KR102231670B1 - Laser control system of road safty facility - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laser control system for a road safety facility capable of preventing accidents or body damage to pedestrians or drivers, which may additionally occur in the process of irradiating road markings through a laser beam. The provided laser control system of a road safety facility comprises: a laser irradiation device installed in the road environment to display visual information by irradiating a laser beam on the floor; a sensing unit detecting a distance to an object approaching the laser display area; and a control unit controlling the operation of the laser irradiation device according to a distance value by the sensing unit, wherein the control unit varies the distance according to the output value of the laser beam, so that the laser beam is not directly irradiated to the driver or pedestrian.

Description

Laser control system of road safety facilities {LASER CONTROL SYSTEM OF ROAD SAFTY FACILITY}

The present invention relates to optical display control of road facilities, and more specifically, a road safety facility capable of preventing accidents or physical damage to pedestrians or drivers that may additionally occur in the process of irradiating road markings through laser beams. It relates to a laser control system.

Various facilities exist for the safety of drivers or pedestrians on the road, and traditionally, crosswalks, lanes and traffic lights correspond to this. Conventionally, development has been made in the direction of enhancing visibility by increasing the bead content of road safety facilities or using LED lamps.

However, it is not certain to improve the occurrence of safety accidents by simply increasing the visibility, and in recent years, it is possible to provide information suitable for various road environments, and reflect the habits and speeds of drivers or pedestrians to more reliably recognize them. There are suggestions on how.

For example, it is a well-known fact that when bad weather such as fog or rainfall occurs on the road, traffic accidents increase and the degree of accident damage increases. In addition, in many cases, bad weather such as fog and rainfall occurs without forecast, so the damage is aggravated by the inability of vehicle drivers or traffic officials to prepare for the bad weather, and the likelihood of an accident becomes even greater, especially when bad weather overlaps at night.

In consideration of this problem, a device or system for safely guiding a vehicle on a road in which bad weather has occurred has been developed.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2006-52964 proposes a road marking device with an improved daytime signal, and if you look at it in general, a base and a station arranged to reflect the light of the headlight back toward the vehicle to generate a night signal. A road marking device with an improved day signal consisting of one or more lenses having a reflective area is disclosed. However, this improvement only exerts a limited effect depending on the installation location and time, and it is not difficult to respond to the diversified road environment and traffic volume and exposure of too much information in recent years.

In recent years, development of technology for improving the safety and management of road facilities has been developed in line with the development of communication technology between objects, led by IoT technology, and the dissemination of information on road and traffic conditions through intelligent transport systems (ITS). It is being requested.

Accordingly, there are attempts to apply to various road facilities and markings by using a laser beam whose visibility is dramatically improved, and such a laser display technology is showing various effects by grafting it with IoT technology.

Korean Utility Model Publication No. 20-0402836 discloses a road traffic indicator using a laser beam, and FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment thereof.

Looking specifically at this, the traffic indicator 100 is coupled to the front of the laser generating means 110 for generating and scanning a laser beam, the laser generating means 110, and generated from the laser generating means 110 and scanned. It consists of a display adapter 120 that filters the laser beam to display various symbols or characters for traffic guidance.

As described above, the road traffic indicator using such a laser beam can flexibly display and display information according to the situation, and has high visibility even during daytime, thus contributing to traffic safety.

However, if the laser beam directly aims at the human body in a road environment in which a driver or a pedestrian is constantly driving and walking, there is a concern that temporary or permanent visual acuity may be deteriorated.

The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and provides a laser control system for road safety facilities that enables efficient display and identification in connection with the signal system and the pedestrian's walking state, and prevents the risk of damage to the body. It aims to provide.

The present invention is equipped in a road environment, a laser irradiation device 200 for irradiating visual information on a floor surface to display a display unit, a sensing unit 100 for sensing a distance to an object approaching the display unit, and the sensing unit A road including a control unit 1000 that controls the operation of the laser irradiation device in comparison with the distance detected by the set distance and the set distance, but changes the set distance according to the output value of the laser beam so that the laser beam is not directly irradiated to the driver or pedestrian Provides a laser control system for safety facilities.

In order to determine the distance, the sensing unit is preferably made of a TOF sensor.

In addition, the laser irradiation apparatus is disposed at a height lower than the position of the driver's eyes at least in the emitting portion, and can irradiate the laser beam in the driving direction.

The control unit includes a power sensing unit 1100 for sensing an output of the laser irradiation device, a distance determining unit 1200 for determining a distance to an object according to a sensing signal of the sensing unit, and a laser controlling the operation of the laser beam. A control unit 1300 may be provided.

As a temporary example, the laser control unit converts an ON/OFF control unit 1310 that limits whether or not a laser beam is irradiated, an area control unit 1320 that limits the display range of the laser beam, and a positional relationship between the laser irradiation device and the display unit. It comprises a direction control unit 1330 to let.

The directional control unit, as a default value, irradiates the laser beam from the driving direction to the approaching direction of the vehicle based on the position of the laser irradiation device, and if the distance measured by the distance determination unit is determined to be less than the set distance, the directing direction of the laser beam By switching to the direction away from the vehicle, the visibility time of the display unit is increased while preventing the laser beam from being directly irradiated to the driver's eyes.

According to the present invention, safety-related information can be efficiently displayed in a road environment by means of a laser beam, and physical damage to pedestrians or drivers can be prevented, thereby further improving safety. It has the effect of applying various conditions such as the presence or absence of pedestrians, displaying it to the driver, and improving the degree of understanding of the road through the grid display, thereby making the driving and walking environment safe.

In addition, since optimized exposure is possible by efficiently controlling the display of information according to the distance relationship with the object and the output of the laser, there is an effect of dramatically improving the efficiency of traffic management.

In addition, by introducing IoT technology, each sensor and control device can be operated in conjunction with each other, so that it is possible to adapt to various environmental changes and to manage an organic road system.

1 is a view showing an embodiment of a road traffic indicator using a conventional laser beam.
2 is a block diagram of a laser control system for a road safety facility according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view for explaining the operation of the laser control system for a road safety facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram showing an embodiment in which a laser control system for a road safety facility is implemented according to the concept of the present invention.
5 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a control unit in the laser control system for a road safety facility according to the present invention.
6 is a block diagram illustrating a laser control unit in a laser control system for a road safety facility according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a laser control system for a road safety facility according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

However, the embodiments described below are only for explaining in detail enough that a person of ordinary skill in the art can easily carry out the invention, and thus, the protection scope of the present invention is limited. I don't mean it.

Throughout the specification and claims, when a part includes a certain component, it means that other components may be included rather than excluding other components unless specifically stated to the contrary.

The present invention is basically a laser irradiation device installed in a road environment to display visual information by irradiating a laser beam on a floor surface, a sensing unit sensing a distance to an object approaching the laser display area, and the sensing unit A laser control system for road safety facilities that controls the operation of the laser irradiation device by comparing the detected and determined distance and the set distance, but does not directly irradiate the driver or pedestrian with the laser beam by varying the distance according to the output value of the laser beam. Provides.

In the present invention, a road is described based on the fact that asphalt pavement is formed and a vehicle with signs such as lanes and crosswalks has a driving surface, as in the illustrated embodiments, but various types of surfaces or spaces in which the vehicle can move. It can be understood to include. Accordingly, the road environment may be understood to include various means by which people, horses, motorcycles, etc., as well as vehicles such as shoulders, sidewalks, crosswalks, overpasses, and underpasses adjacent to the road, including the road, can operate or walk. will be.

2 is a block diagram of a laser control system for a road safety facility according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a case of oriented sidewalks or crosswalks is taken as an example. The laser irradiation device 200 irradiates a laser beam having a predetermined area and shape onto the road surface to display information, and in the illustrated example, a grid for visually confirming the degree of flatness, curvature, and curve of the road surface. Take (Grid) as an example. The grid may be defined as the display unit 210 by the laser irradiation device 200.

The laser irradiation device 200 may be composed of known elements such as a power supply unit, a signal control unit, and an oscillation unit, and the power supply unit may consist of a low voltage supply unit and/or a high voltage supply unit to select an output. do.

On the other hand, the sensing unit 100 performs a function of detecting the distance from the pedestrian to the laser irradiation device 200 or the sensing unit 100 or the laser control unit 1300 and the module of the sensing unit 100, and the control unit 1000 In order to determine the distance in ), it is preferable to use a distance sensor, and more specifically, it may be made of a TOF (Time of Flight) sensor. The TOF sensor detects a subject by using a phase delay or the like generated in a process in which light modulated at a predetermined frequency is reflected from the subject and returned. Looking at the operating principle of the TOF sensor, it includes a light source that emits light having a predetermined central wavelength, and modulates light emitted from the light source at a predetermined frequency to irradiate a subject to be detected. After that, the light irradiated on the subject is reflected and returned to the TOF sensor, and the distance to the subject is determined by detecting the light returning from the optical sensor and comparing the phase of the light emitted from the light source and the light reflected back from the subject. There will be. The distance detection signal of the sensing unit 100 is transmitted to the control unit 1000 so that the distance to the pedestrian can be known, and the distance detection signal can be used as a variable for controlling the laser beam irradiation ON/OFF or area control. There will be.

The control unit 1000 controls the operation of the laser irradiation device 200 by receiving a detection signal from the sensing unit 100, and the control unit 1000 may be equipped with a microcomputer or artificial intelligence algorithm that can be actively controlled. Depending on the environment, appropriate safety related signals can be displayed on the road surface. The control unit 1000 may function as a kind of local control unit that performs active control in each road environment unit and may transmit and receive information to a predetermined central management server, and an embodiment related thereto will be described later.

According to the basic concept of the present invention, by controlling the irradiation, area, or output by varying the distance (d) to the target pedestrian according to the set output, it is to prevent visual damage by not directly aiming at a person.

3 is a view for explaining the operation of the laser control system for a road safety facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, a method of providing the display unit 210 to the vehicle 20 traveling on the road will be described. Although the laser irradiation device 200 and the sensing unit 100 are shown as an example in which the laser irradiation device 200 and the sensing unit 100 are modularized and integrated in one device, the present invention is that the sensing unit 100 and the laser irradiation device 200 are spaced apart and installed according to the use situation. Is included in the concept of. For example, when there is a time difference in operation in the control of the laser irradiation apparatus 200, it may be preferable that the sensing unit 100 is disposed earlier than the laser irradiation apparatus 200 based on the traveling direction. Since the traveling direction of the vehicle 20 on the road 10 is determined, a standardized installation may be possible compared to the case of a pedestrian.

The laser beam irradiated by the laser irradiation apparatus 200 may display a speed limit on a predetermined front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 20 on the display unit 210.

If the laser beam is directly directed to the eyes, the eyesight decreases for a while due to the strong light, and there is a possibility that a traffic accident may occur due to not being able to recognize the road situation.In severe cases, there is a possibility of damage or loss of the body, the more accurate eyes. As a result, it is important not to directly irradiate the laser beam.

However, depending on the difference in the posture of the pedestrian and the driver, the difference in the seating position according to the type of vehicle, and the difference in physique or exercise method, it should be appropriately managed in the environment.

In the concept of the present invention, additionally, a method in which the emission part (reference number not shown), which is the irradiation start point of the laser irradiation apparatus 200, is located at a lower height h than the position of the human eye and is downwardly proposed. In this case, the possibility of visual impairment will be minimized. In addition, the position of the laser irradiation apparatus 200 and the direction of the directed beam also serve as important factors.

For example, when the laser irradiation apparatus 200 irradiates toward the rear in the driving direction, the laser irradiation apparatus 200 can be classified as a case in which irradiation is directed toward the front in the driving direction. However, if the laser irradiation device 200 is located on the front side of the vehicle 20 and is irradiated toward the rear in the driving direction, since the irradiation is directed toward a person, there is a possibility of impairment of vision, It would be desirable to irradiate from the rear to the front as shown.

In the concept of the present invention, the control of the irradiation direction is one embodiment, and the laser irradiation device 200 is disposed in front of the vehicle 20 to irradiate the rear side, and then by the sensing unit 100 If there is an approaching vehicle and the vehicle 20 is located within the set distance (d) related to the output, the direction of the emission unit is changed to the front, and the position of the display unit 210 is changed to the front of the position of the laser irradiation device 200 It is to do. This may further improve the ability of traffic safety because the driver detected that the position of the display unit 210 is disposed farther as the driver approaches, can check the display unit 210 for a longer period of time while driving.

In addition, in the concept of the present invention, the control of irradiation is to limit the display of the display unit 210 for a set time by limiting the irradiation of the laser beam according to the approach of the set distance d of the vehicle 20. Here, when controlling the power supply for laser oscillation, a predetermined time interval may exist. Considering the speed of the vehicle, if the simple distance d and the off control are related, there is a possibility that the driver will be exposed to the laser beam for a predetermined time. In consideration of this, the control unit 1000 may control the output of the power supply unit in advance.

As an additional embodiment, for more immediate control, by disposing a shielding means such as a shutter that forcibly shields the beam, and controlling a driving device such as a motor or an actuator, the emission of the beam may be forcibly limited.

In addition, in the concept of the present invention, the control of the irradiation range is a case in which the display unit 210 is partially restricted only at the detected or predicted position of the vehicle 20 according to the approach of the set distance d of the vehicle 20. This may be implemented through the shielding means, and a shutter concept of limiting the beam width or area of a known visible light or electromagnetic wave may be applied.

4 is a block diagram showing an embodiment in which a laser control system for a road safety facility is implemented according to the concept of the present invention.

As described above, the control unit 1000 functions as a local control device that locally controls a unit or group of the predetermined laser irradiation device 200 and the sensing unit 100, and a relay network for collecting information or receiving control commands. It may be connected to the management server 3000 through (2000).

The management server 3000 may collect information and perform integrated control by assigning identification numbers to the control unit 1000 for a plurality of locations, and communicate data between the control unit 1000 and the management server 3000. The relay network 2000 is based on a communication network including an Internet network or a base station of a communication company providing a mobile communication service, but is not limited thereto. For example, the relay network 2000 may include all network relay means complying with a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) communication protocol for efficient remote management, and a wireless broadband internet (WiBRO) as a wireless Internet. And a portable Internet such as World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX). In addition, it goes without saying that it may be combined with or configured as a part of the existing CCTV transmission network.

In the present invention, the sensing unit 100 may perform a predetermined or intelligent operation by recognizing the entry of an object such as the vehicle 20, a pedestrian, or a vehicle at a set distance d. This is the display unit 210 Means the operation for the operation of.

In the illustrated embodiment, a curve is positioned in front of the vehicle 20 in progress, and a crosswalk 11 is disposed immediately after the curve, so that there is a risk of a safety accident. Accordingly, the laser irradiation apparatus 200 may display a speed limit for deceleration of the speed as the display unit 210, and may improve visibility by flashing or the like according to a predetermined distance relationship.

When the sensing unit 100 recognizes the entry of the vehicle 20 at a predetermined distance and transmits a distance signal to the control unit 1000, the control unit 1000 performs the display unit within a distance d set according to the output of the laser. It is possible to control whether or not (210) is irradiated, the irradiation direction or the irradiation range.

Meanwhile, in some cases, the controller 1000 may control a pedestrian signal from a sensor that detects a pedestrian on the side of the pedestrian crossing 11, and the sensor on the side of the pedestrian crossing 11 is Only when there is, it will be possible to improve safety by pulling the bollard 300 up and down or performing a predetermined display. In this case, the display unit 210 may display an indication of the presence of a pedestrian to the driver, and may additionally display a display to allow the pedestrian to recognize the presence of the vehicle.

The above-described display unit 210 as a grid is mainly installed at the corner or the section immediately before the corner to which the road is connected to promote safe driving and pedestrian safety by notifying visual information on the subsequent section in advance, and in the form of a grid or a modified grid. A method of allowing a display image, which is an optical display, to be displayed on the road surface may also be considered.

5 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a control unit in the laser control system for a road safety facility according to the present invention.

The'units' defined in the present invention may mean physically classified memories or devices, and include cases implemented as an algorithm as a virtual device.

The control unit 1000 is connected to the laser irradiation device 200 and the sensing unit 100 as described above to perform a function of performing a predetermined determination and control, and a communication unit for communication with the management server 3000 ( 1500) will be omitted.

Basically, when the sensing unit 100 and the laser irradiation device 200 are installed according to the type or topography of the road or sidewalk to be installed, the setting unit 1010 provides a function of setting a control default value according to their distance relationship or location. You can do it. In addition, the content and size displayed on the display unit 210 are set in advance, and the laser irradiation device 200 according to the detection signal sensed by the sensing unit 100 through an input value for the basic output of the laser irradiation device 200. The set distance (d) to intervene in the control of) is set.

The power sensing unit 1100 may receive feedback of an output converted in a state in which the output of the laser oscillated by the laser irradiation apparatus 200 is set or an output according to the conversion of the low voltage and high voltage supply units. According to the detection result of the power sensing unit 1100, the set distance d is interlocked and converted.

In addition, the distance determination unit 1200 receives a detection signal from the sensing unit 100 and calculates a distance to an object according to a phase or time measurement. This may be adjusted according to the installed location and determined by control variables according to the terrain or type.

The laser control unit 1300 can control a region, a range, and a direction, including ON/OFF control, based on the determination result of the distance determination unit 1200 or the output related to the power sensing unit 1100. have. Specific examples related to this will be described later.

The control unit 1000 or the management server 3000 collects events with a high occurrence type (for example, personnel accidents caused by a right-turning vehicle at the time of a walking signal) centered on a predetermined installation location, and displays contents and time of the display unit 210 It will be possible to have an artificial intelligence algorithm that learns conditions for frequency, frequency, and the like, and a processing device thereof.

6 is a block diagram illustrating a laser control unit in a laser control system for a road safety facility according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The ON/OFF control unit 1310 means controlling whether to operate when approaching according to a distance (d) relationship according to the basic concept of the present invention. This may be a basic control target of the power supply unit of the laser irradiation apparatus 200, but it may be preferable to have a shutter in consideration of the charge/discharge control and time delay of power as described above. That is, by disposing a shielding means for forcibly shielding the beam and controlling a driving device such as a motor or an actuator, it is possible to forcibly limit the emission of the beam. Accordingly, when it is determined by the distance determination unit 1200 according to the approach of the set distance d of the vehicle 20, the shielding means is operated to limit the irradiation of the laser beam, thereby limiting the display of the display unit 210 for a set time. will be.

The area control unit 1320 does not limit the entire display unit 210 but controls a partial range thereof. This is a case in which the display unit 210 is partially restricted only at the detected or predicted position of the vehicle 20 according to the approach of the set distance d of the vehicle 20. It may be implemented through the shielding means, and it is as described above that a known shutter concept of limiting the beam width or area of visible light or electromagnetic waves may be applied.

In addition, the directional control unit 1330 means control of the positional relationship between the laser irradiation apparatus 200 and the display unit 210. The direction in which the laser beam is irradiated to the object is controlled, including the addition or reduction of the distance to the object. As in the above embodiment, while the laser irradiation device 200 is disposed in front of the position of the vehicle 20 by the laser control unit 1300, irradiation is performed in the rear (incoming direction), and the distance determination unit 1200 When it is determined that the vehicle 20 located at a predetermined distance is determined, the direction control unit 1330 operates to change the direction of the emission unit to the front, and moves the display unit 210 forward (away from the position of the laser irradiation device 200). It is to change the location. This may further improve the ability of traffic safety because the driver detected that the position of the display unit 210 is disposed further as the driver approaches it can check the display unit 210 for a longer period of time while driving.

Additionally, the adjustment unit 1340 may perform a function of adjusting the on-off control, area control, and directional control according to the output of the laser, and the output is related to the set distance d, so a duplicate description thereof will be omitted. .

In addition, the adjustment unit 1340 may actively control the output by controlling a voltage supplied from the power supply unit to the oscillator unit. In this case, it may be considered to control the output of the laser beam itself to minimize damage to the body or deterioration of vision.

By the laser control system of the road safety facility of the present invention described above, it is possible to prevent physical damage to pedestrians or drivers while efficiently displaying safety-related information in the road environment by means of a laser beam, thereby further improving safety. . In particular, conditions such as the presence or absence of a pedestrian signal, the entry of a vehicle, and the presence of pedestrians are applied in various ways and displayed on the driver, and the degree of understanding of the road is enhanced by the grid display, thereby making the driving and walking environment safe.

In addition, since optimized exposure is possible by efficiently controlling the display of information according to the distance relationship with the object and the output of the laser, the efficiency of traffic management can be dramatically improved.

In addition, by introducing IoT technology, each sensor and control device can be operated in conjunction with each other, so that it is possible to adapt to various environmental changes and to manage an organic road system.

In the above, the present invention has been described in detail based on the embodiments and the accompanying drawings. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the above embodiments and drawings, and the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the contents described in the claims described later.

10...Road 11...Crosswalk
20...Vehicle 100...sensing part
200... laser irradiation device 300... bollard
1000...control section 1010...setting section
1100...Power detection part 1200...Distance determination part
1300...Laser control part 1310...ON/OFF control part
1320...area control unit 1330...direction control unit
1340... coordination department 2000... relay network
3000... management server

Claims (5)

A laser irradiation device 200 installed in a road environment to irradiate visual information onto the floor to display a display unit;
A sensing unit 100 for sensing a distance to an object approaching the display unit;
Including; a control unit (1000) for controlling the operation of the laser irradiation device in comparison with the distance sensed by the sensing unit and a set distance,
The laser irradiation device,
It is arranged at the rear of the vehicle position, so that the emission part is directed forward in the driving direction,
The control unit,
A laser control system for road safety facilities that changes the set distance to the object according to the output of the set laser beam, but controls the output and irradiation direction of the laser beam so that the laser beam is not directly irradiated to the driver or pedestrian.
The method of claim 1,
The sensing unit,
Laser control system for road safety facilities made of TOF sensors.
The method of claim 1,
The laser irradiation device,
A laser control system for road safety facilities that changes the direction of the emission part when the emission part is arranged at a height lower than the position of the driver's eyes at least, but the vehicle is located within a set distance.
The method of claim 1,
The control unit,
A power sensing unit 1100 for sensing the output of the laser irradiation device, a distance determining unit 1200 for determining a distance to an object according to a sensing signal of the sensing unit, and a laser control unit 1300 for controlling the operation of the laser beam But,
The laser control unit,
Includes an ON/OFF control unit 1310 that limits whether or not the laser beam is irradiated, an area control unit 1320 that limits the display range of the laser beam, and a directional control unit 1330 that converts the positional relationship between the laser irradiation device and the display unit. The laser control system of road safety facilities made by doing this.
The method of claim 4,
The directional control unit,
As a default, if the laser beam is irradiated from the driving direction to the approaching direction of the vehicle based on the position of the laser irradiation device, if the distance measured by the distance determination unit is determined to be less than the set distance, the direction of the laser beam is adjusted to the vehicle away from the vehicle. A laser control system for road safety facilities that increases the visibility time of the display section while turning it in a direction so that the laser beam is not directly irradiated to the driver's eyes.

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