JP2021140655A - Road surface sign system - Google Patents

Abstract

To sign the information relating to traffic without executing work at a position for signing the information relating to traffic.SOLUTION: An ultrashort focus projector 5 is installed at a roadside so that a projector lens of the ultrashort focus projector 5 approaches a road surface as much as possible, provided that it is installed at such a height that the light is not blocked or is not difficult to see by a road wave or irregularity. A load sensor is installed on a road 2 and when a vehicle 1 approaching a crosswalk 4 is detected, road marking is displayed on the ultrashort focus projector 5 positioned in the vicinity of a running position of the vehicle 1. The road marking calling attention to a pedestrian 3 walking across the crosswalk 4 is displayed on the ultrashort focus projector 5d.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a road marking system, in particular to marking traffic-related information on the road surface.

Road markings are installed on the road surface such as parking lots of roads and large facilities for safety and smoothness on the road. Road markings are installed by spraying road marking paint with a spray gun or painting with a hand roller.

In order to install road markings, it is usually necessary to install barricades, safety cones, road signs, etc. to secure a work zone where you can work safely, and to restrict traffic so that vehicles and pedestrians do not enter the installation location. There is.

Further, a technique has been proposed in which a self-luminous road stud that blinks when a pedestrian trying to cross a pedestrian crossing is detected is buried as a road marking (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-96200 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-172927 Registered Utility Model No. 3211508 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-90599 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-62718 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-265899

However, in order to install road markings on the road, it is necessary to restrict traffic near the installation position. And it may take a long time depending on the scale until the traffic restriction is lifted.

Further, in order to bury a road stud as a road marking, it is necessary to dig up the road, so that the work process tends to be longer and the condition of the road surface may be deteriorated.

As described above, conventionally, some kind of construction work is required for the road surface such as painting and burial.

An object of the present invention is to display traffic-related information at a position where traffic-related information is displayed without performing construction work.

The road marking system according to the present invention is characterized in that a short focus projector is installed near the road surface to mark traffic-related information on the road surface.

Further, the short focus projector is characterized in that information related to the traffic is displayed in front of the branch point of the passage.

Further, the short focus projector is characterized in that information related to the traffic is marked in a central portion in the width direction of the passage.

Further, it is characterized by having a control means for controlling the operation of the short focus projector.

Further, the control means is characterized in that information related to the traffic to be marked is selected according to the installation location of the short focus projector.

Further, the control means is characterized in that the information related to the traffic to be displayed on the short focus projector is switched according to the current time.

Further, it has a detecting means for detecting a passing object on the road surface, and the controlling means controls the operation of the short focus projector according to the detection status of the detecting means.

Further, the control means causes the short focus projector to display information related to the traffic when the position of the object detected by the detection of the detection means reaches the vicinity of the marking position by the short focus projector. It is a feature.

Further, it is characterized by having at least a power supply means for supplying electric power to the short focus projector.

Further, the information related to the traffic is characterized by being a road marking or a marking that guides or restricts the passage of passersby other than the road.

Further, the road surface is characterized in that it is a road surface having a structure formed by fixing the corners of a polygonal precast concrete slab to the top of a pile erected in an area where the road is constructed. ..

According to the present invention, it is possible to display information related to traffic without performing construction work at a position where information related to traffic is displayed.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the main part of one Embodiment of the road marking system which concerns on this invention. It is a block block diagram which shows the road marking system in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the data structure of the projector information in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the data structure of the marking data information in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the road surface marking which is marked on the road surface in this embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a main part of an embodiment of a road marking system according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, a road 2 on which a vehicle 1 travels, a pedestrian crossing 4 for a pedestrian 3 to cross the road 2, and ultra-short throw projectors 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d included in a road marking system are shown. It is shown. The ultra-short throw projectors 5a, 5b, 5c, and 5d are collectively referred to as "ultra-short throw projector 5" when it is not necessary to distinguish them from each other.

In the present embodiment, an example is applied to a road having a structure in which a rectangular precast concrete slab 2a is fixed to the top of a pile 2b erected in a grid pattern in an area where the road 2 is constructed. I will explain. Of course, the structure of the road does not have to be limited to this structure. For example, the structure may be formed by fixing the corners of a polygonal precast concrete slab such as a triangle to the top of a pile erected in an area where a road is constructed.

A short-focus projector is a projector capable of projecting a large screen at a short distance from the projector body to the projection surface. In a general projector, for example, in order to project a screen having a sufficient size of about 80 inches, it is necessary to project at a distance of 2.5 m to 3.0 m. On the other hand, a short-focus projector can project at the same size at about half the distance, depending on the product. In the present embodiment, among the short-focus projectors, the ultra-short-focus projector 5 capable of projecting from a particularly short distance, for example, a distance of several tens of centimeters will be used.

The ultra-short throw projector 5 is installed on the side of the road corresponding to the position where the road marking should be marked. One ultra-short throw projector 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d is basically configured to mark one road marking 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d. The road markings 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d are collectively referred to as "road marking 6" when it is not necessary to distinguish them from each other. In FIG. 1, the triangles extending from the ultra-short throw projectors 5a, 5b, 5c, and 5d indicate the light emitting ranges 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d from the projection lens of the ultra-short throw projector 5. The light emitting ranges 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d are collectively referred to as "light emitting range 7" when it is not necessary to distinguish them from each other. Depending on the size and type of road markings, one ultra-short throw projector 5 may be configured to mark a plurality of road markings. FIG. 1 shows an example in which four ultra-short throw projectors 5 are installed, each marking one road marking 6. It is not necessary to unify the specifications of each ultra-short throw projector 5, and the model may be selected according to, for example, the size of the road markings to be marked.

The "road" in this embodiment is not only a public road and a private road, but also a passerby (pedestrian) in a specific facility such as a road formed on the site of the factory or a parking lot of a large facility such as a shopping mall. , Vehicles, etc.) includes roads, etc. The "passageway" means a road to be taken to move, for example, a sidewalk or a roadway. A road has almost the same meaning as a road, but in the case of a road with one lane on each side (two lanes in both directions), the road is a part of one lane on each side of the road. The pedestrian crossing 4 also corresponds to a passage because pedestrians pass through it.

The "road marking" in the present embodiment means characters, symbols, figures, etc. indicating information related to traffic for the purpose of marking on the surface of the road, that is, the road surface. Typical types of road markings are road markings in accordance with the law, lane markings, and road markings in accordance with installation guidelines such as non-statutory markings. Road markings in accordance with the law include regulatory markings and instruction markings. Regulation markings are road markings that are installed for the purpose of restricting or designating specific traffic methods such as prohibition of turning. The instruction marking is a road marking that is installed for the purpose of indicating that a specific passage method such as a pedestrian crossing can be made, the section, the meaning of the place under the Road Traffic Act, the part of the road to be passed, and the like. The lane marking is a road marking that is installed for the purpose of preserving the structure of the road and appropriately guiding the flow of traffic, such as the center line of the roadway. Road markings that follow the installation guidelines such as non-statutory markings are road markings such as signs and signs other than those stipulated by law, such as "stop". The road markings also include, for example, characters and symbols that guide passers-by in the parking lot. That is, the road marking includes all characters and symbols that can be marked on the surface of the road in a broad sense.

Here, the installation of the ultra-short throw projector 5 will be described again.

The ultra-short throw projector 5 projects image data of road markings so as to be marked on the road surface. As the lamp of the ultra-short throw projector 5, a high-brightness LED, a halogen lamp, a xenon tube, or the like is used. In the present embodiment, the ultra-short throw projector 5 is installed so that the projection lens of the ultra-short throw projector 5 is as close as possible to the road surface. However, the height shall be such that the light is not blocked or difficult to see due to the swell or unevenness of the road. In FIG. 1, the ultra-short throw projector 5 is simply placed directly on the road surface, but it may be housed in a box in consideration of the weather such as rainfall and snowfall and the road environment. It may be placed on a pedestal. In any case, the ultra-short throw projector 5 is installed at a low position so as not to fall down, and is installed at a position where it can be projected onto the road surface (in FIG. 1, the roadway) from the vicinity of the road surface. If there is a guardrail, it can be projected from the underside of the card rail.

If you try to project from a high position, the irradiation light from the ultra-short throw projector 5 may be directly emitted to the driver's eyes or reflected by the bumper of the vehicle 1, and the driver may feel dazzling. .. However, in the present embodiment, since the road surface can be irradiated from the height of the driver's eyes of the vehicle 1 or a position lower than the bumper of the vehicle, the driving of the driver is not affected at all.

It goes without saying that the road markings that the ultra-short throw projector 5 marks on the road surface are marked at positions in accordance with the law if it is stipulated by law, but in the present embodiment, basically. Have people who see the road markings (driver of vehicle 1, pedestrians, etc.) mark the road markings at a position where they do not have to move their eyes too much. That is, the ultra-short throw projector 5 is installed so as to mark a road marking on the central portion in the width direction of the passage. As described above, the "passageway" is one lane in which the vehicle 1 travels in the case of a roadway.

The "central portion in the width direction of the passage" is, for example, near the center of the lane through which the vehicle passes, and corresponds to a position substantially in front of the driver of the vehicle. In other words, from the driver's point of view, it is easy to check the road markings while keeping the line of sight forward without moving the neck from the direction of travel of the vehicle. Similarly, pedestrians can easily check the road markings without looking away from the walking direction. However, when the passage is a pedestrian crossing 4, if the road markings are superimposed on the pedestrian crossing 4, it becomes difficult for pedestrians to recognize the road markings. May be good.

In addition, as a matter of course, for the purpose of marking the road markings, the road markings are marked at the necessary positions. For example, a road marking is marked before the branch point of the passage. The "branch point" means a point where a road or the like is divided. For example, in the case of a roadway, it is an intersection such as a crossroad, a three-way junction (Y-shaped road), or a junction (T-junction). Further, if the pedestrian crossing 4 is interpreted as a place where the roadway and the sidewalk intersect, in a broad sense, the pedestrian crossing 4 can also be said to be a branch point of the passage. In this case, the concept of the front of the branch point of the passage includes the front of the vehicle 1 on the pedestrian crossing 4 on the roadway in the approaching direction.

Further, in a parking lot on a vast site, vehicles and pedestrians pass through a space other than the parking space, so it can be interpreted that the space other than the parking space corresponds to the passage. Therefore, in a broad sense, the branch point also includes a place where it is necessary to turn because a parking space is formed in the parking lot.

FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram showing a road marking system according to the present embodiment. The road marking system in this embodiment includes a load sensor 8, an ultrashort throw projector 5, a power feeding means 9, and a control device 10.

The load sensor 8 is a detection means for detecting an object (vehicle, pedestrian, etc.) on the road 2. In this embodiment, the load sensor 8 is installed on the top of each precast concrete slab 2a or each pile 2b. FIG. 1 shows an example of attachment to the pile 2b. In the present embodiment, the load sensor 8 is used to analyze the load applied to the road surface and detect an object, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a vibration sensor, a strain sensor, a loop coil, or the like may be used. Further, for pedestrians, a range sensor or a motion sensor may be used. The ultra-short throw projector 5 is as described above.

The power feeding means 9 supplies power to the load sensor 8, the ultrashort throw projector 5, and the control device 10. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that a solar cell capable of generating electricity in-house is installed on the road 2 or the shoulder of the road so that the system can function even in the event of a power failure. In this case, it is desirable to use a power storage means together. Of course, a commercial power source may be used as the power feeding means 9.

The control device 10 controls the entire road marking system according to the present embodiment. The control device 10 can be realized by an existing computer, for example, a single board computer such as Raspberry Pi (registered trademark). Therefore, the control device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), which is a general-purpose processor, a dedicated processor, for example, a storage such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a ROM, a RAM, a memory card, an ultra-short focus projector 5, and a load. It has a communication interface for communicating with the sensor 8 by wire or wirelessly.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 10 includes a sensor data receiving unit 11, a processing control unit 12, a marking control unit 13, a projector information storage unit 14, a sensor information storage unit 15, and a marking data information storage unit 16. There is. The components not used in the description of the present embodiment are omitted from the drawings.

The sensor data receiving unit 11 receives a measured value (load value) as sensor data from each load sensor 8 under the control of the processing control unit 12. The processing control unit 12 forms a main part of the control device 10 and controls the operation of each component 5, 8, 11, and 13. Specific processing and control will be described later. The marking control unit 13 controls the marking of the ultra-short throw projector 5 under the control of the processing control unit 12.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of projector information stored in the projector information storage unit 14 according to the present embodiment. Information about the ultra-short throw projector 5 controlled by the control device 10 is preset in the projector information. The projector information is set by associating the installation position and the marking data with the projector ID as the identification information for identifying each ultra-short throw projector 5. The installation position is an information item indicating the installation location of the ultra-short throw projector 5. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, an example of installation related to the pedestrian crossing 4 is shown. Therefore, the installation position is indicated by the relative distance from the pedestrian crossing 4, but it is necessary to limit this. Instead, the distance from a certain reference point, latitude and longitude information, etc. may be set. The marking data is a marking data ID uniquely assigned to the road markings marked by the ultra-short throw projector 5. As illustrated in the projector ID “P03”, a plurality of marking data IDs may be set or may be left blank. If the same marking data ID as that of other ultra-short throw projectors 5 is set in the item value of the marking data, the same road marking can be marked by a plurality of ultra-short throw projectors 5.

In the sensor information storage unit 15, the installed load sensor 8 and the installation position of the load sensor are set in advance as a set. The installation position may be the identification information of the precast concrete slab 2a or the pile 2b installed, or may be represented by the distance from a certain reference point, the latitude and longitude information, or the like.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of the marking data information stored in the marking data information storage unit 16 in the present embodiment. Information about the marking data to be marked is preset in the marking data information. The marking data information is set by associating the marking data ID as the identification information for identifying each marking data with the image data of the marking data to be marked.

Each component 11 to 13 in the control device 10 is realized by a cooperative operation of a computer mounted on the control device 10 and a program operated by a CPU mounted on the computer. Further, each of the storage units 14 to 16 is realized by the storage mounted on the control device 10. Alternatively, RAM or an external storage means may be used via the network.

Further, the program used in the present embodiment can be provided not only by communication means but also by storing it in a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB memory or an SD (registered trademark) memory card. Programs provided from communication means and recording media are installed in a computer, and various processes are realized by sequentially executing the programs by the CPU of the computer.

Next, in the present embodiment, an operation when marking the road surface on the road surface will be described. As a process of marking the road surface marking on the road surface, the following marking process is provided in the present embodiment.

As the first marking process, the marking control unit 13 causes each ultra-short throw projector 5 to constantly mark the road marking under the control of the processing control unit 12. That is, the marking control unit 13 refers to the projector information, specifies the marking data to be labeled by the ultra-short throw projector 5, (that is, acquires the marking data ID), and obtains the marking data corresponding to the acquired marking data ID. It is acquired from the marking data information storage unit 16 and is marked on each ultra-short throw projector 5. As a result, each ultra-short throw projector 5 can be made to always mark the road surface marking. FIG. 5 shows an example of road markings marked by the ultra-short throw projector 5. As described above, in the present embodiment, since the marking data ID can be set for each ultra-short throw projector 5 in the projector information, it is possible to select the road marking to be marked according to the installation location of the ultra-short throw projector 5. ..

In the first marking process, it is necessary to set only one marking data ID in the marking data item of the projector information. By not setting the marking data ID, it is possible to prevent the ultra-short throw projector 5 corresponding to the projector information from marking the road markings. It is preferable to save power without supplying power to the ultra-short throw projector 5 that does not display road markings. For example, in FIG. 1, the diamond-shaped road marking marked by the ultra-short throw projector 5a indicates that there is a pedestrian crossing about 30 m ahead, but it is desirable that this road marking be always marked.

As the second marking process, the marking control unit 13 may control the marking so that the road markings are marked according to the current time under the control of the processing control unit 12. For example, a plurality of marking data IDs are set in the marking data, such as the projector ID “P03” of the projector information shown in FIG. The processing control unit 12 instructs the marking control unit 13 of the marking data to be marked according to the current time. For example, it is instructed to display the marking data having the marking data ID of "D03" in the daytime and the marking data having the marking data ID of "D04" in the nighttime. In this way, the marking can be controlled so as to switch the road markings to be marked according to the current time.

Here, an example is shown in which two marking data IDs are set in the projector information and the road markings are changed between day and night, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, three or more marking data IDs may be set and switched every eight hours. Alternatively, the timing for switching the time, season, etc. and the marking data ID may be linked and set, and the marking may be controlled so as to switch to the linked marking data at the set timing.

Further, the road markings to be marked may be switched depending on factors such as the congestion status of the road 2 instead of the time. The congestion situation may be estimated from the distribution of the load value from the load sensor 8, or may be configured to acquire traffic information from the outside.

The first and second marking timings were cases where the marking data was always marked. As a third marking process, a period for marking may be set. For example, when the road marking is not marked in the daytime and is marked only at night, the processing control unit 12 controls the marking control unit 13 to mark the road marking only at night. An arbitrary time may be set as a timing (or a time zone for marking) for switching the presence or absence of the marking instead of day and night. When the marking is not performed, the power of the ultra-short throw projector 5 may be controlled to be turned off.

The third marking process is an example in which the presence or absence of marking is fixedly controlled by time. As the fourth marking process, the processing control unit 12 causes the road marking to be marked according to the position of the object moving on the road 2. The sensor data receiving unit 11 receives the sensor data (that is, the load value) from the load sensor 8 in real time, and the processing control unit 12 detects an object on the road 2 by analyzing the sensor data. For example, suppose the object is vehicle 1. Whether or not the object is the vehicle 1 can be determined by referring to the load value. Further, the position of the vehicle 1 can be specified from the distribution of the load value, and the traveling direction and the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 can be obtained from the transition of the specified position of the vehicle 1.

When the processing control unit 12 detects that the vehicle 1 is approaching the pedestrian crossing 4 by analyzing the sensor data from the load sensor 8, it is installed in front of the pedestrian crossing 4 by instructing the marking control unit 13. The ultra-short throw projector 5c is used to mark the road marking "stop". In addition, the ultra-short throw projector 5d installed on the side of the pedestrian crossing 4 for pedestrians is made to mark the road marking "Caution". If pedestrians cannot be confirmed in the vicinity of the pedestrian crossing 4, the marking by the ultra-short throw projector 5d may be omitted.

On the other hand, it is assumed that the pedestrian 3 is about to cross the pedestrian crossing 4. Whether or not the object is a pedestrian 3 can be specified by referring to the load value. Further, the moving direction of the pedestrian 3 can be obtained from the distribution of the load values. When the processing control unit 12 detects that the pedestrian 3 is about to cross the pedestrian crossing 4 by analyzing the sensor data from the load sensor 8, it instructs the marking control unit 13 to beside the pedestrian crossing 4. Have the ultra-short focus projector 5d installed in the road marking "Caution" on the road surface. If the vehicle 1 approaching the pedestrian crossing 4 is not detected from the sensor data from the load sensor 8, the ultra-short throw projector 5d may be controlled so as not to indicate the road marking "Caution".

On the other hand, the processing control unit 12 causes the ultra-short throw projectors 5b and 5c to mark the road markings by instructing the marking control unit 13. It should be noted that it may be controlled so that either one of them is marked according to the traveling position of the vehicle 1. Alternatively, when the position of the vehicle 1 reaches the vicinity of the marking position by the ultra-short throw projector 5b, the ultra-short throw projector 5b is made to mark the road marking of the pedestrian mark. Further, when the position of the vehicle 1 reaches the vicinity of the marking position by the ultra-short throw projector 5c, the ultra-short throw projector 5c is made to mark the road marking "stop". If the vehicle 1 approaching the pedestrian crossing 4 is not detected from the sensor data from the load sensor 8, the road marking may be controlled so as not to be marked on the road 2.

In this way, the processing control unit 12 responds to the detection status of the object (vehicle 1, pedestrian 3) obtained by analyzing the sensor data from the load sensor 8, that is, whether or not the object is detected and the detected position. The operation of the ultra-short throw projector 5 is controlled according to the above.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the ultra-short throw projector 5 is installed on the side of the road so that the road markings are marked at predetermined marking positions on the road surface. As a result, the road marking can be marked without any construction work on the marking position. In particular, since the ultra-short throw projector 5 is easy to install and set, road marking can be started at an early stage. It is also easy to remove.

In the above explanation, as information on traffic, road markings in accordance with the law have been used as an example, but the description is not limited to this. For example, in a parking lot of a large facility such as a shopping mall, an arrow indicating the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 may be indicated. Further, the vehicle 1 may be guided according to the congestion situation of the parking space. Since the road markings to be marked on the ultra-short throw projector 5 can be switched, for example, it is possible to control the vehicle 1 to be guided to an empty parking space. In addition to guidance, it is also possible to control not only the display of information that calls attention, lighting, and extinguishing, but also blinking.

1 Vehicle, 2 Road, 2a Precast Concrete Plate, 2b Pile, 3 Pedestrian, 4 Pedestrian Crossing, 5,5a, 5b, 5c, 5d Ultra Short Focus Projector, 6,6a, 6b, 6c, 6d Road Marking, 7, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d Emission range, 8 load sensor, 9 power feeding means, 10 control device, 11 sensor data receiving unit, 12 processing control unit, 13 marking control unit, 14 projector information storage unit, 15 sensor information storage unit, 16 Marking data information storage unit.

Claims (11)

A road marking system characterized in that a short-focus projector is installed near the road surface to display traffic-related information on the road surface. The road marking system according to claim 1, wherein the short-focus projector displays information related to the traffic in front of a branch point of a passage. The road marking system according to claim 1, wherein the short focus projector displays information related to the traffic in a central portion in the width direction of the passage. The road marking system according to claim 1, further comprising a control means for controlling the operation of the short-focus projector. The road marking system according to claim 4, wherein the control means selects information related to the traffic to be marked according to the installation location of the short focus projector. The road marking system according to claim 4, wherein the control means switches information related to the traffic to be marked by the short focus projector according to a current time. It has a detection means to detect a passing object on the road surface,
The road marking system according to claim 4, wherein the control means controls the operation of the short focus projector according to the detection status of the detection means. The control means is characterized in that when the position of the object detected by the detection of the detection means reaches the vicinity of the marking position by the short focus projector, the short focus projector displays information related to the traffic. The road marking system according to claim 7. The road marking system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a power feeding means for supplying electric power to the short focus projector. The road marking system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the traffic-related information is a road marking or a marking that guides or restricts the passage of passersby other than the road. The road surface is a road surface having a structure in which the corners of a polygonal precast concrete slab are fixed to the tops of piles erected in an area where the road is constructed. The road marking system according to any one of 1 to 10.

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