JP2000194983A - Road surface and roadside photographing vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make constructible a road surface management system capable of intuitively grasping road surface situations and roadside conditions, etc., by corelating the video information of photographed road surface and roadside with the position information of a place to be photographed and road surface information and storing them. SOLUTION: A line sensor camera 5 continuously photographs a road surface, a central controller 4 performs image processing of a signal from the camera 5 and detects cracks and damage existing on the road surface. Plural displacement sensors 6 are arranged along the traveling direction and/or cross direction of a photographing vehicle 1 and output information on the uneveness of the road surface and information on the profile of the road surface to the controller 4. The controller 4 processes video information from a photographing machine 2, video information from the camera 5 and the information from the sensors 6, associates them with information on the current position of the vehicle 1 which is obtained from a GPS signal receiver 7 and stores them in a storage device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a roadside photographing vehicle, and more particularly, to relating roadside and roadside image information that has been photographed to position information of a photographed place and / or road surface information of a photographed place. The present invention relates to a roadside photographing vehicle that can be stored.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, for the purpose of rationally and systematically maintaining and managing a pavement road surface, using a road surface property measuring vehicle or the like,
2. Description of the Related Art A road surface management system is measured by measuring road surface properties such as cracks and rutting, and combining the obtained data with position information based on GPS or the like. However, simply combining the road surface properties with positional information on a flat map cannot intuitively grasp the road surface conditions and the state of the roadside, for example, based on a built road surface management system. When repairing the road surface, the repair site must always be identified while checking the map.
In addition to the inconvenience, there are drawbacks such as the need to preview the situation of the repair site, including roadsides, when making a plan to carry in the work machine.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional road surface management system, and intuitively grasps the road surface condition and the state of the roadside. It is an object of the present invention to provide a roadside photographing vehicle capable of constructing a road surface management system capable of performing the operation.

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of repeated studies to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have used a roadside roadside photographing vehicle equipped with a photographing machine capable of photographing the roadside and the roadside. The above object is achieved by photographing a roadside and storing or displaying the photographed road surface and roadside image information in association with position information of the photographed place and / or road surface information of the photographed place. The inventors have found that the present invention can be performed and completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention is provided with a photographing machine capable of photographing a road surface and a roadside, and using the photographed road surface and roadside video information as positional information of the photographed place and / or road surface information of the photographed place. The object is achieved by providing a roadside photographing vehicle provided with means for storing and / or displaying in association with the roadside.

In a preferred embodiment of the roadside photographing vehicle according to the present invention, a photographing machine is mounted rotatably around a vertical axis with respect to the roadside photographing vehicle, so that the steering angle of the roadside photographing vehicle can be adjusted. Means is provided for adjusting a rotation angle of the photographing machine around the vertical axis based on a signal from a steering angle signal generating means for generating a corresponding signal. In this way, even when the roadside photographing vehicle of the present invention turns a curve or an intersection, it is possible to always accurately photograph a predetermined range of the roadside and the roadside.

In a preferred embodiment of the roadside photographing vehicle according to the present invention, the photographing machine rotates around a horizontal axis in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle with respect to the roadside photographing vehicle. The camera is provided so as to be capable of controlling a rotation angle of the camera around the horizontal axis so that a distance from the camera to a road surface to be captured is constant. By doing so, even when the roadside photographing vehicle of the present invention approaches a location having a gradient in the longitudinal direction of the road such as an uphill or a downhill, a predetermined range of the road surface and the roadside is always accurately captured. It is possible to do.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the roadside photographing vehicle of the present invention, the photographing device is mounted on the roadside photographing vehicle so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis parallel to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle. Means for controlling a rotation angle of the photographing machine around the horizontal axis so that the photographing machine is positioned horizontally in the left-right direction toward the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle. In this way, even when the road surface has a gradient in the cross direction of the road, it is possible to always take a picture with a horizontal line of sight.

In a preferred embodiment of the roadside photographing vehicle according to the present invention, the roadside photographing vehicle includes a means for measuring a distance to an obstacle such as a vehicle existing in the forward direction of the vehicle. Means is provided for issuing a warning when the distance between the roadside photographing vehicle and the obstacle ahead is smaller than a predetermined value. By doing so, it is possible to prevent an obstacle such as a preceding vehicle from entering the photographing range of the photographing machine and obstructing photographing of a predetermined range of a road surface or a roadside.

In a preferred embodiment of the roadside photographing vehicle according to the present invention, a road surface property measuring device and a position measuring device are mounted on the roadside photographing vehicle, and the measured road surface information and position information are captured. Can be stored or displayed in association with each other.

In the present invention, the vertical axis, the horizontal axis perpendicular to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle, and the horizontal axis parallel to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle are all defined as:
The photographing machine refers to the axial direction at the initial position mounted on the roadside photographing vehicle, for example, the vertical axis is around the horizontal axis in the direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle, Or, when the vehicle rotates around a horizontal axis parallel to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle, the vehicle may no longer be in the vertical state, but in such a case, it is referred to as a vertical axis in the present invention. . Similarly, the horizontal axis in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle and the horizontal axis parallel to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle are also taken along the roadside photographing state with the photographing machine returned to the initial position. This indicates a horizontal axis that is orthogonal to the traveling direction of the vehicle and a horizontal axis that is parallel to the traveling direction of the roadside roadside photographing vehicle. The traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle in terms of the horizontal axis orthogonal to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle and the horizontal axis parallel to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle is defined as the straight line of the roadside photographing vehicle. It indicates the traveling direction of time.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a roadside photographing vehicle according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view showing an example of a roadside photographing vehicle according to the present invention. In the figure, a roadside photographing vehicle indicated by reference numeral 1 has a photographing machine 2 mounted thereon. , So as to be rotatable about three orthogonal axes and to be variable in the vertical direction.
The three orthogonal axes are a horizontal axis X parallel to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle 1, a horizontal axis Y perpendicular to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle 1, and a vertical axis Z to the roadside photographing vehicle 1. It is. In addition, by making the vertical position of the photographing device 2 variable, the height of the photographing device 2 is lowered at the time of non-photographing, and in extreme cases, it is stored inside the roadside photographing vehicle 1. In addition, at the time of photographing, it is possible to secure a necessary photographing height. As the photographing device 2, any device can be used as long as it can photograph a predetermined range of a road surface and a roadside, but a device capable of extracting video information as a digital or analog electric signal or optical signal. Are preferable, for example, an optical camera, CC
A D camera, a video camera, or the like can be used.
The video information output from the photographing device 2 may be moving image information or still image information, or may be a mixture of both. In the illustrated example, only one photographing device 2 is mounted, but two or more photographing devices are mounted, one of which is used as a spare, or the road surface and the roadside are divided into two right and left,
Alternatively, the image may be divided and photographed.

The video information from the camera 2 is input to the central control unit 4, where it is subjected to appropriate processing and then stored in a storage device (not shown). For example, in a section where the property of the road surface has little change, it is possible to reduce the load on the storage device by capturing the video information sent from the photographing device 2 as still image information at an appropriate timing. It is also possible to write a mark or a symbol at an arbitrary position on the video. It goes without saying that the video information sent from the photographing device 2 can be appropriately monitored by a display device such as a liquid crystal screen or a CRT.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a line sensor camera, one or more of which are arranged in the width direction of the roadside photographing vehicle 2, continuously photograph the road surface, and send the image information to the central control device 4. Can be The central control unit 4 performs image processing on the signal from the line sensor camera 5 and detects cracks and damage existing on the road surface. Reference numeral 6 denotes a displacement sensor, which is arranged in plural numbers along the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle 1 and / or the width direction of the roadside photographing vehicle 1, and centrally controls information on road surface irregularities and information on the road surface profile. Output to the device 4. Reference numeral 7 denotes a GPS signal receiving device, which stores information on the current position of the roadside photographing vehicle 1 in the central control device 4.
To send to. Reference numeral 8 denotes a gyro, a roadside photographing vehicle 1
Is sent to the central control unit 4, and the central control unit 4 appropriately corrects and corrects information on road surface irregularities and road surface profile obtained from the displacement sensor 6 based on a signal from the gyro 8. I do. Also,
The information on the attitude of the roadside photographing vehicle 1 from the gyro 8 can also be used to maintain the horizontal position of the photographing machine 2 as described later.

The central control unit 4 processes video information from the photographing machine 2, video information from the line sensor camera 5, and information from the displacement sensor 6, and processes them on the road surface obtained from the GPS signal receiving device 7. The information is stored in a storage device (not shown) in association with the information on the current position of the roadside photographing vehicle 1.
Note that the storage device may be mounted on the roadside photographing vehicle 1 or may be installed at a location away from the roadside photographing vehicle 1 and connected to the central control device 4 by an appropriate communication means. . As described above, in the roadside roadside photographing vehicle 1 of the present invention, the video information from the photographing device 2 includes the information on the road surface properties from the line sensor camera 5 and the displacement sensor 6,
Alternatively, since the information is stored in association with the information on the current position from the GPS signal receiving device 7, the road surface property of the specific point can not only be confirmed or displayed in combination with the position on the map, but also the road surface of the point can be confirmed. It is possible to reproduce the situation and the roadside scenery as an image.

Numeral 9 denotes a device for detecting the steering angle of the roadside photographing vehicle 1. In this case, a signal corresponding to the steering angle is detected by detecting the rotation angle of the steering shaft 10 in the central control unit 4. To be sent. Means for detecting the rotation angle of the steering shaft 10 may be of any type such as a mechanical type, an optical type, an electromagnetic type, and an electrostatic type, and as long as a signal corresponding to the steering angle can be obtained. Instead of the rotation angle of 10, the displacement of another part of the steering device may be detected, and further, the displacement of the wheel or the tire may be directly detected. Central control unit 4
Receives a signal from the steering angle detecting device 9 and, based on the signal, rotates the mount 3 of the photographing machine 2 by a predetermined angle as described later. Note that the steering angle detection device 9 or the central control device 4 controls the photographing machine 2 not to rotate following the relatively short-period fluctuation such as the rotation angle of the steering shaft 10 and the displacement of other parts of the steering device. It is preferable to provide, for example, a time constant circuit or an integration circuit for removing a short-period detection signal.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a distance measuring device for measuring the distance between the roadside photographing vehicle 1 and an obstacle such as a vehicle existing in the forward direction of the vehicle, such as a laser beam, an ultrasonic wave, an electromagnetic wave, or a microwave. And outputs to the central control unit 4 a signal relating to the distance between the roadside photographing vehicle and the obstacle ahead. The central control device 4 includes a means for issuing a warning when the measured distance to the obstacle is smaller than a predetermined value, or for reducing the traveling speed of the roadside photographing vehicle 1. By doing so, it is possible to prevent an obstacle such as a preceding vehicle from entering the photographing range of the photographing machine and obstructing photographing of a predetermined range of a road surface or a roadside.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a distance measuring device for measuring a distance from the photographing machine 2 to a road surface as an object to be photographed. The distance measuring device 12 includes, for example, transmitting and receiving means for transmitting laser light, ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic waves, and microwaves. A signal relating to the distance from the camera 2 to the road surface to be photographed is sent to the central control device 4, and the central control device 4 thereby transmits the signal in the direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing device 1 of the photographing device 2. The rotation angle around the horizontal axis, that is, the Y axis is controlled. This will be described later.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, all signals from various mounted devices are sent to the central control unit 4 and processed there. And the various mounted devices themselves may perform necessary signal processing and control the whole while communicating with each other.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the roadside photographing vehicle 1 of the present invention as viewed from above, and shows how the photographing machine 2 rotates around a vertical axis, that is, a Z-axis according to a steering angle. FIG. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 13 denotes a steered wheel, and reference numeral 14 denotes a road, which is curved as shown in the figure. α is the rotation angle of the photographing machine 2 measured from the forward traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle 1 when traveling straight ahead, β is the steering angle of the right steering wheel,
γ is the steering angle of the left steered wheel. In a preferred embodiment of the roadside photographing vehicle 1 of the present invention, as shown in FIG.
The photographing machine 2 is configured to rotate around a vertical axis by an angle α according to the steering angles β or γ. The rotation of the photographing machine 2 about the vertical axis is automatically performed by rotating the mount 3 by a predetermined angle based on a signal from the steering angle detecting device shown in FIG. Angle α is
The steering angle β or γ may be set to be larger or smaller than γ, but usually, the steering angle β
Or the same angle as γ is preferable. When the angle β and the angle γ are different, it is desirable that α be the average value.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the case where the photographing machine 2 is rotated in accordance with the steering angle and the case where the photographing machine 2 is not rotated when the roadside photographing vehicle 1 approaches the curved road 14. FIGS. 3A and 3B show a difference in a photographing range, wherein FIG. 3 shows a case where the photographing machine 2 is not rotated, and FIG. 4 shows a case where the photographing machine 2 is rotated. As is clear from FIGS. 3 and 4, in the case of FIG.
4 is deviated to the left, and the right is out of the photographing range, whereas in the case of FIG. 4 in which the photographing machine 2 is rotated according to the steering angle, the left and right sides of the curved road 14 are photographed relatively evenly. It can be seen that an accurate shooting range is secured.

FIG. 5 shows a roadside photographing vehicle 1 by the photographing machine 2.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a photographing range in the forward direction of FIG.
Normally, a range of 10 to 50 m in front of the roadside photographing vehicle 1 can be photographed. The distance measuring device 12 is attached to the photographing device 2, and rotates together with the photographing device 2 around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle 1, that is, around the Y axis. Measure the distance to the road surface. The distance measuring device 12 does not need to be attached to the camera 2 as long as it rotates in conjunction with the camera 2. Generally, the position of the road surface measured by the distance measuring device 12 is preferably in the vicinity of the center of the photographing range of the photographing device 2 in terms of accuracy, but any portion within the photographing range of the photographing device 2 is preferable. Is also good. Also,
Of course, the photographing range of the photographing device 2 can be set as appropriate.

The signal from the distance measuring device 12 is sent to the central control device 4 shown in FIG. 1, and the central control device 4 controls the distance from the photographing machine 2 to the road surface to be photographed to be constant. The photographing machine 2 is rotated around the horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 5, that is, the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle 1. For example, if the distance from the photographing device 2 to the road surface to be photographed is smaller than a preset value, the photographing device 2
When the distance from the photographing machine 2 to the road surface to be photographed is larger than a predetermined value, the photographing is performed. The aircraft 2 is rotated so that the elevation angle is reduced and the depression angle is further increased. In order to prevent the rotation of the photographing device 2 from following the relatively short-period fluctuation of the signal from the distance measuring device 12, a means for removing a short-period component, for example, a means such as a time-constant circuit or an integrating circuit is provided. Keep in mind that
Same as for rotation about the vertical axis.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the case where the photographing machine 2 is not rotated around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle 1 when the roadside photographing vehicle 1 approaches an uphill. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a difference in a photographing range between a case where the photographing device 2 is rotated and a case where the photographing device 2 is not rotated.
Shows a case where the photographing machine 2 is rotated such that the distance from the photographing machine 2 to the road surface to be photographed is constant. As is clear from FIGS. 6 and 7, in the case of FIG. 6 in which the photographing device 2 is fixed at the same angle as when traveling on a flat road surface, the photographing range becomes extremely narrow. It can be seen that in the case of FIG. 7 rotated so that the distance from to the road surface to be photographed is constant, almost the same photographing range as when traveling on a flat road surface is secured. As described above, by rotating the photographing device 2 around the horizontal axis perpendicular to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle 1 so that the distance from the photographing device 2 to the road surface to be photographed is constant, Even when there is a gradient in the direction, it is possible to always ensure an accurate photographing range.

The same applies to the case where the roadside roadside photographing vehicle 1 approaches a down slope. By rotating the photographing machine so that the distance from the photographing machine 2 to the road surface to be photographed becomes constant, accurate photographing is performed. It is possible to secure a shooting range. In the case where the field of view of the photographing device 2 is obstructed by the roadside photographing vehicle 1 itself and the depression angle is restricted, the vertical position of the photographing device 2 may be increased, and the vertical position of the photographing device 2 may be changed. It is needless to say that it is desirable to change the set value of the distance from the photographing device 2 to the road surface to be photographed when it is changed.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the roadside roadside photographing vehicle 1 of the present invention, when there is a gradient in the cross direction of the road, FIG.
Camera 2 based on the posture information from gyro 8 shown in FIG.
Is rotated as indicated by an arrow around a horizontal axis parallel to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle 1 so as to always maintain a horizontal position. By doing so, a horizontal visual field close to human vision is secured, and it is possible to intuitively grasp whether or not the road surface has a gradient in the cross direction of the road.

[0028]

As described above, the roadside photographing vehicle of the present invention is equipped with a photographing machine, and associates the video information from the photographing machine with the position information of the photographed place and / or the road surface information of the photographed place. It has a means for storing and / or displaying
It can intuitively grasp the state of the road and the state of the roadside, eliminating the need to confirm the position on a map when specifying the target location, and even when planning the loading of work machines, etc. There is no need to preview the repair site including the actual situation.

Further, the roadside photographing vehicle of the present invention is configured such that the mounted photographing machine is rotatable around three orthogonal axes, and the steering angle of the roadside photographing vehicle, the road surface to be photographed, Is configured to rotate around three orthogonal axes based on information such as the distance to the vehicle or the attitude of the roadside photographing vehicle, so that the roadside photographing vehicle has a gradient in the curve or road longitudinal direction. Even if you reach a place,
An optimal photographing range can always be ensured, and even when there is a gradient in the cross direction of the road, a horizontal photographing visual field close to the human visual field can be secured. The roadside photographing vehicle of the present invention is extremely effective in constructing a roadside management system, and has excellent effects.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a roadside photographing vehicle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a rotation state of a photographing machine around a vertical axis.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a photographing range when the photographing device is fixed.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a photographing range when the photographing machine rotates.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a photographing range in a forward direction of a roadside photographing vehicle.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a photographing range when the photographing device is fixed.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a photographing range when the photographing machine rotates.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which the photographing machine is maintained horizontally.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Roadside photographing vehicle 2 Camera 3 Mounting base 4 Central control device 5 Line sensor camera 6 Displacement sensor 7 GPS signal receiving device 8 Gyro 9 Steering angle detecting device 10 Steering shaft 11, 12 Distance measuring device 13 Steering wheel 14 Road α photographing Machine rotation angle β, γ Steering angle

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Kinmori 3rd 9-1, Hikarigaoka, Nerima-ku, Tokyo Room 2004 F-term (reference) 2D053 AA32 AB03 AC01 AD01 FA02 5C054 AA01 AA05 CA04 CC05 CF06 CF07 CG08 CH02 EA01 EA05 EA07 FC03 GA01 GB01 GD07 HA26 5H180 AA01 BB04 CC03 CC04 CC11 CC12 EE11 FF04 FF05 FF32 FF33 LL01 LL04 LL08

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup device capable of photographing a road surface and a roadside is mounted, and image information of the road surface and the roadside taken is
A roadside photographing vehicle including means for storing and / or displaying the location information of the location to be captured and / or the road surface information of the location to be captured in association with the location information. 2. A photographing machine is rotatably mounted on a roadside photographing vehicle so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis, and receives a signal from a steering angle detecting device that generates a signal corresponding to a steering angle of the roadside photographing vehicle. 2. The roadside photographing vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting a rotation angle of the photographing machine about the vertical axis based on the photographing device. 3. A means for adjusting a rotation angle of the photographing machine about the vertical axis based on a signal from a steering angle detecting device, wherein the photographing machine is vertically moved by an angle substantially equal to a steering angle of a roadside photographing vehicle. 3. The roadside photographing vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle is rotated around an axis. 4. The road surface according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the photographing device is mounted on the roadside photographing vehicle so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis in a direction orthogonal to a traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle. Roadside car. 5. A device for measuring a distance from a photographing machine to a road surface to be photographed, and based on a signal from the distance measuring device, detects a distance in a direction perpendicular to a traveling direction of a photographing vehicle along a road surface of the photographing machine. 5. The roadside photographing vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising means for adjusting a rotation angle about a horizontal axis. 6. A method for controlling a rotation angle of a photographing machine around a horizontal axis in a direction orthogonal to a traveling direction of a photographing vehicle along a road surface so that a distance from the photographing machine to a road surface to be photographed is constant. Item 6. A roadside photographing vehicle according to item 5. 7. The photographing device is mounted on the roadside photographing vehicle so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis parallel to the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle. 6
The roadside photography car described. 8. A means for generating a signal related to the attitude of the roadside photographing vehicle in the left-right direction toward the traveling direction, and based on the signal from the means, the photographing machine moves toward the traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle. 8. The roadside photographing vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising means for controlling a rotation angle of a photographing machine about a horizontal axis parallel to a traveling direction of the roadside photographing vehicle of the photographing machine so as to be positioned horizontally in the left-right direction. 9. A roadside photographing vehicle, and means for measuring a distance to an obstacle such as a vehicle existing ahead in the traveling direction, wherein a distance between the roadside photographing vehicle and the preceding obstacle is smaller than a predetermined value. 9. The roadside photographing vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising means for issuing a warning when the distance is small. 10. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a road surface property measuring device and / or a position measuring device.
The roadside photographing vehicle according to 7, 8, or 9.