JP7349658B2 - Road surface information provision system, road surface information provision method, and lighting body - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a road surface information providing system and a road surface information providing method that provide road surface information regarding the road surface condition, and a lamp body that includes a sensor that detects the road surface condition.

2. Description of the Related Art Street lights that emit illumination light onto roads are known as nighttime lighting (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP2017-059414A

As with the street light described in Patent Document 1, the safety of passersby can be improved by irradiating the road with illumination light. However, simply irradiating the road with illumination light may not be sufficient to increase the safety of people using the road.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a road surface information providing system and the like that can improve the safety of people using roads.

A road surface information providing system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a server that provides map information including a road map through a network, and a plurality of lighting devices installed on the side of the road. a casing supported by a support installed on the side; a light source provided in the casing; a sensor provided in the casing to detect the road surface condition of the road; a communication unit that transmits road surface information regarding the road surface condition of the road detected by the sensor to the server, the server acquires the road surface information regarding the road surface condition of the road transmitted from the communication unit , and The road surface information is reflected and provided in map information , and the sensor is disposed closer to the center of the road than the light source in the housing.

A road surface information providing method according to one aspect of the present invention is a method of providing road surface information using a plurality of lighting devices installed on the side of the road, the lighting device being a method for providing road surface information using a plurality of lighting devices installed on the side of the road. a casing supported by a support; a light source provided in the casing; a sensor provided in the casing to detect the road surface condition of the road; a communication unit configured to transmit road surface information regarding road surface conditions to the outside, the sensor being disposed closer to the center of the road than the light source in the housing, and the method providing the road surface information. The steps include: acquiring road surface information regarding the road surface condition of the road transmitted from the communication unit ; reflecting the road surface information on map information including a road map; and updating the map information on which the road surface information is reflected. and providing through the network.

A lighting body according to one aspect of the present invention includes a casing supported by a support installed on the side of a road, a light source provided in the casing, and a light source provided in the casing that monitors the road surface condition of the road. a sensor for detection; and a communication unit provided in the housing and transmitting road surface information regarding the road surface condition of the road detected by the sensor to an external device; It is placed on the center side of the road.

According to the road surface information providing system and the like according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the safety of people using roads.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a road surface information providing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the road surface information providing system according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram of the lamp body according to the embodiment viewed diagonally from below. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a detection area of a sensor included in the lamp according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of road surface information acquired by the server of the road surface information providing system according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of map information provided by the road surface information providing system according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of map information provided by the road surface information providing system according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the road surface information providing method according to the embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Note that all of the embodiments described below are specific examples of the present invention. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and do not limit the present invention. Further, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in the independent claims indicating implementation modes according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described as arbitrary constituent elements. The implementations of the invention are not limited to the present independent claims, but may also be expressed by other independent claims.

Note that each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily strictly illustrated. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping explanations may be omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment)
[1. Configuration of road surface information provision system]
The configuration of the road surface information providing system according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a road surface information providing system 1 according to an embodiment.

The road surface information providing system 1 is a system that provides road surface information Ri regarding the road surface condition of the road 90 to people who use the road 90. As shown in FIG. 1, the road surface information providing system 1 includes a server 50 that provides road surface information Ri, and a plurality of lighting devices 10 connected to the server 50 via a network 40. Each lighting device 10 is provided with a sensor 26 that detects the road surface condition of the road 90. The sensor 26 detects, for example, a snowy state or a frozen state of the road 90 as the road surface state of the road 90 . Note that FIG. 1 also shows a communication terminal 60 carried by a person using the road 90.

The lighting device 10 is a device that irradiates illumination light onto the road 90, and is, for example, an outdoor lighting device such as a street light or a security light. The lighting device 10 may be installed on a road such as a park, a parking lot, the premises of an apartment complex, or the premises of a factory.

The lighting device 10 includes a support 30 installed on the side of a road 90 and a lamp 20 provided on the support 30.

The support column 30 is a columnar member, and is, for example, a telephone pole provided with a power distribution line, a street light pole, or a pole for mounting a security camera. The support column 30 may have an L-shape or a T-shape. A plurality of support columns 30 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the road 90, for example, at intervals of 20 m or more and 50 m or less, and a plurality of lamp bodies 20 are also arranged at the same predetermined intervals as described above. Although the support column 30 shown in FIG. 1 is installed on the side of the sidewalk, it may be installed between the sidewalk and the roadway, that is, on the side of the roadway. Further, the support column 30 may be installed outside the sidewalk.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the road surface information providing system 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram of the lamp body 20 according to the embodiment viewed diagonally from below.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lamp body 20 includes a light source 21, a communication section 22, a control section 25, and a sensor 26. Each of the light source 21, the communication section 22, and the sensor 26 is connected to the control section 25.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lamp body 20 has a housing 29 that is a housing case. The light source 21, the communication unit 22, the control unit 25, and the sensor 26 are provided inside the housing 29 or on the outer surface of the housing 29. The housing 29 is fixed to the support column 30 by, for example, a ring-shaped member, a fastening member, or the like. The housing 29 is provided at a position above the support column 30, for example, at a position of 4.5 m or more and 15 m or less from the road surface 91 of the road 90. The housing 29 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, for example, and is provided on the support 30 so as to protrude from the support 30 toward the center of the road 90 . The housing 29 is made of a material such as metal or resin.

The light source 21 emits illumination light onto the road 90 around the lamp body 20 in order to improve the visibility of the road 90. Examples of the light source 21 include an LED (Light Emitting Diode) light emitting module that emits white light, a fluorescent lamp, an incandescent lamp, and the like. For example, when the light source 21 is an LED light emitting module, the light source 21 is a light emitting module in which a plurality of LED elements are mounted on a substrate. The light source 21 may include a light-diffusing lens or a transparent cover to diffuse the illumination light. The light source 21 is controlled to turn on and off according to a preset time schedule and the like.

The sensor 26 is a detector that detects the road surface condition of the road 90. The sensor 26 detects whether the road surface condition of the road 90 is good or bad, and also detects at least one of a snowy state and a frozen state of the road 90. The sensor 26 is, for example, at least one of an infrared sensor, a laser sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

When an infrared sensor is used as the sensor 26, the state of the road surface 91, such as dryness, wetness, snowfall, or freezing, can be detected based on the difference in the frequency spectrum of reflected infrared waves. When a laser sensor is used as the sensor 26, the state of the road surface 91, such as dryness or wetness, can be detected based on the difference in the brightness ratio of reflected laser light. When an ultrasonic sensor is used as the sensor 26, the height of snow on the road surface 91, the height of a frozen film, etc. can be detected by measuring the reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves.

As shown in FIG. 1, each sensor 26 is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of support columns 30 installed along the road 90. Further, the sensor 26 is arranged to face the road surface 91 so as to easily detect the road surface condition. Specifically, the sensor 26 is provided on the lower side of the housing 29 so that the emission surface of detection waves such as infrared rays, lasers, or ultrasonic waves is located on the road surface 91 side. Further, the sensor 26 is arranged next to the light source 21 so as not to overlap the light source 21 when viewed from above (see FIG. 3). Further, the sensor 26 is arranged closer to the center of the road 90 than the light source 21 so as to easily detect the road surface condition of the road 90. Note that the sensor 26 may be placed on the opposite side of the center of the road 90 as long as it is next to the light source 21 .

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the detection area D1 of the sensor 26 included in the lamp body 20.

As shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of sensors 26 are arranged adjacent to each other along the road 90, and parts of the detection areas D1 of the two adjacent sensors 26 along the road 90 overlap with each other. . Further, the plurality of sensors 26 are arranged to face each other across the road 90, and a portion of the detection area D1 of the two sensors 26 facing each other across the road 90 overlaps with each other. In the road surface information providing system 1, a plurality of sensors 26 are arranged so that the road surface area on the road 90 can be detected without omission. Although the shape of the detection area D1 shown in FIG. 4 is elliptical when viewed from above the road surface 91, the shape is not limited thereto, and may be circular or rectangular. .

The sensor 26 constantly detects the road surface condition of the road 90 by constantly operating. Note that the sensor 26 may be controlled by the control unit 25 so as to have a time period in which it does not operate depending on the time of day, season, or outside temperature. The sensor 26 is attached to a scanning mechanism (not shown) that scans and detects the inside of the detection area D1, and is capable of finely detecting areas and positions in the detection area D1 that are snowy or frozen. There may be.

As shown in FIG. 2, the communication unit 22 is a communication module that communicates with the server 50 via a network 40 such as the Internet. Communication between the communication unit 22 and the server 50 is wired communication or wireless communication. The communication unit 22 is disposed in the housing 29 above the light source 21 and the sensor 26, or on the opposite side of the center of the road 90 when viewed from the light source 21 and the sensor 26 (see FIG. 3). Note that the communication unit 22 does not necessarily need to be provided inside the housing 29, and may be provided outside the housing 29, for example, inside the support column 30.

The control unit 25 is a circuit that controls the light source 21 and the sensor 26. The control unit 25 includes a clock circuit (not shown) and turns on or off the light source 21 based on time information such as a time schedule. Note that the control unit 25 is also arranged above the light source 21 and the sensor 26, or on the opposite side of the center of the road 90 when viewed from the light source 21 and the sensor 26.

Further, the control unit 25 includes a power supply circuit 25a that supplies power to the light source 21 and the sensor 26. That is, the light source 21 and the sensor 26 are supplied with power using a power distribution line drawn from the support 30 to the lamp body 20 and a common power source connected to the power distribution line.

The control unit 25 is realized by a microprocessor, a memory, a program stored in the memory, and the like. Identification information such as a MAC address (Media Access Control address) of the sensor 26 or a communication address of the lamp 20 is stored in the memory. Further, the memory stores position information of the detection area D1 of the sensor 26 or position information of the support column 30. The location information is, for example, information expressed in latitude and longitude. The control unit 25 transmits road surface information Ri regarding the road surface condition of the road 90 detected by the sensor 26 to the server 50 via the communication unit 22 and the network 40.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of road surface information Ri acquired by the server 50 of the road surface information providing system 1. The road surface information Ri includes information regarding the road surface condition, date and time information when the road surface condition was detected, identification information of the sensor 26, and position information of the detection area D1 of the sensor 26. Further, the road surface information Ri may include identification information of the lamp 20 and position information of the support 30.

The server 50 is an external device installed in a location different from the location where the lighting device 10 is installed, for example, inside a building such as a building. The server 50 provides map information Mi including road maps through the network 40. The server 50 is, for example, a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and the like. Map information Mi is stored in the memory of the server 50 in advance. Further, the memory of the server 50 stores identification information of the sensor 26 and position information of the detection area D1 of the sensor 26 in association with each other. Note that the memory of the server 50 may store the identification information of the lamp 20 and the position information of the support column 30 in association with each other.

The server 50 acquires the road surface information Ri via the communication unit 22, and superimposes the road surface information Ri on the map information Mi stored in the server 50, thereby reflecting the road surface information Ri on the map information Mi. Then, the server 50 provides map information Mi reflecting the road surface information Ri through the network 40.

Communication terminal 60 is connected to server 50 via network 40 . The communication terminal 60 is, for example, a smartphone, a smart watch, a tablet terminal, a PC (personal computer), or the like. Application software for viewing the map information Mi is installed on the communication terminal 60. The communication terminal 60 acquires the map information Mi after the road surface information Ri is reflected through the network 40 and displays this map information Mi on the screen 61.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of map information Mi provided by the road surface information providing system 1. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of the map information Mi provided by the road surface information providing system 1.

On the screen 61 of the communication terminal 60 in FIG. 6, an area on the road 90 that is snowy or frozen is displayed. On the screen 61 of the communication terminal 60 in FIG. 7, an area on the road 90 where the road surface condition is poor is displayed. Note that each screen 61 also displays information regarding the location and date and time at which the road surface condition was detected.

A person who views the map information Mi is able to grasp the quality of the road surface condition of the road 90 that they are about to pass, that is, the route from their current location to their destination, or whether the road 90 is covered with snow or frozen. can. As a result, people using the road 90 can, for example, avoid the road 90 with poor surface conditions, choose non-slip shoes, or choose to walk instead of using a bicycle. According to this road surface information providing system 1, the safety of people using the road 90 can be improved.

[2. Road surface information provision method]
Next, a road surface information providing method according to an embodiment will be described.

First, map information Mi including a road map is stored in the server 50 in advance. The server 50 is in a state where it can provide pre-stored map information Mi via the network 40. Furthermore, application software for viewing the map information Mi is installed on the communication terminal 60.

Here, the plurality of sensors 26 arranged along the road 90 detect the road surface condition of the road 90 (step S11). For example, the sensor 26 constantly detects the road surface condition of the road 90. The lamp 20 transmits road surface information Ri regarding the road surface condition of the road 90 detected by the sensor 26 to the server 50 via the network 40.

The server 50 acquires the above-mentioned road surface information Ri from the lamp 20 (step S12). Acquisition of this road surface information Ri is always executed. Note that the acquisition of the road surface information Ri may be performed at predetermined time intervals, for example, once every 15 minutes, so that the lighting body 20 responds to an information request from the server 50.

Next, the server 50 reflects the road surface information Ri by superimposing it on the stored map information Mi (step S13). Then, the server 50 provides map information Mi after reflecting the road surface information Ri through the network 40 (step S14). Writing of the road surface information Ri to the map information Mi may be performed all the time, or may be performed at predetermined time intervals.

By repeatedly performing these steps S11 to S14, the communication terminal 60 can obtain the map information Mi via the network 40 in a timely manner. According to this, a person using the road 90 can grasp the road surface condition of the road 90 in advance. Thereby, the safety of people using the road 90 can be improved.

[3. Effects, etc.]
The road surface information providing system 1 according to the present embodiment is supported by a server 50 that provides map information Mi including a road map through a network 40, and a support 30 installed on the side of a road 90, and is configured to monitor the road surface condition of the road 90. and a sensor 26 that detects. The server 50 acquires road surface information Ri regarding the road surface condition of the road 90 detected by the sensor 26, and provides the map information Mi with the road surface information Ri reflected.

According to this, people who will be using the road 90 from now on can know the road surface condition of the road 90, so they can take measures according to the road surface condition of the road 90, such as wearing rain boots, finding a detour, and riding a bicycle. You can take preventive measures, such as giving up. Thereby, the safety of people using the road 90 can be improved.

Further, the server 50 may have information regarding the position of the detection area D1 of the sensor 26.

According to this, the road surface information Ri can be accurately reflected in the map information Mi. Thereby, the safety of people using the road 90 can be improved.

Further, the sensor 26 may be provided corresponding to each of the plurality of support columns 30 installed along the road 90.

According to this, the road surface information Ri of the road 90 at a plurality of locations can be reflected in the map information Mi. Thereby, the safety of people who use the road 90 over a wide range can be improved.

Further, the plurality of sensors 26 may be arranged along the road 90, and portions of the detection areas D1 of two adjacent sensors 26 along the road 90 may overlap with each other.

In this way, by partially overlapping the two detection areas D1, it is possible to suppress failure to detect a road surface area on the road 90. Thereby, the safety of people using the road 90 can be improved.

Further, the plurality of sensors 26 may be arranged to face each other across the road 90, and a portion of the detection area D1 of the two sensors 26 facing each other across the road 90 may overlap with each other.

In this way, by partially overlapping the two detection areas D1, it is possible to suppress failure to detect a road surface area on the road 90. Thereby, the safety of people using the road 90 can be improved.

Further, the sensor 26 may detect at least one of a snowy state and a frozen state of the road 90 as the road surface state of the detection area D1.

In this way, by the sensor 26 detecting the snowy or frozen state of the road 90, the road surface information Ri regarding the snowy or frozen state can be reflected in the map information Mi. Thereby, the safety of people using the road 90 can be improved.

Moreover, the sensor 26 may detect a position in the detection area D1 that is in a snowy state or a frozen state.

According to this, it is possible to accurately reflect the position in the snowy or frozen state on the map information Mi. Thereby, the safety of people using the road 90 can be improved.

The road surface information providing system 1 further includes a control unit 25 connected to the sensor 26 and a communication unit 22 connected to the control unit 25. Road surface information Ri may also be acquired.

According to this, the server 50 can appropriately acquire the road surface information Ri via the control section 25 and the communication section 22, and can appropriately reflect the road surface information Ri on the map information Mi. Thereby, the safety of people using the road 90 can be improved.

Furthermore, the road surface information providing system 1 may further include a light source 21 that emits illumination light, and a common power source may be used for the light source 21 and the sensor 26.

According to this, power can be supplied to the sensor 26 using the power distribution line for the light source 21 drawn from the support 30 to the lamp body 20. Thereby, the road surface information providing system 1 can be easily introduced.

Furthermore, the road surface information providing system 1 further includes a housing 29 supported by a support 30, and the sensor 26 is supported by the support 30 via the housing 29 and faces the road surface 91 of the road 90. Good too.

According to this, since the sensor 26 can accurately detect the road surface condition of the road 90, the road surface information Ri can be accurately reflected in the map information Mi. Thereby, the safety of people using the road 90 can be improved.

Moreover, the sensor 26 may be an infrared sensor.

According to this, since the sensor 26 can accurately detect whether the road 90 is dry, wet, snowy, or frozen, the road surface information Ri can be accurately reflected in the map information Mi. Thereby, the safety of people using the road 90 can be improved.

The road surface information providing method according to the present embodiment includes the steps of acquiring road surface information Ri regarding the road surface condition of the road 90 detected by a plurality of sensors 26 arranged along the road, and adding map information Mi including a road map to the road surface information. The process includes a step of reflecting the information Ri, and a step of providing map information Mi on which the road surface information Ri is reflected through the network 40.

According to this, a person who will use the road 90 from now on can know the road surface condition of the road 90, and therefore can take preventive measures according to the road surface condition of the road 90. Thereby, the safety of people using the road 90 can be improved.

The light body 20 according to the present embodiment includes a casing 29 supported by a support 30 installed on the side of a road 90, a light source 21 provided in the casing 29, and a light source 21 provided in the casing 29. The communication unit 22 is provided in the housing 29 and transmits road surface information Ri regarding the road surface condition of the road 90 detected by the sensor 26 to the server 50.

According to this, a person who will use the road 90 from now on can know the road surface information Ri provided by the server 50, and therefore can take preventive measures according to the road surface information. Thereby, the safety of people using the road 90 can be improved.

(Other embodiments)
Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

Although the present embodiment shows an example in which the lamp body 20 includes one sensor 26, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the lamp body 20 may include a plurality of sensors 26. Further, the sensor 26 may be fixed to the support column 30 instead of being provided to the lamp body 20.

Furthermore, the communication terminal 60 may acquire the map information Mi either indoors or outdoors. For example, the communication terminal 60 may obtain its own current location using a GPS (Global Positioning System) function, and may obtain map information Mi including the current location.

Note that in the above embodiments, each component may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory.

Further, in the above embodiments, the processing executed by a specific processing unit may be executed by another processing unit. Further, the order of the plurality of processes may be changed, or the plurality of processes may be executed in parallel.

Note that the general or specific aspects of the present invention may be realized as a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM. Additionally, the general or specific aspects of the invention may be implemented in any combination of systems, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs, or storage media.

Other embodiments may be obtained by making various modifications to each embodiment that those skilled in the art can think of, or by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The present invention also includes such forms.

1 Road information provision system 20 Light body 21 Light source 22 Communication unit 25 Control unit 26 Sensor 29 Housing 30 Support 40 Network 50 Server 60 Communication terminal 90 Road 91 Road surface D1 Detection area Mi Map information Ri Road surface information

Claims (13)

A server that provides map information including road maps through a network,
Multiple lighting devices installed on the side of the road,
Equipped with
The lighting device includes:
A casing supported by a support installed on the side of the road,
a light source provided in the housing;
a sensor provided in the housing and detecting the road surface condition of the road;
a communication unit provided in the housing and configured to transmit road surface information regarding the road surface condition of the road detected by the sensor to the server;
The server acquires road surface information regarding the road surface condition of the road transmitted from the communication unit , and provides the map information with the road surface information reflected therein ;
The sensor is arranged closer to the center of the road than the light source in the housing.
Road information provision system. The road surface information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the server has information regarding the position of the detection area of the sensor. The road surface information providing system according to claim 2, wherein the sensor is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of support columns installed along the road. a plurality of the sensors are arranged along the road;
The road surface information providing system according to claim 3, wherein parts of the detection areas of the two sensors adjacent to each other along the road overlap with each other. The plurality of sensors are arranged to face each other across the road,
The road surface information providing system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein parts of the detection areas of the two sensors facing each other across the road overlap with each other. The road surface information providing system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the sensor detects at least one of a snowy state and a frozen state of the road as the road surface state of the detection area. The road surface information providing system according to claim 6, wherein the sensor detects a position in the detection area where the snowy state or the frozen state occurs. Furthermore, it includes a control unit connected to the sensor, and a communication unit connected to the control unit,
The road surface information providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the server acquires the road surface information via the control unit and the communication unit. Furthermore, it is equipped with a light source that emits illumination light,
The road surface information providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a common power source is used for the light source and the sensor. Furthermore, it includes a casing supported by the support column,
The road surface information providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sensor is supported by the support column via the casing and faces the road surface of the road. The road surface information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is an infrared sensor. A method of providing road surface information using a plurality of lighting devices installed on the side of a road, the method comprising:
The lighting device includes:
a casing supported by a support installed on the side of the road;
a light source provided in the housing;
a sensor provided in the housing and detecting the road surface condition of the road;
a communication unit provided in the housing and configured to transmit road surface information regarding the road surface condition of the road detected by the sensor to the outside;
The sensor is arranged in the housing closer to the center of the road than the light source,
The method of providing the road surface information includes:
acquiring road surface information regarding the road surface condition of the road transmitted from the communication unit ;
reflecting the road surface information in map information including a road map;
a step of providing the map information reflecting the road surface information through a network. A casing supported by a support installed on the side of the road,
a light source provided in the housing;
a sensor provided in the housing and detecting the road surface condition of the road;
a communication unit provided in the housing and configured to transmit road surface information regarding the road surface condition of the road detected by the sensor to an external device;
The sensor is arranged closer to the center of the road than the light source in the housing.
Light body.

Images