JP2014179703A - Camera device, video display system, and normality detection method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To properly detect normality of one camera device.SOLUTION: A camera device 2 mounted on a railway vehicle comprises: an optical lens 6; an image pickup device 7 which converts an optical video of a subject 5 made incident from the optical lens 6 into electrical signals; and a video signal generation unit 8 which generates video signals on the basis of an output from the image pickup device 7. The camera device 2 further comprises: a rail video extraction part 9 which extracts video signals of a rail included in the video signals; and a normality determination unit 10 which determines that the camera device 2 is normal if video signals of a predetermined rail R are extracted by the rail video extraction part 9 and determines that the camera device 2 is abnormal if the video signals of the predetermined rail R are not extracted by the rail video extraction part 9.

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera device, a video display system, and a normality detection method.

  The reliability of various sensors used in railways is the most important. For example, in the unlikely event that a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a car or a person at a railroad crossing fails, accurate information on obstacles within the railroad crossing cannot be obtained, which hinders railway operation. However, even if a sensor with extremely high reliability is used, it is impossible to eliminate the probability of occurrence of an abnormality due to a failure or the like. Therefore, it is important that various sensors used for railways have a function of detecting the normality of the sensors.

  As a technique for detecting the normality of a sensor, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a frame image at the same time of each video signal obtained by a plurality of imaging means (a pair of left and right cameras for a stereo camera) mounted on a vehicle. An image processing system is disclosed that includes a self-diagnosis unit that relatively compares and self-diagnosis the normality of a plurality of imaging units according to the comparison result.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-211466

  Until now, in the railway industry, there has been a history of not actively introducing camera devices as sensors. The main reason is that it is difficult to detect the normality of the camera device as compared with other sensors such as a photoelectric switch and a proximity switch. For example, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is intended to detect the normality of a camera device with a relatively simple configuration. However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, normality cannot be detected by one camera device, and it is necessary to relatively compare frame images at the same time of video signals obtained by a plurality of imaging means. . Thus, even the normality detection technology of the camera device as in Patent Document 1 for the purpose of simplification still requires a complicated configuration and processing.

  The present invention has been performed under such a background, and provides a camera device, a video display system, and a normality detection method capable of accurately detecting the normality of one camera device. For the purpose.

  A first aspect of the present invention is a camera device. The camera device of the present invention includes an optical lens, an image sensor that converts an optical image of a subject incident from the optical lens into an electrical signal, and a video signal generator that generates a video signal based on the output of the image sensor. In a camera device mounted on a railway vehicle, a rail image extraction unit that extracts a video signal of a rail included in a video signal, and a camera device is determined to be normal when a video signal of a predetermined rail is extracted by the rail image extraction unit The camera apparatus has normality determining means for determining that the video signal of the predetermined rail is not extracted by the rail image extracting means.

  A second aspect of the present invention is a video display system. The video display system of the present invention includes a camera device of the present invention, a normality display device that displays when the normality determination means of the camera device determines that the camera device is normal or abnormal, and a video signal of the camera device And a video display device that displays the video signal generated by the generation unit as a video visible to a human eye.

  The third aspect of the present invention is a normality detection method. The normality detection method of the present invention includes an optical lens, an image sensor that converts an optical image of a subject incident from the optical lens into an electrical signal, a video signal generation unit that generates a video signal based on an output of the image sensor, In a normality detection method executed by a camera device mounted on a railway vehicle having a rail, a rail video extraction step for extracting a rail video signal included in the video signal, and a predetermined rail video signal by the processing of the rail video extraction step A normality determination step that determines that the camera apparatus is normal when the image signal is extracted, and that the camera apparatus determines that the camera apparatus is abnormal when the video signal of the predetermined rail is not extracted by the process of the rail image extraction step.

  According to the present invention, the normality of one camera device can be accurately detected.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a video display system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block block diagram of the camera apparatus of FIG. It is a block block diagram of the rail image | video extraction part of the camera apparatus of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the rail image | video estimation part of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the rail image | video comparison part of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the video display system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a camera device 2, a video display device 3, and a normality display device 4. The camera device 2 is mounted on a railway vehicle and images the subject 5 including the rail R of the railway. The video display device 3 displays the video signal of the subject 5 captured by the camera device 2 as a video that can be seen by the human eye. When the normality notification signal or the abnormality notification signal is transmitted from the camera device 2, the normality display device 4 receives the normality notification signal or the abnormality notification signal and performs a display for notifying the administrator of the normality of the camera device 2.

  As the video display device 3, any device may be applied as long as it is a device that inputs a video signal and displays an image on a monitor screen. In the following description, the details of the video display device 3 will be described. The detailed explanation is omitted. For example, as the video display device 3, a monitor device of a personal computer or a television device can be used.

  The normality notification signal or abnormality notification signal transmitted by the camera device 2 may be an ON / OFF signal of a contact (not shown), or a HIGH / LOW signal of a logic circuit (not shown). Also, the normality display device 4 that receives such a signal may be any display device. For example, if the camera device 2 has a configuration in which the contact is turned on as a normality notification signal and the contact is turned off as an abnormality notification signal, a lamp or contact that lights or blinks when the contact is turned on is turned on. Then, the buzzer or the like that rings can be used as the normality display device 4. Alternatively, if the camera device 2 is configured to send a HIGH signal of a logic circuit as a normality notification signal and send a LOW signal as an abnormality notification signal, the information processing device such as a personal computer becomes the normality display device 4 and the camera When the information processing device as the normality display device 4 receives that the logic circuit of the device 2 has transmitted a HIGH signal, the fact that the camera device 2 is normal is displayed on the monitor screen, and the logic circuit of the camera device 2 When the information processing apparatus as the normality display apparatus 4 receives that the LOW signal has been transmitted, it may be displayed on the monitor screen that an abnormality has occurred in the camera apparatus 2. Therefore, in the following description, detailed description of the normality display device 4 is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the camera device 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an optical lens 6, an image sensor 7 that converts an optical image of a subject 5 incident from the optical lens 6 into an electrical signal, and an image sensor 7. A video signal generation unit 8 that generates a video signal based on the output of the video signal, a rail video extraction unit 9 that extracts a video signal of the rail R included in the video signal, and a video signal of a predetermined rail R by the rail video extraction unit 9 Is extracted, the camera device 2 has a normality determination unit 10 that determines that the video signal of the predetermined rail R is not extracted by the rail image extraction unit 9. The imaging control unit C controls the imaging of the subject 5 by the optical lens 6, the imaging device 7, and the video signal generation unit 8.

  The optical lens 6 optically forms an image of the subject 5 on the pixels of the image sensor 7. In FIG. 2, the optical lens 6 schematically shows only the shape of a convex lens. However, in practice, a focus adjustment mechanism for adjusting the focus of the lens and an amount of light incident on the image sensor 7 are adjusted. A diaphragm adjusting mechanism. Furthermore, the optical lens 6 may have a zoom mechanism that varies the focal length.

  The image sensor 7 is formed by arranging a plurality of millions of pixels, for example, vertically and horizontally. For the pixel, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) is used.

  The imaging control unit C controls the focus adjustment mechanism, the diaphragm adjustment mechanism, the zoom mechanism, and the like of the optical lens 6.

  The video signal generation unit 8 generates a video signal based on the output (ie, pixel value) of the image sensor 7. Under the control of the imaging control unit C, for example, the video signal generation unit 8 periodically captures the output of each pixel of the imaging device 7 and generates a video signal. The cycle in which the video signal generation unit 8 generates the video signal is, for example, a period of about several tenths of a second. When a plurality of video signals periodically generated in this way are displayed as still images in chronological order, they are recognized as moving images by human eyes.

  The rail video extraction unit 9 takes in the video signal generated by the video signal generation unit 8 and extracts the video signal of the rail R included in the video signal. Further, the rail image extraction unit 9 sends an extraction result indicating whether or not the image signal of the predetermined rail R is included in the image signal to the normality determination unit 10. More specifically, the rail image extraction unit 9 compares the image signal of the rail pattern stored in advance as the image signal of the predetermined rail R with the image signal of the rail R that is actually imaged. “Match” or “Mismatch” is output as the extraction result. That is, when the rail video extraction unit 9 outputs “match”, the video signal generated by the video signal generation unit 8 includes the video signal of the predetermined rail R, and the rail video extraction unit 9 outputs the predetermined video signal. The video signal of the rail R is extracted. When the rail video extraction unit 9 outputs “mismatch”, the video signal generated by the video signal generation unit 8 does not include the video signal of the predetermined rail R, and the rail video extraction unit 9 This means that the video signal of the rail R could not be extracted.

  The normality determination unit 10 sends a normality notification signal to the normality display device 4 when “coincidence” is output from the rail image extraction unit 9 as an extraction result, and outputs “abnormality notification” when “inconsistency” is output. A signal is sent to the normality display device 4. As described above, the normality notification signal or the abnormality notification signal may be an ON / OFF signal of a contact (not shown) or a HIGH / LOW signal of a logic circuit (not shown). The normality determination unit 10 also sends an abnormality notification signal to the normality display device 4 even when the extraction result from the rail image extraction unit 9 does not arrive at a normal cycle.

  Next, a block configuration of the rail image extraction unit 9 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the rail video extraction unit 9 receives the video signal output from the video signal generation unit 8 and extracts a video signal estimated to include the rail R from the video signal. 11, a rail image comparison unit 12 that compares a rail pattern stored in advance with a video signal of the rail R estimated by the rail image estimation unit 11, and a rail pattern that is a memory in which a plurality of rail patterns are stored in advance And a storage unit 13.

  The rail video estimation unit 11 extracts a video signal estimated to be a video signal of the rail R from the video signal output from the video signal generation unit 8. For example, since the camera device 2 is mounted on a railway vehicle, the image of the rail R is usually reflected below the field of view of the camera device 2. Therefore, it is estimated that the video signal of the two lines extending in the vertical direction from the lower part of the visual field is the video signal of the rail R. Therefore, the rail video estimation unit 11 generates a video signal in which only the video signal portion that is estimated to be the video signal of the rail R is left and other video signals are deleted, and sends the video signal to the rail video comparison unit 12. This video signal is represented as information in which vertical and horizontal pixel values corresponding to the arrangement positions of the vertical and horizontal pixels of the image sensor 7 are recorded.

  The operation of the rail image estimation unit 11 will be described in more detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The condition of “START” in the flowchart of FIG. 4 is a condition that the video signal output from the video signal generation unit 8 is input to the rail video estimation unit 11. In the flowchart of FIG. 4, when the “START” condition is satisfied, the flow proceeds to step S <b> 1. In the flowchart of FIG. 4, the processes from “START” to “END” are processes for one cycle, and when the flow becomes “END”, the condition of “START” is satisfied. The flow is executed again.

  In step S1, the rail video estimation unit 11 searches the video signal input from the video signal generation unit 8 for the position of the video of the rail R in the lower visual field, and the flow proceeds to step S2.

  In step S2, the rail image estimation unit 11 determines whether two vertical lines are found. If it is determined in step S2 that it has been found, the flow proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2 that no line is found, the flow returns to step S1.

  In step S3, the rail video estimation unit 11 deletes video signals other than the video signal estimated as the rail R, and the flow proceeds to step S4.

  In step S4, the rail video estimation unit 11 outputs a video signal estimated as the video signal of the rail R to the rail video comparison unit 12, and ends the processing (END).

  The rail video comparison unit 12 is a video signal estimated from the rail R video signal output from the rail video estimation unit 11 and the video signals of the rail patterns # 1 to # 7 stored in the rail pattern storage unit 13. Compare

  The rail pattern storage unit 13 stores images of the rail R that can be seen from the position of the camera device 2 mounted on the railway vehicle in a plurality of types of patterns. The plurality of types of patterns have different types of appearance of the rail R that is assumed when the railroad vehicle is traveling straight or on a curve on the railroad vehicle route on which the camera device 2 is mounted. It is stored as a rail pattern. Such a rail pattern as a video signal of the predetermined rail R is set based on a video signal of the rail R that is captured in advance by performing a test run of a railway vehicle on which the camera device 2 is mounted. In the example of FIG. 3, there are seven types of rail patterns.

  The rail patterns # 1 to # 7 stored in advance in the rail pattern storage unit 13 also have vertical and horizontal dimensions corresponding to the arrangement positions of the vertical and horizontal pixels of the image sensor 7 in the same manner as the video signal output from the rail video estimation unit 11. Pixel values are represented as recorded information. In FIG. 3, for the sake of explanation, seven types of rail patterns # 1 to # 7 are illustrated as shapes so as to be visually understood.

  The rail image comparison unit 12 is an arrangement corresponding to the image signal estimated from the rail R image signal output from the rail image estimation unit 11 and the image signal of the rail pattern stored in the rail pattern storage unit 13. Compare the pixel values at the locations. As a result of the comparison, the rail image comparison unit 12 determines “match” if the ratio of matching pixel values is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio, and determines “mismatch” if the ratio is less than the predetermined ratio. The predetermined ratio is, for example, about 80%. In this way, the rail image comparison unit 12 outputs the comparison result to the normality determination unit 10.

  Next, the operation of the rail image comparison unit 12 will be described in more detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The condition of “START” in the flowchart of FIG. 5 is a condition that the video signal output from the rail video estimation unit 11 is input to the rail video comparison unit 12. In the flowchart of FIG. 5, when the “START” condition is satisfied, the flow proceeds to step S <b> 10. In the flowchart of FIG. 5, the processes from “START” to “END” are processes for one cycle. When the flow becomes “END”, the condition of “START” is satisfied. The flow is executed again.

  In step S10, the rail image comparison unit 12 sets the pattern #n to be compared to the pattern # 1, and the flow proceeds to step S11.

  In step S11, the rail image comparison unit 12 compares the image signal received from the rail image estimation unit 11 with the pattern #n (here, n = 1) of the rail patterns stored in the rail pattern storage unit 13. Then, the flow proceeds to step S12.

  In step S12, the rail image comparison unit 12 determines whether or not the comparison result in step S11 is “match”. If it is determined in step S12 that the comparison result is “match”, the flow proceeds to step S13. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S12 that the comparison result is not “match” (ie, “mismatch”), the flow proceeds to step S14.

  In step S13, the rail image comparison unit 12 outputs the comparison result “match” to the normality determination unit 10 and ends the processing (END).

  In step S14, the rail image comparison unit 12 determines whether or not the comparison with all patterns has been completed (that is, determines whether or not the pattern #n is the pattern # 7). If it is determined in step S14 that the comparison with all patterns has been completed, the flow proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S14 that the comparison with all patterns has not yet been completed, the flow proceeds to step S16.

  In step S15, the rail image comparison unit 12 outputs a comparison result indicating “mismatch” to the normality determination unit 10 and ends the processing (END).

  In step S16, the rail image comparison unit 12 changes the pattern #n to the pattern # (n + 1) (here, the pattern # 1 is changed to the pattern # 2), and the flow returns to step S11.

  In this way, when the comparison result does not become “match” in step S12, the flow of step S11 → step S12 → step S14 → step S16 → step S11 is repeatedly executed for all patterns # 1 to # 7.

  The normality determination unit 10 receives the comparison result “match / mismatch” of the rail image comparison unit 12 of the rail image extraction unit 9 and, when the comparison result is “match”, notifies the normality display device 4 of the normality. A signal is transmitted, and when it is “mismatch”, an abnormality notification signal is transmitted.

  In addition, for example, when an abnormality occurs in the camera device 2 itself or the configuration related to the camera device 2, the comparison result from the rail image extraction unit 9 is not output. Therefore, the normality determination unit 10 transmits an abnormality notification signal to the normality display device 4 even when the comparison result of the rail image comparison unit 12 does not arrive at a normal cycle. As an example of an abnormality of the configuration related to the camera device 2, an abnormality such as a change in the angle of view of the camera device 2 due to an impact or the like, an obstacle or the like on the rail R, and the like can be considered.

  The above-mentioned “normal cycle” is an operation cycle of the rail image extraction unit 9, and may be, for example, a cycle synchronized with a cycle in which the video signal generation unit 8 generates a video signal, or any other unique cycle. It may be a period. In any case, the comparison result from the rail image extraction unit 9 is normally sent to the normality determination unit 10 at a constant cycle.

  As described above, the camera device 2 mounted on the railway vehicle detects the normality of the configuration of the camera device 2 or the camera device 2 based on the video signal of the rail R that is always reflected in a railway. be able to. At this time, the normality that can be detected includes the angle of view of the camera device 2 in addition to the normality of the optical lens 6, the image sensor 7, the video signal generation unit 8, the control unit C, and the like that are components of the camera device 2. Normality and normality of the rail R itself can also be detected. That is, it can also be detected when the angle of view of the camera device 2 has changed due to an impact or the like, or when there is an obstacle on the rail R and the rail R cannot be imaged normally. In this way, a closed loop is formed so that the normality of the camera device 2 can be detected from the video signal captured by the camera device 2, so that the normality of the video display system 1 including the camera device 2 and the rail R is detected. Can be performed reliably.

(Other embodiments)
In the embodiment described above, the optical lens 6 has been described as having an aperture adjustment mechanism, but the aperture adjustment mechanism may be provided separately from the optical lens 6. Alternatively, the aperture adjustment mechanism may be omitted, and the gain of the image sensor 7 may be adjusted instead.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the video signal transmitted from the camera device 2 is displayed on the monitor screen of the video display device 3 has been described. By inputting into the apparatus, the administrator can automatically monitor the state of the subject 5 without visually checking the monitor screen, or automatically start various devices for responding to the occurrence of an abnormality. Good.

  Further, in the overall configuration of the video display system 1 shown in FIG. 1, the camera device 2, the video display device 3, and the normality display device 4 are divided for easy understanding, but these components are mutually connected. You may combine. For example, the normality display device 4 may be built in the video display device 3. The same applies to the internal configuration of the camera device 2. For example, the rail image extraction unit 9 may have the function of the normality determination unit 10. Further, the camera device 2 is provided only with a function for imaging the subject 5 (the optical lens 6, the image sensor 7, the video signal generation unit 8, the control unit C, etc.), and the rail video extraction unit 9 and normality determination. The function of the unit 10 may be provided on the normality display device 4 side. According to this, the camera device 2 can use a commercially available product, and the video display system 1 can be realized at a low cost in a short time.

  Further, the installation position of the video display device 3 or the normality display device 4 may be a remote location such as a centralized management center with respect to the camera device 2 mounted on the railway vehicle, and may be connected by wireless communication or a network. Good.

  In addition, for the functions of the video signal generation unit 8, the rail video extraction unit 9, the normality determination unit 10, the control unit C, and the like in the camera device 2, one or a plurality of information processing devices are installed in advance. This can be realized by executing a program. Such an information processing apparatus has, for example, a memory, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an input / output port, and the like. The CPU of the information processing apparatus reads and executes a control program as a predetermined program from a memory or the like. Thereby, the above-described functions are realized in the information processing apparatus. An ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a microprocessor (microcomputer), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or the like may be used instead of the CPU.

  Further, even if the predetermined program described above is stored in the memory of the information processing apparatus before shipment of the camera apparatus 2, it is stored in the memory of the information processing apparatus after shipment of the camera apparatus 2. It may be a thing. A part of the program may be stored in a memory of the information processing apparatus after the camera apparatus 2 is shipped. The program stored in the memory or the like of the information processing apparatus after shipment of the camera apparatus 2 is, for example, the one installed on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or the Internet. The one downloaded via the transmission medium may be installed.

  The predetermined program described above includes not only a program that can be directly executed by the information processing apparatus but also a program that can be executed by being installed on a hard disk or the like. Also included are those that are compressed or encrypted.

  As described above, by realizing the function of the camera apparatus 2 by the information processing apparatus and the program, it is possible to flexibly cope with mass production and specification change (or design change).

  Note that the program executed by the information processing apparatus may be a program that is processed in time series in the order described in this specification, or may be necessary in parallel or when a call is made. It may be a program that performs processing at timing.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Video display system, 2 ... Camera apparatus, 3 ... Video display apparatus, 4 ... Normality display apparatus, 6 ... Optical lens, 7 ... Image sensor, 8 ... Video signal generation part, 9 ... Rail video extraction part (rail video | video) (Extraction means), 10 ... normality determination section (normality determination means), 11 ... rail image estimation section, 12 ... rail image comparison section, 13 ... rail pattern storage section, R ... rail

Claims (3)

Mounted on a railway vehicle having an optical lens, an image sensor that converts an optical image of a subject incident from the optical lens into an electrical signal, and a video signal generator that generates a video signal based on an output of the image sensor In the camera device
Rail video extraction means for extracting the video signal of the rail included in the video signal;
When the video signal of the predetermined rail is extracted by the rail video extraction unit, the camera device is determined to be normal, and when the video signal of the predetermined rail is not extracted by the rail video extraction unit, the camera device is determined to be abnormal. Normality judging means;
Having
A camera device characterized by that. A camera device according to claim 1;
A normality display device that displays when the normality determination means of the camera device determines that the camera device is normal or abnormal;
A video display device for displaying a video signal generated by the video signal generation unit of the camera device as a video visible to a human eye;
Having
A video display system characterized by that. Mounted on a railway vehicle having an optical lens, an image sensor that converts an optical image of a subject incident from the optical lens into an electrical signal, and a video signal generator that generates a video signal based on an output of the image sensor In the normality detection method executed by the camera device,
A rail video extraction step of extracting a rail video signal included in the video signal;
When the video signal of the predetermined rail is extracted by the processing of the rail video extraction step, the camera device is determined to be normal, and when the video signal of the predetermined rail is not extracted by the processing of the rail video extraction step, the camera device is A normality determination step for determining an abnormality;
Having
An abnormality detection method characterized by the above.

Images