JP2010066986A - Camera system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera system that can achieve high viewability in low cost and further improve efficiency in installation and adjusting operation and readily optimize an illuminating pattern. <P>SOLUTION: The camera system takes images of a license plate of a vehicle traveling on a turnpike to recognize the characters on the license plate by processing the acquired image, or takes and records an image including at least the face of a driver of the vehicle driving on the turnpike. In the system, the illuminating pattern of an illuminating unit has preliminary been focused on the on-screen trajectory of the vehicle assumed on the basis of a standard installation condition of the illuminating unit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention, for example, in a toll collection system called an ETC system (non-stop automatic toll collection system) that automatically performs a toll collection process for a vehicle in a non-stop manner, has a license plate for a vehicle traveling on a toll road. The present invention relates to a camera system that recognizes characters on a number plate by capturing and processing the obtained image, or captures and records an image including at least a driver's face of a vehicle traveling on a toll road.

  At present, the ETC system is spreading as a toll collection system at tollgates on toll roads. A vehicle using this is equipped with a dedicated in-vehicle device equipped with an ETC card, and performs toll collection processing such as automatic billing by wireless communication with an ETC antenna device installed at an entrance (exit) of a toll gate. When the toll collection process ends normally, the blocking bar of the start control device that closes the traffic lane opens, and the vehicle can pass non-stop (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The individual traffic information is given to the upper central processing unit through the data processing unit at the toll booth, and finally charged by credit processing or the like. The main purpose of the ETC system is to reduce traffic congestion at toll booths and to save labor automatically in toll collection. Some toll gates are equipped with a camera system for photographing passing vehicles for the purpose of remotely monitoring the traffic conditions of the vehicles.
No. 2000-182109

  In general, at toll gates on toll roads, in terms of safety, the ability to prevent unauthorized vehicles is intentionally suppressed. Although the blocking bar of the start control device, which becomes a traffic gate, is structured to open and close in the vertical direction, it can also be pushed (break through) in the vehicle traveling direction in a closed state, at a position opened about 90 degrees. The blocking bar is locked. In addition, when a force exceeding a certain level is momentarily applied, the blocking bar itself breaks, so that it does not have the ability to stop the running vehicle.

  Abuse vehicles that break through the toll gate (closed blocking bar) without being charged without exploiting this and not installing the on-vehicle device or deliberately inserting the ETC card into the on-vehicle device have not passed. The damage on the part of the company, which amounts to hundreds of millions of yen per year, is enormous, but unfair neglect for the majority of users who pay regular fees is a social problem.

  Until now, if there was a vehicle that would push through (or destroy) the blocking bar without being charged normally, it could be recognized by a toll booth alarm, etc., but it was already run away when the staff responded. There were almost no cases that could be identified. Further, forcibly blocking a breakthrough vehicle that is traveling is a problem from the viewpoint of safety, and there is no effective countermeasure. In that sense, “camera systems that record illegal traffic images” cannot be regarded as current offenders, but their effectiveness as evidence data is also being recognized from examples that led to police clearance.

  Here, the camera system is required to have a performance for stable operation over 24 hours, but the nighttime lighting effect is an important factor together with the performance of the camera itself. If an auto lens is used, a certain level of image quality (day and night brightness, resolution, etc.) can be ensured, but the cost is enormous if responsiveness that always captures a vehicle passing at 80 km / h is clear. It is.

Therefore, a means to use illumination more efficiently is necessary, but in the existing illumination pattern on a concentric circle with the maximum brightness at the center of the screen, when the imaging target that crosses the screen diagonally reaches the center position, the pin is Although optimized at the point, there is a problem that a sufficient amount of light cannot be secured at other positions.
In addition, an illumination device such as an artificial sun that can obtain a uniform brightness of the screen is expensive, and there is a problem that an unnecessary portion is large in the illumination light range and efficiency is low.

  Furthermore, when a camera is installed at a toll booth or the like on an expressway, the installation conditions such as the position and angle are subject to space constraints. Although it is necessary to optimize and adjust the illumination pattern of the illumination device for each installation location, individual adjustment is not easy. In particular, in the case of infrared (near-infrared) light illumination that is typically used as night illumination, adjusting the illumination pattern outdoors during the day has a problem in terms of visual confirmation.

Therefore, even if the moment of illegal traffic is captured as image data, there is a problem that the equipment cost is enormous in order to obtain an image having a resolution that can specify the number plate and the driver. In particular, the illumination device is an important unit that cannot be separated from the camera as a camera system, and maximizing the effects and efficiency is the key in terms of cost and performance as well as the camera itself.
Moreover, since the infrared (near infrared) illumination used as standard cannot be visualized especially in the daytime as described above, it is difficult to adjust in the field.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a camera system that can realize high visibility of a captured image at low cost, and that can improve installation adjustment work efficiency and easily optimize an illumination pattern.

  The camera system of the present invention is installed on a side portion of a moving path along which a moving object moves, and a camera that captures an image of the moving object that moves along the moving path, and is installed in the vicinity of the camera. An illumination device that irradiates the moving object with illumination light at the time of imaging, and the illumination pattern is optimized in advance according to the movement trajectory that the moving object is predicted to follow from the standard installation conditions of the illumination device; Image processing means for performing predetermined image processing using an image obtained from the camera.

  The camera system of the present invention is installed on a side portion of a moving path along which a moving object moves, and a camera that captures an image of the moving object that moves along the moving path, and a camera that is installed in the vicinity of the camera and moves by the camera. The moving object is irradiated with illumination light when an object is imaged. A lighting apparatus in which a standard illumination pattern is set in advance and a test moving object on the moving road at the time of adjustment performed before actual operation are performed. The movement trajectory recognizing means for recognizing the movement trajectory of the test moving object, and the difference of the movement trajectory of the test moving object recognized by the movement trajectory recognizing means with respect to the standard illumination pattern is recognized. Based on the illumination control means for adjusting the illumination pattern of the illumination device to an optimum state, and predetermined image processing using an image obtained from the camera It is provided with image processing means for performing.

  The camera system of the present invention is installed on a side portion of a moving path along which a moving object moves, and a camera that captures an image of the moving object that moves along the moving path, and a camera that is installed in the vicinity of the camera and moves by the camera. An illumination device that irradiates the moving object with illumination light during imaging of the object, and the illumination device capable of tracking the illumination light with respect to the moving moving object, and the moving road during adjustment performed before actual operation The movement track recognition means for recognizing the movement locus of the test movement object, the movement speed measurement means for measuring the movement speed of the moving movement object, and the movement locus recognition means. Based on the movement trajectory of the test moving object and the moving speed of the moving object measured by the moving speed measuring means, the illumination apparatus can optimally add illumination light. Image processing for obtaining a trajectory and performing predetermined image processing using an image obtained from the camera, and illumination control means for performing a tracking operation on the moving moving object with illumination light of the illumination device based on the obtained tracking trajectory Means.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the high visibility of a captured image can be implement | achieved at low cost, Furthermore, the camera system which can improve an installation adjustment work efficiency and can optimize an illumination pattern easily can be provided.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 schematically shows a configuration of a fee collection system called an ETC system (non-stop automatic fee collection system) to which a camera system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

  In FIG. 1, for example, an ETC entrance lane 11 at a toll gate on a toll road, in order from the entrance side, is a vehicle detection / model discrimination device 12, a roadside radio device 13, a booth processor 14, a roadside indicator 15, and Each transmission control device 16 is installed and connected to a lane control device 17 at the ETC entrance.

  Further, in the general entrance lane 18, a vehicle detection / vehicle type discrimination device 19, a booth processor 20, a camera system 21, a roadside indicator 22, and a transmission control device 23 are sequentially installed from the entrance side, These are respectively connected to the lane control device 24 at the general entrance.

  Further, in the ETC exit lane 25, a vehicle detection / vehicle type discrimination device 26, a roadside radio device 27, a booth processor 28, a roadside indicator 29, a transmission control device 30, and a camera system 31 are sequentially provided from the entrance side. These are respectively connected to the lane control device 32 at the ETC exit.

The lane control devices 17, 24 and 32 are connected to the data processing device 33 of the toll gate (toll gate A) via communication lines. The toll gate A data processing device 33 is connected to data processing devices 34, 35,... Of other toll gates (toll gates B, C,...) Via communication lines.
The data processing devices 33, 34, 35,... Are connected to the central processing unit 36 via communication lines.

Hereinafter, each part will be described in detail.
The vehicle detection / vehicle type discrimination device 12 (19, 26) has a function of transmitting and receiving data to and from the lane control device 17 (24, 32).
(A) a vehicle separation function for detecting and separating the passing vehicle 37;
(B) Axis number detection function for detecting the number of axes of the passing vehicle 37,
(C) a function of detecting the vehicle height and the vehicle length of the passing vehicle 37;
(D) a vehicle number recognition function for recognizing the vehicle number of the passing vehicle 37;
(E) A vehicle type discriminating function for discriminating the vehicle type (n type) of the vehicle 37 entering the lane by combining the processing results of these functions (a), (b), (c), and (d). ,
(F) A speed measurement function for measuring the speed of the vehicle 37 entering the lane by combining the processing results of the functions (a), (b), (c), and (d).
And has a function of transmitting the discrimination results (e) and (f) to the corresponding lane control device 17 (24, 32).

The roadside wireless device 13 (27) has an antenna for wireless communication, and transmits and receives data by wireless communication with an on-vehicle device (equipped with an ETC card) 38 mounted on a passing vehicle 37. And the function of transmitting and receiving data to and from the lane control device 17 (32),
(A) When the power is turned on, mutual authentication is performed with the lane control device 17 (32), and its validity is determined.
(B) When it is determined to be valid by mutual authentication, wireless communication is performed with the vehicle-mounted device 38 by a command from the lane control device 17 (32), and in addition to ID information (information unique to the vehicle-mounted device) Get data for sex determination,
(C) The acquired data is transmitted to the lane control device 17 (32),
(D) When the lane control device 17 (32) makes a comprehensive determination and the on-vehicle device (including the ETC card) 38 is determined to be valid, the determination result is obtained by a command from the lane control device 17 (32). Write to OBE 38,
(G) The written result is received from the vehicle-mounted device 38 and notified to the lane control device 17 (32).
It has a function.

The booth processor 14 (20, 28) is installed in a manned booth and is connected to the lane control device 17 (24, 32) by clerk processing and has a function of mutually transmitting data.
(A) Issuing a pass ticket when entering the line, or entering the line, billing information, etc. on the ETC card, or issuing a receipt after cash processing,
(B) Departure and write billing information to the ETC card at the time of departure, or issue cash receipts based on the pass ticket information, etc.
It has a function.

The roadside indicator 15 (22, 29) has a display function such as an LED display panel,
(A) Guidance such as comprehensive judgment result, billing information, start / stop by lane control device 17 (24, 32),
(B) Receiving information on illegal breakthrough from the lane control device 17 (24, 32) and displaying a warning that evidence image data for identifying the vehicle has been recorded;
It has a function.

The start control device 16 (23, 30) is fixedly installed on the entrance lane and the exit lane, and has a basic function of transmitting / receiving data to / from the lane control device 17 (24, 32).
(A) Upon receiving a vehicle stop instruction or vehicle passage permission from the lane control device 17 (24, 32),
(B) open and close the blocking bar;
Controls stopping and passing of passing vehicles.

The lane control device 17 (24, 32) is connected to the roadside wireless device 13 (27), the vehicle detection / vehicle type determination device 12 (19, 26), the start control device 16 (23, 30), etc. And has a function to transmit data to each other,
(A) Comprehensive determination of detection signals and data sent from each subordinate device,
(B) Based on the determination result, a control command is transmitted to each lower device,
(C) receiving detection information on the occurrence of unauthorized breakage, and transmitting a recording trigger signal to the image processing device;
(D) receiving vehicle number information and driver image data from the image processing device;
(E) transmitting the vehicle information (vehicle number information and driver image data at the time of fraud) to the upper toll gate A data processing device 33;
It has a function.

The camera system 21 (31), for example, takes an image including at least the number plate of the vehicle 37 traveling in the general entrance lane 18 (ETC exit lane 25), and processes the obtained image to obtain characters on the number plate. Or capturing and recording an image including at least the driver's face of the traveling vehicle 37. As shown in FIG. 2, the front camera unit 41, the rear camera unit 42, and these The image processing apparatus 43 as an image processing means to which the camera units 41 and 42 are connected is configured.
2 shows the case of the camera system 31 installed in the ETC exit lane 25 as an example, but the configuration of the camera system 21 installed in the general entrance lane 18 is similar.

  2 shows the case where the camera unit is installed on the left side of the ETC exit lane 25 when viewed from the front of the vehicle 37, the camera unit may be installed on the right side or both the left and right sides. Furthermore, the camera unit to be installed may be only in the rear or only in the front.

The front camera unit 41 is installed on an island of a toll booth (exit), captures an image of a driver's seat portion of a vehicle 37 traveling on the ETC exit lane 25 from the front, and outputs the obtained image to the image processing device 43. With basic functions
(A) a function to control the iris of the camera;
(B) a function for controlling the gain of the image signal of the camera;
(C) a function for controlling the shutter speed of the camera;
(D) An illumination unit (illumination device) that emits light in accordance with the imaging timing of the camera, and whose illumination pattern is optimized in advance according to the movement trajectory predicted to follow the vehicle from the standard installation conditions of the illumination unit. ,
(E) a function of controlling the orientation, angle, etc. of the lighting unit based on a command from the image processing device 43;
(F) Based on the vehicle speed information from the lane control device 24 (32) and the preset installation condition information, the time from the vehicle 37 entering to the vehicle 37 and the approach angle are predicted, and the vehicle that is the imaging target A function of following the direction of the illumination light of the illumination unit so as to optimally irradiate the illumination light to 37;
Have

  The rear camera unit 42 is installed on an island of a toll booth (exit) and captures an image of the number plate portion of the vehicle 37 traveling on the ETC exit lane 25 from the rear, and outputs the obtained image to the image processing device 43. Therefore, since it has the same function as the front camera unit 41, its description is omitted.

  FIG. 3 schematically shows a configuration example of the front camera unit 41, but the rear camera unit 42 has the same configuration, and thus the description thereof is omitted. The camera unit 41 includes, for example, a video camera 44 using a solid-state imaging device and an illumination unit 45 as an illumination device that irradiates a strip-shaped illumination light.

  The illumination unit 45 has, for example, an LED group 46 in which a large number of LEDs (light emitting diodes) are arranged in a belt-like (rectangular) area, and can rotate freely in the direction of the arrow a shown with the center point as a fulcrum. And is rotationally driven by a drive mechanism (such as a motor) (not shown).

The illumination unit 45 is optimized in accordance with the movement trajectory that the vehicle 37 is predicted to follow from the standard installation conditions of the illumination unit 45 in advance.
That is, generally, the predicted movement trajectory of the vehicle 37 on the screen of the front camera unit 41 (camera 44) gradually approaches in an oblique direction as shown in FIG. 4A shows a case where the front camera unit 41 is installed on the left side 41L as shown in FIG. 5 (hereinafter referred to as the left camera), and FIG. 4B shows the case shown in FIG. The case where the front camera unit 41 is installed on the right side 41R (hereinafter referred to as the right camera) is shown.
Note that the predicted movement trajectory of the vehicle 37 on the screen of the rear camera unit 42 (camera 44) gradually moves away from the front camera unit 41 in an oblique direction.

  Therefore, in the front camera unit 41, the illumination pattern of the illumination unit 45 is set as shown in FIG. 6 in accordance with the movement locus shown in FIG. And FIG. 6A shows the case of the left camera, and FIG. 6B shows the case of the right camera. In FIG. 6, an illumination pattern P1 indicates a pattern corresponding to a right-hand drive vehicle, and an illumination pattern P2 indicates a pattern corresponding to a left-hand drive vehicle.

  The illumination pattern of the illumination unit 45 is set in such a manner that the LED array of the LED group 46 is in a strip shape as shown in FIG. 3, and the number of LEDs arranged is set so that a sufficient amount of light can be obtained. By rotating the LED group 46 configured as described above, the inclination angle of the LED group 46 is adjusted to the movement locus shown in FIG. 4, and this will be described in detail later.

  Here, there are at least two inclination angles of the LED group 46 for left installation where the front camera unit 41 is installed on the left side and for right installation where the front camera unit 41 is installed on the right side. The example of FIG. Show.

  In the rear camera unit 42, the illumination pattern of the illumination unit 45 is set as shown in FIG. 7 in accordance with the predicted movement trajectory of the vehicle 37, so that the illumination pattern is an efficient illumination pattern for number plate imaging. . FIG. 7A shows the case of the left camera, and FIG. 7B shows the case of the right camera.

The image processing device 43 detects the number plate by extracting and recording an image including at least the driver's face from the image obtained from the front camera unit 41 or processing the image obtained from the rear camera unit 42. Have a basic function of recognizing characters on the number plate, a function of storing these data, and a basic function of transmitting and receiving data between the lane control devices 24 and 32,
(A) Receiving trigger signals from the lane control devices 24, 32, recording and storing captured images of several seconds to several tens of seconds before and after the trigger, and transmitting success or failure of trigger recording to the lane control devices 24, 32;
(B) Or, record and save data for a period of 24 hours or more cyclically,
(C) A function of performing character recognition of the number plate from the stored image data, making the recognition result into a database, and transmitting it to the lane control devices 24 and 32,
(D) A function for tracking the most important part (number plate, driver, etc.) of the imaging target in software and recognizing it as a movement locus (coordinate information) such as a moving direction and angle on the screen,
(E) a function of transmitting information on the movement locus of (d) above to the camera unit 41 (42);
Have

The data processing device 33 (34, 35,...) Has a function of collecting data sent from each lane control device 17, 24, 32 in the toll gate, and performing various verifications and inquiries.
(A) send collected data to the host central processing unit 36;
(B) Data is transmitted to and from the data processing device at each tollgate via a communication line,
(C) Systematic recording and storage of unauthorized vehicle information (image information, vehicle number, etc.) from the start control devices 16, 23, 30 received via the lane control devices 17, 24, 32,
(D) sending unauthorized vehicle information to the central processing unit 36;
It has a function.

  The central processing unit 36 has a function of collecting data sent from the data processing units 33, 34, 35,.

Next, the overall processing flow of the fee collection system shown in FIG. 1 will be briefly described.
First, the flow of normal processing will be described.

  When the vehicle 37 equipped with the ETC vehicle-mounted device 38 enters, for example, the ETC entrance lane 11, the vehicle detection / vehicle type determination device 12 installed in front of the roadside wireless device 13 detects the vehicle 37 that has entered, The vehicle type and vehicle speed are identified and notified to the lane control device 17 of the lane.

  Next, when it is detected that the vehicle 37 has entered the communicable area of the roadside wireless device 13, the roadside wireless device 13 performs wireless communication with the vehicle-mounted device 38 of the vehicle 37. (E.g., judging the legitimacy of the vehicle and writing the entrance information of the toll gate if the judgment is OK).

Next, the roadside apparatus 13 confirms that the entrance information and the like have been normally recorded with respect to the vehicle-mounted device 38 and notifies the lane controller 17 of the fact.
At this time, if the ETC processing is not performed normally for some reason, the booth processor 14 issues a toll pass (entrance card), performs the ETC card processing, or collects the fee by cash processing. And issue a receipt. The processing result information is transmitted to the host lane control device 17.

  Next, the lane control device 17 notifies the start control device 16 of the passage permission of the vehicle 37 by matching the information from the vehicle detection / vehicle type determination device 12 with the information from the roadside wireless device 13. Upon receiving the passage permission notification from the lane control device 17, the start control device 16 opens the blocking bar and permits the vehicle 37 to pass.

  Next, the start control device 16 confirms the passage of the vehicle 37 and notifies the lane control device 17 of the confirmation information.

  The same processing is also performed at the exit toll gate, that is, for example, the ETC exit lane 25, the lane control device 32 calculates the usage fee between the entrance and the outlet, and the usage fee is combined with the entry / exit information of the vehicle 37, etc. By transmitting to the central processing unit 36 via the toll booth A data processing unit 33, the central control unit 36 totals and notifies the credit company.

  In the ETC exit lane 25, when the normally charged vehicle 37 passes, the image processing device 43 of the camera system 31 temporarily stores the vehicle image captured by the front camera unit 41 in a memory (RAM) (not shown). Either storing and not saving, or recording (recording of captured vehicle images) is continued for 24 hours.

Next, the operation of the imaging system including when an illegal breakout occurs will be described.
For example, when an illegal breakthrough vehicle 39 occurs in the ETC exit lane 25, the camera system 31 captures the moment and records an image of several seconds to several tens of seconds before or after, or images of all the traveling vehicles 37 are displayed in 24. Record continuously. The definition of “illegal breakthrough” can have several variations, and is recognized as information that can reliably identify the vehicle number, driver, etc., recorded, stored and managed as fraud evidence data.

  Next, the procedure of the 1st method of optimizing the illumination pattern of the illumination unit 45 in the front camera unit 41 is demonstrated with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Since the rear camera unit 42 can be similarly operated, the description thereof is omitted.

  First, it is determined whether the installation position of the front camera unit 41 is the left side or the right side (step S1). In the case of the left installation, the inclination angle of the LED group 46 is selected (set) for the left installation, thereby FIG. (Step S2), and in the case of right installation, the illumination pattern of FIG. 6B is obtained by selecting (setting) the inclination angle of the LED group 46 for right installation (step S3).

  Next, the arrangement of the LEDs in the LED group 46 is adjusted according to the distance information from the installation position of the front camera unit 41 to the imaging target (vehicle 37) to be imaged (step S4), and the imaging target (vehicle 37) and The arrangement of the LEDs in the LED group 46 is adjusted according to the imaging angle (step S5), and the process ends.

  By the above-described first method, the illumination unit 45 in the front camera unit 41 can obtain an illumination pattern that is efficient for capturing the driver's face image shown in FIG. This first method is performed at the time of adjustment before actual operation.

  Next, the procedure of the 2nd method of optimizing the illumination pattern of the illumination unit 45 in the front camera unit 41 is demonstrated with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Since the rear camera unit 42 can be similarly operated, the description thereof is omitted.

  First, for example, by moving a test vehicle on the ETC exit lane 25 to be imaged (step S11), an image of the test vehicle is acquired by the front camera unit 41, and the acquired image is temporarily stored in an image memory (not shown) (step S11). S12).

  Next, by processing the image stored in the image memory, the imaging target (image of the driver's seat portion of the vehicle 37) is recognized and cut out (step S13). Next, the extracted coordinate information of the imaging target is extracted, and the movement locus (running locus) on the screen is traced (recognized) (step S14).

  Next, the axis information of the currently set illumination pattern (standard illumination pattern) is called (step S15) and compared with the movement trajectory of the test vehicle acquired in step S14 (step S16). Here, the axis information of the currently set illumination pattern is set, for example, as a movement trajectory on the imaging target screen assumed as described above.

As a result of the comparison in step S16, if there is a deviation between the two pieces of information, the inclination angle of the LED group 46 is adjusted in a direction to correct the deviation (step S17).
That is, to explain with a specific example, the movement trajectory of the test vehicle acquired in step S14 is, for example, L1 shown in FIG. 10A, and the axis information of the currently set illumination pattern P4 is L2 for this. In this case, since there is a deviation between the two, by adjusting the inclination angle of the LED group 46 in a direction to correct the deviation, for example, as shown in FIG. 10B, the axis information of the illumination pattern P4 L2 is made to coincide with the movement locus L1 of the test vehicle.

  When the process of step S17 ends, the axis information of the illumination pattern is updated to a new value (step S18), and the process ends. If there is no deviation between the two information as a result of the comparison in step S16, the process ends here.

  Note that the processing of steps S12 to S18 is mainly executed in the image processing apparatus 43. The second method is performed at the time of adjustment before actual operation.

  By the above-described second method, the illumination unit 45 in the front camera unit 41 can obtain an illumination pattern that is efficient for capturing the driver's face image shown in FIG.

  Next, the procedure of the third method for optimizing the illumination pattern of the illumination unit 45 in the front camera unit 41 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Since the rear camera unit 42 can be similarly operated, the description thereof is omitted.

  First, the illumination unit 45 in the front camera unit 41 is set as effective spot light in a range that covers at least a stationary imaging target as illumination light. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, an LED group 47 in which a large number of LEDs (light emitting diodes) are arrayed in a circular area is set, and an imaging target whose number of the arrayed LEDs is stationary is the lowest. Set so that the amount of light is sufficient to cover the limit.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, the front camera unit 41 is configured to be rotatable about the rear surface as an axis, and enables the tracking operation of the illumination light with respect to the imaging target (vehicle 37). The front camera unit 41 is rotated by a drive mechanism (such as a motor) (not shown).

  For example, when the vehicle 37 enters the ETC exit lane 25, the vehicle detection / model discrimination device 26 detects it (step S21) and measures the speed (vehicle speed) immediately before the vehicle 37 enters (step S21). S22).

  Next, the illumination of the front camera unit 41 is performed based on the movement trajectory (travel trajectory) on the screen acquired by running the test vehicle in advance as in the second method described above and the vehicle speed measured in step S22. The optimal tracking trajectory of the illumination light in the unit 45, that is, the optimal trajectory vector (illumination light position and moving speed) of the illumination light is obtained (step S23).

  Next, by rotating the front camera unit 41 based on the trajectory vector obtained in step S23, as shown in FIG. 13, the illumination light of the illumination unit 45 is made to follow the traveling vehicle 37 (step S24). ).

  Next, when imaging of the vehicle 37 by the front camera unit 41 is completed, the front camera unit 41 is rotated to return the position (orientation) of the illumination light in the illumination unit 45 to the start position (initial position) ( Step S25) and then return to Step S21 to prepare for the next vehicle operation.

  Note that the processing of steps S23 to S25 is mainly executed in the image processing device 43. The third method is performed for each vehicle during actual operation.

  With the above-described third method, the illumination unit 45 in the front camera unit 41 can obtain an efficient illumination pattern for capturing the driver's face image shown in FIG. In the lighting unit 45, the maximum lighting effect can be exhibited with the minimum lighting capability.

  As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, the illumination pattern required on the screen is predicted, and the illumination unit (camera unit) alone is secured while ensuring the illumination effect by specializing in the necessary part. Cost reduction can be achieved. Since the illumination unit (camera unit) can be reduced in size, it is advantageous in terms of installation space. Therefore, high visibility of the captured image can be realized at low cost.

  In addition, it is possible to automatically adapt the lighting pattern to the installation environment by running the test vehicle once a day or night, improving work efficiency and facilitating optimization of the lighting pattern. . Therefore, the installation adjustment work efficiency can be improved and the illumination pattern can be easily optimized.

The block diagram which shows typically the structure of the fee collection system to which the camera system which concerns on embodiment of this invention is applied. The schematic diagram which shows the arrangement | positioning state of each apparatus with respect to an ETC exit lane. The front view which shows the structure of a camera unit roughly. The schematic diagram explaining the movement locus | trajectory of the imaging target on a screen. The schematic diagram which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of a front camera unit. The schematic diagram explaining the illumination pattern efficient for imaging of a driver | operator's face image. The schematic diagram explaining the illumination pattern efficient for imaging of a number plate. The flowchart explaining the procedure of the 1st method of optimizing the illumination pattern of the illumination unit in a front camera unit. The flowchart explaining the procedure of the 2nd method of optimizing the illumination pattern of the illumination unit in a front camera unit. The schematic diagram explaining the process which correct | amends the shift | offset | difference with the movement locus | trajectory of the actual imaging target with respect to a standard illumination pattern. The flowchart explaining the procedure of the 3rd method of optimizing the illumination pattern of the illumination unit in a front camera unit. The front view which shows the other structure of a camera unit roughly. The schematic diagram explaining the tracking operation | movement of the illumination light in an illumination unit.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... ETC entrance lane, 12 ... Vehicle detection and vehicle type discrimination device, 13 ... Roadside radio device, 16 ... Transmission control device, 17 ... Lane control device, 18 ... General entrance lane 18,19 ... Vehicle detection / vehicle type discrimination device, 21 ... Camera system, 23 ... Transmission control device, 24 ... Lane control device, 25 ... ETC exit lane, 26 ... Vehicle detection / vehicle type discrimination device, 27 ... Roadside radio device, 30 ... Transmission control device, 31 ... Camera system, 32 ... Lane control device, 37 ... vehicle, 38 ... on-vehicle device, 41 ... front camera unit, 42 ... rear camera unit, 43 ... image processing device, 44 ... video camera, 45 ... illumination unit.

Claims (9)

A camera that is installed on a side of a moving path on which the moving object moves, and that images the moving object that moves on the moving path;
It is installed in the vicinity of the camera and illuminates the moving object when the moving object is imaged by the camera, and the illumination pattern is predicted to follow the moving object from the standard installation conditions of the illumination device in advance. A lighting device that is optimized for the movement trajectory
Image processing means for performing predetermined image processing using an image obtained from the camera;
A camera system comprising: A camera that is installed on a side of a moving path on which the moving object moves, and that images the moving object that moves on the moving path;
An illumination device that is installed in the vicinity of the camera and irradiates the moving object with illumination light when the moving object is imaged by the camera, and a standard illumination pattern is set in advance,
A movement trajectory recognition means for recognizing the movement trajectory of the test moving object by moving the test moving object on the moving road during adjustment performed before actual operation;
Recognizing the difference of the movement locus of the test moving object recognized by the movement locus recognition means with respect to the standard illumination pattern, and based on the difference, the illumination control means for adjusting the illumination pattern of the illumination device to an optimum state;
Image processing means for performing predetermined image processing using an image obtained from the camera;
A camera system comprising: A camera that is installed on a side of a moving path on which the moving object moves, and that images the moving object that moves on the moving path;
An illumination device that is installed in the vicinity of the camera and irradiates the moving object with illumination light when the moving object is imaged by the camera, the illumination device capable of tracking the illumination light with the moving object, and
A movement trajectory recognition means for recognizing the movement trajectory of the test moving object by moving the test moving object on the moving road during adjustment performed before actual operation;
A moving speed measuring means for measuring a moving speed of the moving moving object;
Based on the movement trajectory of the test moving object recognized by the movement trajectory recognition means and the moving speed of the moving object measured by the moving speed measurement means, an optimum tracking trajectory of the illumination light in the illumination device is obtained, and this obtained Illumination control means for performing a tracking operation on the moving moving object with respect to the moving object based on a tracking trajectory;
Image processing means for performing predetermined image processing using an image obtained from the camera;
A camera system comprising: A camera that is installed on a side of a road on which the vehicle travels and that captures an image including at least a number plate of the vehicle traveling on the road;
It is installed in the vicinity of this camera and irradiates the vehicle with illumination light when the vehicle is imaged by the camera, and its illumination pattern is predicted to follow the vehicle from the standard installation conditions of the illumination device in advance. A lighting device optimized for the path,
Image processing means for detecting a number plate of the traveling vehicle by processing an image obtained from the camera and recognizing characters on the number plate;
A camera system comprising: A camera that is installed on a side of a road on which the vehicle travels and that captures an image including at least a number plate of the vehicle traveling on the road;
An illumination device that is installed in the vicinity of the camera and irradiates the vehicle with illumination light when the vehicle is imaged by the camera, and a standard illumination pattern is set in advance,
A movement locus recognition means for recognizing the movement locus of the test vehicle by running the test vehicle on the road at the time of adjustment performed before actual operation;
A lighting control means for recognizing a difference of the movement trajectory of the test vehicle recognized by the movement trajectory recognition means with respect to the standard illumination pattern, and adjusting the illumination pattern of the lighting device to an optimum state based on the difference;
By processing an image obtained from the camera, an image processing means for detecting a license plate of the traveling vehicle and recognizing characters on the license plate;
A camera system comprising: A camera that is installed on a side of a road on which the vehicle travels and that captures an image including at least a number plate of the vehicle traveling on the road;
An illuminating device that is installed in the vicinity of the camera and that irradiates the vehicle with illumination light when the vehicle is imaged by the camera, and that is capable of tracking the illumination light with respect to the traveling vehicle;
A movement locus recognition means for recognizing the movement locus of the test vehicle by running the test vehicle on the road at the time of adjustment performed before actual operation;
Traveling speed measuring means for measuring the traveling speed of the traveling vehicle;
Based on the movement trajectory of the test vehicle recognized by the movement trajectory recognition means and the vehicle traveling speed measured by the traveling speed measuring means, an optimum tracking trajectory of the illumination light in the illumination device is obtained, and the obtained tracking trajectory is obtained. Lighting control means for tracking the illumination light of the lighting device to the traveling vehicle based on
By processing an image obtained from the camera, an image processing means for detecting a license plate of the traveling vehicle and recognizing characters on the license plate;
A camera system comprising: A camera that is installed on a side of a road on which the vehicle travels and captures an image including at least a driver's face of the vehicle traveling on the road;
It is installed in the vicinity of this camera and irradiates the vehicle with illumination light when the vehicle is imaged by the camera, and its illumination pattern is predicted to follow the vehicle from the standard installation conditions of the illumination device in advance. A lighting device optimized for the path,
Image processing means for detecting an image including at least a driver's face of the traveling vehicle by processing an image obtained from the camera, and recording the detected image;
A camera system comprising: A camera that is installed on a side of a road on which the vehicle travels and captures an image including at least a driver's face of the vehicle traveling on the road;
An illumination device that is installed in the vicinity of the camera and irradiates the vehicle with illumination light when the vehicle is imaged by the camera, and a standard illumination pattern is set in advance,
A movement locus recognition means for recognizing the movement locus of the test vehicle by running the test vehicle on the road at the time of adjustment performed before actual operation;
A lighting control means for recognizing a difference of the movement trajectory of the test vehicle recognized by the movement trajectory recognition means with respect to the standard illumination pattern, and adjusting the illumination pattern of the lighting device to an optimum state based on the difference;
Image processing means for detecting an image including at least a driver's face of the traveling vehicle by processing an image obtained from the camera, and recording the detected image;
A camera system comprising: A camera that is installed on a side of a road on which the vehicle travels and captures an image including at least a driver's face of the vehicle traveling on the road;
An illuminating device that is installed in the vicinity of the camera and that irradiates the vehicle with illumination light when the vehicle is imaged by the camera, and that is capable of tracking the illumination light with respect to the traveling vehicle;
A movement locus recognition means for recognizing the movement locus of the test vehicle by running the test vehicle on the road at the time of adjustment performed before actual operation;
Traveling speed measuring means for measuring the traveling speed of the traveling vehicle;
Based on the movement trajectory of the test vehicle recognized by the movement trajectory recognition means and the vehicle traveling speed measured by the traveling speed measuring means, an optimum tracking trajectory of the illumination light in the illumination device is obtained, and the obtained tracking trajectory is obtained. Lighting control means for tracking the illumination light of the lighting device to the traveling vehicle based on
Image processing means for detecting an image including at least a driver's face of the traveling vehicle by processing an image obtained from the camera, and recording the detected image;
A camera system comprising:

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