Toll booth power consumption reduction system, toll booth power consumption reduction device, and toll booth power consumption reduction method

Abstract

To achieve power consumption reduction by implementing ETC roadside equipment control based on the number of vehicles entering the toll booth.SOLUTION: A toll booth power consumption reduction system according to the embodiment includes a camera for capturing images of vehicles heading toward a tollgate, and a vehicle detection device connected to the camera. The vehicle detection device includes: an image acquisition unit for acquiring a captured image taken by the camera; a vehicle detection / determination unit that determines, based on the captured images, whether or not there is a vehicle heading toward a toll booth on a toll road; and a communication control unit that sends a sleep mode instruction to the toll booth to put the specified equipment in the toll booth in a sleep mode when it is determined that no vehicle is heading toward the toll booth.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a tollgate low-power consumption system, a tollgate low-power consumption device, and a tollgate low-power consumption method.

Background Art

[0002] Users who use toll roads generally utilize an ETC system that collects tolls by wirelessly communicating with an in-vehicle unit mounted on a vehicle passing through a tollgate lane at the entrance tollgate and the exit tollgate of the toll road.

[0003] Currently, the ETC lane server included in the ETC system keeps the roadside equipment operating at all times so that it can process any vehicle that comes. Therefore, a considerable amount of power is consumed even when no vehicle is coming. In addition, when the traffic volume is high, the opening and closing of the bar of the departure control device occur frequently, resulting in high power consumption.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for power saving of roadside equipment by not constantly outputting radio waves for the roadside equipment to communicate with a vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Currently, in the ETC system, performance and functions are prioritized, and there is a problem that no active efforts have been made for low power consumption.

[0007] The present invention has been made paying attention to the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a technology for realizing low power consumption by detecting in advance a vehicle attempting to enter a tollgate and performing control of an ETC roadside unit according to the number of vehicles entering the tollgate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The tollgate low power consumption system according to an embodiment includes a camera for photographing a vehicle heading toward a tollgate, and a vehicle detection device connected to the camera. The vehicle detection device includes an image acquisition unit that acquires a photographed image photographed by the camera, a vehicle detection determination unit that determines whether there is a vehicle heading toward a tollgate provided on a toll road based on the photographed image, and when it is determined that there is no vehicle heading toward the tollgate, a communication control unit that transmits a sleep mode instruction to put a predetermined device in the tollgate into a sleep state to the tollgate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

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Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

[0010] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a tollgate low power consumption system, a tollgate low power consumption device, and a tollgate low power consumption method according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. In the following embodiments, parts having the same number are assumed to perform the same operation, and duplicate explanations are omitted. For example, when there are a plurality of identical or similar elements, a common reference numeral may be used to describe each element without distinction, or a branch number may be used in addition to the common reference numeral to describe each element separately.

[0011] [First Embodiment] (Configuration) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a tollgate low power consumption system according to the first embodiment. The tollgate low power consumption system includes a vehicle detection device 1 disposed in front of the tollgate, a camera 2, a vehicle 3, an in-vehicle device 31 mounted on the vehicle 3, and a tollgate 4.

[0012] The vehicle detection device 1 is a tollgate low-power consumption device arranged at a predetermined position in front of the tollgate. The vehicle detection device 1 is arranged, for example, on the guiding road leading to the tollgate 4. The vehicle detection device 1 is connected to each server in the ETC server room 50 and can transmit an operation mode indicating how to operate to each server in the ETC server room 50.

[0013] The camera 2 is arranged at a location where it can photograph the vehicle 3 heading towards the tollgate 4 (entrance or exit), for example, on the guiding road. The camera 2 is connected to the vehicle detection device 1 and outputs the photographed image to the vehicle detection device 1. That is, the vehicle detection device 1 and the camera 2 are arranged on the guiding road. Alternatively, the camera 2 is arranged on the guiding road, and the vehicle detection device 1 may be arranged in the tollgate 5.

[0014] The vehicle 3 is a vehicle that is about to use or has finished using the toll road. The vehicle 3 is equipped with an in-vehicle unit 31 and is a vehicle that can use the ETC system. Alternatively, the vehicle 3 does not necessarily need to be equipped with the in-vehicle unit 31. That is, the vehicle 3 may or may not use the ETC system.

[0015] The in-vehicle unit 31 is wirelessly connected to each device of the ETC roadside device 6 described later and exchanges various information. The in-vehicle unit 31 mounted on the vehicle 3 stores the in-vehicle unit ID and vehicle type information of the mounted vehicle 3, etc. Here, the vehicle type information is information indicating the vehicle type such as a light automobile, a regular vehicle, or a large vehicle.

[0016] The tollgate 4 may be either an entrance tollgate or an exit tollgate. For example, the tollgate 4 manages the passage of vehicles 3 using the ETC system and vehicles 3 not using the ETC system. The tollgate 4 includes an ETC server room 50 provided in the tollgate 5, a toll office 51, and an ETC roadside device 6.

[0017] The ETC server room 50 and the toll office 51 are arranged at a predetermined location within the toll plaza 5. The ETC server room 50 is equipped with a toll plaza server 501, a lane server 502, a lane monitoring and control device 503, an IC card processing device 504, and an uninterruptible power supply device 505 (UPS: Uninterruptible Power System).

[0018] The toll plaza server 501 is a server for managing the lane servers 502 installed in the ETC server room 50. The toll plaza server 501 is one or more computers, and various operations are controlled by a processor provided in the computer. Also, the toll plaza server 501 exchanges various data with the lane servers 502.

[0019] The lane server 502 is provided within the ETC server room 50 corresponding to the lanes through which the vehicle 3 can pass, and is connected to the ETC roadside devices 6 installed in each lane through which the vehicle 3 can pass. The lane server 502 is one or more computers, and various operations are controlled by a processor provided in the computer. For example, the processor of the lane server 502 controls each device of the ETC roadside devices 6 based on sensor data etc. transmitted from the devices associated with the lane server 502 among the ETC roadside devices 6.

[0020] Also, the lane server 502 is a server that stores the entrance information of the installed entrance toll plaza or the exit information of the exit toll plaza, and further stores the toll tables by section and vehicle type distributed from an ETC central device (not shown). The lane server 502 calculates the toll by referring to the toll table from the in-vehicle unit information, ETC card information, entrance information, exit information, and vehicle type information obtained by vehicle type discrimination. Also, the lane server 502 transmits the toll to the ETC central device via the toll plaza server 501 and transmits it to the ETC roadside devices 6.

[0021] The lane monitoring and control device 503 is a device that monitors the states of the devices included in the ETC roadside device 6. The toll office server 501 is one or more computers, and various operations are controlled by a processor included in the computer. For example, when an abnormality occurs in each device, the processor of the lane monitoring and control device 503 immediately notifies the ETC central device that an abnormality has occurred.

[0022] The IC card processing device 504 is a device that performs IC card processing and the like based on the IC card information included in the IC card inserted into the in-vehicle unit 31. The IC card processing device 504 is one or more computers, and various operations are controlled by a processor included in the computer. For example, the processor of the IC card processing device 504 implements the settlement of the toll for the vehicle 3 based on the IC card information acquired by each device of the ETC roadside device 6 from the in-vehicle unit 31.

[0023] The uninterruptible power supply device 505 is a device for supplying power to each device installed in the toll office 4 when an unexpected power outage or input power abnormality occurs. For example, normally, the uninterruptible power supply device 505 charges with power from a commercial power supply, and when a power outage or some emergency occurs, it supplies power to the devices that need to operate even in an emergency in the toll office 4 using the charged power.

[0024] The toll office 51 is a place where the staff in the toll office 5 stay. In the toll office 51, a display and a keyboard etc. connected to each server or device in the ETC server room 50 are arranged. Also, the display may display a captured image captured by a device in the ETC roadside device 6 described later, or detected detection information etc.

[0025] Next, the details of the ETC roadside device 6 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the tollgate 4 where the ETC roadside device 6 is arranged is provided with lanes for vehicles 3 to travel separated by islands, and the vehicles 3 travel from upstream to downstream in these lanes. Also, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the lanes are, for example, shared lanes that can be used by both vehicles 3 using the ETC system and vehicles 3 not using ETC. Note that the present embodiment is not limited to shared lanes, and it goes without saying that it is also applicable to ETC dedicated lanes where vehicles 3 using ETC can pass through.

[0026] Also, on the island, in order from upstream to downstream of the lane, there are arranged a first vehicle detector S1, a second vehicle detector S2, an ETC lane display board 601, a first antenna 602, a license plate reader 603, a roadside interface aggregation unit 604, a distribution board 605, a ticket issuing device 606, an intercom 607, a roadside display 608, a departure control device 609, a third vehicle detector S4, a second antenna 610, a lane monitoring camera 611, etc.

[0027] The first vehicle detector S1 is a detector that detects a vehicle 3 that reaches a position where it detects the entry of the vehicle 3 into the lane. When the first vehicle detector S1 detects the entry of the vehicle 3, the first antenna 602 communicates with the in-vehicle unit 31 of the vehicle 3 and receives various information such as in-vehicle unit information, ETC card information, and entrance information transmitted from the in-vehicle unit 31. If communication between the first antenna 602 and the in-vehicle unit 31 cannot be established, the vehicle 3 will reach a second point downstream from the first point.

[0028] The ETC lane display board 601 is used to display whether the lane that the vehicle 3 is about to pass through is an ETC dedicated lane, a shared lane, etc.

[0029] The license plate reader 603 is a device for reading license plate information from a license plate arranged on the front or rear of the vehicle 3. The license plate reader 603 takes a picture of the license plate portion of the vehicle 3 and reads the license plate information of the license plate from the taken picture.

[0030] The roadside interface aggregation unit 604 is a device that implements the interface between the ETC roadside device 6 and the lane server 502.

[0031] The distribution board 605 is a device for supplying the power supplied from the commercial power supply or the uninterruptible power supply device 505 to each device.

[0032] The ticket issuing device 606 and the interphone 607 are respectively a device for issuing a ticket to the user of the vehicle 3 that does not use the ETC system and a device for communicating with the attendant. Further, the interphone 607 may be used when troubles such as the communication with the in-vehicle unit 31 cannot be secured for the vehicle 3 that uses the ETC system.

[0033] The roadside display 608 is a display that receives a signal from the lane server 502 and displays a passing instruction, a stop instruction, a deceleration instruction, etc. to the vehicle 3 entering the lane. For example, the characters displayed on the roadside display 608 are large enough to be visible even at the stage of entering the lane.

[0034] The start control device 609 controls the opening and closing of the start control bar based on the start control information from the roadside interface aggregation unit 604. The start control bar physically blocks the passage (exit from the lane) of the vehicle 3 in the closed state and permits the passage of the vehicle 3 in the open state.

[0035] The third vehicle detector S4 is a detector that detects that the vehicle 3 has reached the exit of the lane. When the third vehicle detector S4 stops detecting the vehicle 3, it is determined that the vehicle 3 has left the lane, and the start control bar is closed for the next vehicle 3.

[0036] The second antenna 610 is an antenna for checking whether information has been written to the ETC card inserted into the in-vehicle unit 31. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the ETC roadside device 6 may be provided with devices such as a recovery antenna.

[0037] The lane monitoring camera 611 is a camera that monitors the lanes. The lane monitoring camera 611 captures the entire lane and monitors the passing status of the vehicle 3 in the lane and the like.

[0038] Next, the details of the hardware configuration and software configuration of the vehicle detection device 1 will be described.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the vehicle detection device 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle detection device 1 is one or more computers, and includes a detection control unit 11, a program storage unit 12, a data storage unit 13, a communication interface 14, an input / output interface 15, an input device 16, and an output device 17.

[0040] The detection control unit 11 is a control unit that controls the vehicle detection device 1. The detection control unit 11 includes a hardware processor such as a central processing unit (CPU). For example, the detection control unit 11 may be an integrated circuit capable of executing various programs.

[0041] The program storage unit 12 is a storage unit that stores programs necessary for the detection control unit 11 to execute various processes. As the storage medium, for example, a combination of a non-volatile memory such as an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive) that can be written and read at any time, and a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) can be used. For example, the detection control unit 11 can realize various controls and operations by reading and executing the programs stored in the program storage unit 12.

[0042] The data storage unit 13 is a storage unit for storing data acquired and generated in the process of the detection control unit 11 executing a program to perform various processes. For example, the data storage unit 13 is used to store various information acquired from an external device. The data storage unit 13 is a storage that uses, as a storage medium, a combination of a non-volatile memory such as an HDD or a memory card that can be written to and read from at any time, and a volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0043] The communication interface 14 includes one or more wired or wireless communication modules. For example, the communication interface 14 includes a communication module that is wired or wirelessly connected to each server and device arranged in the ETC server room 50. That is, the communication interface 14 can be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with each server and device arranged in the ETC server room 50 under the control of the detection control unit 11 and transmit and receive various information.

[0044] The input / output interface 15 is connected to the input device 16, the output device 17, and the camera 2, etc. The input / output interface 15 is an interface that enables transmission and reception of information between the input device 16, the output device 17, and the camera 2. The input / output interface 15 may be integrated with the communication interface 14. For example, at least one of the input device 16, the output device 17, and the camera 2 is wirelessly connected using a short-range wireless technology or the like, and various information may be transmitted and received using the short-range wireless technology.

[0045] The input device 16 includes, for example, a keyboard, a pointing device, etc. for an administrator who manages the vehicle detection device 1 to input various instructions to the vehicle detection device 1. The input device 16 may also include a reader for reading data to be stored in the program storage unit 12 or the data storage unit 13 from a memory medium such as a USB memory, or a disk device for reading such data from a disk medium.

[0046] The output device 17 includes a display for displaying output data to be presented to the administrator who manages the vehicle detection device 1 from the vehicle detection device 1, a printer for printing the same, and the like.

[0047] Note that the input device 16 and the output device 17 may be arranged inside the toll office 51.

[0048] Subsequently, the software configuration of the vehicle detection device 1 will be described in more detail. The detection control unit 11 includes a captured image acquisition unit 111, a vehicle detection determination unit 112, and a communication control unit 113.

[0049] The captured image acquisition unit 111 acquires the captured image captured by the camera 2. Then, the captured image acquisition unit 111 stores the acquired captured image in the captured image storage unit 131.

[0050] The vehicle detection determination unit 112 determines whether the vehicle 3 is not detected for a certain period. For example, the vehicle detection determination unit 112 performs image analysis on the captured image stored in the captured image storage unit 131 and attempts to detect the vehicle 3 to determine whether the vehicle 3 is not detected. Here, the image analysis for detecting the vehicle 3 may be a general method, and detailed description here is omitted.

[0051] The communication control unit 113 transmits a sleep mode instruction or a normal mode instruction to each device of the tollgate 4 (for example, each device arranged in the ETC server room 50).

[0052] Furthermore, the data storage unit 13 includes a captured image storage unit 131. The captured image storage unit 131 is used to store the captured image captured by the camera 2 and acquired by the captured image acquisition unit 111.

[0053] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of each device arranged in the tollgate 4 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the tollgate server 501 in the tollgate 5 is composed of a type 2 tollgate server 506 and a type 3 tollgate server 507, and is connected to the lane server 502, the lane monitoring and control device 503, the uninterruptible power supply device 505 (shown as a UPS in FIG. 3), and the tollgate server monitor 508 in the toll office 51, etc. Further, the lane server 502 is connected to the roadside interface aggregation unit 604 via the optical termination 509.

[0054] In addition, the toll office 51 is equipped with a lane monitoring and control unit 510 (HMI unit), a two-way TV intercom 511, an area monitoring camera video storage device 512, an L2SW 513, an area monitoring 514, a four-division unit 515, a video recording unit 516, a lane monitoring 517, a remote breaker operation console connection panel 518, a remote breaker operation console 519, an illegal camera 520, etc.

[0055] Here, since these devices provided in the toll office 51 can be general devices, detailed description here is omitted.

[0056] In addition, the roadside interface aggregation unit 604 of the ETC roadside device 6 includes an optical termination 6041, a contact aggregation unit 6042, an MC 6043, a HUB 6044, etc. Further, in addition to the devices described in FIG. 1, the ETC roadside device 6 includes a recovery antenna 612, a toll calculator 614, an illegal passing camera 615, an in-booth display 616, a simple operation panel 617, a vehicle approach sensor 618, a remote breaker 619, a two-way TV 620, an area monitoring 621. Also, the contact aggregation unit 6042 may be connected to the lane display board 622 of the adjacent lane (general).

[0057] Here, each device of the ETC roadside device 6 is connected as shown in FIG. 3, and as long as it is a general device. Therefore, detailed description here is omitted.

[0058] In addition, the first vehicle detector S1, the second vehicle detector S2, the third vehicle detector S4, the ETC lane display board 601, the roadside display 608, and the unauthorized passage camera 615, which are indicated by thick lines in FIG. 3, consume more power than other devices. Therefore, when operating in the sleep mode, the processor of the lane server 502 may control to turn off the power of these devices.

[0059] Furthermore, when operating in the sleep mode, the processor of the lane server 502 may control to keep the bar of the start control device 609 closed.

[0060] Also, when operating in the sleep mode, the devices to turn off the power are not limited to those described above. For example, the processor of the lane server 502 may control to turn off the power of devices such as the lane monitoring camera 611, the unauthorized passage camera 615, the in-booth display 616, the vehicle approach sensor 618, and the two-way TV 620. Furthermore, the processor may control to turn off the power of various devices in the toll office 51.

[0061] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the type 2 toll office server 506 and the type 3 toll office server 507 according to the first embodiment. The type 2 toll office server 506 is, for example, one server arranged for five toll offices 4 and manages each device installed in each toll office 4. The type 2 toll office server 506 includes a data processing device 5061 including a first data processing device 5062 and a second data processing device 5063, a component device monitoring device 5064, a contact input device 5065, an L3-SW 5066, a first firewall 5067, an IC router 5068, and a second firewall 5069.

[0062] For example, the data processing device 5061 is a device for performing data processing of the tollgate server 501. As shown by the thick line in FIG. 4, this data processing device 5061 has a large power consumption compared to other devices. Therefore, when operating in the sleep mode, the processor of the tollgate server 501 controls to turn off the power of this data processing device 5061. Also, when transitioning from the sleep mode to the normal mode, the processor of the tollgate server 501 supplies power to the data processing device 5061 and controls it to perform normal operations.

[0063] Next, the type 3 tollgate server 507 is arranged at each of the tollgates 4, for example, and transmits the information acquired from the lane server 502 or the like to the type 2 tollgate server 506. The type 3 tollgate server 507 includes an L2-SW 5071, a firewall 5072, a contact input device 5073, a first HUB 5074, a second HUB 5075, a security processing unit 5076, a third HUB 5077, and a fourth HUB 5078.

[0064] For example, the security processing unit 5076 is a device used to encrypt information about the credit card used by the user of the vehicle 3 that does not use the ETC system to pay the toll. As shown by the thick line in FIG. 4, this security processing unit 5076 has a large power consumption compared to other devices. Therefore, when operating in the sleep mode, the processor of the tollgate server 501 controls to turn off the power of this security processing unit 5076. Also, when transitioning from the sleep mode to the normal mode, the processor of the tollgate server 501 supplies power to the security processing unit 5076 and controls it to perform normal operations.

[0065] Also, the other devices included in the type 2 tollgate server 506 and the type 3 tollgate server 507 are connected as shown in FIG. 4 and may be general devices. Therefore, detailed description here is omitted.

[0066] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the lane server 502 according to the first embodiment. The lane server 502 includes a communication control unit 5021, a security processing unit 5022, a main control unit 5023, a log storage unit 5024, a power supply unit 5025, an input / output unit 5026 (I / O unit), and a HUB 5027. The communication control unit 5021 includes an optical conversion unit 50211 and a LAN 50212. The main control unit 5023 includes an ETC processing unit 50231 and a monitoring control unit 50232 having a remote reset processing unit 50233, an optical conversion unit 50234, a LAN 50235, and an input / output 50236.

[0067] For example, the communication control unit 5021 is a device that controls communication with an antenna and communication with other devices. The security processing unit 5022 is a device for encrypting card information of an IC card inserted into the in-vehicle unit 31 of the vehicle 3. The ETC processing unit 50231 is a device for performing various processes when the vehicle 3 passes through a lane.

[0068] As shown by the thick lines in FIG. 5, the communication control unit 5021, the security processing unit 5022, and the ETC processing unit 50231 consume a large amount of power compared to other devices. Therefore, when operating in the sleep mode, the processor of the lane server 502 controls to turn off the power of the communication control unit 5021, the security processing unit 5022, and the ETC processing unit 50231. When transitioning from the sleep mode to the normal mode, the processor of the lane server 502 supplies power to the communication control unit 5021, the security processing unit 5022, and the ETC processing unit 50231 and controls them to perform normal operations.

[0069] Other devices included in the lane server 502 are connected as shown in FIG. 5 and may be general devices. Therefore, detailed description here is omitted.

[0070] (Operation) FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for changing the operation mode of the tollgate 4 according to the first embodiment. This flowchart is realized by the detection control unit 11 of the vehicle detection device 1 reading and executing the program stored in the program storage unit 12.

[0071] First, assume that the camera 2 is always operating, taking pictures of a predetermined location on the guiding road connecting the main line of the toll road to the toll booth 4, and outputting the captured images to the vehicle detection device 1. And this flowchart may be executed at an arbitrary timing, for example, started by an instruction from the administrator of the vehicle detection device 1.

[0072] In step ST101, the captured image acquisition unit 111 acquires the captured image. The captured image acquisition unit 111 acquires the captured image taken by the camera 2. Then, the captured image acquisition unit 111 stores the acquired captured image in the captured image storage unit 131.

[0073] In step ST102, the vehicle detection determination unit 112 determines whether the vehicle 3 has not been detected for a certain period. For example, the vehicle detection determination unit 112 performs image analysis on the captured image stored in the captured image storage unit 131 and attempts to detect the vehicle 3. If the period during which the vehicle 3 is not detected exceeds a predetermined period, the vehicle detection determination unit 112 determines that the vehicle 3 has not been detected for a certain period, and outputs a signal indicating that the vehicle 3 has not been detected to the communication control unit 113. Then, the process proceeds to step ST103. On the other hand, if the vehicle 3 is detected within the predetermined period, the vehicle detection determination unit 112 determines that the vehicle 3 has been detected within a certain period, and outputs a signal indicating that the vehicle 3 has been detected to the communication control unit 113. Then, the process proceeds to step ST104.

[0074] In step ST103, the communication control unit 113 sends a sleep mode instruction. The communication control unit 113 sends a sleep mode instruction including an instruction for the above-mentioned devices of the toll booth 4 to shift to the sleep mode. For example, each device of the toll booth 4 that was operating in the normal mode shifts to the sleep mode.

[0075] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the second vehicle detector S2 in the sleep mode, the ETC lane display board 601, and the roadside display 608. As shown in FIG. 7(a), when the second vehicle detector S2 shifts to the sleep mode, the processor of the lane server 502 controls to stop the emission of the emitter. As shown in FIGS. 7(b) and 7(c), the processor of the lane server 502 controls to turn off the LED displays of the ETC lane display board 601 and the roadside display 608.

[0076] Similarly, as described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 5, when the tollgate server 501 and the lane server 502 receive the sleep mode instruction, the processor of the tollgate server 501 turns off the power of the data processing device 5061 and the security processing unit 5071 of the tollgate server 501. Similarly, the processor of the lane server 502 controls to turn off the power of the communication control unit 5021, the security processing unit 5022, and the ETC processing unit 50231 of the lane server 502. Further, as described above, the processor of the lane server 502 controls to close the bar of the start control device 609.

[0077] These devices are devices with high power consumption in the tollgate 4. Therefore, they contribute significantly to power saving. Also, if all the power of the tollgate 4 is turned off, the connection with other devices will be cut off and it will take time to restart. Therefore, by turning off the power of the devices with high power consumption, power saving is achieved while allowing the devices to return to the normal mode by the time the vehicle 3 arrives at the tollgate 4.

[0078] Returning to FIG. 6, in step ST104, the communication control unit 113 transmits a normal mode instruction. For example, when each device of the tollgate 4 is operating in the sleep mode and receives a normal mode instruction in step ST103, each device returns all the devices to their original states. For example, power is supplied to the vehicle detector of the ETC roadside unit 6, the ETC lane display board 601, and the roadside display 608. Further, the processor of the tollgate server 501 supplies power to the data processing device 5061 and the security processing unit 5071 of the tollgate server 501. Similarly, the processor of the lane server 502 controls to supply power to the communication control unit 5021, the security processing unit 5022, and the ETC processing unit 50231 of the lane server 502. Thereby, the vehicle 3 can pass through the tollgate 4.

[0079] Note that when each device of the tollgate 4 is operating in the normal mode, step ST104 may be skipped.

[0080] (Operation and Effect of the First Embodiment) According to the first embodiment, when the vehicle 3 has not used the tollgate 4 for a certain period, each device of the tollgate 4 shifts to the sleep mode. Thereby, the power consumption at the tollgate 4 can be reduced.

[0081] [Modification Example of the First Embodiment] Next, in the first embodiment, an example in which all the ETC roadside units 6 are operated in the normal mode or the sleep mode is shown. However, when vehicles 3 are sparse, that is, when one or several vehicles pass through at night, it is sufficient to operate only one ETC roadside unit 6 in the normal mode. Therefore, in the modification example of the first embodiment, a power-saving mode is provided between the normal mode and the sleep mode, and an example in which when operating in the power-saving mode, only one ETC roadside unit 6, that is, only one lane is made passable will be described.

[0082] (Configuration) The configuration in the modification example of the first embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the overlapping description here is omitted.

[0083] (Operation) FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for changing the operation mode of the tollgate 4 according to a modification of the first embodiment. This flowchart is realized by the detection control unit 11 of the vehicle detection device 1 reading and executing a program stored in the program storage unit 12.

[0084] First, it is assumed that the camera 2 is always operating, photographing a predetermined location on the guiding road connecting the main line of the toll road to the tollgate 4, and outputting the photographed image to the vehicle detection device 1. And this flowchart may be executed at an arbitrary timing, for example, it is started by an instruction from the administrator of the vehicle detection device 1.

[0085] Steps ST201 to ST203 are the same as steps ST101 to ST103 described with reference to FIG. 6, so the overlapping description here is omitted.

[0086] In step ST204, the vehicle detection determination unit 112 determines whether the number of detected vehicles 3 is less than or equal to a certain number. If the number of detected vehicles 3 is small, such as 1 or 2, the vehicle detection determination unit 112 may determine that the number of detected vehicles 3 is less than or equal to a certain number. Also, the vehicle detection determination unit 112 may similarly determine that the number of detected vehicles 3 is less than or equal to a certain number when the number of vehicles 3 detected within a predetermined period is less than or equal to a certain number. In this case, the vehicle detection determination unit 112 outputs to the communication control unit 113 that a vehicle 3 of a number less than or equal to a predetermined number has been detected. Then, the process proceeds to step ST205. On the other hand, when a vehicle 3 of a number greater than or equal to a predetermined number is detected, a signal indicating that a vehicle 3 of a number greater than or equal to a predetermined number has been detected is output to the communication control unit 113. Then, the process proceeds to step ST206.

[0087] In step ST205, the communication control unit 113 transmits a power saving mode instruction. For example, if each device at toll booth 4 was operating in the sleep mode or the normal mode in step ST203, each device at toll booth 4 will shift to the power saving mode. For example, only one of the plurality of ETC roadside devices 6 arranged at toll booth 4 is operated in the normal mode, and the other ETC roadside devices 6 shift to be operated in the sleep mode. However, the ETC roadside device 6 operated in the normal mode is operated as a combined lane so that both vehicles 3 using the ETC system and vehicles 3 not using the ETC system can pass through. Thereby, both vehicles 3 using the ETC system and vehicles 3 not using the ETC system can pass through toll booth 4.

[0088] And when only a small number of vehicles 3 use toll booth 4, since all ETC roadside devices 6 are not operated, the power consumption is reduced compared to the normal mode.

[0089] In step ST206, the communication control unit 113 transmits a normal mode instruction. For example, when receiving a normal mode instruction in the case where each device at toll booth 4 is operated in the power saving mode in step ST205, each device returns all devices to their original states. Thereby, when a large number of vehicles 3 attempt to pass through toll booth 4, toll booth 4 will operate all ETC roadside devices 6 in the normal mode. Thereby, a plurality of lanes will operate, and it will be smoother for vehicle 3 to pass through toll booth 4.

[0090] (Operation and effect of the modification of the first embodiment) According to the modification of the first embodiment, when the number of vehicles 3 entering toll booth 4 is less than a predetermined number, a part of the ETC roadside devices 6 at toll booth 4 (for example, only one) is operated in the normal mode, and the remaining ETC roadside devices 6 are operated in the power saving mode where they are operated in the sleep mode. Thereby, the power consumption at toll booth 4 can be reduced compared to operating in the normal mode.

[0091] [Second embodiment] In the second embodiment, when many vehicles 3 pass, that is, during peak hours, the power of the uninterruptible power supply device 505 is utilized, and when the vehicles 3 do not pass very much, the uninterruptible power supply device 505 is charged.

[0092] By operating in this way, the power consumption during the time period with a large traffic volume is reduced, and the peak power is reduced.

[0093] (Configuration) The configuration of each device of the tollgate 4 in the second embodiment is the same as the configuration described in the first embodiment. Therefore, the overlapping description here is omitted.

[0094] FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the vehicle detection device 1 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the vehicle detection device 1 according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the detection control unit 11 includes a battery remaining amount determination unit 114.

[0095] The battery remaining amount determination unit 114 acquires the remaining amount information of the uninterruptible power supply device 505 from the uninterruptible power supply device 505, and determines whether the remaining amount is more than a predetermined amount.

[0096] (Operation) FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for changing the operation mode of the tollgate 4 according to the second embodiment. This flowchart is realized by the detection control unit 11 of the vehicle detection device 1 reading and executing the program stored in the program storage unit 12.

[0097] First, it is assumed that the camera 2 is always operating, shooting a predetermined location on the guiding road connecting the main line of the toll road to the tollgate 4, and outputting the captured image to the vehicle detection device 1. And this flowchart may be executed at an arbitrary timing, for example, started by an instruction from the administrator of the vehicle detection device 1.

[0098] Step ST301 is the same as step ST101 described with reference to FIG. 6. Therefore, duplicate explanations are omitted here.

[0099] In step ST302, the vehicle detection determination unit 112 determines whether there is a certain amount of traffic volume. For example, the vehicle detection determination unit 112 determines whether there are a certain number or more of vehicles 3 detected within a predetermined time. When the number of detected vehicles 3 is a certain number or more, a signal indicating that a certain number or more of vehicles 3 have been detected is output to the battery remaining amount determination unit 114. Then, the process proceeds to step ST303. On the other hand, when less than a certain number of vehicles 3 are detected, a signal indicating that less than a certain number of vehicles 3 have been detected is output to the communication control unit 113. Then, the process proceeds to step ST305.

[0100] In step ST303, the battery remaining amount determination unit 114 determines whether the remaining amount of the uninterruptible power supply device 505 is sufficient. For example, the battery remaining amount determination unit 114 acquires the remaining amount information of the uninterruptible power supply device 505 from the uninterruptible power supply device 505 and determines whether the remaining amount is more than a predetermined amount. When the remaining amount is more than the predetermined amount, the battery remaining amount determination unit 114 outputs a signal indicating that the remaining amount of the uninterruptible power supply device 505 is a predetermined amount or more to the communication control unit 113. Then, the process proceeds to step ST304. On the other hand, when it is determined that the remaining amount is less than the predetermined amount, the battery remaining amount determination unit 114 outputs a signal indicating that the remaining amount of the uninterruptible power supply device 505 is less than the predetermined amount. Then, the process proceeds to step ST305.

[0101] In step ST304, the communication control unit 113 transmits an instruction to use the uninterruptible power supply device to each device arranged in the ETC server room 50. Each device that has received the UPS use instruction also uses the power stored in the uninterruptible power supply device 505 together with the commercial power supply. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the power consumption during the time period when there are many vehicles 3 using the tollgate 4, that is, during the peak time period.

[0102] In step ST305, the communication control unit 113 transmits an instruction to use commercial power to each device arranged in the ETC server room 50. Each device uses commercial power as usual. Also, the uninterruptible power supply device 505 may perform charging.

[0103] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing traffic volume and power load over time according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the power of the uninterruptible power supply device 505 is used during peak hours, and the uninterruptible power supply device 505 is charged when it is not peak hours. Thereby, the power consumption by the commercial power during peak hours can be reduced. Thereby, since the consumption of peak power can be reduced, the electricity bill can be reduced.

[0104] (Operation and Effect of the Second Embodiment) According to the second embodiment, when there are many vehicles 3 passing through the tollgate 4, the power stored in the uninterruptible power supply device 505 is used. Thereby, the power consumption from the commercial power during peak hours can be reduced, and the electricity bill can be reduced.

[0105] [Other Embodiments] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

[0106] For example, in the embodiment, an example where the vehicle detection device 1 is arranged on the guiding road of the toll road has been described, but it may be arranged on the main line. And the vehicle detection determination unit 112 may be configured to detect the vehicle 3 turning to the guiding road side. Thereby, it is possible to ensure a longer time for each device of the tollgate 4 operating in the sleep mode to switch to the normal mode.

[0107] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example 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 gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0108] 1…Vehicle detection device 11…Detection control unit 111…Shooting image acquisition unit 112…Vehicle detection determination unit 113…Communication control unit 114…Battery remaining amount determination unit 12…Program storage unit 13…Data storage unit 131…Shooting image storage unit 14…Communication interface 15…Input / output interface 16…Input device 17…Output device 2…Camera 3…Vehicle 31…On-vehicle device 4…Toll booth 5…Inside the toll booth 50…ETC server room 51…Toll office 501…Toll booth server 502…Lane server 5021…Communication control unit 50211…Optical conversion unit 50212…LAN 5022…Security processing unit 5023…Main control unit 50231…ETC processing unit 50232…Monitoring control unit 50233…Remote reset processing unit 50234…Optical conversion unit 50235…LAN 50236…Input / output 5024… Log storage unit 5025… Power supply unit 5026… Input / output unit 5027… HUB 503… Lane monitoring and control device 504… IC card processing device 505… Uninterruptible power supply device 506… Type 2 toll station server 5061… Data processing device 5062… Data processing device 5063… Data processing device 5064… Component device monitoring device 5065… Contact input device 5066… L3-SW 5067… First firewall 5068… IC router 5069… Second firewall 507… Type 3 toll station server 5071… Security processing unit 5072… Firewall 5073… Contact input device 5074… First HUB 5075… Second HUB 5076… Security processing unit 5077… Third HUB 5078… Fourth HUB 508… Toll station server monitor 509… Optical termination 510… Lane monitoring and control section 511… Two-way video intercom 512… Area monitoring camera video storage device 514… Area monitoring 515… Splitting unit 516… Video recording section 517… Lane monitoring 518… Remote breaker operation console connection panel 519… Remote breaker operation console 520… Unauthorized camera 6… ETC roadside equipment 601… ETC lane display board 602… Antenna 603… Number Plate Reader 604… Roadside Interface Aggregation Unit 6041… Optical Termination 6042… Contact Aggregation Unit 6043… MC 6044… HUB 605… Distribution Board 606… Toll Ticket Issuing Device 607… Intercom 608… Roadside Display 609… Departure Control Machine 610… Antenna 611… Lane Monitoring Camera 612… Recovery Antenna 614… Fare Settlement Machine 615… Illegal Passage Camera 616… Booth Interior Display 617… Simple Operation Panel 618… Vehicle Approach Sensor 619… Remote Interrupter 620… Two-way TV 621… Area Monitoring 622… Lane Display Board S1, S2, S3… Vehicle Detectors

Claims

1. A camera for photographing vehicles heading towards a toll booth, A vehicle detection device connected to the camera, Comprising, the vehicle detection device includes, An image acquisition unit that acquires a photographed image photographed by the camera, A vehicle detection determination unit that determines whether there is a vehicle heading towards a toll booth provided on a toll road based on the photographed image, A communication control unit that, when it is determined that there is no vehicle heading towards the toll booth, transmits a sleep mode instruction to the toll booth to put a predetermined device in the toll booth into a sleep state, A toll booth low power consumption system comprising.

2. The vehicle detection determination unit determines that there is no vehicle heading towards the toll booth when no vehicle is detected for a certain period of time, The toll booth low power consumption system according to Claim 1.

3. The predetermined device is a device with high power consumption in the toll booth, The toll booth low power consumption system according to Claim 1.

4. The predetermined device includes at least a vehicle detector, an ETC lane display board, and a roadside display included in the ETC roadside device provided in the toll booth. When operating in the sleep mode, the processor of the lane server arranged in the toll booth stops the issuance of the vehicle detector and controls to turn off the displays of the ETC lane display board and the roadside display, The toll booth low power consumption system according to Claim 1.

5. The processor of the lane server controls to close the gate of the start control machine included in the ETC roadside device, The toll booth low power consumption system according to Claim 4.

6. The predetermined device includes at least a data processing device, a security processing unit, a communication control unit of the lane server, and an ETC processing unit of the toll booth server provided in the toll booth. When operating in the sleep mode, the processor of the toll booth server controls to turn off the power of the data processing device and the security processing unit, and the processor of the lane server controls to turn off the power of the communication control unit and the ETC processing unit, The toll booth low power consumption system according to Claim 4.

7. When the vehicle detection determination unit determines that there is a vehicle heading towards the toll booth, it further determines whether the number of vehicles heading towards the toll booth is less than a predetermined number, When the communication control unit determines that the number of the vehicles is equal to or less than a predetermined number, the communication control unit transmits a power-saving mode instruction indicating that one lane included in the tollgate is to be operated to the tollgate. The tollgate low-power consumption system according to claim 1.

8. The vehicle detection determination unit determines whether there is a predetermined amount of vehicles heading towards the tollgate, and when it determines that there is a predetermined amount of vehicles, determines whether the remaining amount of the uninterruptible power supply device installed in the tollgate is sufficient. The communication control unit further transmits a use instruction to use the uninterruptible power supply device. The tollgate low-power consumption system according to claim 1.

9. The camera is arranged on the guiding road leading to the tollgate. The tollgate low-power consumption system according to claim 1.

10. An image acquisition unit that acquires a captured image captured by the camera; A vehicle detection determination unit that determines whether there is a vehicle heading towards a tollgate provided on a toll road based on the captured image; A communication control unit that, when it determines that there is no vehicle heading towards the tollgate, transmits a sleep mode instruction to put a predetermined device in the tollgate into a sleep state to the tollgate. A tollgate low-power consumption device comprising the above.

11. The image acquisition unit of the vehicle detection device acquires a captured image captured by the camera of the vehicle detection device; The vehicle detection determination unit of the vehicle detection device determines whether there is a vehicle heading towards a tollgate provided on a toll road based on the captured image; The communication control unit of the vehicle detection device transmits a sleep mode instruction to put a predetermined device in the tollgate into a sleep state to the tollgate when it determines that there is no vehicle heading towards the tollgate. A tollgate low-power consumption method comprising the above.

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