JP6747390B2 - Imaging control device, vehicle imaging device, imaging control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a shooting control device, a vehicle shooting device, a shooting control method, and a program.

A technique is known in which a vehicle light is automatically turned on properly before the vehicle enters a dark place such as a tunnel (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The technique described in Patent Document 1 automatically turns on the light according to the ratio of the dark portion in the image data of the forward view image obtained by the video camera. A technique is known in which a tunnel is discriminated using a one-dimensional imaging device that laterally images in the vehicle traveling direction and a tunnel detection signal is output (see, for example, Patent Document 2). The technique described in Patent Document 2 binarizes a video signal obtained from a one-dimensional imaging device, processes the binarized video signal, and determines a tunnel.

JP, 2001-039210, A JP 04-127280 A

2. Description of the Related Art There is known a vehicle image capturing device that captures an image of a surrounding situation when a vehicle is traveling. In the vehicle imaging device, the visibility of the captured image may be reduced due to the illuminance around the vehicle. For example, since the lighting devices are arranged at intervals in the tunnel, the illuminance in the tunnel changes from position to position. In such a place where the illuminance changes depending on the position, if the photographing condition of the vehicle photographing device is kept constant, the visibility of the photographed image may decrease depending on the position.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is an object of the present invention to suppress a reduction in the visibility of a video image captured by a vehicle imaging device.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the imaging control device according to the present invention refers to an illuminance information database that stores illuminance information indicating illuminance at each position in a lighting installation place where the lighting device is installed. An illuminance information reference unit, an identification information acquisition unit that acquires identification information that identifies the lighting installation location where the vehicle travels, and an imaging control unit that is arranged in the vehicle and that controls imaging conditions of an imaging unit that images the surroundings of the vehicle. And, the shooting condition includes at least one of aperture value, shutter speed, and sensitivity, the shooting control unit, the illuminance information and the identification information acquisition unit referred to by the illuminance information reference unit, Based on the acquired identification information, the photographing condition of the photographing unit is controlled according to the illuminance for each position in the lighting installation place.

A vehicle photographing apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by including the photographing control apparatus described above and the camera.

The photographing control method according to the present invention includes an illuminance information reference step of referring to an illuminance information database that stores illuminance information indicating illuminance information indicating the illuminance for each position in a lighting installation place where the lighting device is installed, and the vehicle is traveling and the lighting device is An identification information acquisition step of obtaining identification information for identifying the installed lighting installation location, and an imaging control step of controlling imaging conditions of an imaging unit arranged in the vehicle for imaging the surroundings of the vehicle, the imaging conditions Includes at least one of aperture value, shutter speed, and sensitivity, and the photographing control step is based on the illuminance information referred to in the illuminance information reference step and the identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition step. Then, the photographing condition of the photographing unit is controlled according to the illuminance at each position in the lighting installation place.

A program according to the present invention includes an illuminance information reference step of referring to an illuminance information database that stores illuminance information indicating illuminance information indicating the illuminance at each position in a lighting installation place where the lighting device is installed, a vehicle is traveling, and the lighting device is installed. An identification information acquisition step of acquiring identification information for identifying the lighting installation location, and an imaging control step of controlling an imaging condition of an imaging unit arranged in the vehicle for imaging the surroundings of the vehicle, wherein the imaging condition includes Aperture value, shutter speed, and, including at least one of the sensitivity, the shooting control step, based on the illuminance information referenced in the illuminance information reference step and the identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition step, A computer operating as a photographing control device is caused to control the photographing condition of the photographing unit according to the illuminance at each position in the lighting installation place.

According to the present invention, there is an effect that it is possible to prevent the visibility of an image captured by the vehicle imaging device from being reduced.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an imaging control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of sensitivity control according to an illuminance pattern of a tunnel. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an entrance of a tunnel. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the image capturing control apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the image capturing control apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a shooting control device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the shooting control device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of sensitivity control according to the illuminance of the tunnel detected by the sensor. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the image capturing control apparatus according to the fourth embodiment.

Embodiments of a shooting control device, a vehicle shooting device, a shooting control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an imaging control device according to the first embodiment. The image capturing control device 30 controls the image capturing conditions of the image around the vehicle captured by the vehicle image capturing device 10. More specifically, when the vehicle travels through an illumination installation location such as a tunnel, the imaging control apparatus 30 captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle that is captured by the vehicle imaging apparatus 10 according to a change in illuminance at the illumination installation location. Control is performed so that the shooting conditions of are changed.

The illuminance information database 200 stores illuminance information indicating the illuminance at each position in a lighting installation place where the lighting device is installed in order to maintain the illuminance around the traveling vehicle. The illuminance information database 200 stores the brightness perceived by human eyes at each position as illuminance information. The brightness perceived by human eyes may differ from the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor depending on the position. For example, near the exit of a tunnel where the brightness changes rapidly, the human eye perceives the brightness outside the tunnel and feels it is brighter than the middle part of the tunnel. On the other hand, the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor near the exit of the tunnel has little difference from the illuminance measured in the middle part of the tunnel. In other words, the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor near the exit of the tunnel may differ from the brightness perceived by human eyes.

The lighting installation place includes a place where the lighting device is constantly lit, for example, a tunnel, an underground parking lot, an indoor parking lot, or an indoor facility where a lighting device that is constantly lit is installed and has a passage through which a vehicle travels. .. The lighting installation place is a place where the lighting device is turned on only at night or when the surroundings are dark, for example, a road on which a lighting device including an interchange or a junction is installed, a bridge including an overpass, or a lighting device is installed. It may include an outdoor facility having a passage through which a vehicle travels.

The illuminance information indicating the illuminance at each position is information about the illuminance pattern at the lighting installation location. The illuminance pattern is the illuminance for each position in the lighting installation place. For example, the illuminance pattern indicates a change in illuminance with respect to the distance from the entrance-side end of the lighting installation place. The illuminance pattern alternates between places with high illuminance and places with low illuminance, corresponding to the installation intervals of the lighting devices.

In the present embodiment, the illuminance information database 200 stores, for each tunnel, a tunnel name, tunnel position information, the total length of the tunnel, and an illuminance pattern indicating a change in illuminance with respect to the distance from the entrance of the tunnel.

The illuminance in the tunnel T will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of sensitivity control according to an illuminance pattern of a tunnel. In the tunnel T, a lighting device L is arranged with a space. The illuminance at the entrance of the tunnel T is higher than the illuminance at the middle part of the tunnel T. In other words, the entrance of the tunnel T is brighter than the middle part of the tunnel T. This is for facilitating adaptation to changes in the brightness outside and inside the tunnel T. In the middle part of the tunnel T, the illuminance on the lower side of the illuminating device L is high, and the illuminance decreases as the distance from the lower side of the illuminating device L increases. In the middle part of the tunnel T, a place where the illuminance is high and a place where the illuminance is low are alternately present corresponding to the installation interval of the lighting device L. The illuminance information database 200 stores the illuminance pattern of the tunnel T as shown in FIG.

The vehicle imaging device 10 captures an image of the area around the vehicle. When the vehicle travels through the lighting installation location, the vehicle imaging device 10 controls the imaging conditions to change according to changes in illuminance at the lighting installation location. The vehicle imaging device 10 includes a camera (imaging unit) 20 and an imaging control device 30.

The camera 20 is a front video camera. The camera 20 is arranged in front of the vehicle and takes an image of the surroundings centered on the front of the vehicle. The camera 20 outputs the captured front video data to the identification information acquisition unit 31 of the photographing control device 30. The photographing conditions of the camera 20 are controlled based on a control signal from the photographing control unit 33 of the photographing control device 30. The forward video data is, for example, a moving image composed of 30 frames per second.

The shooting condition includes at least one of aperture value, shutter speed, and sensitivity.

The imaging control device 30 controls the imaging conditions of the camera 20 according to the change in illuminance at the lighting installation place when the vehicle travels through the illumination installation place. The imaging control device 30 is, for example, an arithmetic processing device including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like. The imaging control device 30 loads a program stored in a storage unit (not shown) into the memory and executes the instructions included in the program. The shooting control device 30 includes an identification information acquisition unit 31, an illuminance information reference unit 32, and a shooting control unit 33. The photographing control device 30 includes an internal memory (not shown), and the internal memory is used for temporary storage of data in the photographing control device 30.

The identification information acquisition unit 31 acquires identification information for identifying a lighting installation place where the vehicle is traveling, in other words, located in front of the vehicle. The identification information of the lighting installation place includes, for example, a name for identifying the lighting installation place, an identification code for identifying the lighting installation place, or position information.

In the present embodiment, the identification information acquisition unit 31 is a character recognition unit and recognizes characters included in the front image data captured by the camera 20 as the object to be captured. The identification information acquisition unit 31 selects a tunnel name from the character strings formed by the recognized characters, such as “○×tunnel”, “○×tunnel”, “○×Tunnel”, and “○×kyumichi”. A unique character string as identification information.

Acquisition of the tunnel name will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an entrance of a tunnel. In the front image data of the entrance of the tunnel T, a signboard P indicating the tunnel name is displayed. The identification information acquisition unit 31 acquires the character string M of “O×tunnel” from the front video data as identification information. The identification information acquisition unit 31 outputs the recognized identification information to the imaging control unit 33.

The illuminance information reference unit 32 refers to the illuminance information database 200.

The shooting control unit 33 controls the shooting conditions of the camera 20.

When the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place, the imaging control unit 33 controls the shooting conditions of the camera 20 to change according to the illuminance pattern of the lighting installation place. More specifically, when the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place, the imaging control unit 33 drives the vehicle based on the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 31 and the illuminance information referenced by the illuminance information reference unit 32. Acquire the illuminance pattern of the lighting installation location. When there are a plurality of tunnels having the same name, the image capturing control unit 33 determines that the vehicle travels based on the current position information of the vehicle acquired from the navigation system and the position information of the tunnel stored in the illuminance information database 200. Obtain the illuminance pattern of the installation location. Then, the shooting control unit 33 controls the shooting conditions of the camera 20 to change according to the illuminance at the current position of the vehicle based on the acquired current position information of the vehicle and the illuminance pattern of the lighting installation location.

For example, the shooting control unit 33 controls only the aperture value as a shooting condition so that the brightness of the image to be shot becomes an appropriate brightness. More specifically, the imaging control unit 33 may generate a control signal for controlling the aperture value of the camera 20 according to the illuminance pattern of the lighting installation place when the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place. The imaging control unit 33 outputs a control signal that makes the aperture value larger at a position with high illuminance (hereinafter, referred to as “high illuminance position”) than at a position with low illuminance (hereinafter, referred to as “low illuminance position”). The imaging control unit 33 outputs a control signal that makes the aperture value smaller at the low illuminance position than at the high illuminance position.

Alternatively, for example, the shooting control unit 33 may control only the sensitivity as a shooting condition so that the brightness of the image to be shot becomes an appropriate brightness. More specifically, the photographing control unit 33 may generate a control signal for controlling the sensitivity of the camera 20 according to the illuminance pattern of the lighting installation place when the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place. The imaging control unit 33 outputs a control signal that makes the sensitivity lower at the high illuminance position than at the low illuminance position. The photographing control unit 33 outputs a control signal that makes the sensitivity higher at the low illuminance position than at the high illuminance position.

Alternatively, for example, the shooting control unit 33 may control the brightness of an image to be shot to an appropriate brightness by changing the aperture value, the shutter speed, and the sensitivity as the shooting conditions. More specifically, the photographing control unit 33 may generate a control signal for controlling the shutter speed of the camera 20 according to the illuminance pattern of the lighting installation place when the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place. At the high illuminance position, the imaging control unit 33 outputs a control signal that makes the aperture value smaller than the low illuminance position, the shutter speed faster than the low illuminance position, and the sensitivity lower than the low illuminance position. At the low illuminance position, the photographing control unit 33 outputs a control signal that makes the aperture value larger than the high illuminance position, the shutter speed slower than the high illuminance position, and the sensitivity larger than the high illuminance position.

In this way, the photographing control unit 33 controls the photographing conditions of the camera 20 to change according to the illuminance pattern of the lighting installation place when the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place.

In the present embodiment, when the vehicle travels in a tunnel, the imaging control unit 33 controls the camera 20 to take an image while changing the sensitivity according to the illuminance of the tunnel. More specifically, the image capturing control unit 33 generates a control signal that controls the sensitivity of the camera 20 to change according to the illuminance pattern of the tunnel when the vehicle travels in the tunnel. For example, the imaging control unit 33 generates a control signal that minimizes the sensitivity in the tunnel at the entrance and exit of the tunnel. For example, the imaging control unit 33 generates a control signal that makes the sensitivity higher than that at the entrance/exit of the tunnel below the lighting device in the middle of the tunnel. For example, the imaging control unit 33 generates a control signal that makes the sensitivity higher than the lower side of the lighting device at a position deviated from the lower side of the lighting device in the middle part of the tunnel.

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, a flow of processing in the photographing control device 30 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the image capturing control apparatus according to the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which, when a vehicle travels in a tunnel, the sensitivity is controlled to change as a shooting condition according to the illuminance pattern of the tunnel.

While the vehicle imaging device 10 is activated, the camera 20 images the front of the vehicle. The identification information acquisition unit 31 acquires the front image data captured by the camera 20 while the vehicle imaging device 10 is activated.

The imaging control device 30 determines whether or not it is a tunnel entrance (step S11). When the identification information acquisition unit 31 performs the character recognition process on the front image data captured by the camera 20 and acquires the character string of the tunnel name as the object to be captured, the imaging control device 30 determines that the tunnel entrance is the entrance ( Yes in step S11). Then, the imaging control device 30 proceeds to step S12. When the identification information acquisition unit 31 does not acquire the character string of the tunnel name as the object to be imaged, the imaging control device 30 determines that it is not the tunnel entrance (No in step S11). Then, the imaging control device 30 executes the process of step S11 again.

When it is determined that the entrance is not the tunnel entrance (No in step S11), the shooting control device 30 shoots with the camera 20 without changing the shooting conditions.

When it is determined that the entrance is the tunnel (Yes in step S11), the imaging control device 30 controls the imaging conditions according to the illuminance of the tunnel (step S12). More specifically, in the photographing control device 30, the photographing control unit 33, based on the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 31 and the illuminance information referenced by the illuminance information reference unit 32, the illuminance pattern of the tunnel in which the vehicle travels. To get. Then, the photographing control device 30 causes the photographing control unit 33 to determine the photographing condition of the camera 20 according to the illuminance at the current position of the vehicle based on the current position information of the vehicle acquired from the navigation system and the acquired illuminance pattern. A control signal is generated that controls the sensitivity to vary. The photographing control unit 30 of the photographing control device 30 outputs a control signal for controlling photographing conditions to the camera 20. The imaging control device 30 proceeds to step S13.

The imaging control device 30 determines whether or not it is a tunnel exit (step S13). For example, the imaging control device 30 determines that the vehicle exits the tunnel if the current position of the vehicle is outside the range of the tunnel position information. Alternatively, for example, when the imaging control device 30 determines that the distance traveled by the vehicle from the tunnel entrance is equal to or greater than the entire length of the tunnel based on the vehicle information acquired via the CAN (Controller Area Network), the imaging exit device exits Judge that there is. When the current position of the vehicle is at the tunnel exit (Yes in step S13), the imaging control device 30 ends the process and ends the control for changing the imaging condition according to the illuminance pattern of the tunnel. When the current position of the vehicle is not the tunnel exit (No in step S13), the imaging control device 30 executes the process of step S12 again.

In this way, when the vehicle travels through the tunnel, the shooting conditions of the camera 20 change according to the illuminance of the tunnel. For example, at the entrance of the tunnel, the sensitivity of the camera 20 is the lowest in the tunnel. For example, below the lighting device in the middle of the tunnel, the sensitivity of the camera 20 is set higher than that at the entrance of the tunnel. For example, the sensitivity of the camera 20 is set to be higher than that of the lower side of the lighting device at a position deviated from the lower side of the lighting device in the middle part of the tunnel.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place, the shooting condition of the camera 20 is changed according to the illuminance pattern of the lighting installation place. More specifically, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle travels in the place where the lighting is installed, shooting conditions are set such that an appropriate image can be shot even if the illuminance changes. As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place, the visibility of the image captured by the vehicle imaging device 10 is changed by changing the imaging condition according to the change of the illuminance around the vehicle. Can be suppressed. In other words, according to the present embodiment, when the vehicle travels in the place where the lighting is installed, the visibility of the image captured by the vehicle imaging device 10 is highly maintained regardless of the change in the illuminance around the vehicle. You can

When the vehicle travels in the place where the illumination is installed, unless the photographing conditions of the camera 20 are changed, for example, at a high illuminance position, there is a possibility that an image of an object to be photographed may be captured due to overexposure. For example, at a low illuminance position, an image may be dark and the object may be unclear.

On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, when the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place, the shooting conditions are appropriately controlled according to the illuminance, so that even if the illuminance around the vehicle changes, the object to be photographed is changed. You can take a picture that is clearly displayed.

In the present embodiment, the brightness that human beings perceive at each position of the lighting installation place is stored in the illuminance information database 200 as illuminance information. The illuminance pattern stored in the illuminance information database 200 is different from the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor and stores the illuminance close to the brightness visually perceived by humans even near the tunnel exit. As a result, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to appropriately control the shooting conditions even in the vicinity of the exit of the tunnel according to the illuminance pattern of the brightness visually perceived by humans. As described above, according to the present embodiment, even in a place where the illuminance changes rapidly, such as near the exit of a tunnel, it is possible to control the shooting conditions according to the brightness perceived by human eyes. In the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the visibility of the image captured by the vehicle imaging device 10 from being degraded even in a place where the illuminance changes rapidly such as near the exit of a tunnel.

[Second embodiment]
The vehicle imaging apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the image capturing control apparatus according to the second embodiment. The vehicle imaging device 10 has the same basic configuration as the vehicle imaging device 10 of the first embodiment. In the following description, the same components as those of the vehicle imaging device 10 will be denoted by the same or corresponding symbols, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The illuminance information database 200 stores the illuminance information including the light source type of the lighting device. The light source type is, for example, a sodium lamp or a white LED (Light Emitting Diode). The sodium lamp glows orange. White LEDs have more uniform brightness than sodium lamps.

The photographing control device 30 controls to change the photographing condition of the camera 20 according to the illuminance at each position in the lighting installation location and the light source type of the lighting device.

The shooting condition includes at least one of aperture value, shutter speed, sensitivity, and white balance.

When the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place, the imaging control unit 33, based on the illuminance information referred to by the illuminance information reference unit 32 and the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 31, the illuminance for each position in the illumination installation place. The shooting conditions of the camera 20 are controlled to change according to the light source type of the lighting device. More specifically, the photographing control unit 33 controls the photographing conditions of the camera 20 according to the illuminance pattern and the light source type of the lighting installation place when the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place.

When the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place, the shooting control unit 33 may generate a control signal for controlling the white balance as a shooting condition in accordance with the light source type of the lighting installation place. For example, in a tunnel using a sodium lamp, the photographing control unit 33 outputs a control signal that gradually changes the white balance according to the change in color temperature because the color temperature changes from sunlight to sodium light at the entrance and exit. ..

For example, when the light source type is a sodium lamp, the image capturing control unit 33 controls the image capturing conditions of the camera 20 so that the visibility of the captured image is not reduced even under the orange illumination light. For example, when the light source type is a white LED, the imaging control unit 33 controls the imaging conditions of the camera 20 so that the visibility of the captured image is not reduced even under the illumination light of the white LED.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, a flow of processing in the imaging control device 30 will be described. The processes of steps S21 and S23 are the same as steps S11 and S13 of the flowchart shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which, when a vehicle travels in a tunnel, the sensitivity is controlled to change as a shooting condition according to the illuminance pattern of the tunnel and the light source type of the lighting device.

When it is determined that the entrance is the tunnel (Yes in step S21), the imaging control device 30 controls the imaging conditions according to the illuminance of the tunnel and the light source type (step S22). More specifically, in the image capturing control device 30, the image capturing control unit 33, based on the current position information of the vehicle, the acquired illuminance pattern, and the light source type, the camera 20 according to the illuminance at the vehicle current position and the light source type. A control signal for controlling the sensitivity is generated so that the shooting condition of is changed. The photographing control unit 30 of the photographing control device 30 outputs a control signal for controlling photographing conditions to the camera 20. The imaging control device 30 proceeds to step S23.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place, the imaging condition is changed according to the change of the illuminance around the vehicle and the type of the light source so that the image is taken by the vehicle imaging device 10. It is possible to suppress deterioration of the visibility of the captured image.

[Third embodiment]
The vehicle imaging apparatus 10A according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a shooting control device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the shooting control device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of sensitivity control according to the illuminance of the tunnel detected by the sensor. The vehicle imaging device 10A has the same basic configuration as the vehicle imaging device 10 of the first embodiment. In the following description, the same components as those of the vehicle imaging device 10 will be denoted by the same or corresponding symbols, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Illuminance sensor 110A is arranged in front of the vehicle and measures the illuminance in the front upper part of the vehicle. The illuminance sensor 110A outputs the measurement result to the illuminance information acquisition unit 34a of the imaging control device 30A.

The vehicle imaging apparatus 10A differs from the first embodiment in that the imaging control apparatus 30A has an illuminance information acquisition unit 34a and the processing in the imaging control unit 33A.

The illuminance information acquisition unit 34a acquires the illuminance in the front upper part of the vehicle from the measurement result of the illuminance sensor 110A. The illuminance information acquisition unit 34a outputs the acquired illuminance to the imaging control unit 33A.

The imaging control unit 33A acquires from the illuminance information database 200 based on the illuminance information referenced by the illuminance information reference unit 32, the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 31, and the measurement result acquired by the illuminance information acquisition unit 34A. At a position where the illuminance of the illuminance information is different from the illuminance of the measurement result of the illuminance sensor 110A, the photographing condition of the camera 20 is controlled to change according to the illuminance of the measurement result.

Next, the flow of processing in the imaging control device 30A will be described with reference to FIG. The processes of step S31, step S34, and step S35 are the same as those of step S11, step S12, and step S13 of the flowchart shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, when a vehicle travels in a tunnel, the illuminance of the illuminance information acquired from the referred illuminance information database 200 and the illuminance of the measurement result of the illuminance sensor 110A are different depending on the illuminance of the measurement result. A case will be described in which control is performed so that the sensitivity changes as a shooting condition.

The imaging control device 30A determines whether or not there is a difference between the illuminance acquired from the illuminance information database 200 and the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 110A (step S32). More specifically, the imaging control device 30A determines that there is a difference between the illuminance of the illuminance information acquired from the illuminance information database 200 and the illuminance of the measurement result acquired by the illuminance information acquisition unit 34A for the current position of the vehicle (step S32). Yes), and proceeds to step S33. When there is no difference between the illuminance of the illuminance information acquired from the illuminance information database 200 and the illuminance of the measurement result acquired by the illuminance information acquisition unit 34A (No in step S32), the imaging control device 30A proceeds to step S34.

The imaging control device 30A controls the imaging conditions for the position determined as Yes in step S32 according to the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 110A (step S33). More specifically, the imaging control device 30A causes the imaging control unit 33A to generate a control signal for controlling the sensitivity of the camera 20 in accordance with the illuminance of the measurement result acquired by the illuminance information acquisition unit 34a. The photographing control device 30A outputs a control signal for controlling the sensitivity to the camera 20 by the photographing control unit 33A. The imaging control device 30A proceeds to step S35.

For the position determined as No in step S32, the imaging control device 30A controls the imaging conditions according to the illuminance of the illuminance information acquired from the illuminance information database 200 (step S34).

A case where there is a difference between the illuminance acquired from the illuminance information database 200 and the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 110A will be described with reference to FIG. The illuminance information database 200 stores illuminance patterns in a state where all the lighting devices L are turned on. In the tunnel T, there is a lighting device A that is not turned on due to a temporary failure. Therefore, the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 110A on the lower side of the lighting device A that is not turned on is lower than the illuminance on the lower side of the lighting device L that is turned on. The illuminance stored in the illuminance information database 200 and the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 110A are different at the lower position of the illumination device A that is not turned on. At the lower position of the illumination device A that is not turned on, the sensitivity is controlled according to the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 110A. At other positions, the sensitivity is controlled according to the illuminance pattern acquired from the illuminance information database 200.

In this way, when the vehicle travels through the tunnel, the photographing conditions are set according to the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 110A for the position where the illuminance acquired from the illuminance information database 200 and the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 110A are different. Change. For example, under the unlit lighting device A shown in FIG. 8, the shooting conditions are controlled according to the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 110A. As described above, even if there is a position where the actual illuminance is different from the illuminance acquired from the illuminance information database 200, the shooting condition of the camera 20 is appropriately changed according to the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 110A.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, with respect to the position where the illuminance acquired from the illuminance information database 200 and the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 110A are different, the photographing condition of the camera 20 according to the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 110A. Change. In the present embodiment, for example, under the unlit lighting device A shown in FIG. 8, the shooting conditions are controlled according to the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 110A. As a result, in this embodiment, even if there is a position where the lighting device is not turned on, the shooting condition of the camera 20 can be changed according to the correct illuminance of the lighting installation place. In this way, the present embodiment can more appropriately suppress the reduction in the visibility of the image captured by the vehicle imaging device 10 due to the change in the illuminance around the vehicle.

On the other hand, when the shooting conditions are changed according to the illuminance acquired from the illuminance information database 200 on the lower side of the unlit lighting device A shown in FIG. 8, since the lighting device A is not lit, the surroundings of the vehicle Although the image is dark, the image may be dark and the object may be blurred.

[Fourth Embodiment]
The vehicle imaging device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the image capturing control apparatus according to the fourth embodiment. The vehicle image capturing apparatus 10 mainly differs from the first embodiment in the processing in the image capturing control unit 33.

The illuminance information database 200 stores the lighting conditions of the lighting device when the lighting installation place is a place where the lighting device is turned on only at night or when the surroundings are dark. The lighting condition of the lighting device is, for example, a threshold value of a lighting time period or a lighting illuminance.

When the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place and the lighting device is turned on, the shooting control unit 33 controls the shooting conditions of the camera 20 to change according to the illuminance pattern of the lighting installation place.

Next, with reference to FIG. 9, a flow of processing in the photographing control device 30 will be described. The processes of steps S41, S43, and S44 are processes corresponding to steps S11, S12, and S13 of the flowchart shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which, when the vehicle travels in the lighting installation place, the lighting device is turned on, and the shooting condition is controlled according to the illuminance pattern of the lighting installation place.

The imaging control device 30 determines whether or not the lighting device is on (step S42). The imaging control device 30 determines whether or not the lighting device is lighting, for example, depending on whether or not the lighting condition of the lighting device is satisfied. When the lighting condition of the lighting device is satisfied (Yes in step S42), the imaging control device 30 proceeds to step S43. If the lighting condition of the lighting device is not satisfied (No in step S42), the imaging control device 30 ends the process.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when the lighting installation place is a place where the lighting device is turned on only at night or when the surroundings are dark, the visibility of the image taken by the vehicle imaging device 10 is reduced. Can be appropriately suppressed.

Now, the vehicle imaging device 10 according to the present invention has been described so far, but it may be implemented in various different forms other than the above-described embodiment.

Each component of the illustrated vehicle imaging device 10 is functionally conceptual, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as illustrated. That is, the specific form of each device is not limited to the one shown in the figure, and all or a part of them may be functionally or physically dispersed or integrated in arbitrary units according to the processing load and usage conditions of each device. May be.

The configuration of the vehicle imaging device 10 is realized, for example, as software by a program loaded in a memory. In the above-described embodiment, the functional blocks have been described as those realized by cooperation of these hardware or software. That is, these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by only hardware, only software, or a combination thereof.

The components described above include those that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described above can be appropriately combined. In addition, various omissions, substitutions, or changes in the configuration are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Although the identification information acquisition unit 31 has been described as being a character recognition unit, the identification information acquisition unit 31 identifies the lighting installation location by, for example, a two-dimensional code, a pattern, information provided from the road side near the tunnel entrance. Any information can be acquired as long as the information is obtained.

The illuminance information database 200 may store the illuminance of one illuminating device and the installation interval of the illuminating device as the illuminance information indicating the illuminance for each position, and calculate the illuminance for each position in the illumination installation place. For example, as the illuminance information indicating the illuminance for each position, the illuminance per lighting device, the installation intervals of the lighting devices within the lighting installation site, and the total length of the lighting installation site are stored, and the end of the lighting installation site on the entrance side is stored. The illuminance with respect to the distance from the unit may be calculated.

Although the imaging control device 30 has been described as acquiring the current position information of the vehicle from the navigation system, the present invention is not limited to this. The imaging control device 30 may include a current position information acquisition unit that acquires current position information of the vehicle acquired by a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver mounted on the vehicle.

The vehicle imaging device 10 may be a vehicle imaging storage device including a storage unit that stores an image captured by the camera 20.

10 Vehicle Imaging Device 20 Camera 30 Imaging Control Device 31 Identification Information Acquisition Unit 32 Illuminance Information Reference Unit 33 Imaging Control Unit 200 Illuminance Information Database

Claims (7)

An illuminance information reference unit that refers to an illuminance information database that stores illuminance information indicating the illuminance for each position in a lighting installation location where the lighting device is installed,
An identification information acquisition unit that acquires identification information for identifying the lighting installation location where the vehicle travels,
An imaging control unit that is disposed in the vehicle and that controls the imaging conditions of the imaging unit that captures the surroundings of the vehicle,
Equipped with
The shooting condition includes at least one of aperture value, shutter speed, and sensitivity,
The photographing control unit, based on the illuminance information referred to by the illuminance information reference unit and the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit, according to the illuminance for each position in the lighting installation place, the photographing unit Control the shooting conditions of
An imaging control device characterized by the above. The identification information acquisition unit is a character recognition unit that recognizes a character included as an object to be captured in front image data captured by a front camera that captures the front of the vehicle and acquires identification information.
The imaging control device according to claim 1. The illuminance information includes a light source type of the lighting device,
The photographing control unit, based on the illuminance information referred to by the illuminance information reference unit and the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit, the illuminance for each position in the illumination installation location and the light source type of the illumination device. Depending on, and control the shooting conditions of the shooting unit,
The shooting condition includes at least one of aperture value, shutter speed, sensitivity, and white balance,
The photographing control device according to claim 1. Illuminance information acquisition unit that acquires the measurement result from the measurement unit that measures the illuminance around the vehicle,
Equipped with
The imaging control unit, based on the illuminance information referenced by the illuminance information reference unit, the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit and the measurement result acquired by the illuminance information acquisition unit, of the illuminance information. For a position where the illuminance is different from the illuminance of the measurement result, the photographing condition of the photographing unit is controlled according to the illuminance of the measurement result,
The photographing control device according to claim 1. An imaging control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The photographing unit,
An imaging device for a vehicle, comprising: An illuminance information reference step for referring to an illuminance information database that stores illuminance information indicating the illuminance for each position in a lighting installation place where the lighting device is installed,
An identification information acquisition step of acquiring identification information for identifying a lighting installation place where the vehicle is traveling and the lighting device is installed,
A photographing control step for controlling photographing conditions of a photographing unit arranged in the vehicle and photographing the periphery of the vehicle;
Including,
The shooting condition includes at least one of aperture value, shutter speed, and sensitivity,
The photographing control step, based on the illuminance information referred to in the illuminance information reference step and the identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition step, according to the illuminance for each position in the lighting installation place, the photographing unit. Control the shooting conditions of
Shooting control method. An illuminance information reference step for referring to an illuminance information database that stores illuminance information indicating the illuminance for each position in a lighting installation place where the lighting device is installed,
An identification information acquisition step of acquiring identification information for identifying a lighting installation place where the vehicle is traveling and the lighting device is installed,
A photographing control step for controlling photographing conditions of a photographing unit arranged in the vehicle and photographing the periphery of the vehicle;
Including,
The shooting condition includes at least one of aperture value, shutter speed, and sensitivity,
The photographing control step, based on the illuminance information referred to in the illuminance information reference step and the identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition step, according to the illuminance for each position in the lighting installation place, the photographing unit. Control the shooting conditions of
A program for causing a computer that operates as a photographing control device to execute the above.

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