JP2008189230A - Driver image pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain the optimum installation position of a camera device for picking up the image of a driver's face in a driver's cabin of a large vehicle such as a motor truck and a bus. <P>SOLUTION: A driver image pickup device comprises a supporting instrument with a camera device mounted thereon, and a storage part for storing the supporting instrument together with the camera device. The camera device is installed so as to have the elevation angle with respect to a driver's face. The camera device stored together with the supporting instrument in the storage part is taken out of the storage part so as to realize the predetermined image pickup position when the traveling condition or the traveling environment of one's own vehicle is matched with the predetermined condition. Otherwise, the camera device is stored in the storage part together with the supporting instrument. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is used for large vehicles such as trucks and buses. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for arranging a camera device in a driver's cab for photographing a driver's face image.

  Detects the number of blinks per unit time (hereinafter, “per unit time” is simply referred to as “number of blinks”) and the frequency of closing eyes from the driver's face image taken by the camera device installed in the driver's cab In addition, there is known a wakefulness determination device that determines a decrease in the driver's wakefulness based on the number of blinks detected and the frequency of closing eyes (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-318266 A

  As for the installation position of the camera device in the driver's cab, in the case of a passenger car, the driver's face image can be taken almost from the front by installing it on the front panel (upper steering column).

  On the other hand, for large vehicles such as trucks and buses, when a camera device is installed on the front panel, as with passenger cars, the position of the camera device is lower than the driver, and the driver's face image It is difficult to photograph from the front. It is also conceivable to install the camera device on the ceiling of the cab, but it is difficult to determine whether the eyes of the human eye are open or not when shooting from above. There is also a problem.

  Therefore, it is desirable to use a support device that supports the camera device, and to use this support device so that the camera device is in an optimum photographing position. However, the camera device must not interfere with the driver's field of view or attention, and it is a problem to obtain an appropriate installation position of the camera device.

  The present invention has been made under such a background, and obtains an optimal installation position of a camera device for photographing a driver's face image in a driver's cabin of a large vehicle such as a truck or a bus. It is an object of the present invention to provide a driver photographing apparatus capable of performing the above.

  The present invention is a driver photographing apparatus provided in a driver's cab of a vehicle and provided with a camera device for photographing a driver's face image, and a feature of the present invention is that a support device to which the camera device is attached is provided. And a storage unit for storing the support device together with the camera device.

  According to this, it becomes possible to arbitrarily store and eject the camera device in the storage unit, and install the camera device in a situation where the camera device is required or not. It can be removed.

  Thereby, when a camera apparatus is unnecessary, it can avoid that a driver | operator's visual field or attention is disturbed by a camera apparatus.

  The camera device is preferably installed so as to have an elevation angle with respect to the driver's face. Thereby, compared with the case where a camera apparatus has a depression angle with respect to a driver | operator's face, it can image | photograph the open / closed state of eyes more accurately.

  Further, when the traveling state or the traveling environment of the own vehicle matches a predetermined condition, the camera device stored together with the support device in the storage unit is discharged from the storage unit so as to be in a predetermined photographing position, Means may be provided for storing the camera device together with the support device in the storage when the predetermined condition is not met.

  In other words, the situation where snoozing is likely to occur is often monotonous and traveling with little speed change, and when driving on a highway or driving on a wide straight road in the suburbs on ordinary roads. Is the case. Therefore, by detecting the driving state and driving environment, recognizing what road the host vehicle is driving in, and automatically installing or removing the camera device, the camera device is operated by the driver. Can be kept to a minimum without disturbing the visual and attention of the person.

  Also, when driving on a highway or driving on a wide straight road in the suburbs on ordinary roads, the driver's line of sight is facing away from the front and is discharged from the storage Since the camera device rarely enters the driver's field of vision, the camera device hardly interferes with the driver's vision or attention.

  On the other hand, when driving slowly or repeatedly in urban areas, it is necessary to pay attention to the preceding vehicle and pedestrians near the vehicle. In such a case, if the camera device remains discharged from the storage unit, the driver's vision and attention may be hindered. Therefore, as in the present invention, it is extremely useful to eject or store the camera device in accordance with the traveling state or traveling environment of the host vehicle.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the optimal installation position of the camera apparatus can be obtained in the driver's room of large vehicles, such as a truck and a bus | bath, in order to image | photograph a driver | operator's face image.

  A driver photographing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a situation of a driver's cab of a vehicle equipped with the driver photographing apparatus of the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the present embodiment is a driver photographing apparatus provided with a camera device 1 that is provided in a driver's cab of a vehicle and photographs a driver's face image. Here, a feature is that a support device 2 to which the camera device 1 is attached and a storage unit 3 for storing the support device 2 together with the camera device 1 are provided.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the camera device 1 is supported on the upper portion of the meter hood 4 by the support device 2 and moves up and down. Although the vertical movement distance is around 120 mm, it can be adjusted according to the sitting height of the driver.

  Thereby, the camera apparatus 1 can be installed so as to have an elevation angle with respect to the driver's face. As described above, the upper eyelid of the human eye protrudes from the lower eyelid, and there is a problem that it is difficult to determine whether the eye is open or not when photographed from the upper side. Can be taken from the lower side, and it is easy to determine whether or not the eyes are open.

  Note that the driver photographing apparatus of the present embodiment is used for photographing the number of blinks of the driver, the frequency of closing eyes, and the like for the wakefulness determination apparatus to determine the wakefulness. The illustration is omitted.

  FIG. 2 shows a state where the driver photographing apparatus is viewed from the front. FIG. 3 shows a state where the driver photographing apparatus is viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 4, the storage unit 3 is covered with a door 5 when the camera device 1 is stored.

  In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the embodiment in which the support device 2 that supports the camera device 1 moves up and down is shown. 5-8, the support tool 2 which supports the camera apparatus 1 shows the Example which rotates back and forth. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a situation of a driver's cab of a vehicle equipped with the driver photographing apparatus of the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the driver photographing apparatus is viewed from the front. FIG. 7 is a view showing a state where the driver photographing apparatus is viewed from above. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state of the door 5 when the camera apparatus 1 is stored.

  When the embodiment in which the support device 2 moves up and down (FIGS. 1 to 4) and the embodiment in which the support device 2 rotates back and forth (FIGS. 5 to 8) are compared, the shape of the storage portion 3 is greatly different. In the embodiment in which the support device 2 moves up and down, the storage portion 3 becomes longer in the vertical direction than in the embodiment in which the support device 2 rotates back and forth, but the area of the opening can be reduced. On the other hand, in the embodiment in which the support device 2 rotates back and forth, the area of the opening of the storage unit 3 is larger than in the embodiment in which the support device 2 moves up and down, but the length in the vertical direction is short. can do.

  Therefore, when it is planned to mount the driver photographing apparatus of the present embodiment from the vehicle design stage, the meter hood 4 is provided with the storage portion 3 that is long in the vertical direction in advance and is supported from a small opening. What is necessary is just to employ | adopt the Example which the instrument 2 moves up and down. Moreover, when mounting the driver | operator imaging device of a present Example in the existing vehicle later, the Example which the support fixture 2 rotates back and forth is employ | adopted, and the storage part 3 is installed on the existing meter hood 4 By forming a corresponding shallow groove or attaching a box corresponding to the storage unit 3, the driver photographing apparatus of the present embodiment can be mounted later on an existing vehicle.

  In the example of FIGS. 1 to 8, an example in which the door 5 is a double door is shown, but an example in which the door 5 slides to the left and right is also conceivable. Since this embodiment can be easily analogized, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  Moreover, it replaces with the door 5 and the Example using the simple cover 6 is shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. The cover 6 is made of hard rubber, and the camera device 1 and the support device 2 push the cover 6 left and right to perform discharge or storage. According to this, it is not necessary to provide a mechanism for opening and closing the door 5, and the driver photographing apparatus of the present embodiment can be realized easily.

  Next, the operation of the control unit 7 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit 7. As shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 7 monitors various vehicle information such as vehicle speed, ETC, and auto cruise (S1, S8, S11). For example, as a result of monitoring the vehicle speed (S1), if the vehicle speed is 50 km / h or more (S2) and the state continues for a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes) (S3), it is an expressway or a general road. Since it can be judged that the vehicle is traveling on a wide and straight main road in the suburbs and the operation of the awakening degree determination device is necessary, the camera device 1 is discharged from the storage unit 3 (S4), and the driver's face Image capturing is started (S5).

  On the other hand, when the vehicle speed is less than 50 km / h (S2), or when the vehicle speed is 50 km / h or more and the state does not continue for a predetermined time (S3), the city area is slowly or repeatedly stopped. However, since it can be determined that it is a situation where the user is traveling and the operation of the awakening level determination device is unnecessary, the shooting is ended when the shooting is already performed (S6), and the camera device 1 is stored in the storage unit 3. (S7).

  However, once the camera apparatus 1 is ejected from the storage unit 3 (S4) and shooting is started (S5), the vehicle speed becomes less than 50 km / h (S2), or the vehicle speed is 50 km / h or more. Even if the state does not continue for a predetermined time (S3), it is appropriate that the photographing is finished (S6) and the camera device 1 is stored (S7) only when the vehicle speed is 30 km / h or less (S14). It is.

  Thereby, for example, it is possible to avoid that the camera apparatus 1 repeatedly discharges and stores even when there is a general road with a legal speed of 40 km / h frequently in the middle of a general road with a legal speed of 60 km / h. .

  In addition, as a result of monitoring the ETC (S8), if an admission record is made (S9), it can be determined that the vehicle is traveling on a highway and the awakening degree determination device needs to be operated. The device 1 is ejected from the storage unit 3 (S4), and photographing of the driver's face image is started (S5).

  On the other hand, when exit recording is performed (S10), it can be determined that the operation of the wakefulness determination device is unnecessary because the vehicle exits the expressway. The process ends (S6), and the camera device 1 is stored in the storage unit 3 (S7).

  As a result of monitoring the auto cruise (S11), when the auto cruise is in the ON state (S12), even if it is an expressway or a general road, it is running on a wide and straight main road in the suburbs and is awakened. Since it can be determined that the operation of the degree determination device is necessary, the camera device 1 is ejected from the storage unit 3 (S4), and photographing of the driver's face image is started (S5).

  On the other hand, when the auto cruise is in the OFF state (S13), it can be determined that the vehicle is running while repeatedly stopping in the city area, and the operation of the awakening level determination device is unnecessary, so photography has already been performed. If so, shooting is terminated (S6), and the camera device 1 is stored in the storage unit 3 (S7).

  However, in general, auto cruise is set so that it automatically turns off when the driver performs a brake operation, and there are cases where the ON state and the OFF state are frequently repeated. After 1 is discharged from the storage unit 3 (S4) and shooting is started (S5), shooting is performed only when the vehicle speed is 30 km / h or less (S14) even when the auto cruise is turned off. It is appropriate to end (S6) and store the camera device 1 (S7).

  Accordingly, it is possible to avoid that the camera device 1 repeats discharging and storing frequently even when the auto cruise frequently repeats the ON state and the OFF state by the driver's brake operation.

  Since vehicle speed monitoring (S1), ETC monitoring (S8), and auto cruise monitoring (S11) are performed in parallel with each other, they operate as a logical sum. For example, if the ETC exit record (S10) is performed, or if the auto cruise is in the OFF state (S13), the vehicle speed is 50 km / h or higher (S2) and the camera continues for a predetermined time (S3). The device 1 continues shooting.

  In addition, the camera apparatus 1 uses what has an infrared imaging function, and irradiates a driver | operator's face with the infrared rays which are not visible to a driver | operator at night by using an infrared projector, and a driver | operator also at night. The face image can be taken.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an optimal installation position of a camera device for photographing a driver's face image in a driver's cab of a large vehicle such as a truck or a bus, and to drive appropriately for a wakefulness determination device or the like. The person's face image can be provided, which can contribute to driving safety.

The figure which shows the condition of the cab of the vehicle carrying the driver | operator imaging device of a present Example (moving up and down). The driver's photographing device viewed from the front (moved up and down). A view of the driver photographing device as viewed from above (moved up and down). The figure which looked at the situation at the time of storing of a camera apparatus from the top (moving up and down). The figure which shows the condition of the driver's cab of the vehicle carrying the driver | operator imaging device of a present Example (front-back rotation). FIG. 3 is a front view of the driver photographing apparatus (rotating forward and backward). A view of the driver photographing device as viewed from above (rotating forward and backward). The figure which looked at the situation at the time of storing of a camera apparatus from the top (turning back and forth). The figure which shows the Example using a simple cover (moving up and down). The figure which shows the Example using a simple cover (turning back and forth). The flowchart which shows operation | movement of a control part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera apparatus 2 Support instrument 3 Storage part 4 Meter hood 5 Door 6 Cover 7 Control part

Claims (3)

In the driver photographing apparatus provided with the camera device that is provided in the driver's cab of the vehicle and photographs the driver's face image
A support fixture to which the camera device is attached;
A driver photographing apparatus comprising: a storage unit that stores the support device together with the camera device.   The driver photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the camera device is installed to have an elevation angle with respect to the driver's face.   When the traveling state or traveling environment of the host vehicle matches a predetermined condition, the camera device stored together with the support device in the storage unit is discharged from the storage unit so as to be in a predetermined shooting position, and 3. The driver photographing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for storing the camera device together with the support device in the storage unit when the conditions are not met.

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