JP3046995B2 - Road safety driving support system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a road facility for the purpose of supporting safe driving on a road, and more particularly to a safe driving support system for a road which is locally suitable for an area where natural conditions are severe.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional road operation management (safe driving support)
The system includes a road condition detecting device, a control device, and a display device. The control device is under the control of a road manager, and the output of the road condition detecting device is temporarily displayed on the control device. Is configured to comprehensively judge the display, road information of other areas, weather forecasts, and the like, and to perform necessary display on the display device via the control device.

[0003] The road condition detecting device and the display device are located at a position remote from each other.

A visibility meter is used as a road condition detecting device. A conventional visibility meter is a transmittance meter for measuring a horizontal atmospheric transmittance between two points or a rearward meter for measuring the backscattering intensity of the atmosphere. A reflective visibility meter is used.

[0005]

According to the above-mentioned prior art, the judgment and operation of the road manager are inserted between the road condition detecting device and the display device. There will be a time delay before it is displayed on the device.

Further, since the road condition detecting device and the display device are installed at remote locations from each other, the driver of the vehicle cannot see the display on the display device and immediately know the site where the event occurred. There is a problem that it is difficult to take appropriate measures.

A visibility meter used as a conventional road condition detecting device is a transmittance meter, and visibility is determined by human senses.

[0008] For this reason, the visibility varies greatly depending on individual differences and surrounding conditions. In general, it is difficult to measure the viewing distance in the case of visually recognizing a lamp at night in view of the diversity of the brightness of the target lamp.

Meteorological optical visibility (MOR) in weather observation
In addition, the runway visual range (RVR) in air traffic control is based on Kosmida's law to support the theory, and the main factor is the atmospheric transmittance, and a transmittance meter is used to obtain the atmospheric transmittance. , The base distance between the light emitting part and the light receiving part must be long, the usable place is limited, and the deviation of the optical axis between the light emitting part and the light receiving part due to land subsidence, earthquake, etc. directly causes a measurement error. However, there was a disadvantage that the foundation work of the gantry became large.

Although there is a back reflection type visibility meter that does not have this disadvantage, there is a disadvantage that the back reflection type visibility meter is easily affected by reflection of a vehicle or a building in front.

The present invention proposes to solve the above-mentioned problems. The present invention relates to a driving environment of a road (vehicle running, stop, presence or absence of obstacles, weather conditions, etc.) at the site where a running A display is provided to the driver of the vehicle without requiring excessive attention to the road sign, and the obstacle detection means and the display warning means are integrated, and the detection range of the obstacle detection means is set to the driving range of the vehicle. It is an object of the present invention to set the range to be visually observed by a person.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a road obstacle detecting means (a visibility meter and an obstacle detecting radar are collectively referred to as "obstacle detecting means").
And an obstacle detection and warning device integrated with a display and warning unit controlled by an output of the obstacle detection unit, and only a display and warning unit controlled by an output of the obstacle detection unit of the obstacle detection and warning device. With the display / warning device, the obstacle detection / warning device, or the obstacle detection / warning device and the plurality of display / warning devices are continuously arranged along the road in a specific range, such as on a median strip or the road side of the road. A visibility meter which is installed and used as an obstacle detecting means uses a forward scattered light measurement type visibility meter (hereinafter referred to as a "visibility meter") for measuring a local visibility, and an output of the visibility meter. The display / warning device controlled by the vehicle is installed continuously in the traveling direction of the vehicle along the road, such as at the median strip or the road side of the road.
As another obstacle detecting means, an obstacle detecting radar is installed as a means for detecting an obstacle on a road in a traveling direction of a vehicle, and a display warning means controlled by an output from the obstacle detecting radar. Are continuously installed in the traveling direction of the vehicle along the road, such as on the median strip or the road side of the road, and as the display warning means used in the obstacle detection warning device and the display warning device, , Sound, character display, indicator lamp color, brightness, blinking interval, etc., are used alone or in combination to provide a display that is immediately apparent at a glance.

[0013]

FIG. 1 is a layout diagram of a safe driving support system for a road installed in a median strip of a road showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an obstacle detection warning showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the principle of a visibility meter showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing measured outputs of an FM-CW radar for obstacle detection according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a vehicle (hereinafter, referred to as a "first moving vehicle") entering an area where the safe driving support system is installed on the road; Vehicles that are stopped in the area (hereinafter referred to as “stopped vehicles”) and 3 are vehicles that enter the oncoming lane of the road where the safe driving support system is installed (hereinafter referred to as “second mobile vehicles”). ), 4 is the first shown in FIG.
Alternatively, the second obstacle detection / warning device 6 is a display / warning device shown in FIG. 2 (described later), and A, B, and C are symbols of areas where the installation area of the safe driving support system is divided and indicated.

In FIG. 2, 41 is a display warning means, 42 is a visibility meter, 43 is an obstacle detection radar, and the combination of the visibility meter 42 and the obstacle detection radar 43 is referred to as an obstacle detection means 40. I do. Therefore, (a) is a display warning means 4
1. A first obstacle detection and warning device in which the visibility meter 42 and the obstacle detection radar 43 are integrated.
A second obstacle detection and warning device in which the first and the visibility meter 42 are integrated, and (C) shows a display and warning device having only the display and warning means 41.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 51 denotes a light projecting unit, 52 denotes a light receiving unit, 53 denotes a detection range, θ denotes an angle formed by the center lines of the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit, and θ is 90 degrees or more (that is, The part closer to the part) is called forward scattering.

If there is a small suspended matter such as fog or snow in the air through which the light beam projected from the light projecting unit 51 passes, the light beam is absorbed and scattered, and the detection range 53 of the scattered light is detected.
The forward scattered light is received by the light receiving unit 52, and the received light output is subjected to optical / electrical conversion, and then subjected to appropriate processing to obtain a signal output.

FIG. 4 shows a measurement output when an obstacle is detected using, for example, an FM-CW radar for obstacle detection. The horizontal axis represents the beat frequency (the beat frequency is defined as the transmission radio wave and the reception radio wave). The frequency indicating the difference can be converted to a distance, and can be replaced with the distance from the measuring instrument to the obstacle.) The numerical value on the vertical axis indicates the number of steps of the received radio wave (the numerical value shown in FIG. It will be the actual angle.)
, And the amplitude on the vertical axis of each waveform portion indicates the received radio wave intensity.

That is, the curve of the received radio wave intensity / beat frequency of the 23 received radio waves obtained as a result of performing 23 steps of transmission / reception by dividing the radar transmission radio wave scanning range of about 90 degrees at every 4 degrees is shown in FIG. Is the normal state (the state where there is no obstacle) and the received signal strength / beat frequency 2 obtained by the same method.
This shows a state in which the results of the correction performed using three curves are summarized on one screen.

As an embodiment of the present invention, a configuration using only the first obstacle detection / warning device 4, a configuration using only one or a plurality of second obstacle detection / warning devices 5, a first obstacle detection / warning device 4 and a plurality of display warning devices 6, one or a plurality of second obstacle detection and warning devices 5, and a plurality of display and warning devices 6, a first obstacle detection and warning device 4, A configuration such as a configuration using one or more second obstacle detection / warning devices 5 and a plurality of display / warning devices 6 is possible.

FIG. 1 shows, as an example, a first obstacle detection / warning device 4 in the area A and the first obstacle detection / warning device 4.
B and C controlled by outputs from obstacle detection means
A set of eight road safety display support devices constitutes a safe driving support system for the road, and the second obstacle detection / warning device 5 in the area C and the visibility of the second obstacle detection / warning device 5 The display and warning devices 6 (seven) in the A and B areas controlled by the output from the meter constitute another set of road safe driving support systems.

Here, display warning devices 6 for area B (four)
Is controlled by the output from the obstacle detecting means of the first obstacle detection / warning device 4 in the area A and the second obstacle detection / warning device 5 in the area B, so that the display warning devices 6 (four) Has two display warning means which can be individually controlled, and outputs the output of the obstacle detecting means 40 of the first obstacle detection and warning device 4 in the area A and the second obstacle detection and warning apparatus 5 in the area B, respectively. Is displayed by the display warning means 41 for the opposite lane.

Next, the operation will be described.

For example, an obstacle detection / warning device 4 in the area A
Is a first obstacle detection / warning device, the obstacle detection radar 43 of the first obstacle detection / warning device is an FM-CW radar, and an offset parabolic reflector is provided in the cylindrical housing.
Rotate once per second.

Thus, a transmission wave of a sharp beam continuously sweeps a horizontal plane having a height of about 50 cm on the road surface.

In FIG. 1, the obstacle detection radar 43 of the obstacle detection / warning device 4 in the area A, that is, the FM-CW radar, divides a section from a direction of 180 degrees to a direction of 270 degrees every about 4 degrees. When a reflected radio wave with respect to the transmitted radio wave is received, a received radio wave in 23 steps is obtained.

First, after a received radio wave (analog signal) in the direction of 180 degrees is subjected to A / D conversion (conversion from analog to digital) into a digital signal, high-speed Fourier transform processing is performed to obtain a maximum value of 128 To get the power spectrum of

By arranging these in a bar graph with the horizontal axis: frequency and the vertical axis: signal strength, a spectrum sequence is created.

When the peak values of the spectrum sequence are connected, a curve proportional to the received signal strength is obtained.

Subsequently, steps No. 2 to No. 23 are sequentially obtained by the same procedure as described above up to 272 degrees every 4 degrees of the received radio wave.

The last No23 step is 26 in terms of angle.
This means that the direction from 8 degrees to 272 degrees, that is, the direction perpendicular to the road is measured.

Next, in a normal state of the road (in a state where there is no obstacle such as a stopped vehicle or a falling object), 23 steps obtained in the above-mentioned actual measurement using 23 steps obtained in the same procedure as the above-mentioned measuring procedure are described.
The correction is performed in three steps (hereinafter, a curve obtained by performing the correction is referred to as a “correction curve”).

By this correction, it is possible to exclude the influence of the reflected radio waves from, for example, road signs and guardrails.
The correction curve makes it possible to detect an object that does not exist on the road in the normal state.

In a normal operation state (a state in which there is no abnormality), the amplitudes of the correction curves are all less than the "threshold".

FIG. 4 shows a correction curve for each step.

When an obstacle such as a stopped vehicle or a falling object occurs, the amplitude of the correction curve exceeds the "threshold value". The angle and the beat frequency (that is, the distance from the obstacle detection / warning device 4 in the area A) are stored.

If the same step number and the same beat frequency continue while the sweep beam rotates a plurality of times, an alarm is output assuming that a stopped object, that is, an obstacle exists. Further, by detecting the Doppler deviation of the received radio wave in each of the above 23 steps, it is possible to detect the moving speed of the detection target from the moving state to the stop state. Is detected, an alarm is output assuming that a stopped object, for example, the stopped vehicle 2 is present.

When the above-mentioned warning is output by the obstacle detection radar 43 of the obstacle detection / warning device 4 in the area A, the display / warning means 4 of the obstacle detection / warning apparatus 4 in the area A is output by the output.
By controlling the display warning devices 6 (eight) in the areas 1 and B and C, for example, a stop is displayed, and the first and the second entering the area are controlled.
A warning is issued to the moving vehicle 1.

Further, for example, it is also possible to emit an alarm sound simultaneously with the above-mentioned display so as to alert the driver of the first mobile vehicle 1 thoroughly.

As still another example, the obstacle detection / warning device in the area C is a second obstacle detection / warning device 5, and the visibility meter 42 of the second obstacle detection / warning device emits a high-speed modulated light beam. The light is projected into the space, and the light receiving beam (referred to as the detection range of the light receiving unit) is crossed only within the limited space area shown in the detection range 53 of FIG. 3 to limit the detection range 53 to the visual target range of the driver of the vehicle. .

The projected light beam is scattered forward or forward by the snow particles that fly into the detection range 53, and the forward scattered light of the scattered light is detected by a light receiver, and the received light output is converted to light. / After electrical conversion, amplification circuit, signal discrimination circuit,
The output discriminating circuit performs processing to obtain a signal output.

According to the signal output from the visibility meter 42 of the second obstacle detection / warning device 5 in the area C, the display / warning means 41 and A and B of the second obstacle detection / warning apparatus 5 in the area C are provided.
By controlling the area display warning means 6 (seven), for example, a guidance display to another evacuation route is performed, and a warning is issued to the second mobile vehicle 3 entering the area.

Further, as described above, it is also possible to emit an alarm sound to thoroughly issue an alarm.

In the visibility meter, snow accretion may occur due to wind and snow, and an error may occur in the measurement result (the visibility is a result in a better direction due to snow accumulation). In such a region, the first obstacle shown in FIG. In the configuration of the detection warning device 4 and the second obstacle detection warning device 5, the visibility meter 42 of the first obstacle detection warning device 4 and the second obstacle detection warning device 5 includes a light emitting / receiving system and related circuits. A single visibility meter composed of one set and an accessory circuit, or a composite visibility in which two sets of light emission / reception systems and related circuits and their accessory circuits are provided, and the two sets of light emission / reception systems are set in different directions. The first obstacle detection / warning device 4 and the second obstacle detection / warning device 5 having such a single visibility meter or a composite visibility meter are arbitrarily combined into two or two or more. And installed at one point in different directions, The output of the transmissometer indicating the worst visibility or most of the visibility in the obstacle detection warning device 4 and the second obstacle detection warning device 5 of transmissometer, said warning means 4
By controlling 1, the malfunction of the visibility meter due to snow accretion is prevented.

The display / warning means 41 in the first obstacle detection / warning device 4, the second obstacle detection / warning device 5 and the display / warning device 6 includes one of sound, character, color, brightness, blinking interval and the like. Or perform the required display by any combination,
The contents of the display directly indicate stop, slow down, change of lane, change of route, and the like, and a display that the driver of the vehicle can immediately understand by the display is performed.

[0046]

As described above, the present invention provides a light emitting unit
And the center line of the light receiving unit is set to 90 degrees or more.
The scattering of the light beam emitted from the light emitter in the atmosphere is detected by the light receiver.
Receive the light and process it appropriately to obtain the signal output,
By detecting the condition, it is possible to
Susceptible to the reflection of vehicles and buildings in front of you
With a light-transmitting part that does not have the drawback of a so-called transmittance meter
A visibility meter that does not require a long base distance of
The horizontal direction of the measurement range is constant while rotating the transmitter / receiver
Scan at multiple angular intervals to obtain the presence or absence of obstacles in multiple rotations.
Compares the measured data with the data in the normal state and stops
Determine the presence or absence of objects and low-speed moving objects and obtain signal output
The obstacle detection means is configured with the obstacle detection radar
A first and a second obstacle detection and warning device integrated with a display and warning unit controlled by an output of the obstacle detection unit ; and an obstacle of the first and the second obstacle detection and warning device. A safe driving support system for a road is constituted by a display warning device having only a display warning device controlled by an output of a detection device, and the system is installed in a specific area of the road. According to it, it ’s like a retro-reflective visibility meter.
Affected by the reflection of vehicles and buildings in front of the sea
It does not have the drawback of being light, and it has a light-emitting part like a transmittance meter.
Installation of a visibility meter without having to take a long base distance between the camera and the light receiving section
The visibility near the point can be measured, while the obstacle detection level
Stationary and slow moving objects by horizontal scanning of the radar
The ability to easily determine the presence or absence of a body
An indication corresponding to an abnormal situation that has occurred on the road , such as an obstacle on the road, can be immediately displayed to the driver of the vehicle at a position in front of the above-mentioned location where the abnormal situation has occurred. It is possible to take an appropriate action immediately after seeing the sign light without requiring attention, thereby obtaining an effect that is significant in terms of traffic safety.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a system arrangement installed on a median strip of a road showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention, wherein (A) is a first obstacle detection and warning device, (B) is a second obstacle detection and warning device,
(C) is a display warning device.

FIG. 3 is a principle diagram of a forward scattered light visibility meter showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an FM-for obstacle detection according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The figure which shows the measurement output of 23 steps of CW radar.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... 1st moving vehicle 2 ... stopped vehicle 3 ... 2nd moving vehicle 4 ... 1st obstacle detection warning device 5 ... 2nd obstacle detection warning device 6 ... display warning device 40 ... obstacle detection means 41 ... Display warning means 42 ... Visibility meter 43 ... Radar for obstacle detection 51 ... Light emitting unit 53 ... Detection range 54 ... Light receiving unit

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Ishimoto Hokkaido, Sapporo City, Toyohira-ku, Kiyota 5-1-1-5-10 (72) Inventor Naoki Ishikawa 2-5-2-7, Koishikawa, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo Akira Seiko Electric Co., Ltd. 56) References JP-A-7-105500 (JP, A) JP-A-4-219430 (JP, A) JP-A-62-174632 (JP, A) JP-A-6-231398 (JP, A) Hei 6-25999 (JP, U) Actual opening Hei 6-59999 (JP, U) Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 49-47078 (JP, B1) Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 35-16758 (JP, B1) (58) Fields surveyed (Int .Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G08G 1/00-1/16

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. An angle between a center line of a light projecting portion and a light receiving portion is 9 degrees.
0 ° or more, and the intensity of the light beam projected from the
Light scattering is received by the light receiving unit, processed appropriately, and signal output
A visibility meter that detects weather conditions that are set to obtain
Rotate the transmitting and receiving part of the
Scans at an interval of degrees to obtain the presence or absence of obstacles in multiple rotations.
Compare the measured data with the data in the normal state, and
To determine the presence or absence of slow moving objects and obtain signal output 2
The obstacle detection means with the obstacle detection radar
A first obstacle detection / warning device integrating the display / warning means controlled by the signal output 1 and the signal output 2 and the obstacle detection means is provided on a road divider or on the roadside. Driving support system. 2. The angle formed by the center line of the light projecting part and the light receiving part is 9 degrees.
0 ° or more, and the intensity of the light beam projected from the
Light scattering is received by the light receiving unit, processed appropriately, and signal output
A visibility meter that detects weather conditions that are set to obtain
Rotate the transmitting and receiving part of the
Scans at an interval of degrees to obtain the presence or absence of obstacles in multiple rotations.
Compare the measured data with the data in the normal state, and
To determine the presence or absence of slow moving objects and obtain signal output 2
The obstacle detection means with the obstacle detection radar
A first obstacle detection and warning device in which display warning means controlled by the signal output 1 and the signal output 2 and the obstacle detection means are integrated, and an obstacle detection of the first obstacle detection and warning device And a display / warning device comprising only a display / warning means controlled by an output from the means. Inside, a safe driving support system for roads arranged along the road. 3. The safe driving support system for a road according to claim 1, wherein an angle formed by a center line between the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit is 90 degrees or more instead of the first obstacle detection / warning device.
And the scattering of the light beam projected from the
The light is received by the light receiving unit and appropriately processed to obtain a signal output 1.
And the visibility meter for detecting the weather conditions were like, trust of the visual extent meter
A safe driving support system for a road using a second obstacle detection and warning device integrated with a display and warning means controlled by a signal output 1 . 4. The warning means according to claim 1, wherein the warning means is one or any combination of a sound, a character display, a color of a display lamp, brightness, and a blinking interval. Road safety driving support system. 5. A safe driving on a road according to claim 1.
A first obstacle detection and warning device,
The visibility meter included in the second obstacle detection / warning device includes a light emitting / receiving system.
And a single visibility meter consisting of a set of related circuits and ancillary circuits,
Or two or more sets of light emitting and receiving systems and related circuits and their
The openings of the plurality of light emitting and receiving systems are mutually
A compound visibility meter pointing in different directions, wherein the single visibility is
Obstacle detection / warning device having a meter or compound visibility meter
And one or more second obstacle detection and warning devices
Combined into one set, the set of first obstacle detection and warning devices
Transmitting and receiving system of a visibility meter included in the second and second obstacle detection and warning devices
The openings are installed at one point in different directions,
The worst visibility or the largest among the measurement results of the plurality of visibility meters
The display warning means is controlled by the output of the visibility meter indicating the visibility.
Safety driving support system of road that was so.