JP7057169B2 - Garbage truck - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a garbage truck.

Conventionally, in a garbage truck, a dust loading device has been installed in a dust loading box provided at the rear of the chassis, and the dust thrown from the dust loading port into the dust loading box can be loaded into a rotating plate or a stack. It is designed to be loaded into a garbage storage box by scraping it with a packing plate or the like. In addition, a monitoring system has been proposed to monitor a person in the vicinity of the dust inlet in order to prevent an operator who injects dust into the dust inlet from being inadvertently caught in the dust loading device (in addition, a monitoring system has been proposed. For example, see Patent Document 1).

In the monitoring system described in Patent Document 1, a camera as an image pickup means is arranged in the upper rear part of the dust input box so as to take an image of the lower dust input port and a predetermined area behind the camera. Then, if the image data taken by the camera while the dust loading device is operating is transmitted to the image processing device and it is determined that a person has invaded the intrusion prohibited area preset in this image, the dust loading device is used. I am trying to stop the operation of.

Japanese Patent No. 4283568

By the way, the setting of the area for detecting a person such as the above-mentioned intrusion prohibition area is performed, for example, at the time of the initial setting at the time of factory shipment. Conventionally, the area for detecting a person has been manually set by a plurality of workers according to the shape of the dust inlet of the garbage truck, the mounting position of the camera, and the like. More specifically, in the conventional area setting, a maintenance personal computer is connected to the image processing unit provided in the driver's seat of the garbage truck, and the operator's head is measured by the camera image displayed on the screen of the personal computer. This was done by specifying the area shape with a mouse or the like while confirming the position of. That is, when setting the area, the worker who operates the maintenance personal computer in the driver's seat at the front of the vehicle and the worker who stands near the dust inlet at the rear of the vehicle and shows his / her standing position on the camera image. It needed people to work together. For this reason, the setting work has become troublesome.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and provides a garbage truck capable of easily and quickly setting an area for detecting a person in the vicinity of a dust inlet. With the goal.

The present invention constitutes means for solving the above-mentioned problems as follows. That is, the present invention is a dust collecting vehicle provided with a dust loading device arranged inside a dust loading box at the rear of the vehicle, and a camera is used to capture the vicinity of a dust loading port opened on the back surface of the dust loading box. Position information of a person detection unit that determines whether or not a person is in the person detection area near the dust inlet and a marker in an image taken in advance by the camera based on the image data. An area registration unit for registering an area set based on The image processing unit is provided in the provided image processing unit, and the image processing unit is characterized in that the area registration mode is set by transmitting a radio signal from a wireless controller carried by an operator.

According to the above configuration, the operator standing near the dust inlet at the rear of the vehicle adjusts the marker installation position to an appropriate position as a corner of the person detection area while checking his / her standing position. Since the person detection area is automatically set based on the position information of the marker acquired from the image taken in, the dust is not required to operate the maintenance personal computer in the driver's seat at the front of the vehicle. The area setting work can be performed by one worker standing near the slot. In addition, the person detection area can be set from the viewpoint of the worker who actually collects the dust in the vicinity of the dust inlet. As a result, it is possible to easily and quickly set a person detection area suitable for each garbage truck.

In the present invention, when setting the person detection area, a pair of markers are installed in the vicinity of the dust inlet, and the pair of markers are arranged at predetermined intervals along the width direction of the dust inlet. It is preferable to be done. In this case, the person detection area has a first straight line connecting a pair of markers, a second straight line passing through one marker and extending in the front-rear direction, and a third straight line extending in the front-back direction through the other marker. The area is surrounded by a straight line and a fourth straight line connecting a position where the second straight line intersects the peripheral edge of the dust inlet and a position where the third straight line intersects the peripheral edge of the dust inlet. Is preferable. According to this configuration, the person detection area can be easily set by the pair of markers and the peripheral edge portion (leading edge portion, trailing edge portion, left edge portion, right edge portion) of the dust inlet. ..

In the present invention, the person detection area includes a first area for detecting a person in the vicinity of the dust inlet and a second area provided closer to the dust inlet than the first area. It is preferable to be provided. In this configuration, when it is determined by the determination of the person detection unit that the object image identified as a person is in the second area, the operation of the dust loading device is stopped. It is preferably configured. According to this configuration, if it is determined that even a part of the person's head or hand is in the second area, the operation of the dust loading device is stopped, thereby loading the dust. It is possible to ensure the safety of workers and the like.

According to the garbage truck according to the present invention, a worker standing near the dust inlet at the rear of the vehicle adjusts the marker installation position to an appropriate position as a corner of a person detection area while checking his / her standing position. By doing so, the person detection area is automatically set based on the position information of the marker acquired from the image taken by the camera, so that it is easy to set the person detection area suitable for each garbage truck. It can be done promptly.

It is a side view which shows the garbage truck which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the operation of the dust loading device equipped in the garbage truck of FIG. It is a hydraulic circuit diagram of the dust loading device of the garbage truck of FIG. 1. It is a schematic diagram which shows the control device of the garbage truck of FIG. 1 and the input / output state thereof. It is explanatory drawing which shows the schematic structure of the person recognition apparatus equipped in the garbage truck of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the worker who loads a garbage bag into a garbage inlet diagonally from the rear. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the image which is the image taken by the camera, and is displayed on the monitor. It is a flowchart which shows an example of an image processing / judgment routine. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the area setting using a marker. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of area setting using a marker.

An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a rotary garbage truck will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for convenience, the front, rear, left and right of the garbage truck may be simply referred to as "front, back, left and right".

FIG. 1 shows a garbage truck 100 equipped with a person recognition device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the garbage truck 100, a dust storage box 2 and a dust storage box 3 are provided on the chassis 1, and an opening at the rear of the dust storage box 2 and an opening at the front of the dust storage box 3 are communicated with each other. There is. Further, the dust input box 3 is pivotally supported with respect to the dust storage box 2 by a pivot axis 3a in the left-right direction provided on the upper portion thereof, and is tilted by a pair of left and right tilting cylinders (not shown).

Further, a substantially rectangular dust input port 4 for charging dust is opened at a lower portion on the back surface of the dust input box 3, and the dust input port 4 is opened and closed by a tailgate 5 that can be raised and lowered. It has become like. A switch box 6 for operating the dust loading device and the like is provided on the left side of the dust input port 4. Further, above the dust input port 4, a camera 7 is arranged so as to photograph an area in the vicinity of the dust input port 4. Further, a work light 8 is arranged above the dust inlet 4 so as to illuminate an area in the vicinity of the dust inlet 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the inside of the dust loading box 3 is equipped with a dust loading device for loading the thrown dust into the dust storage box 2. The dust loading device of the present embodiment is configured as a so-called rotary dust loading device in which the dust is scraped up by the rotation of the rotating plate (loading member) 10 and pushed into the dust storage box 2 by the pushing plate 20. Has been done. Specifically, a rotating shaft 11 is erected in the lower part of the dust input box 3 so as to extend in the width direction thereof, and the base end side of the rotating plate 10 is fixed to the rotating shaft 11.

In the illustrated example, a hydraulic motor 13 capable of forward / reverse rotation is connected to the end of the rotary shaft 11 via a reduction mechanism 12. The rotation of the hydraulic motor 13 is torqued up by the deceleration mechanism 12 and transmitted to the rotating shaft 11, and the rotating plate 10 is rotated integrally with the rotating shaft 11, so that the tip portion thereof has a substantially semi-arc shape in cross section. It moves in the front-rear direction along the bottom wall of the formed dust input box 3.

On the other hand, the push-in plate 20 is provided above the rotary plate 10 over the entire width direction of the dust input box 3, and can swing in the front-rear direction around the left-right swing shaft 21 provided above the push-in plate 20. It is supported. Further, the push plate 20 is provided with an extension portion 22 extending above the swing shaft 21, and a push cylinder 24 is erected between the extension portion 22 and the support pin 23 in front of the extension portion 22. The push-in plate 20 is swung in the front-rear direction by the expansion / contraction operation.

Specifically, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, when the push-in plate 20 is in the most swung position (advance limit position) toward the dust storage box 2, it rotates without interfering with the push-in plate 20. The plate 10 rotates upward, and the push plate 20 swings toward the dust inlet 4 side after this. Then, even after the push-in plate 20 swings most toward the dust input port 4 and reaches the retreat limit position shown by the virtual line in FIG. 2, the rotation of the rotary plate 10 is continued.

The rotating plate 10 that rotates in this way scrapes the dust into the dust storage box 2 side, and temporarily stops at the set stop position extending to the front dust storage box 2 side as shown by the solid line in FIG. Then, the push-in plate 20 swings toward the dust storage box 2 this time, and the dust on the rotary plate 10 is pushed into the dust storage box 2. Then, when the push-in plate 20 reaches the forward limit position again, the rotary plate 10 rotates upward again.

By repeating the rotation of the rotary plate 10 and the swing of the push plate 20 in synchronization with each other in this way, the dust loading operation in which the dust thrown into the dust loading box 3 is continuously loaded into the dust storage box 2 is performed. Will be done. The configuration of the hydraulic circuit and the electronic control device (control system) for operating the rotary plate 10 and the push plate 20 in this way will be described later.

Inside the dust input box 3, switches LS1 to LS4 for detecting the positions of the rotating plate 10 and the pushing plate 20 are provided. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the switches LS1 and LS2, which are turned on when the push-in plate 20 is in the forward limit position or the backward limit position, and the switches LS1 and LS2, which are turned on when the rotary plate 10 is in the set stop position, are turned on. Switch LS3 and switch LS4 that turn on when the rotating plate 10 rotates in a positive direction (clockwise in FIG. 1) by a predetermined angle and turn off when the rotating plate 10 rotates by a predetermined angle from the set stop position. Has been done.

The switches LS1 and LS2 are designed to detect a dog (not shown) provided at the end of the swing shaft 21 of the push plate 20, and the switches LS3 to LS4 are the ends of the rotary shaft 11 of the rotary plate 10. It is designed to detect a dog (not shown) provided in the section. Further, as these switches LS1 to LS4, for example, a limit switch, a photoelectric switch, a proximity switch and the like can be used.

Further, in the switch LS4, as shown by hatching in FIG. 2, the rotating plate 10 descends from directly below the leading edge portion 4a of the dust inlet 4 while rotating rearward thereof, and descends while rotating to the rear thereof, and the trailing edge portion 4b of the dust inlet 4b. It is a sensor for detecting that the rotary plate 10 is operating in the vicinity of the dust input port 4 in order to detect the angle range Z up to the closest to the dust inlet 4. In this angle range Z, there is a risk that the rotating plate 10 may involve a part of the worker's body, so it is referred to as "dangerous angle range Z" below.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the vicinity of the dust input port 4, emergency stop buttons 60 and 61 for stopping the operation of the dust loading device, an emergency stop plate 62, and the like are arranged. There is. As shown in FIG. 1, an emergency stop button 60 is arranged in the switch box 6 on the left side of the dust inlet 4, and as shown by a broken line in FIG. 2, an emergency stop button 61 is provided on the right side of the dust inlet 4. It is arranged. The emergency stop plate 62 is arranged so as to turn on / off the switch SW3 below the dust input port 4.

-Control system of dust loading device-
Next, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, a control system for operating the dust loading device will be described. This control system controls to output control signals to the hydraulic motor 13 of the dust loading device, the hydraulic circuit that controls the hydraulic pressure supplied to the push cylinder 24, and the electromagnetic control valves V1 and V2 provided in the hydraulic circuit. It is equipped with a PLC (programmable logic controller).

First, the hydraulic circuit will be described with reference to FIG. This hydraulic circuit includes a hydraulic pump P, an oil reservoir T, an electromagnetic control valve V1 for controlling the push cylinder 24, and an electromagnetic control valve V2 for controlling the hydraulic motor 13. The driving force of an engine (not shown) is transmitted to the hydraulic pump P via a PTO (power take-off).

As an example, the electromagnetic control valves V1 and V2 are each composed of an electromagnetic directional control valve having 6 ports and 3 positions. When the solenoid SOLa is excited by the control device PLC, the electromagnetic control valve V1 switches to the first communication position (upper position in FIG. 3), and the hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump P is introduced into the rod-side oil chamber of the pair of push cylinders 24. Supply to. On the other hand, the electromagnetic control valve V1 switches to the second communication position (lower position in FIG. 3) when the solenoid SOLb is excited by the control device PLC, and supplies hydraulic oil to the oil chamber on the head side.

Then, when the hydraulic oil is supplied from the electromagnetic control valve V1 to the oil chamber on the head side, the pair of push cylinders 24 are extended and the push plate 20 is swung forward. On the other hand, when the hydraulic oil is supplied to the oil chamber on the rod side, the pair of push cylinders 24 contracts to cause the push plate 20 to swing rearward. Further, when neither of the solenoids SOLa and SOLb is excited, the electromagnetic control valve V1 returns to the neutral position (center position in FIG. 3).

When the solenoid SOLc is excited, the electromagnetic control valve V2 switches to the first communication position (lower position in FIG. 3), supplies hydraulic oil to the oil chamber on the normal rotation side of the hydraulic motor 13, and makes the hydraulic motor 13 positive. In addition to rolling operation, the push cylinder 24 can also be expanded and contracted. On the other hand, when the solenoid SOLd is excited, the electromagnetic control valve V2 switches to the second communication position (upper position in FIG. 3), supplies hydraulic oil to the reversing side oil chamber of the hydraulic motor 13, and reverses the hydraulic motor 13. Activate.

Further, when neither of the solenoids SOLc and SOLd is excited, the electromagnetic control valve V2 returns to the neutral position (center position in FIG. 3). When both the electromagnetic control valves V1 and V2 are in the neutral position, the hydraulic oil returns to the oil reservoir T. In the illustrated hydraulic circuit, reference numeral V3 is a check valve, and reference numeral V4 is a relief valve for setting an upper limit of the discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump P.

Next, the input / output state of the signal of the control device PLC or the like will be described with reference to FIG. First, power is supplied to the controller PLC by the battery BT shown in the upper left of FIG. 4 (lower of the monitor 93 of FIG. 4). A key switch SWK, a PTO switch SWP, a relay coil CR1 and the like of the garbage truck 100 are interposed in the energization line K2 extending from the positive electrode of the battery BT to the right side of FIG. 4 and reaching the ground line K1.

Further, the upstream end of the energization line K3 is connected so as to branch from the energization line K2 in the middle of the key switch SWK and the battery BT, and the contact cr1 of the relay coil CR1 is connected to the upstream side (the side close to the battery BT). Is installed. A power lamp L is interposed in the energization line K3, and when the relay coil CR1 is turned on and the contact cr1 is closed, the power lamp L is turned on by energizing the energization line K3.

Further, the upstream end of the energization line K4 is connected so as to branch from the energization line K3 between the contact cr1 of the relay coil CR1 and the power lamp L, whereby the signal power supply unit of the control device PLC (shown in the figure). Power is supplied to the relay. That is, when the contact cr1 is closed, power is supplied to the control device PLC via the energization lines K3 and K4.

Further, the energization line K5 branching from the energization line K4 ensures that the control device PLC is energized during the dust loading operation of the dust loading device. That is, the energization line K5 is a line for inputting a so-called loading continuation signal, and here, switches SW1 to SW3 that are opened and closed in response to the operation of the above-mentioned emergency stop buttons 60 and 61 and the emergency stop plate 62 and the like. Is intervened.

When the energization (that is, the input of the loading continuation signal) is cut off by these switches SW1 to SW3, the operation of the control device PLC is stopped. As a result, all the output of the control signal from the control device PLC for exciting the solenoids SOLa to SOLd of the electromagnetic control valves V1 and V2 is cut off, and the electromagnetic control valves V1 and V2 return to the neutral position, resulting in dust. The operation of the loading device is stopped.

Further, a plurality of branch lines branching from the middle of the energization line K4 are connected, and the switches LS1 to LS4 described above are interposed in each of these branch lines. The signals from the switches LS1 to LS3 are input to the control device PLC, and the positions of the rotating plate 10 and the pushing plate 20 of the dust loading device, in other words, the operating status is detected based on these signals. Will be done.

Further, in addition to the switches LS1 to LS3, on the input side to the control device PLC, a start / stop switch of a dust loading device (not shown), a single-acting or continuous selection switch for dust loading operation, a dust loading operation and A switch for operating the dust discharge operation, a switch for operating the rotary plate 10 and the push plate 20 independently, a switch for tilting and opening the dust input box 3 and the like are also connected.

Further, as described above, the signal from the switch LS4 that detects that the rotating plate 10 is in the dangerous angle range Z is input to the image processing unit 9 instead of the control device PLC. In response to this, the central processing unit CPU of the image processing unit 9 will be described in detail later, but if it is determined that the person H such as a worker is in the danger area Y2 based on the image processing result of the image processing unit DSP, the relay switch. The SW4 is opened to cut off the energization of the control device PLC by the energization line K5.

As described above, various switches are connected to the input side, while the solenoids SOLa to SOLd of the electromagnetic control valves V1 and V2 described above are connected to the output side of the control device PLC. Then, the control device PLC has corresponding solenoids SOLa to SOLd in order to operate the hydraulic motor 13, the push cylinder 24, etc. according to a preset procedure based on the signals input from the switches SW1 to SW3, LS1 to LS3, and the like. It is programmed to output to.

Specifically, when the dust loading device operates for loading dust, both the key switch SWK and the PTO switch SWP on the energization line K2 are closed and the relay coil CR1 is energized. As a result, the contact cr1 of the relay coil CR1 is closed, so that the control device PLC becomes operable by being energized by the energization lines K3 to K5, and a control signal is output to the solenoids SOLa to SOLd as appropriate. become.

Upon receiving this control signal, the solenoids SOLa to SOLd are excited, and the positions of the electromagnetic control valves V1 and V2 are appropriately switched to supply hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic motor 13, the push cylinder 24, and the like. As a result, the hydraulic motor 13, the push cylinder 24, and the like operate respectively, and as described above, the rotation of the rotary plate 10 and the swing of the push plate 20 are repeated in synchronization with each other.

Specifically, first, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, the push plate 20 is in the forward limit position and the ON signal is output from the switch LS1, and the rotary plate 10 is in the set stop position, and also from the switch LS3. When the on signal is output, the control device PLC that receives the signal of the start switch outputs the control signal, the electromagnetic control valve V2 is switched to the first communication position, and the hydraulic motor 13 starts the normal rotation operation. .. As a result, the rotating plate 10 starts to rotate upward.

Then, when a predetermined period elapses, a control signal is output from the control device PLC to the solenoid SOLa of the electromagnetic control valve V1, the electromagnetic control valve V1 is switched to the first communication position, and the push cylinder 24 starts the contraction operation. As a result, the push-in plate 20 swings toward the rear dust input port 4, and when the push-in plate 20 reaches the retreat limit position, an on signal is output from the switch LS2.

In response to this, the control device PLC stops the output of the control signal to the solenoid SOLa, so that the electromagnetic control valve V1 returns to the neutral position and the swing of the push plate 20 is stopped. Further, while the push-in plate 20 is swinging, the rotation of the rotary plate 10 is continued, and the dust is scraped into the dust storage box 2 side, and the push-in plate 20 that rotates in this way The setting stop position is reached, and an on signal is output from the switch LS3.

In response to this, the control device PLC stops the output of the control signal to the solenoid SOLc of the electromagnetic control valve V2, so that the electromagnetic control valve V2 returns to the neutral position and the rotation of the hydraulic motor 13 is stopped. Further, the control device PLC outputs a control signal to the solenoid SOLb of the electromagnetic control valve V1, the electromagnetic control valve V1 is switched to the second communication position, and the push cylinder 24 starts the extension operation, whereby the push plate 20 Begins to swing forward.

In this way, the push plate 20 swinging toward the front dust storage box 2 pushes the dust on the rotary plate 10 into the dust storage box 2, and when the forward limit position is reached, the on signal is output from the switch LS1. In response to this, the control device PLC stops the output of the control signal to the solenoid SOLb, so that the electromagnetic control valve V1 returns to the neutral position and the push cylinder 24 is extended, that is, the push plate 20 is shaken forward. The motion stops and the series of operations ends.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, an image processing unit 9 is interposed in the energization line K5 in which the switches SW1 to SW3 for emergency stop are interposed, and a bypass bypassing the image processing unit 9 is provided. A changeover switch SWS for energizing the control device PLC by the line K6 is also provided. Further, a work light 8 and a pilot lamp 91 are connected to the output side (right side of FIG. 4) of the image processing unit 9, and lighting control thereof is performed.

-Person recognition device and emergency stop device-
By the way, as described above, when the dust loading device is operating the dust loading operation, the operator who is loading the dust into the dust loading port 4 may be inadvertently caught in the rotating plate 10 or the like. Therefore, in the dust collecting vehicle 100 of the present embodiment, the camera 7 is arranged so as to photograph the vicinity of the dust input port 4, and the image processing device is used to determine whether the person H is in the detection area Y1 in the vicinity of the dust input port 4. I am trying to determine whether or not it is. Further, when it is determined that there is a person in the detection area Y1, it is determined whether or not the person H is in the danger area Y2 closest to the dust input port 4. Then, when it is determined that the person H is in the danger area Y2, the operation of the dust loading device is immediately stopped.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, a camera 7 is arranged in the upper part of the back surface of the dust input box 3, in other words, above the dust input port 4, and the image pickup lens 70 thereof is obliquely rearward. It is pointed down. This camera 7 is originally used as a back camera for the driver of the garbage truck 100 to monitor the rear, and as an example shown in FIG. 7, the dust input port 4 and a predetermined range behind the dust input port 4 are photographed. It has become like.

The optical axis A of the image pickup lens 70 of the camera 7 is turned from vertically downward to the rear in order to photograph the rear of the dust inlet 4, and the person H in the vicinity of the dust inlet 4 is photographed from above. ing. Further, the work light 8 arranged below the camera 7 is also directed diagonally backward and downward, irradiates light substantially parallel to the optical axis A of the image pickup lens 70, and the person H is photographed in the direction of the camera 7. It is designed to irradiate from the front.

By shining the illumination light from the front in this way, the appearance of the person H does not change significantly even if the posture of the person H changes a little, so shooting even in a dark place such as at night or in an underground space. The change in the object image of the person H in the image is not so large. Further, since the work light 8 is arranged below the camera 7, the work light 8 can be prevented from being contaminated by rain and wind, and the on / off of the work light 8 can be easily visually recognized by an operator or the like.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the camera 7 is a monitor 93 for monitoring and an image processing unit 9 (an image processing device, for example, as shown by a broken line in FIG. 1, around the driver's seat) via a signal distributor 92. Is arranged in). The monitor 93 provides an image of the camera 7 to the driver of the garbage truck 100, the same image is transmitted to the image processing unit 9, and a person H such as a worker is in the vicinity of the dust input port 4. It is determined whether or not the user is in the detection area Y1 (indicated by a broken line in FIGS. 5 and 7). Then, if it is determined that the person H is in the detection area Y1, it is determined whether or not to stop the operation of the dust loading device. That is, it is determined whether or not there is a person H in the danger area Y2 (indicated by a solid line in FIGS. 5 and 7) closest to the dust inlet 4 in the detection area Y1, and the person H is present in this danger area Y2. If it is determined, the operation of the dust loading device is immediately stopped. For example, the detection area Y1 is a normal area when an operator performs a dust loading operation, and is set in a rectangular area near the dust input port 4. The danger area Y2 is set as a rectangular area between the leading edge portion 4a and the vicinity of the trailing edge portion 4b of the dust input port 4. That is, the outer edge of the danger area Y2 is set corresponding to the leading edge portion 4a, the trailing edge portion 4b, the left edge portion 4c, and the right edge portion 4d of the dust input port 4. On the monitor 93, along with the image of the camera 7, a line corresponding to the outer edge of the detection area Y1 (indicated by a broken line in FIG. 7) and a line corresponding to the outer edge of the danger area Y2 (indicated by a solid line in FIG. 7) are provided. It is displayed.

Specifically, FIGS. 5 to 7 show a worker (person H) standing in the vicinity of the garbage input port 4 with both arms extended forward to load a garbage bag. The image processing unit 9 determines whether or not H is in the detection area Y1 or the danger area Y2. Therefore, as schematically shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the image processing unit 9 is provided with an image processing unit DSP that acquires image data from the camera 7 and performs known image processing. The image processing unit DSP is a general integrated circuit that performs known image processing logic at high speed.

Further, the image processing unit 9 has a central processing unit CPU that executes a predetermined program to perform various controls, and a memory M as a storage unit that stores data used in the central processing unit CPU and the image processing unit DSP. A relay switch SW4 that is opened and closed in response to a command from the central processing unit CPU is also provided. Then, if the central processing unit CPU determines that the person H is in the danger area Y2 based on the image processing result of the image processing unit DSP, the central processing unit CPU opens the relay switch SW4.

Here, as described above, both the key switch SWK and the PTO switch SWP are closed during the loading operation of the dust loading device, and the control device PLC is energized by the energizing lines K3 to K5. Since the image processing unit 9 is interposed in the middle of the energization line K5, when the relay switch SW4 is opened in this state, the energization to the control device PLC is cut off and the dust loading device is operated. Will be stopped.

That is, an emergency stop device for stopping the operation of the dust loading device is configured by the central processing unit CPU of the image processing unit 9 and the relay switch SW4. In addition to functioning as an emergency stop device, the central processing unit CPU turns on the work light 8 while the image processing unit 9 is operating, while turning it off when it is not operating due to a failure or the like. It also functions as a lighting control unit that controls on / off of the work light 8. Further, the image processing unit 9 has an image output unit VOP for displaying the result of image processing on the monitor 93 in response to a command from the central processing unit CPU, an area for registering a detection area Y1 for detecting a person, and an area for registering a danger area Y2. A camera control unit (not shown) that controls the registration unit 94 and the camera 7 is also provided.

-Image processing / judgment routine-
The image processing unit 9 executes, for example, an image processing / determination routine as shown in the flowchart of FIG. Specifically, in the flowchart of FIG. 8, first, in step S1 after the start, the binarization process is performed by the image processing unit DSP. This binarization process is, for example, a process in which the maximum luminance value is set when the luminance value for each pixel of the input image data is equal to or more than a preset threshold value, and the minimum luminance value is set when the luminance value is less than the threshold value. Most of the effects of noise and changes in the amount of light are removed from the generated binarized image data. While performing such binarization processing, the input image data is temporarily stored in the memory M, and the color information included in the input image data is used for the person identification processing (step S3) described later. Alternatively, color binarization processing is also performed on the input image data, and the one in which the hue value for each pixel is within the preset range is extracted as the color information, while the other hue information is deleted. good.

Next, in step S2, the labeling process is performed by the image processing unit DSP. This labeling process regionalizes each pixel that is close to each other in the binarized image data, and is, for example, a process that regards a plurality of pixels that belong to the same luminance value and are close to each other within a predetermined distance as one region. .. The labeling process is performed on the entire image plane, and the one area is recognized as an object image.

Then, in step S3, the image processing unit DSP performs a person identification process for each object image. In the present embodiment, the camera 7 arranged above the dust inlet 4 captures the vicinity of the dust inlet 4 below, so that the image shows the person H as shown in FIG. 7 as an example. The head and hands of the are displayed. Therefore, the object image that satisfies the condition of the feature data is determined to be the person H by referring to the feature data set in advance. The feature data is obtained by taking images of the heads and hands of many people in advance and extracting features such as their size and shape, and is stored in the memory M of the image processing unit 9. The recognition of the person H is not limited to identifying the head or the hand, and for example, the foot or the like may be identified.

Then, in step S4, based on the image processing result of the image processing unit DSP in steps S1 to S3, the central processing unit CPU enters the detection area Y1 in which the object image identified as the person H is preset. Determine if it is. This determination is made based on whether or not the position coordinates of the pixels forming the outer shape of the region forming the object image are included (included) even in a part in the detection area Y1 (shown by the broken line in FIG. 7). Is possible. Then, when the object image identified as the person H is detected in the detection area Y1 (YES), the process proceeds to step S5, while the object image identified as the person H is detected in the detection area Y1. If not, the process proceeds to step S8.

Next, in step S5, based on the image processing results of the image processing units DSP in steps S1 to S3, the central processing unit CPU enters the danger area Y2 in which the object image identified as the person H is preset. Determine if it is included. This determination is made based on whether or not the position coordinates of the pixels forming the outer shape of the area forming the object image are included (included) even in a part in the danger area Y2 (shown by the solid line in FIG. 7). Is possible. Then, when the object image identified as the person H is detected in the danger area Y2 (YES), the process proceeds to step S6, and the object image identified as the person H is not detected in the danger area Y2. If (NO), the process proceeds to step S8.

In step S6, the central processing unit CPU determines whether or not the rotating plate 10 of the dust loading device is in the dangerous angle range Z (see FIG. 2). This determination is made based on the presence or absence of a signal from the switch LS4. Then, when the signal from the switch LS4 is on and the rotating plate 10 of the dust loading device is in the dangerous angle range Z (YES), the process proceeds to step S7, the signal from the switch LS4 is off, and the rotating plate is turned on. If 10 is not in the dangerous angle range Z (NO), the process proceeds to step S8.

In step S7, in order to stop the operation of the dust loading device, the central processing unit CPU outputs a stop signal (loading device stop signal) and ends the image processing / determination routine (end). Specifically, the central processing unit CPU opens the relay switch SW4 when it determines that the person H is in the danger area Y2 based on the image processing result of the image processing unit DSP. That is, by energizing a relay coil (not shown) to open the contact of the switch, the energization of the control device PLC by the energization line K5 is cut off. As a result, the operation of the control device PLC is forcibly stopped, so that even if there is some abnormality in the control device PLC, the energization of all the solenoids SOLa to SOLd of the electromagnetic control valves V1 and V2 is stopped. Become. Therefore, all the electromagnetic control valves V1 and V2 in the first communication position or the second communication position return to the neutral position, and as a result, the operation of the hydraulic motor 13 and the push cylinder 24 is immediately stopped. That is, if it is determined in the image processing unit 9 that even a part of the head or hand of the person H is in the danger area Y2, the operation of the dust loading device is stopped, whereby the dust is stopped. The safety of workers who load the images is ensured.

In step S8, the central processing unit CPU makes the above determination for all the object images in the image, such as whether the object image identified as the head or hand of the person H has entered the detection area Y1 or the danger area Y2. It is determined whether or not it has been completed. If the above determination has been completed for all the object images in the image (YES), this routine is terminated, and if the above determination has not yet been completed (NO), the process returns to step S4 and the above procedure is performed. repeat.

As described above, in step S4, it is determined whether or not there is a person H in the detection area Y1 near the dust input port 4. Further, when it is determined that there is a person in the detection area Y1, in step S5, it is determined whether or not the person H is in the danger area Y2 closest to the dust input port 4.

In the present embodiment, the detection areas Y1 and the danger areas Y2 used for the person detection in steps S4 and S5 are set in advance using, for example, the markers M1 to M4 as shown in FIG. 9, and are registered in the memory M. It has become. Specifically, the image processing unit 9 is provided with an area registration unit 94, and the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 for detecting a person in steps S4 and S5 are markers in an image taken by the camera 7. It is set based on the position information (position coordinates) of M1 to M4. The markers M1 to M4 in FIG. 9 are formed in a disk shape, and on the surface of the markers M1 to M4, a pattern is formed in which white and black are alternately painted in a fan shape. The center position of the markers M1 to M4 is the center of the fan shape.

Specifically, the position information of the markers M1 to M4 in the image taken by the camera 7 is acquired, and the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 are set based on the acquired position information of the markers M1 to M4, and the set detection is performed. An area registration program for storing the area Y1 and the dangerous area Y2 in the memory M is provided. Then, by executing this area registration program by the central processing unit CPU, the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 are set based on the position information of the markers M1 to M4 in the image taken by the camera 7. It has become.

For example, when setting the area for detecting a person at the time of factory shipment or maintenance of the garbage truck 100, as shown in FIG. 9, the worker (person) H stands in the vicinity of the dust input port 4. For example, the mode switching button 201 of the wireless controller 200 carried by the operator is operated. As a result, a wireless signal is transmitted from the wireless controller 200 to the image processing unit 9, and the image processing unit 9 is set to the area registration mode. In this area registration mode, the above-mentioned area registration program is executed, and the position information (position coordinates) of the markers M1 to M4 among the images taken by the camera 7 and displayed on the monitor 93 are acquired. There is. In this case, the position of the object image identified as the markers M1 to M4 and the position of the object image identified as the markers M1 to M4 by referring to the marker feature data and identifying the object image satisfying the condition of the marker feature data. Get information. The marker feature data is obtained by capturing images of the markers M1 to M4 in advance and extracting features such as their size, shape, color, and pattern, and is stored in the memory M of the image processing unit 9.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, a worker standing in the vicinity of the dust inlet 4 installs markers M1 to M4 around the dust inlet 4, and the installed markers M1 to M4 are photographed by the camera 7. do. FIG. 9 shows a state in which an image taken by the camera 7 of the dust input port 4 and a predetermined range behind the dust input port 4 is displayed on the monitor 93. The image taken by the camera 7 is input to the image processing unit 9, processed by the image processing unit DSP, and then displayed on the monitor 93 via the image output unit VOP. As shown in FIG. 9, the monitor 93 displays the markers M1 to M4 arranged around the dust inlet 4, and the detection area set (created) based on the position information of the markers M1 to M4. Y1 and the danger area Y2 are displayed.

FIG. 9 shows a case where four markers M1 to M4 are installed on the ground near the dust inlet 4. The pair of markers M1 and M2 are arranged closer to the dust input port 4 than the pair of markers M3 and M4. The pair of markers M1 and M2 are arranged so that the first straight line L11 connecting the center positions of the markers M1 and M2 is parallel to the trailing edge portion 4b of the dust input port 4. That is, the pair of markers M1 and M2 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the width direction of the dust input port 4. Similarly, the pair of markers M3 and M4 are arranged so that the first straight line L21 connecting the center positions of the markers M3 and M4 is parallel to the trailing edge portion 4b of the dust input port 4. That is, the pair of markers M3 and M4 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the width direction of the dust inlet 4. Further, the pair of markers M3 and M4 are arranged at intervals substantially the same as the length in the width direction of the dust input port 4. On the other hand, the pair of markers M1 and M2 are arranged at intervals slightly shorter than the length in the width direction of the dust input port 4.

The danger area Y2 is automatically set (created) based on the position information of the pair of markers M1 and M2. The danger area Y2 has a first straight line L11 connecting the center positions of the markers M1 and M2, a second straight line L12 passing through the center position of the marker M1 and extending in the front-rear direction, and a second straight line L12 passing through the center position of the marker M2 in the front-back direction. A third straight line L13 extending to connect a position P11 where the second straight line L12 intersects the left edge portion 4c of the dust input port 4 and a position P12 where the third straight line L13 intersects the right edge portion 4d of the dust input port 4. It is a rectangular area in a plan view surrounded by four straight lines L14.

Further, the detection area Y1 is automatically set (created) based on the position information of the pair of markers M3 and M4. The detection area Y1 has a first straight line L21 connecting the center positions of the markers M3 and M4, a second straight line L22 passing through the center position of the marker M3 and extending in the front-rear direction, and a second straight line L22 passing through the center position of the marker M4 along the front-back direction. The position P21 where the third straight line L23 and the second straight line L22 intersect the left edge portion 4c (or the front edge portion 4a) of the dust input port 4 and the third straight line L23 are the right edge portion 4d of the dust input port 4 ( Alternatively, it is a rectangular area in a plan view surrounded by a fourth straight line L24 connecting the position P22 intersecting the front edge portion 4a).

In this way, the worker (person) H standing in the vicinity of the dust inlet 4 at the rear of the dust collecting vehicle 100 confirms his / her standing position and at an appropriate position as a corner of the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2. By installing the markers M1 to M4, the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 are automatically set based on their position information, so that one worker H standing in the vicinity of the dust inlet 4 can wirelessly set. The area setting work can be performed by one person by operating the mode switching button 201 of the expression controller 200. Further, the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 can be set from the viewpoint of a worker who actually collects dust in the vicinity of the dust input port 4.

The detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 are displayed on the monitor 93 and stored in the memory M. That is, the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 set based on the position information of the markers M1 to M4 are stored in the memory M as an area for detecting a person.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2, which are areas for detecting a person, are automatically set based on the position information of the markers M1 to M4. Even if the mounting position of the camera 7 is different for each dust collecting vehicle 100, the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 suitable for each dust collecting vehicle 100 can be easily set. That is, conventionally, the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 are set for each dust collecting vehicle 100 by standing in the vicinity of the dust input port at the rear of the vehicle and the operator who operates the maintenance personal computer at the driver's seat at the front of the vehicle. The setting work was troublesome because it required two people to collaborate with the worker to show the standing position of the car on the camera image. However, according to the present embodiment, one worker (person) H in the vicinity of the dust inlet adjusts the installation positions of the markers M1 to M4, so that the markers M1 to acquired from the image taken by the camera 7 are used. Since the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 are automatically set based on the position information of the M4, the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 suitable for the respective dust collecting vehicles 100 can be set easily and promptly. ..

Here, since the detection area Y1 is set based on the position information of the pair of markers M3 and M4 arranged at predetermined intervals along the width direction of the dust input port 4, the pair of markers M3 and M4 The detection area Y1 can be easily set by the peripheral edge portion (leading edge portion 4a, trailing edge portion 4b, left edge portion 4c, right edge portion 4d) of the dust input port 4. Further, since the danger area Y2 is set based on the position information of the pair of markers M1 and M2 arranged at predetermined intervals along the width direction of the dust inlet 4, the pair of markers M1 and M2 The dangerous area Y2 can be easily set by the peripheral edge portion (leading edge portion 4a, trailing edge portion 4b, left edge portion 4c, right edge portion 4d) of the dust input port 4.

-Other embodiments-
The embodiments disclosed this time are exemplary in all respects and are not grounds for limited interpretation. The technical scope of the present invention is not construed solely by the embodiments described above, but is defined based on the description of the scope of claims. In addition, the technical scope of the present invention includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

The settings of the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 using the markers M1 to M4 described above are examples and can be changed in various ways. The sizes, shapes, colors, patterns, and the like of the markers M1 to M4 can be variously changed as long as the position information can be obtained from the image taken by the camera 7. Not limited to the disk-shaped markers M1 to M4, a pylon or the like may be used as a marker.

Although the danger area Y2 is set by the pair of markers M1 and M2, the danger area Y2 may be set by using the four markers. Further, although the detection area Y1 is set by the pair of markers M3 and M4, the detection area Y1 may be set by using the four markers. In this case, the area surrounded by the straight line connecting the four markers is set as the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 so as to form a quadrangle.

The places where the markers M1 to M4 are installed are not limited to the ground, but are on the input port table 4e of the dust input port 4 of the garbage truck 100 and the peripheral portion (leading edge portion 4a, trailing edge portion) of the dust input port 4. Markers may be placed on 4b, the left edge portion 4c, the right edge portion 4d) and the like. For example, a magnet-type marker may be attached to the peripheral edge of the dust inlet 4. Specifically, the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 can be set by the markers M1, M2, M5, and M6 as shown in FIG. In FIG. 10, the danger area Y2 is set based on the position information of the pair of markers M1 and M2 as in the case of the above embodiment (see FIG. 9). On the other hand, the detection area Y1 is set based on the position information of the pair of markers M5 and M6 attached to the peripheral edge of the dust input port 4.

As shown in FIG. 10, the marker M5 is provided at the corner portion where the front edge portion 4a of the dust inlet 4 and the left edge portion 4c are connected, and the marker M6 is the front edge portion 4a of the dust inlet 4. It is provided at the corner where the right edge portion 4d and the right edge portion 4d are connected. The detection area Y1 is automatically set (created) based on the position information of the pair of markers M5 and M6. The detection area Y1 has a first straight line L31 connecting the center positions of the markers M5 and M6, a second straight line L32 passing through the center position of the marker M5 and extending in the front-rear direction, and a second straight line L32 passing through the center position of the marker M6 along the front-back direction. It is a rectangular area in a plan view surrounded by a third straight line L33 extending along the line and a fourth straight line L34 parallel to the first straight line L31. The fourth straight line L34 is a straight line connecting the positions P31 and P32, which are line-symmetrical with the markers M5 and M6, with respect to the first straight line L11 connecting the center positions of the markers M1 and M2.

In the above embodiment, two areas, the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2, are set as the person detection area, but only the danger area Y2 may be set by using the marker. Alternatively, three or more areas including the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2 may be set by using the marker. Further, in the above embodiment, the detection area Y1 and the danger area Y2, which are the person detection areas, are rectangular areas in a plan view, but the shape of the areas may be other than the rectangular shape. Further, the area is not limited to the area surrounded by a rectangle or the like, and the dangerous area near the dust inlet 4 and the other safety areas may be separated by a line parallel to the width direction of the dust inlet 4. In this case, a line parallel to the width direction of the dust inlet 4 may be set based on the position information of the marker.

In the above embodiment, the image processing unit 9 is interposed in the energization line K4 to the control device PLC, and the energization to the control device PLC is cut off by opening the relay switch SW4. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, when the image processing unit 9 determines that the person H is in the danger area Y2, a stop signal is output to the control device PLC, and the electromagnetic control valve V1 and the control device PLC receiving the stop signal are output. The output of the control signal to the solenoids SOLa to SOLd of the V2 may be stopped, and any other configuration that can stop the operation of the dust loading device can be adopted.

In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is embodied as a garbage truck 100 equipped with a so-called rotary dust loading device is described, and the main part of the dust loading device is a rotating plate 10 and a pushing plate 20. It is configured. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the main part of the dust loading device may be composed of an elevating plate and a pushing plate, and the structure thereof is not particularly limited.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a garbage truck that photographs the vicinity of a dust inlet with a camera and determines whether or not a person is in a predetermined area near the dust inlet based on the image.

1 Chassis 2 Dust storage box 3 Dust input box 4 Dust input port 7 Camera 9 Image processing unit (image processing device)
93 Monitor 94 Area registration unit 100 Garbage truck 200 Wireless controller 201 Mode switching button M Memory (storage unit)
M1 to M4 marker Y1 detection area (1st area)
Y2 Danger area (2nd area)

Claims (5)

It is a garbage truck equipped with a garbage loading device arranged inside the garbage truck at the rear of the vehicle.
A person who takes a picture of the vicinity of the dust input port opened on the back surface of the dust input box with a camera and determines whether or not a person is in the person detection area near the dust input port based on the image data. With the detector
An area registration unit for registering an area set based on the position information of a marker in an image previously captured by the camera in a storage unit as the person detection area used in the determination of the person detection unit is provided.
The area registration unit is provided in an image processing unit provided in front of the vehicle with respect to the dust input box.
The image processing unit is a garbage truck characterized in that it is set to an area registration mode by transmitting a wireless signal from a wireless controller carried by an operator. In the garbage truck according to claim 1.
When setting the person detection area, a pair of markers are installed in the vicinity of the dust inlet, and the pair of markers are arranged at predetermined intervals along the width direction of the dust inlet. A characteristic garbage truck. In the garbage truck according to claim 2.
The person detection area includes a first straight line connecting a pair of markers, a second straight line passing through one marker and extending in the front-back direction, and a third straight line passing through the other marker and extending in the front-back direction. The area is surrounded by a fourth straight line connecting a position where the second straight line intersects the peripheral edge of the dust inlet and a position where the third straight line intersects the peripheral edge of the dust inlet. A dust collection vehicle. In the garbage truck according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The person detection area is provided with a first area for detecting a person in the vicinity of the dust input port and a second area provided in the vicinity of the dust input port rather than the first area. A characteristic garbage truck. In the garbage truck according to claim 4.
When it is determined by the determination of the person detection unit that the object image identified as a person is in the second area, the operation of the dust loading device is stopped. A garbage truck that features that.

Images