JP2909980B2 - Fog monitoring system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fog monitoring system which detects infrared rays from an infrared ray source and automatically displays the state of fog generation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a display plate for displaying the state of fog occurrence is provided at a predetermined location in order to inform a car or the like passing through the state of fog occurrence on a road or the like. In order to display the fog generation status on this display panel, a person observes the fog generation status with binoculars from a high place with a good view, a helicopter, etc., and transmits the result to the central processing unit, or An illuminating lamp and a TV camera are installed at both ends of an observation area for observing fog, and an image captured by the TV camera is projected on a monitor to observe the fog state.

[0003] With this configuration, when there is no fog in the observation area, the brightness of the illumination lamp is high, and a bright image is displayed on the monitor. On the other hand, if fog occurs in the observation area, the image projected on the monitor will be interrupted by the fog and the image will have a reduced brightness. Is determined, and the result is displayed on a warning display panel.

[0004]

The former method of observing with binoculars and the latter type of observing with a TV camera an image of an illuminating lamp and observing it on a monitor have to be observed by human eyes. In addition, it requires a great deal of labor and cost, and it is not possible to accurately grasp the state of fog generation because it is judged by human eyes. Moreover, when the latter type of system was installed on the road, the lighting was dazzling to the driver and hindered driving.

[0005]

According to the present invention, an infrared light source and an infrared sensor for detecting infrared light emitted from the infrared light source are installed at both ends of an observation area, and fog generated in the observation area is transmitted. Infrared energy is detected by an infrared sensor, measurement data corresponding to the fog density value is calculated from the detected amount of infrared energy, and observation position data indicating an observation area is obtained. The position data and the measurement data are transmitted to the central processing unit via a data transmission line, and reference data indicating the relationship between the amount of infrared energy and the fog density value is experimentally obtained to obtain the central processing unit. The measured data and the reference data are compared, and the fog occurrence status is displayed based on the comparison result.

[0006]

[Function] Infrared rays cannot transmit moisture. Therefore, the infrared energy transmitted through the fog is detected by an infrared sensor to calculate measurement data. On the other hand, infrared energy
Reference data indicating the relationship between the fog density value and the fog density value is experimentally obtained. The reference data and the measured data are compared to determine and display the fog occurrence status.

[0007]

Embodiment 1 An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main part of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a process of a fog monitoring system according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a relationship between an amount of infrared energy and a fog density value. . Reference numeral 1 denotes an observation area of the fog 2 at the point A, and an infrared light source 3 is installed at one end of the observation area 1. Infrared light is generally 1μ
In this embodiment, a xenon lamp 4 and an infrared transmission filter 5 attached to the front surface of the xenon lamp 4 are provided with an infrared light emitting lamp which emits infrared rays in the wavelength band of m to 1000 μm. The infrared transmission filter 5 is made of silicon or the like having a property of transmitting infrared rays and blocking visible light. At the other end of the observation area 1, an infrared sensor 6 for detecting infrared light emitted from the infrared light source 3 is provided.

Reference numeral 7 denotes an A / D converter, which samples the measurement data indicating the infrared energy from the infrared source 3 detected by the infrared sensor 6 and converts it into a digital value.
Reference numeral 8 denotes a counter unit and a position data detecting unit, which counts the measurement data converted into digital values, obtains measurement data corresponding to the density value of the fog, and indicates an observation position indicating a point A. Data is detected. These data (measurement data and observation position data) thus obtained.
Is transmitted from a data terminal device 9 to a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) 10 via a data transmission line.

The CPU 10 includes a control device 11 and a storage device 1.
2 and an arithmetic unit 13 and a storage device 1
2 shows, as initial values, reference data obtained by experimentally determining the relationship between the amount of infrared energy and the fog density value, as shown in FIG. 3, and points A, B, C,. The timer data for detecting each measurement data in... Are stored as initial values.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a display unit, each of points A, B, C,.
Fog information corresponding to each measurement data from the respective points A, B,
C ... is displayed for each.

Next, the operation will be described. Generally, infrared rays have a wavelength band of 1 μm to 1000 μm, cannot be observed by the naked eye, and cannot transmit moisture. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, since the fog 2 is a set of fine particles of water, the transmittance of infrared energy differs depending on the concentration of the fog 2. Therefore, when the fog 2 is clear, the amount of infrared energy is 1.0 and reaches a maximum value, and as the fog 2 becomes denser, the fog density value increases and the amount of transmitted infrared energy decreases.

Therefore, in the observation area 1 at the point A, of the light emitted from the xenon lamp 4, visible light is cut off by the infrared transmission filter 5, and only infrared light of about 0.8 μm to 3 μm is transmitted. It is detected by the sensor 6. At this time, since the moisture does not transmit the infrared rays, when the fog 2 is generated, the transmittance of the infrared rays fluctuates depending on the density value of the fog 2.

Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the infrared energy detected by the infrared sensor 6 fluctuates with time due to the generation state of the fog 2. That is, when the fog 2 is clear, the amount of infrared energy detected by the infrared sensor 6 becomes large, and when the fog 2 becomes thicker with time, infrared rays emitted from the xenon lamp 4 pass through the fog 2. Is deteriorated, and the amount of infrared energy detected by the infrared sensor 6 is reduced accordingly.
When the fog 2 clears with time, the amount of infrared energy detected by the infrared sensor 6 increases.

Therefore, first, the case where fog 2 is generated will be considered. Since the fog 2 does not transmit infrared light, the amount of infrared energy detected by the infrared sensor 6 decreases. Infrared energy obtained from the xenon lamp 4 detected by the infrared sensor 6 is sampled by an A / D converter 7 and converted into a digital signal. The measurement data of this digital signal is counted by the counter section 8 and output as measurement data. At the same time, the observation position data detecting section 8 detects observation position data indicating the observation area 1 at the point A, and the observation position data and the measurement data are transmitted from the data terminal device 9. C via the data transmission line
It is transmitted to PU10.

The storage device 12 of the CPU 10 stores reference data indicating the relationship between the fog density value and the amount of infrared energy obtained experimentally. A comparison operation is performed with reference data to determine the fog occurrence state. The result is similarly transmitted to the display unit 14 via the data transmission line, and each point A, B, C,.
・ ・ It is displayed as fog information. The data terminal 9, the display unit 14, the storage unit 12, and the arithmetic unit 13 are controlled by the control unit 11.

As described above, in this embodiment, the infrared light source 3
Since the xenon lamp 4 that emits visible light and infrared light of about 0.8 to 3 μm and the infrared transmission filter 5 that blocks this visible light are used, an expensive infrared lamp that emits only infrared light is used. It is inexpensive, and the cost of the entire system is greatly reduced.

[0016]

Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, the infrared energy is spot-detected only in a certain part of the observation area 1, so that the overall fog density in the observation area 1 is not always accurate. Was not detected. Accordingly, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a scanning mechanism 15 is added to the infrared sensor 6 to perform two-dimensional scanning, and a frame memory 16 is provided to store and accumulate measurement data for one screen. The average value is calculated. With such a configuration, measurement data on the overall occurrence of fog 2 in the observation area 1 can be obtained, and more accurate fog information can be obtained than in the first embodiment measured in a spot manner. Can be

[0017]

Third Embodiment In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a storage circuit 17 is connected to an infrared sensor 6 to accumulate measurement data temporally for a predetermined period of time, and an average value for the time is calculated. It is configured to ask. With such a configuration, data of the fog 2 which fluctuates instantaneously is not measured, and time-stable and accurate measurement data can be detected over a wide area.

[0018]

According to the present invention, an infrared ray source and an infrared ray sensor for detecting infrared rays radiated from the infrared ray source are installed at both ends of the observation area, and infrared energy transmitted through the fog generated in the observation area is transmitted. Detected by an infrared sensor, the measured data corresponding to the density value of the fog is calculated from the detected amount of infrared energy, and the observation position data indicating the observation area is obtained. The measurement data is transmitted to the central processing unit via a data transmission line, reference data indicating the relationship between the amount of infrared energy and the fog density value is experimentally obtained, stored in the central processing unit, and measured. Since the data and the reference data are compared and the fog occurrence status is displayed based on the comparison result, human judgment is not required as in the conventional case.
Labor costs can be saved and accurate fog information can be obtained.
Further, when this system is installed on a road or the like to provide fog information to a car passing therethrough, infrared rays cannot be seen by the naked eye, so that the driver's eyes are not stimulated. In addition, fog information can be displayed accurately and quickly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2, showing an embodiment of the present invention, is a configuration diagram showing a procedure of a system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a relationship between an amount of infrared energy and a fog density value.

FIG. 4 is an example showing the relationship between infrared energy and time.

FIG. 5 is a main part configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a main part configuration diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Observation area 2 Fog 3 Infrared source 6 Infrared sensor 8 Counter part, observation position data part 14 Display board

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A fog monitoring system for converting fog occurrence in a fog observation area into a digital signal and transmitting it to a central processing unit via a data transmission line to display fog information. At each end, an infrared source and an infrared sensor for detecting infrared light emitted from the infrared source are installed, and infrared light transmitted through the fog generated in the observation area is detected by the infrared sensor, and the detected infrared light is detected. Measurement data corresponding to the density value of the fog is calculated from the amount of energy, and observation position data indicating the observation area is obtained, and the observation position data and the measurement data are used as the data. The reference data indicating the relationship between the amount of infrared energy and the fog density value is experimentally obtained by transmission to the central processing unit via a data transmission line, stored in the central processing unit, and measured data is stored in the central processing unit. And the reference data A fog monitoring system which compares the fog generation status with the result of the comparison. 2. A plurality of observation areas are set, and each measurement data in each observation area and the reference data obtained experimentally are set.
And comparing the measured data with each other, judging from which observation area the measurement data originates, and displaying the fog occurrence status in the determined observation area, respectively. A fog monitoring system according to claim 1. 3. The fog monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement data in the observation area is measured at regular time intervals, and a fog generation state with respect to time is displayed. . 4. The infrared sensor is provided with a scanning mechanism.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising accumulating measurement data for scanning, calculating an average value of the measurement data, and displaying averaged fog information in the observation area. Fog monitoring system. 5. An illuminating lamp equipped with an infrared transmitting filter that blocks visible light and transmits only infrared light as the infrared light source, and detects infrared light emitted from the illuminating light with the infrared sensor. The fog monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: