JP2016088326A - Wave motion irradiation device, travel direction monitoring device, method of irradiating wave motion, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently monitor a specific position.SOLUTION: A monitoring unit generates monitor information of a position in front of a vehicle travel direction on the basis of wave motions incident from in front of the vehicle travel direction. A distance specifying unit specifies a distance from the vehicle to the specific position on the basis of positional information of the vehicle and positional information of the specific position. A monitoring control unit lets the monitoring unit extract information of the specific position on the basis of the distance specified by the distance specifying unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a wave irradiation device, a traveling direction monitoring device, a wave irradiation method, and a program.

  2. Description of the Related Art A traveling direction monitoring device that detects an obstacle ahead of a vehicle by imaging in front of the vehicle is known in order to ensure the safety of the vehicle during operation of a vehicle such as a railway (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). . As a method for detecting an obstacle ahead of a vehicle, there is a method of irradiating light, radio waves, ultrasonic waves, or other waves in front of the vehicle and determining the presence or absence of an obstacle based on the reflected wave.

JP-A 63-286912 JP-A-7-10003

When the traveling direction monitoring device irradiates a wave, the wave may be irradiated to an object (non-obstacle) that does not prevent the vehicle from moving, such as a building provided along the route or an oncoming vehicle traveling along the same route. There is. Among such non-obstacles, there are those in which the intensity of the wave that is allowed to be irradiated is determined.
An object of the present invention is to provide a wave irradiation apparatus, a traveling direction monitoring apparatus, a wave irradiation method, and a program for controlling the irradiation of a wave so that the intensity of the wave irradiated to a non-obstacle is not too strong.

  A first aspect is a wave irradiation device that irradiates a wave forward in the traveling direction of a vehicle, the vehicle position specifying unit that specifies position information of the vehicle, and the position of a non-obstacle that does not interfere with the progress of the vehicle Based on the non-obstacle position specifying unit that specifies information, the position information specified by the vehicle position specifying unit, and the position information specified by the non-obstacle position specifying unit, the non-obstruction to the irradiation range of the wave An irradiation determining unit that determines whether or not an object is included, and a wave that irradiates forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle when the irradiation determining unit determines that the non-obstacle is included in the irradiation range of the wave And an irradiation control unit that reduces power density.

  Moreover, a 2nd aspect is further equipped with the distance specific | specification part which specifies the distance between the said vehicle and the said non-obstacle in the 1st aspect, The said irradiation control part WHEREIN: The said irradiation determination part is the said wave | undulation. When it is determined that the non-obstacle is included in the irradiation range, the vehicle is configured such that the power density of the wave at the position of the non-obstacle is less than a predetermined value based on the distance specified by the distance specifying unit. It is a wave irradiation apparatus which reduces the power density of the wave irradiated ahead of the advancing direction.

  Further, a third aspect is the first or second aspect, wherein the non-obstacle is another vehicle that runs facing the vehicle, and the irradiation control unit is configured such that the irradiation determination unit When it is determined that the non-obstacle is included in the irradiation range of the wave, the wave irradiation device irradiates the wave forward in the traveling direction of the other vehicle.

  Further, a fourth aspect is a traveling direction monitoring device that monitors a point ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle in the third aspect, wherein the wave irradiating device and the wave irradiating device irradiate forward of the traveling direction of the vehicle. A monitoring unit that generates monitoring information of a point ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the reflected wave of the wave, and another vehicle that travels facing the vehicle, It is a traveling direction monitoring apparatus provided with the monitoring information transmission part which transmits the information which concerns on the reflected wave of the wave irradiated ahead of the traveling direction.

  Further, a fifth aspect is a traveling direction monitoring apparatus that monitors a point ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle in any one of the first to third aspects, and travels facing the wave irradiation device and the vehicle. A monitoring information receiving unit for receiving information related to a reflected wave of a wave irradiated in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle by a wave irradiation device included in the other vehicle, and the irradiation determining unit When it is determined that the non-obstacle is not included in the irradiation range, monitoring information of a point ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle based on a reflected wave of the wave irradiated by the wave irradiation device forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle And when the irradiation determination unit determines that the non-obstacle is included in the irradiation range of the wave, based on the information received by the monitoring information reception unit, A monitoring unit that generates monitoring information; A traveling direction monitoring device comprising.

  According to a sixth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, a traveling direction monitoring device that monitors a point ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle, wherein the wave irradiation device and the irradiation determination unit include the wave Based on the reflected wave of the wave irradiated by the wave irradiation device provided in the other vehicle traveling opposite to the vehicle when it is determined that the non-obstacle is included in the irradiation range of the vehicle And a monitoring unit that generates monitoring information of a point ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction.

  Further, the seventh aspect is a wave irradiation method for irradiating a wave forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the step of identifying the position information of the vehicle, and the position information of a non-obstacle that does not interfere with the traveling of the vehicle. A step of determining, a step of determining whether or not the non-obstacle is included in the irradiation range of the wave based on the positional information of the vehicle and the positional information of the non-obstacle, and the irradiation range of the wave And a step of reducing the power density of the wave irradiated forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle when the non-obstacle is included.

  Further, the eighth aspect provides a computer of the wave irradiation device that irradiates a wave forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle, an own vehicle position specifying unit that specifies the position information of the vehicle, and a non-obstacle that does not prevent the vehicle from traveling. A non-obstacle position specifying unit that specifies position information, based on the position information specified by the vehicle position specifying unit and the position information specified by the non-obstacle position specifying unit, the non-obstruction to the irradiation range of the wave An irradiation determination unit that determines whether or not an object is included, and the wave power that is irradiated forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle when the irradiation determination unit determines that the non-obstacle is included in the irradiation range of the wave It is a program for functioning as an irradiation control unit for reducing the density.

  According to at least one of the above aspects, the traveling direction monitoring device reduces the power density of the wave when there is a non-obstacle in the wave irradiation range. Accordingly, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus can control the wave irradiation so that the intensity of the wave irradiated to the non-obstacle is not too strong.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the advancing direction monitoring apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the software structure of the advancing direction monitoring apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the advancing direction monitoring apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the software structure of the advancing direction monitoring apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the advancing direction monitoring apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the advancing direction monitoring apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the software structure of the advancing direction monitoring apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the advancing direction monitoring apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the software structure of the advancing direction monitoring apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the advancing direction monitoring apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
<< First Embodiment >>
The traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is an imaging apparatus that irradiates laser light forward in the traveling direction of a vehicle traveling on a track and generates an image ahead in the traveling direction based on reflected light of the light. That is, the image generated by the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is map information indicating the distribution of light incident from the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Light is a type of wave. The driver of the vehicle can determine whether there is an obstacle in the traveling direction of the vehicle by checking the image generated by the traveling direction monitoring device 100 during the operation of the vehicle.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment.
The traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 includes a laser irradiation unit 101, an image sensor 102, a satellite signal receiver 103, a display 104, and a computer 105. The traveling direction monitoring device 100 is an example of a wave irradiation device.
The laser irradiation unit 101 is disposed above the driver's cab of the vehicle and facing forward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The laser irradiation unit 101 irradiates laser light forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle.
The image sensor 102 receives the reflected light of the light irradiated by the laser irradiation unit 101 via an optical system, and generates an image based on the intensity distribution of the reflected light. The optical system of the image sensor 102 is arranged so that the optical axis intersects the ground surface ahead of a predetermined distance (for example, 700 meters) ahead in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The image sensor 102 is provided above the cab of the vehicle.
The satellite signal receiver 103 receives a satellite signal including time information from satellites that constitute a satellite positioning system (Navigation Satellite System, NSS). Examples of the satellite positioning system include GPS (Global Positioning System).
The display 104 displays an image generated by the computer 105. The display 104 is disposed in the cab of the vehicle.
The computer 105 includes a CPU 501, a main storage device 502, an auxiliary storage device 503, and an interface 504.
The auxiliary storage device 503 stores an execution program for the traveling direction monitoring method. The interface 504 is connected to the laser irradiation unit 101, the image sensor 102, and the display 104.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a software configuration of the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment.
The CPU 501 reads out the program from the auxiliary storage device 503, develops it in the main storage device 502, and executes predetermined processing according to the program, whereby the monitoring unit 601, the vehicle position specifying unit 602, the route storage unit 603, and the direction specifying Unit 604, non-obstacle position storage unit 605, non-obstacle position specifying unit 606, irradiation determination unit 607, and irradiation control unit 608.

The monitoring unit 601 acquires an image from the image sensor 102 via the interface 504 and causes the display 104 to display the image.
The own vehicle position specifying unit 602 specifies position information indicating the current position of the vehicle based on the satellite signal received by the satellite signal receiver 103. The position information is information including latitude and longitude.
The route storage unit 603 stores travel route information indicating the shape of the track on which the vehicle travels and the position information of the track.
The direction specifying unit 604 specifies the direction in which the vehicle faces based on the vehicle position information specified by the vehicle position specifying unit 602 and the travel route information stored in the route storage unit 603.
The non-obstacle position storage unit 605 stores position information of buildings provided along the route. A building is an example of a non-obstacle that does not prevent the vehicle from traveling.
The non-obstacle position specifying unit 606 reads the position information of the non-obstacle from the non-obstacle position storage unit 605.

The irradiation determination unit 607 is based on the vehicle position information specified by the own vehicle position specifying unit 602, the direction specified by the direction specifying unit 604, and the position information of the specific point read by the non-obstacle position specifying unit 606. Then, it is determined whether or not the building recorded in the non-obstacle position storage unit 605 is included in the laser light irradiation range.
The irradiation control unit 608 stops the irradiation of the laser beam by the laser irradiation unit 101 when a building is included in the irradiation range of the laser beam.

Operation | movement of the advancing direction monitoring apparatus 100 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment.
The own vehicle position specifying unit 602 of the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 acquires a satellite signal from the satellite signal receiver 103, specifies the current position (latitude and longitude) of the vehicle based on the satellite signal, and position information indicating the position. Is generated (step S1). Next, the direction specifying unit 604 specifies the direction in which the vehicle faces based on the vehicle position information generated by the vehicle position specifying unit 602 and the route information stored in the route storage unit 603 (step S2). For example, the direction specifying unit 604 specifies the direction in which the tangent to the route stored in the route storage unit 603 extends at the position indicated by the position information generated by the vehicle position specifying unit 602 as the direction in which the vehicle faces.

  Next, the non-obstacle position specifying unit 606 reads the position information of the building from the non-obstacle position storage unit 605 (step S3). Next, the irradiation determination unit 607 specifies the laser light irradiation range based on the vehicle position information specified by the host vehicle position specifying unit 602 and the direction specified by the direction specifying unit 604 (step S4). For example, the irradiation determination unit 607 is within a predetermined irradiation distance (for example, 700 meters) from the position indicated by the position information of the vehicle and within a predetermined angle range centered on the direction specified by the direction specifying unit 604 (for example, plus or minus). 1 degree) is specified as the laser light irradiation range.

Next, the irradiation determination unit 607 determines whether or not the position indicated by the position information specified by the non-obstacle position specifying unit 606 is included in the specified laser light irradiation range (step S5). That is, the irradiation determination unit 607 determines whether or not a building is included in the laser light irradiation range. When the irradiation determination unit 607 determines that a building is not included in the laser light irradiation range (step S5: NO), the irradiation control unit 608 causes the laser irradiation unit 101 to emit laser light having a predetermined intensity ( Step S6). And the monitoring part 601 acquires the image produced | generated by the reflected light of the said laser beam from the image pick-up element 102, displays the said image on the display 104 (step S7), and complete | finishes a process.
On the other hand, when the irradiation determination unit 607 determines that a building is included in the laser light irradiation range (step S5: YES), the irradiation control unit 608 causes the laser irradiation unit 101 to stop laser light irradiation (step S5). S8). Then, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 ends the process without displaying the image generated by the imaging element 102 on the display 104.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 generates an image based on laser light irradiation when a building is not included in the laser light irradiation range, and the laser light irradiation range is within the laser light irradiation range. Laser irradiation is stopped when a building is included. Thereby, the advancing direction monitoring apparatus 100 can monitor the front in the advancing direction while preventing the building from being irradiated with strong laser light.

<< Second Embodiment >>
The traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment stops the irradiation of the laser beam when a building exists within the irradiation range of the laser beam. On the other hand, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment reduces the power density of the laser light when a building exists within the irradiation range of the laser light.
FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a software configuration of the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment.
The traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment further includes a distance specifying unit 609 in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment. Further, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the operation of the irradiation control unit 608.
The distance specifying unit 609 specifies the distance between the vehicle and the building based on the position information specified by the own vehicle position specifying unit 602 and the position information specified by the non-obstacle position specifying unit 606.
The irradiation control unit 608 determines the power of laser light to be irradiated to the laser irradiation unit 101 based on the distance specified by the distance specifying unit 609.

Operation | movement of the advancing direction monitoring apparatus 100 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment.
The own vehicle position specifying unit 602 of the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 acquires a satellite signal from the satellite signal receiver 103, specifies the current position of the vehicle based on the satellite signal, and generates position information indicating the position (step). S11). Next, the direction specifying unit 604 specifies the direction in which the vehicle faces based on the vehicle position information generated by the host vehicle position specifying unit 602 and the route information stored in the route storage unit 603 (step S12).

  Next, the non-obstacle position specifying unit 606 reads the position information of the building from the non-obstacle position storage unit 605 (step S13). Next, the irradiation determination unit 607 specifies the laser light irradiation range based on the vehicle position information specified by the own vehicle position specifying unit 602 and the direction specified by the direction specifying unit 604 (step S14).

  Next, the irradiation determination unit 607 determines whether or not a building is included in the laser light irradiation range (step S15). When the irradiation determination unit 607 determines that the building is not included in the laser light irradiation range (step S15: NO), the irradiation control unit 608 causes the laser irradiation unit 101 to emit laser light having a predetermined intensity ( Step S16). And the monitoring part 601 acquires the image produced | generated by the reflected light of the said laser beam from the image pick-up element 102, displays the said image on the display 104 (step S17), and complete | finishes a process.

  On the other hand, when the irradiation determination unit 607 determines that the building is included in the laser light irradiation range (step S15: YES), the distance specifying unit 609 determines that the position information specified by the vehicle position specifying unit 602 is not Based on the position information specified by the obstacle position specifying unit 606, the distance between the vehicle and the building existing in the laser light irradiation range is specified (step S18). Next, the irradiation control unit 608 determines the power of the laser light to be irradiated to the laser irradiation unit 101 based on the distance specified by the distance specifying unit 609 (step S19). Specifically, the irradiation control unit 608 determines the power of the laser beam so that the power density of the laser beam at the distance specified by the distance specifying unit 609 is equal to or lower than the power density that allows irradiation to the building. To do. Note that the shorter the distance between the vehicle and the building, the smaller the power of the laser light that is allowed to be irradiated.

  When the irradiation control unit 608 determines the power of the laser beam to be irradiated, the irradiation control unit 608 causes the laser irradiation unit 101 to irradiate the laser beam with the power (step S20). And the monitoring part 601 acquires the image produced | generated by the reflected light of the said laser beam from the image pick-up element 102, displays the said image on the display 104 (step S21), and complete | finishes a process.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, when the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 includes a building in the laser light irradiation range, the power density of the laser light in the building existing in the irradiation range is an allowable value. The irradiation power is changed so as to be as follows. Thereby, the advancing direction monitoring apparatus 100 can monitor the front in the advancing direction while preventing the building from being irradiated with strong laser light.

  In addition, although the advancing direction monitoring apparatus 100 which concerns on this embodiment reduces the power density of the laser beam in a building by changing the power of the laser beam to irradiate, it is not restricted to this. For example, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to another embodiment may reduce the power density of laser light in a building by increasing the spread angle of the laser light.

<< Third Embodiment >>
FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment.
The traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment controls the power of the laser light irradiated to the building. On the other hand, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment controls the power of the laser light irradiated to the oncoming vehicle. The oncoming vehicle is an example of a non-obstacle that does not prevent the vehicle from traveling.

  The traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment further includes a communication antenna 106 in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment. The communication antenna 106 is used for communication with the traveling direction monitoring device 100 mounted on the oncoming vehicle. The communication antenna 106 may directly communicate with an antenna included in the traveling direction monitoring device 100 mounted on the oncoming vehicle, or the traveling direction monitoring device 100 mounted on the oncoming vehicle via a relay device provided on the ground. You may communicate with.

FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a software configuration of the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment.
The traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment includes a communication unit 610 instead of the non-obstacle position storage unit 605 of the first embodiment. Further, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the operation of the non-obstacle position specifying unit 606.
The communication unit 610 communicates with the traveling direction monitoring device 100 mounted on the oncoming vehicle via the communication antenna 106. The communication unit 610 receives position information from the traveling direction monitoring device 100 mounted on the oncoming vehicle. In addition, the communication unit 610 transmits the position information specified by the own vehicle position specifying unit 602 to the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 mounted on the oncoming vehicle.
The non-obstacle position specifying unit 606 receives the position information of the oncoming vehicle based on the information received by the communication unit 610.

  Accordingly, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment generates an image based on the laser light irradiation when the oncoming vehicle is not included in the laser light irradiation range, and the oncoming vehicle is within the laser light irradiation range. If it is included, the laser beam irradiation is stopped. Accordingly, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 can monitor the front in the traveling direction while preventing the oncoming vehicle from being irradiated with strong laser light.

  Note that the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment prevents the oncoming vehicle from being irradiated with strong laser light by stopping the laser light irradiation as in the first embodiment, but is not limited thereto. . For example, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to another embodiment may prevent the oncoming vehicle from being irradiated with strong laser light by changing the power density of the laser light as in the second embodiment.

  Moreover, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to another embodiment may further include the configuration of the first embodiment or the second embodiment, and may prevent the oncoming vehicle and the building from being irradiated with strong laser light. . Further, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to another embodiment is not limited to the oncoming vehicle, and may prevent the preceding vehicle traveling in the same direction as the host vehicle from being irradiated with strong laser light.

<< Fourth Embodiment >>
FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the fourth embodiment.
The traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the fourth embodiment further includes an auxiliary laser irradiation unit 107 and an auxiliary imaging element 108 in addition to the configuration of the third embodiment.
The auxiliary laser irradiation unit 107 is arranged above the rear part of the vehicle (the last vehicle when the vehicle is a train) and facing the rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The auxiliary laser irradiation unit 107 irradiates the laser beam backward in the traveling direction of the vehicle. That is, the auxiliary laser irradiation unit 107 irradiates laser light forward in the traveling direction of the oncoming vehicle.
The auxiliary imaging element 108 receives the reflected light of the light emitted by the auxiliary laser irradiation unit 107 via an optical system, and generates an image based on the intensity distribution of the reflected light. The optical system of the auxiliary imaging element 108 is arranged so that the optical axis intersects the ground surface ahead of a predetermined distance (for example, 700 meters) behind the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The auxiliary image sensor 108 is provided above the rear part of the vehicle (the last vehicle when the vehicle is a train).

FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a software configuration of the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the fourth embodiment.
The traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment further includes an image acquisition unit 611 in addition to the configuration of the third embodiment. The traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is different from the third embodiment in the operations of the irradiation control unit 608, the monitoring unit 601, and the communication unit 610.
The monitoring unit 601 displays an image acquired from the image sensor 102 via the interface 504 or an image received by the communication unit 610 on the display 104.
When the irradiation determination unit 607 determines that the oncoming vehicle is included in the irradiation range of the laser light from the laser irradiation unit 101, the irradiation control unit 608 controls the auxiliary laser irradiation unit 107 according to the irradiation condition received by the communication unit 610. Irradiate with laser light.
The communication unit 610 receives from the advancing direction monitoring device 100 provided in the oncoming vehicle an image obtained by imaging the position information of the oncoming vehicle and the backward direction of the oncoming vehicle (that is, the forward direction of the own vehicle). The communication unit 610 transmits the position information specified by the vehicle position specifying unit 602 and the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 611 to the traveling direction monitoring device 100 provided in the oncoming vehicle. The communication unit 610 according to the present embodiment is an example of a monitoring information transmission unit and a monitoring information reception unit.
The image acquisition unit 611 acquires an image captured by the auxiliary imaging element 108 via the interface 504.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the fourth embodiment.
The communication unit 610 of the traveling direction monitoring device 100 attempts to communicate with the traveling direction monitoring device 100 provided in the oncoming vehicle via the communication antenna 106 (step S31). When the communication unit 610 succeeds in communication with the traveling direction monitoring device 100 provided in the oncoming vehicle (step S31: YES), the position information of the oncoming vehicle is received from the traveling direction monitoring device 100 provided in the oncoming vehicle. To do. The non-obstacle position specifying unit 606 specifies the position of the oncoming vehicle based on the position information received by the communication unit 610 (step S32).

  Next, the own vehicle position specifying unit 602 acquires a satellite signal from the satellite signal receiver 103, specifies the current position of the vehicle based on the satellite signal, and generates position information indicating the position (step S33). Next, the direction specifying unit 604 specifies the direction in which the vehicle faces based on the vehicle position information generated by the vehicle position specifying unit 602 and the route information stored in the route storage unit 603 (step S34).

  Next, the irradiation determination unit 607 specifies the laser light irradiation range based on the vehicle position information specified by the own vehicle position specifying unit 602 and the direction specified by the direction specifying unit 604 (step S35). Next, the irradiation determination unit 607 determines whether or not the position of the oncoming vehicle specified by the non-obstacle position specifying unit 606 is included in the specified laser light irradiation range (step S36). That is, the irradiation determination unit 607 determines whether an oncoming vehicle is included in the laser light irradiation range.

When the irradiation determination unit 607 determines that the oncoming vehicle is not included in the laser light irradiation range (step S36: NO), the irradiation control unit 608 causes the laser irradiation unit 101 to emit laser light having a predetermined intensity ( Step S37). Even when communication with the traveling direction monitoring device 100 provided in the oncoming vehicle is not established in step S31 (step S31: NO), the irradiation control unit 608 causes the laser irradiation unit 101 to transmit a laser having a predetermined intensity. Light is irradiated (step S37). This is because it is considered that the communication with the traveling direction monitoring device 100 provided in the oncoming vehicle cannot be performed because the distance between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is sufficiently large.
And the monitoring part 601 acquires the image produced | generated by the reflected light of the said laser beam from the image pick-up element 102, displays the said image on the display 104 (step S38), and complete | finishes a process.

  When the irradiation determination unit 607 determines that the oncoming vehicle is included in the laser light irradiation range (step S36: YES), the irradiation control unit 608 causes the laser irradiation unit 101 to stop the laser light irradiation (step S39). . Next, the irradiation control unit 608 causes the auxiliary laser irradiation unit 107 to emit laser light having a predetermined intensity (step S40). Next, the image acquisition unit 611 acquires an image generated based on the reflected light of the laser light emitted from the auxiliary laser irradiation unit 107 from the auxiliary imaging element 108. And the communication part 610 transmits the said image to the advancing direction monitoring apparatus 100 with which the oncoming vehicle was equipped (step S41).

  In addition, the communication unit 610 receives, from the traveling direction monitoring device 100 provided in the oncoming vehicle, an image that is captured by the traveling direction monitoring device 100 provided in the oncoming vehicle and that is captured in front of the traveling direction of the host vehicle (step S42). . The image is an image captured by the traveling direction monitoring device 100 provided in the oncoming vehicle according to the procedure of step S40 described above. Next, the monitoring unit 601 displays the image received by the communication unit 610 on the display 104 (step S43), and ends the process.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 generates an image based on laser light irradiation when a building is not included in the laser light irradiation range, and the laser light irradiation range is within the laser light irradiation range. Laser irradiation is stopped when a building is included. Thereby, the advancing direction monitoring apparatus 100 can monitor the front in the advancing direction while preventing the building from being irradiated with strong laser light.
Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the traveling direction monitoring device 100 receives an image obtained by imaging the rearward direction of the oncoming vehicle from the traveling direction monitoring device 100 provided in the oncoming vehicle. Thereby, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 can monitor the front in the traveling direction even while the irradiation of the laser beam forward in the traveling direction is stopped.
Similarly, according to the present embodiment, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 receives an image obtained by capturing the rearward traveling direction of the host vehicle to the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 provided in the oncoming vehicle. Thus, the traveling direction monitoring device 100 provided in the oncoming vehicle can monitor the front in the traveling direction even while the irradiation of the laser beam forward in the traveling direction is stopped.

  In addition, although the auxiliary | assistant laser irradiation part 107 and the auxiliary image sensor 108 which concern on this embodiment are arrange | positioned facing the longitudinal direction back of a vehicle, it is not restricted to this. For example, the auxiliary laser irradiation unit 107 and the auxiliary imaging element 108 according to another embodiment may be provided on the rear part of the vehicle and on a turntable that can rotate in the height direction of the vehicle. In this case, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 rotates the turntable based on the position information received from the oncoming vehicle or the information indicating the imaging direction, so that the auxiliary laser irradiation unit 107 and the auxiliary imaging element 108 are traveling in the oncoming vehicle. The direction may be directed forward.

  In addition, although the advancing direction monitoring apparatus 100 which concerns on this embodiment is provided with the auxiliary image sensor 108, it is not restricted to this. For example, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to another embodiment may not include the auxiliary imaging element 108. In this case, the imaging element 102 of the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 receives the reflected light of the laser light emitted by the auxiliary laser irradiation unit 107 of the oncoming vehicle, thereby generating an image ahead of the traveling direction of the host vehicle. That is, when the irradiation determination unit 607 determines that the oncoming vehicle is included in the laser light irradiation range, the monitoring unit 601 detects the wave that the traveling direction monitoring device 100 included in the oncoming vehicle irradiates forward in the traveling direction of the host vehicle. Based on the reflected wave, an image of a point ahead of the traveling direction of the host vehicle is generated.

As described above, the embodiment has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to that described above, and various design changes and the like can be made.
For example, the vehicle according to the above-described embodiment travels on a track, but is not limited thereto, and is a vehicle that travels on a predetermined route or a vehicle that travels on an arbitrary route. A route may be proposed by a navigation system or the like.

  Moreover, although embodiment mentioned above demonstrated the case where an imaging device was used as the advancing direction monitoring apparatus 100, it is not restricted to this. For example, in another embodiment, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 irradiates a wave such as light, radio wave, or ultrasonic wave, and measures the distance based on the time until the reflected wave is received or the phase of the reflected wave. A distance meter may be used. The distance meter may generate map information indicating a distribution of distance (distribution of wave incident time) in a space ahead of the traveling direction.

  Further, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to another embodiment may be a combination of the characteristics of the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to the above-described embodiments. Moreover, the traveling direction monitoring apparatus 100 according to another embodiment may include a wave irradiation apparatus and an imaging apparatus as separate apparatuses.

  In at least one embodiment, the auxiliary storage device 503 is an example of a tangible medium that is not temporary. Other examples of the non-temporary tangible medium include a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, and a semiconductor memory connected through the interface 504. When this program is distributed to the computer 105 via a communication line, the computer 105 that has received the distribution may develop the program in the main storage device 502 and execute the above processing.

  The program may be for realizing a part of the functions described above. Further, the program may be a so-called difference file (difference program) that realizes the above-described function in combination with another program already stored in the auxiliary storage device 503.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Moving direction monitoring apparatus 101 ... Laser irradiation part 102 ... Image pick-up element 103 ... Satellite signal receiver 104 ... Display 105 ... Computer 106 ... Communication antenna 107 ... Auxiliary laser irradiation part 108 ... Auxiliary image pick-up element 501 ... CPU 502 ... Main memory 503 ... Auxiliary storage device 504 ... Interface 601 ... Monitoring unit 602 ... Vehicle position specifying unit 603 ... Route storage unit 604 ... Direction specifying unit 605 ... Non-obstacle position storing unit 606 ... Non-obstacle position specifying unit 607 ... Irradiation determining unit 608 ... Irradiation control unit 609 ... Distance identification unit 610 ... Communication unit 611 ... Image acquisition unit

Claims (8)

A wave irradiation device that irradiates a wave in front of a traveling direction of a vehicle,
A vehicle position specifying unit for specifying position information of the vehicle;
A non-obstacle position specifying unit for specifying position information of a non-obstacle that does not prevent the vehicle from traveling;
Irradiation determination for determining whether or not the non-obstacle is included in the irradiation range of the wave based on the position information specified by the own vehicle position specifying unit and the position information specified by the non-obstacle position specifying unit And
An irradiation control unit that reduces the power density of the wave to be irradiated forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle when the irradiation determination unit determines that the non-obstacle is included in the irradiation range of the wave;
A wave irradiation apparatus comprising: A distance specifying unit for specifying a distance between the vehicle and the non-obstacle,
The irradiation control unit, when the irradiation determination unit determines that the non-obstacle is included in the wave irradiation range, based on the distance specified by the distance specifying unit, the position of the non-obstacle The wave irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wave power density applied to the front of the vehicle in the traveling direction is reduced so that the wave power density is less than a predetermined value. The non-obstacle is another vehicle that runs opposite to the vehicle,
The said irradiation control part makes a wave irradiate ahead of the advancing direction of the said other vehicle, when the said irradiation determination part determines with the said non-obstacle being included in the irradiation range of the said wave. The wave irradiation apparatus according to 1. A traveling direction monitoring device that monitors a point ahead of the traveling direction of a vehicle,
The wave irradiation device according to claim 3;
A monitoring unit that generates monitoring information of a point ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle, based on a reflected wave of the wave irradiated by the wave irradiation device forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle;
A traveling direction monitoring device comprising: a monitoring information transmitting unit that transmits information related to a reflected wave of a wave irradiated by the wave irradiating device forward of the traveling direction of the other vehicle to another vehicle traveling opposite to the vehicle. . A traveling direction monitoring device that monitors a point ahead of the traveling direction of a vehicle,
The wave irradiation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A monitoring information receiving unit that receives information related to a reflected wave of a wave irradiated from a vehicle traveling opposite to the vehicle to the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle by a wave irradiation device provided in the other vehicle;
When the irradiation determination unit determines that the non-obstacle is not included in the wave irradiation range, based on the reflected wave of the wave irradiated by the wave irradiation device forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle, When generating monitoring information of a point ahead in the traveling direction, and when the irradiation determining unit determines that the non-obstacle is included in the irradiation range of the wave, based on the information received by the monitoring information receiving unit, A traveling direction monitoring apparatus comprising: a monitoring unit that generates monitoring information of a point ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle. A traveling direction monitoring device that monitors a point ahead of the traveling direction of a vehicle,
The wave irradiation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
When the irradiation determination unit determines that the non-obstacle is included in the wave irradiation range, a wave irradiation device provided in another vehicle that runs facing the vehicle irradiates forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle. A traveling direction monitoring device comprising: a monitoring unit that generates monitoring information of a point ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle based on a reflected wave of the wave. A wave irradiation method for irradiating a wave forward in the traveling direction of a vehicle,
Identifying the position information of the vehicle;
Identifying position information of non-obstacles that do not impede the progression of the vehicle;
Determining whether or not the non-obstacle is included in an irradiation range of the wave based on the position information of the vehicle and the position information of the non-obstacle;
A wave irradiation method comprising: reducing the power density of a wave irradiated forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle when the non-obstacle is included in the irradiation range of the wave. A computer of a wave irradiation device that irradiates a wave in front of the vehicle traveling direction,
A vehicle position specifying unit for specifying position information of the vehicle;
A non-obstacle position specifying unit for specifying position information of a non-obstacle that does not prevent the vehicle from proceeding;
Irradiation determination for determining whether or not the non-obstacle is included in the irradiation range of the wave based on the position information specified by the own vehicle position specifying unit and the position information specified by the non-obstacle position specifying unit Part,
A program for functioning as an irradiation control unit for reducing the power density of a wave irradiated forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle when the irradiation determination unit determines that the non-obstacle is included in the irradiation range of the wave.

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