JP2003288678A - Processor conformable to center line shift - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a processor conformable to center line shift capable of measuring various traffic quantities in a road with a center line shift system adapted. <P>SOLUTION: This processor comprises an imaging means 1 for taking the image of a vehicle which travels and approaches on the road with the center line shift system adapted, an image processing means 4 for image-processing the taken image to detect a vehicle every lane, a center line shift detecting means for detecting the direction of a vehicle which travels in a lane that is the object of center line shift to detect whether the center line is shifted or not, and an arithmetic means 5 for determining various traffic quantities based on the detected vehicles every lane. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a central line shift handling device for detecting a vehicle on a road and adopting a central line shift system to measure various traffic volumes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a central line shift coping processing device detects an approaching vehicle by a sensor such as a visible light camera or an infrared camera, and performs image processing of the image to determine the number of vehicles.
Traffic volume such as speed is calculated, and control is performed to smooth the traffic flow based on the obtained data. As a method of detecting a vehicle by image processing, a background subtraction method in which a background image is created and a vehicle is detected by difference processing with the current image, and N frames are taken at intervals of 2
A frame difference method for detecting a vehicle by difference processing between two images, a spatial differentiation method for detecting a vehicle having a large luminance gradient in an image, and detecting the vehicle based on the detected information are known.

On the other hand, the central line shift system shifts the central line, which separates an up line and a down line of a road, according to a traveling time zone. The lanes on the road on which the vehicle travels are usually separated from the narrow road by the central line, apart from the narrow road. Most of the Chuo Lines are fixed, but if the traffic volume of the up or down lines in the morning and evening is significantly crowded compared to other times,
The flow of vehicles is smoothed by controlling the number of lanes in the up line in the morning and the number in the down line in the evening.

However, since the conventional central line shift handling device does not support such a central line shift system, it has been impossible to measure various traffic volumes on a road that employs the central line shift system.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems and is capable of measuring the amount of traffic on a road using the central line shift system. The purpose is to provide.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is an image pickup means for photographing a vehicle approaching while traveling on a road adopting a center line shift system, Image processing means for image-processing the photographed image to detect the vehicle for each lane, and detecting the direction of the vehicle traveling in the lane subject to the center line displacement to detect whether or not the center line has been displaced. The center line shift detecting means and the calculating means for calculating various traffic amounts based on the detected vehicles in each lane are provided. With this configuration, it is possible to measure various traffic volumes on a road adopting the Chuo Line shift system.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, image pickup means for photographing a vehicle approaching while traveling on a road adopting the center line shift system, and image processing of the photographed image are carried out for each lane. An image processing means for detecting each, a center line shift detecting means for inputting a signal indicating that the center line has changed from the outside, and a calculating means for calculating various traffic amounts based on the detected vehicles in each lane. Be prepared. With this configuration, it is possible to measure various traffic volumes on a road adopting the Chuo Line shift system.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first or second aspect of the invention, a plurality of image pickup means are provided. With this configuration, it is possible to handle roads with many lanes.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, there is provided an image pickup means for independently taking an image of a lane subject to a center line shift. With this configuration, it is possible to measure various traffic volumes on a road adopting the central line shift system in a form of being added to the existing central line shift handling device.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a center line shift handling processing device according to the present embodiment. Figure 1
In the above, the image sensor 1 is a visible light camera or an infrared camera using a CCD, and images a vehicle traveling on a road. The main body device 2 is installed on the side of a road and is connected to the image sensor 1 by a cable 3, and a signal input / image processing unit 4 for image-processing an image captured by the image sensor 1 to detect a vehicle for each lane. And a calculation unit 5 having a center line shift detection function for detecting whether or not the center line has been shifted by detecting the direction of a vehicle traveling in the lane subject to the center line shift (hereinafter, simply referred to as the target lane). A communication unit 6 for outputting the data of the calculation result to a host device 7 such as a control center. Image sensor 1, main device 2, and communication unit 6
The upper device 7 and the host device 7 are connected by the cables 3 and 8, respectively, but may be connected wirelessly.

As shown in FIG. 2, the image sensor 1 is fixed at a position where the height H is 6 m to 10 m from the road surface R, and 80 m to 100 m excluding the blind spot range of about 30 m in front of the road.
Take a picture of the range of m. Further, the image sensor 1 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (a), the lanes L1 and L2 approaching by the vehicle and the target lane L3 can be photographed in three lanes.
It is installed on the lane L2 in the middle. As a result,
All the lanes including the lane L4 away from the vehicle are included in the shooting range, but the vehicle is not detected for the lane L4. This road is usually on the lane L with the central line CL in between.
1 and L2 are up or down lanes, and the target lane L3 and lane L4 are down or up lanes, but at a specific time zone, as shown in FIG. 3B, lanes L1 and L2
And the target lane L3 become an up or down lane, and the lane L
Only 4 becomes the down lane or the up lane, and the center line CL changes.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, the image sensor 1
The video signals of the vehicle on the lanes L1, L2, and L3 captured by are input to the signal input / image processing unit 4 of the apparatus main body 2, the vehicle is detected by a known technique, for example, the frame difference method, and the vehicle detection data is detected. Is output to the calculation unit 5. The calculation unit 5 tracks the movement of the vehicles from the time-series vehicle detection data to detect the approach or separation of the vehicles, and calculates the number of the vehicles and the speed of each vehicle. Further, it is determined from the speed calculation result whether or not there is congestion. Further, it is detected from the vehicle detection data of the vehicle traveling in the target lane L3 whether or not the center line shift has occurred.

FIG. 5 shows the center line shift recognition processing in this embodiment. In FIG. 5, first, the target lane L3
In the state of monitoring (step S1), it is checked whether the direction of the vehicle passing through the target lane L3, that is, the state in which the vehicle is approaching or the state in which the vehicle is separating has changed (step S2). If there is a target lane L3
It is checked whether all the vehicles traveling in the same direction are facing the same direction (step S3). This is to check whether or not there is a reverse-running vehicle because some vehicles overlook the sign indicating the change in the central line and send it back immediately after the change in the central line. If there is a reverse running vehicle, a warning message is output from a speaker provided beside the image sensor 1 (step S4). If all the vehicles traveling in the target lane L3 are heading in the same direction, it is recognized that the center line has changed, and the vehicle tracking process in the target lane L3 is performed (step S5).

FIG. 6 shows another centerline shift recognition process in this embodiment. In FIG. 6, first, in a state where the target lane L3 is monitored (step S11),
It is checked whether or not a central line switching signal is input from the outside such as a traffic control center (step S12), and then the direction of the vehicle passing through the target lane L3, that is, the state in which the vehicle is approaching or being separated is changed. It is checked whether or not (step S13). The subsequent process is the same as that of FIG.
If it is changing, it is checked whether or not all the vehicles traveling in the target lane L3 face the same direction (step S14). If there is a reverse vehicle, a speaker provided beside the image sensor 1 is checked. If a warning message is output from (step S15) and all vehicles are facing the same direction,
Recognizing that the center line has changed, the vehicle in the target lane L3 is tracked (step S16).

This center line shift recognition processing may be performed only when the time zone for performing the center line shift is predetermined and the time zone is approaching due to the setting of the timer. In addition, when there is a traffic accident and the up or down lane is congested, the center line may be suddenly changed.In such a case, the control computer is interrupted to execute the center line change recognition process. You may do it.

The number-of-units speed information and the traffic jam information obtained by the arithmetic unit 5 are output to the communication unit 6, and the communication unit 6 edits the data and outputs the data to the host device 7. The host device 7 appropriately controls traffic signals and notifies the driver of traffic congestion information and the like through VICS.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the target lane L3 to be the center line shift target is defined as the upper and lower lane mixed region, and the lanes L1 and L2 on the side where the traveling vehicle approaches are defined.
And the target lane L3 are photographed by the image sensor 1, and the image is input to the signal input / image processing unit 4 to perform image processing to detect the vehicles on each lane L1, L2, L3, and the center line shift The arithmetic unit 5 having a detection function detects data on the number of vehicles and speed while detecting the center line shift, and the communication unit 6
Since the data is sent from the host computer to the host device 7, it is possible to measure various traffic volumes even on a road adopting the central line shift system.

In the above embodiment, the target lane L3
Although one image sensor 1 is installed on the upper side to capture images of three lanes, the image sensors may be provided on the up lane and the down lane respectively, and on the target lane L3, the other lanes are different from each other. It is also possible to provide one independent image sensor and thereby detect the center line shift professionally. In this case, the vehicle detection data may be obtained from the output of the image sensor, and the vehicle detection data may be added to the vehicle detection data of the conventional center line shift correspondence processing device of the fixed upper and lower lines.

[0019]

As described above, according to the invention described in claim 1, the image pickup means for photographing the approaching vehicle traveling on the road adopting the center line shift system and the photographed image. Image processing means for performing image processing to detect a vehicle for each lane, and center line shift detecting means for detecting a direction of a vehicle traveling in a lane subject to center line shift and detecting whether or not the center line has been shifted. And a calculation means for calculating the traffic volume based on the detected vehicles in each lane, and it is possible to measure the traffic volume on the road adopting the central line shift system.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an image pickup means for picking up an approaching vehicle traveling on a road adopting the center line shift system, and an image processing of the picked-up image are applied to the vehicle for each lane. An image processing means for detecting each, a center line shift detecting means for inputting a signal indicating that the center line has changed from the outside, and a calculating means for calculating various traffic amounts based on the detected vehicles in each lane. It is equipped, and it is possible to measure traffic volume on roads that have adopted the Chuo Line shift system.

The invention according to claim 3 is provided with a plurality of image pickup means, and can cope with a road having many lanes. The invention according to claim 4 is provided with an image pickup means for independently taking an image of a lane subject to a center line shift, and adopts a center line shift system in a form of being added to an existing center line shift handling device. It is possible to measure the traffic volume on the road.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a center line shift handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a mounting position of the image sensor of the above.

FIG. 3 (a) is a plan view of the road before the change of the Chuo Line, and FIG. 3 (b).
[Fig. 3] is a plan view of the road after the change of the central line.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an operation of the central line shift handling device in the above.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a center line shift process of the above.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing another center line shift process of the above.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Image sensor (imaging means) 2 main unit 3 cables 4 Signal input / image processing unit (image processing means) 5 Calculation unit (central line shift detection means / calculation means) 6 Communication unit 7 Host device 8 cables L3 target lane CL Chuo Line

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup means for picking up an approaching vehicle traveling on a road adopting a center line shift system, and an image for processing the picked-up image to detect the vehicle for each lane. Based on the processing means, a center line shift detection means for detecting whether or not the center line is displaced by detecting the direction of the vehicle traveling in the lane subject to the center line shift, and the vehicle for each detected lane. A central line shift correspondence processing device having a calculating means for calculating various traffic volumes. 2. An image pickup means for picking up an approaching vehicle traveling on a road adopting a center line shift system, and an image for processing the picked-up image to detect the vehicle for each lane. A center line provided with a processing means, a center line shift detecting means for inputting a signal indicating that the center line has changed from the outside, and a calculating means for calculating traffic amounts based on the detected vehicles for each lane. Transition handling device. 3. The central line shift correspondence processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the image pickup means. 4. The central line shift correspondence processing device according to claim 1, further comprising image pickup means for independently photographing the lane subject to the central line shift.