JP7438069B2 - remote distance measuring device - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to curb blocks and separation distance measurement devices.

Conventionally, when vehicles such as buses and trams (streetcars) stop at a bus stop, special equipment is used to reduce the distance between the sidewalk and the boarding gate, as well as the difference in level between the sidewalk and the boarding gate, in order to improve the so-called correct arrival. Structural curbs are provided.

For example, in a curb block (roadway boundary block) that includes a base part that has a top part that is provided so as to be continuous with the roadway, and a curb part that rises from one end side of the base part, the slope of the top part is set to A shape with a larger inclination than the horizontal direction has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

According to such a curb block, by driving with the wheels mounted on the upper surface that is sloped from the road, the vehicle can naturally approach the curb block side, without relying on the driver's advanced driving skills. , it is possible to improve the ability to arrive at the bus stop more easily.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-87420

When the above-mentioned curb block is used, it is effective to be able to evaluate how well each vehicle stopping at a stop has. Specifically, it is desirable to be able to easily and accurately measure the distance between a vehicle entrance and exit and a sidewalk (curb block).

The following disclosure has been made in view of this situation, and aims to provide a curb block and a separation distance measuring device that can easily and accurately measure the separation distance from a vehicle.

One aspect of the present disclosure is a curb block (for example, a curb block 100) provided at the boundary of a roadway (roadway 10), wherein a gap portion (a gap portion 131) opening on a side surface of the curb block on the road side is provided. A sensor unit (sensor unit 140) used for measuring the distance to the vehicle (bus 50) is disposed in the gap, and the sensor unit is located at the open end (opening) of the gap on the road side. end 131a).

One aspect of the present disclosure is a separation distance measuring device (separation distance measuring device 200) that measures the distance to a vehicle (bus 50) approaching a curb block (for example, curb block 100) provided at the boundary of a roadway (roadway 10). ), comprising a distance measuring section (distance measuring section 210) that is connected to a sensor unit disposed in a gap opening on the side surface of the curb block on the road side and measures the distance, the sensor unit , a short-distance sensor (short-distance sensor 141) used to measure the distance below a predetermined distance, and a long-distance sensor (long-distance sensor 142) used to measure the distance exceeding the predetermined distance. The distance measuring unit measures the distance using at least one of an output signal of the short-distance sensor and an output signal of the long-distance sensor.

According to the curb block and distance measuring device described above, the distance from the vehicle can be easily and accurately measured.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a road structure including curb blocks. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the curb block 100. FIG. 3 is a functional block configuration diagram of the curb block 100 (sensor unit 140) and the distance measuring device 200. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an operation flow for measuring the separation distance by the separation distance measuring device 200. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an output signal from the sensor unit 140. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of measuring the horizontal separation distance based on output signals from the short-distance sensor 141 and the long-distance sensor 142. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of measuring the vertical separation distance based on the output signal from the short-range sensor 141. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of measurement data of horizontal separation distance. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a curb block 100A according to a modified example.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described based on the drawings. Note that the same functions and configurations are given the same or similar symbols, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

(1) Example of road structure including curb blocks FIG. 1 shows an example of a road structure including curb blocks. The roadway 10 is a road provided for vehicles, specifically, buses 50 to travel on.

Sidewalk 20 is a road established for pedestrians, and is one step higher (approximately 15 cm to 30 cm) than roadway 10. A stop (not shown) where passengers get on and off the bus 50 is provided on a part of the sidewalk 20.

Bus 50 includes a plurality of wheels 51. As shown in FIG. 1, a so-called double tire, in which two tires are assembled in parallel, may be used for the rear wheel.

The type of bus 50 is not particularly limited, and includes, for example, a large bus (approximately 10 to 11 m in total length, approximately 2.5 m in total width), a medium-sized bus (approximately 10 m in total length, approximately 2.3 m in total width), or a small bus (approximately 6.3 to 7.0 m in total length, (total width of approximately 2.0m) may be sufficient.

Note that the bus 50 is not limited to these types, and may be a vehicle used as a so-called bus rapid transit system (BRT), or an articulated bus in which two or more vehicles are connected.

When the bus 50 stops at a stop, the distance between the bus 50 entrance and the sidewalk 20 (referred to as the horizontal separation distance) and the difference in level between the bus 50 entrance and exit and the sidewalk 20 (referred to as the vertical separation distance) are minimized as much as possible. This is preferable from the viewpoint of ease of getting on and off. In particular, for users of wheelchairs, strollers, or luggage carts, it is desirable to minimize the distance and step difference to improve so-called proper landing.

Correct arrival performance is a performance related to the on-time performance and ease of getting on and off a bus, and mainly refers to separation distance (which may also be referred to as correct arrival distance). The separation distance is the distance between the curb block 100 and the bus 50, specifically, the distance from the edge of the sidewalk 20 on the roadway 10 side to the edge (step) of the boarding/exit of the bus 50, and is the horizontal separation distance. Divided into vertical separation distance.

In order to improve the ability of the bus 50 to arrive correctly, in this embodiment, a specially shaped curb block 100 is used at the boundary between the roadway 10 and the sidewalk 20 (roadway boundary). A plurality of curb blocks 100 are arranged along the extending direction of the roadway 10 and partition the roadway 10 and the sidewalk 20.

The curb block 100 has a curb section 110 and a housing section 130. The curb portion 110 rises from the roadway 10 and partitions the roadway 10 and the sidewalk 20, and the sidewalk 20 can be provided at a position one level higher than the roadway 10. The curb portion 110 may be made of concrete like a general curb, but considering that it will come into contact with the side wall of the wheel 51 (tire), it may be made of rubber or reinforced plastic.

The housing section 130 is provided above the curb section 110. The housing section 130 may be provided to adjust the level difference between the boarding entrance of the bus 50 and the sidewalk 20. For this purpose, the housing section 130 may be called a mount-up section or the like.

In this embodiment, the casing section 130 is separate from the curb section 110, and can be made of metal such as stainless steel (although it may also be made of wood or the like). A sensor unit 140 used for measuring the separation distance from the bus 50 is arranged in the housing section 130.

(2) Shape of curb block FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the curb block 100. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of curb blocks 100 are arranged along the extending direction D1 of the roadway 10 (see FIG. 1). As mentioned above, the curb block 100 is provided at the boundary of the roadway 10.

A gap portion 131 may be formed in the side surface 120 of the curb block 100 on the roadway 10 side. The void portion 131 opens to the side surface 120. Specifically, the void portion 131 is formed in the housing portion 130.

A sensor unit 140 used for measuring the distance (separation distance) from the bus 50 is arranged in the gap 131. The sensor unit 140 may include a plurality of sensors for distance measurement.

The sensor unit 140 is arranged inside the opening end 131a of the gap portion 131 on the roadway 10 side. Specifically, the sensor unit 140 is arranged closer to the sidewalk 20 than the open end 131a, that is, on the side away from the roadway 10 (see also the position of the sensor unit 140 indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 1). For example, the sensor unit 140 may be placed about 20 to 100 mm inside the opening end 131a.

The side surface 120 of the curb block 100 is preferably shaped to avoid contact with the body of the bus 50. For example, the curb block 100 can have a shape like a roadway boundary block described in JP-A-2018-87420.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, even if the inclination of the roadway 10 near the sidewalk 20 (or the upper surface portion of the curb block 100 connected to the roadway 10) is made larger than the inclination of the roadway 10 in the horizontal direction in the road width direction. good. This allows the bus 50 to naturally approach the curb block 100 side (for details, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-87420).

(3) Functional block configuration of curb block and distance measuring device FIG. 3 is a functional block configuration diagram of the curb block 100 (sensor unit 140) and distance measuring device 200.

As shown in FIG. 3, a sensor unit 140 is arranged in the housing section 130 of the curb block 100. Sensor unit 140 includes a short-range sensor 141 and a long-range sensor 142.

The short distance sensor 141 is used to measure distances that are less than or equal to a predetermined distance. Specifically, the short distance sensor 141 is used for measurement when the distance from the bus 50 is less than or equal to a predetermined distance.

The long-distance sensor 142 is used to measure distances exceeding a predetermined distance. Specifically, the long-distance sensor 142 is used for measurement when the separation distance from the bus 50 exceeds a predetermined distance.

The predetermined distance may be changed depending on the type or performance of the short-distance sensor 141 and the long-distance sensor 142. The short distance sensor 141 may be a distance sensor using laser light, for example. Further, the long distance sensor 142 may be a distance sensor using ultrasonic waves, for example.

It is preferable that the short distance sensor 141 can measure a distance of about 80 mm to 180 mm or 100 to 200 mm. It is preferable that the long-distance sensor 142 can measure a distance of about 150 mm to 1,000 mm.

The short-distance sensor 141 and the long-distance sensor 142 are used when the object to be measured such as the bus 50 cannot be detected, that is, when the distance between the short-distance sensor 141 and the object to be measured is approximately 200 mm or more, the long-distance sensor 142 is used. When the distance between the object and the object to be measured is approximately 1,000 mm or more, a predetermined voltage (e.g. 5V) is output, and when the object to be measured is detected, a voltage corresponding to the distance from the object to be measured (e.g. , less than 5V).

The separation distance measurement device 200 measures the distance (separation distance) from a vehicle such as a bus 50 approaching a curb block 100 provided at the boundary of the roadway 10.

The distance measurement device 200 includes a distance measurement section 210, a storage section 220, and a communication section 230. Note that the distance measuring device 200 may include a processor, a memory, an input/output interface, an external interface, and a communication interface as hardware elements. Further, the separation distance measuring device 200 may be called a correct landing distance automatic measuring (or measuring) device or the like.

The distance measuring section 210 is connected to a sensor unit 140 arranged in a gap 131 that opens to the side surface 120 of the curb block 100 on the roadway 10 side. For example, the distance measuring section 210 may be connected to the sensor unit 140 by wire or wirelessly via a wireless communication unit (not shown).

Distance measuring section 210 measures the distance (separation distance) from a vehicle such as bus 50 based on a signal (voltage) output from sensor unit 140. Specifically, the distance measurement unit 210 can measure the separation distance using at least one of the voltage output from the short distance sensor 141 and the voltage output from the long distance sensor 142. That is, the distance measurement unit 210 can measure the separation distance using at least one of the output signal of the short-distance sensor 141 and the output signal of the long-distance sensor 142.

More specifically, the distance measuring unit 210 converts it into a distance using a relational expression between the voltage value output from the short-distance sensor 141 or the long-distance sensor 142 and the distance. The relational expression between the voltage value and the distance may be defined according to the characteristics of the short-distance sensor 141 and the long-distance sensor 142.

The distance measurement unit 210 also measures the separation distance in the horizontal direction between an object to be measured such as the bus 50 and the sensor unit 140 (hereinafter referred to as horizontal separation distance), and the separation distance in the vertical direction between the object to be measured and the sensor unit 140. (hereinafter referred to as vertical separation distance) can be measured.

Specifically, the distance measuring unit 210 can measure the horizontal separation distance using the output signal from the short-distance sensor 141 or the long-distance sensor 142. The distance measurement unit 210 measures the distance along the horizontal direction from the lower body side surface of the bus 50 as a horizontal separation distance.

On the other hand, the distance measurement unit 210 can measure the vertical separation distance using only the output signal from the short distance sensor 141. Specifically, the distance measuring unit 210 measures the distance along the vertical direction from the short-distance sensor 141 to the floor surface of the bus 50 as the vertical separation distance. The vertical separation distance can be measured with the entrance/exit door of the bus 50 open. Alternatively, even when the door is closed, the floor surface (step) protrudes the most in the vehicle width direction, so the measurement may be performed targeting the step.
Note that specific examples of measuring the horizontal separation distance and the vertical separation distance will be described later.

The storage unit 220 can store data on the distance (or the voltage value itself) measured by the distance measurement unit 210. The storage unit 220 can store the data in association with time information (date and time). Note that the storage unit 220 may be configured by a storage device such as a data logger.

The communication unit 230 can be connected to an external communication network (which may include the Internet) or a communication device via a wired or wireless communication interface.

The communication unit 230 can transmit the data stored in the storage unit 220 or the real-time data of the distance (or the voltage value itself) output from the distance measurement unit 210 to the communication network or communication device. Furthermore, the communication unit 230 can receive a control signal (for example, erasing data stored in the storage unit 220) from the communication network or communication device.

(4) Measuring operation of separation distance by curb block and separation distance measuring device Next, a description will be given of an operation of measuring separation distance between the curb block 100 and the separation distance measuring device 200 with respect to a measurement target such as the bus 50.

(4.1) Separation Distance Measuring Operation Flow FIG. 4 shows a separation distance measurement operation flow by the separation distance measuring device 200. As shown in FIG. 4, the remote distance measuring device 200 detects the output voltages of the short distance sensor 141 and the long distance sensor 142 (S10).

Specifically, the remote distance measuring device 200 detects the output voltage (0 to 5 V) from the short distance sensor 141 and the output voltage (0 to 5 V) from the long distance sensor 142. As mentioned above, when the object to be measured such as the bus 50 cannot be detected, the short-range sensor 141 and the long-range sensor 142 output a voltage of approximately 5V, and when the object to be measured is detected, Outputs a voltage of less than 5V depending on the separation distance.

The separation distance measuring device 200 measures the horizontal separation distance (S20). The horizontal separation distance is the separation distance in the horizontal direction between an object to be measured such as the bus 50 and the sensor unit 140, and as schematically shown in FIG. (dotted line part).

However, depending on the height of the sidewalk 20, the type of bus 50, the number of passengers, etc., the actually measured horizontal separation distance may not necessarily be parallel to the horizontal direction. Alternatively, if the actually measured horizontal separation distance is not parallel to the horizontal direction, the true horizontal separation distance may be calculated (using trigonometric functions) based on the measured horizontal separation distance and vertical separation distance.

The separation distance measurement device 200 uses the output voltage of the short-distance sensor 141 or the long-distance sensor 142 depending on the separation distance from the measurement target, and determines the horizontal separation distance according to the output voltage.

Further, the separation distance measuring device 200 measures the vertical separation distance (S30). The vertical separation distance is the separation distance in the vertical direction between an object to be measured such as the bus 50 and the sensor unit 140, and as schematically shown in FIG. (dotted line part).

Note that the measured vertical separation distance may be corrected in consideration of the distance between the short-distance sensor 141 and the top surface of the housing section 130 in the vertical direction. Specifically, the distance between the short-range sensor 141 and the top surface of the housing section 130 may be subtracted from the measured vertical separation distance.

The range of the vertical separation distance is determined by the structure of the bus 50, and it does not become as large as the horizontal separation distance. Therefore, the separation distance measurement device 200 uses the output voltage of only the short-range sensor 141, and calculates the range according to the output voltage. Determine the vertical separation distance.

Specifically, the separation distance measuring device 200 measures the distance along the vertical direction from the short-distance sensor 141 to the floor surface of the bus 50 as the vertical separation distance. Note that details of the method for determining the vertical separation distance will be described further later.

The separation distance measuring device 200 stores data (measurement data) of the measured horizontal separation distance and vertical separation distance (S40). Specifically, the separation distance measuring device 200 stores measurement data in the storage unit 220.

The separation distance measuring device 200 repeats the processes of S10 to S40 at a predetermined period (for example, about 10 seconds to 1 minute). Thereby, it is possible to determine whether the bus 50 has stopped at the stop and the separation distance from the sidewalk 20 (correct arrival distance). Note that the processes in S20 and S30 may be executed simultaneously, or the process in S30 may be executed first.

(4.2) Output signal from sensor unit 140 FIG. 5 shows an example of an output signal from sensor unit 140. Specifically, the vertical axis of the upper graph in FIG. 5 indicates the output voltage from the long-distance sensor 142. The horizontal axis indicates time. The vertical axis of the lower graph in FIG. 5 indicates the output voltage from the short-range sensor 141.

As shown in FIG. 5, the long-distance sensor 142 (and the short-distance sensor 141) outputs approximately 5V when the bus 50 is not at the location where the sensor unit 140 is located, that is, at a bus stop.

FIG. 6 shows an example of measuring the horizontal separation distance based on output signals from the short-distance sensor 141 and the long-distance sensor 142.

As described above, the long-distance sensor 142 can measure distances of approximately 150 mm to 1,000 mm. Therefore, if the separation distance between the bus 50 and the sidewalk 20 is wide to some extent, the separation distance (horizontal separation distance) may be measured based on the output voltage from the long-distance sensor 142.

On the other hand, if the separation distance between the bus 50 and the sidewalk 20 becomes narrower (becomes a short distance), the long-distance sensor 142 cannot measure it, so the separation distance ( horizontal separation distance). As described above, the short distance sensor 141 can measure a distance of about 80 mm to 180 mm or 100 to 200 mm.

FIG. 7 shows an example of measuring the vertical separation distance based on the output signal from the short-range sensor 141. As shown in FIG. 7, the vertical separation distance is measured by detecting the height position of the boarding and alighting steps on the floor of the bus 50 stopped at the bus stop.

The vertical direction in FIG. 7 indicates the height direction (vertical direction), and a plurality of measurement points in the height direction are set. In the example shown in FIG. 7, ten measurement points are set at 10 mm intervals from 10 mm to 100 mm. Note that the numerical value of 10 mm to 100 mm corresponds to the distance in the height direction (vertical direction) with respect to the position of the short-range sensor 141, that is, the vertical separation distance.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the short-range sensor 141 outputs a low voltage (0V) at positions 50, 60, and 70 mm due to the floor surface of the bus 50 with the entrance door of the bus 50 open. Output. As a result, the separation distance measuring device 200 detects that there are objects to be measured at positions of 50, 60, and 70 mm, and that the highest position of 70 mm is the height position of the step for getting on and off. As described above, a distance sensor using a laser beam can be used as the short-distance sensor 141, but by using a line laser (for example, width of about 100 mm), the height position of the lifting step can be quickly determined.

(4.3) Example of measurement data of separation distance FIG. 8 shows an example of measurement data of horizontal separation distance. The vertical axis of the graph shown in FIG. 8 indicates the horizontal separation distance (unit: mm). Further, the horizontal axis of the graph corresponds to time, but the presence or absence of a straight line portion of the graph extending in the vertical direction indicates buses that departed from and arrived at the stop. Each of the straight line segments corresponds to the horizontal separation distance of each bus stopped at the stop.

(5) Actions and Effects According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained. Specifically, the sensor unit 140 placed in the gap 131 of the curb block 100 is placed inside the opening end 131a of the gap 131 on the roadway 10 side.

Therefore, the distance from the bus 50 can be measured while suppressing the adverse effects of rain, mud, etc. on the sensor unit 140. That is, according to the curb block 100 and the separation distance measuring device 200, the separation distance from the bus 50 can be easily and accurately measured.

Further, by arranging the sensor unit 140 inside the opening end 131a, it is possible to narrow the range in which measurement by the sensor unit 140, specifically, the short-distance sensor 141 and the long-distance sensor 142 is impossible. . For example, if the short-distance sensor 141 with a measurement range of 100 to 200 mm is placed 100 mm inside the opening end 131a, a horizontal separation distance of 0 to 100 mm can be measured.

Note that as an alternative to the sensor unit 140, it may be possible to use image data taken by a video camera, but this may have a large error in distance accuracy due to distortion of the photographic lens, a processing load for image analysis, and the amount of data. Problems may arise, such as the large size of image data and the handling of personal information contained in the image data.

Furthermore, manually measuring distance using a tape measure or the like is not practical in the first place because there is a limit to the available time, the measurement error is even larger, and it interferes with getting on and off the vehicle.

In this embodiment, the sensor unit 140 includes a short-range sensor 141 and a long-range sensor 142. Therefore, although the separation distance (horizontal separation distance) varies greatly depending on the stop position of the bus 50, the separation distance (horizontal separation distance) can be accurately measured whether the separation distance is short or long.

In this embodiment, the short distance sensor 141 is a distance sensor that uses laser light. Therefore, even when the separation distance is extremely short (for example, 100 mm or less), the separation distance (horizontal separation distance and vertical separation distance) can be accurately measured.

In this embodiment, the housing section 130 is provided above the curb section 110, and the sensor unit 140 is arranged in the gap 131 of the housing section 130. Therefore, the sensor unit 140 can be easily arranged.

(6) Other Embodiments Although the embodiments have been described above, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the embodiments are not limited to the description of the embodiments, and that various modifications and improvements can be made.

For example, the curb block 100 may be modified as follows. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a curb block 100A according to a modified example.

As shown in FIG. 9, a void portion 125 is formed in the side surface 120 of the curb block 100A. A sensor unit 140 is arranged in the void portion 125.

Note that also in the case of the curb block 100A, the sensor unit 140 is preferably arranged inside the opening end 125a of the gap portion 125 on the roadway 10 side.

Furthermore, the acceleration/deceleration G and speed data of the bus 50 may be acquired to predict the durability of tires and the like.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the side surface 120 of the curb block 100 has a unique shape that can avoid contact with the body of the bus 50, but the curb block 100 may have a general shape.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the bus 50 has been described as an example, but a vehicle on which passengers get on and off at a stop, such as a tram (streetcar), etc. may also be used.

Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described in the present disclosure. The present disclosure can be implemented as modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as determined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustrative explanation and is not intended to have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure.

10 Roadway
20 Sidewalk
30 stops
50 buses
51 wheels
100, 100A curb block
110 Curb section
120 side
125 Void area
125a Open end
130 Housing section
131 Void part
131a Open end
140 Sensor unit
141 Short-range sensor
142 Long distance sensor
200 Distance measuring device
210 Distance measurement section
220 Storage section
230 Communication Department

Claims (3)

A separation distance measuring device that measures the distance from a vehicle approaching a curb block provided at the boundary of a roadway,
a distance measuring unit connected to a sensor unit disposed in a gap opening on a side surface of the curb block on the road side and measuring the distance;
The sensor unit is
a short-range sensor used to measure the distance below a predetermined distance;
and a long-distance sensor used to measure the distance exceeding the predetermined distance,
The distance measuring section is
measuring a horizontal separation distance between the vehicle and the sensor unit in the horizontal direction using an output signal from the short-distance sensor or the long-distance sensor;
A separation distance measuring device that measures a vertical separation distance in a vertical direction between the vehicle and the sensor unit using only the output signal of the short distance sensor. The separation distance measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the distance measurement unit measures a distance along a vertical direction from the short distance sensor to a floor surface of the vehicle as the vertical separation distance. The curb block is
a curb portion rising from the roadway;
a casing section provided above the curb section;
has
The void portion is formed in the housing portion.
The separation distance measurement unit according to claim 2, wherein the distance measurement unit corrects the vertical separation distance by subtracting the distance between the short-distance sensor and the top surface of the housing unit from the measured vertical separation distance. Device.

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