JP2024001920A - Drive evaluation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drive evaluation system capable of determining whether or not a driver complies with traffic regulations related to a traffic signal for a vehicle by an easy method.

SOLUTION: A drive evaluation system 1 includes: a lighting color recording unit 23 for making lighting color of a first lighting unit 41A reflected in a frame 50C before first time t1 first lighting color 42A and lighting color of a second lighting unit 41B reflected in a frame 50D before second time t2 second lighting color 42B, among a plurality of frames constituting a moving image captured by a front camera 2 to record them; a combination determination unit 12 for determining a combination of the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B; and an observance determination unit 13 for determining whether or not a car 100 observes traffic regulations defined by the second lighting color 42B of the second light unit 41B based on the combination of the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B and car speed v recorded in a car speed recording unit 25.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a driving evaluation system.

Conventionally, there is an analysis device that determines whether a vehicle driver ignores a traffic signal by detecting a red light of a vehicle traffic light based on an image taken by an on-vehicle camera (for example, see Patent Document 1) ). Further, Patent Documents 2 to 6 propose various systems and devices that accurately detect lighting colors of traffic indicators and traffic lights from image data in front of a vehicle.

By the way, conventional driving evaluation systems determine whether the driver is complying with traffic rules by photographing a video using an on-vehicle camera and performing image recognition processing on the video. In this case, the onboard device detects the lighting color of the traffic light through image recognition processing, and further detects the stop line in front of the traffic light (for example, see Patent Document 7).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-238779 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-241469 JP2009-129290A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-293277 JP2016-42226A JP2018-63680A JP2021-33772A

In this way, the driving evaluation system contributes to improving the driver's awareness of safe driving by determining whether or not the driver is observing the traffic lights when driving the vehicle, so an easier determination method is desirable. It is rare.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a driving evaluation system that can easily determine whether or not a driver complies with traffic rules regarding vehicle traffic lights.

In order to achieve the above object, a driving evaluation system according to the present invention includes: an imaging unit that is mounted on a vehicle and captures a moving image in front of the vehicle; A signal light detection unit that detects a light unit of a traffic light, and a time point at which one of the first light units among the two light units detected by the signal light detection unit can no longer be detected from the video image is a first time, a time recording unit that records the time when the other second light unit can no longer be detected from the video image as a second time; a lighting color recording section that records the lighting color of the first lighting section as a first lighting color and recording the lighting color of the second lighting section reflected in a frame before the second time as a second lighting color; and the lighting color recording section a combination determination unit that determines the combination of the first lighting color and the second lighting color recorded by the vehicle; a vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires the vehicle speed of the vehicle; and the first lighting color determined by the combination determination unit. Based on the combination of the second lighting color and the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition unit, it is determined whether the vehicle complies with the traffic rules prescribed by the second lighting color of the second lighting unit. The present invention is characterized by comprising: a compliance determination section that makes a determination; and a determination result recording section that records a determination result by the compliance determination section.

According to the driving evaluation system according to the present invention, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the driver complies with the traffic rules regarding vehicle traffic lights.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a driving evaluation system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of evaluation processing by the driving evaluation system according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of evaluation processing by the driving evaluation system according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of evaluation processing by the driving evaluation system according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of evaluation processing by the driving evaluation system according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a traveling vehicle and a traffic light at time t0 in the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a traveling vehicle and a traffic light at time t1 in the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a traveling vehicle and a traffic light at time t2 in the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of each frame at time t0, after time Tr has elapsed from time t0, at time t1, and at time t2 in the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of combinations of lighting colors in the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a crosswalk with a traffic light on a two-lane road in the embodiment. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a driving evaluation system according to a modification of the embodiment.

Embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. That is, the components in the following embodiments include those that can be easily imagined by those skilled in the art or are substantially the same, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes may be made without departing from the gist of the invention. Can be done.

[Embodiment]
A driving evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a system that is mounted on a vehicle 100 such as an automobile, and monitors and evaluates the surrounding environment and driving state of the vehicle 100. The driving evaluation system 1 is introduced, for example, as equipment in a business such as a truck transport business or a passenger motor vehicle transport business. The driving evaluation system 1 operates according to, for example, a vehicle operation management program. The driving evaluation system 1 of this embodiment has a function of recording the surrounding environment and driving state of the vehicle 100 and performing a driving evaluation of the driver (crew) of the vehicle 100.

Here, the vehicle 100 to which the driving evaluation system 1 is applied basically has a function and structure for transporting people, cargo, etc., and includes, for example, a truck and a bus.

As shown in FIG. 1, the driving evaluation system 1 includes a front camera 2, a vehicle speed sensor 3, and a main unit 4. Note that the driving evaluation system 1 may include a rear camera that images the rear of the vehicle 100.

The front camera 2 is an example of an image capturing section, and captures a moving image in front of the vehicle 100 to generate moving image data. The front camera 2 is installed, for example, in front of the vehicle 100, and photographs the scenery in front of the vehicle. This photographic target includes one or more vehicle traffic lights arranged along the road. The front camera 2 images a shooting range (for example, angle of view θ) set in front of the vehicle 100.

The front camera 2 generates color moving image data so as to be able to detect at least the lighting section provided in the vehicle traffic light and the lighting color of the lighting section. The front camera 2 is electrically connected to the main body device 4 by wiring materials such as electric wires and cables installed in the vehicle 100 . The front camera 2 outputs the generated moving image data to the main device 4 via the wiring material.

Here, the vehicle traffic light to be photographed by the front camera 2 is placed, for example, at an intersection 111 on a two-lane road 110 shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, or at a crosswalk with a traffic light 113 shown in FIG. These are vehicle traffic lights 40A and 40B. The vehicle traffic lights 40A and 40B are general traffic lights that display blue, yellow, and red lights to vehicles and pedestrians crossing at level. The vehicle traffic signals 40A and 40B are not so-called staggered traffic lights, but display two lights at the same timing. Each of the vehicle traffic lights 40A and 40B is a double-sided traffic light that turns on the front side and the back side, respectively, and has a pair of light parts. Vehicle traffic signals 40A and 40B are configured to include, for example, a signal controller, a signal pole, etc. in addition to a lighting section, and the lighting color of the lighting section automatically changes based on parameters set in advance by the signal controller. . Note that the vehicle traffic lights 40A and 40B may be of a sensitive type (sensing type).

The vehicle traffic signal 40A is installed, for example, at the intersection exit 112A on the first lane 110A side at the intersection 111. The first lane 110A is a lane opposite to the second lane 110B in which the vehicle 100 is traveling. Further, the vehicle traffic light 40A is installed, for example, at the crosswalk exit 113A on the first lane 110A side of the crosswalk 113. The vehicle traffic light 40A of this embodiment is located in front of the vehicle traffic light 40B in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 traveling on the second lane 110B. The vehicle traffic light 40A has a first light section 41A on a surface facing the vehicle 100 traveling on the second lane 110B toward the intersection 111. The first light section 41A is the same as the first light section 41A provided on the back side.

The vehicle traffic signal 40B is installed, for example, at the intersection exit 112B on the second lane 110B side at the intersection 111. The vehicle traffic signal 40B is installed, for example, at the crosswalk exit 113B on the second lane 110B side of the crosswalk 113. The vehicle traffic light 40B of this embodiment is located on the back side of the vehicle traffic light 40A in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 traveling on the second lane 110B. The vehicle traffic light 40B has a second light section 41B on a surface facing the vehicle 100 traveling on the second lane 110B toward the intersection 111. The second light section 41B is the same as the second light section 41B provided on the back side. In this way, both the first light section 41A and the second light section 41B are visible to the driver of the vehicle 100 approaching the intersection 111 or the crosswalk with a traffic light 113.

The first light section 41A and the second light section 41B each have a blue signal light that emits blue light, a yellow signal light that emits yellow light, and a red signal light that emits red light. The first lighting section 41A and the second lighting section 41B in this embodiment are both horizontal type, and the signal lights are arranged in the order of blue, yellow, and red from the left in accordance with the Road Traffic Law Enforcement Order.

The vehicle speed sensor 3 is an example of a vehicle speed acquisition unit, is mounted on the vehicle 100, and acquires the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100. Vehicle speed sensor 3 detects vehicle speed v at predetermined time intervals, for example. The vehicle speed sensor 3 is electrically connected to the main unit 4 by a wiring material such as an electric wire or a cable installed in the vehicle 100 . The vehicle speed sensor 3 outputs the acquired vehicle speed v data and the acquisition time of the vehicle speed v to the main device 4.

The main device 4 includes a control section 10, a memory 20, and a warning section 30. The main device 4 is, for example, a digital tachograph, a drive recorder, a taximeter, etc. that records the driving state of the vehicle 100. The main device 4 records various information related to the driving and traveling of the vehicle 100, including moving image data acquired by the front camera 2, vehicle speed v acquired by the vehicle speed sensor 3, etc. while the vehicle 100 is running. . In addition to the control section 10 and the memory 20, the main device 4 includes a speed interface, an engine interface, a GPS reception section, an analog interface, an external input interface, a wide area communication section, a card interface, switches, and other components of the digital tachograph. Although it has a display section, illustration and description thereof will be omitted.

The main device 4 determines whether the driver of the vehicle 100 has complied with traffic rules prescribed by traffic lights based on the moving image acquired from the front camera 2 and the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 acquired by the vehicle speed sensor 3. Make a judgment and record the judgment result. Furthermore, the main device 4 issues a warning to the driver of the vehicle 100 and evaluates the driver's driving based on the determination result.

The control unit 10 is a central processing unit (CPU) that centrally controls each part of the driving evaluation system 1. The control unit 10 includes, for example, an electronic circuit mainly including a well-known microcomputer. The control unit 10 is electrically connected to the front camera 2, vehicle speed sensor 3, memory 20, warning unit 30, etc. via various interfaces, and inputs and outputs various electrical signals to and from these. The control unit 10 executes a predetermined program recorded in the memory 20 and performs various processes necessary to realize the functions of the driving evaluation system 1. For example, when the control unit 10 receives an IGN ON signal output from an ignition switch included in the vehicle 100 in the stopped state, the control unit 10 starts up and puts the driving evaluation system 1 into the started state. On the other hand, when the control unit 10 receives the IGN OFF signal output from the ignition switch in the activated state, it stops the operation and brings the driving evaluation system 1 into the stopped state. The control unit 10 is functionally configured to include a signal lamp detection unit 11, a combination determination unit 12, a compliance determination unit 13, a driving evaluation unit 14, and the like.

The signal light detection section 11 detects the first light section 41A and the second light section 41B of the vehicle traffic lights 40A and 40B included in the moving image captured by the front camera 2. The signal light detection unit 11 detects a light part of a vehicle traffic light, which is a target object, from each frame making up a moving image using known image recognition. The signal light detection section 11 records the time at which the light section is detected and the time at which the detected light section can no longer be detected in the time recording section 21. When the signal light detection section 11 detects a light section, it detects the lighting color of the light section, and records the lighting color of the light section reflected in a frame before the time when the detected light section can no longer be detected in the lighting color recording section 23. to be recorded. In other words, the signal light detection section 11 records the lighting color of the light section reflected in the frame in the lighting color recording section 23, going back one frame from the time when the detected light section became undetectable.

When the signal light detecting unit 11 detects one light section from one frame among a plurality of consecutive frames in time series, the signal light detection section 11 sets the detected light section as the first light section 41A. The signal light detection unit 11 tracks the position of the first light unit 41A on the frame from the frame after detecting the first light unit 41A until the first light unit 41A can no longer be detected. In this case, the signal light detection unit 11 records in the time recording unit 21 the time t0 when the first light unit 41A is detected from the frame and the first time t1 when the first light unit 41A can no longer be detected from the subsequent frame. Record. Then, the signal light detection unit 11 goes back one frame from the time when the detected first light unit 41A can no longer be detected and records the lighting color of the first light unit 41A reflected in the frame in the lighting color recording unit 23. .

The signal light detection unit 11 determines whether a light unit is detected from the frame within a range where the vehicle 100 has traveled a certain distance x1 to x2 [m] from the first time t1. Here, appropriate values are set for x1 to x2 [m], for example, as the distance between the two vehicle traffic lights 40A and 40B at the intersection. The signal lamp detection unit 11 calculates the elapsed time after the first time t1 based on the distance x1 to x2 [m] and the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 at the first time t1, and calculates the time series within the elapsed time. It is determined whether a light section is detected from a plurality of consecutive frames. As a result of the determination, if the signal light detection section 11 detects a light section, it sets the detected light section as the second light section 41B. The signal light detection unit 11 tracks the position of the second light unit 41B on the frame from the frame after detecting the second light unit 41B until the second light unit 41B can no longer be detected. In this case, after detecting the second light section 41B, the signal light detection section 11 records in the time recording section 21 a second time t2 at which the second light section 41B can no longer be detected. Then, the signal light detection unit 11 goes back one frame from the time when the detected second light unit 41B can no longer be detected and records the lighting color of the second light unit 41B reflected in the frame in the lighting color recording unit 23. .

On the other hand, if the signal light detection section 11 cannot detect the light section, there is a high possibility that the vehicle 100 will not pass through the intersection 111 or the crosswalk 113 with a traffic light, so the signal light detection section 11 resets the detection process. Then, the light section of the vehicle traffic signal is detected from the new frame.

When the signal light detection unit 11 detects two light units from one frame among a plurality of consecutive frames in time series, the signal light detection unit 11 selects the one closest to the vehicle 100 as the first light unit 41A, and the other one as the second light unit. 41B. Here, being closest to the vehicle 100 means, for example, in the frames 50A, 50B shown in FIG. 9, being located relatively lower than the second lighting part 41B and being large in size. In this case, the signal light detection unit 11 tracks the position of the first light unit 41A on the frame from the frame after detecting the first light unit 41A until the first light unit 41A can no longer be detected, and also tracks the position of the first light unit 41A on the frame, and The position of the second light section 41B on the frame is tracked until the section 41B can no longer be detected.

Then, the signal light detection unit 11 detects the first light unit 41A from the frame at time t0, the first time t1 when the first light unit 41A can no longer be detected from the subsequent frame, and then the second light unit from the frame. A second time t2 at which the light section 41B becomes undetectable is recorded in the time recording section 21. Further, the signal light detection unit 11 returns one frame from the first time t1 at which the detected first light unit 41A can no longer be detected, and detects the lighting color of the first light unit 41A reflected in the frame, and the detected first light unit 41A. The lighting color of the second lighting section 41B reflected in the frame is recorded in the lighting color recording section 23, going back one frame from the second time t2 when the second lighting section 41B can no longer be detected.

The combination determining unit 12 determines the combination of the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B recorded in the lighting color recording unit 23. The combination determination unit 12 refers to the table information shown in FIG. 10, for example, to determine erroneous detection of the lighting color and the lighting color of the vehicle traffic lights 40A and 40B. When the first lighting color 42A is a combination of "blue" and the second lighting color 42B is "blue" or "yellow" or "red", the combination determination unit 12 determines that the vehicle traffic lights 40A and 40B are green signals. . On the other hand, when the first lighting color 42A is a combination of "yellow" and the second lighting color 42B is "yellow" or "red", the combination determination unit 12 determines that the vehicle traffic lights 40A and 40B are yellow signals. On the other hand, when the first lighting color 42A is a combination of "red" and the second lighting color 42B is "blue" or "yellow" or "red", the combination determination unit 12 determines that the vehicle traffic lights 40A and 40B are red lights. It is determined that In this embodiment, the combination determination unit 12 determines that there is a possibility of erroneous detection of the lighting color when the first lighting color 42A is "yellow" and the second lighting color 42B is "blue".

The compliance determining unit 13 determines whether the vehicle 100 is in the second lighting unit based on the combination of the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B determined by the combination determining unit 12 and the vehicle speed v acquired by the vehicle speed sensor 3. It is determined whether or not the traffic rules prescribed by the second lighting color 42B of 41B have been complied with. The compliance determining unit 13 records the determined result in a determination result recording unit 24, which will be described later. For example, the compliance determination unit 13 determines that the first lighting color 42A is "red", the second lighting color 42B is a combination of "yellow" or "red", and that the combination is between the first time t1 and the second time t2. If there is no period during which the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 is 0, it is determined that the driver of the vehicle 100 is not observing the traffic rules. In this case, since the combination of the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B is determined to be a red light, and the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 does not become 0, the compliance determination unit 13 determines that the driver of the vehicle 100 Alternatively, it is determined that the driver is driving in disregard of a signal when passing through a signalized crosswalk 113 or the like.

On the other hand, the compliance determination unit 13 determines that the first lighting color 42A is a combination of "red" and the second lighting color 42B is "yellow" or "red", and that from the first time t1 to the second time t2 If there is a period in which the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 is 0, it is determined that the driver of the vehicle 100 is observing the traffic rules. In this case, since the combination of the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B is determined to be a red light, and the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 becomes 0, the compliance determination unit 13 determines that the driver of the vehicle 100 Alternatively, it is determined that the vehicle is not driving without ignoring the signal when passing through the signalized crosswalk 113 or the like.

In addition, the compliance determination unit 13 determines that the first lighting color 42A is a combination of "blue" and the second lighting color 42B is "yellow" or "red", and that the combination is set between the first time t1 and the second time t2. If there is no period during which the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 is 0, it is determined that the driver of the vehicle 100 is complying with the traffic rules. In this case, since the combination of the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B is determined to be a green signal, even if the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 does not become 0, the compliance determination unit 13 determines that the driver of the vehicle 100 When passing through the intersection 111 or the signalized crosswalk 113, it is determined that the vehicle is not driving without ignoring the signal.

The compliance determination unit 13 determines that the first lighting color 42A is a combination of "yellow" and the second lighting color 42B is "blue", and that the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 is from the first time t1 to the second time t2. If there is no period in which the value becomes 0, it is determined that the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B are detected incorrectly. In this case, since the combination of the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B is a very rare case, even if the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 does not become 0, the compliance determination unit 13 detects the false detection of the lighting color. It is determined that there is a possibility.

The compliance determination unit 13 determines that the first lighting color 42A is a combination of "yellow" and the second lighting color 42B is "blue", and that the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 is from the first time t1 to the second time t2. If there is a period in which the value is 0, it is determined that the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B are not erroneously detected. In this case, since there is a period when the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 is 0, there is a high possibility that the driver stopped the vehicle 100 before the intersection 111 or the crosswalk 113. Therefore, the compliance determining unit 13 determines whether the time from time t0 to first time t1 is shorter than time Ty. Here, the time Ty is the time required from when the driver of the vehicle 100 recognizes the lighting color of the light section until the vehicle 100 passes the intersection 111 or the like. If the compliance determination unit 13 determines that the time from time t0 to the first time t1 < time Ty, the compliance determination unit 13 determines that the time from the time t0 to the first time t1 is less than the time Ty, from when the driver of the vehicle 100 recognizes the lighting color of the light unit until the vehicle 100 passes the intersection 111, etc. Since there was not enough time to stop the vehicle, in other words, the vehicle would have to brake suddenly if it stopped, it is determined that it is possible to pass through the intersection 111, etc.

On the other hand, if the compliance determining unit 13 determines that the time from time t0 to first time t1≧time Ty, the vehicle 100 passes the intersection 111 etc. after the driver of the vehicle 100 recognizes the lighting color of the light unit. Assuming that there was sufficient time before the vehicle stopped, that is, there is a low possibility that the vehicle would go beyond the stop position even if the brake is pressed, the vehicle speed v after the time Tr has elapsed from the first time t1 is referenced in the vehicle speed recording unit 22, which will be described later. In this case, the compliance determining unit 13 determines whether the driver has stopped the vehicle 100 before the intersection 111 or the like, depending on the vehicle speed v after the time Tr has elapsed from the first time t1. The compliance determination unit 13 determines that the driver has stopped the vehicle 100 before the intersection when the vehicle speed v after the time Tr has elapsed from the first time t1 is 0, and when the vehicle speed v is not 0, It is determined that the driver did not stop the vehicle 100 before the intersection.

The driving evaluation section 14 evaluates the driving of the driver of the vehicle 100 based on the determination results recorded in the determination result recording section 24, which will be described later. The driving evaluation unit 14 does not lower the driving evaluation when the compliance determination unit 13 determines that the driver of the vehicle 100 is not driving without ignoring traffic lights when passing through the intersection 111 or the like. On the other hand, if the compliance determining unit 13 determines that the driver is driving without traffic lights, the driving evaluation unit 14 lowers the driving evaluation, for example.

The memory 20 is composed of nonvolatile memory, volatile memory, recording medium, and the like. The nonvolatile memory records processing programs executed by the control unit 10 and various data. The volatile memory records, for example, the results of calculations performed by the control unit 10 and the like. The recording medium records information acquired by the driving evaluation system 1. The recording medium is configured to be detachable from the main device 4 via various interfaces, for example. For example, various types of memory cards can be used as the recording medium. The recording medium records the data of the moving image captured by the front camera 2, the data of the vehicle speed v acquired by the vehicle speed sensor 3, and the acquisition time of the vehicle speed v. Functionally, the memory 20 includes a time recording section 21, a vehicle speed recording section 22, a lighting color recording section 23, a determination result recording section 24, and the like.

The time recording unit 21 records the time t0 when the signal light detection unit 11 detects the first light unit 41A from the frame. Further, the time recording unit 21 sets the time point at which the first light unit 41A detected by the signal light detection unit 11 can no longer be detected from the video image as a first time t1, and the other second light unit 41B can no longer be detected from the video image. The time when it disappears is recorded as a second time t2.

The vehicle speed recording unit 22 records data on the vehicle speed v acquired by the vehicle speed sensor 3 and the acquisition time of the vehicle speed v.

The lighting color recording unit 23 sets the lighting color of the first lighting unit 41A reflected in the frame 50C before the first time t1 as the first lighting color 42A among the plurality of frames forming the moving image, and sets the lighting color of the first lighting unit 41A reflected in the frame 50C before the first time t1 as the first lighting color 42A, and The lighting color of the second lighting section 41B reflected in the frame 50D is recorded as the second lighting color 42B. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the first light section 41A shown in the frame 50C before the first time t1 is at the A position. On the other hand, the position of the first lighting section 41A at the first time t1 is out of the frame and at position B. Further, the second light section 41B shown in the frame 50D before the second time t2 is at the C position. On the other hand, the position of the second lighting section 41B at the second time t2 is off the frame and at position D.

The determination result recording unit 24 records the determination result by the compliance determination unit 13. The determination result recording unit 24 records the determination result that the driver of the vehicle 100 is observing the traffic rules, or the determination result that the driver of the vehicle 100 is not complying with the traffic rules. Further, the determination result recording unit 24 records the determination result that the lighting color is erroneously detected, and the determination result that it is not erroneously detected.

The warning unit 30 issues a warning to the driver of the vehicle 100. The warning unit 30 issues a warning to the driver of the vehicle 100 according to the determination result by the compliance determination unit 13. The warning unit 30 alerts the driver by emitting a warning sound or vibrating the driver's seat, for example. Note that the warning method by the warning unit 30 is not limited to these methods, and as long as it calls the driver's attention, for example, it may emit a smell, or it may be an electrical or physical method. It may be something that gives a shock.

Next, the driving evaluation process executed in the driving evaluation system 1 will be explained with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. The driving evaluation system 1 is started, for example, when the ACC power source or the like of the vehicle 100 is turned on, and repeats the process described below until the power source or the like is turned off.

In FIG. 2, in step S1, the control section 10 performs image recognition processing on each of a plurality of frames constituting a moving image, and the signal light detection section 11 detects a light section of a vehicle traffic light from each frame.

In step S2, the control section 10 determines whether the signal light detection section 11 has detected one or more light sections. As a result of this determination, if one or more lamp parts are detected, the process advances to step S3. On the other hand, if the signal light detection section 11 detects three or more light sections, or if no light section is detected, the process returns to step S1 and repeats the process.

In step S3, the control section 10 sets the light section detected by the signal lamp detection section 11 as the first light section 41A.

In step S4, the control unit 10 records the time t0 at which the first light unit 41A was detected by the signal light detection unit 11 in the time recording unit 21, and starts the first light unit from the frame after detecting the first light unit 41A. The position of the first light section 41A on the frame is tracked until the section 41A can no longer be detected.

In step S5, the control unit 10 determines whether the signal light detection unit 11 has detected a light unit other than the first light unit 41A. As a result of this determination, if a light section other than the first light section 41A is detected, the process advances to step S6. On the other hand, if no lighting units other than the first lighting unit 41A are detected, the process advances to step S8.

In step S6, the control section 10 sets the light section detected by the signal lamp detection section 11 as the second light section 41B.

In step S7, the control unit 10 tracks the position of the second lighting unit 41B on the frame from the frame after the second lighting unit 41B is detected by the signal light detection unit 11 until the second lighting unit 41B can no longer be detected. .

In step S8, the control section 10 determines whether the signal light detection section 11 can no longer detect the first light section 41A. As a result of this determination, if the first lamp section 41A cannot be detected, the process advances to step S9. On the other hand, if the first lighting section 41A can be detected, step S8 is repeated.

In step S9, the control unit 10 records the time when the first lamp unit 41A can no longer be detected by the signal lamp detection unit 11 as the first time t1 in the time recording unit 21.

In step S10, the control unit 10 causes the signal lamp detection unit 11 to go back one frame from the first time t1, and records the lighting color of the first lamp unit 41A from the frame in the lighting color recording unit 23.

In FIG. 3, in step S11, the control unit 10 determines whether the second lamp unit 41B has been detected by the signal lamp detection unit 11. As a result of this determination, if the second light section 41B has not been detected by the signal light detection section 11, the process advances to step S15. On the other hand, if the second light section 41B has been detected by the signal light detection section 11, the process advances to step S12.

In step S12, the control unit 10 determines whether the signal lamp detection unit 11 can no longer detect the second lamp unit 41B. As a result of this determination, if the second lamp section 41B cannot be detected, the process advances to step S13. On the other hand, if the second lamp section 41B can be detected, step S12 is repeated.

In step S13, the control unit 10 records the time at which the second lamp unit 41B can no longer be detected by the signal lamp detection unit 11 in the time recording unit 21 as a second time t2.

In step S14, the control unit 10 causes the signal lamp detection unit 11 to go back one frame from the second time t2, and records the lighting color of the second lamp unit 41B from the frame in the lighting color recording unit 23, and in step S14 of FIG. Proceed to S20.

In step S15 of FIG. 3, the control unit 10 determines whether the signal light detection unit 11 has detected a light unit other than the first light unit 41A within a certain distance x1 to x2 [m] from time t1. As a result of this determination, if the signal light detection section 11 detects a light section other than the first light section 41A within a certain distance x1 to x2 [m] from time t1, the process advances to step S16. On the other hand, if the signal light detection section 11 cannot detect any light section other than the first light section 41A within a certain distance x1 to x2 [m] from time t1, this process ends.

In step S16, the control section 10 sets the light section detected by the signal lamp detection section 11 as the second light section 41B.

In step S17, the control unit 10 tracks the position of the second light unit 41B on the frame from the frame after the signal light detection unit 11 detects the second light unit 41B until the second light unit 41B can no longer be detected. , return to step S12.

In step S20 of FIG. 4, the control unit 10 causes the combination determination unit 12 to perform the above-described combination determination of lamp colors.

In step S21, the control unit 10 uses the combination determination unit 12 to determine whether there is a possibility of false detection. As a result of this determination, if there is a possibility of erroneous detection, the process advances to step S22. On the other hand, if there is no possibility of false detection, the process advances to step S24.

In step S22, the control unit 10 uses the combination determination unit 12 to determine whether there is a period in which the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 is 0 between the first time t1 and the second time t2. As a result of this determination, if there is a period in which the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 is 0 between the first time t1 and the second time t2, the process advances to step S27. On the other hand, if there is no period during which the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 is 0 between the first time t1 and the second time t2, the process advances to step S23.

In step S23, the control unit 10 determines that there is an erroneous detection of the lighting color by the signal lamp detection unit 11, and ends this process.

In step S24, the control unit 10 determines whether the lighting color is blue, yellow, or red, based on the lamp color combination determination in step S20. If the lighting color is blue, the process advances to step S25. If the lighting color is yellow, the process advances to step S27. If the lighting color is red, the process advances to step S30 in FIG.

In step S25, the control unit 10 determines that the compliance determination unit 13 allows the vehicle 100 to pass through the intersection 111, etc.

In step S26, the control unit 10 does not cause the driving evaluation unit 14 to lower the evaluation of the driver of the vehicle 100, and does not cause the warning unit 30 to issue a warning to the driver.

In step S27, the control unit 10 causes the compliance determining unit 13 to determine whether the time from time t0 to first time t1 is shorter than time Ty. As a result of this determination, if the time from time t0 to first time t1 is shorter than time Ty, the process advances to step S28. On the other hand, if the time from time t0 to first time t1 is not shorter than time Ty, the process advances to step S29.

In step S28, as described above, since there was not enough time from when the driver of the vehicle 100 recognized the lighting color of the light section until the vehicle 100 passed the intersection 111 etc., the control section 10 It is determined that the intersection 111 etc. can be passed, and the process proceeds to step S25.

In step S29, the control unit 10 determines that, as described above, there is sufficient time from when the driver of the vehicle 100 recognizes the lighting color of the light unit until the vehicle 100 passes the intersection 111, etc. However, it is determined that the possibility of exceeding the stop position is low, and the process proceeds to step S30 in FIG.

In step S30, the control unit 10 refers to the vehicle speed v after the elapse of time Tr from the first time t1 using the vehicle speed recording unit 22, which will be described later.

In step S31, the control unit 10 causes the compliance determining unit 13 to determine whether the vehicle speed v after the time Tr has elapsed from the first time t1 is 0. As a result of this determination, if the vehicle speed v after the time Tr has elapsed from the first time t1 is 0, the process advances to step S32. On the other hand, if the vehicle speed v after the time Tr has elapsed from the first time t1 is not 0, the process advances to step S33.

In step S32, the compliance determining unit 13 of the control unit 10 determines that the driver has stopped the vehicle 100 before the intersection, and the process proceeds to step S26 in FIG. 4.

In step S33, the control unit 10 uses the compliance determining unit 13 to determine that the driver did not stop the vehicle 100 before the intersection.

In step S34, the control unit 10 causes the driving evaluation unit 14 to lower the evaluation of the driver of the vehicle 100, and causes the warning unit 30 to issue a warning to the driver, and ends this process.

In the driving evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment described above, the signal light detection section 11 detects the light section of the vehicle traffic light included in the moving image captured by the front camera 2. Of the two detected light sections, the driving evaluation system 1 defines the time point at which one of the first light sections 41A can no longer be detected from the video image as a first time t1, and the time when the other second light section 41B is detected from the video image. The time point at which detection is no longer possible is recorded in the time recording unit 21 as a second time t2. The driving evaluation system 1 sets the lighting color of the first lighting section 41A reflected in the frame 50C before the first time t1 to the first lighting color 42A among the plurality of frames forming the video image, and sets the lighting color of the first lighting section 41A reflected in the frame 50C before the first time t1 to the first lighting color 42A, and The lighting color of the second lamp section 41B reflected in 50D is recorded in the lighting color recording section 23 as the second lighting color 42B.

The driving evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment determines the recorded combination of the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B, and the determined combination of the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B, and Based on the vehicle speed v, it is determined whether the traffic rules prescribed by the lighting color corresponding to the combination of the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B have been complied with, and the judgment result is stored in the judgment result recording section 24. Record.

With the above configuration, for example, when the vehicle 100 passes through the intersection 111, etc., the driving evaluation system 1 can easily determine whether or not the vehicle 100 complies with the traffic rules regarding the vehicle traffic lights 40A, 40B installed at the intersection 111, etc. It can be determined by the following method. As a result, the driving evaluation system 1 does not use the stop line, etc. detected by image recognition from the moving image in front of the vehicle, as in conventional driving evaluation systems. It becomes possible to reduce the amount of image processing.

Further, in the driving evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment, the compliance determination unit 13 sets the first lighting color 42A to red, the second lighting color 42B to yellow or a combination of red, and from the first time t1 to the second time. If there is no period during which the vehicle speed v becomes 0 until t2, it is determined that the driver of the vehicle 100 is not observing the traffic rules. Further, the compliance determination unit 13 determines that the first lighting color 42A is red, the second lighting color 42B is yellow or a combination of red, and the vehicle speed v is 0 between the first time t1 and the second time t2. If there is a period, it is determined that the driver of vehicle 100 complies with the traffic rules. Thereby, the driving evaluation system 1 can easily determine whether the traffic rules regarding the vehicle traffic lights 40A, 40B installed at the intersection 111 etc. are being complied with.

Further, in the driving evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment, the compliance determination unit 13 sets the first lighting color 42A to blue, the second lighting color 42B to a combination of yellow or red, and from the first time t1 to the second time. If there is no period during which the vehicle speed v is 0 until t2, it is determined that the driver of the vehicle 100 is complying with the traffic rules. In this way, with the method of determining traffic light disregard using only the lighting image obtained by capturing an image of a single traffic light on road 110, it is usually difficult to detect a passing pattern that does not constitute traffic light disregard (the traffic light changes from blue to yellow or red). Although a case where the vehicle 100 passes at the last minute) would have been counted as ignoring a traffic signal, the above-described determination method can determine that such a passing pattern also complies with traffic rules.

Further, in the driving evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment, the compliance determination unit 13 sets the first lighting color 42A to yellow and the second lighting color 42B to blue, and from the first time t1 to the second time t2. If there is a period during which the vehicle speed v of the vehicle 100 is 0, it is determined that the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B are not erroneously detected. Further, the compliance determination unit 13 determines that the first lighting color 42A is a combination of yellow and the second lighting color 42B is blue, and that there is a period in which the vehicle speed v is 0 between the first time t1 and the second time t2. If so, it is determined that the first lighting color 42A and the second lighting color 42B are not erroneously detected. Thereby, the driving evaluation system 1 can suppress a decrease in image recognition accuracy of the lighting colors of the vehicle traffic lights 40A and 40B.

Further, the driving evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment further includes a warning section 30 that issues a warning to the driver of the vehicle 100, and a driving evaluation section 14 that performs a driving evaluation of the driver based on the determination result. This allows the driving evaluation system 1 to issue a warning in real time to drivers who do not obey traffic lights. Further, the driving evaluation system 1 allows, for example, an operation manager of the vehicle 100 to easily evaluate the driver's compliance with traffic rules regarding traffic lights.

Note that in the driving evaluation system 1 in the above embodiment, the main body device 4 on the vehicle 100 side has the driving evaluation section 15, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a driving evaluation system according to a modification of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, a driving evaluation system 1A according to a modification of the present embodiment differs from the driving evaluation system 1 described above in that a driving evaluation device 5 provided outside the vehicle 100 includes a driving evaluation section 15. .

The driving evaluation device 5 is, for example, a PC (Personal Computer) that is installed in a business office or the like that manages the vehicle 100 and the driver of the vehicle 100, and is capable of exchanging data with the main device 4. The driving evaluation device 5 can exchange data with the main device 4 via a recording medium such as an SD card. Note that the main device 4 and the driving evaluation device 5 may exchange data by, for example, direct communication via a USB cable or the like, or wireless communication such as Wi-Fi.

The driving evaluation device 5 includes the driving evaluation section 14 described above. The driving evaluation device 5 receives data including the determination results recorded in the determination result recording section 24, and the driving evaluation section 14 that has received the data performs a driving evaluation of the driver who drives the vehicle 100.

Further, in the above embodiment, both the first lighting section 41A and the second lighting section 41B are horizontal, but are not limited to this, and may be vertical, or one of them may be horizontal, The other one may be vertical.

Further, in the embodiments described above, the driving evaluation systems 1 and 1A assume that the driving manager provides safe driving guidance to the driver based on the evaluation results recorded in the main unit 4, etc. It is not limited. For example, the driving evaluation systems 1 and 1A may extract routes where drivers of the vehicles 100 are likely to ignore traffic lights by accumulating and analyzing data obtained from a plurality of vehicles 100. In this case, the operation manager can alert drivers of vehicles traveling on routes where the event is likely to occur. In addition, the operation manager may, for example, analyze the evaluation results recorded in the main unit 4 using analysis and evaluation software, etc., and give points to the driver based on the number of times the traffic signal violation occurred. There may be.

Further, in the embodiment described above, a case has been described in which the signal lamp detection unit 11 detects two or less lamp units from one frame among a plurality of consecutive frames in time series. On the other hand, when the signal light detection unit 11 detects three or more light parts from one frame among a plurality of consecutive frames in time series, the signal light detection unit 11 determines that the one closest to the vehicle 100 is the first light part 41A, and the other one is the first light part 41A. It may be possible to use two lighting units 41B, or it may be determined that the lighting color is erroneously detected and the process may be reset.

Furthermore, in the modified example of the embodiment described above, a configuration in which the driving evaluation device 5 includes the driving evaluation section 14 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. In this case, the driving evaluation device 5 includes, in addition to the driving evaluation section 14, a traffic light detection section 11, a combination determination section 12, a compliance determination section 13, a time recording section 21, a vehicle speed recording section 22, a lighting color recording section 23, and a determination section 13. A configuration including a result recording section 24 may be used.

1 Driving evaluation system 2 Front camera 3 Vehicle speed sensor 4 Main unit 5 Driving evaluation device 10 Control unit 11 Signal light detection unit 12 Combination determination unit 13 Compliance determination unit 14 Driving evaluation unit 20 Memory 21 Time recording unit 22 Vehicle speed recording unit 23 Lighting color recording Section 24 Judgment result recording section 30 Warning section 40A, 40B Vehicle traffic light 41A First lighting section 41B Second lighting section 42A First lighting color 42B Second lighting color 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D Frame 100 Vehicle 110 Road 111 Intersection

Claims (5)

an imaging unit that is mounted on a vehicle and captures a moving image in front of the vehicle;
a signal light detection unit that detects a light unit of a vehicle traffic light included in the moving image captured by the imaging unit;
Among the two light sections detected by the signal light detection section, a time point at which one of the first light sections can no longer be detected from the video image is defined as a first time, and the other second light section is detected from the video image. a time recording unit that records a time point at which it becomes impossible to do so as a second time;
Among the plurality of frames constituting the moving image, the lighting color of the first lighting section shown in a frame before the first time is set as a first lighting color, and the lighting color of the second lighting section shown in a frame before the second time is set as a first lighting color. a lighting color recording unit that records the lighting color of as a second lighting color;
a combination determination unit that determines a combination of the first lighting color and the second lighting color recorded by the lighting color recording unit;
a vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires the vehicle speed of the vehicle;
Based on the combination of the first lighting color and the second lighting color determined by the combination determination unit and the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition unit, the vehicle selects the second lighting color of the second lighting unit. a compliance determination unit that determines whether traffic rules prescribed by the following have been complied with;
a determination result recording unit that records the determination result by the compliance determination unit;
A driving evaluation system characterized by: The compliance determination unit:
If the first lighting color is red and the second lighting color is yellow or a combination of red, and there is no period during which the vehicle speed of the vehicle is 0 between the first time and the second time, It is determined that the driver of the vehicle is not complying with the above traffic rules,
If the first lighting color is red and the second lighting color is yellow or a combination of red, and there is a period in which the vehicle speed of the vehicle is 0 between the first time and the second time, determining that the driver of the vehicle complies with the traffic rules;
The driving evaluation system according to claim 1. The compliance determination unit:
If the first lighting color is a combination of blue and the second lighting color is yellow or red, and there is no period in which the vehicle speed of the vehicle is 0 between the first time and the second time, determining that the driver of the vehicle complies with the traffic rules;
The driving evaluation system according to claim 1. The compliance determination unit:
When the first lighting color is a combination of yellow and the second lighting color is blue, and there is no period in which the vehicle speed of the vehicle is 0 between the first time and the second time, the first It is determined that the lighting color and the second lighting color are erroneously detected,
When the first lighting color is a combination of yellow and the second lighting color is blue, and there is a period in which the vehicle speed of the vehicle is 0 between the first time and the second time, the first lighting color is yellow and the second lighting color is blue. determining that the lighting color and the second lighting color are not erroneously detected;
The driving evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. a warning unit that issues a warning to the driver of the vehicle according to a determination result by the compliance determination unit;
further comprising: a driving evaluation unit that performs a driving evaluation of the driver of the vehicle based on the determination result recorded in the determination result recording unit;
The driving evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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