusion. By connecting the flexible arm 40 to the position away from the operation button provided on the protruding part, when the driver operates the operation button, the flexible arm is prevented from moving unnecessarily by contacting the flexible arm can do.

  In the third embodiment, although the case in which the length in the longitudinal direction is slightly shorter than the length in the longitudinal direction of the rearview mirror 108 has been described, the housing is the length in the longitudinal direction of the rearview mirror It is recommended to use one that is about half the length of In this case, the attachment portion 3B may not be provided, and the attachment may be attached to the rearview mirror 108 with a double-sided tape or the like. Also in this case, as described above, the driver side of the housing 20B may be slightly protruded, and the operation button or the like may be disposed in the part to be protruded.

  It is preferable to provide a display portion such as an LED lamp or the like with the operation button or in place of the operation button, for example, in the protruding portion. In particular, it is preferable to provide an LED that emits light when power is supplied or when recording is performed. In this way, for example, when the power is supplied from the cigar socket, it is possible to prevent the problem that the plug is removed from the cigar socket and the recording is not performed.

  In addition, when the power is turned on, an audio of "start recording" may be output from the speaker. The camera also has a function of detecting whether the flexible arm 40 is attached to any of the camera connection terminals 23a to 23d, and blinks this LED when the flexible arm is not connected to any of the camera connection terminals 23a to 23d. You may want to output a warning sound like "Camera arm not attached" from the speaker. In this way, the flexible arm 40 is not connected to any of the camera connection terminals 23a to 23d, and it is not noticed that the video is not recorded at all, and the video of the necessary scene such as an accident is recorded. Is more likely to prevent the problem of

  Further, when the flexible arm 40 is connected to the plurality of camera connection terminals 23a to 23d, any video from the connected flexible arm 40 may be recorded, or any flexible arm 40 may be recorded. It may be configured to display a selection screen to select whether to record the video from the. It is particularly preferable to continue outputting at least one of a warning screen or a warning sound indicating that a plurality of cameras are connected, and stop the output when one flexible arm 40 is connected. You should do it. In this way, it is possible to prevent traveling with the flexible arm 40 attached while exceeding the load resistance and the like with a model of a type in which only one camera can record.

  In each embodiment, the flexible arm 40 is bent and deformed to direct the CCD camera 41 to the front outside of the vehicle and to photograph the front outside the vehicle. However, the CCD camera 41 facing the front to the outside of the vehicle is a transparent portion of the windshield It is good to be able to fix to For example, a fixing member capable of fixing the CCD camera 41 to the transparent portion of the windshield may be provided. In this way, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of blurring or the like of the captured image due to the swing of the flexible arm 40 due to vehicle vibration or the like. As the fixing member, the fixing portion to be stuck and fixed to the transparent portion of the windshield and the diameter slightly larger than that of the flexible arm 40, and from the fixing portion to the inside of the vehicle cabin protrude to the same extent as the axial length of the CCD camera. A cylindrical receiving portion may be provided, and the CCD camera 41 may be inserted inside the cylinder of the receiving portion. The fixing member is preferably a transparent member, and more preferably a resin material.

  In each embodiment, the SD slot 22 is provided in the vicinity of the camera connection terminal 23a. However, the SD slot 22 may be provided at a distance from the camera connection terminal 23a. By connecting the camera unit 4 to the camera connection terminal 23a by providing the SD slot 22 at a position separated from the camera connection terminal 23a, for example, when inserting or removing an SD card, the driver's hand is a flexible arm Unnecessary contact with 40 can be prevented.

  In each embodiment, at the time of event occurrence, the video of T seconds from Ta seconds before the event occurrence time to Tb seconds after the event occurrence time is stored in the SD card 200. It may be set based on the nature of the event that occurs so that the cause of the event can be determined when viewed. For example, if the event is "collision", it may be 60 seconds from 30 seconds before the collision time to 30 seconds after the collision.

  Further, in each embodiment, although it is configured to record in the SD card 200 when an event occurs, instead of or along with this, while power is supplied, the video is continuously recorded in the nonvolatile memory etc. It is preferable to have a function of continuous recording (for example, constant recording) (overwrite the old one when the storage capacity is full).

  Moreover, in each embodiment, although demonstrated using the flexible arm 40 which can not expand-contract, a flexible arm may be extended-contracted like a rod antenna, and it is good also as a structure in which the whole length is variable. The full length adjustment part such as the expansion and contraction part may be provided on the whole of the flexible arm, but may be provided on a part of the flexible arm, in particular, on a part of the proximal end of the flexible arm. For example, if the proximal half of the total length of the flexible arm is a three-step rod, and the length of the portion can be extended to approximately three times, the direction of the portion beyond that can be adjusted. Good. Of course, you may comprise by the member provided with the function of both the bending function as a flexible arm, and a full length adjustment function (extension function) like a rod. In this way, it is possible to easily adjust the position of the CCD camera 41 in the transmission area by avoiding the non-transmission area.

  The components of the modification and the contents of the respective embodiments, and the elements to which the elements and ideas described in the means for solving the problems are applied may be arbitrarily combined to form the embodiment.

1 Drive recorder (vehicle equipment)
Reference Signs List 2 drive recorder main body 3 bracket 4 flexible camera unit 5 control unit 20 housing 21 display unit 23 a to 23 d camera connection terminal 40 flexible arm 41 CCD camera

Claims (6)

An on-vehicle apparatus including an imaging unit and an attachment unit attachable to a vehicle,
The image pickup unit has an incident part for light incidence, and the incident position of the incident part avoids the inappropriate area after the mounting part is attached to an inappropriate area suitable for mounting but not suitable for photographing an object to be photographed As it becomes possible, a variable arm capable of changing the position and orientation of the incident part;
An intermediate member interposed between the mounting portion and the variable arm;
The variable arm extends from the intermediate member along the improper area to which the attachment portion is attached;
The intermediate member has a plurality of connected parts to which the variable arm can be connected.
An in-vehicle device characterized by At least a part of the intermediate member is formed to be able to accommodate an electronic component.
The on-vehicle device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intermediate member includes a monitor capable of displaying an image captured by the imaging unit.
The on-vehicle device according to claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that An on-vehicle apparatus including an imaging unit and an attachment unit attachable to a vehicle,
The image pickup unit has an incident part for light incidence, and the incident position of the incident part avoids the inappropriate area after the mounting part is attached to an inappropriate area suitable for mounting but not suitable for photographing an object to be photographed As it becomes possible, a variable arm capable of changing the position and orientation of the incident part;
An intermediate member interposed between the mounting portion and the variable arm;
The variable arm extends from the intermediate member along the improper area to which the attachment portion is attached;
The intermediate member includes a monitor capable of displaying an image captured by the imaging unit.
An in-vehicle device characterized by A monitor display direction setting unit capable of setting the vertical direction of the image displayed on the monitor;
The vehicle-mounted apparatus of Claim 3 or 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. The monitor display direction fixing unit is configured to fix the vertical direction of the image set by the monitor display direction setting unit as the vertical direction of the imaging unit after the attachment unit is attached.
The on-vehicle device according to claim 5 , characterized in that:

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