Signal information system

Abstract

To provide a signal information system that can detect signal indications simply and reliably.SOLUTION: A signal information system 100 includes: a traffic signal 10 that blinks a signal light 11 at a predetermined cycle; an image capturing device 30 that is mounted on a vehicle and captures images including the signal light 11; and an image processing device 40a that removes from a series of captured images a non-target image portion NOS including an image portion in a constantly lit state and an image portion blinking at a cycle corresponding to a commercial power source, and extracts an image portion blinking at the predetermined cycle. The predetermined cycle is different from the cycle corresponding to the commercial power source.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a signal information system for identifying signal displays.

Background Art

[0002] A system for identifying signal display information from an image acquired by a camera mounted on a moving train is known (Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the case of the system of Patent Document 1, since the lamp color is determined from an image of a signal, it is easily affected by the surrounding environment and cannot transmit information other than the lamp color. Specifically, in the system of Patent Document 1, for example, there is a risk of false detection if something of the same color as the signal display, such as the sky, streetlights, vehicle headlights, or taillights, is reflected in the area.

[0004] Also, a signal detection device is known (Patent Document 2) that extracts red, blue, and yellow portions from a color image obtained by a camera, derives the circularity of each color portion, extracts signal light candidates from these colors and circularity, performs a corresponding search between the previous frame and the current frame, and determines whether the signal light candidate state is blinking periodically to detect a signal. In the device of Patent Document 2, the shooting cycle and the blinking cycle of the signal are asynchronous, and the lighting state and extinguishing state of the signal are photographed without increasing the number of times of shooting by the camera.

[0005] In the case of the device of Patent Document 2, it can only be determined that what is blinking with commercial power is a signal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a signal information system capable of simply and surely detecting a signal display.

[0008] To achieve the above object, a signal information system according to the present invention includes a traffic signal that blinks a signal lamp at a predetermined period, an imaging device mounted on a vehicle that captures an image including the signal lamp, and from a series of captured images, an image processing device that removes a non-target image portion including an image portion that is always lit and an image portion that blinks at a period corresponding to a commercial power supply, and extracts an image portion that blinks at a predetermined period, and the predetermined period is different from the period corresponding to the commercial power supply.

[0009] In the above signal information system, since the signal lamp is blinked at a predetermined period different from the period corresponding to the commercial power supply, the image processing device can extract an image portion having a blinking period different from that of the commercial power supply by removing the non-target image portion. Thereby, the traffic signal to be focused on can be selectively specified, and information acquisition using the traffic signal as a transmission device becomes possible.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] 〔Embodiment〕 Hereinafter, a signal information system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a state where the signal information system 100 is applied. FIG. 2(A) is a block diagram of the signal device 10 in the signal information system 100, and FIG. 2(B) is a block diagram of the in-vehicle device 20.

[0012] Referring to FIG. 1, the railway vehicle TR travels on the track RL. In the illustrated example, a single signal device 10 is shown, but actually, a plurality of signal devices 10 are installed along the track RL. The plurality of signal devices 10 are installed at specified positions along the track RL, or at specified locations such as the entrances and exits in a parking lot such as a station. An in-vehicle device 20 for automatically monitoring the state of the signal device 10 is installed on the railway vehicle TR. The in-vehicle device 20 causes the imaging device 30 provided therein to capture an image including the lamp light SL or the signal lamp 11 from the signal device 10, and acquires signal-related information from the signal device 10 based on the captured image. The combination of the signal device 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 is called a signal information system 100.

[0013] The signal device 10 has, for example, a railway signal lamp 11 including a red lamp, a blue lamp, and a yellow lamp, and a signal controller 12 that causes the signal lamp 11 to perform a lighting operation or a display operation. Although details will be described later, the signal device 10 causes the signal lamp 11 to blink at a predetermined cycle by the signal controller 12.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2(A), the signal controller 12 has an information processing circuit 14 that receives information regarding the lamp color from the outside and outputs a lamp color designation signal SG11, and outputs signal information SI11 such as the ID of the signal device 10 and the remaining time of the currently displayed lamp color, and a transmission device 15 that outputs a drive signal SD12 to the signal lamp 11 based on the signal information SI11 from the information processing circuit 14. In the signal device 10, the pulse position modulation type transmission device 15 causes the signal lamp 11 to blink in a plurality of blinking patterns based on the signal information SI11.

[0015] The information processing circuit 14 is, for example, a microcomputer and is capable of communicating with a higher-level management device or a signal control device in a closed section ahead. The information processing circuit 14 receives a command signal from the higher-level management device or receives situation information regarding the situation from the signal control device in the closed section ahead. The basic operation of the information processing circuit 14 is to turn on the signal lamp 11 in an appropriate lamp color corresponding to an external command or the like via a signal modulation circuit 15a and a lamp driving circuit 15b of the transmission device 15 described later. In addition to the above basic operation, the information processing circuit 14 has a function of holding various parameters for flashing the signal lamp 11 at a predetermined cycle, and a function of generating and temporarily holding signal information SI11 corresponding to the display state of the signal lamp 11. Further, the information processing circuit 14 has a function of generating other additional information attached to the signal information SI11 and a function of receiving additional information from a higher-level management device or the like. The information processing circuit 14 outputs the thus obtained additional information SA11 in combination with the signal information SI11, and causes the signal lamp 11 to perform optical modulation for high-speed flashing via the signal modulation circuit 15a and the lamp driving circuit 15b, thereby providing signal-related information, which is an optical digital signal that is indistinguishable to the driver of the railway vehicle TR but distinguishable to the in-vehicle device 20.

[0016] The transmission device 15 gives modulation corresponding to the signal information SI11 including the state of the signal lamp 11 to cause the signal lamp 11 to flash. The transmission device 15 includes a signal modulation circuit 15a and a lamp driving circuit 15b. The signal modulation circuit 15a is composed of a digital circuit, and the lamp driving circuit 15b is composed of a digital circuit or an analog circuit. The lamp driving circuit 15b outputs a driving signal SD12 for driving the signal lamp 11, and the signal modulation circuit 15a outputs an output signal SO serving as a basis for the driving signal SD12 to the lamp driving circuit 15b.

[0017] The transmission device 15 causes the signal lamp 11 to blink at a predetermined period different from the period corresponding to the commercial power supply while visibly displaying the lamp color specified by the information processing circuit 14, with almost no impact on the visible display. Here, the period corresponding to the commercial power supply is 100 Hz or 120 Hz when full-wave rectified. The predetermined period is a different period excluding the period corresponding to the commercial power supply, for example, about 70 Hz to 300 Hz (excluding 100 Hz or 120 Hz). By blinking the signal lamp 11 at a predetermined period different from the commercial power supply, the in-vehicle device 20 can distinguish the signal lamp 11 or the traffic signal 10 from other lamps or light sources operating at the period of the commercial power supply, improving the signal detection accuracy and enhancing the reliability. Also, the in-vehicle device 20 can distinguish the signal lamp 11 or the traffic signal 10 from lamps or light sources in a constantly lit state operating on a DC power supply. Note that the constantly lit light source is not limited to those operating on a DC power supply and includes natural light or reflected light contained in the air, etc.

[0018] The transmitting device 15 transmits the signal information SI11 by changing the blinking frequency of the signal lamp 11 at a desired timing under the control of the information processing circuit 14. In this case, digital information can be transmitted by switching the frequency in two or more steps. Also, the transmitting device 15 transmits the signal information SI11 by switching between always-on lighting and blinking of the signal lamp 11 at a desired timing under the control of the information processing circuit 14. The always-on lighting here means blinking at a predetermined cycle for always detecting the on state at the imaging timing or lighting with a DC power supply. In this case, digital information can be transmitted by switching between always-on lighting and blinking in two steps. Note that it is preferable to reduce the light amount during always-on lighting to balance with the blinking state. By such a change in the blinking frequency and the switching between always-on lighting and blinking, the transmitting device 15 can modulate the lighting state to rapidly change the blinking state of the signal lamp 11 and transmit an optical modulation signal superimposed on the lamp light SL. That is, the transmitting device 15 can transmit the display information of the traffic signal 10 and other information as optical digital information to the outside, and the in-vehicle device 20 can receive the display information of the traffic signal 10 and other information as optical digital information. Thereby, one-way visible light communication becomes possible from the traffic signal 10 to the in-vehicle device 20.

[0019] Details will be described later, but the optical digital information transmitted by the transmitting device 15 is expressed in a plurality of blinking patterns in combination with the imaging timing of the imaging device 30 of the in-vehicle device 20 described later. Specific examples include two blinking patterns.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2(B), the in-vehicle device 20 includes an imaging device 30 that captures an image including the signal lamp 11 mounted on the railway vehicle TR shown in FIG. 1, a data processing device 40 that acquires signal information and supplementary information regarding the traffic signal 10 existing in front of the railway vehicle TR based on the image captured by the imaging device 30, and an interface device 50 that displays characters and the like according to the signal information and the like acquired by the data processing device 40 and emits a sound or voice according to the signal information and the like.

[0021] The imaging device 30 can capture a color image of the signal lamp 11 in the visible range and enables the extraction of the signal lamp 11 from the color image. Further, the imaging device 30 is a video camera that continuously repeats imaging at a frame rate corresponding to the cycle of the commercial power supply, for example, and sequentially generates image data representing the captured images. The imaging device 30 sequentially outputs the generated image data to the data processing device 40. As a specific example, when the cycle corresponding to the commercial power supply is 50 Hz, the frame rate of the imaging device 30 is 50 fps. At this time, the frame period is 20 ms. Note that the frame rate of the imaging device 30 is not limited to the cycle corresponding to the commercial power supply, and may be such that it can detect the blinking pattern of the signal lamp 11, different from the frequency of the signal lamp 11 that blinks at a predetermined cycle.

[0022] The data processing device 40 is a computer and includes a memory that stores various data, a processor that performs various data processes according to the programs stored in the memory, and an input / output interface that performs input / output of data with external devices (specifically, the imaging device 30 and the interface device 50). The data processing device 40 is such that the processor incorporated therein performs data processing related to the acquisition of signal information according to the program, and includes, as functional components, an image acquisition unit 41, a storage unit 42, a region specification unit 43, an information extraction unit 44, and a notification unit 45. Among these, the image acquisition unit 41, the storage unit 42, the region specification unit 43, and the information extraction unit 44 are the image processing device 40a.

[0023] The image acquisition unit 41 acquires image data from the imaging device 30. The image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 41 is stored in the storage unit 42.

[0024] The memory unit 42 stores various data. The data stored in the memory unit 42 includes programs executed by the data processing device 40, image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 41 from the imaging device 30, reference data for executing programs, and the like. The programs executed by the data processing device 40 include a program for identifying a target image portion OSA (see FIG. 3) including the signal lamp 11 from the image data, a program for removing a non-target image portion NOS including light sources other than the signal lamp 11 from the image data, a program for determining the contour image and the light color of the signal lamp 11 in the target image portion OSA, and a program for extracting a blinking pattern from an image area corresponding to the contour image and the light color of the signal lamp 11 and reading optical digital data.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a series of captured images for identifying the target image portion OSA including the signal lamp 11. Referring to FIG. 3, the region identification unit 43 shown in FIG. 2(B) identifies the target image portion OSA including the signal lamp 11 in each captured image 2 corresponding to a series of images captured by the imaging device 30, that is, a series of image data. In other words, the region identification unit 43 removes the non-target image portion NOS including the image portion in the constantly lit state and the image portion blinking at a cycle corresponding to the commercial power supply (for example, the light source IO such as a light bulb shown in FIG. 3) from the series of captured images, and extracts the target image portion OSA which is the image portion blinking at a predetermined cycle.

[0026] Hereinafter, a specific example of specifying the target image portion OSA shown in FIG. 3 will be described. The target image portion OSA is determined based on the position on the track RL of the railway vehicle TR shown in FIG. 1, and is specified as a coordinate position or region on the captured image 2. The position of the railway vehicle TR on the track RL is specified, for example, by the running distance from the reference position on the track RL. In a specific example, the region specifying unit 43 selects a lamp region from a series of captured images based on region information indicating a region where the signal lamp 11 is estimated to be captured. That is, the region specifying unit 43 selectively cuts out a lamp region including the signal lamp 11 from a series of captured images and determines whether it is the target image portion OSA. In this case, by selectively cutting out the image of the signal lamp 11 from each captured image 2 which is a series of captured images, the region where the signal lamp 11 is reflected can be efficiently narrowed down, and the signal detection efficiency can be improved. Whether it is the target image portion OSA is determined by whether it includes a predetermined blinking pattern.

[0027] FIG. 4 shows an example of the blinking pattern of the signal lamp 11. FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the blinking pattern of the signal lamp 11 corresponding to the frequency modulation power supply and the detection of the signal lamp 11 corresponding to the frequency modulation power supply. In the illustrated example, the frame rate of the imaging device 30 is 50 fps. The first predetermined frequency is, for example, 133 Hz, and the second predetermined frequency is, for example, 125 Hz. When the imaging timing deviation t0 is 0 to 5 ms in the blinking at the first predetermined frequency, the first timing at which the imaging device 30 detects the signal lamp 11 is the first blinking pattern P1 with a detection once every 60 ms. Also, when the imaging timing deviation t0 is 0 to 5 ms in the blinking at the second predetermined frequency, the second timing at which the imaging device 30 detects the signal lamp 11 is the second blinking pattern P2 with a detection once every 40 ms. In the case of the signal lamp 11 where the blinking pattern is switched, it is preferable to determine the blinking pattern of the signal lamp 11 based on the detection results of the same blinking pattern for, for example, two or more times in consideration of the switching of the blinking pattern.

[0028] Note that the target image portion OSA may be determined as the image portion where lighting and extinguishing exist in each captured image 2. That is, the image processing apparatus 40a determines, in a series of captured images, that the image portion where lighting and extinguishing exist corresponds to the signal lamp 11, and if such an image portion includes a predetermined blinking pattern, it may be set as the target image portion OSA. At this time, the region specifying unit 43 excludes, from the series of captured images, the image portion in the always-on state as the non-target image portion NOS, and when there is a target image portion OSA that blinks corresponding to the least common multiple of the predetermined period and the frame period, it determines that the target image portion OSA corresponds to the signal lamp 11. In this case, while enabling the imaging of the signal lamp 11 that blinks by the imaging apparatus 30, by extracting the image portion that blinks corresponding to the common period from each captured image 2 that is a series of captured images, the detection accuracy of the signal can be increased and the reliability can be enhanced.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the detection of the signal lamp 11 and the detection of the blinking or lighting of other light sources. In FIG. 5, the relationship between the blinking pattern of the signal lamp 11, the blinking pattern or lighting pattern of other light sources, and the imaging timing by the imaging apparatus 30 is shown. In the upper part of FIG. 5, in order from the top, (1) the blinking pattern of the light source corresponding to the commercial power supply, (2) the lighting pattern of the light source corresponding to the DC power supply, and (3) the blinking pattern of the signal lamp 11 corresponding to the frequency-modulated power supply are shown. In the lower part of FIG. 5, the upper side shows the detection of the signal lamp 11 corresponding to the (3) frequency-modulated power supply, and the lower side shows the detection of the light source corresponding to the (1) commercial power supply or the (2) DC power supply.

[0030] Regarding the blinking pattern of the signal lamp 11 corresponding to the frequency-modulated power supply, the on / off of the signal lamp 11 is detected at the least common multiple common period of the signal blinking period Ts (ms) and the frame period Ft (ms). As a specific example, if the predetermined frequency of the signal lamp 11 is 133 Hz, the signal blinking period Ts is 7.5 ms. Also, if the imaging timing (frame rate) is 50 fps, the frame period Ft is 20 ms. In this case, the common period Fx is 7.5 ms × 8 = 20 ms × 3 = 60 ms.

[0031] The signal information system 100 excludes a general AC power supply (specifically, 50 Hz or 60 Hz), a light source lit by a DC power supply, and an object using natural light as a light source by synchronizing the frame rate of the imaging device 30 with the frequency of the AC power supply. Thereby, the signal information system 100 can detect only the signal lamp 11 of the traffic signal 10 by lighting the signal lamp 11 of the traffic signal 10 to be detected at a frequency different from that of the AC power supply.

[0032] Assume that the AC power supply is 50 Hz, for example, and a light source that is not a detection target lights up by full-wave rectification (for example, 100 Hz) (represented by a rectangular wave, for example), and the frame rate of the imaging device 30 is 50 fps, for example. Let the time difference (imaging timing deviation) between the rising timing of the ON state of the light source that is not a detection target and the imaging timing be t0. Then, the signal lamp 11 to be detected is photographed at a timing corresponding to the time difference t0 that satisfies the following range (a) or (b).

[0033] (a) 0 ms ≤ t0 < 5 ms In this case, the light source that blinks at 100 Hz is always photographed at the lighting timing. That is, a light source that blinks with a normal AC power supply is detected in a constantly lit state. At this time, a light source lit by a DC power supply is also detected in a constantly lit state. The region specifying unit 43 determines an image portion in a constantly lit state as a non-target image portion NOS, and determines an image portion including a predetermined lighting pattern as a target image portion OSA.

[0034] (b) 5 ms ≤ t0 < 10 ms In this case, the light source that blinks at 100 Hz is always photographed at the extinguishing timing. That is, the AC power supply is detected in a constantly extinguished state. Note that a light source lit by a DC power supply is detected in a constantly lit state. The region specifying unit 43 determines an image portion in a constantly extinguished state or a constantly lit state as a non-target image portion NOS, and determines an image portion including a predetermined lighting pattern as a target image portion OSA.

[0035] As described above, when the signal information system 100 excludes the image portions that are constantly lit or constantly extinguished according to the determination conditions of the target image portion OSA, neither the light source that blinks with an AC power supply nor the light source that is lit with a DC power supply is detected as the traffic signal 10. As a result, false detection of light sources of the AC power supply and the like can be prevented.

[0036] Returning to FIG. 2(B), the information extraction unit 44 determines the contour image and the light color of the signal lamp 11 in the target image portion OSA (see FIG. 3) based on the image data within that area. Further, the information extraction unit 44 extracts the blinking pattern from the image area corresponding to the contour image and the light color of the signal lamp 11, and reads the optical digital data. To determine the contour image and the light color of the signal lamp 11, the information extraction unit 44 can use known methods such as image clipping and matching with known images, or can also use a machine learning model.

[0037] The information extraction unit 44 extracts the blinking pattern of the signal lamp 11, and obtains the time-series data of the blinking patterns P1, P2 from a series of image areas corresponding to the contour image and the light color. The information extraction unit 44 can read the signal information and the supplementary information (signal-related information SRO) regarding the traffic signal 10 from the time-series data of the blinking patterns P1, P2 using the predetermined character code set between the traffic signal 10 and the in-vehicle device 20. That is, visible light communication becomes possible between the traffic signal 10 and the in-vehicle device 20. Note that the signal information obtained by visible light communication usually includes the light color of the signal lamp 11. That is, the light color directly determined from the image of the signal lamp 11 and the light color of the signal lamp 11 obtained by visible light communication overlap as information, but when the light colors obtained by the two types of methods match, it means that the accuracy of the determined light color is high.

[0038] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of time-series data of the blinking patterns P1 and P2. In the example of FIG. 6, the blinking patterns P1 and P2 are assigned as "1" or "0", and a binary number is represented by these combinations. In a specific example, the first blinking pattern P1 corresponding to the first predetermined frequency means, for example, "1". Also, the second blinking pattern P2 corresponding to the second predetermined frequency means, for example, "0". That is, in the illustrated example, "1" is set based on the light detection period of 60 ms of the first blinking pattern P1, and the second blinking pattern P2 that is not the light detection period of 60 ms is set as "0".

[0039] The information extraction unit 44 sequentially outputs binary data as optical digital data based on the time-series data transmitted by the blinking patterns P1 and P2 of the signal lamp device 11. In the case of the example of FIG. 6, 2 or 3 frames are 1 bit, and 1 byte of optical digital data is transmitted by 16 to 24 frames. If 1 frame is transmitted, for example, in 20 ms, 1 byte of optical digital data can be transmitted in 320 ms to 480 ms.

[0040] The notification unit 45 converts the signal-related information SRO obtained by the information extraction unit 44 into characters or image data and outputs it to the display device 51 of the interface device 50, causing the display device 51 to perform a corresponding display (specifically, character display "The signal (ID: ○○◇◇) is blue"). Also, the notification unit 45 converts the signal-related information SRO obtained by the information extraction unit 44 into sound or voice data and outputs it to the sound output device 52 of the interface device 50, causing the sound output device 52 to perform a corresponding sound output (specifically, voice announcement "The signal is blue").

[0041] In the above description, the in-vehicle device 20 acquires signal-related information from the traffic signal 10 based on the image captured by the imaging device 30, and notifies such signal-related information to the driver or the like on the railway vehicle TR by the notification unit 45. However, the signal-related information acquired from the image of the traffic signal 10 can be used for the running control of the railway vehicle TR. That is, when it is determined that the indication state of the signal is red based on the signal-related information acquired from the image of the traffic signal 10, the railway vehicle TR is stopped by automatic control of the brake. When it is determined that the indication state of the signal is blue or yellow based on the signal-related information acquired from the image of the traffic signal 10, control to continue or start the running of the railway vehicle TR, or to permit the continuation or start of the running becomes possible.

[0042] In the signal information system 100 described above, since the signal lamp 11 blinks at a predetermined period different from the period corresponding to the commercial power supply, the image processing apparatus 40a can extract an image portion (target image portion OSA) having a blinking period different from that of the commercial power supply by removing the non-target image portion NOS. Thereby, the signal lamp 11 to be focused on can be selectively specified, and information acquisition using the signal lamp 11 as the transmission device 15 becomes possible.

[0043] The signal information system 100 as described above can efficiently exclude, by image processing of the image processing apparatus 40a or the like, an object such as sky, street lamp, vehicle headlight or tail lamp that is reflected in the imaging device 30 and is a target of false detection and has the same color or an equivalent color as the signal indication. Further, by blinking the signal lamp 11 in a plurality of blinking patterns, information can be transmitted by switching the blinking patterns.

[0044] [Others] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist thereof.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 7, the signal information system 100 can also be applied to the detection of two or more signal lights 11 (in the example of FIG. 7, signal lights 11A and 11B). In this case, in one signal light 11A and the other signal light 11B, the signal lights 11A and 11B are distinguished and specified by setting different flashing cycles. The signal light ID may be set according to the difference in the flashing cycle, that is, the difference in the flashing pattern. As described above, information such as the signal light ID may be added to the signal information by switching the flashing pattern. The signal lights 11A and 11B can be distinguished and specified while being identified by the signal light ID.

[0046] In the signal light 11, the predetermined cycle different from the cycle corresponding to the commercial power supply and combinations thereof can be appropriately changed.

[0047] The frequency and the flashing pattern corresponding to the information added to the signal information can be appropriately changed. When the flashing pattern switches to the added information, it is preferable to set a switching rule such as detecting two or more times at the same frequency. Also, when associating the flashing pattern with time-series data, it is preferable to set based on the flashing pattern with the longer light detection cycle.

[0048] The signal information system 100 may transmit only the signal information indicating only the signal display without including the supplementary information in the signal-related information. In this case, the flashing cycle of the signal light 11 can be made constant.

[0049] The signal information system 100 is applicable not only to railway vehicles TR but also to various vehicles. For example, the same signal information system 100 as described above can be applied to buses of BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) running on a dedicated roadway or a dedicated driving lane, trolleybuses running while taking electricity from overhead wires stretched over the road, and the like.

Explanation of Signs

[0050] IO…Light source, NOS…Non-target image part, OSA…Target image part, P1…First blinking pattern, P2…Second blinking pattern, RL…Line, SA11…Auxiliary information, SD12…Drive signal, SG11…Lamp color designation signal, SI11…Signal information, SL…Lamp light, SO…Output signal, SRO…Signal-related information, TR…Railway vehicle, Ts…Signal blinking period, 2…Captured image, 10…Signal light, 11, 11A, 11B…Signal lamps, 12…Signal controller, 14…Information processing circuit, 15…Transmission device, 15a…Signal modulation circuit, 15b…Lamp drive circuit, 20…On-vehicle device, 30…Imaging device, 40…Data processing device, 40a…Image processing device, 41…Image acquisition unit, 42…Storage unit, 43…Region identification unit, 44…Information extraction unit, 45…Notification unit, 50…Interface device, 51…Display device, 52…Sound output device, 100…Signal information system

Claims

1. A traffic signal that blinks a signal lamp at a predetermined period, An imaging device mounted on a vehicle that captures an image including the signal lamp, An image processing device that removes a non-target image portion including an image portion in a constantly lit state and an image portion that blinks at a period corresponding to a commercial power supply from a series of captured images, and extracts an image portion that blinks at the predetermined period Comprising, The predetermined period is different from the period corresponding to the commercial power supply, A signal information system.

2. The imaging device performs imaging at a frame rate corresponding to the period of the commercial power supply, The image processing device excludes the image portion in the constantly lit state as the non-target image portion from the series of captured images, and when there is a target image portion that blinks corresponding to a common period that is the least common multiple of the predetermined period and the frame period, determines that the target image portion corresponds to the signal lamp. The signal information system according to claim 1.

3. The image processing device selectively cuts out a lamp area including the signal lamp from the series of captured images and determines whether it is the target image portion. The signal information system according to claim 1.

4. The period corresponding to the commercial power supply is 100 Hz or 120 Hz. The signal information system according to claim 1.

5. The traffic signal includes a transmission device that gives modulation corresponding to signal information including the state of the signal lamp to blink the signal lamp. The signal information system according to claim 1.

6. The transmission device transmits the signal information by changing the blinking frequency. The signal information system according to claim 5.

7. The transmission device transmits the signal information by switching between constantly lit and blinking. The signal information system according to claim 5.

Images