WO2019194293A1

WO2019194293A1 - Railway track inspection device

Info

Publication number: WO2019194293A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/015030
Authority: WO
Inventors: 勝大堀江; 広幸小林; 雄介高橋; 直人瀬戸; 拓也二神; 陽平服部
Original assignee: 株式会社東芝; 東芝インフラシステムズ株式会社
Priority date: 2018-04-05
Filing date: 2019-04-04
Publication date: 2019-10-10
Also published as: JP2019184342A

Abstract

A railway track inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with a determination unit, a control unit, a detection unit, and an inspection unit. The determination unit determines whether to capture a first captured image of a predetermined position in the direction in front of a railroad vehicle or a second captured image of a position closer to the railroad vehicle than the predetermined position, in accordance with the advancing direction of the railroad vehicle. The control unit controls an imaging device mounted to the railroad vehicle and causes the first captured image or the second captured image to be captured, on the basis of a determination result of the determination unit. The detection unit detects an obstacle present on a path to be traveled by the railroad vehicle on the basis of the first captured image in the case that the first captured image is captured. In the case that the second captured image is captured, the inspection unit inspects the state of a rail on which the railroad vehicle travels on the basis of the second captured image.

Description

Track inspection device

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a track inspection apparatus.

Railroad tracks (rails) may be distorted or deformed over time due to the load or running time of the vehicle. For this reason, the inspection of the presence or absence of the abnormality of a track by an operator or a dedicated vehicle for inspection is periodically performed. For example, conventionally, a technique for inspecting the state of a track by running a dedicated vehicle equipped with a laser, an infrared sensor, etc. during a time period (eg, nighttime) when a normal train is not in operation is known. ing.

JP 2011-214933 A Japanese Patent No. 5283548

However, in the prior art, the track was inspected using a laser, an infrared sensor, etc. However, it is difficult to mount these facilities on a normal commercial railway vehicle, and a dedicated vehicle for inspection is provided. It was. For this reason, the number of railway vehicles that can be inspected and the inspection time are limited, and it may be difficult to efficiently inspect the railway.

The line inspection apparatus according to the embodiment includes a determination unit, a control unit, a detection unit, and an inspection unit. The determination unit captures either the first captured image at a predetermined position in the front direction of the railcar or the second captured image at a position closer to the railcar than the predetermined position according to the traveling direction of the railcar. Judge whether to do. The control unit controls the imaging device mounted on the railway vehicle based on the determination result of the determination unit to capture the first captured image or the second captured image. When the first captured image is captured, the detection unit detects an obstacle present on the planned travel route of the railway vehicle based on the first captured image. The inspection unit inspects the state of the rail on which the railway vehicle travels based on the second captured image when the second captured image is captured.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a railway vehicle provided with the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functions of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the imaging apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process flow of rail inspection and obstacle detection according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the imaging apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of rail inspection and obstacle detection processing according to the second embodiment.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a railway vehicle RV provided with the information processing apparatus 20 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the railway vehicle RV according to the present embodiment includes

imaging devices

10a and 10b,

information processing devices

20a and 20b,

recording devices

30a and 30b, and display devices 40a and 40b.

The

imaging devices

10a and 10b are provided so as to be able to image the traveling direction (front) of the railway vehicle RV or the direction opposite to the traveling direction (rear). For example, the

imaging devices

10a and 10b are installed on the

vehicles

90a and 90b at both ends of the railway vehicle RV so that the front direction of the front or rear of the railway vehicle RV is directed. In the example of FIG. 1, the railway vehicle RV travels with the vehicle 90a on which the imaging device 10a is installed as the head. In this case, the imaging device 10a images the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV, and the imaging device 10b images the rear of the railway vehicle RV. The

imaging devices

10a and 10b may be monocular cameras, or may be stereo cameras in which two cameras are combined. Hereinafter, when the

imaging devices

10a and 10b are not particularly distinguished, they are simply referred to as the imaging device 10.

The imaging device 10 captures a predetermined position in the front direction of the railway vehicle RV when capturing the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV, and captures a predetermined position when capturing the rear of the railway vehicle RV. It is assumed that a position closer to the railway vehicle RV is imaged. The predetermined position is, for example, a position 200 m to 300 m away from the railway vehicle RV in the traveling direction. The captured image obtained by capturing the predetermined position by the imaging device 10 is an example of a first captured image in the present embodiment. Further, the captured image obtained by imaging the position closer to the railcar RV than the predetermined position by the imaging device 10 is an example of a second captured image in the present embodiment. Details of changing the imaging range of the imaging apparatus 10 will be described later. The captured image in this embodiment may be a still image or a moving image. Further, the imaging device 10 may generate not only a captured image (visible light image) but also a distance image that can specify the distance to an object existing in the imaging range of the imaging device 10. Further, the rail vehicle RV may include a distance image sensor that generates a distance image separately from the imaging device 10.

The

information processing devices

20a and 20b detect two obstacles R (tracks) on which the rail vehicle RV travels based on the captured images acquired from the image capturing

devices

10a and 10b. Check the status of In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the information processing apparatus 20 a detects an obstacle that hinders the traveling of the railway vehicle RV based on the captured image captured by the imaging apparatus 10 a that captures the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV. In addition, the information processing apparatus 20b inspects the state of the rail R on which the railway vehicle RV travels based on the captured image captured by the imaging apparatus 10b that captures the rear of the railway vehicle RV. Hereinafter, the

information processing devices

20a and 20b are simply referred to as the information processing device 20 unless otherwise distinguished.

The information processing apparatus 20 is an example of a line inspection apparatus in the present embodiment. The track inspection device may include the information processing device 20 and the imaging device 10, or may include the information processing device 20, the imaging device 10, the display device 40, and the recording device 30.

Recording device

30a, 30b memorize | stores the information which shows the detection result of the obstruction by the information processing apparatus 20, and the state of the rail R. FIG. Two

recording devices

30a and 30b may be provided for each railway vehicle RV, or one recording device may be provided. Hereinafter, when the

recording devices

30a and 30b are not particularly distinguished, they are simply referred to as the recording device 30.

Display devices 40a and 40b display various information such as images obtained by imaging the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV by the imaging device 10, detection results of obstacles, information indicating the state of the rail R, and the like. Hereinafter, when the display devices 40a and 40b are not particularly distinguished, they are simply referred to as the display device 40.

Next, details of the information processing apparatus 20 of the present embodiment will be described. The information processing apparatus 20 includes a control device such as a CPU, a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM, and an external storage device such as an HDD and a CD drive device. The hardware configuration.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functions of the information processing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the information processing device 20 includes an acquisition unit 210, a determination unit 220, an imaging device control unit 230, a rail inspection unit 240, an obstacle detection unit 250, an output unit 260, and a storage unit. 270.

The storage unit 270 stores rail information and obstacle information. The rail information includes at least one of the gap between the rails R (interval between the two rails R), the curvature of the rails R, and the distance from the imaging device 10 to the rails R. As an example, the rail information includes the gauge of the rail R, the curvature of the rail R, the distance from the imaging device 10 to the rail R, the inspection time, and the position information (latitude and longitude) of the railway vehicle RV at the inspection time. The associated information. The distance between the rail R included in the rail information, the curvature of the rail R, and the distance from the imaging device 10 to the rail R are calculated by a calculation unit 242 of the rail inspection unit 240 described later. In addition, the obstacle information is, for example, information in which a captured image in which an obstacle is detected, an imaging date and time of the captured image, and position information of the railway vehicle RV at the imaging date and time are associated with each other. The obstacle information is generated by an obstacle detection unit 250 described later. The storage unit 270 is, for example, an HDD.

The acquisition unit 210 acquires a captured image from the imaging device 10. Moreover, the acquisition part 210 acquires the acceleration data which show the acceleration of the front-back direction of the rail vehicle RV from the acceleration sensor 50 installed in the rail vehicle RV. Further, the acquisition unit 210 acquires position information indicating the current position of the railway vehicle RV based on the GPS radio wave (positioning signal) acquired from the GPS antenna 60.

The determination unit 220 determines which of the first captured image and the second captured image is to be captured according to the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV. More specifically, the determination unit 220 determines that the first captured image is captured when the railway vehicle RV travels starting from the vehicle 90 on which the imaging device 10 is installed. When traveling with the vehicle 90 on which the vehicle 10 is installed as the rear end, it is determined to capture the second captured image.

The imaging device control unit 230 controls the imaging device 10 based on the determination result of the determination unit 220 to capture the first captured image or the second captured image. The imaging device control unit 230 is an example of a control unit in the present embodiment.

Here, switching between the first captured image and the second captured image will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the imaging apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the imaging device 10 includes a first polarizing filter 101, a second polarizing filter 102, a first lens 103, a second lens 104, a third polarizing filter 105, An image sensor 106. In addition, the imaging apparatus 10 includes, for example, a CPU or control circuit (not shown) and a communication I / F (interface).

The first polarizing filter 101 and the second polarizing filter 102 are polarizing filters having different transmission axis directions. In the present embodiment, the polarization direction of the first polarizing filter 101 is a direction orthogonal to the transmission axis direction of the second polarizing filter 102. Further, it is assumed that the transmission axis directions of the first polarizing filter 101 and the second polarizing filter 102 do not change. The first polarizing filter 101 is installed outside the first lens 103, and the second polarizing filter 102 is installed outside the second lens 104. The outside is the light inlet side of the imaging device 10. A configuration in which the first polarizing filter 101 and the second polarizing filter 102 are installed on the imaging element side of the first lens 103 and the second lens 104 may be employed.

The first lens 103 is a lens that can image a predetermined position in the front direction of the railway vehicle RV, for example, a telephoto lens that can image far away. The first captured image described above is an image captured by the imaging device 10 using the first lens 103. As shown in FIG. 3, the first light 100 that has passed through the first polarizing filter 101 passes through the first lens 103.

The second lens 104 is a lens that can image a position closer to the railway vehicle RV than a predetermined position. For example, the second lens 104 is a lens having a focal length shorter than that of the first lens 103. Further, the second lens 104 is a lens that can capture an image of the rail R that is positioned obliquely downward of the imaging device 10. The second lens 104 of this embodiment is, for example, a prism lens that refracts transmitted light. The second captured image described above is an image captured by the imaging device 10 using the second lens 104. As shown in FIG. 3, the second light 200 that has passed through the second polarizing filter 102 passes through the second lens 104.

The third polarizing filter 105 is provided between the first lens 103 and the second lens 104 and the image sensor 106. The third polarizing filter 105 is a liquid crystal filter that can change the transmission axis direction, for example, can electrically change the transmission axis direction. As a method for electrically changing the transmission axis direction of the third polarizing filter 105, for example, a known liquid crystal shutter technique can be employed.

The third polarizing filter 105 transmits either one of the first light 100 and the second light 200 and shields the other by changing the transmission axis direction. When the transmission axis direction of the third polarizing filter 105 is the same as the transmission axis direction of the first polarizing filter 101, the first light 100 is transmitted through the third polarizing filter 105, and the second light 200 is The third polarizing filter 105 is not transmitted. In this case, the first light 100 reaches the image sensor 106 and the second light 200 does not reach the image sensor 106. When the transmission axis direction of the third polarizing filter 105 is the same as the transmission axis direction of the second polarizing filter 102, the second light 200 is transmitted through the third polarizing filter 105, and the first light is transmitted. 100 does not pass through the third polarizing filter 105. In this case, the second light 200 reaches the image sensor 106 and the second light 200 does not reach the image sensor 106. The third polarizing filter 105 is an example of a filter unit in the present embodiment.

The imaging device control unit 230 controls the transmission axis direction of the third polarizing filter 105 via, for example, the CPU or the control circuit of the imaging device 10. When the control signal transmitted from the imaging device control unit 230 is received via the communication I / F, the CPU or the like of the imaging device 10 changes the transmission axis direction of the third polarizing filter 105 according to the control signal. It is good as a thing.

The image sensor 106 is an image sensor that receives the first light 100 or the second light 200 and converts it into an electrical signal to generate a first captured image or a second captured image. When the image sensor 106 receives the first light 100, the image sensor 106 captures a first captured image. When the image sensor 106 receives the second light 200, the image sensor 106 captures a second captured image.

2, when the second captured image is captured, the rail inspection unit 240 inspects the state of the rail R on which the railway vehicle RV travels based on the second captured image. The rail inspection unit 240 includes a first rail recognition unit 241 and a calculation unit 242.

The first rail recognition unit 241 recognizes (detects) the rail R from the second captured image. As a method for recognizing the rail R, a known image processing technique such as edge detection can be employed. The 1st rail recognition part 241 is an example of the recognition part in this embodiment.

The calculation unit 242 calculates at least one of the gauge of the rail R recognized by the first rail recognition unit 241, the curvature of the rail R, and the distance from the imaging device 10 to the rail R from the second captured image. To do. A known image processing technique can be adopted as a method for calculating the gap between the rails R, the curvature of the rails R, and the distance from the imaging device 10 to the rails R.

For example, when the imaging device 10 is a stereo camera, the calculation unit 242 calculates the distance from the imaging device 10 to the rail R using stereo parallax. Further, when the imaging device 10 generates a distance image, the calculation unit 242 may calculate the distance from the imaging device 10 to the rail R from the depth information of each pixel included in the distance image. Further, the calculation unit 242 calculates the gauge of the rail R from the distance between the two rails R in the second captured image recognized by the first rail recognition unit 241. In addition, the calculation unit 242 captures the imaging time (inspection time) of the second captured image, the position information of the railcar RV at the imaging time, the rail R calculated from the second captured image, and the rail R. Are associated with the distance from the imaging device 10 to the rail R and stored in the storage unit 270 as rail information.

The obstacle detection unit 250 detects an obstacle present on the planned travel route of the railway vehicle RV based on the first captured image when the first captured image is captured. The obstacle detection unit 250 includes a second rail recognition unit 251, a monitoring area setting unit 252, and a detection unit 253.

The second rail recognition unit 251 recognizes the rail R from the first captured image by a known method such as edge detection.

The monitoring area setting unit 252 sets a monitoring area on the first captured image with the rail R recognized by the second rail recognition unit 251 as a reference. The monitoring area is defined on the first captured image based on the vehicle limit (limit range of the size of the cross section of the vehicle body) or the building limit (range where the installation of the building is restricted) of the railway vehicle RV. It is a three-dimensional area.

The detection unit 253 detects an object included in the monitoring area set by the monitoring area setting unit 252 as an obstacle from the first captured image. In addition, the detection unit 253 may determine only an object having a size greater than or equal to a predetermined size among the objects included in the monitoring area as an obstacle, or may move toward the rail R. Only the object that is present may be determined as an obstacle. The detection unit 253 associates the first captured image in which the obstacle is detected, the imaging date and time of the first captured image, and the position information of the railway vehicle RV at the imaging date and time into the storage unit 270 as obstacle information. save.

The output unit 260 includes various information such as the first captured image or the second captured image, the detection result of the obstacle by the obstacle detection unit 250, the information indicating the state of the rail R calculated by the rail inspection unit 240, and the like. Is displayed on the display device 40. Further, the output unit 260 transmits the rail information and obstacle information stored in the storage unit 270 to the recording device 30.

Next, the rail inspection and obstacle detection processing executed by the information processing apparatus 20 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of rail inspection and obstacle detection processing according to the present embodiment. The case where the processing of this flowchart is executed by the information processing apparatus 20b shown in FIG. 1 will be described as an example.

The acquisition unit 210 acquires acceleration data indicating the longitudinal acceleration of the railway vehicle RV from the acceleration sensor 50 (S1).

The determination unit 220 identifies the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV from the acceleration data acquired by the acquisition unit 210. Then, based on the identified traveling direction, the determination unit 220 determines whether the vehicle 90b on which the imaging device 10b connected to the information processing device 20b is installed is located in front of or behind the railway vehicle RV. Specifically, the determination unit 220 determines whether or not the vehicle 90b in which the imaging device 10b is installed is located at the rear end of the railway vehicle RV (S2). The traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV may be specified by the acquisition unit 210.

When the determination unit 220 determines that the vehicle 90b is located at the rear end of the railway vehicle RV (S2 “Yes”), the determination unit 220 determines to capture the second captured image. In this case, the imaging device control unit 230 controls the imaging device 10 to capture the second captured image. Specifically, the imaging device control unit 230 transmits a control signal to the imaging device 10 so that the transmission axis direction of the third polarizing filter 105 is the same as the transmission axis direction of the second polarizing filter 102. (S3). The same direction as the transmission axis direction of the second polarizing filter 102 is an example of the direction in which the second light 200 is transmitted in the present embodiment. In this case, the image sensor 106 receives the second light 200 that has passed through the second lens 104 and captures a second captured image.

Next, the acquisition unit 210 acquires a second captured image from the imaging device 10b (S4). Moreover, the acquisition part 210 acquires the positional information which shows the present position of the rail vehicle RV based on the GPS electromagnetic wave acquired from the GPS antenna 60 (S5).

Then, the first rail recognition unit 241 of the rail inspection unit 240 recognizes the rail R from the second captured image (S6). Next, the calculation unit 242 of the rail inspection unit 240 calculates information indicating the state of the rail R from the second captured image (S7). For example, the calculation unit 242 calculates at least one of the gauge of the rail R, the curvature of the rail R, and the distance from the imaging device 10 to the rail R in the second captured image. In addition, the calculation unit 242 associates the calculated information indicating the state of the rail R, the imaging time of the second captured image, and the position information of the railway vehicle RV at the imaging time, and stores the information as rail information. Save to 270.

Then, the output unit 260 displays (outputs) the information indicating the state of the rail R calculated by the rail inspection unit 240, the second captured image, and the like on the display device 40b (S8). Further, the output unit 260 transmits rail information stored in the storage unit 270 to the recording device 30. Note that the output unit 260 does not display on the display device 40b but only transmits rail information to the recording device 30 when the vehicle 90b on which the imaging device 10b is installed is located at the rear end of the railway vehicle RV. May be. The output unit 260 may display information indicating the state of the rail R, a second captured image, and the like on the display device 40a located on the opposite side of the railcar RV. Further, the output unit 260 may transmit the second captured image and rail information stored in the storage unit 270 to a monitoring center or the like outside the railway vehicle RV via a network.

Further, when determining that the vehicle 90b is positioned at the head of the railcar RV (S2 “No”), the determination unit 220 determines to capture the first captured image. In this case, the imaging device control unit 230 controls the imaging device 10 to capture the first captured image. Specifically, the imaging device control unit 230 transmits a control signal to the imaging device 10 so that the transmission axis direction of the third polarizing filter 105 is the same as the transmission axis direction of the first polarizing filter 101. (S9). The same direction as the transmission axis direction of the first polarizing filter 101 is an example of the direction in which the first light 100 is transmitted in the present embodiment. In this case, the image sensor 106 receives the first light 100 that has passed through the first lens 103 and captures a first captured image.

Next, the acquisition unit 210 acquires a first captured image from the imaging device 10b (S10). Moreover, the acquisition part 210 acquires the positional information which shows the present position of the rail vehicle RV similarly to S5 (S11).

Then, the second rail recognition unit 251 of the obstacle detection unit 250 recognizes the rail R from the first captured image (S12). Next, the monitoring area setting unit 252 sets a monitoring area on the first captured image using the rail R recognized by the second rail recognition unit 251 as a reference (S13). Next, the detection unit 253 detects an object included in the monitoring area set by the monitoring area setting unit 252 as an obstacle from the first captured image (S14). The detection unit 253 associates the first captured image in which the obstacle is detected, the imaging date and time of the first captured image, and the position information of the railway vehicle RV at the imaging date and time into the storage unit 270 as obstacle information. save.

The output unit 260 displays (outputs) the obstacle detection result by the obstacle detection unit 250 and the first captured image on the display device 40 (S8). Further, the output unit 260 transmits the obstacle information stored in the storage unit 270 to the recording device 30 (S15). Here, the processing of this flowchart ends.

The processing of this flowchart is executed not only in the information processing device 20b but also in the information processing device 20a connected to the imaging device 10a. Therefore, when the railway vehicle RV travels in the traveling direction shown in FIG. 1, the imaging device 10a captures the first captured image, and the imaging device 10b captures the second captured image. Thereby, the information processing apparatus 20b can inspect the state of the rail R behind the railway vehicle RV while the information processing apparatus 20a detects an obstacle existing in the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV. In the present embodiment, two information processing devices 20 are provided for each rail vehicle RV, and one information processing device 20 controls one imaging device 10, but one information processing device 20 is provided. The device 20 may control both the

imaging devices

10a and 10b.

As described above, the information processing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment causes the imaging apparatus 10 to capture either the first captured image or the second captured image in accordance with the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV. When the captured image is captured, an obstacle is detected based on the first captured image, and when the second captured image is captured, the state of the rail R is determined based on the second captured image. inspect. For this reason, according to the information processing apparatus 20 of this embodiment, since the imaging device 10 used for detecting obstacles in normal business operation can be used for the inspection of the rail R, the rail vehicle RV for business operation can be used. The rail R can be inspected. For this reason, according to the information processing device 20 of the present embodiment, the rail R can be inspected more efficiently than in the case where the inspection is performed only with the dedicated vehicle for inspection.

In the prior art, since the rail R is inspected using a dedicated vehicle for inspection, the number of dedicated vehicles that can be used for the inspection is limited, and it may be difficult to increase the number of inspection opportunities. . Further, in the prior art, since a dedicated vehicle different from the railway vehicle for commercial operation inspects the rail R, the dedicated vehicle for inspection travels during a time period during which normal commercial operation is not performed (for example, at night). Therefore, the timing at which the inspection can be performed is limited. Moreover, in the prior art, since the imaging device mounted on the railway vehicle for commercial operation picks up the distance in the front direction in order to detect obstacles, the rail R can be accurately detected using the imaging device. It was sometimes difficult to do the inspection.

On the other hand, in the information processing apparatus 20 of the present embodiment, the imaging apparatus mounted on the railway vehicle RV for commercial operation is changed by changing the position where the imaging apparatus 10 captures the image according to the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV. 10 can be used to inspect the rail R. For this reason, in the information processing apparatus 20 of this embodiment, the rail R can be inspected during business hours by the railway vehicle RV for commercial operation.

In addition, the information processing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment determines that the railcar RV captures the first captured image when the railcar RV travels starting from the vehicle 90 in which the imaging device 10 is installed. When traveling with the vehicle 90 on which the imaging device 10 is installed as the rear end, it is determined to capture the second captured image. For this reason, according to the information processing apparatus 20 of the present embodiment, at the rear end of the railway vehicle RV while ensuring the function of detecting obstacles in the traveling direction using the imaging device 10 located at the front end of the railway vehicle RV. The positioned imaging device 10 can be used for the inspection of the rail R.

In the prior art, since the imaging device 10 is mainly used for detecting obstacles existing in the traveling direction, imaging is performed when the imaging device 10 faces the opposite side (rear side) of the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV. The device 10 was not used effectively. In the information processing apparatus 20 of the present embodiment, the captured image of the imaging apparatus 10 can be used effectively even when the imaging apparatus 10 faces either the front or the rear of the railway vehicle RV.

Further, the imaging apparatus 10 of the present embodiment includes a first lens 103 that can image a predetermined position, and a second lens 104 that can image a position closer to the railway vehicle RV than the predetermined position. When it is determined that the first captured image is captured, the information processing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment controls the imaging apparatus 10 to capture the first captured image via the first lens 103, and the second captured image is captured. When it is determined to capture a captured image, the imaging device 10 is controlled to capture a second captured image via the second lens 104. For this reason, according to the information processing apparatus 20 of the present embodiment, it is possible to capture the first captured image and the second captured image in which the position of the imaging target is different by the single imaging apparatus 10.

In addition, the imaging apparatus 10 of the present embodiment includes a third polarizing filter 105 that can change the transmission axis direction between the imaging element 106 and the first lens 103 and the second lens 104. When it is determined that the first captured image is captured, the information processing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment transmits the first light 100 transmitted through the first lens 103 in the transmission axis direction of the third polarizing filter 105. The transmission axis direction of the third polarizing filter 105 is controlled to the direction in which the second light 200 transmitted through the second lens 104 is transmitted when it is determined that the second captured image is captured. To do. For this reason, according to the information processing apparatus 20 of the present embodiment, the first captured image and the second captured image without moving the installation angle of the image capturing apparatus 10 and the first lens 103 and the second lens 104. You can For example, when the imaging device 10 is a stereo camera, an error may occur in stereo parallax when the installation angle of the pair of imaging devices 10 moves from a predetermined position. According to the information processing apparatus 20 of the present embodiment, since the imaging apparatus 10 is not moved, occurrence of such an error can be suppressed.

In addition, the information processing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment calculates at least one of the rail R gauge, the rail R curvature, and the distance from the imaging device 10 to the rail R as the state of the rail R. For this reason, according to the information processing apparatus 20 of the present embodiment, it is possible to acquire information useful for determining whether or not the rail R is abnormal from the second captured image captured by the imaging apparatus 10.

In the present embodiment, the first rail recognizing unit 241 and the second rail recognizing unit 251 are separate functional units. However, the processing of the first rail recognizing unit 241 and the second rail recognizing unit 251 is 1. It is good also as what one functional part performs.

The imaging device 10 functions as a stereo camera when imaging the front direction of the railway vehicle RV, and when imaging a position close to the railway vehicle RV, the imaging device 10 is a set of the imaging devices 10 constituting the stereo camera. One unit may function as a monocular camera. Switching between the stereo camera and the monocular camera may be performed by the imaging device control unit 230. Moreover, the content of the rail information and obstacle information of this embodiment is an example, and is not limited to the above-mentioned content.

(Modification)
The rail inspection unit 240 of the information processing apparatus 20 may further include a determination unit that determines whether the rail R is abnormal. For example, the determination unit determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the rail R based on the gauge of the rail R calculated by the calculation unit 242, the curvature of the rail R, and the distance from the imaging device 10 to the rail R.

More specifically, the determination unit compares the gauge of the rail R calculated by the calculation unit 242 with a predetermined reference value of the gauge. The determination unit determines that the rail R has an abnormality in the gauge when the difference between the gauge of the rail R calculated by the calculation unit 242 and the reference value of the gauge is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. Further, the determination unit compares the curvature of the rail R calculated by the calculation unit 242 with a reference value of the curvature stored in advance in association with the position information of the rail R. The determination unit determines that the rail R has lateral distortion when the difference between the curvature of the rail R calculated by the calculation unit 242 and the reference value of the curvature is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. In addition, the determination unit may be configured such that the distance from the imaging device 10 to the rail R calculated by the calculation unit 242 is different from a predetermined reference by a predetermined threshold value or a difference between the pair of rails R. In addition, it is determined that the rail R has irregularities. The determination unit associates the presence / absence of the determination with the position information of the railway vehicle RV at the imaging time of the second captured image in which the abnormality of the rail R is detected, and stores them in the storage unit 270.

Further, the output unit 260 may display the content of the abnormality determined by the determination unit on the display device 40. The reference value of the gauge, the reference value of the curvature, and the reference value of the distance from the imaging device 10 to the rail R are stored in advance in the storage unit 270, for example. Further, the determination unit may determine the presence / absence of an abnormality by comparing the result calculated by the calculation unit 242 with past rail information. Note that the type of abnormality determined by the determination unit is not limited to the above example.

(Second Embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the information processing apparatus 20 changes the imaging range of the imaging apparatus 10 by changing the transmission axis direction of the polarizing filter in the imaging apparatus 10. In the second embodiment, the information processing apparatus 20 changes the imaging range of the imaging apparatus 10 by moving an imaging element in the imaging apparatus.

The configuration of the railway vehicle RV of the present embodiment is the same as the configuration of the first embodiment described in FIG. In addition, the information processing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 210, a determination unit 220, an imaging device control unit 230, a rail inspection unit 240, and an obstacle detection unit 250, as in the first embodiment. The output unit 260 and the storage unit 270 are provided. The acquisition unit 210, the rail inspection unit 240, the obstacle detection unit 250, the output unit 260, and the storage unit 270 have the same functions as those in the first embodiment.

The imaging device control unit 230 of the present embodiment causes the imaging device to capture the first captured image or the second captured image by moving the imaging element in the imaging device based on the determination result of the determination unit 220. .

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the imaging apparatus 1010 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the imaging apparatus 1010 includes a first lens 1103, a second lens 1104, an imaging element 1106, a connection member 107, a first lens barrel 108, and a second lens mirror. A cylinder 109.

The first lens 1103 and the second lens 1104 are the same as those in the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. Similarly to the first embodiment, the first light 1100 is light transmitted through the first lens 1103, and the second light 1200 is light transmitted through the second lens 1104. The first lens barrel 108 is a support cylinder that fixes the first lens 1103. The second lens barrel 109 is a support cylinder that fixes the second lens 1104. The connection member 107 connects the image sensor 1106, the first lens barrel 108, and the second lens barrel 109.

The image sensor 1106 according to the present embodiment is installed so as to be movable within the image capturing apparatus 1010 after having the functions of the first embodiment. More specifically, the image sensor 1106 receives the first light 1100 and does not receive the second light 1200, does not receive the first light 1100, and does not receive the second light 1200. A second position where the light 1200 is received is installed so as to be movable. FIG. 5 shows a state where the image sensor 1106 is located at the second position.

As an example of the moving method of the image sensor 1106, the connection member 107 of this embodiment is provided with a rail (not shown). In addition, the imaging device 1010 includes a motor (not shown) that supplies power for moving the imaging device 1106 installed on the rail. The motor is controlled by a control signal transmitted from the imaging device control unit 230. The image sensor 1106 is installed on a rail provided on the connection member 107, and moves between the first position and the second position along the rail. The imaging device control unit 230 may move the imaging device 1106 by controlling a motor of the imaging device 1010 via a CPU or a control circuit of the imaging device 1010, for example.

The imaging device control unit 230 of the present embodiment controls the position of the imaging element 1106 according to the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV. More specifically, when the determination unit 220 determines to capture the first captured image, the imaging device control unit 230 receives the first light 1100 that has passed through the first lens 1103 through the imaging element 1106. In addition, the second light 1200 transmitted through the second lens 1104 is moved to the first position where it is not received. In addition, when the determination unit 220 determines that the second captured image is to be captured, the imaging device control unit 230 does not receive the first light 1100 and does not receive the second light 1200. To the second position.

Next, the rail inspection and obstacle detection processing executed by the information processing apparatus 20 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of rail inspection and obstacle detection processing according to the present embodiment. The process from the acquisition of the acceleration data in S1 to the determination of the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV in S2 is the same as the processes in S1 and S2 in the first embodiment described in FIG.

When the determination unit 220 determines that the vehicle 90 on which the imaging device 1010 is installed is located at the rear end of the railway vehicle RV (S2 “Yes”), the determination unit 220 determines to capture the second captured image. In this case, the imaging device control unit 230 controls the imaging device 1010 to capture the second captured image. Specifically, the imaging device control unit 230 transmits a control signal to the imaging device 1010, and moves the imaging device 1106 to the second position (S103). In this case, the image sensor 1106 receives the second light 1200 that has passed through the second lens 1104 and captures a second captured image.

From the acquisition of the second captured image in S4 to the output process in S8 are the same as the processes in S4 to S8 in the first embodiment described in FIG.

Further, when determining that the vehicle 90 on which the imaging device 1010 is mounted is positioned at the head of the railway vehicle RV (S2 “No”), the determination unit 220 determines to capture the first captured image. In this case, the imaging device control unit 230 controls the imaging device 1010 to capture the first captured image. Specifically, the imaging device control unit 230 transmits a control signal to the imaging device 1010, and moves the imaging device 1106 to the first position (S109). In this case, the imaging element 1106 receives the first light 1100 that has passed through the first lens 1103 and captures the first captured image.

From the acquisition of the first captured image in S10 to the output process in S15 are the same as the processes in S10 to S15 in the first embodiment described in FIG.

As described above, when the information processing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment determines to capture the first captured image, the information processing apparatus 20 moves the image sensor 1106 to the first position and determines to capture the second captured image. Then, the image sensor 1106 is moved to the second position. For this reason, according to the information processing apparatus 20 of the present embodiment, the imaging range of the imaging apparatus 1010 is obtained without polarizing the first light 1100 and the second light 1200 while having the effects of the first embodiment. The obstacles can be detected and the state of the rail R can be inspected.

As described above, according to the information processing apparatus 20 of the first and second embodiments, since the first captured image or the second captured image is captured according to the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV, The rail R can be efficiently inspected using the railway vehicle RV.

The rail inspection and trouble detecting program executed by the information processing apparatus 20 of the first and second embodiments is a file in an installable format or an executable format, and is a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD- Provided by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as R, DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

In addition, the rail inspection and obstacle detection program executed by the information processing apparatus 20 of the first and second embodiments is stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. You may comprise so that it may do. Further, the rail inspection and obstacle detection program executed by the information processing apparatus 20 of the first and second embodiments may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet. Moreover, you may comprise so that the rail test | inspection and trouble part detection program which are performed with the information processing apparatus 20 of 1st, 2nd embodiment may be provided by previously incorporating in ROM etc.

The rail inspection and obstacle detection program executed by the information processing apparatus 20 of the first and second embodiments includes the above-described units (acquisition unit, determination unit, imaging device control unit, rail inspection unit, first rail recognition). Module, calculation unit, obstacle detection unit, second rail recognition unit, monitoring area setting unit, detection unit, output unit), and CPU (processor) stores the above as actual hardware By reading and executing the rail inspection and obstacle detection program from the medium, the above-described units are loaded onto the main storage device, and the acquisition unit, the determination unit, the imaging device control unit, the rail inspection unit, the first rail recognition unit, and the calculation The unit, the obstacle detection unit, the second rail recognition unit, the monitoring area setting unit, the detection unit, and the output unit are generated on the main storage device.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Claims

Depending on the traveling direction of the railway vehicle, either the first captured image at a predetermined position in the front direction of the railway vehicle or the second captured image at a position closer to the railway vehicle than the predetermined position is captured. A determination unit for determining whether or not
Based on the determination result of the determination unit, a control unit that controls the imaging device mounted on the railway vehicle to capture the first captured image or the second captured image;
When the first captured image is captured, based on the first captured image, a detection unit that detects an obstacle present on the planned travel route of the railway vehicle;
An inspection unit that inspects the state of the rail on which the railway vehicle travels based on the second captured image when the second captured image is captured;
A track inspection apparatus comprising:
The determination unit determines that the railway vehicle captures the first captured image when traveling with the vehicle on which the imaging device is installed as the head, and the railway vehicle has the imaging device installed. When traveling with the vehicle as the rear end, it is determined to capture the second captured image;
The track inspection device according to claim 1.
The imaging apparatus includes a first lens that can image the predetermined position, and a second lens that can image a position closer to the railcar than the predetermined position;
The first captured image is an image captured by the imaging device using the first lens,
The second captured image is an image captured by the imaging device using the second lens,
When the determination unit determines to capture the first captured image, the control unit controls the imaging device to capture the first captured image via the first lens, and determines the determination. When the unit determines to capture the second captured image, the imaging device is controlled to capture the second captured image via the second lens.
The track inspection device according to claim 1 or 2.
The imaging apparatus includes a filter unit capable of changing a transmission axis direction between the imaging element, the first lens, and the second lens,
The control unit controls the transmission axis direction of the filter unit to transmit the first light transmitted through the first lens when the determination unit determines to capture the first captured image. When the determination unit determines to capture the second captured image, the transmission axis direction of the filter unit is controlled to a direction that transmits the second light transmitted through the second lens.
The track inspection device according to claim 3.
The imaging device of the imaging device is installed movably in the imaging device,
When the determination unit determines to capture the first captured image, the control unit receives the first light transmitted through the first lens, and the second light is transmitted through the first lens. When the second light transmitted through the lens is moved to a first position where the second light is not received, and the determination unit determines to capture the second captured image, the image sensor receives the first light. And moving to the second position for receiving the second light,
The track inspection device according to claim 3.
The state of the rail includes at least one of a gap between the rails, a curvature of the rail, and a distance from the imaging device to the rail,
The inspection unit
A recognition unit for recognizing the rail from the second captured image;
A calculation unit that calculates at least one of the recognized gap between the rails, the curvature of the rails, and the distance from the imaging device to the rails;
The track inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.