Movable body monitoring device
The mobile object monitoring device simplifies and speeds up the calibration of roadside sensors by using a mobile terminal to acquire and process identification and position information, addressing the challenges of time and cost in traditional calibration methods.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024012164
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-01-30
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-12
AI Technical Summary
Calibrating the installation orientation of roadside sensors for autonomous vehicles is time-consuming and costly, especially when the initial installation orientation is unknown, requiring GPS and labor for surveying.
A mobile object monitoring device comprising a calibration unit, identification information acquisition unit, and position information acquisition unit that utilizes a mobile terminal to quickly determine the installation attitude of roadside sensors by combining identification and position information.
Enables rapid and cost-effective calibration of roadside sensor installation attitudes, facilitating autonomous driving in areas without on-board map data and reducing installation costs.
Smart Images

Figure 2025117365000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile object monitoring device. [Background technology]
[0002] In recent years, monitoring devices have been developed that detect vehicles and pedestrians using roadside sensors installed along the route, such as roadside cameras and roadside LiDAR (light detection and ranging).
[0003] These monitoring devices can improve the safety of autonomous driving by, for example, detecting the location of vehicles and pedestrians using roadside sensors, and instructing the autonomous vehicle to slow down if they detect a potentially dangerous situation, such as a pedestrian being close to the autonomous vehicle.
[0004] Roadside sensors can also detect the location of the autonomous vehicle itself and distribute the information via wireless communication. Autonomous driving on public roads detects the vehicle's location by comparing measurement information from on-board sensors with on-board map data, so autonomous driving is not possible in places not covered by on-board map data, such as private property. However, by detecting the vehicle's location using roadside sensors in combination, autonomous driving becomes possible even in places not covered by on-board map data. Furthermore, detecting the vehicle's location using only roadside sensors makes autonomous driving possible even if the vehicle does not have the on-board sensors or on-board map required to detect the vehicle's location.
[0005] The device described in Patent Document 1 is one example, which uses roadside sensors fixed to buildings, etc. to detect the position of an autonomous vehicle and transmits the information to the autonomous vehicle via wireless communication, thereby guiding the autonomous vehicle.
[0006] Roadside sensors detect the position of vehicles and pedestrians relative to themselves, so information about the installation orientation of the roadside sensor itself is required to calculate the absolute position of the detected object. However, installing roadside sensors precisely according to a pre-determined orientation requires high installation precision, which incurs significant costs. Therefore, a means is needed to calibrate the installation orientation of roadside sensors after installation.
[0007] The device described in Patent Document 2 is one example, which calibrates the installation posture of a roadside sensor by comparing the position of a road sign detected by the roadside sensor with the position of a road sign that is stored in advance by the roadside sensor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0008] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 230325 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2020-535572 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0009] However, when calibrating the installation orientation of a roadside sensor by comparing the positions of feature points (land features such as road signs and LiDAR point clouds) detected by the roadside sensor with the positions of pre-stored feature points, it is necessary to find corresponding feature points. When even the rough installation orientation of the roadside sensor is unknown, such as immediately after construction, it takes a long time to calculate the installation orientation where the feature points match from a wide range of areas where roadside sensors can be installed. Furthermore, measuring the installation orientation of a roadside sensor after construction requires the cost of a Global Positioning System (GPS) to be installed in the roadside sensor and the labor costs for surveying.
[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a mobile object monitoring device that can easily and quickly calibrate the installation attitude of a roadside sensor. [Means for solving the problem]
[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the mobile object monitoring device of the present invention comprises a calibration unit that outputs attitude information of a roadside sensor, an identification information acquisition unit that acquires acquired identification information of the roadside sensor from terminal information acquired by a mobile terminal, and a position information acquisition unit that acquires acquired position information of the mobile terminal from the terminal information, and the calibration unit outputs the attitude information based on the acquired identification information and the acquired position information. [Effects of the Invention]
[0012] According to the present invention, the installation attitude of a roadside sensor can be calibrated simply and quickly.
[0013] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a moving object monitoring device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a roadside sensor according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a mobile terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a calibration server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a control server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a calibration operation in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of a roadside sensor calculation unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of a mobile terminal calculation unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of a calibration server calculation unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating examples of identification markers in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control operation in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of a vehicle calculation unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 14] 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of a control server calculation unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a part of a calibration operation in the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a part of a calibration operation in the third embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a part of a calibration operation in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a part of a calibration operation in the fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0016] [First embodiment] In the embodiment described below, the present invention is explained using the example of application to a control device for an autonomous vehicle, but the present invention can also be applied to control devices for transport vehicles traveling within a warehouse, construction vehicles traveling on a construction site, etc.
[0017] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a mobile object monitoring device in the first embodiment, in which dashed arrows indicate signal flows.
[0018] The mobile object monitoring device 6 comprises a roadside sensor 1 that is fixed to the driving environment such as a building or a pillar and detects pedestrians and other vehicles present in the driving environment, a mobile terminal 2 carried by the installer who installs the roadside sensor 1, a calibration server 3 installed outside the roadside sensor 1, a vehicle 4 that drives automatically in a limited driving environment, and a control server 5 installed outside the vehicle 4.
[0019] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the roadside sensor 1 in the first embodiment. Note that the dashed arrows in Fig. 2 indicate the flow of signals.
[0020] The roadside sensor 1 comprises a measurement unit 11 that measures the surrounding conditions, a roadside sensor calculation unit 12 that processes the output of the measurement unit 11, and a roadside sensor communication unit 13 that communicates wirelessly with the calibration server 3 and the control server 5.
[0021] The measurement unit 11 is composed of a mechanical rotation type LiDAR or the like, and can measure the distance to surrounding objects from the time it takes for laser light emitted into the surrounding area to be reflected and return, and output a point cloud as measurement information.
[0022] The roadside sensor calculation unit 12 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), a memory, a hard disk drive, etc., and processes the output of the measurement unit 11 by executing a roadside sensor control program.
[0023] The roadside sensor communication unit 13 can communicate with the calibration server communication unit 33 and the control server communication unit 52 using a wireless communication method such as local LTE (Long Term Evolution) or local 5G (Generation).
[0024] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the mobile terminal 2 in the first embodiment. Note that the dashed arrows in Fig. 3 indicate the flow of signals.
[0025] The mobile terminal 2 includes an imaging unit 21 that converts the image of the subject into an image, a positioning unit 22 that measures the position of the mobile terminal 2, a mobile terminal calculation unit 23 that processes the output of the imaging unit 21 and the positioning unit 22, and a mobile terminal communication unit 24 that communicates wirelessly with the calibration server 3.
[0026] The imaging unit 21 is composed of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) and the like, and can output an image of a subject as image information by converting light sensed by each light receiving element into a voltage.
[0027] The positioning unit 22 is configured with a GPS receiver and the like, and can receive radio waves from GPS satellites to measure the position of the mobile terminal 2 and output the positioning information.
[0028] The mobile terminal calculation unit 23 is composed of a CPU, a GPU, a memory, a hard disk drive, etc., and processes the outputs of the imaging unit 21 and the positioning unit 22 by executing a mobile terminal control program.
[0029] The mobile terminal communication unit 24 can communicate with the calibration server communication unit 33 using a wireless communication method such as local LTE or local 5G.
[0030] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the calibration server 3 in the first embodiment. Note that the dashed arrows in Fig. 4 indicate the flow of signals.
[0031] The calibration server 3 includes a calibration server terminal unit 31 , a calibration server calculation unit 32 , and a calibration server communication unit 33 .
[0032] The calibration server terminal unit 31 is composed of a CPU, memory, a hard disk drive, a display, a mouse, a keyboard, etc., and assists the administrator in inputting the necessary information to the calibration server calculation unit 32, and can also communicate the processing results of the calibration server calculation unit 32 to the administrator.
[0033] The calibration server calculation unit 32 is composed of a CPU, a GPU, a memory, a hard disk drive, etc., and executes a calibration server control program to calculate information required for processing by the roadside sensor calculation unit 12.
[0034] The calibration server communication unit 33 can communicate with the roadside sensor communication unit 13 and the mobile terminal communication unit 24 using a wireless communication method such as local LTE or local 5G.
[0035] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the vehicle 4 in the first embodiment. Note that dashed arrows in Fig. 5 indicate the flow of signals.
[0036] The vehicle 4 is equipped with driven wheels 41 provided on the left and right rear sides, drive wheels 42 provided on the left and right front sides, a motor 43 that drives the vehicle 4, a brake 44 that brakes the vehicle 4, a reducer 45 that reduces the driving force generated by the motor 43, a steering mechanism 46 that changes the angle of the drive wheels 42, a vehicle positioning unit 47 that measures the position of the vehicle 4, a vehicle calculation unit 48 that commands the motor 43, the brake 44, and the steering mechanism 46 to operate, and a vehicle communication unit 49 that communicates wirelessly with the control server 5.
[0037] The power generated by the motor 43 by converting electrical energy is transmitted to the reducer 45, and after being reduced in speed by a gear-type reduction mechanism inside the reducer 45, is transmitted to the left and right drive wheels 42, becoming the driving force that drives the vehicle 4.
[0038] Brakes 44 that generate a braking force for the vehicle 4 are provided near the driven wheels 41 and the driving wheels 42. The brakes 44 generate frictional force by hydraulically pressing brake pads against disc rotors, thereby converting kinetic energy into thermal energy and braking the vehicle 4.
[0039] The vehicle 4 can be turned by changing the angle of the drive wheels 42 using a link mechanism provided in the steering mechanism 46.
[0040] The vehicle positioning unit 47 can measure the position of the vehicle 4 using GPS and transmit vehicle positioning information to the vehicle calculation unit 48.
[0041] The vehicle calculation unit 48 is composed of a CPU, a memory, etc., and executes a vehicle control program to calculate command values for the motor 43, the brake 44, and the steering mechanism 46 based on a stop request received by the vehicle communication unit 49 from the control server 5 and vehicle positioning information acquired from the vehicle positioning unit 47. This allows the acceleration / deceleration and turning of the vehicle 4 to be controlled, and the vehicle 4 to be guided to any desired location.
[0042] The vehicle communication unit 49 can communicate with the control server communication unit 52 using a wireless communication method such as local LTE or local 5G.
[0043] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the control server 5 in the first embodiment. Note that the dashed arrows in Fig. 6 indicate the flow of signals.
[0044] The control server 5 includes a control server calculation unit 51 and a control server communication unit 52.
[0045] The control server calculation unit 51 is composed of a CPU, a GPU, a memory, a hard disk drive, etc., and executes a control server control program to calculate information that the vehicle calculation unit 48 uses to determine autonomous driving.
[0046] The control server communication unit 52 can communicate with the roadside sensor communication unit 13 and the vehicle communication unit 49 using a wireless communication method such as local LTE or local 5G.
[0047] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the calibration operation of the mobile object monitoring device 6 in the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the roadside sensor calculation unit 12 in the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mobile terminal calculation unit 23 in the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the calibration server calculation unit 32 in the first embodiment. The calibration operation of the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7, 8, 9, and 10. The CPU of the roadside sensor calculation unit 12 constitutes part of the control block shown in FIG. 7 in the form of microcomputer software, and repeatedly executes the operation shown in FIG. 8 (roadside sensor control program) while the power supply (not shown) of the roadside sensor 1 is on. The CPU of the mobile terminal calculation unit 23 constitutes part of the control block shown in FIG. 7 in the form of microcomputer software, and repeatedly executes the operation shown in FIG. 9 (mobile terminal control program) while the power supply (not shown) of the mobile terminal 2 is on. The CPU of the calibration server calculation unit 32 constitutes part of the control block shown in FIG. 7 in the form of software of a microcomputer, and repeatedly executes the operation shown in FIG. 10 (calibration server control program) while the power supply (not shown) of the calibration server 3 is on.
[0048] The roadside sensor calculation unit 12 includes an identification information storage unit 101 , an identification information transmission unit 102 , a measurement information transmission unit 103 , and a coordinate conversion unit 104 .
[0049] The mobile terminal calculation unit 23 is provided with a terminal information acquisition unit 201 .
[0050] The calibration server calculation unit 32 includes an identification information acquisition unit 301 , a location information acquisition unit 302 , a location information storage unit 303 , a range determination unit 304 , a map information storage unit 305 , and a calibration unit 306 .
[0051] The operation of each part will be explained below.
[0052] 9, the terminal information acquisition unit 201 determines whether image information has been received from the imaging unit 21. If it is determined that image information has been received, the process proceeds to step S102, and if it is determined that image information has not been received, the mobile terminal control program is terminated.
[0053] 9, the terminal information acquisition unit 201 determines whether an identification marker has been recognized from the image information transmitted from the imaging unit 21. If it is determined that an identification marker has been recognized, the process proceeds to step S103, and if it is determined that an identification marker has not been recognized, the mobile terminal control program is terminated.
[0054] In step S103 of FIG. 9, the terminal information acquisition unit 201 receives the positioning information from the positioning unit 22, and the process proceeds to step S104.
[0055] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an identification marker in the first embodiment. An identification marker is attached to the surface of the measurement unit 11. When the installer of the roadside sensor 1 completes the installation work, he or she takes a photo as evidence with the mobile terminal 2. At that time, the installer scans the identification marker. The identification marker is a QR (Quick Response) code (registered trademark) or a two-dimensional barcode, and a unique identifier is embedded in the roadside sensor 1. By including this identification marker in image information and performing image recognition, the embedded identifier can be extracted and the roadside sensor 1 can be identified. By combining this identifier with the positioning information, the approximate installation location of the roadside sensor 1 can be identified. The identification marker may be a character string such as a serial number, and the roadside sensor 1 can be identified by image recognition of this character string.
[0056] Position markers with embedded coordinates may be placed within the range where the vehicle 4 can travel, and these position markers may be included in the image information. By performing image recognition on the position markers included in the image information, the embedded coordinates can be extracted and the approximate location of the mobile terminal can be determined even in places where positioning using GPS is difficult, such as indoors.
[0057] In step S104 of Figure 9, the terminal information acquisition unit 201 combines the image information transmitted from the imaging unit 21 and the positioning information transmitted from the positioning unit 22 to form terminal information, transmits the mobile terminal information to the identification information acquisition unit 301 and the position information acquisition unit 302, and terminates the mobile terminal control program.
[0058] The portable terminal information may not include image information, but may instead include information embedded in the identification marker and positioning information, thereby reducing the data size of the portable terminal information.
[0059] The mobile device information may include connection information such as Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) access points and IP (Internet Protocol) addresses, which allows the mobile device's approximate location to be determined even in places where GPS positioning is difficult, such as indoors.
[0060] 10, the identification information acquisition unit 301 determines whether or not the terminal information has been received from the terminal information acquisition unit 201. If it is determined that the terminal information has been received, the process proceeds to step S202, and if it is determined that the terminal information has not been received, the process proceeds to step S205.
[0061] 10, the identification information acquisition unit 301 acquires acquired identification information by performing image recognition of the identification marker from the image information included in the terminal information transmitted from the terminal information acquisition unit 201, transmits the acquired identification information to the position information storage unit 303, and proceeds to step S203. This makes it possible to easily identify the roadside sensor 1. The acquired identification information may also be acquired from information embedded in the identification marker included in the terminal information without using image information.
[0062] The identification information acquisition unit 301 may display, on the calibration server terminal unit 31 (FIG. 4), image information included in the terminal information transmitted from the terminal information acquisition unit 201. This allows the installation status of the roadside sensor 1 to be checked remotely.
[0063] 10, the location information acquisition unit 302 acquires acquired location information from the positioning information included in the terminal information transmitted from the terminal information acquisition unit 201, transmits the acquired location information to the location information storage unit 303, and proceeds to step S204. The acquired location information may be acquired by performing image recognition of a position marker from image information included in the terminal information transmitted from the terminal information acquisition unit 201. The acquired location information may also be acquired from connection information.
[0064] Combining this acquired identification information with the acquired position information makes it possible to identify the approximate installation position of the roadside sensor 1. Furthermore, by identifying the approximate installation position of the roadside sensor 1, it is possible to narrow down the measurement range of the roadside sensor 1, making it easier to identify measured landmarks and measured feature points. This allows the calibration unit 306, which will be described later, to quickly calibrate the installation attitude of the roadside sensor 1.
[0065] 10, the location information storage unit 303 stores a pair of the acquired identification information transmitted from the identification information acquisition unit 301 and the acquired location information transmitted from the location information acquisition unit 302. This allows the location information corresponding to the roadside sensor 1 (the identification information received from the roadside sensor 1) to be searched for at any timing, such as when the roadside sensor 1 is powered on, and the installation attitude of the roadside sensor 1 can be easily calibrated by the calibration unit 306, which will be described later.
[0066] 8, the identification information transmission unit 102 determines whether the posture information has been set. If it is determined that the posture information has not been set, the process proceeds to step S002, and if it is determined that the posture information has been set, the process proceeds to step S006.
[0067] 8, the identification information transmitting unit 102 determines whether or not the posture information has been received. If it is determined that the posture information has not been received, the process proceeds to step S003, and if it is determined that the posture information has been received, the process proceeds to step S005.
[0068] In step S003 of FIG. 8, the identification information transmission unit 102 acquires the identification information from the identification information storage unit 101 that stores the identification information of the roadside sensor 1, and transmits it to the position information storage unit 303 and the map information storage unit 305 as transmission identification information.
[0069] In step S004 of Figure 8, the measurement information transmission unit 103 acquires measurement information from the measurement unit 11, which measures the surrounding environment of the roadside sensor 1 and outputs the measurement information, transmits it to the calibration unit 306 as transmitted measurement information, and terminates the roadside sensor control program.
[0070] 10, the location information storage unit 303 determines whether the transmission identification information has been received. If it is determined that the transmission identification information has been received, the process proceeds to step S206, and if it is determined that the transmission identification information has not been received, the calibration server control program is terminated.
[0071] In step S206 of Figure 10, the location information storage unit 303 searches for location information corresponding to the transmitted identification information (identification information received from the roadside sensor 1) transmitted from the identification information transmission unit 102, transmits the location information to the range determination unit 304, and proceeds to step S207.
[0072] In step S207 of FIG. 10, the range determination unit 304 determines the attitude range of the roadside sensor 1 from the position information transmitted from the position information storage unit 303, transmits the attitude range information to the calibration unit 306, and the process proceeds to step S208.
[0073] In step S208 of FIG. 10, the map information storage unit 305 searches for map information corresponding to the transmitted identification information (identification information received from the roadside sensor 1) transmitted from the identification information transmission unit 102, transmits the map information to the calibration unit 306, and proceeds to step S209.
[0074] When there are multiple areas monitored by the mobile object monitoring device 6, the map information storage unit 305 stores in advance map information corresponding to each area and the area where the roadside sensor 1 is installed. As a result, even when there are multiple areas monitored by the mobile object monitoring device 6, the map information storage unit 305 can search for map information corresponding to the area where the roadside sensor 1 is installed from the transmission identification information.
[0075] The map information is information about the three-dimensional shape of the area where the roadside sensor 1 is installed, and may be point cloud information measured by an MMS (Mobile Mapping System).
[0076] In step S209 of Figure 10, the calibration unit 306 calculates the attitude information of the roadside sensor 1 in the coordinate system of the map information by comparing the map information transmitted from the map information storage unit 305 with the transmitted measurement information transmitted from the measurement information transmission unit 103 (measurement information received from the roadside sensor 1), and proceeds to step S210.
[0077] Map information, which is information about the three-dimensional shape of the area where the roadside sensor 1 is installed, is often much larger than the measurement range of the roadside sensor 1. Therefore, it is possible to first sample multiple points and directions contained in the map information, and then calculate final attitude information using ICP (Iterative Closest Point) with the most highly evaluated point and direction as the initial estimation designation. This allows the attitude of the measurement unit 11 to be estimated using the map information.
[0078] Sampling may be performed with emphasis on the vicinity of the position information (attitude range information) transmitted from the range determination unit 304. This narrows down the candidate points, allowing the installation attitude of the roadside sensor 1 to be calibrated quickly.
[0079] The area included in the map information may be sampled at equal intervals, thereby making it possible to comprehensively evaluate the area included in the map information.
[0080] In step S210 of FIG. 10, the calibration unit 306 transmits the orientation information to the coordinate transformation unit 104, and then ends the calibration server control program.
[0081] In step S005 of FIG. 8, the coordinate transformation unit 104 sets the attitude information received from the calibration unit 306, and the process proceeds to step S006.
[0082] In step S006 of FIG. 8, the coordinate conversion unit 104 converts the measurement information transmitted from the measurement unit 11 from the relative coordinate system to the absolute coordinate system based on the set attitude information to calculate converted measurement information, and the process proceeds to step S007.
[0083] The measurement information sent from the measurement unit 11 is in a relative coordinate system with the measurement unit 11 as the origin, but by converting the measurement information into an absolute coordinate system, the positions of pedestrians and other objects detected from the measurement information can be handled on the absolute coordinate system.
[0084] In step S007 of FIG. 8, the coordinate conversion unit 104 transmits the converted measurement information to the control server calculation unit 51, and then ends the roadside sensor control program.
[0085] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of the control operation of the mobile object monitoring device 6 in the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle calculation unit 48 in the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control server calculation unit 51 in the first embodiment. The control operation of the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 12, 13, and 14. The CPU of the vehicle calculation unit 48 constitutes part of the control block shown in FIG. 12 in the form of microcomputer software, and repeatedly executes the operation (vehicle control program) shown in FIG. 13 while the power supply (not shown) of the vehicle 4 is on. The CPU of the control server calculation unit 51 constitutes part of the control block shown in FIG. 12 in the form of microcomputer software, and repeatedly executes the operation (control server control program) shown in FIG. 14 while the power supply (not shown) of the control server 5 is on.
[0086] The vehicle calculation unit 48 includes a vehicle position estimation unit 401 and a vehicle stopping unit 402 .
[0087] The control server calculation unit 51 includes a control unit 501 .
[0088] The operation of each part will be explained below.
[0089] In step S401 of FIG. 13, vehicle position estimation unit 401 estimates the vehicle position from the vehicle positioning information transmitted from vehicle positioning unit 47, transmits the vehicle position information to control unit 501, and the process proceeds to step S402.
[0090] 14, the control unit 501 compares the converted measurement information transmitted from the roadside sensor calculation unit 12 with the vehicle position information transmitted from the vehicle position estimation unit 401, and determines whether a dangerous situation has occurred, such as a pedestrian being present near the vehicle 4. If it is determined that a dangerous situation has occurred, the process proceeds to step S502, and if it is determined that no dangerous situation has occurred, the control server control program is terminated.
[0091] In step S502 of FIG. 14, the control unit 501 transmits a stop request to the vehicle stopping unit 402 and ends the control server control program.
[0092] 13, the vehicle stop unit 402 determines whether a stop request has been received from the control unit 501. If it is determined that the request has been received, the process proceeds to step S403, and if it is determined that the request has not been received, the vehicle control program is terminated.
[0093] 13, the vehicle stopping unit 402 sends a hydraulic command to the brake 44 to stop the vehicle 4, and then ends the vehicle control program. This makes it possible to stop the vehicle 4 in dangerous situations, such as when there is a pedestrian near the vehicle 4, thereby improving the safety of autonomous driving.
[0094] [Second embodiment] In the embodiment described below, the present invention is explained using the example of application to a control device for an autonomous vehicle, but the present invention can also be applied to control devices for transport vehicles traveling within a warehouse, construction vehicles traveling on a construction site, etc.
[0095] The second embodiment is a partial modification of the first embodiment described above. The same elements as those shown in Figures 1 to 14 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the following description will focus on the differences.
[0096] FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a part of the calibration operation in the second embodiment.
[0097] The roadside sensor calculation unit 12 in the second embodiment includes a short-distance transmission unit 601 .
[0098] The mobile terminal calculation unit 23 in the second embodiment includes a short-distance receiving unit 602 .
[0099] The short-distance transmitting unit 601 in the second embodiment can communicate with the short-distance receiving unit 602 by a wireless communication method dedicated to short-distance communication, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). As a result, the short-distance transmitting unit 601 transmits identification information transmitted from the identification information storage unit 101 that stores the identification information of the roadside sensor 1 to the short-distance receiving unit 602 as short-distance transmission information.
[0100] The short-distance receiving unit 602 in the second embodiment receives short-distance transmission information transmitted from the short-distance transmitting unit 601 and transmits it to the terminal information acquiring unit 201 as short-distance reception information.
[0101] The terminal information acquisition unit 201 in the second embodiment includes the short-distance reception information transmitted from the short-distance reception unit 602 in the terminal information, and transmits the terminal information to the identification information acquisition unit 301 and the position information acquisition unit 302 .
[0102] The identification information acquisition unit 301 in the second embodiment acquires acquired identification information from the short-distance reception information included in the terminal information transmitted from the terminal information acquisition unit 201 .
[0103] This allows the identification information stored in the identification information storage unit 101 to be acquired as the acquired identification information without any discrepancies.
[0104] [Third embodiment] In the embodiment described below, the present invention is explained using the example of application to a control device for an autonomous vehicle, but the present invention can also be applied to control devices for transport vehicles traveling within a warehouse, construction vehicles traveling on a construction site, etc.
[0105] The third embodiment is a partial modification of the first embodiment described above. The same elements as those shown in Figures 1 to 14 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the following description will focus on the differences.
[0106] FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a part of the calibration operation in the third embodiment.
[0107] The portable terminal 2 in the third embodiment includes a distance measuring unit 701 .
[0108] The calibration server calculation unit 32 in the third embodiment includes a distance information acquisition unit 702 .
[0109] In the third embodiment, the terminal information acquisition unit 201 includes the distance measurement information transmitted from the distance measurement unit 701 in the terminal information, and transmits the terminal information to the identification information acquisition unit 301, the position information acquisition unit 302, and the distance information acquisition unit 702.
[0110] The distance measurement unit 701 is a LiDAR or the like provided in the mobile terminal 2, and when the installer of the roadside sensor 1 completes the installation work, the installer measures the three-dimensional shape of the roadside sensor 1 and its surrounding shape using the distance measurement unit 701. The terminal information acquisition unit 201 acquires this measurement result as distance information (distance information).
[0111] Distance information acquisition unit 702 in the third embodiment acquires distance measurement information (distance information) included in the terminal information transmitted from terminal information acquisition unit 201 as acquired distance information.
[0112] The range determination unit 304 in the third embodiment determines the attitude range of the roadside sensor 1 from the position information transmitted from the position information storage unit 303 and the acquired distance information transmitted from the distance information acquisition unit 702, and transmits the attitude range information to the calibration unit 306. The acquired distance information is the three-dimensional shape of the roadside sensor 1 and its surrounding shape, and by using the acquired distance information, the attitude range of the roadside sensor 1 can be further narrowed down.
[0113] This allows the calibration unit 306 to calibrate the installation attitude of the roadside sensor 1 at high speed.
[0114] [Fourth embodiment] In the embodiment described below, the present invention is explained using the example of application to a control device for an autonomous vehicle, but the present invention can also be applied to control devices for transport vehicles traveling within a warehouse, construction vehicles traveling on a construction site, etc.
[0115] The fourth embodiment is a partial modification of the first embodiment described above. The same elements as those shown in Figures 1 to 14 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the following description will focus on the differences.
[0116] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a part of the calibration operation in the fourth embodiment.
[0117] The calibration server calculation unit 32 in the fourth embodiment includes a location information verification unit 801 .
[0118] The location information verification unit 801 in the fourth embodiment transmits a location information warning to the calibration server terminal unit 31 when the location information storage unit 303 does not store location information corresponding to the transmitted identification information and cannot search for it.
[0119] This allows the roadside sensor 1 to be powered on before the installer scans the identification marker, and the administrator to be notified that calibration is difficult.
[0120] [Fifth embodiment] In the embodiment described below, the present invention is explained using the example of application to a control device for an autonomous vehicle, but the present invention can also be applied to control devices for transport vehicles traveling within a warehouse, construction vehicles traveling on a construction site, etc.
[0121] The fifth embodiment is a partial modification of the first embodiment described above. The same elements as those shown in Figures 1 to 14 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the following description will focus on the differences.
[0122] FIG. 18 is a block diagram of a part of the calibration operation in the fifth embodiment.
[0123] The calibration server calculation unit 32 in the fifth embodiment includes a sensor specification storage unit 901 , an installation condition storage unit 902 , and a specification violation determination unit 903 .
[0124] The sensor specification storage unit 901 in the fifth embodiment stores in advance the sensor specifications of the roadside sensor 1, such as whether it is waterproof or not and the operating temperature range, and searches for the corresponding sensor specifications from the acquired identification information sent from the identification information acquisition unit 301, and sends the searched sensor specifications to the specification violation determination unit 903.
[0125] The installation condition storage unit 902 in the fifth embodiment stores installation conditions such as indoor / outdoor and temperature range for each location in advance, searches for corresponding installation conditions from the acquired location information sent from the location information acquisition unit 302, and sends the searched installation conditions to the specification violation determination unit 903.
[0126] The specification violation determination unit 903 in the fifth embodiment compares the sensor specifications transmitted from the sensor specification storage unit 901 with the installation conditions transmitted from the installation condition storage unit 902, and determines a specification violation (i.e., a contradiction between the sensor specifications and the installation conditions), such as the roadside sensor 1 being installed outdoors despite not being waterproof. If a specification violation (a contradiction) is determined, the specification violation determination unit 903 transmits a specification violation warning to the calibration server terminal unit 31.
[0127] This allows a notification to be sent to the administrator if a specification violation occurs.
[0128] [Summary of the first to fifth embodiments] As described above, the mobile object monitoring device 6 of the first embodiment includes a calibration unit 306 that outputs attitude information of the roadside sensor 1, an identification information acquisition unit 301 that acquires acquired identification information of the roadside sensor 1 from terminal information acquired by the mobile terminal 2, and a position information acquisition unit 302 that acquires acquired position information of the mobile terminal 2 from the terminal information, and the calibration unit 306 outputs the attitude information based on the acquired identification information and the acquired position information. This makes it possible, for example, to narrow down the measurement range of the roadside sensor corresponding to the acquired identification information using the acquired position information and identify measured landmarks (point clouds or signs), thereby enabling the installation attitude of the roadside sensor to be calibrated quickly.
[0129] Furthermore, the mobile object monitoring device 6 of the first embodiment includes a position information storage unit 303 that stores the acquired identification information and the acquired position information in pairs and searches for position information (of the mobile terminal 2) corresponding to the identification information based on the identification information received from the roadside sensor 1, and the calibration unit 306 outputs the attitude information based on the position information. As a result, for example, by storing the acquired identification information and the acquired position information in pairs and making it possible to search for position information from the identification information, it is possible to search for position information corresponding to the identification information at any timing, such as when the roadside sensor is powered on, and therefore the installation attitude of the roadside sensor can be easily calibrated.
[0130] Furthermore, the mobile object monitoring device 6 of the first embodiment includes a range determination unit 304 that outputs attitude range information of the roadside sensor 1 from the position information, and the calibration unit 306 outputs the attitude information based on the attitude range information. This allows, for example, the range of the installation attitude of the roadside sensor to be determined (limited) based on the position information, so that the installation attitude of the roadside sensor can be calibrated quickly.
[0131] Furthermore, the mobile object monitoring device 6 of the first embodiment includes a map information storage unit 305 that stores map information, and the calibration unit 306 outputs the attitude information based on the attitude range information, the measurement information received from the roadside sensor 1, and the map information. This allows the installation attitude to be automatically calibrated by comparing the measurement information with the map information, for example, and therefore makes it possible to easily calibrate the installation attitude of the roadside sensor.
[0132] Furthermore, in the mobile object monitoring device 6 according to the first embodiment, the map information storage unit 305 searches for the map information corresponding to the identification information based on the identification information. This allows, for example, the search for corresponding map information from the identification information, thereby enabling the installation attitude of roadside sensors to be calibrated in multiple monitoring areas.
[0133] Furthermore, the mobile object monitoring device 6 of the fourth embodiment includes a location information verification unit 801 that outputs a location information warning when the location information corresponding to the identification information is not stored in the location information storage unit 303. This allows a warning to be issued if, for example, location information corresponding to identification information is not stored, thereby preventing the roadside sensor from being operated without being able to calibrate its installation attitude.
[0134] Furthermore, the mobile object monitoring device 6 of the fifth embodiment includes an installation condition storage unit 902 that searches for corresponding installation conditions from the acquired location information, a sensor specification storage unit 901 that searches for corresponding sensor specifications from the acquired identification information, and a specification violation determination unit 903 that determines a contradiction between the installation conditions and the sensor specifications. This allows, for example, a warning to be issued if there is a contradiction between the installation location and the specifications of the roadside sensor, thereby preventing an installer from installing an inappropriate roadside sensor (one that does not meet the specifications).
[0135] Furthermore, the mobile object monitoring device 6 of the first embodiment includes a terminal information acquisition unit 201 that acquires the terminal information of the mobile terminal 2, an identification information storage unit 101 that stores the identification information of the roadside sensor 1, and a measurement unit 11 that measures the surrounding environment of the roadside sensor 1 and outputs the measurement information. This allows the installation attitude of the roadside sensor to be calibrated quickly and easily in a system including the mobile terminal 2 and the roadside sensor 1, as described above.
[0136] Furthermore, in the mobile object monitoring device 6 according to the first embodiment, the terminal information includes positioning information of the mobile terminal 2, and the position information acquiring unit 302 acquires the acquired position information from the positioning information. This allows, for example, GPS positioning information to be included in the terminal information and the acquired position information to be acquired from this positioning information, so that the acquired position information can be acquired with high accuracy.
[0137] Furthermore, in the mobile object monitoring device 6 according to the first embodiment, the terminal information includes connection information of the mobile terminal 2, and the location information acquisition unit 302 acquires the acquired location information from the connection information. As a result, for example, connection information such as a Wi-Fi access point or an IP address can be included in the terminal information, and the acquired location information can be acquired from this connection information, so that the acquired location information can be acquired indoors.
[0138] Furthermore, in the mobile object monitoring device 6 of the first embodiment, the terminal information includes image information captured by the roadside sensor 1. This allows, for example, the terminal information to include and store image information captured by the roadside sensor, thereby recording the installation status of the roadside sensor.
[0139] Furthermore, in the mobile object monitoring device 6 of the first embodiment, the identification information acquisition unit 301 acquires the acquired identification information by recognizing the image information. This allows, for example, a QR code (registered trademark) or a character string to be attached in advance to the surface of a roadside sensor, and the acquired identification information to be acquired by performing image recognition on the QR code or a character string, thereby making it possible to easily acquire the acquired identification information.
[0140] In the mobile object monitoring device 6 according to the first embodiment, the location information acquiring unit 302 acquires the acquired location information by recognizing the image information. As a result, for example, a marker indicating a position is provided in advance within a monitoring area, and the acquired location information can be acquired by performing image recognition on the marker, so that the acquired location information can be acquired indoors or when communication is interrupted.
[0141] Furthermore, the mobile object monitoring device 6 of the third embodiment includes a distance information acquisition unit 702, the terminal information includes distance information measured by the roadside sensor 1, the distance information acquisition unit 702 acquires acquired distance information from the distance information, and the range determination unit 304 outputs the attitude range information based on the acquired distance information. As a result, for example, by including distance information measured by a LiDAR to the roadside sensor in the terminal information and restoring the installation location and three-dimensional shape of the roadside sensor, the installation attitude of the roadside sensor can be roughly limited, and the installation attitude of the roadside sensor can be calibrated quickly.
[0142] Furthermore, the mobile object monitoring device 6 of the second embodiment includes a short-distance transmitting unit 601 that transmits the identification information as short-distance transmission information, and a short-distance receiving unit 602 that receives the short-distance transmission information and outputs short-distance reception information, the terminal information includes the short-distance reception information, and the identification information acquiring unit 301 acquires the acquired identification information from the short-distance reception information. This allows the identification information to be received from a roadside sensor by short-distance communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), and therefore the acquired identification information can be acquired without discrepancies.
[0143] That is, the mobile object monitoring device 6 of this embodiment stores the identification information of each roadside sensor 1 in association with the location information of the mobile terminal 2 carried by the installer, and estimates the installation orientation of the roadside sensor 1 after limiting the range of the installation orientation of the roadside sensor 1 based on this location. For example, when the installer takes a photo to report the completion of construction, he scans a QR code (registered trademark) affixed to the surface of the roadside sensor 1 to obtain an ID (acquired identification information) unique to the roadside sensor 1. This is associated with the GPS information (acquired location information) of the mobile terminal 2 and stored in the server. When the roadside sensor 1 is started up, the location information corresponding to the identification information is searched for, and the range of the orientation of the roadside sensor 1 is limited from this location information, thereby speeding up the estimation of the installation orientation of the roadside sensor 1.
[0144] According to this embodiment, the installation attitude of the roadside sensor 1 can be calibrated simply and quickly.
[0145] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.
[0146] Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be partially or entirely implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. The above-described configurations, functions, etc. may also be implemented in software, with a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements each function. Information such as the programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in a memory, a storage device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.
[0147] In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines in the product. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of symbols]
[0148] 1: Roadside sensor 2: Mobile devices 3: Calibration Server 4: Vehicle 5: Control server 6: Mobile monitoring device 11: Measurement section 12: Roadside sensor calculation unit 13: Roadside sensor communication unit 21: Imaging unit 22: Positioning unit 23: Mobile terminal calculation unit 24: Mobile terminal communication unit 31: Calibration server terminal unit 32: Calibration server calculation unit 33: Calibration server communication unit 41: Driven wheel 42: Drive wheel 43: Motor 44: Brake 45: Reducer 46: Steering mechanism 47: Vehicle positioning unit 48: Vehicle calculation unit 49: Vehicle communication unit 51: Control server calculation unit 52: Control server communication unit 101: Identification information storage unit 102: Identification information transmission unit 103: Measurement information transmission unit 104: Coordinate conversion unit 201: Terminal information acquisition unit 301: Identification information acquisition unit 302: Location information acquisition unit 303: Location information storage unit 304: Range determination section 305: Map information storage unit 306: Calibration section 401: Vehicle position estimation unit 402: Vehicle stop 501:Control Department 601: Short-distance transmitter 602: Short-distance receiver 701: Distance measurement section 702: Distance information acquisition unit 801: Location information verification unit 901: Sensor specification memory unit 902: Installation condition storage section 903: Specification violation judgment unit
Claims
1. a calibration unit that outputs attitude information of the roadside sensor; an identification information acquisition unit that acquires identification information of the roadside sensor from terminal information acquired by a mobile terminal; a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of the mobile terminal from the terminal information; Equipped with the calibration unit outputs the attitude information based on the acquired identification information and the acquired position information. A mobile object monitoring device.
2. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 1, a location information storage unit that stores the acquired identification information and the acquired location information in pairs and searches for corresponding location information based on the identification information received from the roadside sensor; the calibration unit outputs the attitude information based on the position information. A mobile object monitoring device.
3. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 2, a range determination unit that outputs attitude range information of the roadside sensor based on the position information; the calibration unit outputs the attitude information based on the attitude range information. A mobile object monitoring device.
4. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 3, a map information storage unit that stores map information; the calibration unit outputs the attitude information based on the attitude range information, the measurement information received from the roadside sensor, and the map information. A mobile object monitoring device.
5. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 4, the map information storage unit searches for the corresponding map information based on the identification information. A mobile object monitoring device.
6. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 4, a location information verification unit that outputs a location information warning when the location information storage unit does not store the location information corresponding to the identification information; A mobile object monitoring device.
7. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 4, an installation condition storage unit that searches for corresponding installation conditions from the acquired location information; a sensor specification storage unit that searches for a corresponding sensor specification based on the acquired identification information; a specification violation determination unit that determines a contradiction between the installation conditions and the sensor specifications; Equipped with A mobile object monitoring device.
8. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 4, a terminal information acquisition unit that acquires the terminal information of the mobile terminal; an identification information storage unit that stores the identification information of the roadside sensor; a measurement unit that measures the surrounding environment of the roadside sensor and outputs the measurement information; Equipped with A mobile object monitoring device.
9. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 8, the terminal information includes positioning information of the mobile terminal, the location information acquisition unit acquires the acquired location information from the positioning information; A mobile object monitoring device.
10. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 8, the terminal information includes connection information of the mobile terminal, the location information acquisition unit acquires the acquired location information from the connection information; A mobile object monitoring device.
11. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 8, The terminal information includes image information captured by the roadside sensor. A mobile object monitoring device.
12. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 11, the identification information acquisition unit acquires the acquired identification information by recognizing the image information. A mobile object monitoring device.
13. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 11, the location information acquisition unit acquires the acquired location information by recognizing the image information. A mobile object monitoring device.
14. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 8, A distance information acquisition unit is provided, the terminal information includes distance information measured by the roadside sensor, the distance information acquisition unit acquires acquired distance information from the distance information; the range determination unit outputs the attitude range information based on the acquired distance information. A mobile object monitoring device.
15. The moving object monitoring device according to claim 8, a short-distance transmission unit that transmits the identification information as short-distance transmission information; a short-distance receiving unit that receives the short-distance transmission information and outputs short-distance reception information; Equipped with the terminal information includes the short-distance reception information, the identification information acquisition unit acquires the acquired identification information from the short-distance received information. A mobile object monitoring device.
Citation Information
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