KR20010045683A - Method and apparatus for collecting high reliable traffic information using a probe car - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method and apparatus for controlling reliable traffic information using probe car is provided to improve reliability of the traffic information collected by sensing vehicle on same lane approximative to the probe car. CONSTITUTION: Two scanning sensors(220,230) are located on one side of a probe car transversally with predetermined space and sense transversal pass vehicles. A signal processing unit(250) analyzes the output signals from the two scanning sensors, calculates velocities of the transversal pass vehicles and generates the transversal pass vehicle informations using the velocities of the transversal pass vehicles. A transmitter(270) unit transmits the transversal pass vehicle informations. An acceptive sensing range of the scanning sensors is controlled within width of one lane.

Description

Method and apparatus for collecting high reliable traffic information using a probe car}

The present invention relates to a method for collecting reliable traffic information, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for efficiently collecting reliable traffic information by removing error data in automatically collecting traffic information from moving vehicles. .

Traffic information collection is generally made from CCTV installed on the road, traffic correspondents, various sensors installed on the road, and the like. This information is analyzed and processed by the traffic information control center and delivered to various organizations or systems that provide traffic information.

However, when collecting traffic information using a sensor such as a point detector and a beacon, the reliability of the detected speed is low, and the reliability of the collected traffic information varies according to the installation position of the sensor. That is, where the sensor installation density is low, there is a problem that the reliability of the collected traffic information is very low.

In addition, since the sensor must be installed on all roads where the collection of traffic information is desired, the installation cost is enormous. Moreover, there is a drawback that a considerable cost is consumed not only when constructing a new road, but also for maintenance management due to the aging of a facility.

As described above, a method of collecting traffic information using a probe car (or an observation vehicle) is disclosed for collecting traffic information without incurring a huge cost for the infrastructure for collecting traffic information.

The conventional method of collecting traffic information using a probe car is to calculate only the speed of the probe car and transmit it to the traffic information control center.

However, this conventional method not only has too much data processing to be performed at the traffic information control center, but also requires a great deal of probes in order to make the information representative of the road while increasing the reliability of the information collected from the probe car. The disadvantage is that the cars must operate evenly throughout the city under the same conditions.

In order to improve the above problems, the present applicant is equipped with a scanning sensor on the probe car, and not only traffic information (for example, traveling speed) related to the probe car, but also a vehicle running adjacent to the probe car (it is simply a transverse vehicle). Traffic information (e.g., traveling speed) is also detected and processed by the probe car to be transmitted to the traffic information center dated August 2, 1999 (Patent Application No. 99-31742). Patent application.

Briefly looking at the traffic collecting device and method using a probe car by the applicant as follows.

The traffic information collecting device for collecting traffic information using the probe car according to the present invention of the present applicant, at least two scanning sensors for detecting a transverse vehicle passing through a predetermined interval in the transverse direction at least one side of the probe car And means for analyzing the signals from the scanning sensors to calculate the speed of the transverse vehicle, means for generating transverse vehicle information using the velocity of the transverse vehicle, and the transverse vehicle information. Means for transmitting. Preferably, the traffic information collecting device includes means for measuring the speed of the probe car, means for measuring the position of the probe car, speed of the probe car, the position of the probe car, and the transverse side vehicle information. The apparatus may further include a means for generating collecting traffic information by using the transmitting means. The transmitting means may transmit the collecting traffic information. The means for measuring the position of the probe car may be a global positioning system (GPS), and the means for transmitting may be a mobile phone such as a PCS phone or a cellular phone. The transverse side vehicle information may include a dispersion value regarding the number of passing vehicles, the speed of the passing vehicle, and the average speed of the passing vehicle.

There may be one sensor attached to the probe car, which in this case is preferably mounted at the corner of the vehicle. The signals obtained from the scanning sensors are analyzed to calculate the variance of the transverse passing vehicle speed, the number of passing vehicles and the average speed, and the like.

However, when the sensor is mounted on the side of the probe car, the sensor detects all objects passing laterally and generates a signal. Therefore, instead of simply outputting a detection signal by a transverse vehicle, a detection signal caused by an object unnecessary for collecting traffic information, including people, power poles, newsstands, guard rails, retaining walls, buildings, etc. (hereinafter referred to as 'noise'). Also occurs.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the first sensor SE-A of the probe car 100 senses a vehicle 110 driving in a lane immediately adjacent to the lane in which the probe car 100 is driving. On the other hand, the second sensor SE-B of the probe car 100 detects the vehicle 120 driving in the lane across one side. Therefore, since the signals obtained from the first sensor SE-A and the second sensor SE-B are caused by different vehicles, the speed of the transverse transit vehicle calculated based on this includes an error. Therefore, the object detected by the first sensor SE-A and the second sensor SE-B needs to be a vehicle traveling in the same lane.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, when the position of the 1st sensor SE-A and the 2nd sensor SE-B attached to the probe car 100 is too far apart, the 1st sensor SE-A ) And a vehicle having a different signal from the second sensor SE-B (that is, the first sensor SE-A detects the vehicle 140, while the second sensor SE-B is a vehicle ( 130), the speed of the transverse vehicle calculated from them also includes an error.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for improving the reliability of traffic information collected in collecting traffic information using a probe car.

In detail, an object of the present invention is to collect only traffic information using a probe car so that the scanning sensor can detect only a vehicle driving in the same lane adjacent to the probe car in order to reduce an error generated in the scanning sensor. It is to provide a method and apparatus for collecting traffic information.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a traffic information collecting method and apparatus which can remove the noise from the traffic information obtained through the scanning sensor to increase the reliability of the traffic information.

1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining an error (or noise) that may occur when the probe car 100 detects a transverse vehicle.

3 is a view for explaining adjusting the sensing distance of the scanning sensor (ie, the first sensor (SE-A) and the second sensor (SE-B)) according to the present invention.

4A and 4B are views for explaining the permissible detection range of sensors mounted on the probe car.

5 is a view showing the configuration of a traffic information collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a method performed by the apparatus for collecting traffic information according to the present invention;

7 is a view for explaining a state of a transverse vehicle;

8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state of a transverse vehicle and a logic level of a first sensing signal SE-AP and a second sensing signal SE-BP.

9 shows state transitions that a transverse vehicle can represent.

FIG. 10 is a view for explaining the calculation of the speed of the transverse vehicle when the state transition of the transverse vehicle is FIG.

FIG. 11 is a view for explaining the relative speed calculation of the transverse vehicle when the state of the transverse vehicle passes as shown in FIG. 9E; FIG.

12 is a view schematically showing the configuration of a traffic information collecting device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining an example of the operation of the pulse generator 290;

14 is a diagram for explaining criteria for determining the length range of the transverse vehicle.

15 is a flowchart showing a traffic information collection method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for main parts of drawing>

100... Probe car (or observation vehicle)

210... Clock generator

220, 230... sensor

240, 280... counter

250... Signal processor

260... Memory

270... Transmission

290... Pulse generator

In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of the present invention, in the traffic information collecting device for collecting traffic information using a probe car, at least one side of the probe car is installed at a predetermined interval in the transverse direction transversely passed At least two scanning sensors for detecting a vehicle; Signal processing means for analyzing the output signals of the scanning sensors to calculate the speed of the transverse vehicle and to generate transverse vehicle information using the velocity of the transverse vehicle; And a means for transmitting the transverse vehicle information, wherein the permissible detection range of the scanning sensors is adjusted within the width of one lane of the road.

In a preferred embodiment, the scanning sensors are photosensors, the scanning sensors each comprising a lens, and the adjustment of the permissible detection range of the scanning sensor is achieved by adjusting the position of the lens. In addition, the permissible detection range of the scanning sensors may be adjusted within 2 meters.

According to another preferred embodiment, in a traffic information collecting device for collecting traffic information using a probe car, at least two for detecting a transverse vehicle passing through at least one side of the probe car at a predetermined interval in the transverse direction Scanning sensors; Means for analyzing signals from the scanning sensors to calculate the speed of the transverse vehicle and to generate transverse vehicle information using the velocity of the transverse vehicle; And means for transmitting the transverse side vehicle information, wherein the spacing between the scanning sensors is between 5 cm and 30 cm, more preferably between 10 cm and 20 cm. Also, the permissible sensing range of the scanning sensors can be adjusted within the width of one lane of the roadway.

According to still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a traffic information collecting device for collecting traffic information using a probe car, comprising: means for measuring the position and speed of the probe car; At least one sensor mounted to the probe car; Analyze the signal from the sensor to generate cross-pass vehicle information about the cross-pass vehicle, wherein the cross-pass vehicle information includes at least data about the speed of the cross-pass vehicle, the position of the probe car Signal processing means for generating traffic information for collection using speed and transverse vehicle information; Means for transmitting the traffic information for collection is provided, traffic detection device is provided, characterized in that the permissible detection range of the sensors is adjusted within the width of one lane of the road. The scanning sensors are photosensors including a lens, and the adjustment of the permissible detection range of the scanning sensor may be achieved by adjusting the lens position of the photosensor, and the permissible detection range may be, for example, within 2 meters. have.

According to still another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a traffic information collecting device for collecting traffic information using a probe car, comprising: position measuring means for measuring a position of the probe car; At least one sensor mounted to the probe car; A pulse generator for generating a pulse each time the probe car travels a certain distance; A counter for counting the output of the pulse generator; Analyze the output of the sensor, the position measuring means and the output of the counter to generate lateral passage object information about the lateral passage object, wherein the lateral passage object information comprises at least data about the velocity of the lateral passage object. A signal processing means for generating traffic information for collection using the position, the speed of the probe car, and the transverse side object information; Means for transmitting said collecting traffic information, said signal processing means determining a speed of said transverse passing object; Calculating the length of the transverse passing object based on the sensor output and the output of the counter; When the length of the transverse passing object is not included in a predetermined range, there is provided a traffic information collection device characterized in that it is treated as noise.

According to another aspect of the present invention, in a traffic information collection method for collecting traffic information using a probe car, the transverse passing object using at least two sensors installed at a predetermined interval in the transverse direction on at least one side of the probe car Detecting; Analyzing signals from the sensors to determine a state of the transverse passing object; Determining whether a signal obtained from the sensors is valid or invalid using the state transition of the transverse passing object; Calculating a velocity of the transverse passing object using the signals from the sensors determined to be valid; Generating traffic information for collection including the speed of the transverse passing object; Provided is a traffic information collection method comprising transmitting the traffic information for collection.

According to a preferred embodiment, the traffic information collection method comprises the steps of: calculating the length of the transverse passing object using the speed of the transverse passing object and the output signal of the sensors; If the length of the transverse passing object is not included in a certain range, the step of treating it as a noise is further included.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, in a traffic information collection method for collecting traffic information using a probe car, at least two sensors installed on at least one side of the probe car laterally at a predetermined interval in the transverse side Detecting a passing object; Calculating a velocity of the transverse passing object using the signals from the sensors; Calculating the length of the transverse passing object using the speed of the transverse passing object and the output signal of the sensors; If the length of the transverse passing object is not included in a predetermined range, treating it as noise by non-vehicle objects; Generating traffic information for collection including the speed of the transverse passing object; Provided is a traffic information collection method comprising transmitting the traffic information for collection. The calculating of the velocity of the transverse passing object may include calculating a relative velocity of the transverse passing object based on the output of the sensors; Measuring the speed of the probe car; And calculating the speed of the transverse passing object using the relative speed of the transverse passing object and the speed of the probe car. The method may further include measuring the position of the probe car, and the collecting traffic information may further include the position of the probe car and the speed of the probe car.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program storage medium having a structure readable by a data processing apparatus and capable of performing the traffic information collecting method as described above when executed on the data processing apparatus.

In other words, by limiting the sensing distance of the sensor mounted on the probe car 100, the distance between the first sensor SE-A and the second sensor SE-B is properly adjusted to remove noise and to ensure the reliability of traffic information. To increase. In addition, the state transition of the transverse passing object (e.g., a vehicle, etc.) is used to determine whether it is valid, and to determine whether it is a non-vehicle object among the valid signals, the length of the transverse passing object is calculated, and If the length is not within the predetermined length range, the noise is treated.

Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating adjusting a sensing distance of a scanning sensor (ie, a first sensor SE-A and a second sensor SE-B) according to the present invention.

Usually, the sensor mounted on the probe car 100 may be a photo sensor, an image sensing sensor, a speed gun method sensor, or the like, but FIG. 3 is applicable to the case where the sensor mounted on the probe car 100 is a photo sensor. To illustrate the distance control.

Referring to FIG. 3, the left side shows a part where a sensing target object is located (hereinafter referred to as a subject side), and the right side shows a part where a sensing part of the sensor (that is, a part where an image is formed) (hereinafter, the film side). ).

Here, the size of the clearly visible point is called the permissible confusion circle, and the permissible confusion circle is shown as a circle in the figure.

In Fig. 3, the subject side is focused on A and the film surface passes through the point A '. Since the corresponding focal point A 'of the point A on the subject side is on the film surface, if the subject is on A, the image of the subject A is naturally clear.

Here, the image on the film surface of the point B in front of the distance Q2 from the object surface is examined. The focus B 'on the corresponding film side of the point B on the subject side is not located on the film surface, and the image BM of the point B on the film surface has a constant size. Therefore, it can be said that the image on a film surface is that cloudy. However, as can be seen from FIG. 3, when the error width (that is, the length of the BM) on the film surface is equal to or smaller than the diameter of the allowable confusion circle, this also belongs to a range that can be recognized as clear.

In addition, the image CM on the film surface of the point C, which is separated by the distance Q1 rearward from the focal point A on the subject side, also has a constant size instead of a single point, and can be said to be blurry. However, if the length of the CM is also less than the diameter of the perturbation circle, it belongs to the range that can be recognized as clear.

Here, on the subject side, there are two planes (a plane passing through points B and C, respectively, having a constant distance from the lens in Fig. 3) in which the error width in the film plane is equal to the diameter of the allowable confusion circle. This is called depth of field. In particular, between point A and point B (i.e., Q1) is referred to as the front depth of field, and between point A and point C (i.e., Q2) is referred to as the rear depth of field, and usually the front depth of field (Q1) is referred to as the rear depth of field ( Q2) It has a shorter property.

Therefore, by keeping the optimal sensing distance of the sensor (i.e., the distance from the sensor to the subject-side focus) within the adjacent lane width and adjusting the depth of field of the lens to be one lane width, objects in lanes other than the adjacent lane are adjusted. The noise generated by sensing can be eliminated.

More specifically, the noise can be removed by adjusting the permissible detection range of the sensor as follows. In FIG. 3, the distance from the surface to which the point B belongs to the lens is called the minimum sensing distance of the sensor, and the distance from the surface to which the point C belongs to the lens is referred to as the maximum sensing distance of the sensor. As shown in FIG. 4A, the minimum sensing distance D1 of the sensor may be such that the vehicle driving the adjacent lane and the probe car are close to each other (for example, 10 cm). The maximum sensing distance D2 of the sensor can be such that the distance from the probe car 100 to the adjacent vehicle when the adjacent lane traveling vehicle travels farthest. That is, if the width of one lane of the road is called Droad and the minimum width of one vehicle is called Dcar, it is preferable to adjust the maximum sensing distance D2 of the sensor to be 2 × (Droad-Dcar). In an embodiment, the maximum sensing distance is within 2 meters.) Here, the permissible sensing range of the sensor refers to the maximum sensing distance of the sensor from the minimum sensing distance of the sensor.

The photo sensor of FIG. 3 is a direct reflection photo sensor, which is divided into a light receiving unit and a light collecting unit, and the light collecting unit has a lens attached therein for collecting and detecting light reflected from a detection object. In the sensor having such a configuration, a method of adjusting the allowable detection distance is generally a method of adjusting the allowable detection distance by adjusting the intensity of light with a volume attached to the sensor. However, in this case, when the area of the subject is large, Since the subject is also detected, there is room for error. Therefore, after fixing the detection intensity of the sensor, it is accurate to limit the permissible detection range of the sensor to the desired range by adjusting the depth of field by using the lens inside the light collecting portion.

Here, the depth of field refers to a range in which an object is clearly seen back and forth when focusing on a point of a detection object. Depth of field becomes deeper with smaller lenses and with shorter focal lengths.

Since the size of the lens in the photo sensor is constant, the depth of field can be narrowed by adjusting the focal length by moving the position of the lens, thereby limiting the sensing distance of the sensor to a desired range.

In general, since the width of one lane is approximately 2.5 meters, it is preferable to allow the sensing range of the sensor to be within 2 meters in order to detect only the vehicle in the immediately adjacent lane of the probe car. In this way, by adjusting the allowable detection range, only the vehicle driving in the adjacent lane can be sensed, and an error as shown in FIG. 1 can be prevented. In addition, the detection signal by the side vehicle driving outside the permissible detection range becomes a signal that does not reach a predetermined threshold. Therefore, in the signal processor according to the present invention, the signals of the first sensing signal SE-AP and the second sensing signal SE-BP input from the first sensor SE-A and the second sensor SE-B. If the level is not a predetermined threshold, it is treated as noise.

On the other hand, an error that may occur due to the situation as shown in FIG. 2 is sufficient for the distance between the first sensor SE-A and the second sensor SE-B (hereinafter, simply referred to as the distance D between sensors). It is possible to solve by narrowing.

In general, the distance between front and rear vehicles in the same lane is, for example, at least 20 cm or more. Therefore, narrowing the distance D between the sensors within this distance can prevent the situation as shown in FIG. 2 from occurring. However, if the distance D between the sensors is too narrow, the reflected light on the surface of the detection object may affect the other photo sensor, which may cause a malfunction. In addition, when the surface of the vehicle to be scanned is not constant, the detection order between the front and rear sensors may be changed. Therefore, the distance D between the sensors should be wide enough not to affect the other photo sensor.

According to a preferred embodiment, the distance D between the sensors is 5 cm to 30 cm, more preferably 10 cm to 20 cm.

As described above, if the distance D between the sensors of the first sensor SE-A and the second sensor SE-B mounted on the probe car 100 is adjusted, and the sensing distance of each sensor is adjusted, It is possible to prevent noise caused by the vehicle in the sense signal obtained from each sensor.

In other words, the detection signal includes noise that cannot be used to calculate traffic information. Such noise includes not only the noise generated by the transverse vehicle in the situation shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, but also people, power poles, newsstands, Noise from guard rails, retaining walls, buildings, etc., is also included, which contributes to the removal of noise from electrons.

Next, a method of generating more reliable traffic information by analyzing the transverse vehicle state will be described.

Traffic information generation using state transition of transverse transit vehicle

5 is a view showing the configuration of a traffic information collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the apparatus for collecting traffic information includes a clock generator 210, a first sensor (SE-A) 220, a second sensor (SE-B) 230, a counter 240, and a signal processor 250. ), A memory 260, and a transmitter 270.

The clock generator 210 generates a clock signal CLK. The counter 240 inputs the clock signal CLK and counts it. As described above, the first sensor SE-A and the second sensor SE-B are attached to the side surface of the probe car 100 to detect the transverse vehicle, and respectively, the first detection signal SE-AP and the first sensor SE-A. The second sensing signal SE-BP is applied to the signal processor 250. The signal processor 250 is coupled to the counter 240, the first sensor SE-A, the second sensor SE-B, the memory 260, and the transmitter 270. The memory 260 stores traffic information generated by the signal processor 250, and the transmission unit 270 is traffic information generated by (or generated and stored in the memory 260) the signal processor 250. Send it. For example, the transmitter 270 may be implemented as a mobile communication terminal such as a CDMA mobile phone or a TRS phone.

6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method performed by the apparatus for collecting traffic information according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, in step 501, the signal processor 250 inputs a first sensing signal SE-AP and a second sensing signal SE-BP to determine a transition state of a transverse vehicle. do.

In operation 503, the signal processor 250 determines whether the data is valid data using the state transition information of the transverse vehicle. In case of valid data, the process proceeds to step 504 where the transverse vehicle passes through the counter 240 output value at the time when the edges of the first sensing signal SE-AP and the second sensing signal SE-BP occur. Calculate the speed of. If it is not valid data in step 503, the process returns to step 501. Using the speed of the transverse vehicle calculated in step 504, the signal processor 250 generates traffic information and stores it in the memory 260 as necessary. In step 506, the traffic information is transmitted to the traffic information control center.

7 is a diagram for explaining a state of the transverse vehicle.

Referring to FIG. 7, the transverse vehicle has four relative positions (ie, states) with respect to the sensing lines of the first sensor SE-A and the second sensor SE-B of the probe car 100. have. In the S0 state, the transversely passing vehicle is on the left side of the first sensor SE-A or on the right side of the second sensor SE-B, and is connected to both the first sensor SE-A and the second sensor SE-B. It is not detected by

In the S1 state, the transverse vehicle is sensed by the first sensor SE-A but not by the second sensor SE-B. In addition, in the S2 state, the transverse vehicle is sensed by both the first sensor SE-A and the second sensor SE-B. In the S3 state, it is not detected by the first sensor SE-A, but is detected by the second sensor SE-B. Finally, in the S0 state, both are not detected by the first sensor SE-A and the second sensor SE-B.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state of a transversely passing vehicle and a logic level of the first sensing signal SE-AP and the second sensing signal SE-BP. When the transversely passing vehicle is detected by each sensor, FIG. The sense signal is at the 'high' level, otherwise it is at the 'low' level.

The transverse transit vehicle sequentially transitions the four states described above as it passes through the side of the probe car 100. This will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

9 illustrates the state transitions that a transverse vehicle can represent, with the horizontal axis representing time.

For convenience of description, the first sensor SE-A is called a sensor mounted at the front of the probe car 100, and the second sensor SE-B is called a sensor mounted at the rear of the probe car 100. lets do it.

In the case of (a), when the probe car 100 passes the transverse passing vehicle, it indicates the state transition of the transverse passing vehicle, and the state changes from S0 to S1 to S2 to S3 to S0.

In the case of (e), it appears when the transverse vehicle passes the probe car 100, and the state transition is made from S0 S3 S2 S1 S0.

(B), (C), (D), (B), (G), (A), etc., may be used to determine the various state transitions that may occur when the Probe Car 100 and the transverse vehicle pass or go forward. It is shown.

In a preferred embodiment, for the sake of simplicity of information processing, only cases (a) and (e) are processed as valid data. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that other state transitions may be recognized as valid data and apply a speed calculation algorithm suitable for each state transition.

FIG. 10 is a view for explaining the calculation of the speed of the transverse vehicle when the state transition of the transverse vehicle is (a).

Referring to FIG. 10, first, the first sensing signal SE-AP becomes a rising edge at time TA1, and then the second sensing signal SE-BP becomes a rising edge at time TB1. In addition, the first sensing signal SE-AP shows the falling edge at time TA2, and the second sensing signal SE-BP shows the falling edge at time TB2.

Here, a time tr (hereinafter, referred to as a detection start delay time) between rising edges of the first sensing signal SE-AP and the second sensing signal SE-BP is TA1-TB1.

Therefore, the relative speed Vr of the transverse vehicle passing with respect to the probe car 100 is as follows.

(Where D is the distance between sensors)

Further, in one preferred embodiment, the detection start delay time tr can be achieved by measuring the output of the counter. That is, it can calculate by subtracting the output value of the counter 240 at the time TB1 from the output value of the counter 240 at the time TA1, and multiplying the result by the time per clock.

When the state transition is performed as in the case of Fig. 9A, the relative speed Vr of the transverse vehicle passes through has a negative value.

As described above, after calculating the relative speed Vr of the transverse vehicle, the speed Vo of the transverse vehicle is calculated using the speed Vp of the probe car 100 as shown in Equation 2 below.

Here, the method of calculating the speed of the probe car 100 may be performed by counting pulses obtained from the axle sensor per unit time, or by calculating a position change per unit time of the probe car 100 using a GPS system. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the relative speed calculation of the transverse vehicle when the state of the transverse vehicle passes as shown in (e). FIG.

As in FIG. 10, the relative speed of the transverse vehicle is calculated using Equation 1 above. In FIG. 11, unlike in FIG. 10, the relative speed Vr of the transverse vehicle passes through a positive value. In addition, the speed Vo of the transverse vehicle may be calculated using Equation 2 above.

12 schematically illustrates a configuration of a traffic information collecting device according to another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 12, the same reference numerals are given to the same configuration as that in FIG. 5, and description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 12, compared to FIG. 5, the apparatus for collecting traffic information further includes a pulse generator 290 and a counter 280.

The pulse generator 290 generates a predetermined number of pulses each time the wheel of the vehicle rotates. The pulse signal output from the pulse generator 290 is applied to the counter 280 and counted. The output of the counter 280 is applied to the signal processor 250.

13A and 13B are diagrams for describing an example of the operation of the pulse generator 290. As shown in FIG. 13A, each time the automobile wheel is rotated 1/32, one pulse may be generated as shown in FIG. 13B. Accordingly, since the vehicle travels by St for each cycle of the pulse signal Cs output from the pulse generator 290, the speed of the probe car may be calculated using the counter value of the pulse signal per unit time.

Next, we will look at how to remove noise (hereinafter referred to as non-vehicle noise) caused by anything other than a vehicle (persons, power poles, newsstands, guard rails, retaining walls, buildings, etc.). Shall be.

Elimination of Non-Vehicle Noise

First, the velocity of the transverse passing object is calculated as described above. Here, the transverse passing object may be a vehicle or a non-vehicle object. To determine this, the length of the transverse passing object is calculated by the following equation (3).

Here, S denotes the length of the transverse passing object, Vr is the relative speed of the transverse passing vehicle, and ts is the time duration of object detection in the sensor as shown in FIG. 10 or 11.

In this way, the length S of the transverse passing object is calculated, and if the length is not included in a predetermined range (3 to 5 m in the preferred embodiment), it can be determined as a non-vehicle object. If it is determined that it is a non-vehicle object, the data is discarded without being used to generate traffic information. In addition, as shown in FIG. 14, the detectable portion is divided into three or more parts on the scanning line having the same height as the sensor mounted on the probe car 100. Specifically, it may be divided into a front part of the front wheel (Lf), a part between the front wheel and the rear wheel (Lc), a part after the rear wheel (Lr), if the wheel is equipped with an aluminum wheel, also detected by the aluminum wheel The signal can be detected. Therefore, in order to detect only one pulse by one vehicle, the detection signal is detected only by the part Lc between the front wheel and the rear wheel, and the detection signal generated by the other parts is treated as noise. Needs to be. Therefore, it is preferable that the predetermined range used to determine whether or not the noise described above is defined so as not to include at least the sensing signal generated by the front part Lf or the rear part Lr.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 15, a traffic information collecting method according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 15, a signal is input from the sensors in step 601. Then, in step 602, the state of the transverse passing object is determined. The state of the transverse passing object may be in any one of four states as shown in FIG. 7. The state of the transverse passing object that changes over time is recorded, and in step 603 it is determined whether it is valid data based on the state transition recording. For example, the signal input from the sensor can be processed as valid data only when the state transition is made from S0 → S1 → S2 → S3 or S0 → S3 → S2 → S1. If it is determined as valid in step 603, the flow advances to step 604 to calculate the velocity of the transverse passing object. As described above, the velocity of the transverse passing object can calculate the relative velocity of the transverse passing object, measure (or calculate) the speed of the probe car 100, and calculate the velocity of the transverse passing object based on these. If it is determined in step 603 that it is not a valid state transition, the data is discarded and the process returns to step 601. In step 605, the length of the transverse passing object is calculated. As shown in Equation 3, the length of the transverse passing object may be calculated based on the period of time ts of FIG. 10 or 11 (that is, the period during which object detection continues) and the relative speed of the transverse passing vehicle. Next, in step 606, it is determined whether or not the object is a non-vehicle object by determining whether or not the calculated length of the transverse passing object falls within a predetermined range. If it is a non-vehicle object, the process returns to step 601, otherwise, the process proceeds to step 607. In step 607, collecting traffic information including at least the number and speed of the transverse passing object (i.e., transverse passing vehicle) is generated and stored in the memory as necessary. Here, the collecting traffic information preferably includes information such as the speed, position, time of the probe car. In step 608, the traffic information for collection is transmitted.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and many variations are possible by those skilled in the art within the spirit of the present invention.

As described above, according to the present invention, in adjusting the permissible detection range of the sensor mounted on the probe car 100 and analyzing the signal obtained by the sensor, the state transition analysis of the transverse vehicle and the observation object length are used. By determining whether the vehicle is a non-vehicle object, it has the advantage of greatly improving the reliability of the traffic information.

Specifically, in order to perform traffic light control by operating a new signal system (that is, a signal system whose signal system is automatically changed in conjunction with the traffic flow), the queue measurement of the traffic volume and the intersection must be preceded. Conventional methods for measuring queues at intersections generally include a loop detector, CC-TV, or the like. However, such a conventional method has a disadvantage in that installation costs are enormous, not only management difficulties such as maintenance, but also enormous costs.

On the other hand, the present invention, as can be seen in the above description, to detect the speed and position by scanning the transverse vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane, it is possible to grasp not only the queue at the intersection but also the traffic volume. . Therefore, the traffic information collection method and apparatus according to the present invention has the advantage that it can provide a cheaper and more reliable traffic information for the information required by the new signal system.

Claims (22)

In the traffic information collecting device for collecting traffic information using a probe car, At least two scanning sensors installed on at least one side surface of the probe car at predetermined intervals in a transverse direction to detect a transverse vehicle; Signal processing means for analyzing the output signals of the scanning sensors to calculate the speed of the transverse vehicle and to generate transverse vehicle information using the velocity of the transverse vehicle; Means for transmitting the transverse side vehicle information Including, And a permissible sensing range of the scanning sensors is adjusted within a width of one lane of the road. The method of claim 1, And the scanning sensors are photo sensors. The method of claim 2, The scanning sensors each include a lens, Traffic information collection device, characterized in that the adjustment of the allowable detection range of the scanning sensor is made by adjusting the position of the lens. The method of claim 1, Traffic information collection device, characterized in that the permissible detection range of the scanning sensors is adjusted to within 2 meters. In the traffic information collecting device for collecting traffic information using a probe car, At least two scanning sensors installed on at least one side surface of the probe car at predetermined intervals in a transverse direction to detect a transverse vehicle; Means for analyzing signals from the scanning sensors to calculate the speed of the transverse vehicle and to generate transverse vehicle information using the velocity of the transverse vehicle; Means for transmitting the transverse side vehicle information Including, The traffic information collecting device, characterized in that the interval between the scanning sensor is 5cm to 30cm. The method of claim 5, The traffic information collection device, characterized in that the interval between the scanning sensors 10cm to 20cm. The method of claim 6, And a permissible sensing range of the scanning sensors is adjusted within a width of one lane of the road. In the traffic information collecting device for collecting traffic information using a probe car, Means for measuring the position and speed of the probe car; At least one sensor mounted to the probe car; Analyze the signal from the sensor to generate cross-pass vehicle information about the cross-pass vehicle, wherein the cross-pass vehicle information includes at least data about the speed of the cross-pass vehicle, the position of the probe car Signal processing means for generating traffic information for collection using speed and transverse vehicle information; Means for transmitting the collecting traffic information Including, And a permissible sensing range of the sensors is adjusted within the width of one lane of the road. The method of claim 8, The scanning sensors are photo sensors including a lens, And adjusting the allowable detection range of the scanning sensor by adjusting a lens position of the photo sensor. The method of claim 9, And wherein the permissible detection range is within 2 meters. In the traffic information collection device for collecting traffic information using a probe car, Position measuring means for measuring the position of the probe car; At least one sensor mounted to the probe car; A pulse generator for generating a pulse each time the probe car travels a certain distance; A counter for counting the output of the pulse generator; Analyze the output of the sensor, the position measuring means and the output of the counter to generate lateral passage object information about the lateral passage object, wherein the lateral passage object information comprises at least data about the velocity of the lateral passage object. A signal processing means for generating traffic information for collection using the position, the speed of the probe car, and the transverse side object information; Means for transmitting the collecting traffic information Including, The signal processing means Calculating the length of the transverse passing object based on the sensor output and the output of the counter; If the length of the transverse passing object is not included in a predetermined range it is treated as noise Traffic information collection device, characterized in that. The method of claim 11, And a permissible sensing range of the sensors is adjusted within the width of one lane of the road. The method of claim 11, And said sensors are photosensors. The method of claim 13, The sensors each comprise a lens, Traffic information collection device, characterized in that the adjustment of the permissible detection range of the sensor is made by adjusting the position of the lens. The method of claim 11, The sensor is two or more, mounted on the side of the probe car, the distance between the sensors is 5cm to 30cm Traffic information collection device, characterized in that. The method of claim 15, Traffic information collection device, characterized in that the interval between the sensors 10cm to 20cm. In the traffic information collection method for collecting traffic information using a probe car, Detecting a transverse passing object using at least two sensors mounted at least at one side of the probe car laterally at a distance; Analyzing signals from the sensors to determine a state of the transverse passing object; Determining whether a signal obtained from the sensors is valid or invalid using the state transition of the transverse passing object; Calculating a velocity of the transverse passing object using the signals from the sensors determined to be valid; Generating traffic information for collection including the speed of the transverse passing object; Transmitting the traffic information for collection Traffic information collection method comprising a. The method of claim 17, Calculating a length of the transverse passing object; If the length of the transverse passing object is not included in a predetermined range, treating it as noise Characterized in that it further comprises How traffic information is collected. In the traffic information collection method for collecting traffic information using a probe car, Detecting a transverse passing object using at least two sensors mounted at least at one side of the probe car laterally at a distance; Calculating a velocity of the transverse passing object using the signals from the sensors; Calculating a length of the transverse passing object; If the length of the transverse passing object is not included in a predetermined range, treating it as noise by non-vehicle objects; Generating traffic information for collection including the speed of the transverse passing object; Transmitting the traffic information for collection Traffic information collection method comprising a. The method of claim 19, Calculating the speed of the transverse passing object, Calculating a relative velocity of the transverse passing object based on the outputs of the sensors; Measuring the speed of the probe car; Calculating the velocity of the transverse passing object using the relative velocity of the transverse passing object and the velocity of the probe car Characterized in that it comprises How traffic information is collected. The method of claim 20, Measuring the position of the probe car further; The collection traffic information further includes a location of the probe car and the speed of the probe car. How traffic information is collected. A program storage medium having a structure readable by a data processing apparatus and capable of performing the method according to any one of claims 17 to 21 when executed on the data processing apparatus.