JP2022185441A - Car washing machine and car washing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To perform more appropriate washing of a vehicle by more accurately finding out the outer shape or position of the vehicle.SOLUTION: A car washing machine (2) comprises: an image capturing unit (50); an image analysis unit (52); and a car washing machine body (4). The image capturing unit captures an image including a reference object (54) and a vehicle (X). The image analysis unit obtains vehicle information including at least one of the length and the position of at least a portion of the vehicle on the basis of reference object information including at least one of the length and the position of the reference object in the image. The car washing machine body washes the vehicle by the relative movement with the vehicle on the basis of the vehicle information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to a car wash machine and a car wash method for washing vehicles.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a method of determining the outer shape and position of a vehicle by bringing a brush or the like used for cleaning the vehicle into direct contact with the vehicle. Patent Literature 1 describes washing the vehicle based on the determined outer shape and position of the vehicle.

JP-A-5-77695

In the method described in Patent Literature 1, when a brush or the like is pressed against the vehicle, the force generated in the brush or the like is measured to determine the outer shape and position of the vehicle. Here, the force generated in the brushes and the like described above may differ depending on the shape of the vehicle or the direction of the vehicle. Therefore, in the above method, an error may occur in the determined outer shape and position of the vehicle, making it difficult to properly wash the vehicle.

In order to solve the above problems, a car wash machine according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an image capturing unit that captures an image including a reference object and a vehicle, and at least one of the length and position of the reference object in the image. An image analysis unit that obtains vehicle information including at least one of the length and position of at least a part of the vehicle based on reference object information including and a car wash machine main body for washing the vehicle.

Further, a car washing method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an image capturing step of capturing an image including a reference object and a vehicle, and reference object information including at least one of the length and position of the reference object in the image. and a car wash step of washing the vehicle based on the vehicle information.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the outer shape or position of the vehicle can be determined more accurately, and the vehicle can be washed more appropriately.

1 is a schematic side view showing a car wash machine according to an embodiment, and a schematic plan view of a reference portion; FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a car wash machine main body according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a flow chart which shows an example of the car-washing method concerning an embodiment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic front view which shows an example of the vehicle wash|cleaned by the car wash machine main body which concerns on embodiment. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image captured by an image capturing unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of obtaining vehicle information from an image captured by an image capture unit according to the embodiment; It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a license plate concerning an embodiment.

[Embodiment]
<Overview of car wash>
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a car wash machine main body 4 and a remote panel 6 provided in a car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment, and a schematic plan view of a reference portion 54, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 1, the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment includes a car wash machine main body 4 for washing a vehicle X, which is a vehicle to be washed. The car wash machine 2 may include a remote panel 6 that acquires the conditions for washing the vehicle X by the car wash machine main body 4 . In FIG. 1 , the outer shape of the vehicle X is indicated by dotted lines to indicate that the vehicle X is located on the far side of the paper surface with respect to the remote panel 6 .

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the car wash machine main body 4 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the car wash machine main body 4 includes, for example, two stand portions 8 and a ceiling portion 10 connecting the upper ends of the two stand portions 8 to each other. The car wash machine main body 4 has a structure that allows the vehicle X to pass through a space 4S surrounded by the stand portion 8 and the ceiling portion 10 along the approach direction DA of the vehicle X shown in FIG. In this specification, the approach direction DA is the direction from the front to the back of the car wash machine main body 4 .

For example, the car wash machine main body 4 has wheels 12 at the bottom of each of the stand portions 8, and rotates the wheels 12 by a driving portion (not shown), thereby moving the vehicle along a rail R arranged on the ground G. It moves relative to X in the front-rear direction. The rail R is formed, for example, along the approach direction DA. Here, the car wash machine main body 4 carries out the washing with respect to the vehicle X in the space 4S, moving relative to the vehicle X. As shown in FIG.

The car wash machine main body 4 is provided with a plurality of rotating brushes that slide on the vehicle X for brushing as one of the cleaning units. For example, the rotating brushes included in the car wash main body 4 include a top brush 14, side brushes 16, and rocker brushes 18, each of which is rotated by a rotating motor (not shown). The top brush 14 moves along the upper surface of the vehicle X and cleans the upper surface of the vehicle X. The side brushes 16 and the rocker brushes 18 wash both side surfaces of the vehicle X. In particular, the rocker brush 18 is arranged below the side brush 16 and cleans the lower side of the vehicle X. As shown in FIG.

At the side of the car wash machine main body 4, a tank storage section 20 is arranged for storing a plurality of liquid storage tanks (not shown) storing various liquid agents including detergents, waxes, and the like. A distribution pipe section 22 is provided above the tank storage section 20 for distributing water including city water or the liquid agent from each liquid storage tank. In the distribution pipe section 22, a first water purification nozzle 24, a second water purification nozzle 26, a first detergent nozzle 28, a second detergent nozzle 30, a water-repellent coating nozzle 32, and a wax nozzle 34, which are included in the cleaning section, are electromagnetically coupled. It is led out through a valve (not shown).

The first water purification nozzle 24 and the second water purification nozzle 26 are arranged on the front side and the back side of the car wash main body 4, respectively, and spray water including city water to the vehicle X. As shown in FIG. The first detergent nozzle 28 and the second detergent nozzle 30 are arranged on the front side and the back side of the car wash machine main body 4, respectively, and spray the vehicle X with a washing liquid containing shampoo or the like. A water-repellent coating nozzle 32 and a wax nozzle 34 are arranged on the rear surface of the car washing machine main body 4 . The water-repellent coating nozzle 32 injects a liquid water-repellent coating agent onto the vehicle X. As shown in FIG. The wax nozzle 34 injects wax to the vehicle X. As shown in FIG.

Further, the car wash machine body 4 is provided with a blower 36 that generates an airflow to dry the vehicle X. As shown in FIG. A top blower nozzle 38 and a side blower nozzle 40 are connected to the blower 36 . The top air blowing nozzle 38 is provided in the upper center of the car wash machine main body 4 and blows air toward the ceiling surface of the vehicle X. As shown in FIG. The side air blowing nozzles 40 are provided on both sides of the car wash machine main body 4 and blow air toward the side of the vehicle X. As shown in FIG. The car wash machine main body 4 dries the washed vehicle X by blowing air from the top air blowing nozzle 38 and the side air blowing nozzle 40 .

In addition, in FIG. 1, for the sake of simplification of illustration, there are cases where the illustration of each device for washing the vehicle X, which is provided in the car wash machine main body 4, is omitted. In addition, each device provided in the car wash machine main body 4 shown in FIG. And a device for assisting the cleaning may be provided on the stand portion 8 or the ceiling portion 10 .

An operation panel 42 is arranged on the front surface of one stand portion 8 of the car wash machine main body 4 . The operation panel 42 includes operation buttons (not shown) for setting car wash conditions, and accepts car wash or sets car wash conditions by operation of a user or the like who has gotten off the vehicle X. FIG.

Furthermore, the car wash machine main body 4 may be provided with a pair of left and right vehicle body detection bars 44 as shown in FIGS. For example, the vehicle body detection bar 44 is attached to the front surface of each stand portion 8 of the car wash machine body 4 via an arm 44A so as to extend in the vertical direction of the car wash machine body 4. may

The arm 44A may be rotatably attached to the front surface of the stand section 8 at the end of the arm 44A on the stand section 8 side. Accordingly, each vehicle body detection bar 44 may be displaced as each arm 44A rotates. The car wash machine main body 4 may detect the position or shape of the vehicle X by contacting the vehicle body detection bar 44 with the vehicle X entering the space 4S and displacing it along the outer shape of the vehicle X.

The remote panel 6 is positioned, for example, on the front side of the car wash machine main body 4 and arranged approximately along the moving direction of the car wash machine main body 4 . 1, the front of the remote panel 6 faces the vehicle X before it is washed by the car wash machine main body 4, in other words, before it enters the car wash machine main body 4. placed. Therefore, in FIG. 1, the back surface of the remote panel 6 is illustrated.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the remote panel 6 includes a housing 46 and a support column 48 erected on the ground G for supporting the housing 46 . The remote panel 6 may acquire at least part of the conditions for washing the vehicle X by the car wash machine main body 4 by operating a touch panel or buttons (not shown) provided on the housing 46 . The car wash machine body 4 may wash the vehicle X based on at least part of the car wash conditions acquired by the remote panel 6 .

<Image capturing unit and image analysis unit>
The car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment further includes an image capturing section 50 . The image capturing unit 50 captures an image including the vehicle X and a reference object, which will be described later. The image capturing unit 50 may be, for example, a monocular camera. The image capturing unit 50 may be provided in the car wash machine main body 4, for example, and in particular, may be attached to the front side of the ceiling part 10 of the car wash machine main body 4 as shown in FIG. In this case, the image capturing section 50 may capture the image of the vehicle X while moving along with the relative movement of the car wash machine main body 4 with respect to the vehicle X.

The car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment further includes an image analysis section 52 . The image analysis section 52 analyzes the image captured by the image capturing section 50 . In particular, the image analysis unit 52 generates vehicle information including at least one of the length and position of at least a portion of the vehicle X based on the reference object information including at least one of the length and position of the reference object in the image. Ask for The vehicle information is used for washing the vehicle by the car wash machine main body 4, which will be described in detail later. Note that the image analysis unit 52 may be housed in the ceiling portion 10 of the car wash main body 4 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, but is not limited to this. For example, the image analysis unit 52 may be located outside the car wash main body 4 . The image analysis unit 52 may be capable of exchanging data with each of the car wash machine body 4 and the image capturing unit 50, or may exchange data via a communication unit (not shown).

The image capturing method by the image capturing unit 50 and the image analyzing method by the image analyzing unit 52 will be described in detail later.

The car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment further includes a reference part 54 as a car wash machine reference object that the car wash machine body has. As shown in the plan view of the reference portion 54 in FIG. 1, the reference portion 54 includes, for example, a plate 56 and markers 58 formed on the plate 56 . The marker 58 is, for example, a rectangular marker with a known dimension 58D of at least one side. In this embodiment, the reference unit 54 may be arranged with the marker 58 facing the image capturing unit 50 so that the marker 58 is always imaged together with the vehicle X by the image capturing unit 50 .

In this embodiment, an entry guide AL is formed in the car wash area where the car wash machine main body 4 is installed, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . The entry guide AL is formed on the ground G in the car wash and functions as a reference for indicating where and in which direction the vehicle X to be washed by the car wash machine main body 4 should stop. In other words, the entry guide AL serves as a guide for at least one of the entry direction and the entry position of the vehicle X with respect to the car wash machine main body 4 . The entry guide AL includes, for example, a right entry guide ALR arranged on the right side of the ideal stop position of the vehicle X, and a left entry guide ALL arranged on the left side.

In the present specification, the "car wash place" where the car wash machine main body 4 is installed refers to the vehicle X to be washed by the car wash machine main body 4 on the ground G where the car wash machine main body 4 is installed. , or the stop position of the vehicle X during the car wash. Further, the above-mentioned "car wash" includes the movable range of the car wash machine main body 4 and the imageable range of the image capturing unit 50 in the ground G.

The right entrance guide ALR and the left entrance guide ALL have, for example, a rectangular shape whose long direction is substantially the same as the entrance direction DA. For example, the right entrance guide ALR and the left entrance guide ALL are arranged at positions where the vehicle X can be washed if the vehicle X is stopped between the right entrance guide ALR and the left entrance guide ALL. . The right entry guide ALR and the left entry guide ALL are arranged so that the ideal stopping position of the vehicle X in the vehicle width direction is located at the midpoint between the right entry guide ALR and the left entry guide ALL. good too.

In addition, in the present embodiment, each of the entry guides AL has a rectangular shape extending in substantially the same direction as the entry direction DA, but is not limited to this. For example, by arranging a plurality of road studs on the ground G in a line along substantially the same direction as the approach direction DA, the plurality of road studs may be used as the approach guide AL. In other words, the entry guide AL may have a continuous shape along the entry direction DA, or may be intermittently formed.

<Overview of car wash method>
A method of washing the vehicle X by the car wash machine 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of a car washing method by the car washing machine 2. As shown in FIG.

In the car wash method according to the present embodiment, first, the car wash machine 2 receives a car wash from the user of the vehicle X (step S2). For example, the user may operate the remote panel 6 or the operation panel 42 to set the conditions for washing the vehicle X and pay the washing fee.

<Vehicle imaging>
In the car washing method according to the present embodiment, next, an image including the reference object and the vehicle X described above is captured by the image capturing unit 50 (step S4, image capturing step). A method of imaging the vehicle X and a method of analyzing an image obtained by the imaging, which will be described later, will be described with further reference to FIGS. 4 and 6. FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing an example of the vehicle X. FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image captured by the image capturing section 50. As shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, as long as the vehicle X can be washed by the car wash machine main body 4, the type of vehicle is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle X is provided with a license plate NP, which will be described in detail later, at the lower front portion.

In the present embodiment, the image capturing unit 50 captures an image of the vehicle X substantially vertically downward from above the vehicle X, for example. In this case, as shown in the first image G1 of FIG. 5, the image captured by the image capturing section 50 includes the vehicle X in plan view. Further, in the present embodiment, the image capturing unit 50 may capture the image of the vehicle X in a direction tilted toward the front side of the car wash machine main body 4 from the substantially vertically downward direction, for example. In this case, the front of the vehicle X is included in the image captured by the image capture unit 50, as shown in the second image G2 of FIG. Here, the image capturing section 50 captures an image of the reference section 54 together with the vehicle X as one of the reference objects.

The imaging of the vehicle X by the imaging unit 50 may be performed while the car wash machine main body 4 is relatively moving with respect to the vehicle X, for example. Furthermore, the image capturing unit 50 may capture images of the vehicle X in a plurality of times to generate a panoramic image. Since the image capturing unit 50 is provided in the car wash machine main body 4 in this way, the image capturing unit 50 can capture the entire vehicle X even when it is difficult to capture an image of the entire vehicle X at once. Captured images can be acquired.

In the present embodiment, for example, the imaging by the imaging unit 50 is performed while the car wash machine main body 4 is relatively moving with respect to the vehicle X, and the imaging unit 50 moves the vehicle X substantially vertically downward twice. is imaged. The image captured by the image capturing unit 50 is generated by panorama synthesizing the two images captured by the image capturing unit 50 smoothly to the extent that the analysis by the image analysis unit 52 is not hindered. .

Here, the reference unit 54 moves together with the image capturing unit 50 and is always captured by the image capturing unit 50 . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the image captured by the image capturing unit 50 includes a first reference portion 54A generated by imaging the reference portion 54 for the first time and an image generated by capturing the reference portion 54 for the second time. and the generated second reference portion 54B.

The images captured by the image capturing unit 50 also include the entry guide AL as an installation reference in the car wash where the car wash main body 4 is installed, as shown in the images of FIGS. 5 and 6 . The vehicle X in the image captured by the image capturing unit 50 is located between the right entrance guide ALR and the left entrance guide ALL, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, for example. Furthermore, as shown in the first image G1 of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the image captured by the image capturing unit 50 may include at least one of the vehicle body detection bar 44 and the arm 44A as one of the reference objects. good.

The image captured by the image capturing unit 50 may include the license plate NP of the vehicle X. In this case, the image captured by the image capturing section 50 may include the frame, characters, or numbers of the license plate NP, which will be described later. Here, the image capturing unit 50 is inclined from the front to the rear of the vehicle X from the substantially vertically downward direction so that the entire front side of the license plate NP is included in the image captured by the image capturing unit 50. You may image the vehicle X towards. As a result, as shown in the second image G2 of FIG. 5, the image captured by the image capturing unit 50 may include the front of the vehicle X, and may include the entire front side of the license plate NP of the vehicle X. .

Hereinafter, in this specification, the image captured by the image capturing section 50 may be simply referred to as an "image".

<Determination of vehicle outline>
Returning to the description of FIG. 3, in the car washing method according to the present embodiment, after the vehicle X is imaged by the image capturing unit 50, the image analysis unit 52 analyzes the image to obtain vehicle information about the vehicle X. is obtained (step S6, image analysis step). In this embodiment, as an example of image analysis, the image analysis unit 52 determines several points of gaze included in the outer shape of the vehicle X included in the image, and determines the positions of the points of gaze with respect to the position or length of the reference object. Or compare the distance between gaze points. In this specification, "vehicle information about vehicle X" may be simply referred to as "vehicle information".

In the analysis of the image by the image analysis unit 52, first, the image analysis unit 52, for example, calculates the boundary between the vehicle X and the ground G on the image shown in FIG. Figure out. Thereby, the image analysis unit 52 determines the shape of the vehicle X as the vehicle information. The boundary between the vehicle X and the ground G may be determined, for example, from the difference in color or brightness in the image, or may be determined from the foreground and the It may be determined using a background separation technique.

<Calculation of vehicle width>
Based on the determined outline of the vehicle X on the image, the image analysis unit 52 obtains various vehicle information regarding the vehicle X. FIG. For example, the image analysis unit 52 determines the width of the vehicle X as vehicle information. As an example, the image analysis unit 52 sets several points on the right side of the vehicle X in the outline of the vehicle X in the image as the right fixation point. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the image analysis unit 52 sets five points from a gaze point PR1 to a gaze point PR5 on the right side of the outline of the vehicle X on the image as right gaze points.

The position of the right fixation point on the image is not particularly limited as long as it is any position on the right side of the outline of the vehicle X on the image. For example, the position of the right fixation point on the image may be positioned near the front of the vehicle X like the fixation point PR1, or near the rear end of the vehicle X like the fixation point PR5. You may have Also, the position of the right gaze point on the image may be set to the rightmost point on the image in the outer shape of the vehicle X, such as the gaze point PR3.

In addition, the image analysis unit 52 identifies parts such as the side mirrors M from the outline of the vehicle X on the image, such as the gaze point PR3 positioned on the side mirrors M in the image, and places the right gaze point on the part. may be set. In addition, for example, the right gaze point is located on a part of the exterior of the vehicle X, such as the side mirror M, the rear mirror, the bumper, the aero parts, the roof carrier, etc., which tends to be a protruding area. may

Next, the image analysis unit 52 sets several points on the left side of the vehicle X among the outer shape of the vehicle X in the image as left fixation points. In particular, the image analysis unit 52, for example, determines that a straight line passing through a certain right gazing point and orthogonal to the approach direction DA intersects on the left side of the outline of the vehicle X as a left gazing point corresponding to the right gazing point. Set to viewpoint. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the image analysis unit 52 sets five points from a gaze point PL1 to a gaze point PL5 on the left side of the outer shape of the vehicle X as left gaze points.

Next, the image analysis unit 52 calculates the distance between each right gazing point and each left gazing point corresponding to each right gazing point. vehicle width. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the image analysis unit 52 sets the distance between the gaze point PR1 and the gaze point PL1 as the vehicle width W1 of the vehicle X at the position passing through the gaze point PR1 and the gaze point PL1. The image analysis unit 52 also applies the same method to each of the gaze point PR2 to the gaze point PR5 and the gaze point PL2 to the gaze point PL5, and calculates the vehicle width W5 from the vehicle width W2.

Here, the image analysis unit 52 compares the width of the vehicle X on the image with the length of the reference object on the image and the actual length of the reference object, thereby determining the actual width of the vehicle X. Figure out. For example, the image analysis unit 52 determines that the length on the image of each of the vehicle widths W1 to W5 is the dimension 58D of the marker 58 of the first reference portion 54A or the second reference portion 54B included in the image. Figure out if it will double. Accordingly, by multiplying the length of the actual dimension 58D by the magnification, the actual length of each of the vehicle widths W1 to W5 can be determined.

It should be noted that the determination of each vehicle width may be performed by using, of the first reference portion 54A and the second reference portion 54B, the closer one of the reference points corresponding to the vehicle width as the reference object. As a result, the vehicle width on the image can be corrected more appropriately, and the vehicle width can be determined more accurately.

It should be noted that each point of gaze of the vehicle and the first reference portion 54A or the second reference portion 54B have different actual distances from the image capturing section 50 at the time of capturing the image. Therefore, the image analysis unit 52 may correct each of the vehicle width W1 to the vehicle width W5 based on the difference in distance. Here, since the car wash machine main body 4 is provided with the reference portion 54 , the relative position between the car wash machine main body 4 and the reference portion 54 is uniquely determined regardless of the position of the car wash machine main body 4 . Therefore, the above configuration improves the accuracy of the vehicle information and the information necessary for correcting the vehicle information.

Also, the actual length of each of the vehicle widths W1 to W5 may be calculated based on the distance between each gaze point and the approach guide AL. For example, the image analysis unit 52 calculates distances DR1 to DR5, respectively, as the distances in the direction perpendicular to the approach direction DA between the points of gaze PR1 to PR5 and the right approach guide ALR. Further, the image analysis unit 52 calculates distances DL1 to DL5, respectively, as distances in the direction orthogonal to the approach direction DA between the points of gaze PL1 to PL5 and the right approach guide ALL.

Thereby, the image analysis unit 52 calculates the vehicle width W1 by subtracting the sum of the distance DR1 and the distance DL1 from the distance between the right entrance guide ALR and the left entrance guide ALL in the direction perpendicular to the entrance direction DA. . By the same method, the image analysis unit 52 determines the distance between the right entrance guide ALR and the left entrance guide ALL, the distance DR2 to the distance DR5, and the distance DL2 to DL5 in the direction perpendicular to the approach direction DA. A vehicle width W5 is calculated from the width W2.

Like the entrance guide AL, the position of the installation reference installed in the car wash does not depend on the positions of the vehicle X and the car wash machine main body 4 . Therefore, the accuracy of the vehicle information is improved by deriving the vehicle information using the installation reference object described above. Further, the entrance guide AL is fixed to the ground G because it is formed on the ground G in the car wash as described above. In this way, by using the installation reference object fixed to the ground G to determine the vehicle information, the accuracy of the vehicle information is further improved.

The entry guide AL is also used as a guideline for when the vehicle X enters the car wash machine main body 4, in other words, as a guideline for the stop position of the vehicle X. Therefore, by determining the vehicle information using the approach guide AL, the probability that the vehicle X will stop at a position that is advantageous for determining the vehicle information is improved, and as a result, the accuracy of the vehicle information is improved. In addition, the extension direction of the entry guide AL and the position of the midpoint between the right entry guide ALR and the left entry guide ALL are the ideal entry direction and the ideal stopping position of the vehicle X, respectively. . Therefore, by finding the difference between each approach guide AL and the outer shape of the vehicle X, the vehicle information or the information necessary for correcting the vehicle information can be determined more easily or more accurately.

<Determination of approach direction, center position, and stop position>
In this embodiment, the image analysis unit 52 calculates the center position of the vehicle X in the vehicle width direction from the image as the vehicle information. As an example, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the image analysis unit 52 performs a A certain middle point PC1 to middle point PC5 are determined respectively. Here, a straight line passing through the middle point PC1 to the middle point PC5 is defined as the center line CL, and the position where the center line CL is arranged in the actual car wash is defined as the center position of the vehicle X in the vehicle width direction.

It should be noted that there may be a case where a straight line passing through all of the midpoints PC1 to PC5 does not exist due to the outer shape of the vehicle X, the positional deviation of the gaze point, or the like. In this case, the image analysis unit 52 may calculate the center line CL by applying linear approximation by the method of least squares to the midpoints PC1 to PC5. In addition, the image analysis unit 52 may use a straight line passing through at least two of the midpoints PC1 to PC5 as the centerline CL.

In this embodiment, the image analysis unit 52 calculates the vehicle length of the vehicle X from the image as the vehicle information. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the image analysis unit 52 sets the position where the center line CL identified by the above-described method intersects the outer shape of the vehicle X on the front side of the vehicle X as the gaze point PA, the vehicle X Let the point of interest PB be the position where the two intersect on the rear side. The image analysis unit 52 sets the distance between the gaze point PA and the gaze point PB as the vehicle length L of the vehicle X, as shown in FIG. The image analysis unit 52 may determine the actual vehicle length L from the vehicle length L on the image and the dimension 58D of the marker 58 of the first reference portion 54A or the second reference portion 54B on the image.

In this embodiment, the image analysis unit 52 determines the approach direction of the vehicle X to the car wash machine main body 4 as the vehicle information by setting the extension direction of the center line CL as the approach direction of the vehicle X to the car wash machine main body 4. . Here, if there is a difference between the approach direction of the vehicle X calculated from the extending direction of the center line CL and the actual approach direction DA, the vehicle width W5 calculated from the vehicle width W1 calculated by the above-described method is calculated. may have an error with the actual vehicle width of the vehicle X. Therefore, when there is a difference between the extension direction of the center line CL and the approach direction DA, the image analysis unit 52 may correct the vehicle width W1 to the vehicle width W5 based on the difference.

In this embodiment, the image analysis unit 52 calculates the stop position of the vehicle X in the car wash as the vehicle information from the distance between the outer shape of the vehicle X on the image and the reference object. For example, from the distances DR1 to DR5 and the distance DL1 to DL5, which represent the distances between the points of interest and the entry guides, the actual positions of the points of interest on the image in the car wash may be calculated. Further, in the present embodiment, the image analysis unit 52 may calculate the position of the side surface of the vehicle X in the car wash from the center position of the vehicle X and the vehicle width of the vehicle X.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the image analysis unit 52 has explained the method of determining the vehicle information regarding the vehicle X based on the entrance guide AL and the reference unit 54 on the image as an example. However, it is not limited to this, and the image analysis unit 52 may find vehicle information about the vehicle X based on the vehicle body detection bar 44 on the image. For example, the image analysis unit 52 obtains vehicle information about the vehicle X based on the distance between the pair of vehicle body detection bars 44 on the image or the distance between the vehicle body detection bars 44 on the image and the outline of the vehicle X. You can divide.

<Number plate>
As shown in the second image G2 in FIG. 5 described above, the image capturing section 50 may acquire an image including the front of the vehicle X, or may acquire an image including the back of the vehicle X. In this case, the image analysis unit 52 may determine the vehicle information described above based on the license plate NP, which is a vehicle reference object that the vehicle X has. Details of the license plate NP according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is an example of a schematic front view of the license plate NP.

In general, laws and regulations stipulate that a license plate must be fixed at positions on the front and back of a vehicle that are easily visible from the outside of the vehicle, regardless of the type of vehicle, its use, or the like. Further, in general, laws and regulations stipulate that information including letters and numbers written on a license plate should be maintained so as not to hinder visibility from the outside of the vehicle. Therefore, if the front or back of the vehicle X can be imaged by the image capturing unit 50, the image is highly likely to include the license plate NP and the letters or numbers written on the license plate NP.

The information on the license plate is stipulated by law. In this embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, land transportation branch office code N1, classification number N2, usage code N3, and series designation number N4 are described in frame F of license plate NP. . For example, kanji or hiragana are used for land transport branch code N1, numbers are used for classification number N2, hiragana or alphabet are used for usage code N3, and symbols and numbers are used for series designation number N4. The license plate NP is fixed to the lower front portion of the vehicle X via bolts B inserted into the openings.

Here, in the present embodiment, the image analysis unit 52 recognizes, for example, letters or numbers on the image as letters or numbers on the license plate NP. Thereby, the image analysis unit 52 identifies the position of the license plate NP on the image, including the position of the frame F of the license plate NP on the image. With the above configuration, even when it is difficult to identify the position of the frame F of the license plate NP on the image, such as when the frame F of the license plate NP is decorated, the image analysis unit 52 can It becomes easy to identify the position of the license plate NP on the image.

Next, the image analysis unit 52 sets, for example, a rectangular number frame NF surrounding one of the numbers included in the series designation number N4 on the image. Generally, the font and size of the numbers on license plates are dictated by regulations. Therefore, the dimension of any one side of the number frame NF is uniquely determined.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the dimension of any one side of the number frame NF on the license plate NP of the image can be treated as one of the lengths of the reference object. For example, the image analysis unit 52 determines how many times the length of each of the vehicle widths W1 to W5 on the image corresponds to the dimension 58D of the number frame NF included in the image, thereby determining the actual vehicle width. Each of the vehicle widths W5 may be calculated from W1.

As described above, the image analysis unit 52 according to the present embodiment can determine vehicle information using vehicle reference objects of the vehicle X in the image, including the license plate NP. In this case, the image analysis unit 52 does not need a separately prepared reference object for calculating vehicle information because the vehicle X itself, which is an object to be imaged, has a reference object for calculating vehicle information. Therefore, the above configuration reduces the burden of providing a separate reference object in the car wash place where the car wash machine 2 and the car wash machine main body 4 of the car wash machine 2 are installed.

In general, the arrangement position, size, etc. of letters or numbers written on a license plate differ depending on the type of the vehicle X, the purpose of use, and the like. Therefore, the image analysis unit 52 recognizes the arrangement position or size of the characters or numbers on the license plate NP, and determines which type of vehicle X the license plate NP is used for. good. As a result, the accuracy of derivation of vehicle information using the license plate NP by the image analysis unit 52 is further improved.

Also, in general, the law stipulates that the license plate should be installed so that the normal direction of the front of the license plate faces the traveling direction of the vehicle. In particular, the difference between the normal direction of the front of the license plate and the direction of travel of the vehicle is restricted by regulations. Therefore, it is highly probable that the direction of the normal to the front of the license plate NP on the image substantially coincides with the direction in which the vehicle X enters the car wash machine main body 4 .

Therefore, the image analysis unit 52 may determine the approach direction of the vehicle X to the car wash machine main body 4 by determining the normal direction of the front of the license plate NP. The image analysis unit 52, for example, compares the aspect ratio of the number frame NP on the image with the aspect ratio of the numbers included in the serial designation number N4 of the actual license plate NP, thereby determining the normal direction of the front of the license plate NP. may be assigned.

When the image of the vehicle X is taken in a direction inclined from a substantially vertical downward direction, as shown in the second image G2 in FIG. , and the shape of the reference is distorted. Therefore, the image analysis unit 52 may correct the distortion of the shape of the vehicle X in the image and the reference object in the image caused by the imaging direction of the vehicle X by the image imaging unit 50 . For example, the image analysis unit 52 calculates a correction value for image distortion by comparing the aspect ratio of the number frame NF of the license plate NP or the aspect ratio of the reference portion 54 between the image and the actual image. good too.

<Car wash>
Returning to the description of FIG. 3, in the car washing method according to the present embodiment, after determining the vehicle information, the vehicle X is washed (step S8, car washing step). The vehicle X is washed, for example, by moving the car wash machine main body 4 shown in FIG. 1 or 2 relative to the vehicle X and operating the washing unit. Here, during washing of the vehicle X, the car wash machine main body 4 controls the position of at least one of the brushes or nozzles provided in the car wash machine main body 4 with respect to the vehicle X based on the vehicle information obtained by the image analysis unit 52. do. Therefore, the car wash machine main body 4 can wash the vehicle X while positioning the cleaning unit including the brushes, nozzles, etc. relative to the vehicle X at a more appropriate position. Further, the car wash machine body 4 may dry the vehicle X by operating the blower based on the vehicle information in step S8.

The vehicle information may include at least one of the vehicle width, stop position, approach angle, and shape of the vehicle X described above. With this configuration, the car wash machine main body 4 can wash the vehicle X while positioning the cleaning unit with respect to the vehicle X at a more appropriate position.

Further, the vehicle information may include the center position of the vehicle X in the vehicle width direction described above. With this configuration, the image analysis unit 52 can more easily determine the stop position and approach direction of the vehicle X, and additionally, can easily determine the shape of the vehicle X from information on the vehicle width of the vehicle X. It becomes possible. Therefore, with the above-described configuration, the car wash machine 2 realizes a configuration in which the image analysis by the image analysis unit 52 is made simpler and the washing of the vehicle X by the car wash machine main body 4 is performed more appropriately.

<Summary>
The car wash machine 2 determines vehicle information about the vehicle X prior to washing the vehicle X by the car wash machine main body 4, and executes washing of the vehicle X by the car wash machine main body 4 based on the vehicle information. Here, the vehicle information is determined by analyzing captured images including the vehicle X and the reference object. Therefore, it is possible to determine the vehicle information more accurately than in the case of determining the outer shape and position of the vehicle X by a method such as contacting the vehicle X with the cleaning unit. Cleaning can be performed more efficiently.

In addition to the vehicle X, the reference object is included in the image used by the image analysis unit 52 to determine the vehicle information. Therefore, the image analysis unit 52 can use the position or length of the reference object when determining the vehicle information, thereby improving the accuracy of the vehicle information. In particular, the image analysis unit 52 can easily determine the actual vehicle width or stop position of the vehicle X from the position or length of the reference object in the image and the vehicle width or stop position of the vehicle X on the image. can be done.

<Addendum>
In this embodiment, the entry guide AL is mentioned as an installation reference object installed in the car wash, but the installation reference object is not limited to this. For example, the installation reference object may include a mat placed on the ground G in the car wash, such as the ground G in front of the car wash machine main body 4 . With this configuration, the installation reference object can be configured more simply.

In the present embodiment, the image capturing unit 50 is provided in the car wash machine main body 4 and configured to be relatively movable with respect to the vehicle X together with the car wash machine main body 4, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the image pickup unit 50 may be formed in a frame that moves relative to the vehicle X independently of the car wash machine main body 4 . In this case, before the car wash machine main body 4 is relatively moved with respect to the vehicle X, it is possible to perform image capturing of the vehicle X by the image capturing unit 50 by relatively moving only the frame.

The frame in which only the image capturing section 50 is independently provided can be moved at a higher speed or with a lower power consumption than the car wash machine main body 4 including the cleaning section and the like. Therefore, by imaging the vehicle X by moving only the frame relative to the vehicle X, the time and cost required for imaging can be reduced compared to the case of imaging the vehicle X while moving the car wash machine main body 4 relative to the vehicle X. can be reduced.

Further, the image capturing unit 50 may be formed on the ground G in the car wash. In this case, regardless of the position of the vehicle X and the position of the car wash machine main body 4, the position of the image capturing section 50 is less likely to change. Therefore, the correction or analysis of the image captured by the image capturing section 50 becomes easier, and the accuracy of the vehicle information improves.

In this embodiment, the image capturing section 50 consists of a single image capturing section. With the above configuration, the image capturing unit 50 can be configured at a low cost, and the image analysis unit 52 does not need to perform processing such as synthesizing a plurality of images captured by a plurality of image capturing units, thereby improving the accuracy of vehicle information. improves.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the image capturing section 50 may include a plurality of image capturing sections. In this case, the image captured by one image capturing unit may be a blind spot of the vehicle X with respect to the other image capturing unit. With the above configuration, the image capturing unit 50 can reduce the portion of the vehicle X that cannot be captured, thereby improving the accuracy of vehicle information.

In the present embodiment, the imaging of the vehicle X by the image capturing unit 50 is performed after the reception of the car wash of the vehicle X, but it is not limited to this. For example, the imaging of the vehicle X may be performed by imaging the vehicle X entering the car wash, for example, before the vehicle X is accepted for car wash. Further, the image capturing unit 50 may capture an image of the vehicle X that is stopped, or may capture an image of the vehicle X that is moving. With the above configuration, the image capturing unit 50 can capture an image of the vehicle X more freely, so that the image capturing unit 50 can capture a more appropriate image.

In this embodiment, the image capturing unit 50 is provided on the front side of the car wash machine main body 4 . Therefore, in the car wash machine 2 according to the present embodiment, the car wash machine main body 4 is moved relative to the vehicle X, and the vehicle X is imaged by the image pickup unit 50, while the car wash machine main body 4 is washing the vehicle X. may be implemented. In this case, the image analysis unit 52 may perform image analysis and vehicle information acquisition between the imaging of the vehicle X by the image imaging unit 50 and the cleaning of the imaged portion of the vehicle X. With the configuration described above, it is possible to pick up an image and wash the vehicle X by the car wash machine main body 4 by moving the car wash machine main body 4 once, so that the washing of the vehicle X by the car wash machine 2 can be realized more simply. .

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope indicated in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining different technical means disclosed in the embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

2 Car wash machine 4 Car wash machine main body 50 Image capturing unit 52 Image analysis unit 54 Reference unit AL Entrance guide NP License plate

Claims (13)

an image capturing unit configured to capture an image including the reference object and the vehicle;
an image analysis unit that obtains vehicle information including at least one of the length and position of at least a portion of the vehicle based on reference object information including at least one of the length and position of the reference object in the image;
and a car wash machine main body for washing the vehicle by moving relative to the vehicle based on the vehicle information. The car wash machine body includes a cleaning unit including at least one of a brush or a nozzle,
2. The car wash machine according to claim 1, wherein the car wash machine main body controls the position of the cleaning unit with respect to the vehicle based on the vehicle information. 3. The car wash machine according to claim 1, wherein the reference object includes a vehicle reference object possessed by the vehicle. 4. The car wash machine according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle reference object includes at least one of a license plate frame, letters, or numbers of the vehicle. 5. The car wash machine according to claim 4, wherein the image analysis unit identifies the position of the license plate in the image by recognizing letters or numbers on the license plate in the image. The car wash machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the reference object includes an installation reference object in a car wash where the car wash machine main body is installed. 7. The car wash machine according to claim 6, wherein the installation reference object includes an entry guide serving as a guideline for at least one of an entry direction and an entry position of the vehicle with respect to the car wash machine main body. 8. The car wash machine according to claim 6, wherein at least one of said installation reference objects is fixed to the ground within said car wash. The car wash machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the reference object includes a car wash machine reference object possessed by the car wash machine main body. 10. The car wash machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the vehicle information includes at least one of vehicle width, vehicle stop position, approach angle, and shape of the vehicle. The car wash machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the vehicle information includes a center position of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. The car wash machine according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the image capturing section is provided in the car wash machine main body. an image capturing step of capturing an image including the reference object and the vehicle;
an image analysis step of obtaining vehicle information including at least one of the length and position of at least a portion of the vehicle based on reference object information including at least one of the length and position of the reference object in the image;
and a car washing step of washing the vehicle based on the vehicle information.

Images