JP2018128916A - Vehicle detector, vehicle detection method and toll collection facility - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce apparatuses for discriminating the vehicle type at a tollgate with a narrow site.SOLUTION: A vehicle detector includes a plurality of light receiving and emitting units each including a light emitting unit, a first light receiving unit, and a second light receiving unit in the height direction. In the vehicle detector, a positional relationship across a lane between a position of the light emitting unit and the first light receiving unit constituting at least one light receiving and emitting unit and a position of the second light receiving unit constituting the light emitting and receiving unit, and a positional relationship across the lane between a position of the light emitting unit and the first light receiving unit constituting another light receiving and emitting unit and a position of the second light receiving unit constituting the light receiving and emitting unit are opposite to each other across the width direction of the lane. The light emitting unit provided on one side in the width direction of the lane emits inspection light toward the other side and the first light receiving unit provided in relation to the light emitting unit on the other side in the width direction of the lane receives the inspection light. The second light receiving unit provided in relation to the light emitting unit on one side in the width direction of the lane receives reflected light of the inspection light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle detector, a vehicle detection method, and a toll collection facility.

  As a detection technology for vehicles traveling in the lane, the light emitting / receiving device located at the end of the lane emits light in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lane axis and hitting the side of the vehicle moving along the lane axis However, there is a light emitting / receiving device that detects the light reflected from the vehicle and detects the passage of the vehicle (diffuse reflection type vehicle detector). As another example of the vehicle detector, the light emitting device located at the end of the lane emits light in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the lane axis and hits the side of the vehicle that moves along the lane axis. In some cases, the light receiving device provided at the opposite position detects the passage of the vehicle when the light reception is interrupted by the passage of the vehicle (transmission type vehicle detector). The technique of the vehicle detector is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-147492

  By the way, the vehicle detector is intended for vehicle detection and often has no other function. The vehicle detector is a sensor that detects a vehicle based on whether or not light emitted toward the vehicle can be received. On the other hand, various types of information (such as specifications and the number of axes) are required to determine the type of vehicle passing through the toll booth, etc., and a special device for obtaining such information (with a vehicle detector) It is necessary to install several). However, in a toll booth with a small site, there are restrictions on placing various devices due to the problem of installation space. In addition, when a device for detecting a vehicle and various devices for discriminating a vehicle type are installed, there is a problem that the installation cost increases.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle detector, a vehicle detection method, and a toll collection facility that solve the above-described problems.

According to the first aspect of the invention, a vehicle detector for detecting a vehicle passing through a lane is provided on one side in the width direction of the lane and emits inspection light toward the other side, and the lane A first light receiving portion provided on the other side in the width direction in relation to the light emitting portion and capable of receiving the inspection light, and a light receiving portion provided on the one side in the width direction of the lane in relation to the light emitting portion. A plurality of light receiving / emitting units configured in the height direction, the light emitting units and the first light receiving units constituting at least one first light receiving / emitting unit. The positional relationship of the position and the position of the second light receiving unit constituting the first light emitting / receiving unit across the lane, and the light emitting unit and the first light receiving unit constituting the other second light receiving / emitting unit And the position of the second light receiving unit constituting the second light receiving / emitting unit. Said lane a positional relationship spaced with location, characterized in that is configured so as to be reversed at a the lane.
By adopting such a configuration, both the detection of the distance from the vehicle detector used to determine the vehicle type to the vehicle and the detection of vehicle traffic can be performed without adding a new device to the narrow area of the toll collection facility. Can be performed with a single device. Furthermore, both the detection of the distance from the vehicle detector to the vehicle and the detection of the traffic of the vehicle can be performed with a single device, so the number of parts can be reduced, the vehicle detector can be downsized and the cost can be reduced. it can.

  In the vehicle detector described above, the first light emitting / receiving unit and the second light emitting / receiving unit may be alternately provided in the height direction. With this configuration, the vehicle detector can detect the distance between the vehicle detector and the vehicle from both sides of the vehicle passing through the lane, and can detect the vehicle width with high accuracy.

In the vehicle detector described above, the first light receiving unit and the second light receiving unit are shared by the first light receiving and emitting unit and the second light receiving and emitting unit provided adjacent to each other in the height direction. It's okay.
With this configuration, the vehicle detector can share the first light receiving unit R1 and the second light receiving unit R2 with the two light receiving and emitting units U, and the number of parts can be reduced, and the vehicle detector 10 can be reduced in size. And cost reduction.

  In the vehicle detector described above, the second light receiving unit that constitutes the specific light emitting / receiving unit when the first light receiving unit constituting the specific light emitting / receiving unit of the light receiving / emitting unit does not receive the inspection light. Light receiving sensitivity control for increasing the light receiving sensitivity in the second light receiving unit of the specific light receiving and emitting unit when it is determined that the reflected light of the inspection light emitted from the light emitting unit of the light receiving and emitting unit is not received And a section. By adopting such a configuration, even when the vehicle passes, even if the vehicle detector cannot receive the reflected light of the inspection light, the light receiving sensitivity can be increased and the distance to the vehicle can be measured when the vehicle passes. .

The vehicle detector described above emits light from the light emitting unit in the light emitting / receiving unit when the inspection light is not received by the first light receiving unit of any specific light emitting / receiving unit of the light receiving / emitting unit. A vehicle width measuring unit that measures the width of the vehicle based on inspection light and reflected light of the inspection light received by the second light receiving unit may be provided.
According to this configuration, the vehicle width can be measured by the above-described vehicle detector instead of estimating the vehicle width based on the tread length detected by providing the tread.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the light emitting unit comprising at least one light emitting / receiving unit comprising a plurality of light emitting / receiving units configured in the height direction, each including a light emitting unit, a first light receiving unit, and a second light receiving unit. And the position of the first light-receiving unit and the position of the second light-receiving unit constituting the light-receiving / emitting unit across the lane, the light-emitting unit constituting the other light-receiving / emitting unit, and the first light-receiving unit A lane in a vehicle detector configured such that a positional relationship between the position of the portion and the position of the second light receiving unit that constitutes the light receiving and emitting unit is separated from each other across the width direction of the lane In the vehicle detection method for detecting a vehicle passing through, a light emitting portion provided on one side in the width direction of the lane emits inspection light toward the other side, and the light emitting portion is related to the light emitting portion on the other side in the width direction of the lane. The first light receiving portion provided by receiving the inspection light. And, second light receiving portion provided in relation to the light emitting portion in the width direction of one side of the lane, characterized by receiving reflected light of the inspection light.

  According to a third aspect of the invention, a fee collection facility includes the vehicle detector described above and an automatic fee collection device.

  According to the present invention, the detection of the distance from the vehicle detector used to determine the vehicle type to the vehicle and the detection of the traffic of the vehicle can be performed with a single device without adding a new device to the narrow area of the toll collection facility. It can be carried out. In addition, both the detection of the distance from the vehicle detector to the vehicle and the detection of vehicle traffic can be performed with a single device, so the number of parts can be reduced, the vehicle detector can be downsized, and the cost can be reduced. it can.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the fee collection equipment provided with the vehicle detector by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the vehicle detector by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a 1st figure showing the outline of the vehicle detector by one embodiment of the present invention. It is a 1st figure which shows the other example of the light receiving / emitting tower by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a 2nd figure which shows the other example of the light receiving / emitting tower by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a 1st figure which shows the positional relationship of the vehicle detector by one Embodiment of this invention, and a vehicle. It is a 2nd figure which shows the positional relationship of the vehicle detector by one Embodiment of this invention, and a vehicle. It is a functional block diagram of the vehicle detector by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the processing flow of the vehicle detector by one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, a vehicle detector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a toll collection facility including a vehicle detector according to the present embodiment.
The toll collection facility 1 is provided at a toll gate such as an expressway that is a toll road, and collects a toll from the user of the expressway according to the type of vehicle A on which the user gets. Equipment. The toll collection facility 1 includes a vehicle detector 10.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle A on which a highway user rides travels in a lane L that leads from the highway side to the general road side in the toll collection facility 1 provided at the exit toll booth. Show. On both sides of the lane L, islands I1 and I2 (first travel prohibition zone and second travel prohibition zone) which are travel prohibition zones are laid, and various devices constituting the toll collection facility 1 are installed.
Hereinafter, the direction in which the lane L extends (± X direction in FIG. 1) is described as “lane direction”, and the highway side (+ X direction side in FIG. 1) in the lane direction of the lane L is “upstream side”. Alternatively, it is also referred to as “the front side in the traveling direction” of the vehicle A. Further, the general road side (the −X direction side in FIG. 1) in the lane direction of the lane L is also referred to as “downstream side” or the “traveling direction rear side” of the vehicle A.

As shown in FIG. 1, the toll collection facility 1 includes a vehicle detector 10 (10A, 10B, 10D), a vehicle detection system 100 including a tread 60, an automatic toll collector 20, a start controller 40, a start And a detector 50.
The vehicle detector 10 (10A, 10B, 10D) detects the approach of the vehicle A traveling on the lane L to the exit toll gate. The vehicle detector 10 is provided on the upstream side of the lane L, and has various sensors (light receiving / emitting tower 10A, light receiving / emitting tower 10B) provided on the islands I1 and I2. The vehicle detector 10 is provided with a control device 10D. The control device 10D performs vehicle type determination based on vehicle detection and vehicle width.
The tread board 60 is embedded in the road surface of the lane L.

The automatic toll collector 20 is a machine that performs a toll collection process by presenting a charge amount to a driver or the like (user) of the vehicle A traveling in the lane L. On the front face of the automatic toll collector 20 (the face facing the lane L side), there are provided a display for presenting a billing amount, a reception opening for receiving bills, coins, credit cards, and the like.
The automatic toll collector 20 is provided in the island I1 (first travel prohibition zone) on the downstream side of the vehicle detector 10 in the toll collection facility 1, and the vehicle type of the vehicle A based on the vehicle width determined by the control device 10D or the like. Charge the amount according to the category.

The start controller 40 is a device that is provided on the downstream side of the automatic toll collector 20 and controls the start of the vehicle A traveling in the lane L. For example, the start controller 40 blocks the lane L so that the driver or the like of the vehicle A that has entered the lane L does not start the vehicle A until the necessary amount of money is paid through the automatic toll collector 20. Further, when the payment is completed, the lane L is opened to leave the vehicle A.
The start detector 50 is provided on the most downstream side of the lane L and detects the exit of the vehicle A from the toll collection facility 1.

  The light receiving / emitting tower 10A and the light receiving / emitting tower 10B are provided to face the islands I1 and I2 laid across the lane L, respectively. The vehicle detector 10 uses a signal received from the light receiving / emitting tower 10A and the light receiving / emitting tower 10B facing each other across the lane L in the lane width direction (± Y direction), and the vehicle A (vehicle body) traveling in the lane L is used. The presence / absence of the vehicle is determined, and the passage (entrance) for one vehicle A is detected, and the vehicle type is determined.

  The tread board 60 is disposed so as to extend in the lane width direction on the road surface of the lane L, and detects treading by the wheels of the vehicle A traveling through an energization sensor charged therein. The positions of the vehicle detector 10 and the tread plate 60 in the lane direction (± X direction) are the same. Thereby, the number of axles of the vehicle A can be detected with high accuracy by acquiring the number of times the tread plate 60 is stepped on while the passage of the vehicle A is detected by the vehicle detector 10.

  A control device 10D may be provided inside the light receiving and emitting tower 10B. In addition, in this embodiment, although control apparatus 10D is illustrated in the aspect incorporated in the light receiving / emitting tower 10B of the vehicle detector 10, in other embodiment, it is not limited to this aspect. For example, in another embodiment, the control device 10D may be built in another device provided in the island I1 (I2) and connected to the light receiving / emitting tower 10A or the light receiving / emitting tower 10B via a communication network or the like. Good. Further, for example, in another embodiment, the control device 10D is built in a device installed in a remote place other than the island I1 (I2) and connected to the light receiving / emitting tower 10A or the light receiving / emitting tower 10B through a communication network or the like. There may be.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle detector according to the present embodiment.
As described with reference to FIG. 1, the vehicle detector 10 includes a light receiving / emitting tower 10 </ b> A and a light receiving / emitting tower 10 </ b> B that are installed facing each other with a lane L therebetween. As described above, the light receiving / emitting tower 10B includes the control device 10D.

  Each of the light receiving / emitting tower 10A and the light receiving / emitting tower 10B includes a plurality of light emitting units E. Each light emitting unit E emits inspection light P (for example, infrared light) having a predetermined wavelength based on the control of the control device 10D. Specifically, the light emitting unit E is a semiconductor laser element (LD: Laser Diode) that emits light having a predetermined directivity (the degree of spread of light from the light source). Each light emitting unit E emits light one by one in order while shifting the timing according to a predetermined light emission control signal inputted to each from the control device 10D. For example, in the light receiving / emitting tower 10A and the light receiving / emitting tower 10B, a plurality of the light emitting units E are arranged side by side at a predetermined interval in the height direction on the surface facing the other light receiving / emitting tower.

  The light receiving / emitting tower 10A and the light receiving / emitting tower 10B include a plurality of first light receiving portions R1 that can directly receive the inspection light P emitted from the light emitting portion E. As an example, in the light receiving / emitting tower 10A and the light receiving / emitting tower 10B, a plurality of the first light receiving parts R1 are arranged side by side at a predetermined interval in the height direction on the surface facing the other light receiving / emitting tower. And each of 1st light-receiving part R1 is provided in the same height as the corresponding light emission part E arrange | positioned at the light receiving / emitting tower which opposes. Each first light receiving portion R1 detects the presence or absence of light reception in accordance with the timing at which each light emitting portion E emits light in accordance with a predetermined light receiving control signal input to each from the control device 10D. When each first light receiving unit R1 receives the inspection light P, it outputs a first light receiving detection signal. The control device 10D receives the first received light detection signal output from the first light receiving unit R1. The control device 10D uses the first light reception detection signal to determine whether or not the inspection light P is received by the first light receiving unit R1.

  The light receiving / emitting tower 10A and the light receiving / emitting tower 10B further include a plurality of second light receiving portions R2 that receive the reflected light of the inspection light P reflected by the vehicle when the vehicle passes. For example, the second light receiving portions R2 and the light emitting portions E are alternately arranged in the height direction. The second light receiving unit R2 may be provided at a position where the reflected light of the inspection light emitted from the light emitting unit E can be received. The direction of the second light receiving unit R2 that receives the reflected light of the inspection light emitted from a certain light emitting unit E is adjusted so as to be a specific second light receiving unit R2 corresponding to the light emitting unit E that has emitted the light. Has been placed.

  Each light emitting part E and each first light receiving part R1 are arranged in the height direction at intervals of, for example, about 15 mm to 30 mm in the light receiving and emitting tower 10A and the light receiving and emitting tower 10B. Further, in the light receiving / emitting tower 10A and the light receiving / emitting tower 10B, as an example, a second light receiving portion R2 is provided between the light emitting portions E. The arrangement intervals of the light emitting units E or the first light receiving units R1 and the second light receiving units R2 are not necessarily equal.

FIG. 3 is a first diagram showing an outline of the vehicle detector according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a diagram of the vehicle detector 10 when the lane L is viewed from the highway side (upstream side) to the general road side (downstream side). A group of the light emitting unit E, the first light receiving unit R1 that receives the inspection light emitted from the light emitting unit E, and the second light receiving unit R2 that receives the reflected light of the inspection light is hereinafter referred to as a light receiving and emitting unit U. And In the vehicle detector 10 shown in FIG. 3, the tower provided with each light emitting part E and the second light receiving part R2 of the light receiving and emitting units U adjacent in the height direction is different from the tower provided with the first light receiving part R1. That is, in one certain light emitting / receiving unit U, the light emitting part E and the second light receiving part R2 are provided in one of the two towers provided with the lane L therebetween, and the first light receiving part R1 is provided in the other. In the other light emitting / receiving unit U adjacent to the light emitting / receiving unit U, one of the two towers provided with the lane L therebetween is provided with the first light receiving unit R1, and the other is the light emitting unit E and the second light receiving unit. Part R2 is provided. More specifically, FIG. 3 shows four light emitting / receiving units U1, U2, U3, U4. The light emitting / receiving unit U1 includes a light emitting portion E and a second light receiving portion R2 provided in the light receiving / emitting tower 10A, and a first light receiving portion R1 provided in the light receiving / emitting tower 10B. The light emitting / receiving unit U2 includes a light emitting unit E and a second light receiving unit R2 provided in the light receiving / emitting tower 10B, and a first light receiving unit R1 provided in the light receiving / emitting tower 10A. The light emitting / receiving unit U3 includes a light emitting portion E and a second light receiving portion R2 provided in the light receiving / emitting tower 10A, and a first light receiving portion R1 provided in the light receiving / emitting tower 10B. The light emitting / receiving unit U4 includes a light emitting portion E and a second light receiving portion R2 provided in the light receiving / emitting tower 10B, and a first light receiving portion R1 provided in the light receiving / emitting tower 10A.

FIG. 4 is a first diagram showing another example of the light receiving and emitting tower.
In the example of FIG. 4, the light emitting unit E and the second light receiving unit R <b> 2 are provided in the light receiving and emitting towers 10 </ b> A and 10 </ b> B side by side in the horizontal direction. Thus, even if the light emitting unit E and the second light receiving unit R2 are arranged in the horizontal direction, the reflected light reflected by the side surface of the vehicle by the inspection light emitted from the light emitting unit E is received by the second light receiving unit R2. Can do.

FIG. 5 is a second diagram showing another example of the light receiving and emitting tower.
As shown in FIG. 5, the first light receiving unit R <b> 1 and the second light receiving unit R <b> 2 in a certain light emitting / receiving unit U may be shared with other light emitting / receiving units U.
In FIG. 5, in the light receiving / emitting tower 10A and the light receiving / emitting tower 10B, the light emitting / receiving unit U1 constituting the light emitting unit Ea, the first light receiving unit R1a, and the second light receiving unit R2a, the light emitting unit Eb, the first light receiving unit R1b, Light receiving / emitting unit U2 constituting the two light receiving parts R2b, light emitting part Ec, first light receiving part R1c, light receiving / emitting unit U3 constituting the second light receiving part R2c, light emitting part Ed, first light receiving part R1d, second light receiving part The case where the light emitting / receiving units U4 constituting the part R2d are arranged in order from top to bottom is shown.
In this case, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the first light receiving unit R1a configuring the light receiving / emitting unit U1 and the second light receiving unit R2b configuring the light receiving / emitting unit U2 are shared by one light receiving unit.
Further, the first light receiving unit R1b configuring the light receiving / emitting unit U1 and the second light receiving unit R2a configuring the light receiving / emitting unit U2 are shared by one light receiving unit.
Further, the first light receiving part R1c constituting the light emitting / receiving unit U3 and the second light receiving part R2d constituting the light receiving / emitting unit U4 are shared by one light receiving part.
Further, the first light receiving part R1d constituting the light emitting / receiving unit U4 and the second light receiving part R2c constituting the light receiving / emitting unit U3 are shared by one light receiving part.

  By configuring the vehicle detector 10 as described above, the first light receiving unit R1 and the second light receiving unit R2 can be shared by two adjacent upper and lower light emitting / receiving units U, and the number of parts can be reduced and vehicle detection can be performed. The device 10 can be reduced in size and cost.

  The vehicle detector 10 shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 includes the positions of the light emitting unit E and the first light receiving unit R <b> 1 constituting at least one first light emitting / receiving unit U, and the first light emitting unit U. The positional relationship across the lane L with the position of the second light receiving part R2 that constitutes, the positions of the light emitting part E and the first light receiving part R1 that constitute the other second light receiving and emitting unit U, and the second light emission It is an aspect of an example in which the positional relationship across the lane L with respect to the position of the second light receiving unit R2 constituting the unit U is reversed across the lane L.

FIG. 6 is a first diagram showing the positional relationship between the vehicle detector and the vehicle.
FIG. 7 is a second diagram showing the positional relationship between the vehicle detector and the vehicle.
FIG. 6 shows a view when the toll collection facility (downstream side) is viewed from the back (upstream side) of the vehicle when the vehicle A passes through the position of the vehicle detector 10 installed along the lane L. Yes. As shown in this figure, when the tower in which the light emitting part E and the second light receiving part R2 of the light receiving and emitting unit U adjacent in the height direction are provided is different from the tower in which the first light receiving part R1 is provided. The light emitting unit E emits the inspection light P to the vehicle from both sides of the vehicle. FIG. 7 shows a view of the toll collection facility from above.
As shown in FIG. 6, for example, when the vehicle A passes through the position of the vehicle detector 10 installed along the lane L, the light emitting unit is positioned at a position higher than the height of the vehicle A among the plurality of light emitting / receiving units U. In the light receiving and emitting units U1 and U2 with E, the first light receiving unit R1 directly receives the inspection light P emitted from the light emitting unit E, and the second light receiving unit R2 does not receive the reflected light of the inspection light P. On the other hand, in the light receiving / emitting units U3 and U4, the first light receiving unit R1 does not receive the inspection light P, and the second light receiving unit R2 receives the reflected light of the inspection light P. When the vehicle detector 10 cannot receive the inspection light P in the first light receiving unit R1 of the light emitting / receiving units U3, U4, the control device 10D detects the passage of the vehicle. When the second light receiving unit R2 of the light receiving / emitting units U3 and U4 receives the reflected light of the inspection light P, the control device 10D transmits the light emission timing of the light emitting unit E that has emitted the inspection light P and the reflected light of the inspection light P. Based on the light reception timing, distances w1 and w3 from the light emitting portion E to each side surface of the vehicle A are calculated. Thereby, control device 10D can detect distance w1 and distance w3. Further, the control device 10D can calculate the vehicle width w2 by subtracting the distance w1 and the distance w3 from the light emitting portion distance wS of each light emitting portion E provided in each of the light receiving / emitting tower 10A and the light receiving / emitting tower 10B. According to such a vehicle detector 10, the detection of the distance from the vehicle detector used to determine the vehicle type to the vehicle and the detection of vehicle traffic can be performed without adding a new device in a narrow area of the toll collection facility. Can be performed with a single device. Further, according to such a vehicle detector 10, the vehicle width w2 of the vehicle can be calculated without estimating the vehicle width based on the tread length detected by providing the tread 60 that can detect the stepping position of the wheel. .

FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of the vehicle detector.
As shown in FIG. 8, the vehicle detector 10 includes a light receiving / emitting tower 10A, a light receiving / emitting tower 10B, and a control device 10D. The control device 10D may be a computer, and when the CPU executes a vehicle detection program, the vehicle detection unit 11, the distance measurement unit 12, the vehicle width measurement unit 13, the light reception / emission control unit 14, the light reception sensitivity control unit 15, and the vehicle type determination Each function of the unit 16 is provided.
The vehicle detection unit 11 is a processing unit that detects that the vehicle has passed at a position where the light receiving / emitting tower 10A and the light receiving / emitting tower 10B are installed in the direction along the lane L.
The distance measuring unit 12 is a processing unit that calculates the distance from the light emitting unit E to the side surface of the vehicle.
The vehicle width measuring unit 13 performs a process of measuring the vehicle width of the vehicle passing through the position where the light receiving / emitting tower 10A and the light receiving / emitting tower 10B are installed.
The light emission / reception control unit 14 controls to emit light by sequentially shifting the light emission timings of the light emission units E included in each light reception / emission unit U. In addition, the light reception / emission control unit 14 sets the light reception units R1 and R2 so that the first light reception unit R1 and the second light reception unit R2 associated with the light emission unit E can receive light at the light reception timing after the light emission timing of the light emission unit E. Control.
When the first light receiving unit R1 that constitutes any unit of the light receiving and emitting unit U does not receive the inspection light P, the light receiving sensitivity control unit 15 performs the unit at the second light receiving unit R2 that constitutes the unit U. It is determined whether the reflected light of the inspection light P emitted from the light emitting part E of U is received. When it is determined that the reflected light is not received in this determination, the light receiving sensitivity control unit 15 performs control to increase the light receiving sensitivity in the second light receiving unit R2 that does not receive the reflected light.
The vehicle type determination unit 16 performs vehicle type determination based on the vehicle width calculated by the vehicle width measurement unit 13.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a processing flow of the vehicle detector.
Next, the processing flow of the vehicle detector 10 will be described in order.
The light emission / reception control unit 14 sequentially controls the light emission of the light emitting units E of the respective light receiving / emitting units U (step S101). This is one aspect of processing for controlling the light emission timings of the light emitting units E constituting the light receiving and emitting units U adjacent in the height direction to be shifted. Thereby, each light emission part E of the 1st light receiving / emitting unit U1 to the 4th light receiving / emitting unit U4 light-emits the test light P toward the 1st light-receiving part R1 in order. The light emission / reception control unit 14 performs control to cause the light emitting unit E to emit light sequentially in units of unit time. In this control, the light emitting / receiving control unit 14 causes each light emitting unit E to emit light sequentially, for example, several hundred times per second. The light receiving / emitting control unit 14 sequentially controls the light receiving units so that the first light receiving unit R1 and the second light receiving unit R2 related to the light emitting unit E that emits light at the light emission timing of the light emitting unit E can receive light (step S102).

  When receiving the inspection light P, the first light receiving unit R1 outputs a first light receiving signal to the control device 10D. When the inspection light P receives the reflected light reflected by the vehicle, the second light receiving unit R2 outputs a second light reception signal (distance detection signal) to the control device 10D.

  The vehicle detection unit 11 determines whether the first light reception signal is received from the first light reception unit R1 (step S103). When the vehicle detection unit 11 receives the first light reception signal, the vehicle is not passing. The vehicle detection part 11 repeats the reception determination of a 1st light reception signal, when a 1st light reception signal is received. If the vehicle detection unit 11 cannot receive the first light reception signal, it determines whether the second light reception signal has been received (step S104). When the vehicle detection unit 11 does not receive the second light receiving signal, the vehicle detection unit 11 receives the processing start signal including the identification information of the light receiving / emitting unit U that has received the first light receiving signal but has not received the second light receiving signal. Output to the control unit 15. The identification information of the light emitting / receiving unit U is a unit number that identifies any of the light emitting / receiving units U1 to U4 in the present embodiment. When receiving the processing start signal, the light reception sensitivity control unit 15 acquires the identification information of the light emitting / receiving unit U included in the signal, and specifies the light emitting / receiving unit U indicated by the identification information. The light receiving sensitivity control unit 15 performs control to increase the light receiving sensitivity of the second light receiving unit R2 constituting the specified light receiving / emitting unit U (step S105).

  When the vehicle passes through a position along the lane L where the vehicle detector 10 is installed, the second light receiving unit R2 receives reflected light reflected by the inspection light P from the vehicle. The reflected light reflected by the vehicle becomes scattered light. Usually, the second light receiving unit R2 can detect a part of the scattered light. However, when the inspection light is incident on the side of the vehicle and the reflected light is emitted, when the side of the vehicle is polished like a mirror, the reflected light reflects a lot in the direction of the emission angle equal to the incident angle, The degree of scattering may be lower than that of normal reflected light. In such a case, the received light intensity of the reflected light in the second light receiving unit R2 is weak, and as a result, there is a concern that an event in which it is not possible to detect that the second light receiving unit R2 has received light in the determination in step S104 occurs. Therefore, in such a case, the light receiving sensitivity control unit 15 needs to increase the light receiving sensitivity of the second light receiving unit R2. Specifically, the light receiving sensitivity control unit 15 outputs an instruction signal for increasing the gain of the amplifier to the second light receiving unit R2 constituting the light receiving / emitting unit U specified in the control for increasing the light receiving sensitivity in step S105. The second light receiving unit R2 that has received the instruction signal increases the gain of the amplifier. Alternatively, the light reception sensitivity control unit 15 may output an instruction signal for lowering the threshold value of the light reception intensity used by the second light reception unit R2 for determining whether light is received. Receiving this instruction signal, the second light receiving unit R2 stores the received light intensity threshold value at a predetermined value.

  The second light receiving unit R2 receives the reflected light of the inspection light P a plurality of times when the vehicle is passing. The second light receiving unit R2 outputs a second light receiving signal when the light receiving intensity becomes higher than the threshold value by increasing the gain of the amplifier or by lowering the threshold value of the light receiving intensity used for the determination of whether light is received or not. .

With the processing as described above, the control device 10D can increase the light receiving sensitivity of the second light receiving unit R2. And the side surface of the vehicle is polished like a mirror surface so that the reflected light is reflected more in the direction of the outgoing angle equal to the incident angle on the side surface of the vehicle, and the degree of scattering is lower than the scattering of ordinary reflected light. Even in this case, the reflected light from the side surface of the vehicle can be received by the second light receiving unit R2. As a result, the reflected light can be detected by the second light receiving unit R2 without detection omission, and the distance to the side surface of the vehicle can be detected.
Further, the control device 10D repeats the process of step S105 at a frequency at which the light emitting unit E emits light. Thereby, when the vehicle passes through the position along the lane L where the vehicle detector 10 is laid, the first light receiving unit R1 cannot receive the inspection light P and is the same even though the vehicle is passing. When the second light receiving unit R2 included in the light receiving / emitting unit U does not receive the reflected light of the inspection light, the light receiving sensitivity can be increased before the vehicle passes.
The advantages of both the function of measuring the distance from the surface of the light receiving and emitting tower provided with the light emitting part E and the second light receiving part R2 to the side surface of the vehicle by the reflected light and the function of detecting the transmission type with high reliability are provided. An incorporated vehicle detector can be obtained. And since it becomes possible to detect a vehicle and discriminate | determine a vehicle type with one vehicle detector, the installation expense of the apparatus for performing those processes can be reduced.

  The above-described processing of the light receiving sensitivity control unit 15 is a case where the inspection light is not received by the first light receiving unit R1 configuring any one of the plurality of light receiving / emitting units U. When it is determined that the reflected light of the inspection light P emitted from the light emitting unit E of the light receiving / emitting unit U is not received in the second light receiving unit R2 constituting the unit U, the second light receiving / emitting unit U of the light receiving / emitting unit U It is an aspect of the control for increasing the light receiving sensitivity in the light receiving unit R2.

  When the vehicle detection unit 11 does not receive the first light reception signal from the first light reception unit R1 and receives the second light reception signal from the second light reception unit R2, the vehicle detection unit 11 detects that the vehicle A has passed (step S106). . When the vehicle detection unit 11 detects the passage of the vehicle A, the distance measurement unit 12 receives a second light reception signal from the vehicle detection unit 11 when the vehicle A passes through the positions of the light receiving / emitting tower 10A and the light receiving / emitting tower 10B in the lane L. input. The second light receiving signal includes the reception time of the reflected light at the second light receiving unit R2, the identification information (for example, the unit number) of the light receiving / emitting unit U including the second light receiving unit R2 that has received the reflected light of the inspection light P, and the like. It's okay.

  The distance measuring unit 12 acquires a light reception time and a unit number included in the second light reception signal. The distance measuring unit 12 acquires the light emission time of the light emitting unit E included in the light emitting / receiving unit U indicated by the number based on the unit number. The light emission / emission control unit 14 may store the light emission time. The distance measuring unit 12 calculates the distance to the side surface of the vehicle using a known distance calculation formula using the light emission time, the light reception time, and the speed of light (step S107). As shown in FIG. 7, when the vehicle A passes, for example, the distance measuring unit 12 is based on the light received by the second light receiving unit R2 of the light receiving / emitting unit U3, and the first coordinates provided in the light emitting unit E of the light receiving / emitting tower 10A. And a distance w3 between the vehicle A and the left side surface of the vehicle A is calculated. The distance measuring unit 12 calculates a distance w1 between the second coordinate provided in the light emitting unit E of the light receiving and emitting tower 10B and the right side surface of the vehicle A. The distance measuring unit 12 outputs the distances w1 and w3 to the vehicle side surfaces to the vehicle width measuring unit 13 based on the above-described processing.

  Note that the vehicle detection unit 11 determines which signal line the signal of the unit number specified in the processing of the distance measurement unit 12 is received from among the signal lines connected to the control device 10D. The distance measuring unit 12 may be notified of the unit number of the light emitting / receiving unit U to which 11 corresponds.

  The vehicle width measuring unit 13 acquires the distances w1 and w3. The vehicle width measuring unit 13 calculates the vehicle width w2 of the vehicle A by subtracting the values of w1 and w3 from the light emitting unit interval wS between the light emitting unit E of the light receiving / emitting tower 10A and the light emitting unit E provided in the light receiving / emitting tower 10B. (Step S108). The vehicle type determination unit 16 performs vehicle type determination based on the vehicle width w2 (step S109). For example, the vehicle type determination unit 16 determines the vehicle type corresponding to the calculated vehicle width w2 based on the correspondence relationship between the stored vehicle width value and the vehicle type information. The vehicle type determination unit 16 outputs vehicle type information, which is a result of the vehicle type determination, to the automatic toll collector 20 (step S110). The control device 10D determines whether the process is finished (step S111). Control device 10D repeats the processing of step S101 to step S111 when the processing is not terminated.

  According to the above-described processing, the control device 10D includes the second light receiving signal indicating that the second light receiving unit R2 provided in the light receiving / emitting tower 10A has received the reflected light from the vehicle, and the second light receiving light provided in the light receiving / emitting tower 10B. The distance w3 and the distance w1 can be detected using the second light receiving signal indicating that the portion R2 has received the reflected light from the vehicle. Further, the vehicle width w2 can be calculated by subtracting the distance w3 and the distance w1 from the light emitting unit interval wS. According to such a vehicle detector 10, the detection of the distance from the vehicle detector used to determine the vehicle type to the vehicle and the detection of vehicle traffic can be performed without adding a new device in a narrow area of the toll collection facility. Can be performed with a single device. In addition, both the detection of the distance from the vehicle detector to the vehicle and the detection of vehicle traffic can be performed with a single device, so the number of parts can be reduced, the vehicle detector can be downsized, and the cost can be reduced. it can.

Further, according to the vehicle detector 10 described above, a plurality of light emitting / receiving units U are provided in the height direction, and the light emitting / receiving tower provided with the light emitting portion E in the light receiving / emitting units U adjacent in the height direction is reversed in the width of the lane L. Configured to be.
With this configuration, the vehicle detector 10 can detect the distance between the vehicle detector 10 and the vehicle from both sides of the vehicle passing through the lane L at many positions on the side surface of the vehicle. The vehicle width can be detected with high accuracy. According to this configuration, the vehicle width can be measured by the above-described vehicle detector instead of estimating the vehicle width based on the tread length detected by providing the tread.

  Further, the vehicle detector 10 described above increases the light receiving sensitivity of the second light receiving unit R2 to detect the passage of the vehicle without omission even when the vehicle detector cannot receive the reflected light of the inspection light even if the vehicle passes. Can be.

  Each of the above devices has a computer system inside. Each process described above is stored in a computer-readable recording medium in the form of a program, and the above process is performed by the computer reading and executing the program. Here, the computer-readable recording medium means a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, or the like. Alternatively, the computer program may be distributed to the computer via a communication line, and the computer that has received the distribution may execute the program.

  The program may be for realizing a part of the functions described above. Furthermore, what can implement | achieve the function mentioned above in combination with the program already recorded on the computer system, and what is called a difference file (difference program) may be sufficient.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Toll collection facility 10 ... Vehicle detector 10A ... Light receiving / emitting tower 10B ... Light receiving / emitting tower 10D ... Control device 20 ... Automatic toll collector 60 ... Tread 100 ...・ Vehicle detection system A ... Vehicle L ... Lanes I1, I2 ... Island

Claims (7)

A vehicle detector for detecting a vehicle passing through a lane,
A light emitting unit that is provided on one side in the width direction of the lane and emits inspection light toward the other side;
A first light receiving portion provided on the other side in the width direction of the lane in relation to the light emitting portion and capable of receiving the inspection light;
A second light receiving portion provided in relation to the light emitting portion on one side in the width direction of the lane and capable of receiving reflected light of the inspection light;
A plurality of light emitting / receiving units configured in the height direction, and the light emitting unit constituting at least one first light emitting / receiving unit, the position of the first light receiving unit, and the first light emitting / receiving unit The positional relationship across the lane with the position of the second light receiving unit, the light emitting unit constituting the other second light receiving and emitting unit, the position of the first light receiving unit, and the second light receiving and emitting unit The vehicle detector configured such that the positional relationship of the second light receiving unit with respect to the lane across the lane is reversed with respect to the lane.   The vehicle detector according to claim 1, wherein the first light emitting / receiving unit and the second light emitting / receiving unit are alternately provided in a height direction. The first light-receiving unit and the second light-receiving unit are shared by the first light-emitting / receiving unit and the second light-emitting / receiving unit provided adjacent to each other in the height direction. The vehicle detector according to 2. When the inspection light is not received by the first light receiving unit that constitutes any one of the light receiving and emitting units, the second light receiving unit that constitutes the specific light emitting and receiving unit If it is determined that the reflected light of the inspection light emitted from the light emitting unit is not received, a light receiving sensitivity control unit that increases the light receiving sensitivity in the second light receiving unit of the specific light receiving and emitting unit;
The vehicle detector as described in any one of Claims 1-3 provided with. When the inspection light is not received by the first light receiving unit of any one of the light receiving / emitting units, the inspection light emitted from the light emitting unit in the light receiving / emitting unit, and the second A vehicle width measuring unit that measures the width of the vehicle based on the reflected light of the inspection light received by the light receiving unit;
The vehicle detector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: A plurality of light emitting / receiving units each including a light emitting unit, a first light receiving unit, and a second light receiving unit are provided in the height direction, and the positions of the light emitting unit and the first light receiving unit constituting at least one light receiving / emitting unit and The positional relationship across the lane with the position of the second light receiving unit constituting the light emitting / receiving unit, the position of the light emitting unit and the first light receiving unit constituting the other light receiving / emitting unit, and the light receiving / emitting unit A vehicle detection method for detecting a vehicle passing through a lane in a vehicle detector configured such that a positional relationship across the lane with respect to a position of the second light receiving unit is reversed across the width direction of the lane Because
The light emitting part provided on one side in the width direction of the lane emits inspection light toward the other side,
A first light receiving portion provided in association with the light emitting portion on the other side in the width direction of the lane receives the inspection light;
A vehicle detection method, wherein a second light receiving portion provided in association with the light emitting portion on one side in the width direction of the lane receives the reflected light of the inspection light.   A toll collection facility comprising the vehicle detector according to claim 1 and a toll collector.

Images