JP2011258068A - Traffic information provision system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem in which occurrence of a traffic accident is unavoidable at an intersection where the visibility is especially poor, such as the intersection with no traffic light.SOLUTION: In a traffic information provision system, an image signal output from a network camera installed at an intersection is transmitted to a traffic control center that makes a database from detection information of a person and a vehicle obtained by the image and that transmits the detection data and accident data to a car navigation installed in a vehicle around the intersection, and thereby a driver is caused to recognize a state near the intersection to improve possibility of avoiding a traffic accident.

Description

  The present invention relates to a video monitoring system, and more particularly, to a traffic control center and a traffic information providing system for providing traffic information such as a road with poor visibility such as an intersection.

In recent years, traffic control centers have been established in various places to provide traffic information such as roads and control traffic within the jurisdiction in order to ensure safe traffic and normal operation. For example, a traffic control center issues instructions for collecting and providing traffic information, controlling traffic lights, and traffic regulations.
The collection of traffic information includes various information collection means installed at major points, for example, vehicle detectors, network cameras, patrol rolls, 110th notification, and the like. Information from the vehicle detector and the network camera is transmitted to the traffic control center via a dedicated network line.
The traffic control center controls traffic lights and regulates traffic based on the collected information.

  Next, a conventional traffic control center (see Patent Document 1) will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a conventional traffic control center. 207 is a traffic control center and 106 is a network line. In FIG. 2, a traffic signal and a network camera connected to the traffic control network 206 are omitted. In the traffic control center 207, 21 is a monitor, 22 is a VTR, 23 is an image processing device, 24 is a signal control device, 25 is an input circuit, 26 is an output circuit, and 27 is a center control device.

The traffic control center 207 sends a control signal including a center control device 27 for controlling the whole, an input circuit 25 for inputting video information from a television camera of each traffic light, synchronization information for network control, and a traffic signal control signal. Output circuit 26, monitor 21 that displays an image from a television camera that has captured an intersection situation, an image processing device 23 that grasps a traffic jam situation from the image of the television camera and creates signal control information, and the image processing device 23 The traffic signal control device 24 generates a signal for controlling the traffic signal lamp according to the information.
On the other hand, a traffic signal and a television camera (not shown) are connected to the traffic control network 206, and exchanges information or control communication with the traffic control center 207 via the traffic control network 206.
Further, the center control circuit 27 controls the devices in the traffic control center 207 according to the operation of a control center member from an input / output device (not shown) or a predetermined software program.

In FIG. 2, the traffic light operates by receiving a traffic signal control signal 24 s sent from the signal control device 24 in the traffic control center 207 via the traffic control network 206.
Next, the operation of the signal control circuit 24 that creates a traffic signal control signal will be described. The video 7s received by the image processing device 23 is subjected to processing such as image recognition in the device, and is sent to the traffic signal control device 24 as information 11s such as a traffic jam length. Based on this information, the traffic signal control device 24 obtains a signal switching timing that can eliminate the traffic jam, and outputs the traffic signal control signal 24 s via the output circuit 26 via the traffic control network 206. Note that obtaining the traffic jam length from the image information can be easily realized by a known technique. Needless to say, transmission / reception of traffic signal control signals, transmission / reception of video signals, and the like are also possible using known techniques. Furthermore, this image processing apparatus can be used as a sensor for detecting the occurrence of a traffic accident by image processing. The accident detection signal from this image processing apparatus can also be recorded on the VTR.

  Next, the monitor 21 of the traffic control center 207 will be described. Video data of the television camera is input to the input circuit 25 via the traffic control network 206. This video data is supplied to the monitor 21 and the VTR 22 via the input circuit 25 and used for visual confirmation of traffic conditions.

JP-A-11-203590

Conventionally, it is difficult to avoid traffic accidents especially at intersections with poor visibility, such as where no traffic lights are installed.
In view of the above problems, the present invention collects video signals output from a network camera installed at an intersection at a traffic control center, and the presence or absence of a person or a car (including a motorcycle) from the traffic control center. , Even if it is an intersection with particularly poor visibility, such as information on past accident occurrences, etc. The purpose is to increase the possibility of accident avoidance.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a network camera that is installed at an intersection and images the vicinity of the intersection, a network line that transmits the captured image signal as image data, and an intersection that receives the image data and receives the image data. Detecting information on nearby people and cars in a database, and equipped with a traffic control center that sends video data near the intersection and databased accident information to car navigation systems mounted on cars near intersections. Information on the vicinity of the intersection, such as the presence or absence of a person, a bicycle, etc., the presence or absence of a car, past accident occurrence information, and traffic information according to time of day, can be recognized by the driver of the car located near the intersection. It is a communication information provision system.

  According to the present invention, a video signal output from a network camera installed at an intersection is transmitted to a traffic control center, and a person (pedestrian, bicycle, etc.) or automobile detection information is detected from the video at the traffic control center. The traffic lights are installed in the vicinity of the intersection such as the presence / absence of people / cars and past accident occurrence information by sending the data and the accident information stored in the database to the car navigation system in the car near the intersection. The possibility of avoiding traffic accidents can be increased by allowing the driver to recognize an intersection that has not been viewed, especially at an intersection with poor visibility.

It is a figure for demonstrating one Example of the traffic information provision system of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the structural example of the conventional traffic control center.

The present invention is a traffic information providing system comprising a network camera that captures the vicinity of an intersection, and a traffic control center that receives an image captured by the network camera via a network line and performs image processing. Image processing means that performs image processing on the video signal output from the imaging device, extracts a person or a car, stores the extracted person or car information as detection data, and stores past accident information as accident data A traffic information providing system comprising: a storage device; and a communication unit that transmits detection data and accident data of a person or vehicle extracted by the image processing unit to a car navigation device of the vehicle.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the following description is for describing one embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, those skilled in the art can employ embodiments in which these elements or all of the elements are replaced with equivalent ones, and these embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of the traffic information providing system of the present invention. 102-1 is an intersection A1,..., 102-n is an intersection An, 101-1 to 101n are network cameras (n is a natural number), 106 is a network line, 107 is a traffic control center, 108 is a car, 109 is a car 108 This is a mounted car navigation device (n is a natural number). The network camera 101-1 includes a plurality of network cameras B11 to B1m. The network camera 101-1 captures an image within a predetermined monitoring field near the intersection 102-1, and the image data within the captured monitoring field is transmitted via the network line 106. Each is transmitted to the traffic monitoring center 107 (m is a natural number). Similarly, the network camera 101-n includes a plurality of network cameras Bn1 to Bnk. The network camera 101-n captures an image within a predetermined monitoring field near the intersection 102-n, and the captured image data within the monitoring field is transmitted via the network line 106. To the traffic monitoring center 107 (k is a natural number).
Hereinafter, the operations of the intersection and the network camera will be described by using the intersection 102-1 and the network camera 101-1.

In FIG. 1, a plurality of network cameras 101-1 (B11 to B1k) each capture an image within a predetermined monitoring field of view of an intersection 101-2, and each captured image data is transmitted via a network line 106 to a traffic control center. 107.
The traffic control center 107 transmits detection data and accident data in the vicinity of the corresponding intersection 101-2 to the car navigation device 108 of the automobile 108 from the received video data.
The detection data is, for example, detection information of persons (pedestrians, bicycles, etc.) and automobiles found in the vicinity of the corresponding intersection 101-2 from the current time to a predetermined time before, for example, at the traffic control center 107. This is data stored in a storage device (not shown) in a database.

The detection data is a vehicle detection information detected by a vehicle (including a motorcycle) detected by a detector such as a vehicle detector (not shown) installed near the intersection 101-2 passing on the road near the intersection 101-2. Is transmitted to the traffic control center 107 by radio or network line 106. The traffic control center 107 converts the vehicle detection information received via the wireless or network line 106 into a database and stores it in the storage device.
The accident data is information on accidents occurring in the vicinity of the corresponding intersection 101-2, for example, data stored in a storage device (not shown) in a database at the traffic control center 107.

Furthermore, the detection data includes video data transmitted via the network line 106 from the network camera 101-1 that captures the inside of the monitoring visual field in the vicinity of the intersection 102-1, and the traffic control center 107 detects a person or a car through image processing. Data extracted and stored in the storage device as a database.
The traffic control center 107 temporally tracks the data of persons and cars extracted by image processing, creates a database of tracking information (traveling direction and speed) and its history, and stores them in the storage device. May be.
In this case, the tracking information and its history information are further transmitted to the car navigation device 109 of the automobile 108 located in the vicinity of the associated intersection 102-1.

  If an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance, fire engine, patrol car, etc. travels urgently, the location information acquired by GPS or the like is transmitted to the traffic control center 107, and the vehicle near the intersection to which the traffic control center 107 is related. You may make it report to.

The car navigation device 109 mounted on the automobile 108 receives the detection data and accident data transmitted from the traffic control center 107 and displays them on the display unit.
As a result, the possibility of avoiding a traffic accident can be increased by making the driver recognize the situation near the intersection, such as the presence of a person, the presence of a car, and past accident occurrence information.

The traffic control center 107 displays traffic information such as traffic jams by radio or telephone, or on a road information board or the like in a place that is easy for the driver to see such as the roadside. Any one of the accident data may be reported in the vicinity of the intersection where the automobile is scheduled to travel.
As a result, it is possible to increase the possibility of avoiding traffic accidents by making the driver recognize the situation in the vicinity of the planned intersection, such as the presence of a person, the presence of a car, and past accident occurrence information.

  According to the above-mentioned embodiment, the video signal output from the network camera installed near the intersection is transmitted as video data to the traffic control center, and the traffic control center detects the detection information of the person or the car from the video. By converting the data into car navigation systems in cars near the intersection, the detection data and accident data are sent to the car navigation system. The possibility of avoiding traffic accidents can be increased by making the driver recognize the situation near the intersection, such as information on the occurrence of accidents.

  21: Monitor, 22: VTR, 23: Image processing device, 24: Signal control device, 25: Input circuit, 26: Output circuit, 27: Center control device, 101-1 to 101n: Network camera, 102-1 to 102 -N: intersection, 106: network line, 107: traffic control center, 108: car, 109: car navigation device, 206: traffic control network, 207: traffic control center.

Claims (1)

A traffic information providing system comprising a network camera that captures the vicinity of an intersection, and a traffic control center that receives an image captured by the network camera via a network line and performs image processing,
The traffic control center extracts an image processing means for performing image processing on a video signal output from the imaging device, extracts a person or a car, stores the extracted person or car information as detection data, and stores past accident information as an accident. Traffic information provision comprising: a storage device for storing data; and communication means for transmitting detection data and accident data of the person or vehicle extracted by the image processing means to a car navigation device for the vehicle. system.

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