WO2008004606A1

WO2008004606A1 - Tollbooth monitoring system

Info

Publication number: WO2008004606A1
Application number: PCT/JP2007/063432
Authority: WO
Inventors: Atsushi Iida
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Priority date: 2006-07-06
Filing date: 2007-07-05
Publication date: 2008-01-10
Also published as: JP2008015809A; KR101057272B1; KR20090027724A; JP4969167B2

Abstract

A tollbooth monitoring system has a video storage section for storing, in a manner associated with time, video information obtained by imaging the travel lane of a toll booth and also has a processing-transaction storage section for storing a processing-transaction list having an entry that causes operation information representing operation of a toll collection device to be associated with time. Specifying an entry in the processing-transaction list displays video information corresponding to operation time recorded in the specified entry in the video storage section. The system facilitates confirmation of situations at the tollbooth by tracing back to the past.

Description

Specification

Tollgate monitoring system

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to data processing at a toll gate on a toll road.

Background art

[0002] A toll gate on a toll road is equipped with a camera for photographing a traveling lane. The video shot by the camera is recorded and stored on videotape. When the toll gate manager needs to know the past toll gate situation, such as when responding to an inquiry from a user, he / she plays the videotape and checks the video.

[0003] JP-A-2005-85091 describes a vehicle monitoring device that greatly reduces the amount of images and data to be recorded, for example, when the failure occurs.

Disclosure of the invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a toll gate monitoring system that makes it easy to check the state of a toll gate retroactively.

[0005] A toll gate monitoring system according to the present invention is provided in a video storage unit that stores video information obtained by shooting a driving lane of a toll gate in association with time, and a toll collection device installed on the road side of the driving lane. Processing transaction that collects operation information indicating that the operation of the specified operation has been executed, and stores a processing transaction list that includes entries that associate the operation information with the operation time that indicates the time when the predetermined operation was executed. Extracting video information corresponding to the operation time recorded in the designated entry in the storage unit, an entry designation unit for designating one of the entries from the processing transaction list, and a video storage unit. And a video display unit to be displayed.

[0006] In the toll gate monitoring system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the operation information includes identification information for individually identifying a device for toll collection.

[0007] The toll gate monitoring system according to the present invention preferably includes an exit time collection unit that collects an exit time indicating a time when the vehicle has left the lane in a time following a predetermined operation. The video display unit moves based on the exit time when displaying moving images based on video information. It is preferable to stop displaying images.

[0008] The toll gate monitoring system according to the present invention includes service time information indicating a difference between an entry time indicating a time when the target vehicle enters the travel lane and a start time indicating a time when the target vehicle leaves the travel lane. It is preferable to include a service time information collecting unit that collects and a service time totaling unit that totals and displays service time information in a predetermined period.

[0009] A toll gate monitoring system according to the present invention includes a video erasure unit that erases image information in a time zone during which a predetermined operation is not performed when a predetermined time has elapsed from the date and time when the image was taken. It is preferable.

[0010] According to the present invention, a toll gate monitoring system that facilitates checking the state of a toll gate retroactively is provided.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows the toll gate.

[Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the automatic toll collector.

FIG. 3 shows a video extraction device.

[FIG. 4] FIG. 4 shows a video extraction program.

FIG. 5 shows a processing transaction list.

[Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the operation of the tollgate monitoring system.

[FIG. 7] FIG. 7 shows the operation when checking the service time.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a top view showing a toll gate on a toll road to which the toll gate monitoring system according to the present embodiment is applied. In FIG. 1, the direction in which the vehicle travels is indicated by an arrow. The vehicle also travels to the left with the right force in the figure. That is, the right side of the figure is the upstream side (or entry side), and the left side is the downstream side (or start side).

[0013] The toll booth includes a travel lane 2 on which the vehicle travels. An approach detector 4 is installed on the road side upstream of lane 2. The approach detector 4 detects a vehicle in the approach detection area 3 and generates an approach signal. A start detector 6 is installed on the roadside downstream of the traveling lane 2. The start detector 6 detects that the vehicle has left the start detection area 5 and receives a start signal. Generate a number.

[0014] An automatic toll collector 8 is installed on the road side of the traveling lane 2 between the approach detector 4 and the start detector 6. The toll collector 8 receives the approach signal generated by the approach detector 4 and the start signal generated by the start detector 6. The automatic toll collector 8 automatically settles the toll road usage fee in response to an operation from a vehicle lane 2 vehicle occupant.

[0015] An ITV (Industrial Television) camera 11 is installed at the toll gate. The ITV camera 11 captures an area including the automatic toll collector 8 and the driving lane 2 nearby.

[0016] Office 10 is set up at the toll gate. In the office 10, a video extraction device 12 is installed. The video extraction device 12 is communicably connected to the automatic toll collector 8 and the ITV camera 11.

FIG. 2 shows a configuration of the automatic toll collector 8. The automatic toll collector 8 includes a pass ticket input unit 14, a charge calculation unit 16, a charge input unit 18, a payment processing unit 20, an operation history recording unit 22, and a communication unit 24. The automatic toll collector 8 includes a computer, and implements the functions of these units by reading and executing the program recorded in the storage device with the arithmetic and control unit.

FIG. 3 shows a configuration of the video extraction device 12. The video extraction device 12 is a computer including an arithmetic control device 26, an input device 28, an output device 30, a communication device 32, and a storage device 34. The storage device 34 is a large-capacity storage device capable of random access. A hard disk is preferably used as such a storage device. The storage device 34 stores a video extraction program 36, a video library 38, and a processing transaction list 40.

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the video extraction program 36. The video extraction program 36 includes a video storage unit 42, a processing transaction storage unit 44, an entry designation unit 46, a video display unit 48, an entrance time collection unit 50, an exit time collection unit 52, a service time information collection unit 54, a service time. Includes an aggregation unit 56 and a video erasure unit 58.

FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the processing transaction list 40. In the processing transaction list 40, a traveling lane number 60 for individually identifying the automatic toll collector 8 installed in each of the traveling lanes of the toll booth is registered. Corresponding to each lane number 60, A table containing a large number of entries is prepared. Each entry has a processing transaction

62, vehicle ID 68, entrance time 70, and exit time 72 are associated with each other. The processing transaction 62 includes operation time 64 and operation information 66 in association with each other.

[0021] The operation of the toll gate monitoring system will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In the following description, the operation that the arithmetic and control unit 26 reads the program stored in the storage device 34 and performs according to the procedure described in the program is described as the operation performed by the program itself for convenience of explanation.

Step S2: The ITV camera 11 continuously shoots the traveling lane 2 at all times. The captured video is transmitted to the video extraction device 12.

Step S4: The video storage unit 42 generates video information with shooting time, which is information obtained by associating the received video with time information indicating the time when the video was shot in real time.

Step S6: When the vehicle enters the driving lane 2, the entry detector 4 detects the vehicle, generates a vehicle entry detection signal, and transmits it to the automatic toll collector 8. The automatic toll collector 8 stores the time when the vehicle approach detection signal is received as the entrance time. The entrance time includes date information.

The vehicle enters the driving lane 2 and stops in front of the automatic toll collector 8. The vehicle occupant performs operations such as inserting a toll ticket and inserting a toll on the automatic toll collector 8. The operation history recording unit 22 records a processing transaction (transaction) that is history information in which an executed operation is associated with a time. The processing transaction includes information indicating that the automatic toll collector 8 has performed, the operation performed by the occupant, and that the fee settlement processing has not been performed normally. The settlement processing unit 20 settles the toll in response to the action performed by the passenger. When the processing for fee settlement is completed, the barrier on the starting side of lane 2 will be opened. The vehicle travels downstream of lane 2 and leaves the toll gate.

When the start detector 6 detects that the vehicle has left, the start detector 6 generates a vehicle start detection signal and transmits it to the automatic charge receiver 8. The automatic toll collector 8 stores the time when the vehicle start detection signal is received as the exit time. The exit time includes date information.

[0027] The automatic toll collector 8 is identification information for specifying a vehicle traveling in the traveling lane 2. Issue a vehicle ID. The automatic toll collector 8 stores the entry time and exit time of the vehicle specified by the vehicle ID in association with the vehicle ID.

[0028] The video extraction device 12 acquires information from the automatic toll collector 8 via the communication device 32.

The processing transaction storage unit 44 acquires a processing transaction. The entrance time collection unit 50 acquires the entrance time. The exit time collection unit 52 acquires the exit time. The processing transaction, entrance time, and exit time are acquired in association with the vehicle ID.

Step S7: The video storage unit 42 stores video information with shooting time in the video library 38. In the video library 38, a traveling lane number for identifying the traveling lane 2 in which the ITV camera 11 is installed is recorded in association with video information with a photographing time taken by the ITV camera 11.

The processing transaction storage unit 44 registers the vehicle ID, entrance time, and exit time received from the automatic toll collector 8 in the processing transaction list 40 as the vehicle ID 68, entrance time 70, and exit time 72, respectively. The processing transaction storage unit 44 further registers the operation time 64 and the operation information 66 included in the processing transaction received from the automatic toll collector 8 in the processing transaction list 40 as the operation time 64 and the operation information 66, respectively. .

By the above processing, the video of the vehicle traveling at the toll booth is accumulated in the video library 38, and the processing transaction indicating the operation history of the automatic toll collector 8 is stored in the processing transaction list 40.

[0032] Step S8: The toll road administrator checks the video of the past toll booth when an irregular situation has occurred in the past at the toll booth or when it is desired to check the operation status of the toll booth. Therefore, a predetermined input operation is performed on the input device 28. The entry designating unit 46 sets the video extracting device 12 to a prompt mode that accepts input. The clerk inputs the driving lane number that specifies the driving lane and the specified period specified by the start date and time and end date and time. The entry specifying unit 46 extracts a table in which the traveling lane number 60 matches the specified number from the processing transaction list 40, and an entry including the operation time 64 in the specified period (operation time 64 and the operation time 64). The list of motion information 66) is extracted and the list is output by the output device 30. The output device 30 outputs the list by, for example, displaying the extracted list of entries on the display screen. Step S10: The clerk refers to the list of entries displayed on the display screen, and performs an operation on the input device 28 for designating an entry from which to view the video. The entry specifying unit 46 stores the specified entry.

Step S12: The video display unit 48 extracts the exit time 72 included in the designated entry from the processing transaction list 40. The video display unit 48 searches the video library 38 for a video corresponding to the extracted exit time 72 and corresponding to the travel lane number designated in step S8.

Step S14: The video display unit 48 proceeds to step S16 if there is a strong video satisfying the condition of step S12, and proceeds to step S18 if there is.

Step S16: If the video satisfying the condition is found as a result of the search, the video display unit 48 outputs error information indicating that fact.

[0037] Step S18: The video display unit 48 sets the exit time 72 included in the specified entry as the end time, and starts the video from the video library 38 with a predetermined time (for example, 20 seconds) before the end time as the start time. Is extracted and displayed on the display screen. The video starts at the start time and stops automatically at the end time. The attendant can check the state of the toll gate at the time corresponding to the specified entry by watching the video.

[0038] The video erasure unit 58 erases old and unnecessary video in the video library 38. For example, the image of a time zone that is determined to have been effective after the vehicle has traveled based on a predetermined standard with reference to the processing transaction list 40 after more than a month has passed since shooting. For example, when the length of a time zone in which no processing transaction is recorded exceeds a predetermined time, it is determined that the vehicle has not traveled in that time zone. This prevents a shortage of storage capacity of the storage device 34.

[0039] FIG. 7 shows the operation of the video extracting device 12 when the attendant checks the service time of the toll booth (the time required for the service, such as the time until the vehicle enters and power starts).

[0040] Step S20: The clerk inputs from the input device 28 a command indicating that the service time is to be evaluated and a target period for which the service time is to be evaluated.

Step S22: The service time information collection unit 54 searches the processing transaction list 40 and extracts an entry whose operation time 64 is included in the target period. Service time information collection The unit 54 calculates, as the service time, the difference between the exit time 72 and the entrance time 70 included in the extracted entry for each vehicle.

[0042] The service time collection unit 54 can further calculate various service times as follows.

The time from when the vehicle enters lane 2 until the power pass is inserted. It is obtained from the difference between the entrance time 72 and the operation time 64 corresponding to the operation information 66 indicating that the pass ticket has been inserted.

The time from when the pass is inserted until the fee is paid. The difference between the operation time 64 corresponding to the operation information 66 indicating that the pass ticket has been inserted and the operation time 64 corresponding to the operation information 66 indicating that payment of the toll has been completed is also obtained.

The time it takes for the vehicle to leave lane 2 after the fee is paid. It is obtained from the difference between the operation time 64 corresponding to the operation information 66 indicating that the payment has been completed and the exit time 72.

[0043] For each lane 2, the service time totaling unit 56 totals various service times in the target period by a method such as calculating an average value or creating a histogram. When calculating the average value, the service time counting unit 56 excludes data whose time from entry to departure exceeds a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds). As a result, the average service time is calculated when normal processing is performed except when it seems that some trouble has occurred.

[0044] The service time counting unit 56 displays the result of the counting process on the display. By referring to the results of the aggregation process, the staff can know the trend of which process is taking and how much time it takes, which can be used for subsequent toll gate operations.

Claims

The scope of the claims

[1] A video storage unit that stores video information of the driving lane of the toll booth in association with the time,

Operation information indicating that a predetermined operation has been executed in the toll collection device installed on the roadside of the travel lane is collected, and the operation information and an operation indicating the time when the predetermined operation is executed A processing transaction storage unit that stores a processing transaction list including entries that associate times with each other;

An entry designating unit for designating a designated entry that is one of the entries of the processing transaction list;

A video display unit that extracts and displays the video information corresponding to the operation time recorded in the designated entry in the video storage unit

And comprising

Tollgate monitoring system.

[2] The toll gate monitoring system described in claim 1,

The operation information includes identification information for individually identifying the device for toll collection.

Tollgate monitoring system.

[3] The toll gate monitoring system described in claim 1 or 2,

Further, an exit time collection unit that collects an exit time indicating a time when the vehicle has left the lane during the time following the predetermined operation.

Comprising

The video display unit stops displaying the video based on the exit time when displaying a video based on the video information!

Tollgate monitoring system.

[4] The toll gate monitoring system described in claim 1 or 2,

Further, service time information collection for collecting service time information indicating a difference between an entry time indicating a time when the target vehicle enters the travel lane and a start time indicating a time when the target vehicle leaves the travel lane And Service time totaling unit that aggregates and displays the service time information for a predetermined period

And comprising

Tollgate monitoring system.

A toll gate monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2,

Further, the video erasure unit for erasing the video information in the time period when the predetermined operation is not performed when the predetermined date and time is taken.

With

Tollgate monitoring system.