JP2963877B2 - Road weather observation device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a road meteorological observation device installed on a road for observing various weather elements related to traffic on the road.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A road weather observation device is installed near a road, observes a weather condition that changes from moment to moment, and displays various kinds of cautionary information and warning information on vehicle operation to road users. This is a device that sends weather information obtained by observation to a road management office through a communication line.

A conventional road weather observation device is connected to a road weather monitoring device installed in a road management office by a public telephone line, and through this line, weather information related to the road, such as freezing of the road surface and snow cover. Is sent to the road management office.

[0004] The road weather monitoring devices installed in the road management office are based on weather information and the like collected through public telephone lines from the road weather observation devices installed in various places, based on road regulation sections, regulation periods, and regulation. Create causes, regulations, and detour information. Then, the road information is transmitted to road information display boards installed at various places along the road through a public telephone line, and the display contents of the road information display boards in various places are remotely controlled.

[0005] By communicating via the public telephone line in this manner, weather conditions and the like on remote roads can be collectively collected and grasped by the road management office. On the other hand, road information can be provided quickly and accurately, and safe and smooth traffic of vehicles can be secured.

Further, in the conventional road weather observation device, weather information is always displayed irrespective of the presence or absence of a passing vehicle, and electric power required for display and observation is supplied from a power plant via a power transmission line.

[0007]

With the recent improvement of road laying technology, not only road networks mainly in plains, but also roads that overcome steep terrain such as spine mountains are being developed. However, there are cases where transmission lines are not installed or a public telephone network is not provided in remote mountainous areas such as mountainous areas and spine mountains.

For this reason, there has been a problem that a conventional road weather observation device that communicates using a public telephone line and receives power supply through a transmission line cannot be installed and operated in such a region.

Even if a public telephone network and transmission lines are provided, the transmission distance to a road weather observation device installed in a mountainous area is long, so that electrical conditions in both communication and electric power are sufficiently satisfied. Difficult to do. Further, when wireless communication from a ground station such as a mobile phone system is used, the communication tends to be unstable due to adverse weather conditions and complicated terrain.

In addition, in a mountainous area, there is a high possibility that a communication network or a transmission line will be disconnected due to abnormal weather or the like, and even if a road weather observation device is installed in such an area, it will be stable from a remote road management office. Therefore, there was a problem that reliable weather information could not be collected.

When a road weather observation device is installed in an area where transmission lines are not provided, it is conceivable to supply an electric power by attaching an engine type power generation device.
Due to the large power consumption, the fuel consumption is large and it is necessary to replenish the fuel frequently.In addition, it is difficult to refuel, especially when a disaster occurs, and it is necessary to observe weather information for a long time after the disaster occurs. There was a problem that was difficult.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, and is suitable for installation in a remote mountainous area where a public telephone network and transmission lines are not provided. It aims to provide a meteorological observation device.

[0013]

The gist of the present invention to achieve the above object lies in the following inventions. [1] A road weather observation device (20) installed at a side of a road for observing various weather elements related to the traffic on the road and a traffic condition of vehicles on the road, and supplies the road weather observation device (20). Power generating means (80) for generating electric power to be generated, and a solar power generation device (81) for generating electric power by converting solar energy into electric energy
And an engine-type power generator (82) for supplying necessary power by combining one or both power generators and observing the state of various weather elements related to the traffic on the road. Weather sensor (60)
A display unit (71c) for displaying weather information obtained from the weather sensor (60) toward a vehicle arriving from a predetermined direction; and a display unit (71c) displaying a vehicle approaching from the predetermined direction on the display unit (71c). A vehicle detecting means (90) for detecting the vehicle before the vehicle arrives, and a time period until the vehicle passes through the display means (71c) when the vehicle approaching from the predetermined direction is detected by the vehicle detecting means (90). The weather information obtained from the weather sensor (60) is displayed on the display means (7
1c) a display control means (71b) for displaying the road weather observation device (20).

[2] A road weather observation device (20) installed at the side of a road for observing various weather elements related to the traffic on the road and the traffic condition of vehicles on the road.
A power generation means (80) for generating electric power to be supplied to the road weather observation device (20), a weather sensor (60) for observing the state of various weather elements related to the traffic on the road, and the weather sensor (60) Display means (71) for displaying the weather information obtained from the vehicle to a vehicle arriving from a predetermined direction.
c) and a vehicle detecting means (9) for detecting a vehicle approaching from the predetermined direction shortly before reaching the display means (71c).
0) and when the vehicle detecting means (90) detects a vehicle approaching from the predetermined direction, the vehicle information is obtained from the weather sensor (60) until the vehicle passes the display means (71c). The weather information is displayed on the display means (71c).
Display control means (71b) for displaying the weather information obtained from the weather sensor (60) and the traffic condition of the vehicle obtained from the vehicle detection means (90) in a road management office. A communication means (51) for transmitting, via a satellite communication network (40), to a road weather monitoring device (30) for collecting and remotely monitoring information; and a road weather observation device (20).

[3] The power generating means (80) includes a solar power generator (81) for generating power by converting solar energy into electric energy, and an engine-type power generator (8).
The road weather observation device (20) according to [2], wherein the road weather observation device is provided with both of the above two items and supplies necessary power by combining one or both of the power generation devices.

[0016]

The present invention operates as follows. The road weather observation device (20) is driven by the vehicle detection means (90).
A vehicle approaching from a predetermined direction is detected, and weather information obtained from various weather sensors (60) is displayed only from a time when the approaching vehicle is detected to a time when the vehicle passes.

On a remote route, vehicles pass only occasionally, so that power consumption can be reduced by detecting the approach of a vehicle and displaying weather information only until the vehicle passes. Can be.

In addition, the power supplied to the road weather observation device (20) is generated by its own power generation means (80) using both a solar power generation device (81) and an engine type power generation device (82), and the vehicle passes therethrough. Only when you want to display weather information. Thereby, the road weather observation device (20) can be arranged in an area where the transmission line is not maintained, and the display is performed only when passing, so that the power consumption is reduced, and the supply interval of the fuel for power generation can be lengthened. .

Further, the vehicle is connected to a road weather monitoring device (30) installed in a road management office via a satellite communication network (40), and the observed weather information and the traffic situation of the vehicle are communicated by communication means (51). ) To the Road Management Office.

By using the satellite communication network (40) as described above, even if the road weather observation device (20) is installed in a mountainous area where a public telephone line network is not provided, the observed weather information and the like can be obtained. Can be collected from the road management office and monitored remotely.

Further, as the power generation means (80), a solar power generation device (81) for generating power by converting solar energy into electric energy and an engine type power generation device (8)
2) is provided, and necessary power is supplied by combining either one or both.

For example, when the power consumption is small such as when the weather information is not displayed, only the photovoltaic power generator (81) is operated. When the power consumption is large such as when the vehicle is approaching and the weather information is displayed, the engine type is used. Power generator (82)
To be used together. As a result, the fuel consumption of the engine-type power generator (82) is reduced, and the interval between refueling can be lengthened.

[0024]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Each drawing shows an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a road weather observation system using a road weather observation device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The road weather observation system 10 has a satellite mobile communication network 40 interposed between a road weather observation device 20 installed at various places along the road and a road weather monitoring device 30 installed at a road management office.

The road weather monitoring device 30 installed in the road management office has a function of collecting and managing weather information and the like observed by each road weather observation device 20. The road weather monitoring device 30 is connected to a satellite mobile communication land radio 50 that is a communication device for connecting to the satellite mobile communication network 40.

The road weather observing device 20 is a satellite mobile communication terrestrial radio device 51 for communicating with the road weather monitoring device 30 via the satellite mobile communication network 40, and observes various weather conditions related to the road such as road surface freezing. A weather sensor 60 for displaying weather information, a road weather observation display unit 70 for displaying weather information, a power generator 80, and a vehicle detector 90 for detecting passing vehicles.

The road weather observation display section 70 displays weather information for vehicles passing through either the up lane or the down lane. The vehicle detector 90 is installed at a predetermined distance from the display unit that displays the weather information, and detects a vehicle approaching from the direction in which the weather information is displayed, a predetermined distance before the display unit. .

The satellite mobile communication network 40 includes a communication satellite 41 launched in the sky, and performs direct wireless communication with satellite mobile communication land radios 50 and 51 existing on the ground.

The satellite mobile communication terrestrial radios 50 and 51 are radios for communicating with the communication satellite 41 existing in the sky, and include an external antenna, a satellite radio, a satellite mobile, and N.
It has a CU (network control unit), a modem, and a PB unit for switching between voice communication and data communication. In addition, a satellite mover-compatible digital mover or the like can be used as the satellite mobile communication land radios 50 and 51.

FIG. 2 shows the road weather monitoring device 3 shown in FIG.
0 represents the configuration. Road weather monitoring device 30
Is composed of a road weather processing device 31 that collects weather information from a road weather observation device 20 disposed along a road via a satellite mobile communication network 40, and a controller 32 that performs various controls of the road weather monitoring device 30. Have been.

The road weather processing device 31 includes an operation unit 33,
It comprises a display unit 34 and a processing unit 35. The operation unit 33
This is an input portion for accepting various instructions from the operator by manual input. Here, a CRT display is used as the display unit 34. For example, the operation unit 33 receives an instruction to display the collected weather information (observation data) or to display the collected weather information (observation data) as a graph.
It is displayed on the display unit 34.

The processing section 35 is a circuit section for storing the collected observation data and the failure state of the equipment, and for transmitting and receiving various signals to and from the controller 32.

The controller 32 includes a control / storage unit 36, a transmission control unit 37, and a modem 38.
The control / storage unit 36 is a circuit part that performs a central function of various controls of the road weather monitoring device 30, stores observation data received from the road weather observation device 20 through the satellite mobile communication network 40, and stores these observation data. Is transmitted to the road weather processing device 31.

The transmission control unit 37 is a data communication unit that executes communication for performing flow control in a time-division multiplexing system using a start-stop synchronization system with the satellite mobile communication network 40. The transmission control unit 37 transmits and receives weather observation data to and from the control / storage unit 36.

The modem 38 is arranged between the transmission control unit 37 and the satellite mobile communication land radio 50, and is a device for mutually converting signals transmitted and received between them into digital signals and analog signals.

FIG. 3 shows an outline of the configuration of the road weather observation display section 70 shown in FIG. The road weather observation display unit 70 includes a road weather display board 71 that displays weather information for vehicles traveling on the road. The road weather display board 71 forms characters, graphics, and the like with a large number of display lamps arranged in a matrix and displays various weather information. Here, a light emitting diode is used as a display lamp.

The road weather observation display unit 70 includes a road weather display plate 71, a modem 72, a transmission control unit 73, and an input / output unit 74. The weather sensor 60 and the vehicle detector 90 are connected via the input / output unit 74. In addition, power is supplied from the power generation device 80.

The input / output unit 74 receives observation data from the weather sensor 60 and a vehicle detection signal indicating vehicle approach from the vehicle detector 90, respectively. Weather sensor 6
0, a signal indicating the presence / absence of a failure of those devices and the state of the failure are received from the vehicle detector 90.

The road weather display panel 71 includes a data processing unit (not shown), and based on weather information obtained from the weather sensor 60 and a vehicle detection signal from the vehicle detector 90,
The weather information to be displayed on the road weather display board 71 is set, and the turning on and off of the display lamp is controlled.

The modulator / demodulator 72 is connected to the satellite mobile communication terrestrial radio equipment 51 and is a circuit part for mutually converting analog signals used in the satellite mobile communication network 40 into digital signals. The transmission control unit 73 is a data communication unit that executes communication for performing flow control with the satellite mobile communication network 40 in a time-division multiplexing method using an asynchronous system.

FIG. 4 shows an outline of the configuration of the power generator 80. The power generation device 80 includes a solar cell 81 that converts light energy from the sun into electric energy, an engine-type generator 82, a power generation control unit 83 that controls start and stop of the engine-type generator 82, A storage battery 84 for storing energy and a DC / AC inverter 8
And 5.

The solar cell 81 always performs a power generation operation when receiving light. On the other hand, the engine-type generator 82 generates power as needed. The power generation control unit 83 includes a voltage detection unit (not shown) that detects the storage battery voltage of the storage battery 84. When a reduction in the storage battery voltage is detected, the engine-type generator 82 is started to generate power, and the storage battery voltage is reduced. When the temperature rises above the reference value, the power generation by the engine type generator 82 is stopped.

In addition, while the display lamp of the road weather display panel 71 is turned on to display the weather information, the engine-type generator 82 generates power. The DC / AC inverter 85 converts the DC voltage from the storage battery 84 into an AC voltage, and supplies the AC power to the weather sensor 60, the road weather observation display unit 70, the vehicle detector 90, and the like.

FIG. 5 shows an outline of the configuration of the vehicle detector 90. The vehicle detector 90 emits infrared light and detects the presence or absence of a vehicle and the direction in which the vehicle passes based on whether or not the infrared light returns, and the light emitted from the light emission / reception control unit 91 And a reflection plate 92 that reflects the light. Only vehicles passing in one predetermined direction are detected, and vehicles passing in the opposite direction are not detected.

This is because, for example, when displaying weather information for a section, the information need only be displayed for vehicles traveling toward the section, and must be displayed for vehicles coming out of the section. Because there is no.

The light emission / reception control section 91 and the reflection plate 92 are installed to face each other with the road therebetween. The light emitting / receiving control unit 91 is provided on the lane side where the vehicle in the passing direction to be detected passes, and the reflector 9 is provided on the opposite lane side.
2 is installed.

The light emission / reception control section 91 transmits infrared light to the reflection plate 92.
A first and second light emitting and receiving devices 93 and 94 each including a light emitting element for irradiating light toward the light source and a light receiving element for receiving the reflected light from the reflecting plate 92, and a vehicle based on output signals from these. A direction discriminating unit 95 for discriminating the presence or absence of the passage and the direction of the passage is provided. By using the reflection type optical sensor in this way, electric components can be concentrated on one side of the road, and the number of wiring steps can be reduced.

The first and second light emitting and receiving devices 93 and 94 receive the infrared light reflected by the reflector 92 while the vehicle does not pass through. When the vehicle passes across the optical path indicated by broken lines 96 and 97 in the figure, the infrared light is blocked and no infrared light is received during that time.

When the vehicle passes through the up lane, the second light emitting and receiving device 94 stops receiving the infrared light for a moment,
The receiving and receiving of the infrared light by the light emitting and receiving device 93 is stopped for a moment. When the vehicle crosses the down lane, the order in which it breaks is reversed,
The first light emitting and receiving device 93 and the second light emitting and receiving device 94 are arranged in this order.

The direction discriminating section 95 detects the direction in which the vehicle passes in the order in which the reception of infrared light was interrupted, and outputs a vehicle detection signal 98 indicating vehicle detection only when the vehicle has passed the up lane. . In addition, the direction determination unit 95 outputs the vehicle detection signal 98 from the time when the passage of the vehicle is detected until the time required for the vehicle to pass through the road weather display plate 71 elapses. Is output continuously.

FIG. 6 shows the structure of the weather sensor 60. The weather sensor 60 includes a road surface freezing detection device 61 that detects freezing of the road surface and the like, and an ultrasonic snow depth gauge 62 that measures the snow depth using an ultrasonic method. Further, there are provided a wind direction anemometer 63 for measuring a wind direction and a wind speed, a rainfall snowfall meter 64 for detecting rainfall and the like, and a snowfall detector 65 for detecting presence or absence of snowfall.

The road surface freezing detecting device 61 is provided with a ventilation type thermometer 6.
1a, a road surface radiation thermometer 61b and a reflectometer 61c;
A freeze determination unit 61d that determines whether or not the road surface is frozen based on these measured values. The road surface freezing detection device 61 determines various road surface conditions such as dryness, wetness, freezing, and snow accumulation of the road surface in a non-contact manner with respect to the road surface.

The ultrasonic snow depth gauge 62 includes an ultrasonic transmitter / receiver 62a for measuring the distance to the snow surface in a non-contact manner, a temperature sensor 62b, and a measurement controller 62c.
The measurement control unit 62c determines the sound speed based on the temperature information from the temperature sensor 62b, and corrects the distance measured by the ultrasonic transceiver 62a. The measurement control unit 62c outputs the snow depth as observation data based on this value and the distance to the road surface when there is no snow.

An anemometer 63 is provided with an anemometer 63a.
And a transmitter 63b. The wind speed is of an AC power generation system using a propeller, and the wind direction is a wind turbine type of a tail DC celsin system. The conversion unit 64b converts the power generation amount and the like into observation data representing the wind speed and wind direction and outputs the data.

The rainfall and snowfall gauge 64 is a falling and rising type rainfall gauge 64a.
And a conversion unit 64b. Rain and snow are measured by a falling and rising rain gauge 64a, and snow is melted by a built-in heater and measured as rainfall. The conversion unit 64b outputs rainfall and snowfall as observation data.

The snowfall detector 65 comprises a light emitting / receiving device 65a and a temperature sensor 65b. A phenomenon in which the infrared ray projected from the light emitting unit hits the snowflakes and is irregularly reflected is captured by the light receiving unit, and the presence or absence of snowfall is determined in combination with the temperature decrease signal of the temperature sensor 65b.

In addition, the weather sensor 60 may be combined with a barometer, fog detector, sound collecting microphone, and the like.

FIG. 7 shows an outline of the configuration of the road weather display panel 71. The road weather display board 71 is connected to the input unit 7.
1a, a display control section 71b, and a display section 71c. The display control unit 71b receives various weather observation data and the vehicle detection signal 98 through the input unit 71a, and determines what to display in the observation data according to a predetermined priority. Then, in accordance with the vehicle detection signal 98, the display lamp of the display unit 71c is turned on to display weather information with high priority.

FIG. 8 shows an example of the priorities of the weather observation data and the display contents of the road weather display board 71. In the figure,
The leftmost column 101 shows the display priority, and the rightmost column 102
Indicates the type of observation data, and the rightmost column 103 indicates an example of the display content of the road weather display board 71. When a plurality of weather conditions occur repeatedly, they may be displayed alternately. The display content may be displayed using not only characters but also patterns and the like.

Next, the operation will be described. The road weather monitoring device 30 installed in the road management office connects the line to the collection destination road weather observation device 20 via the satellite mobile communication network 40, and sends a transmission instruction of observation data on weather information and traffic volume. Send. In response, the road weather observation device 2
0 transmits weather information obtained by observation using the weather sensor 60 to the road management office through the satellite mobile communication network 40. Thus, weather information is collected by the polling operation from the road management office.

In addition, the weather information may be transmitted from the road weather observation device 20 to the road weather monitoring device 30 at regular time intervals or when the weather condition deteriorates.

The weather sensor operates various sensors to observe the weather condition only when the storage battery is charged to a prescribed amount or more or when a time zone set in advance by a timer or the like arrives. In this manner, power saving is achieved by performing weather observation only for a specific period such as a predetermined time zone without always performing weather observation.

When the approach of the vehicle is detected by the vehicle detector 90, the weather information is displayed on the display unit 71c in accordance with the priority shown in FIG. If the weather condition is good and it is not particularly necessary to notify the road users of the weather condition, the display of the weather information may not be performed irrespective of the presence or absence of a passing vehicle.

As described above, since the weather information is displayed by turning on the display section 71c only when the vehicle passes, the power consumption of the road weather observation device 20 can be reduced as compared with the case where the weather information is always displayed. Can be. Especially in mountainous areas, traffic is low and vehicles pass only occasionally,
The weather information is displayed only when passing, and the display is stopped while the vehicle arrives, so that the power consumption can be significantly reduced.

Since weather information is transmitted through the satellite mobile communication network 40, even if the road weather observation device 20 is installed in a mountainous area where a public telephone network is not provided, the observation data is stored in the road management office. Road weather monitoring device 30
Can be monitored remotely. As a result, accurate road information based on weather information can be created at an appropriate timing, and can be provided to road users.

Next, power supply will be described. The power generation device 80 monitors the storage battery voltage of the storage battery 84,
When the voltage is equal to or higher than the reference value, power generation is performed only by the solar cell 81 and power generation by the engine-type generator 82 is not performed. On the other hand, when the storage battery voltage falls below the reference value,
Alternatively, during a period in which the weather information is displayed on the display unit 71c, the engine-type generator 82 is operated to generate power by using two power generation devices in combination.

While the display section 71c is turned off and the weather information is not displayed, the vehicle detector 90 and the like are only operating, so that the power consumption is small, and the required power can be generated only by the solar cell 81 in some cases. Many. Therefore, in such a standby state, the power generation by the normal engine type generator 82 is stopped.

The solar cell 8 such as on a rainy or snowy day or at night
When the amount of power generation by 1 is insufficient and the amount of charge of the storage battery 84 decreases and the voltage decreases, the engine-type generator 82 is started to generate power. When the display unit 71c is turned on, the power consumption increases. Therefore, during the display period, the engine-type generator 82 is started, and the solar cell 81 and the engine-type generator 8 are started.
2 together to supply power.

When the storage battery voltage rises to the reference value or higher, and when the vehicle passes and the display lamp is turned off to end the display of the weather information, the engine-type generator 82 is stopped and the power generation using only the solar cell 81 is performed again. Switch to.

As described above, since the power generation device 80 is provided in the road weather observation device 20 and the power is supplied by the private power generation, the road weather observation device 20 can be used even in an area where the transmission line is not provided, such as a mountainous area. Can be installed and operated.

The power consumption is reduced by displaying the weather information only when the vehicle passes, and the solar battery 81 and the engine-type generator 82 are used together. Engine generator 8
Since the engine 2 is operated, the operating rate of the engine-type generator 82 is reduced, and the fuel supply interval can be lengthened.

Therefore, even if the road weather observation device 20 is installed in a mountain area or the like, the management can be easily performed because the number of steps for refueling is small. Furthermore, even in the event that refueling becomes difficult due to a disaster or the like, the fuel consumption is low, so that the road management office can remotely monitor the weather information for a long period of time and provide accurate information to road users. Weather information can be provided for a long time.

As described above, since the road weather observation device 20 can be installed and operated in an area such as a mountain area where a public telephone line and a commercial power supply are not provided, the road weather observation apparatus installed in the mountain area or the like can be installed. The weather information observed by the device 20 can be remotely monitored from the road management office, and the weather information of such a region can be collected accurately and easily.

In the embodiment described above, the satellite mobile communication network 40 is used. However, if the communication network performs wireless communication via a communication satellite, the satellite communication network does not consider the movement of the transmitting / receiving station on the ground. There may be. Further, the engine-type generator 82 and the solar cell 81 are used in combination, but the engine-type generator 82 may not be provided as long as the required power can be supplied by the solar cell 81 and the storage battery 84.

In this embodiment, the estimated time required for the vehicle to pass through the road weather display panel 71 after the vehicle detector 90 detects the approach of the vehicle is set in advance. Is displayed, but the setting of the display time is not limited to this.

For example, it is detected whether or not the vehicle has actually passed the location where the road weather display board 71 is disposed, and the vehicle detector 90 disposed in front of the vehicle by a predetermined distance detects the approach of the vehicle. The weather information may be displayed until the vehicle passes through the road weather display board 71.

Further, since the vehicle may break down or make a U-turn in the middle, the vehicle may not be detected on the road weather display plate 71 side even after a certain period of time has elapsed since the approach of the vehicle was detected. It is preferable that the display of the weather information is stopped when a certain time has elapsed.

In the embodiment, the reflection type optical sensor using infrared rays is used as the vehicle detector 90. However, it is needless to say that another type of sensor such as a blocking type optical sensor or an ultrasonic sensor may be used. .

In the embodiment, the observed weather condition is displayed to the user of the road, but the display is not performed, and the observation data is transmitted to the road management office via the satellite mobile communication network 40. It may have only the function of performing

[0080]

According to the road weather observation device according to the present invention, weather information is displayed only when a vehicle passes, so that it is installed particularly in an area with a small traffic volume such as a mountain area.
The power consumed by the road weather observation device can be significantly reduced.

In addition, necessary power is generated by a power generator using a combination of photovoltaic power generation and engine-type power generation, and weather information is displayed only when a vehicle is passing, thereby saving power. Since the weather information is transmitted to the road management office, the road weather observation device can be installed and operated in an area such as a mountainous area where a public telephone line and a commercial power supply are not provided. As a result, even if the road weather observation device is installed in a mountain area or the like, the weather information can be remotely monitored from the road management office, and the weather information of such a region can be collected accurately and easily.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a configuration of a road weather observation system using a road weather observation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an outline of a configuration of a road weather monitoring device arranged in a road management office.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a road weather observation display unit included in the road weather observation device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a power generation device included in the road weather observation device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle detector included in the road weather observation device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a weather sensor included in the road weather observation device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a road weather display board included in the road weather observation device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a table showing an example of priorities of weather observation data and display contents of a road weather display board.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Road weather observation system 20 ... Road weather observation device 30 ... Road weather monitoring device 31 ... Road weather processing device 32 ... Controller 33 ... Operation unit 34 ... Display unit 35 ... Processing unit 36 ... Control and storage unit 37, 73 ... Transmission control units 38, 72 Modulator / demodulator 40 Satellite mobile communication network 41 Communication satellite 50, 51 Satellite mobile communication terrestrial radio equipment 60 Weather sensor 61 Road surface freezing detector 61a Ventilation thermometer 61b Road surface radiation temperature Total 61c Reflection ratio meter 61d Freezing determination unit 62 Ultrasonic snow depth meter 62a Ultrasonic transceiver 62b Measurement control unit 63 Wind direction anemometer 63a Wind direction wind speed transmitter 63b Conversion unit 64 Rain and snowfall Total 64a: Falling-up rain gauge 64b ... Conversion unit 65 ... Snowfall detector 65a ... Light emitting and receiving device 65b ... Temperature sensor 65c ... Judgment unit 70 ... Road weather observation display unit 71 ... Road Road weather display board 71a ... input unit 71b ... display control unit 71c ... display unit 74 ... input / output unit 80 ... power generation device 81 ... solar cell 82 ... engine type generator 83 ... power generation control unit 84 ... storage battery 85 ... DC / AC inverter 90 ... Vehicle detector 91 ... Light emitting and receiving control unit 92 ... Reflector 93,94 ... Light emitting and receiving device 95 ... Direction determination unit 96 ... Vehicle detection signal

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-5-6496 (JP, A) JP-A 1-147013 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) E01F 9/00

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A road weather observation device installed at a side of a road for observing various weather elements related to traffic on the road, comprising: a power generation means for generating electric power to be supplied to the road weather observation device; A solar power generator that generates power by converting energy into electric energy and an engine-type power generator, and a power supply that supplies necessary power by combining one or both power generators; and A weather sensor for observing the state of various weather elements related to traffic, display means for displaying weather information obtained from the weather sensor toward a vehicle arriving from a predetermined direction, and a vehicle approaching from the predetermined direction And a vehicle approaching from the predetermined direction is detected by the vehicle detecting means. When the road weather stations, characterized in that the vehicle comprises a display control means for displaying on said display means weather information obtained from between the weather sensor until it passes the display means. 2. A road weather observation device installed at a side of a road for observing various weather elements related to traffic on the road, comprising: a power generating means for generating electric power to be supplied to the road weather observation device; A weather sensor for observing the state of various weather elements related to traffic, display means for displaying weather information obtained from the weather sensor toward a vehicle arriving from a predetermined direction, and a vehicle approaching from the predetermined direction Vehicle detection means for detecting the vehicle just before reaching the display means, when the vehicle detection means detects a vehicle approaching from the predetermined direction, from the weather sensor until the vehicle passes through the display means A display control means for displaying the obtained weather information on the display means; a weather information obtained from the weather sensor and a traffic condition of a vehicle obtained from the vehicle detection means. And is installed on a road management office, collected road weather observation apparatus characterized by comprising: a communication means for transmitting via a satellite communications network in road weather monitoring device for remotely monitoring the information. 3. The power generation means includes both a solar power generation device and an engine type power generation device that generate power by converting solar energy into electric energy, and is required by combining one or both of the power generation devices. 3. The road weather observation device according to claim 2, wherein the electric power is supplied.