Image analysis – Applications – Vehicle or traffic control
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-03
2004-03-09
Patel, Jayanti K. (Department: 2625)
Image analysis
Applications
Vehicle or traffic control
C348S113000, C340S933000, C382S243000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06704434
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle driving information storage apparatus and a vehicle driving information storage method and in particular, to a data compression associated with an image storage and image processing as well as image compression ratio increase and image improvement in reproduction process.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle driving information storage apparatus used for analysis of a traffic accident, a vehicle collision experiment, safety education, and the like should have at least a function for storing a state of a driver (or dummy) and a state in and out of the vehicle as images.
As shown in
FIG. 8
, a conventional vehicle driving information storage apparatus normally includes a first television camera
101
for filming a state out of the vehicle in the running direction of a vehicle
100
and a second television camera
102
for filming a state of the driver and a state inside the vehicle, so that images filmed by the television cameras
101
and
102
are respectively stored in video recorders
103
and
104
which function independently from each other.
Moreover, the image compression may be a reversible data compression in which an initial image can be completely reproduced after the image compression and a non-reversible data compression in which an initial image cannot be reproduced completely. From viewpoint of the data compression, the latter is more beneficial.
The data capacity can greatly be saved by sacrificing the color image gradation or using a gray scale image instead of a color image. However, the data capacity reduction in this way may not be appropriate depending on the object to be filmed. For example, when storing an image filmed by a security-associated monitor apparatus, in order to identify a person filmed, it is necessary to know the color of the clothes and the like. Moreover, in the case of a drive recorder or the like mounted on a vehicle and used for a driver education and an accident verification, it is necessary to detect from the filmed image at least a color of the traffic signal and the like.
In the aforementioned conditions, it is preferable to perform a full-color image filming which is continued for a comparatively long period of time especially in the case of monitor apparatus and the drive recorder. According, the amount of the stored image data becomes inevitably very large.
However, the first and the second television cameras
101
and
102
and the video recorders
103
and
104
should have a considerably high speed and accordingly, these apparatuses become elaborate and cost much. Moreover, each of the video recorders
104
and
104
operate independently from each other. When these video recorders are used for analysis of a traffic accident or a vehicle collision experiment, there is no guarantee of synchronization between these vide recorders even if they are rewound immediately after recovered. When they are not synchronized, it is difficult to correct the synchronization lag.
Furthermore, the first and the second television camera
101
and
102
and the video recorders
103
and
104
should always be set inside a vehicle when they are to be used for analysis of traffic accident or the like. Thus, a plurality of cameras and video recorders occupy a considerable space in the vehicle, disturbing the persons in the vehicle. Moreover, increase in weight may deteriorate the acceleration and brake functions of the vehicle.
Moreover, as the image data compression method for full color, the JPEG compression method including a sequential coding as a mode is widely used. However, when an image is stored with a high compression ratio, the image quality is deteriorated and it is impossible to obtain a sufficient resolution or sharpness. Currently, the compression ratio is lowered to obtain a high quality or the compression ratio is increased to save the data capacity. It is impossible to simultaneously obtain a high compression ratio and a high image quality.
Moreover, in the case of a monitor apparatus and a drive recorder, a fisheye lens is often used so as to film a wide range of area. Here the use of the fisheye lens is meaningless unless an image is formed on a film surface or a CCD light detecting surface without eclipse in the entire angle of the lens. On the other hand, the film surface and the CCD light detecting surface normally have a rectangular shape. In order to put a circular image formation into the rectangular shape, the diameter of the image should not exceed the length of the shorter side of the light detecting surface. That is, an unnecessary space is present at both sides of the light detecting surface and the image filmed is positioned at the center potion.
In the case of the data compression method of the sequential coding type, the image is scanned from left to right starting in the first line up to the last line from top- to the bottom so as to obtain an image data in a rectangular frame format. Accordingly, the shape of image that can be scanned is limited to a rectangular shape. Consequently, in order to scan a circular image, it is necessary to take at least an image of a rectangular shape circumscribed about the circle. Actually, the four corners of the rectangular shape are unnecessary space having no filmed image and input of an unnecessary data increases the image data capacity
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle driving information storage apparatus capable of storing a state inside and outside the vehicle and a state of the driver in synchronization, without disturbing the space inside the vehicle or causing a considerable weight increase, and that at a reasonable cost.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle driving information storage method having a high compression effect and capable of image compression and reproduction without deteriorating an image of a necessary portion.
The vehicle driving information storage apparatus according to the present invention is for storing image of a driver's state and vehicle state and comprises: a wide angle lens arranged at a position capable of simultaneously filming a driver's state and a state inside and outside a vehicle; a signal output unit for outputting as a digital signal each one shot of an image filmed by the wide angle lens; an image storage unit having a capacity to store a plurality of shots of digital signals output from the signal output unit and updating the digital signals output from the signal output unit at a predetermined cycle; a condition change detection unit for detecting a sudden change of a driving condition of the vehicle; and a necessary image data preserving unit inhibiting update of images after detection of a driving condition sudden change by the condition detection unit.
Among the images filmed by the wide angle lens at a predetermined cycle, the latest shots of image, for example, jmax shots of image are stored in the latest image storage unit. More specifically, the latest image storage unit has a capacity for storing jmax shots of image filmed by the wide angle lens. After the first jmax shots of image are stored, a new image is overwritten while erasing the oldest image, so that the latest jmax shots of image are always stored.
Upon detection of a driving condition sudden change by the condition change detection unit, a new image overwrite is performed a predetermined number of times which is smaller than jamx, for example, jmax−x
1
(0<x
1
<jmax) and then the necessary data preserving unit inhibits a new image overwrite in the latest image storage unit.
Accordingly, the latest image storage unit preserves images filmed x
1
times at a predetermined cycle before the moment of the driving condition sudden change and images filmed jmax−x
1
times at a predetermined cycle after the moment of the driving condition sudden change.
Since the wide angle lens is used for simultaneously filming the driver's state and the state i
Matsumoto Takeshi
Sakoh Shinsaku
Carter Aaron
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Patel Jayanti K.
Suzuki Motor Corporation
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