JP2007212241A - Electric wave emission source visualization device and its method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric wave emission source visualization device capable of recognizing an object emitting an electric wave by displaying an estimation result of an electric wave emission source translucently or by contour lines of electric field strength on a camera image in order to recognize the object emitting the electric wave. <P>SOLUTION: This device includes an operation processing part for estimating the electric wave emission source based on the electric wave received by a reference antenna and an array antenna having a plurality of antenna elements, and generating an wave source image; a camera for photographing an environment of a part estimated as the electric wave emission source; and a display device for synthesizing and displaying the wave source image without shielding completely the part estimated as the electric wave emission source reflected on an environment image photographed by the camera. Hereby, the electric wave emission source can be recognized. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a radio wave emission source visualization apparatus and method for estimating the emission source of radio waves such as illegal radio waves and unnecessary radiation and visualizing and displaying the position.

  Conventionally, a radio wave emission source visualization device has been used to search and visualize radio wave emission sources such as illegal radio waves and unwanted radiation. The general technique is a system that receives radio waves with a probe antenna in which a plurality of antenna elements are arranged on a plane, estimates the direction of arrival of radio waves using the received radio waves, and performs visualization processing. The estimation result of the radio wave arrival direction is displayed on the screen or an estimated value (elevation angle, azimuth angle) is presented. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an example of obtaining a spectrum by Fourier transform in order to visualize a wave source image based on the principle of holography.

On the other hand, since the estimation result of the radio wave emission source is displayed as a distribution of the electric field strength, in this case, it is difficult to recognize where the radio wave is coming from, even if the arrival direction of the radio wave is known. there were. Attempts have also been made to capture the vicinity of a radio wave emission source with a camera and display the radio wave arrival direction estimation result superimposed on the captured camera image, but the estimation result is displayed on the camera image as the electric field strength distribution. It was difficult to recognize an object emitting radio waves simply by displaying it.
JP-A-9-134113

  Since the conventional radio wave emission source visualization apparatus only displays the estimation result of the radio wave arrival direction as the electric field intensity distribution, it is difficult to recognize from which location the radio wave has arrived.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in order to recognize an object emitting radio waves, the result of estimating the radio wave emission source is displayed on a camera image as a semi-transparent or electric field strength contour line. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a radio wave emission source visualization apparatus and method capable of recognizing an object emitting radio waves.

  The radio wave emission source visualization device of the present invention includes: an arithmetic processing unit that estimates a radio wave emission source based on radio waves received by a reference antenna and radio waves sequentially received by a plurality of antenna elements, and generates a wave source image; Photographing means for photographing the environment of the portion estimated as the source; and the environment image and the wave source image without completely obstructing the portion estimated as the radio wave emission source reflected in the environment image photographed by the photographing means. And a display device for combining and displaying.

  In addition, the radio wave emission source visualization method of the present invention performs calculation processing based on radio wave signals received by a reference antenna and radio wave signals sequentially received by a plurality of antenna elements, and generates radio wave source images by estimating radio wave emission sources. Shooting the environment of the portion estimated to be the radio wave emission source; and the environment image and the wave source image without completely blocking the portion estimated to be the radio wave emission source reflected in the captured environment image. The synthesized image is displayed on the display means to recognize the radio wave emission source.

  According to the present invention, the estimation result of the radio wave emission source is visualized and displayed in a semi-transparent or contour line on the image captured by the camera, so that the image of the portion estimated to be the radio wave emission source is not hidden. It is possible to provide a radio wave emission source visualization apparatus and method capable of easily recognizing an object emitting radio waves.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the radio wave emission source visualization apparatus of the present invention. The radio wave emission source visualization apparatus 100 in FIG. 1 roughly estimates and visualizes an electric wave emission source (hereinafter referred to as a wave source), and photographs the first system that generates a wave source image and the environment of the wave source unit. A second system that has a camera and processes the environment image captured by the camera, and combines both images from the first and second systems, and overlays the environment source image with the estimated wave source image And a display device for displaying.

  The first system includes an array antenna 11, an antenna switching unit 12, receiving units 13 and 14, a frequency converter 15, an A / D conversion unit 16, and an arithmetic processing unit 17 for estimating and visualizing a wave source. The second system includes a camera 21 attached to the array antenna 11 and a video signal processing unit 22 for processing a video signal photographed by the camera 21, and an output image and a video signal from the arithmetic processing unit 17. The camera image processed by the processing unit 22 is combined with the combining processing unit 30 and displayed on the display device 40.

  The array antenna 11 has a plurality of (for example, 6 vertical × 6 horizontal) antenna elements 111 to 11n (for example, dipole antennas) arranged two-dimensionally in the vertical and horizontal directions, and any one of them is used as a reference antenna. Yes. Alternatively, the reference antenna may be provided separately from the array antenna 11.

  Radio waves received by the reference antenna are supplied to the first receiving unit 13, and radio waves received by other antenna elements are sequentially switched and selected by the antenna switching unit 12 and supplied to the second receiving unit 14. The The radio waves received by the first and second receivers 13 and 14 are converted to an intermediate frequency (IF frequency) by the frequency converter 15, and the signal after the frequency conversion is converted to a digital signal by the A / D converter 16. .

  Thereafter, calculation processing is performed by the calculation processing unit 17, and the wave source is estimated and visualized. The calculation processing unit 17 includes a calculation unit 18, a CPU 19, and a memory 20, and the calculation unit 18 includes a spectrum analysis unit that analyzes a frequency spectrum of a signal received by the array antenna 11, and a wave source estimation unit. The frequency of the received signal is estimated by converting the signal received by each receiving unit into a signal on the frequency axis and analyzing the frequency spectrum. The wave source estimator calculates the correlation function of the amplitude and phase information of the radio waves received by the reference antenna and other antenna elements and performs FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) processing to estimate and visualize the position. For example, a radio holography method is used.

  On the other hand, in the present invention, the video camera 21 is attached to the array antenna 11 as a photographing means so that the environment of the portion estimated as the wave source can be photographed. The captured camera image (environment image) is captured by the video signal processing unit 22 and output to the synthesis processing unit 30. In the display device 40, the camera image is displayed, and an image obtained by visualizing the wave source by the arithmetic processing unit 17 (hereinafter referred to as a wave source image) is displayed in an overlapping manner so that the place where the radio wave is emitted can be recognized. To do.

  Next, a display method of the wave source image and the camera image will be described. For example, when the estimation result of the direction of arrival of radio waves is displayed superimposed on the camera image as a distribution map of the electric field strength, a part of the camera image is hidden under the wave source image (distribution map) in a simple overlay display. Because it disappears, it is difficult to recognize the object emitting the radio wave (radio wave emission source). Therefore, in the present invention, the wave source image is displayed in a semi-transparent or contour line on the camera image so that both the wave source image and the camera image can be visually recognized.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of the operation in the radio wave emission source visualization apparatus of the present invention. First, the operation is started in step S1, and the array antenna 11 is directed to a point where it is considered that a radio wave is being emitted. In step S2, radio waves are received by the array antenna 11. At the same time, the camera 21 captures the environment of the part that seems to be a radio wave emission source. The radio waves received by the array antenna 11 are sequentially converted by the frequency converter 15 in step S3, and converted to digital signals by the A / D converter 16 in step S4.

  In step S5, the arithmetic processing unit 17 performs arithmetic processing for visualizing radio waves and estimates the wave source. Thereafter, in step S6, a wave source image is generated based on the estimation result of the wave source, and is output after being subjected to translucent display or contour line display processing.

  On the other hand, simultaneously with the start of reception of radio waves by the array antenna 11, in step S7, the camera 21 captures the environment (measurement environment) of the part that seems to be a wave source. After shooting the environment with the camera 21, in step S8, the camera image data is transferred to the video signal processing unit 22, and in step S9, the video signal processing unit 22 captures the camera image and performs distortion correction processing. The distortion correction is to correct the peripheral portion of the photographed image because it tends to shrink. In step S10, the wave source image generated based on the estimation result of the wave source and the camera image after distortion correction are superimposed, and in step S11, the wave source image is superimposed and displayed on the camera image in a translucent display or contour display. Thereby, it is possible to recognize an object emitting radio waves (step S12).

  FIG. 3 shows an example in which the radio wave arrival direction estimation result is displayed semi-transparently, and FIG. 4 shows an example in which contour lines are displayed.

  In FIG. 3, an environment image captured by the camera 21 is shown as 41, and an image in which the wave source is visualized is displayed as a wave source image 42. The wave source image 42 is a visualization of the portion of the received radio wave having a strong electric field strength. By performing the translucent processing, the background portion of the wave source image 42 is displayed without being completely hidden, and thus the radio wave is emitted. The object (radio wave emission source) 43 can be recognized. In this example, there is an object 43 on the roof of the building.

  In the example of FIG. 4, the wave source image 42 is superimposed on the environment image 41 captured by the camera 21. However, since the strength of the electric field strength of the received radio wave is displayed with contour lines, the wave source image 42 is displayed. Is displayed without being completely hidden, it is possible to visually recognize the object 43 emitting radio waves.

  Thus, in the present invention, the environment image 41 and the wave source image 42 are displayed in an overlapping manner without completely blocking the portion 43 estimated to be a radio wave emission source shown in the environment image 41 photographed by the camera 21. Can do.

  FIG. 5 shows a display example of a conventional wave source estimation result for reference. In this case, the black portion 44 on the screen is a portion having a strong electric field strength, and it can be estimated that this portion is the arrival direction of the radio wave, but it is difficult to recognize the object emitting the radio wave.

  FIG. 6 shows processing when the wave source image 42 is displayed semi-transparently. The wave source image generated by the arithmetic processing unit 17 and the camera image processed by the video processing unit 22 are combined by the combining processing unit 30, and the combining ratio is set as shown in FIG. 6, for example.

  The color composition of the camera image 41 on the screen of the display device 40 is three types of RGB, and the gradation display is in 256 steps (0 to 255). In this case, the R, G, B levels of the camera image 41 are set to 100, 100, 100, the wave source image 42 is displayed in red, and the R, G, B levels of the wave source image 42 are set to 255, 0, 0. When the camera image 41 and the wave source image 42 are mixed and displayed at a specific ratio (for example, 7: 3) for each RGB, the R, G, and B levels of the composite image are 146, 70, and 70, respectively. Two images are overlaid. Thereby, the wave source image 42 is displayed as a translucent image, and the object 43 emitting radio waves can be seen through as shown in FIG.

  Next, processing when contour lines are displayed will be described with reference to FIGS.

For example, assuming that the peak value of the electric field intensity of the wave source is level 100 and the number of contour lines is five as shown in FIG. 7, the electric field intensity is 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%. By setting a threshold level for each level and connecting points of the electric field strength at each threshold level with contour lines, a portion with a strong electric field strength can be displayed with five levels of contour lines. In FIG. 7, Az indicates an azimuth angle (Azimuth), and El indicates an elevation angle (Elevation).

  That is, first, as shown in FIG. 8, the mesh M is set so that the portion displaying the estimation result of the radio wave emission source is divided into a plurality of fine regions in the two-dimensional direction. Since the electric field intensity values at the intersections of the meshes, that is, at the four corners of the divided area are respectively stored in the memory 20, the data stored in the memory addresses corresponding to the coordinates of the four corners of the divided areas are read out, thereby The electric field strength values within the four sides can be obtained.

  Next, the number of contour lines and the threshold level of the electric field strength indicated as each contour line are set. FIG. 9 shows an example of paying attention to a certain electric field strength and calculating whether or not there are electric field strengths to be found on the four sides of each divided region. There are numerical values g (x) of the estimation results at the four corners of the divided area. x indicates coordinates (x, y) of the display screen. For example, consider a case where g (A) = 8, g (B) = 13, g (C) = 11, g (D) = 15 and a contour line of g (x) = 10 is drawn in the divided region. First, since g (A) = 8 and g (B) = 13, there is a point g (x) = 10 between AB. The coordinates of this point are obtained by linear approximation and set as coordinates p. Further, since g (A) = 8 and g (C) = 11, there is a point where g (x) = 10 between AC. The coordinates of this point are obtained by linear approximation and set as a coordinate point s. There is no point where g (x) = 10 between BD and CD. Therefore, if a line is drawn connecting the coordinate points p and s, a contour line of g (x) = 10 can be generated.

  In the same manner, by designating other divided areas sequentially and drawing a line connecting the points of g (x) = 10, contour images can be displayed in each divided area as shown in FIG. FIG. 10 shows a part of the set diagram of the divided regions. By performing the same processing for all the regions in FIG. 8, contour lines of the required electric field strength can be drawn. When the creation of one contour line is completed in this way, the next electric field strength, for example, g (x) = 11 is set, and contour lines are drawn by the above algorithm, thereby generating a plurality of contour maps as shown in FIG. Is done.

In the contour line drawing process described above, data is read from the memory 20 under the control of the CPU 19 and is calculated by the calculation unit 18 to create the wave source image 42 indicated by the contour lines.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the contour line creation process described above. First, the operation is started in step S21, and in step S22, the screen displaying the estimation result of the wave source is divided into a plurality of regions by a plurality of matrix meshes. Next, in step S23, the number of contour lines and the electric field strength indicated by each contour line are set, and the initial electric field strength is designated in step S24.

In the next step S25, the first region (for example, the upper left region) divided by the mesh is designated, and in step S26, contour lines are drawn by the procedure described in FIG. In step S27, it is determined whether or not the contour line drawing process has been completed for all areas. If the process for all areas has not been completed, the next area is designated in step S28.

When the contour line drawing process at the first electric field strength is completed for all the regions by the loop of steps S26, S27, and S28, at the next step S29, whether or not the contour line drawing process at all the set electrolytic strengths is finished. Is determined, and if the contour line drawing process for all the set electric field strengths has not been completed, the next electric field strength is set in step S30, and set by the loop of steps S25 to S29 and S30. When the contour line drawing process for all the electric field strengths is completed, the contour line display is completed in step S31.

  As described above, in the present invention, the estimation result of the radio wave emission source is visualized and the wave source image is displayed in a translucent manner, so that the camera image in the background is seen through, or the wave source image is displayed with contour lines. Thus, it is possible to provide a radio wave emission source visualization apparatus and method that can observe a background camera image with almost no obstruction and can easily recognize the radio wave emission source.

  Note that various modifications are possible without being limited to the above description. For example, in the above-described semi-transparent processing, the example in which the synthesis ratio of the camera image and the wave source image is 7: 3 and the camera image is displayed dark has been described. It is also possible to display the wave source image darkly as in 3: 7. Further, the interval and the number of contour lines can be arbitrarily set according to the electric field intensity from the wave source.

1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a radio wave emission source visualization device of the present invention. The flowchart explaining the outline of operation | movement of the radio wave emission source visualization apparatus in the embodiment. Explanatory drawing explaining an example which visualized the estimation result of the wave source in the same embodiment, and displayed it by translucent processing. Explanatory drawing explaining the example which visualized the estimation result of the wave source in the embodiment, and displayed with the contour line. Explanatory drawing explaining the example which visualized and displayed the estimation result of the wave source in the conventional radio wave emission source visualization apparatus. Explanatory drawing explaining the synthetic | combination process of the image and camera image which visualized the estimation result of the wave source in this invention. Explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement at the time of visualizing the estimation result of a wave source in the present invention, and displaying a contour line. Explanatory drawing explaining the subdivision area | region of the screen at the time of visualizing the estimation result of a wave source, and displaying a contour line in this invention. Explanatory drawing explaining the creation process of the contour line in one area | region subdivided at the time of displaying a contour line. Explanatory drawing explaining the creation result of a contour line. The flowchart explaining the creation processing operation | movement of the wave source image by a contour line.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Radio wave emission source visualization apparatus 11 ... Array antenna 12 ... Antenna switching circuit 13, 14 ... Reception part 15 ... Frequency conversion part 16 ... A / D conversion part 17 ... Operation processing part 18 ... Operation part 19 ... CPU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 ... Memory 21 ... Camera 22 ... Video signal processing part 30 ... Composition processing part 40 ... Display apparatus 41 ... Camera image 42 ... Wave source image 43 ... Radio wave emission source

Claims (11)

An arithmetic processing unit that estimates a radio wave emission source based on radio waves received by a reference antenna and radio waves sequentially received by a plurality of antenna elements, and generates a wave source image;
Imaging means for imaging the environment of the portion estimated to be the radio wave emission source,
A display device that synthesizes and displays the environment image and the wave source image without completely blocking a portion estimated to be a radio wave emission source reflected in the environment image photographed by the photographing means. A radio wave emission source visualization device.   2. The radio wave emission source visualization device according to claim 1, wherein the environment image and the wave source image are synthesized at a predetermined ratio to make the wave source image translucent and displayed on the display device.   The arithmetic processing unit generates a wave source image represented by a plurality of contour lines set for each of electric fields of a plurality of stages, and displays the environment image and the wave source image represented by the contour lines on the display device. The radio wave emission source visualizing device according to claim 1, wherein An array antenna having a reference antenna element and a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged antenna elements;
An arithmetic processing unit that estimates a radio wave emission source based on radio waves received by the reference antenna element and radio waves sequentially received by the plurality of antenna elements, and generates a wave source image;
A camera that captures the environment of the portion estimated to be the radio wave emission source;
A video signal processing unit for processing an image captured by the camera to generate an environmental image;
A radio wave emission source visualization device comprising: a display device that synthesizes and displays the environment image and the wave source image without completely blocking a portion estimated to be the radio wave emission source reflected in the environment image .   The radio wave emission source according to claim 4, further comprising a synthesis processing unit configured to synthesize the environment image and the wave source image at a predetermined ratio, wherein the wave source image is made translucent and displayed on the display device. Visualization device.   The arithmetic processing unit generates the wave source image represented by a plurality of contour lines set for each of a plurality of levels of electric field strength, and synthesizes the wave source image represented by the contour lines with the environment image to form the display device The radio wave emission source visualization apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the radio wave emission source visualization apparatus is displayed. Performs arithmetic processing based on radio signals received by the reference antenna and radio signals sequentially received by multiple antenna elements, estimates the radio wave emission source, generates a wave source image,
Shoot the environment of the part that is estimated to be the radio wave emission source,
Without completely obstructing the portion estimated to be the radio wave emission source reflected in the captured environment image, the environment image and the wave source image are combined,
A radio wave emission source visualization method in which the synthesized image is displayed on a display means to recognize the radio wave emission source.   8. The radio wave emission source visualization method according to claim 7, wherein the environment image and the wave source image are synthesized at a predetermined ratio, the wave source image is made translucent and displayed on the display means.   Estimating the radio wave emission source, generating a wave source image represented by contour lines set for each of a plurality of stages of electric field strength, and combining the environment image with the wave source image represented by the contour lines to the display means The radio wave emission source visualization method according to claim 7, wherein display is performed.   When generating the wave source image represented by the contour lines, an area for displaying the wave source image is divided into a plurality of areas in a two-dimensional direction, and electric field intensity values at positions corresponding to intersections of the divided areas are stored in a memory. 10. The radio wave emission source according to claim 9, wherein the presence of coordinates having a preset electric field strength value between each intersection is calculated, and contour lines are formed by connecting the calculated coordinates. Visualization method.   11. The radio wave emission source visualization method according to claim 10, wherein the preset electric field strength value is set to a plurality of different values to form a plurality of levels of contour lines.

Images